Dot's Spot

Still Alive in 2012

2012-01-09T10:37:00.000-05:00

My goal is to do some posts this year, hopefully more regularly. 2011 saw illnesses of my parents. My dad has recovered from his but my mom not so much.....

We are getting ready to send our youngest off to college this fall. We are waiting on our daughter's decision on whether or not to join the army.... Yes, lots going on and lots of photos taken but I just never got around to blogging. Facebook grabbed me and sucked me right in. My boy, third from the left, was voted to homecoming court last fall. He had fun, made some new friends as a result, and it was a beautiful day for the last home football game of the year, and marked the end of his marching band career forever. He doesn't want to be in band in college... bummer.

Here's hoping 2012 will be a better year.

I So Love This Little Man

2011-05-31T22:10:00.000-04:00

So, I decided to enter his face in this week's challenge at I Heart Faces. Stop by and see hundreds of wonderful face photos!

Remembering Sarah

2011-05-12T09:19:00.000-04:00

http://sprucehill.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Back when I snapped this picture, I did not know the battles she had faced already and would be facing again.

Heaven gained a new angel last night.... I am sure she's getting some amazing photos of her new home...

And It Hasn't Happened Since...

2011-04-24T14:33:00.001-04:00

I snapped this photo a few weeks back, totally thrilled that after two years of living together, my old guy finally caved and let the younger beagle snuggle with him. Here I thought it was the beginning of something magical and wonderful that would happen time and time again.... it hasn't since this picture was snapped.

Ruby loves Freckles - I always believed he could take her or leave her but I do believe he has softened a bit. Why else would he have allowed this tender moment. My old beagle may be a curmudgeon, but I adore him so.....

Visit I Heart Faces so you can get your fill of adorable pet pics!

Matthew Morrison! Whoah!!! Gleefull????

2011-04-19T10:19:00.001-04:00

I just saw this pop up on my AOL news feed, was intrigued by it, went to the link and totally laughed myself silly. I love Glee and I love, love, love, love Matthew Morrison!

Two Jobs!

2011-04-15T16:01:00.000-04:00

Yup, since January I have been working two jobs, which has left little to no time for me to put together a creative blog post. Not that my life would excite anybody else, but I love my life and wouldn't change a second of it. We do what we have to do. I am so fortunate to be able to work from home transcribing for lots of doctors via a transcription service. Because work had gotten sparse, I interviewed with a private practice and am now transcribing for this lovely gentleman. I also work for another doctor there but I couldn't find a photo of her. Both of them are very, very kind and not the least bit stuffy as you may expect from a doctor. He's both warm and friendly and funny. Here's to a nice long working relationship with my new employer and his staff.

Oh, and the day I accepted the position, my boss from my other job called to let me know my work would be increasing by leaps and bounds - hence I type from sun-up to sun-down every day 7 days a week - at least until we are done paying college tuition.

A Slice of Life

2011-03-27T21:24:00.000-04:00

Is even better than a slice of chocolate cake with butter cream icing! And, it's certainly a lot less fattening. I didn't think I'd have an opportunity to enter the I Heart Faces theme for this week as I am so bogged down with work (which is a good thing). However, a few minutes ago I heard the familiar sound of my daughter at the piano. This is a sound I have sooooo missed over the last few months. I grabbed my camera and voila I had a photo to enter. The dogs in the background are a bonus. I think they missed her playing also as whenever the music starts, their games begin!

Be sure to head on over to I Heart Faces where there will be lots of Slices of Life!

Failed Miserably

2011-02-06T23:16:00.000-05:00

My daughter had a tough time with her first semester in college. The academics were rigorous and she just didn't feel at home there. She couldn't wait to get home for Christmas break, and I assured her that by the time rolled around for her to go back there (in February), she'd be "so sick of us" she'd be looking forward to going back to school. I figured that seeing her stuff laying all over the house would be too much for this organized mom to bear - I run a fairly tight ship you know.

