DAYS REVISITED

" THIS IS MY NEW TOY SO LEAVE ME ALONE, I'M JUST SITTING ON EVERY ONES COATS THEY FORGOT TO HANG UP ". SADIE

Men show their characters in nothing more clearly than in what they think laughable.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

" DANNY, don't get up in a tree like your brother Ken,

NAH look at the Eagle in the tree up there" Dau #2

A day at the zoo. It's a wonderful little zoo in South Jersey. Free, you can give a donation if ya want, don't even pay for parking! Close to the very tip of NJ @ Cape May, NJ. Although a small zoo it has all the animals. It's over many acres of land and wonderful walk paths, under trees which show the fauna & flora of NJ. Very educational. And really not too big to get the children crying & exhausted. We went with my 4 grands & my brothers 3 grands. It was great, the youngest child was a year and oldest 10. The older kids actually were a real help with the little ones. There were 6 adults. We made a donation, of course, and we took a picnic. So the day cost us practically nothing. I love those types of trips! Didn't even have to get souvenirs!

Nothing is worse than active ignorance.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We go from summer to winter. Kenny grandson #1 made this @ school. I wanted to take it home with me but momma said NO! Pretty neat for a 10 yr old huh!

I have just come to a realization, I don't take nearly enough pics of Kenny. So when next up in MD, will have to do better. Can't totally blame granny though. He usually is on the computer or video games or outside tossing a football. AND I have to be the one he tosses it to.

no NO NO!

Yes a pretty sky in my neck of the woods

No, No thanks, I said no, what part of no don't you understand?CLICK

I have had two real annoying calls today! you know the type, the ones who don't take no for an answer. How do these folk do it? call people over and over and are told no, sometimes not even politely, but down right aggressively! Is the money that good or do they need that paycheck that badly!

I really try and be polite, but after several attempts at saying no I get aggravated! I don't usually berate, I simply hang up on them. At one time I would play with them for a bit to try and get them to thinking I might get their offer, but I have grown out of that.

Today I told em I wasn't feeling well and had a headache and had just taken medicine, and I would not be able to make any decisions today. He came back, I am not trying to make you make a decision, I am ONLY asking you send us $99 to upgrade your membership(which has relapsed by the way). O well, thanks but no thanks CLICK!

I have even gone as far as telling them I was dyslexic and they would have to explain everything to me backwards- did that dissuade this fellow! by no means- he started doing his spiel backwards!

Then I found out a friend was dyslexic and thought that mean.

I haven't had a house phone for awhile, and decided maybe I needed one since I have a handicapped daughter, but you wouldn't believe the calls I've received. I even got one the other day in which the entire one sided conversation was in Spanish- I decided that was def a wrong number!

I will continue to try and be polite, BUT it's a hard task sometimes!

Such is the irresistible nature of truth that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.
Thomas Paine

Where's my Valentine 2010?

Here he is Snickers! Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.
Albert Einstein
YEP I FIND MYSELF HAVING TO EXERT MYSELF IN MOST THINGS THESE DAYS. BUT SOMETIMES WHERE DO YOU GET THE STAMINA JUST TO EXERT YOURSELF!?

What else is love but understanding and rejoicing in the fact that another person lives, acts, and experiences otherwise than we do…?
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)

YES AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT OTHER PERSON DIES AND YOU ARE LEFT HOLDING THE BAG? YOU PICK YOURSELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS AND CONTINUE ON!

Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)
I IMAGINE I HAVE INTELLIGENCE DOES THAT COUNT?

There is no remedy for love but to love more.
Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862), Journal, July 25, 1839

I AM SO GLAD I HAVE CHILDREN & GRANDCHILDREN!

Just because you love someone doesn't mean you have to be involved with them. Love is not a bandage to cover wounds.
Hugh Elliott, Standing Room Only weblog, February 16, 2004

WHAT!!! I WANT TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE ONES I LOVE.

