How Is This For A Post

Good Morning! It's Monday, I have the whole week off and I have been trying to catch up on everyone's blogs. Just because I don't comment on each and every one doesn't mean I don't read them. Sometimes I barely have enough time to read and respond to my email. And I have been bitten by the Facebook bug and somehow I can find so much to do on there. There just isn't enough time in the day sometimes. I am away from home on weekdays for 13 hours and require 6-7 hours of sleep so... Anyway, enough excuses, here I am and I am going to bore you all with what's been going on. (Probably won't take up much space.) LOL

An update on George's hunting. Very few deer sightings and the ones he has seen have been too far away to get a shot at. Being a bow hunter, he wants to make sure of his shot because you don't want to injure an animal and not be able to find it. So unless he is absolutely sure, he won't take a shot. His friend Scott however, did get a small buck on our property a few weeks ago with his muzzle loader. It's been a few years since Scott has taken one so we were very happy for him.

Work has been pretty busy. Our department is steady and will be for several months, then hopefully we will get another contract and just continue as we are. I am very blessed to have a job, and I really do work for a wonderful company. The CEO of the company won a National award last week in Palm Springs, The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Manufacturing and Distribution. I've tried uploading Mr. Solinsky's acceptance speech but had no luck. You can view it on YouTube if you like.

George's son Patrick will be moving to Colorado in January. He will be graduating from college in May but first has to do an internship for his degree in Culinary Arts. He was accepted at the Boradmoor Resort in Colorado Springs and starts working right after the holidays. We are very excited for him. He will be graduating with degrees in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management so this would be a great start for his career. If all goes well, he plans on staying there after his internship is complete so we will have a vacation place to go to! :-)

On Saturday night we went out for dinner with George's brother Ray and his wife Diane. They have 2 boys, Keith is 22 and Kris is 20 and they also joined us along with George's son Jon and his wife Nikki. We went to a place in Manchester called Famous Dave's and they specialize in BBQ. The atmosphere is very casual and we pretty much had the whole bar area to ourselves. The food was fantastic, we got this thing called the Garbage Lid and it was a whole variety of items actually served on a trash can lid. We had ribs, a half of a chicken, beans, cole slaw, corn muffins, fries, brisket and BBQ pork and lots of beer. LOL It was a really fun night. I really love all this extended family. Keith and I really had a great conversation before dinner. He is almost finished with school too and is doing his internship for radiology at a local hospital. He's a very smart kid, very sweet and personable and the best hugger by far! Kris is a bit more shy but seems to be warming up to me a bit more. He's a gentle giant, stands about 6'5" tall and has the nicest smile. He kind of reminds me of what Abe Lincoln might have looked like when he was young. LOL What really tugs at my heart about these two is the loving care they have for their Mom. Diane has been confined to a wheelchair for many years. She had Dystonia which is a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy. Back when we were in high school, she was able to walk with the aid of a cane but she has had a lot of experimental treatments to help her and although some things have helped, nothing has ever helped permanently. The last surgery she had helped her get around somewhat better but affected her speech and now it is very difficult to understand her. She suffers a great deal from very painful muscle spasms in her legs so she can no longer walk or drive a car but she is killer in her motorized wheelchair! When they come to visit, Kris will carry her up the stairs on his back and both boys take awesome care of her. It's a little more difficult for Ray to carry her now that he is getting older and has bad knees but the boys really do pitch in when they can. Anyway, we had a super wonderful time and I can't wait to do it again.
Here are Ray and Diane. As soon as I can find a pic of the boys, I will post it.



I have a couple of new pics of Alex and Callissa too. Aren't they just the cutest lil kids?
Alex

Callissa


We are spending Thanksgiving day with my parents, brothers, nephews and my kids. Not sure who else will be there. I wanted to have dinner here but both of my kids whined that we live too far away and my mother would have to cook a turkey anyway because my father and brother look forward to leftovers so we're going to go there. It is a long drive for Sara to come here. She already lives 90 minutes away from my parents and then add another 50 minutes to that so I can totally understand not wanting to be on the road all day. She will be stopping by at her Dad's house too I imagine.
I will be making a few side dishes so Mom doesn't have to do all the work by herself and Sara has volunteered to make dessert. I hope Jessie brings a green bean casserole but I am not sure what she is planning.

I guess I should get off of my butt and get a few things done around here. I still have to make the bed and bake some brownies for George to bring to work tomorrow for their Thanksgiving luncheon.
I am reading the book Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane and hopefully I can spend some time on that later on. I just finished Duma Key by Stephen King. I liked it for the most part, didn't like the ending but that happens a lot with his books. They start out grabbing my interest but eventually the story gets weird and I lose interest. I did force myself to finish it though even though I have 4-5 books waiting to be read.