Over Christmas break (which ended today) she did an online nutrition course to help ease the workload for the spring semester. She worked her tail off every day, sitting at the computer with earphones in watching lectures, making notes, completing projects, and taking weekly tests at the local community college.

As hard as I tried to get on her nerves, i.e. constantly waving my camera in her face, giving her odd jobs to do, having her constantly take the dogs out, she still seemed relatively happy.

We enjoyed tea together (hers was in her Jack mug), we spent time chatting when she had a few free minutes each day.

I did try to get on her nerves so that she'd look forward to going back to school. However, that never happened. We had such a nice 7+ weeks together.

Today was the day she had to go back to college. We were both sort of sad but really didn't say too much about it. We didn't want to get all emotional...

So I took pictures!

With Daddy

With Ruby

With Freckles

But none with me or with her brother - her brother was too ill to get out of bed. None with me because I am always the camera operator.

So, she did not fail biology last semester, it was just one of those tough classes that made her first semester in college not the best experience.

I failed at making her wish she was back at school. But, I guess that isn't such as bad "failure" after all.

She said she actually was "ok" with going back......... she'll be home in five short weeks for my birthday......

A Little of This and a Little of That

2011-01-23T23:49:00.001-05:00

Two weeks before Christmas, I had sinus surgery (deviated septum repair (septoplasty), so I was sort of under the gun to get things done as early as I could because I didn't know how I was going to feel afterward, and I knew I was hosting Christmas dinner for my family (20 people). Unfortunately, the day after my surgery my husband came down with a cold that led to a sinus infection, and I in turn caught the sinus infection two days after him. Not at all fun when you are forbidden to blow your nose for at least two weeks after the surgery!

At any rate, I survived and my nose now breathes much better and actually even sits a little straighter than it did before - YAY!

Here is just a smattering of photos covering the holiday season in our home.

Danny with his big gift - a hoodie from Millersville University!

The Nighmare Before Christmas is a favorite in our house - so if we see any "Jack" or "Sally" things, they are definitely snapped up to give for Christmas.

My son turned 17 three days after Christmas - So, his December is always a very "giftful" month.

Freckles decided that my husband's chair is now his own to sleep in all day long...

My niece's little boy could possibly be the next "Woody" in Toy Story - it was one of his favorite Christmas gifts.

I made my daughter go outside and shovel in the snow/sleet/freezing rain because nobody else was around to do it.

And Ruby appointed herself chief window viewer and sofa guarder in our house.

Yes, the camera is pretty much always at the ready.... Now, if I could just get a grasp of Photoshop CS4, all would be perfect!

Totally Perplexed

2011-01-10T23:31:00.000-05:00

Noah is my neighbor and we visited with him, his parents, and his new baby sister on Sunday - We go over to their home the Sunday right after the Feast of the Epiphany each year now, this being the third year, to have some King Cake.

While I was taking photographs, Noah looked up at me with a rather perplexed look on his face...

He then had to get a little closer....

Nope, still couldn't figure whatever it was, so he got a bit closer....

If he gets much closer, he'll be IN the camera!!! However, .....

He had to get just a little bit closer.. While we're not quite sure what he was looking at, we are guessing that he maybe saw the the shutter opening and closing. Whatever it was, I'm glad "it" was there because I got to take lots of photos of this very perplexed, and very cute little guy.

Just Put on a Happy Face

2011-01-09T22:41:00.000-05:00

This week's theme at I Heart Faces is all about smiles. I think this qualifies, don't you.

Be sure to visit over at I Heart Faces and get a your fill of lots of happy faces!

Happy 2011!

2011-01-03T23:29:00.000-05:00

I am starting off my year with an entry into I Heart Faces contest this week. It's been so long since I've entered photos or blogged about anything. Believe me, my life's just fine and all is going well. I just stepped back for a while and am working longer hours. When I stop work by 9, 10, or 11 at night, my brain is just too fried to compose any blog posts.