I know what a weird post, but that's about how I feel this Valentines day. Weird, lonely, depressed, however I know I am loved and I have love to give & share!

happening

I always love this moss and how it looks on the trees. Saw this one weekend while I was on a retreatThis little chapel was on the grounds of the retreat center. Lovely inside

Can ya see the beautiful rainbow? This was one of the most wonderful ones I have ever seen. You could see every hue! and at one point it was a double rainbow! I just wish I could have captured it better, but too many buildings were in the way.

Waste not fresh tears over old griefs.
Euripides (484 BC - 406 BC)

Christmastime 2009

The cousins all together. They don't see each other often but when they do they are like brothers and sisters. One big happy family.

Keyanna, Kailey (grandnieces) & Danny- he is a ham!

Keyshaun (grandnephew) Keyanna, Danny & Alexzandria

#1 grandson Kenneth, during school play, his class did China. All the students in the grade school had different countries in which they learned how they celebrated Christmas and other interesting facts. Yep he is as tall as me now!

Alexzandria, grand niece

Alizabeth(grand niece) & Daniel they are 6 months apart in age she is older, we always take pics of them together to see who is bigger- I think he always will be, it's in his genes! His dad is 6'4" hers was about 5'7"

Michelle with Snickers & Elizabeth with Sadie, my girls! oops granddaughters

ups/downs

grandson Daniel when he HAD to have a Mohawk over the summer 2009

Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow there, firm as weeds along rocks.
- Charlotte Bronte Quite a quote huh!

Today hasn't been one of the best for me. This morning when I got up the sugar was 89, good right! Well I ate breakfast of oatmeal & coffee. Around 11am it dropped I didn't even take it again, didn't need to, felt shaky & nervous but ate a sandwich and had some cheese. Then for about 3 hours I felt like crap! It's now approx 7pm and I'm finally feeling better. I have diabetes, and really try to keep it under control, it was just one of those days when it just kept dropping.

Some folk I know with diabetes have trouble keeping their sugar down- I'm just different, mine always goes down. It still makes ya feel awful, either way.

I am relating all this because It's just a health note from me, I never stopped nursing. Elevated sugars for a prolonged time can cause all kinds of problems, without ya even knowing it! That's why it's called the Silent Killer. Yes, Heart, Eyes, GI & Extremities. Warning signs of Diabetes:tiredness, unquenchable thirst, urinary frequency, sores that won't heal, frequent infections, weight loss, blurred vision, red swollen & sore gums, tingling of hands & feet.

So if ya have any of these get out to a Doctor or Nurse Practitioner!

February

Sorry he has such green eyes here, but he is truly a love! Man was my hair short, didn't realise it at the time.



It's February! What types of things do you think of when you hear February!?
A short month, a nondescript month. Snow or the beginning of snow.
Days are short and so is the month.OMG a month has already passed in 2010.
Thinking of vacations.Have you given up on New Years' Resolutions yet!
The groundhog-will he see the shadow or not-who ever thought of this silly day? someone sitting around wishing winter had passed already!?



I have a paradigm shift- I really don't know what to expect in February in Florida.
The rains are coming and so are the hurricanes. The days are warm, but the nights are a bit cool. Plants are looking a little sad, but will soon be colorful again. Should I plant tomatoes?Spring training is just around the corner. When will the snow birds return to their places of origin? Guess the Canadians will be going soon.

O Winter! ruler of the inverted year, . . . I crown thee king of intimate delights, Fireside enjoyments, home-born happiness, And all the comforts that the lowly roof Of undisturb'd Retirement, and the hours Of long uninterrupted evening, know.
William Cowper (1731 - 1800), Task (bk. IV, l. 120)

Clairification

#2 Grandson Daniel and Me Dec 2009 @ his school play

Dau #2 said I should make some clarifications to previous post. Those folk were prob not my peers, they are prob 10-15 years older than me. Also, I don't really have grey hair. I have just a few grey spots, and I dye not to cover it, but because I like my hair a redder hue not mousy brown.
Age is relative anyhow. I tried to make some humor only. I just don't feel old and hope I never do(good for me). I have many blessings which I am very grateful for. I try not to dwell on things. Sometimes when I go out with my daughters folk think it's nice us sisters go out and laugh allot!


Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil big enough to draw on the ceiling.
- G.K. Chesterton

O could you see the ceilings if kids had those crayons! Reminds me of a time hubby & I were babysitting our toddler niece. We had driven from NJ to VA after working all night and were a bit tired. My bro said would ya watch her? Of course we said yes. But sleep got the best of us. When my brother got home he said who was watching who? Sleepily we said huh! My brother the told us to look at the wall behind the sofa. Yikes how were we supposed to know she wanted to audition for a Picasso!? or could get out of the crib, and had crayons! Well we've laughed about it for years. However at the time Her folks were a bit peeved at us, to say the least.

A friend of mine put on her FB about pencils not being what they used to when she was a kid- she may be 35! She has 4 kids and pencils always, just don't last. I told her that's what happens when "you take the lead out of the pencil"(bad me!)

Yes I could find myself lying in bed writing on the ceilings. I lay in bed and look up and imagine what shadows are. I could color in the shadows and have lovely prints!

BAD TASTE!

I want to give a forewarning for this post, anyone offended I'm sorry. I just post the facts as I see them.

I think I am age discriminatory, yes me!
I went to the theater this afternoon with my oldest daughter who is 39, and in a wheelchair. They had probably 40 handicapped parking spaces. We were there an hour before the show started. I could not find a handicapped place to park. So I hoofed it pushing my daughter who is no lightweight.
As we were seated I looked around the theater and to my utter dismay over 90% of the theater goers were Qtips (folk with GREY hair). Now I don't care if folk have grey hair, but over 90% in a 500 seat theater! In the daytime. Yikes I was almost scared. I felt like I was in the "day of the walking dead"! I know, I know I live in Florida!, but I never expected every senior citizen would be grey headed, tilted over, walking slow!
My adventure continues, we were in the 5th row back from the stage. A gentleman seated in the 4th row had a pair of binoculars out and using them! OMG I could almost see the blemishes on the singer.
Every member of the 5 piece band was a Qtip.
All the ushers were Qtips. Now picture this a Qtip usher helping a Qtip patron and they both had trouble walking- on flat services, never mind the stairs I won't even go there.

I really did enjoy the show I had quite a wonderful time viewing the sights. O, ya know when someone sings or the like, you see at least a few in the audience bobbing their heads or tapping their feet! Well non of this was seen by me. In fact, I seriously wondered if they had taken their last breathes! I felt sorry for the singer. She almost had to start the clapping(bad me).
Side note- it was 68 degrees when we exited the show @ 3pm- I actually saw a woman with a fur coat & hat on!

Now to almost the best part. Do you know how long it takes 500 seniors to exit a theater? Not very long. I don't know what they had to go do @ 3 pm! Go get the senior citizens discounts @ Denny's, etc., Ah maybe the depends were overflowing. I am telling Ya I think my daughter was the youngest person in the theater and me the next youngest and we were just about the last to leave. There were 2 other wheelchair patrons on the other side of us. They had to go around us to get out the theater. For what I ask! I just stood and marvelled with my daughter.
Then we are finally walking to the parking lot. A lady in front of me , with a walker, going down hill. I was really afraid I couldn't stop the wheelchair so as not to hit her!

In the car we, I am trying to back out and see all these crazy seniors speeding in the parking lot! I just sat there in bewilderment.
I know I should not be writing a blog about my peers in this way, but come on dye your hair!
I know I will have nightmares tonight of crutches, wheelchairs, canes, hearing aides, & dentures all sporting Qtips!