I just had a nice long chat with Greg's wife Sheila. She is doing remarkably well all things considered and is in Texas spending the holidays with her family. That makes me happy to know she is with people who love her at this tough time.

I am off for awhile now. Going to make the bed and then fold some laundry. I probably should get those brownies baked too since it is now noon. Hope everyone has a great day!

Wet Weather in New England

Good Morning to everyone. I hope the weather is better in your next of the woods than it is here but it just figures. We've had a week of temps in the 60's and lots of sun but I have the day off today so of course it is going to rain. It is pouring on down right now but I hope it lets up at least for a little while because I am taking Hunter in for his pedicure at the Vet's office and you all know I am made of sugar so I don't want to melt. LOL
The girls at work have worked so darn hard this month that we got our product all finished and shipped for the entire month a full week ahead of schedule. That is over 800 units off to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas where the soldiers need it. So our manager has rewarded us and given us all of next week off. YIPPEEE!! We were going to have two paid days for Thanksgiving off anyway so we only have to use 3 vacation days and today is an Off Friday anyway so that gives me 10 days off. Whatever will I do with my time?? (I plan to catch up on everyone's blog, for one thing.) I have also put the Betty Crocker skill set into play and plan on experimenting on some new recipes too. I'll let you know how they come out.

Hunter is crashed out on the sofa so I guess I better get him loaded into the car and be on my way. I am sure there are some very qualified Vets in the area but I tried one and couldn't stand taking my animal there so I went back to Dr. Audrey's office. Problem with that is it is an hours drive from here. I know, I know, but he is my lil baby and I can't just have him cared for by any ole doctor. It's like a kid...you wouldn't take him to a pediatrician if the doctor gave you the willies, right?? LOL
OK gotta run but I shall return!
Have a great day!

Still Alive

I am still here. Sorry about not posting lately. Just haven't had much time or much to post. It's been pretty quiet around here.

All is well here. The kids are all doing ok and so far no one has contracted the Swine flu, although it is all around us. George and I both still have jobs so that's good. I'm still waiting for the elusive venison, although George's friend Scott got one on our land out behing our house last Wednesday. I hope we at least can get a steak or some hamburger. :-)

I want to take a minute and mention that a very good friend of mine has lost his battle with cancer. I think some of you know him too from chat, Greg198. He's been fighting for a few years now but made his way to God last week. He will be greatly missed. Greg was a friend I met in chat well over 8 years ago and he was a funny, smart and sweet guy. He never wanted anyone to feel sorry for him so many never knew he was sick. I chatted with him last a couple of weeks ago and he was in good spirits and ready for the next chapter of his life. Please take a minute and thank God for every blessing. Greg, I will miss you. Rest in Peace, my friend.

Time for me to hit the sheets. Have a good night everyone.

Lazy Sunday

Just a quick post to say Hey. I am getting ready to put a roaster chicken in the oven. It's a dreary chilly day today and a nice warm home cooked meal will be very welcomed here. I worked a lot of overtime last week, including part of yesterday, so I am planning to spend today catching up on blogs, watching football and cooking.

We went out for supper last night with Jessie, Eric and Sara. It was Jessie's 21st birthday on Friday and Eric will be 27 on the 29th so we did a combo dinner. It was fun, a little weird, but I really like being with my kiddoes.
We went to a place called Newicks Seafood. They are located in Dover on the point where the Oyster River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. It's a nice family oriented place with wonderful seafood, nice and fresh from the ocean. We don't go there very often since it iw quite a ways from where we live but it is only a half hour drive from Eric and Jessie's. Sara had been visiting Eric and Jessie for the weekend so she came along too.
I don't know why Jessie does this but she seems to have some issue no matter where we go for dinner. Even when we have dinner there with her, something randomly spoils her dinner. You never know what or when but it almost always happens.
She was so excited to go there because she loves seafood, especially lobster, and no place would have fresher lobster! We ordered dinner and she changed her mind about lobster for whatever reason. I believe she ordered calamari and scallops for her entree with wild rice, and she and Eric split a bowl of clam chowder. She ate the chowder, claimed it was very very creamy and good, and then her entree arrived. I happened to be looking at the food on the tray but George said her eyes got real big when she saw the size of her plate (huge) and only after a couple of bites, she barely ate anymore. We all asked if her food was ok. She said it was fine, she didn't think her plate would be that big and she was suddenly not hungry anymore. She spent the rest of the meal like she usually does, picking at her food and looking like she wanted to go home. This happens just about every time. Jessie is very moody and I think she is bi-polar, especially seeing her moods flip with the snap of your fingers. I've talked to Eric about this but he says it's just how she is. He tells me not to worry...but I do.
Anyway, the rest of us finished our meals and most of us took home doggie bags cos they really do give you a lot of food. We ended up leaving without dessert. No point of celebrating with a piece of cake or something sweet since she wouldn't eat it anyway. George and I took our car so we just headed home. Eric, Jessie and Sara rode back to Eric's house where Sara's car was. I think she was planning to head back to Massachusetts.
Before we went for supper, I met Eric and Jessie's new puppy, Cooper. He is a Yellow Lab, 14 weeks old and very very cute. As soon as I get a pic, I will post it. He's all legs, a little awkward right now, still growing into his body but such a face! He's very sweet, a little shy, but friendly once he gets to know you. I think he's the perfect little addition to their household.