But, I hope to change that up a little bit. If I can get my work done by dinner and let the evenings be just for fun and relaxation, then I can get back to blogging more often. As it is, with college tuition for one I need to grab all the work that I can. College for the second child is only a year and half or so away - so hard to believe.

So, back to my entry - one of my favorite subjects is my niece's little boy - and he never gives me a hard time about taking his photo - at least not yet. But, then again he's only three years old.

Be sure to visit I Heart Faces and see all of the Best Face Photos!

I Am Still Here!

2010-11-22T07:34:00.000-05:00

I have taken pictures and I have about five half-written blog posts that I never posted. Life is really good and I have been busy. I am looking forward to some nasal surgery next month that will help me breathe much better (I can only breathe through one side of my nose) and hopefully, by some chance, stop the daily headaches.

All in all, I can't complain about anything and who'd want to hear me complain anyway. I am looking forward to the holidays and am thankful for everything I have in my life be it good or not so good.

Two Funerals and a Wedding

2010-09-27T22:57:00.000-04:00

Exactly one year ago tomorrow, we said goodbye to my sweet, sweet mother-in-law. She lived to just one month shy of her 94th birthday, and we know that she has been reunited with her sweetheart who passed 25 years before her.

On July 19 of this summer, we said goodbye to my brother-in-law after a very brief illness - it was way too soon for him to leave us and his wife....

But on September 24 my family had a very good reason to be happy and to celebrate for our niece married the love of her life...

My new nephew-in-law is a carpenter by trade and had a novel way for the rings to be presented... What better transport than in a handcrafted tool box!

The wedding was such a fun time of family.....

Great food and sweets and dancing....

And while this past year has brought much sadness with the loss of loved ones, my family is still able to enjoy fully all of those times that are meant to be fun and joyous occasions.

I even caught my recently widowed sister-in-law enjoying a moment of fun - displaying just a glimpse of her wicked sense of humor....

Blogging...

2010-09-08T22:59:00.000-04:00

I don't know why I just can't do an update every day. There is no reason not to. I wake up breathing so that in itself is something noteworthy. Pioneer Woman (whose blog I have faithfully followed almost since the beginning) lists the 10 key ingredients to a successful blog and one of them is to basically "water it" daily.

So, I am watering.....

Tonight I am thinking about my daughter who is now off to her freshman year of college. This is what she looked like as we drove her down to deposit her at her new home for the next nine months....

All the photo editing in the world couldn't have erased the fear on her face that day....

We arrived and moved her into her temporary housing for the first four days while she participated in marching band camp. This dormitory had air conditioning....

She didn't want us to leave so we hung around for quite a while. I think she was really mildly traumatized by the fact that this was really "it" and she would probably not see her home for a month.

I then casually mentioned that her brother, dad and I should probably get back on the road home and this is what I saw....

She wasn't quite ready for us to leave yet, but there really wasn't much for us to do either. So, we all strolled outside and looked around the "turf" outside her dorm. This was to be the gathering spot for the freshmen band members at 5 PM. So, we waited and chatted, and she chewed her fingernails...

Finally, a few other girls walked over to the "turf". We encouraged my daughter to go over and introduce herself. She hesitated a moment and then finally agreed. She walked over and joined in the circle and....

The moment her butt hit the ground, we were outta there!!

We aren't coldhearted parents. We just knew that we needed to use the opportunity to leave. We returned four days later for the kids were all moving into their permanent dorms.

We are still going through a period of adjustment... many ups and downs. I think the ups will begin to outnumber the downs for her soon. I for one haven't shed many tears on her departure. I think I'm too excited about this next four-year adventure she will be living. Also, knowing she's really only an hour away brings me great comfort.

Our Gift

2010-09-01T21:51:00.000-04:00

Could very well be another birthday for our guy to look like this.... Here's hoping Freckles will be wearing his birthday hat come February 1, 2011.

He has pancreatitis but it seems that the combination of fluids, antibiotics, and anti-nausea medications have really turned my little guy around. We saw him tonight and there is life back in his eyes and I swear he was smiling. The girls at the vet's office are smitten - he's quite the ladies man there.... They are enjoying his "song" - he had been completely quiet since he got sick.