Just a lovely pic of Florida a couple of weeks ago when it snowed here

An Update

Snickers, Elizabeth & Alizabeth over the Holidays

This is Sadie- just resting, she has gotten so big. She is actually lying on Dau #1.

Ok a lot has transpired since I have done any serious blogging. I have lots of new pictures & anecdotes to write, maybe for at least awhile. In fact I have so many blogs to read, I seriously doubt I will get accomplished before Easter.

I just put my suitcases away, and hopefully won't have to use for any travel before going back up north as a snowbird. Why are we called snowbirds? O duh- its because we travel where it's warm and doesn't snow! But doesn't it actually sound like we like snow??? We should be called something tropical, airy, sun baked, any ideas?

Thanks for all the well wishes on My mother-in-law.

Since I have been home I have be SICK! Some kind of flu bug or something I don't want anyone else to get!!! A 24 hour thing! but have been quite tired since. Imodium/Lomotil, crackers, and ginger ale are my new friends if ya know what I mean! No one I know has had these symptoms so I am attributing it to the plane. Where else could I get it!?

Where does all the laundry come from!? 2 people I tell ya and I have done a couple of loads a day since I have come home! My house presently looks like I have the ole hoarding disease, I haven't even put up holiday decorations, etc. OWELL I will get it done.

Hope all is well in your worlds!

A Wierd Winter

As I told ya I am in Colorado.
Last weekend I was in Florida.

I didn't bring a coat with me.
Last weekend I had to wear a winter coat, gloves & hat!

GO figure! When I was in Maryland & New Jersey
I about froze to death!

Well it's about to change again,
supposed to snow the next couple of days,
and I didn't bring a coat!

I'll take some pics of the mountains,
and keep ya posted on my weather observations.

The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.

Doug Larson

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.

Robert Frost (1874 - 1963), Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

I love Robert Frost so had to include this one!

Passages

Did this yesterday, and somehow got lost in cyberspace.

I am now here in Colorado. I wanted to come before my M-I-L passed but that wasn't in the plan.
I arrived almost 24 hours after she passed. Thought I would come anyway, to help out my sister in law.
We have decided to have the funeral in the summer so all the kids could come, right now everyone is so spread out, and school! WE wanted to have the funeral in the mountains, so this works great to have it in the summer.

Rest in peace Eva Grace McClement Carver-1912-2010

WINTER

Things are only impossible until they're not.

Jean-Luc Picard, 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'

So as not to confuse y'all I am mourning the sun, sand, beach and WARMTH.

This was taken one summer with the kids enjoying the beach. Now tell me who would rather be 'enjoying' the snow & winter rather than this?

I don't ever remember being this cold for a long long time! Have I acclimated to Florida weather so quickly! I suppose so. Not to mention my allergies have given me fits here! I haven't even had to take allergy meds in Florida. I will be back to Florida soon and be missing the grand-kids, but not this refrigerator I am in.
OO and not to mention we were without electricity for a couple of hours today- glad her wood-burning stove works or else we'd have been icicles!
I also will be glad to get back to my bed and routine!
Hope the year 2010 is the best yet!

Another year

Today it has been a year since the hubby died. Am doing ok, just gotta keep busy, and its always busy around here. We are getting ready to go up I95 to NJ. I sure hope the snow & ice pass us by, but all the weather men say something is coming.
Don't really have that much time to post but wanted to say

THE WINNER IS; Denise- I will send when I get back if ya send me you address!

Yikes another year is passing by! when we were kids it seemed like forever from one year to the next, but now it goes by in light-speed! May everyone have a wonderfully blessed NEW YEAR.
Health, wealth, prosperity!

I think I could write a book about my grandson! Right now he is sitting near me, he got new boots for Christmas and is swinging them around saying it's booty time- he really doesn't realize what us gutter minded adults are laughing at. He is part of what keeps me from crying, glad I came up north for the holidays.
Leaving in an hour gotta go for real!

just a quickie

Was laying on the bed with grandson #2, just watching tv , relaxin & talking. All of a sudden he asks, "gran-ma, can we go to the North Pole?'
I said, " O honey we cant go there it's too cold there."
He says, "Why?"
And I say, " Well it's just too cold, only scientists go there, to study weather and like."
I then ask, " why do you want to go there?"
Unscathed he answers, " cause that's where Santa lives, and I would like to see his house."