I guess I better get the chicken into the oven. I am making sweet potatoes and whole wheat rolls too. Will smell good in here real soon!

Leaf Peeping 2009

George and I took a drive thru Twin Mountain, Crawford Notch and down the Kancamagus Highway today. The colors were so nice. Unfortunately we had more clouds than sun but it was a nice relaxing drive and certainly one of the better Foliage sight seeing drives I've been on in ages. Probably the number 1 reason why I LOVE New Hampshire so much.

A Couple of Pics

I have a little time this evening since Georgie Boy is out hunting so I thought I would post a couple of pictures. Saturday night was a blast. When Sara got here around 5, Jon, Nikki, Matt, Nicole, Callissa and Alex were already here. It was so cute to hear Callissa and Alex proclaim "Aunty Aunt Sara is here", while they ran to her and gave her big hugs. I don't know how they came up with Aunty Aunt Sara, but it has stuck. They both had to sit with her while we feasted on Pizza and homemade brownies and she played hide and seek with them too before they all went out to a local bar to shoot pool. George and I kept watch of the little ones, which was a hoot. We watched Cars and munched on popcorn, and drew pictures. It was a very fun evening.


Nikki, Nicole and Sara


Minnesota Sara lining up her shot


Alex, Hunter and Callissa down for the count


Yesterday was a quiet day. Sara had breakfast with us and visited until mid afternoon, then she headed home. George and I watched the Patriots and had an early supper so he could go out to his tree stand. The weekend went by way too quickly, but it was a very good couple of days.

October News

Wow October already! Where has the time gone?

This is my favorite time of year. I think October has always been my favorite month. I love the crispness of the air, I love the apples in the orchards, pumpkins in the pumpkin patches, and the beautiful Fall colors on and off the trees. I also love bright yellow and maroon colored Mums paired together in the garden and on the porch. (And as soon as I put some there, I will take a pic.)

I've been extremely busy lately with just the normal every day things. But I've also managed to finally get my house on the market. It has a For Sale sign on the front lawn and everything! I am optimisticly hoping it will sell before the winter sets in but I know chances of that are fairly unlikely. Still...I could get lucky. It really took me a lot longer than I planned to clean it out and prepare it for the market. I lived in that house for almost 20 years and you just don't realize how much stuff you really have. But it is empty now except for the gun cabinet that once belonged to my ex husband. (He doesn't want it.) As soon as we have a Saturday that promises no rain, we will go up and get it. It is a nice cabinet and I don't want to ruin it. I know I can get a few bucks for it.

Work is still a crap shoot every day. I know how lucky I am to have a job so I am not complaining. I go into work with a smile on my face every day. It just makes a person feel stressed out, never knowing if today is the last day you will be punching in. George's son in law, Matt, got laid off from his job last night. The job market is just so bad right now. I hope he can find something soon. Nicole still has a job but she works for the same company that Matt did so they have every reason to be nervous. They have 2 little ones to worry about too.

Tomorrow afternoon, Sara is making the almost 2 hour drive to come visit. She will be staying overnight and Nikki and Nicole have plans to take her out Saturday evening for a couple drinks and to shoot some pool. I am glad my 'girls' all get along and enjoy each other's company. Nothing makes me happier than to hear them calling each other "Sis". You just never know how 'blending' families is going to go.

Sara has an ulterior motive for coming to visit. Sunday is Hunter's 10th birthday and she wanted to be sure to be here to help the pooch celebrate. LOL She is too much. I hear she has bought him a gift and everything.