Our gift is some more time and if it's a week, a month, or a year I'll take it!!!

Twelve Years and Six Months.....

2010-08-31T14:47:00.000-04:00

Can a person every have "too much" time with their dog. I doubt it..... Freckles was like Marley when we first got him at 7 1/2 weeks of age... I never thought I'd survive puppyhood with him. But I did. Now 12 1/2 years later I look back on the first months (well maybe first year and a half) and I realize how quickly it flew by. My neighbors would just laugh when I told them my woes.... and to this day they still laugh at me and recall all of my "Freckles stories".

Now I sit here knowing he's hooked up to an IV with the possibility of making a decision soon. He's not suffering at all right now, he's just not feeling well. I'll get through it and will make the best decision for him (not me). In fact, the vet already knows my wishes.

I got lots of great photos of him, and for that I am thrilled! When I repaint my office, some of my "Freckles art" will be proudly displayed on my wall - especially this last photo....( I am so glad I got a good camera)

Twelve years and six months flew by................

Sock It To Me .......

2010-08-20T00:17:00.001-04:00

At first this may appear to be an intricate knitting project I am currently undertaking.

However, truth be told it is a sock!

Two socks actually, two fairly dirty socks.

These socks have been sitting here since Sunday afternoon - when my college-bound daughter peeled them off of her sweaty feet following her participation in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament. I wouldn't normally have a problem with her removing her wet socks. In fact, I think it's a good idea!

However, these socks have been sitting in this one spot since Sunday, and it is now Thursday. And, the socks have been sitting outside one of the entrances to my home....

...the entrance we use all day long when we come and go from our house...

And the entrance that friends and neighbors use....

And I have had to repeatedly walk by them, day in and day out. I refuse to take them inside. You don't know how hard it was for me to just walk on by, but I did walk on by every single day. I really couldn't figure out why they sat there so long and considering she's leaving for school this week, I didn't want to make a big stink about it (no pun intended), but I really found these socks to be annoying.

Is it just me? Am I making a big deal out of it? Could I just exercise a bit more tolerance?

I THINK NOT!

In Eight Days!!!!!

2010-08-12T23:46:00.000-04:00

She leaves on 8/21 for college. I have been so excited for her up until this moment, when I am starting to feel sadness creeping in. I told her yesterday that she will be leaving for college as a kid (granted she just turned 19 but she really is still a kid) and she will be coming home an adult who is hopefully all set to pass her nursing boards and start taking care of people. My little girl who I was told was not quite ready for kindergarten because she still couldn't master cutting with scissors is now going off to college. I still have the packet the preschool gave me demonstrating her deficient scissor skills as they strongly encouraged me to to send her to another year of pre-K to give her another "year to grow" and "develop stronger fine motor coordination".

So, here I am now with lists of things to buy. She just came into my office and showed me the list of needed/recommended items the college sent and on it they have "stuffed animals". I think they know they are getting our "kids".

I have seen commercials where a daughter asks for the keys to the car and the dad sees the daughter as still a very young child.... There are days that in my mind's eye I see this......

But in reality, this is the little girl who is ready to set sail on this next adventure in her life.

We are in the midst of lots of dorm shopping. It's kind of fun, it really is. I will miss having her living under our roof full-time but my friends tell me that I may feel differently when she returns home for summer break with all of her stuff, she will come home a slightly different person. Life's all about adjustments. I will adjust when she leaves and I will adjust when she returns. Right now I am trying to savor all of the moments I can.... because she leaves in eight days.

Summertime Fun

2010-08-05T23:28:00.000-04:00

We took a last minute extended weekend away with the kids to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA this past weekend, and we had an absolute blast. Although I don't do many rides, I still find enough to keep me busy in the park while the kids go off and do some wild coaster riding. Here is a photo of the Griffon, which is located in New France. It is 205 feet high, and before it plunges its riders, it just hangs over the top edge for about 5 seconds....