Sometimes I forget he is only 6 years old, what a dummy I am!

Quiet Insanity!

If indeed you must be candid, be candid beautifully. Kahlil Gibran (1883 - 1931)

One thing is clear to me. You can't know everything you'd like to know. You can't do everything you'd like to do. You can't read everything you'd like to read. You must hold onto some things and let go of others. Learning to make that choice is one of the big lessons of this life.

Real Live Preacher, Real Live Preacher.com weblog, September 9, 2003

Ya know stuck in a house for a day doesnt hurt anyone, but you would think it does! Yes it snowed and my goodness it snowed a bunch. I think we got about 22 inches over a day. We were only stuck in the house one day! ME my kids & grand kids!
But these crazy Americans we live with still thought it necessary to go out. They were getting stuck everywhere. My favorite I95, was even closed. Come on folks take a day of rest. Spend time with the family, Go sledding with the kids. Have Hot chocolate and sit by the fire. Just sit in Awe of all the snow. Contemplate on how much water was dumped! I think in DC they said 6 million people were affected.
So what did my crazy family do. All of the above plus- dau#2 & I started a quilt we are giving as a Christmas present. I cleaned the kitchen (how many times?). Got kids into and out of clothes, hats & boots all day. Used those millions of socks as gloves. Wrapped some Christmas gifts (did I ever tell ya I hate wrapping!) Sneezed a trillion times, took a nap because of too many antihistamines, even fell backward off a stool while sneezing. Got caught up on bloggers & facebookers, cleaned out 2 email site boxes. Amazing what one can get done while stuck in a house for but a day.
O I forgot took the dogs for walks and thought we'd loose them in the snow. O and lost my camera once again!
So friends take stock and as my daughter would say stop and smell the coffee. It's not too often we are forced to be home! Enjoy it while you can!

The Insanity Continues!

Yep it's snowing!

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992)

I have been to 4 different school presentations. The children are doing different countries, I have been to Canada, China & Germany. The girls also had a real cute Christmas program, written & produced by the class. Have to show pics later.

After this we went shopping for the first round of Christmas goodies. After which we go to school to pick up the cherubs. Dau #2 goes to the doctor cause she is having multiple pvc's & chest pain- cardiologist next week, no change in the EKG! YEAH I had to about kill her to go to the doc. CHILDREN what can ya do with them!

While she is at the docs, dau#1 in wheelchair and my four grands go off shopping again, must get gifts for momma! That was indescribable fun! but they were pretty good, and I lost no-one!
When she gets back we go off to dinner at a local pizzeria. She drops us off and drives home to let the guys deliver wood. She was gone an hour and they never arrived! We ate. & Ordered her food too. The kiddos were really worried about her, so sweet.

Well after dinner whats left to do- go to the grocery store of course-Ya know its gonna snow! and we may be without for DAYS! As soon as I went into the grocery store I lost #4 grandson, and was getting a little frantic when dau #2 said he right here! You should have seen all the crazies in the store, one might think it were gonna be the end of the world. there wasn't any milk, eggs and almost all the chips gone! See whats important huh!

Finally we arrive home and must unload the car that we nearly couldn't fit into for all the shopping throughout the day! But we got in and all the stuff out to see it start to snow. A wonderful ending to a happening day!

I only have four of ya signed up for the giveaway, so let me know if ya want to be included!

Talk about Insanity!

First off don't forget the giveaway slated for December 24th-anyone interested in the drawing? A Janet Evanovich book in the offing!