George is doing well. He has been out hunting almost every evening and has not provided his wife with any venison yet. I'm not sad. I like venison but I secretly cheer for the deer. I saw a beautiful Momma deer yesterday morning on my way to work, just standing by the road at the edge of the field with her little one. I stopped and watched them for a couple minutes until they ran off. It was way too dark for a picture (4am) but it made me smile all day and I have the visual in my head.

Eric is well. He and Jessie will be celebrating birthdays this month. Jessie's on the 16th and Eric's birthday is on the 29th. Still thinking about what to do for them. I already got Jessie a gift but I can never think of anything cool to get Eric. Jessie got him tickets to a Boston Bruins game and they are taking the train from Dover, NH to Boston. The cool part is she has arranged for several of Eric's friends to board the train at various stops and they will be joining them at the game. At the last stop, Sara will be waiting. He will be very surprised. I think it's a cool idea!

Next week I am going to the doctors for my yearly physical. Hopefully I will get my flu shot too. I do NOT want to get sick. I have a list of things to discuss with my doctor so it will be a long visit but my asthma ailments are pretty much history. Yay ME!!! That will make him happy too.

OK time to go for now. Have a great weekend!!

Mid Week Ramblin'

It's mid week and I have nothing to write about but I will ramble on here for a bit just because I can. :-)

The weather has been fairly nice, a little cool today but still sunny. Getting the Fall feeling for sure. Tonight it is supposed to drop down into the low 40's. I will leave my bedroom window open for as long as I possibly can. I sleep so much better when I can feel fresh natural air blowing on me. I don't like running the ceiling fan all night. For some reason, I wake up in the morning with my nose all stuffed up when the fan is left on.

George has been going out hunting every evening for the past week. Bear season opened up on September 1st. He likes to go out but he isn't interested so much in bear. He mainly hunts deer out behind our house and he is an avid bow hunter...no shotguns for him. We have 6 acres of woods/fields out there and he has a few favorite spots to sit up in his tree stand and be one with nature. So several evenings a week, he races home and grabs a quick bite to eat and goes out until it starts getting dark. This won't last long, obviously, since it has been getting dark earlier and earlier. But for now, he's having a good time. (Although I don't know how much fun it can be sitting 20 feet high in a tree for several hours trying not to make any noise. Not my idea of fun.) LOL

My friend Leanne got terminated from work today. I am pretty sad about that but she made a mistake and at this time, the management is not in much of a forgiving mood. Looking for any reason to reduce the work force, I think. There are some people who should have been let go a long time ago because they are pretty useless but somehow they are still employed.
They've been riding our butts about time clock practices...don't punch in more than 5 minutes before your shift starts and you can't punch out any later than 5 minutes after your shift ends...etc etc. Apparently she was running late yesterday morning so she pulled her car up to the building...ran in, punched in then went back out to park her car. I know...that has wrong written all over it. No argument from me there. But I see a lot of people who are on the clock and they're in the ladies room for 15 minutes combing their hair and reapplying makeup...or hanging around in the halls killing time. One of my co workers makes an entire loop through the building 2 or 3 times a day using the bathroom that is farthest from her work station so she can kill a little time. So I don't see how this is any worse. But she was ratted out by the security guard and lost her job. I guess I am going to have to really keep on my toes. It looks like they are looking for any reason to dump a few more bodies.

I suppose I should get my supper dishes washed and maybe I can get a little reading in before George gets home.
Not sure what we are doing this weekend. So far, nothing is planned but things can change in a heartbeat around here. I know he is going to want to get out into the woods late afternoon on Saturday and Sunday if the weather is good.

Have a great evening. Hope your week is going well.

A Quiet Friday Morning

It's my off Friday...had a nice short week with the holiday on Monday. George is working so I am making good use of my time at home alone, catching up on blogs and doing some laundry in between. I've been awake since 6:30 and I've got three loads of laundry washed and waiting on the second load to finish drying so I can put the third load in. Once that is dry I will remake the bed and my chores will be done. I plan on grabbing my book a bit later on and making a nice dent in it. I am reading Duma Key by Stephen King. I am about 150 pages into it and it is pretty good, so far. But I know how he writes and I have a feeling the story is going to take a left turn pretty soon. Hopefully I won't end up disappointed as I have been in previous books. I have had this book for quite some time and had been putting off reading it. I had been reading books by Christopher Moore lately and he is a riot to read. He has a very unique and comedic writing style and I find the silliness refreshing sometimes.