Note the expressions on the riders - terror seems to be the common reaction. My two genetic material packages are right in the front row. I don't know where they get their bravery from - Neither hubby nor I will venture on to a ride like this.

I spent my time visiting the Abbey Stone Theatre for their production of Celtic Fyre.

My daughter and I went to see this particular show THREE times... my son begrudgingly attended two times with us. If we had made him go anymore than that, this is the face we would have been stuck with...

See my point?

We spent some time with some colorful birds - they like ponytails - my daughter found this out the hard way. Let's just say that if the old wives' tale is true, my daughter has a fair amount of good luck headed her way.

Water rides are a favorite in my family. Le Scoot is a great log flume that gets you fairly soaked. I went on it earlier in the day (thankfully I put my camera in a waterproof bag) as my son assured me that I would not get "that wet". I got drenched but the camera was just fine.

I was able to capture this moment after I got off the flume.

This little vacation is just what was needed for a bit of a pick-me-up. On Sunday, I will once again head to Maryland for a few days to chaperon my son's high school band camp. Temperatures are supposed to be in the 90s, there is no A/C, there are lots of bugs and mice, and the cabin doors do not lock.

Oh how I will miss the luxury of our motel room in Virginia - even if it was the size of a postage stamp....

Hank

2010-07-17T16:07:00.002-04:00

My brother-in-law is preparing to take flight from this earth.....

Hank, you always knew how to prepare amazing asparagus for me.....

11/15/42-7/19/10

Mentalpause

2010-07-13T12:10:00.001-04:00

Believe it or not, I sort of forgot I had a blog!!! It certainly isn't for lack of anything to say as I have LOTS to say, it's just that my mind is always subdivided and going in a thousand different directions, none of which seems to include posting updates.

We've survived lots here - graduation ceremonies, tornadoes, parties, and basically life in general. I cannot complain. Life is good - tiring and trying - but good.

I have lots of pictures but haven't uploaded most of them. I think that I am in the midlife phase of what I am calling "mentalpause"..... so I'll leave you with just a cute photo of Ruby.....

Fledging

2010-06-12T21:45:00.000-04:00

Since early March, I have been engrossed in the lives of six barn owls - a mom named Molly, a dad named McGee, four owlets named Max, Pattison, Austin, and Wesley, and one lone unhatched egg that all who were watching named Dudley. For almost four months I have been intrigued by the day-to-day life of a mother owl nurturing her babies, and a father owl who provided food every single night for mom and babies, with dad stopping momentarily in the owl box to bond with his mate - a ritual carried out every single night. Did you know barn owls mate for life? I didn't... Did you know that they can actually feel emotions? I did not. Did you ever witness the beauty of nature inside an owl box 24/7? I hadn't until now. I joined the ustream site right after the first two eggs hatched and have been hooked ever since, fully knowing that approximately 70 days from the hatching, the babies would begin the process of fledging - leaving the nest to strike out on their own.

This morning at 5:17 AM, the last two owlets fledged, leaving a couple thousand viewers both sad and happy - happy that all four owlets survived to adulthood so that they can begin their own families, but sad because this one chat room that has intertwined so many lives together for the sole purpose of watching this beautiful event in nature will no longer air the lives of six barn owls.

This week, the process of "fledging" has begun in my own home. My oldest child, my daughter, graduated high school, left the following morning for Walt Disney World for senior week, and will soon be preparing to head off to college. Funny how both events happened around the same time.....

I've watched nature prepare its young to face the world, and now I'm preparing to send my "young" out into the world....

I Heart Faces - Faces and Flowers

2010-05-17T23:14:00.000-04:00

I decided to try my hand at adding some texture to one of the prom photos I took back on senior prom night. This young beautiful girl is a friend of my daughter. I have lots of learning to do with adding texture. I used a free texture called "Bokeh Flash" created by Prareeerica.

Be sure to stop by I Heart Faces and catch a glimpse of hundreds of other faces and flower entries.