The above is the motley looking crew this summer, did I post this!? am battling with A in Alzheimer's! HAHA Just dau #1 missing. She was away. I am in orange next to dau #2

Just 14 hours before we were to fly my friend tells me she cant watch the dog, so I make arrangements for him to come with us! Yikes one more thing to do. Do you know his ticket cost as much as mine! Plus I had to get a CORRECT carrier. That took me almost all day!

Well we arrived safely in Maryland to be about frozen to death. I left 80 degree weather and it was 35 when I arrived. Sure am glad I brought the jacket. This weekend they are talkin a foot of snow! So where are my boots! I have done allot of sleeping since I arrived, can't seem to get enough, and there isn't even a time change! Must just be relaxed with kiddos around. We've been shopping, but have lots to still get. We will bake cookies over the weekend. Right after getting off the plane we went to children's' school for a program and to surprise them all! What fun!
The children start their Christmas vacation this Friday till after the new year.
It will be nice to not have to get up early to get them off. You should see it around here! They get up about 6am, and all bound on my bed to wake me. Then their momma starts making lunches, breakfast, making sure they have correct clothes and shoes ( are the dresses long enough), teeth brushed and all hair combed, then drive them to school by 8am. Some take cookies & Stollen she has made for school programs. Never ending around here!

I found out my daughter changed computer carriers so all my book mars are gone, so dont know how many blogs I will be viewing, but I will try and keep ya up to date on me. I will have much to catch on when I get back to FL!
Blessings for a wonderful holiday for all of ya! "It's a wonderful life"!

Another Day of Insanity

different pic of tree out back, think its a ficus

Unfortunately insanity of a different kind.

An elderly gentleman from the neighborhood died yesterday.

'Ezra' was such a kind, spirit filled man.
He was in our Sunday School class and had such a wonderful knowledge of the scriptures.
Just another reminder of how frail life is! I was talking with him in his house yesterday
and he looked fit as a fiddle. We joked and had a good visit!

This is a pic of my youngest grandson next to a 'precious moments' doll that looks amazingly like him! In fact, I bought the doll cause it reminded me so much of him.

It is RAINING here and I feel like I am back up north, I can't seem to get warm today Me sitting here with a sweater on! Did I say it was RAINING & COLD! Tomorrow my friend wants to have another yard sale. I am telling ya if it's like this I will not be going.

I have to pack, get my cards written, shampoo the carpets, o and generally clean the house before I go up north. I never want to come home from vaca with the house a mess! My family used to think me crazy when I'd go on vaca and make sure everything was all spruced up before going. BUT they always liked coming home to clean sheets and towels etc. It was always worth the effort and will be this time too!

Dont forget the giveaway and to tell me you want to be entered. see previous post

Countdown to Christmas!

A littl' decorating in the home. 2009

The time blogging between now & Christmas will be dedicated to my insanity!
I haven't even started shopping, guess I won't till I get to Maryland.
I just don't want to haul it on the plane.
PLUS I don't have any ideas of what to get anyone.

I am in such a practical state of mind. I don't want to buy anything that isn't disposable.
Disposable you say, yes we ALL have too much! so disposable means- something that collects dust NO, something to wear NO, Toys(they already have too many) NO.
That leaves food, yep that's disposable, everyone eats and with this economy everyone can benefit!
O just thought of something else disposable-MONEY! My mother in law always said, green is the right color, size, etc

I will have to get a couple of things for friends here in Fla, but that will prob be food related?

So follow me in this adventure before Christmas, and in the spirit of it all I will be having a giveaway. A book entitled 'Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich, you got to love her writing.

Just put your name in the hat, by telling me you'd like it. I will have dau #2 pick it out of the hat on Dec 24th. And hopefully get it to you in January 2010!

There is an hour of calm relief
From every throbbing care;
'Tis when before a throne of grace,
I kneel in secret prayer,
When one by one, like threads of gold,
The hues of twilight fall,
Oh, sweet communion with my God,
My Saviour and my all!
Fanny J. Crosby