Work has been very stressful lately. A sign of the times I guess, but still scary never knowing who is going to be laid off or terminated next. I work for a government contractor who manufactures optical gear for the military. Night vision goggles, mountable flashlights and infrared sighting systems that our soldiers need to protect us and themselves. All the budget cuts have been tough on everyone. The orders have been dwindling down and so must the work force. At one time our comapny employed almost 2000 people and since the beginning of this year management has had to lay off or terminate well over 500 people. It began as getting rid of the dead weight, mainly people with negative work records, bad attitudes and discipline problems. Then it moved onto individual departments, thinning the herd so to speak. I've heard that another 150 people will be gone by years end...but that could just be a rumor. In any event, it's a little scary. No one is safe and everyone is dispensible it seems. I continue to carry on, hopefully for a long time but you never know. I've been there almost 7 years but seniority doesn't matter here either. I'll just keep my nose clean and my attitude pleasant and show up for work every day and hope that is sufficient.

It's kind of cloudy and cool today. I guess summer is over. We didn't have much of a summer this year. June and July were very rainy and the only heat and sun we had came the first couple of weeks of August. The last 2 weeks were very comfortable and sunny, but not particularly warm. I guess we saved money on electricity where the Air Conditioning is concerned but I dread having to turn the heat on. I guess it's inevitible living in the Northeast but maybe we'll have a nice Indian summer.

Of course, everyone knows today is the 8th anniversary of 9/11. We all remember where we were and what we were doing when this horrible event took place. I had just landed at Manchester NH airport from a 7:30am flight from Newark, NJ when I saw the news on the monitors at the luggage carousel. It was 8:55am...just minutes after the first plane struck the World Trade Center Tower and it didn't make sense to me until I was in the car heading to work from the airport and the reports were on the radio. By the time I got to work (which was just on the opposite side of the airport), I knew I had to make some calls because my family knew I was flying that morning and they would be frantic. I called the high school to get word to my daughter so she wouldn't freak out and I called my parents. Then I called my son, who had been asleep and was totally oblivious to what was going on. I then made a few more calls to friends who would be worried and was very tightly hugged by some co workers who were extremely happy to see me. At that time, we didn't know exactly what impact this whole catastrophe would have on our Nation, but we would find that out in the coming hours. I personally didn't lose anyone close to me but a lot of people did and for them I pray. May God Bless us all.

Happy Labor Day

Happy Labor Day to all of you! I hope it has been a relaxing day for everyone.

I decided to spend the day relaxing and not doing a whole lot of anything since we have been on the go since first thing Saturday morning. We got up fairly early and I had to get a batch of brownies into the oven even before I jumped into the shower because I was pressed for time and I know the border patrol is always waiting on me as I cross over into Maine. I am not allowed in the state without a pan of brownies. LOL (That is according to Rick and Mazz and of course I always comply)

George headed for the dump while I showered and then got back home to load up the car for our 300 mile trip. Rick and Blossom were planning a pool party for the unofficial last weekend of the summer and we would not miss it for the world. As soon as the brownies came out of the oven we were ready to hit the road. I was riding shotgun this trip and I grabbed the camera because it was a gorgeous day for a ride and we were going to go through the White Mountain area and I knew I could get some awesome shots. As you can see...I did just that. The sky was so blue and it was just a pretty day.























It took us 5 hours to get to our motel. We checked in, freshened up and headed right over to Rick's house. I wish I had taken some photos of the room we had because it was really nice...and HUGE! We could have easily stayed there for a week and not been uncomfortable. It had two beds,(not that we needed two), a sofa with recliners and a really nice kitchen area with a table and chairs, s microwave oven, stove top and fridge. The bathroom was quite large as well with a walk in shower which was really nice.

Anyway...we got to Rick's and the first person I spotted was Tweetie! She wasn't able to make it the last time we were there so it was great to see her. During the course of the afternoon/evening she and I spent a lot of time chatting and catching up. Mazz was also there with his wife April and their son Andy. Rick's son David was there too with his girlfriend Jaime. Blossom's sister and brother in law also were there with their grandson. Pup-Pup, Gene and Nikki were there along with Gene's cousin Wanda. It is always great fun hanging with these bunch of mainiacs...that is for sure.
We had a bite to eat, all was delicious of course, Rick is a fantastic cook, and the drinking and partying commenced. It got really chilly outside once the sun went down so we got a fire going in the fire pit, then after awhile we went into the basement to listen to music and Karaoke. George and I laughed all night long and had a wonderful time. We left there around 11:30 and went back to the motel to unwind and get some sleep. We were planning to go back to Rick's for breakfast but never got up until after 9 and decided we had better get back on the road soon. We took the overland route home back through the mountains and made a few stops along the way for lunch and to stretch our legs. We made it home around 4pm. A whirlwind trip but lots of fun and always great to be with wonderful people.