Does This Phobia Have A Name?

2010-05-04T23:23:00.000-04:00

For almost three years, I have been taking photos with my Canon Rebel, and for almost three years I have stored all of my photos on this laptop - to the tune of over 16,500 photographs. I have twice now backed them up to the "family" external hard drive, and I have also started the process of backing them up on CDs. I am also looking into getting my own external drive to copy them to. So, somebody tell me why I am having such a difficult time hitting the delete button for the folders of pictures that I know are backed up. I cannot get myself to do it and I need to free up space on my hard drive.... I need to remove everything from one of my first photographs taken back in early 2007... when my little boy was on the cusp of a growth spurt...

To one of the last photos I took last month..... It amazes me that my boy's face could change this much and he could grow 7 1/2 inches in just a smidge less than three years.

I plan on practicing hitting that "delete" button soon, but I'm not quite ready yet. It'll have to happen on a day that I've had a good cup of tea (or two or three) and am feeling more confident that all of my photo files are truly safe and sound....

I'm calling this fear "phototossophobia" - I will now admit that I suffer from phototossophobia. Now, I must look into a remedy for this!

College High, Prom Woes Over, and Phillies Phever

2010-04-13T21:12:00.002-04:00

College decision finalized, and our deposit is in!!! We will be Blue Hens, and their motto is "Fear the Hen".... No fear here, though, just excitement.

As of two hours ago, the prom issue was resolved also, and my daughter asked a friend who graduated last year.

Monday was a really fun day as my kids' high school marching band was invited to lead the Phillies into the ballpark for our season home opener. The skies were beautiful and brilliant, the breeze just perfect, and all was right for a great day of baseball.

This new lens allowed me to take some great photos of the day's events.

The kids had about two hours to kill outside Citizens Bank Ballpark before the festivities began. There was lots of socializing....

A picture of the band director taking a picture of me....

Then there was some warming up....

Then there was the parade for about 100 yards - it was a very short parade lead by some absolutely gorgeous Clydesdale horses......

Jamie Moyer had a lot to say to Roy Halladay the full length of the parade - I'd love to know what he was chatting about.

Then a great game that began with some wonderful festivities.

The game was great, with Cole Hamels pitching, and the Phils winning over the Capitols 7-4

Yes, my new zoom lens allows me to capture great moments.....................

and also allows me to stalk my friends who are seated clear across the ballpark!

Deep Into The Process

2010-04-08T22:40:00.001-04:00

College, college, college - I will be soooooooooooo glad to have the decision made and the deposit in. I will also be so glad when a date for the senior prom is sewn up. So many things up in the air, so much drama, I really can't take it much more. Where's the reference book for me to read up on how to deal with issues of an 18 year old daughter. Most nights I lay my head down on my pillow and it feels like it will just explode. My gut tells me everything will be just fine, the heart sometimes feels like it will just break.

The official college count is seven out of seven - however we've narrowed it down to two choices, and we will be revisiting one of them this weekend. A decision will be made by day's end on Saturday.... at least that is what this mom is counting on.

The prom........ why do they make it mandatory to have a date? That's fine for the girls who are "popular" by today's standards but what about those whose self-confidence has taken many hits over the the course of grade school and high school?

It will all work out, I know, but the process of getting there is exhausting. I don't have all of the words of wisdom to give - I didn't date in high school - I had bad skin, braces, and very wavy hair that had a mind of its own. I can't offer advice other than to say it will all work out in the end.... this coming from a girl who wore a dress her mom made to the senior prom!

None of my photos have anything to do with this post but they are colorful and fun glimpses of our Easter Sunday.

It will all work out....... I just may not survive it....

St. Pat's Parade

2010-03-31T08:19:00.000-04:00

A fellow band parent found the segment of my kids' high school band in our Philadelphia parade on You Tube. So, I figured I'd share it here. Fortunately, both my kids are shown in it so it's kind of neat for me to see.