Tweetie, Rick, Gene and Mazz


Rick and Mazz


Mazz



Today was a lazy day. All I did was laundry and read a bit, then made a quick supper. George and his buddy are out in the woods at the moment doing a little bear hunting. He enjoys that activity...I cheer for the wildlife. Hunting doesn't do much for me, but hey it keeps him out of my hair for awhile! LOL As long as I don't have to clean anything he brings home...

The Mighty Hunter



It will be back to work tomorrow...whoopie. The best thing is I have Friday off too so hopefully the 3 days I have to work won't drag.

Hope you enjoyed the little slide show. Have a great evening!

Quick Update

Not much to post. Last weekend's BBQ at Eric and Jessie's went very well. Sara was there along with Della and Jay, Jessie's parents. My ex didn't show. Apparently he had no way to get there (he lost his license years ago for DUI and has no car) and rejected my offer to pick him up. He said he wasn't comfortable with the idea and that is fine, I can understand that. he will go over at another time I guess and meet with Jessie's folks.
We had a wonderful meal and discussed wedding plans. nothing written in stone but ideas flying across the table. Some things have been set like the date (8-28-10)and the Country Club is where they are having the ceremony and reception. They have also started planning a honeymoon in Hawaii. The color scheme has been selected but not sure if that is a definite.
It's been a busy week at work. And it's been very hot and humid outside of work. Today is a transition day weatherwise, cloudy and overcast with thunderstorms blowing through on ocaission.
Tonight we are going to see The Moody Blues in concert so I am pretty psyched about that. Otherwise, it is going to be a quiet day.
Hope all is well with you all.
Enjoy the day!

Moving and Moon Pics

Another Sunday morning and I am feeling a bit lazy. I know the day is going to fly by so I will get dressed after I finish this post and enjoy the sunshine.

Yesterday was a rather busy day for me. George and I went to my old house and did some much needed work there. We made 2 trips to the dump and got rid of some furniture no one wanted and disposed of about 400 pounds of junk. The place just needs a good cleaning now and we should be set to put it on the market. Eric and Jessie came over to help out and we got quite a bit done. Next Saturday Sara is coming to get the remainder of her junk and my ex husband is supposed to clean out the toolshed on Friday since all of the stuff in there is his.
After we finished at the house, we cleaned up a bit and went to a BBQ at George's former brother and sister in laws house. They have one huge bash every summer (Bev and Rick's Summer Extravaganza) and I was surprised that we were invited since it is Donna's family, but Rick has always felt like George was another brother of his so we were included. Surprisingly Donna and her new husband weren't there so I am thinking we only got invited when they found out Donna and Pete weren't coming but whatever. We went and had a wonderful time. I personally didn't take any pics but I know Nikki and Nicole did so I will grab some of their pics and post them at annother time.
We didn't get home until 8pm but the party was still going strong when we left. I suspect it went on well into the night.

Earlier in the week, George went Kayaking with his two boys on one of the smaller lakes around here. George mainly just went paddling around but the boys went fishing and caught some nice lake trout and a couple of bass. George took the following shots before leaving the lake that evening. The moon was almost full.












Next weekend we are going to Eric and Jessie's BBQ with her family. It is a time when we all will get together to discuss wedding plans and it might be a little stressful since my ex is going to be there and I haven't seen him since Sara graduated from college. But if our son is going to get married, then we need to both be in the same place at once and we'll have to deal with it. I personally have no issue with him but I know he still blames me for tossing him out and basicly ruining his life. Never mind that he is an alcoholic who never takes responsibility for his own actions. He knows I am remarried now and I am not sure if he knows just who I am married to but he does know George from our younger days and I hope he can do the right thing and not humiliate himself and his son at this informal gathering.

I guess that is it for now. It's time to get dressed and do something. Not sure what, but I need to take advantage of the sunshine while I can.

His And Hers Rocking Horses

Years ago, 1981 to be exact, George and I were working for the same company, as we had been since 1975. He worked in one department, and I worked in another but we sat just 15 feet away from each other. We had been friends before I started working there, hanging out in the same neighborhood and knowing the same people. In fact, many of our friends worked for this company at one time or another. It was the best place to get your feet wet as far as part time jobs in the 70's when we were all still in high school. For George and myself, it was our first job. Anyway, by 1981 we were both still working there and we were married to other people. There was also a young guy that worked there named Roger who was very crafty and enjoyed doing a lot of woodworking on the side. One day he brought in a rocking horse that he had made for someone. I couldn't believe how cute it was and I asked Roger if he could find some time to make one just like it for me. He said he had been taking orders all day and he was happy to have the business. So I placed my order and waited patiently for the day he brought it into work for me. I don't remember how long it took before I had my rocking horse but I do remember taking it home and finding the perfect place to set it, in the corner by the bay window of the apartment where I lived with my then husband, Dave.
It moved where we moved and each time I made sure it had the perfect spot to be seen and admired. Eric was born a year later and once he was old enough to climb on, he rode that rocking horse for many many hours. Sara followed suit when she was old enough and soon it had plenty of scratches and knicks on it. When we wmoved to our house in 1990, both kids were too old to be bothered with it anymore so I covered up the rocking horse and put it in the attic.
Last month while cleaning out the attic, my son had me close my eyes and then set my rocking horse down in front of me. When I opened them, I had a smile from ear to ear. I pretty much had forgotten about my rocking horse until then. George asked if that was made by Roger and I said it was. He started laughing and said he had one just like it in his basement. Roger had made one for him in 1981 when his wife Donna was pregnant with Nicole.
When we got home that day I had him bring it upstairs and now we have both rocking horses sitting side by side in the corner of the spare room. I can't help but smile every time I look at them.
It's really weird, but it's just another little piece of history from our separate lives that prove to me that we really belong together.



Pay no attention to the dust LOL

Elaine and Jean's BBQ

Today we went to a BBQ at the home of some very old and dear friends. I have known Elaine and Jean since High School and coinsidently, George knows them and so does his brother Ray and my sister in law Diane. So we were all invited to the family and friends/grandson's 11th birthday party.
There was more food than I have ever seen at one gathering and about 45 people were there. Various family members, some I knew, some I didn't, and many friends, again some I knew. I was reintroduced to someone I haven't seen in 38 years at least...and she is now a real estate agent/broker. I told her about my house and she is willing to help me get it on the market as soon as I am ready. What a stroke of luck that her district is right where I used to live.
Anyway we had a great time catching up. There was mountains of food to eat and I had my share. LOL Fruit salad, veggie tray, chips, dips, burgers, hot dogs, steak tips, chicken and ribs. Potato salad, popcorn, pretzels, cheese balls, birthday cake and ice cream, OH MY! Everything I had was very tasty but I really didn't overdue it, although I did have several fresh ripe strawberries and seconds on the potato salad.
Timmy is Elaine's 11 year old grandson and his birthday is in 2 days so we celebrated that while we were all together. It was really nice. The perfect summer day with great company and lots of food and drink.
I've posted a few pics...Enjoy!


Jean (pointing), his brother Mike and their Mom



Eli isn't he a doll?



My brother in law Ray and sister in law Diane


George and Diane hitting the food table


My friend Elaine and her granddaughter Alyssa



My sis in law Diane and to the right...Marie, an old friend


Some of the family


Timmy and his SpongeBob cake

Random Things About Me

Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Have fun and be truthful!


1 What is your occupation right now? Group Leader/mechanical-electrical/multidisciplined assembler/test technician for a government contracting company
2. What color are your socks right now? Not wearing any socks.
3. What are you listening to right now? World News Tonight with Charlie Gibson and the rain falling on the air conditioner
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Spaghetti and meatballs
5. Can you drive a stick shift? can...but don't
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Karla
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I stole it from Deanna's blog and YES I like her very much
8. How old are you today? 52 years and a couple of months
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Baseball which reminds me I better hurry cos the Red Sox are on at 7pm
10. What is your favorite drink? Diet Coke with or without the rum
12. Favorite food? steak on the grill
13. What is the last movie you watched? Bedtime Stories
14. Favorite day of the year? Thanksgiving
15. How do you vent anger? I used to slam things around and yell but I have very little to get mad about these days. Although George being duped into taking a week of without pay has made me a little pissed off, not at him but at the management where he works. He's too freeking nice about it...looks like I have to get mad enough for the two of us.
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbie dolls
17. What is your favorite season? Fall
18. Cherries or Blueberries? I really prefer strawberries
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? No need but please blog your answers if you wish
20. Who is the most likely to respond? Karla
21. Who is least likely to respond? No idea
22. Living arrangements? husband and almost 10 yr old chihuahua
23. When was the last time you cried? last friday
24. What is on the floor of your closet? Georges hunting bow and arrows, a few pairs of shoes, not sure what else.
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Heidi I met her when we were 4 and she lived acros the street from me. We are still friends today although she lives about an hour away now.
26. What did you do last night? played on the computer for awhile, went to bed early and the rest would be TMI

27. What are you most afraid of? Fire...but my husband would say I am afraid of not having enough money, which he is right but I have lived like a pauper and never want to do that again if I can help it.
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? Cheese with ketchup, pickles bacon and onions.
29 Favorite dog breed? Siberian Husky
30. Favorite day of the week? Friday
31. How many states have you lived in? 1
32. Diamonds or pearls? diamonds
33. What are your favorite flowers? Wild flowers, day lillies and daffodils

Please Don't Faint

Yup it's been awhile. Not too much going on around here. I was on vacation last week but we spent several days over at my other house doing some repairs before it goes on the market. George put in a new kitchen sink and a new faucet and shower in the bathroom. I really wish I had the money to put in a new tub but I don't so whoever buys it can decide if they want to or not. There is nothing wrong with it except for the disgusting color of the tub, that pukish olive green of the 70's. Apparently green was a very popular color for bathtubs/sinks back in the day. Actually the entire bathroom needs a makeover and that is something I planned to do years ago after we paid off the house, but then I got divorced and was a single mom to two teenagers and well nothing got done due to lack of funds. Anyway, someone ambitious enough to do a make over in the bathroom can go ahead and do the honors. At least the faucet won't leak anymore.

Last weekend we drove up to Maine to see all the Mainiacs. We missed a few, due to short notice Tweetie wasn't able to make it and we never got in touch with Cricket to let her know I was going to be there. Cricket was in Maine for a few weeks but I suspect she had a lot of family to catch up with so maybe we can see her next time she is back from British Columbia. George fit in quite well and we enjoyed our visit there. We partied at Rick and Blossom's house with Mazz and his wife, April, and their son Andy, Rick's son David was there with his girlfriend and PupPup and her husband Gene were there also with their daughter Nikki.
We arrived just in time for supper. Rick is a fantastic cook and he had quite the spread laid out. Roast pork, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, salad, rolls, I think there were a few other dishes too but I didn't have enough room on my plate. I brought brownies for dessert, of course. I had to because I am not allowed into Maine without them. After supper we went outside to sit around the fire but the rain came pouring down so we moved the party into the basement. It was a fun evening of conversation and karaoke. We left around 11:00 and headed to the Motel where we spent the night. Apparently the remainder of the crew partied long into the night.
We hit the road Sunday afternoon and made the 5+ hour trek back home. Thankfully the weather was better going home than it was going to...and it was an enjoyable drive through the mountains.

George


Me


Mazz, Andy and Rick

Hmmmmm
I had several more pics to post but blogger is experiencing some technical difficulties so I will try again at another time.

Yesterday we spent the day at George's son's condo. George and Jon were busy putting in a hardwood floor and Nikki and I entertained ourselves watching the food network and looking at pictures from their wedding. The floor is looking pretty good but they didn't get it finished so George is back there today helping out. I decided to stay at home and do the necessary chores before we go back to work, laundry and grocery shopping. Alreday done the shopping, now I just have to fold another load of laundry and I will be done. I am watching a movie at the moment, Dr. T and the Women. Richard Gere, Helen Hunt, Kate Hudson, and Farrah Fawcett. It's pretty good...but I don't think I could go to Richard Gere if he was my OB/GYN. He's too hot. LOL

I guess I am going to make some chicken for dinner. I am marinating it in Italian Dressing at the moment and I think I will make a baked potato for George and make a salad for myself. It should be quite good. :-)

Well tried to post some more pics again but it's not gonna happen now. I will save them for another post I guess. Hope everyone is having a beautiful Sunday...the weather sure is nice here for a change. Looks like a good afternoon to grab my book and go sit outside for awhile.

Ciao!

Meet The Pooch

I took some pics of Hunter a couple of weeks ago and finally loaded them onto the PC. I think he's really cute and looks a lot like Deanna's dog, Whiskey. Thank goodness he doesn't have the demon dog personality though. LOL

just hanging around

curled up in my favorite chair

looks like it's Hunter's favorite chair too


after a bath he looks like a drowned rat


trying to dry off


Hunter is a pretty good pooch. He's a Chihuahua, born on October 4th in 1999 so he will be 10 years old on his next birthday! He lost his eyesight for an unknown reason about 2 years ago and has adapted to his surroundings quite well. We just don't rearrange furniture around here very often.
He loves to got for walks and rides in the car and has fun hanging out on the back deck with us. And he would do just about anything for some raw, fresh green beans. LOL So that's my Huntababes. :-)
Enjoy!