I Heart Faces - Focusing on Angles

2010-03-22T22:37:00.001-04:00

I am terming myself a slacking blogger anymore, basically because I haven't blogged a whole lot and that's because I haven't done too good a job with time management. Every now and then, I push myself to make time to work on my photos and also to post.

Today is one of those times! I am entering a photo in the I Heart Faces weekly theme. This week's theme is angles, and I haven't done a lot of experimenting with faces and angles, although I had taken this photo at an odd angle. So, here it is....

Be sure to go on over to I Heart Faces and take a look at some other angular works!

Jump For Joy (at least try to) Week 10

2010-03-08T23:26:00.000-05:00

This week's photo is supposed to feature jumping. I know my entry definitely fits the bill. I had taken several picture the same night last summer because my son challenged my daughter to see who could jump the highest off the top of the sand dune. She agreed to his challenge, but unfortunately someone mysteriously must have tied lead weights to her feet.

I laughed so hard while snapping these shots. My son had no problem lifting his skinny frame high into the air, while my daughter was laughing too hard to really propel herself more than an 1/8 of an inch off the sand.

Be sure to visit I Heart Faces and check out all of the other "off the ground" shots!

Music To Lift Your Spirits

2010-03-04T16:44:00.012-05:00

Music is such an important part of my life - I have a wide variety in taste (rap excluded). I just stumbled upon this group this week as a result of an email from a family member and I am so hooked to this angelic sound.

If you have time, take a listen, and if you have even more time listen to more of their selections on YouTube.

The group is called Libera, and they have the most heavenly voices I have ever heard.

Libera - Time

I Didn't Fall Off The Planet....

2010-02-22T08:51:00.000-05:00

Back on Thanksgiving, the adults were seated in the kitchen and the younger "kids" were in the other room eating. My sister-in-law quietly summoned me to the downstairs bathroom as my son's nose had begun to bleed. For the next half hour or so, he and I worked to get it to stop and simultaneously keep my sister-in-law's recently redone powder room from looking like a scene from Friday the 13th.

It turns out that Thanksgiving was the beginning of a five-day siege of nosebleeds that got progressively worse and finally sent us to the emergency room on Sunday of that weekend. My son works at our parish rectory and I got a call from him in the late morning saying he had a bad bleed. I drove up to the rectory took one look and called our doc, who was not on call and the on-call doc told us to go to the emergency room. So, I ran over to our church and caught our pastor just before he processed down the main aisle at the start of mass and told him that his worker had to go the hospital.

The bleeding was unbelievable. We just kept adding tissues and by the time we arrived in the ER, he had a wad of kleenex the size of a softball up at his nose and the blood was still pouring over top.

My poor baby....

The ER doctor couldn't find a cause for the bleeding but referred us to an ears, nose, and throat doctor, whom we saw the following week. He found a vessel that was getting ready to rupture again and cauterized it and told us to return in two months.

Fast forward to last week, and we saw the ENT doctor again, who suddenly informed me that my son probably should have surgery to remove his enlarged adenoids and repair his deviated septum, and that both of those issues are contributing to his nosebleeds. I questioned why he didn't tell me this at our initial visit and he responded that he made a note to this effect to himself in the chart. Needless to say, second opinion were the first two words that popped into my head. I contacted DuPont Hospital for Children to set up an appointment. It turns out the doc we met with is chairman of the ENT department at DuPont. He examined my son and told me his septum was "relatively straight" and that his adenoids were negligible at this age and that surgery is definitely, definitely not needed and that both of the issues the first doctor described would NOT contribute to his horrendous nosebleeds.

I am so glad we saw the second guy. He said the only surgery he would consider would be repair of a vessel in his nose if the cauterization no longer works. So, we are taking steps to help prevent the nosebleeds and so far, so good. My boy was a very happy camper after that second opinion....

Me, well I am busy aging and having lots of joint and bone pain, that hopefully I'll get to the bottom of on May 19 - the earliest appointment I could get with a rheumatologist. That may seem like a long time away from now, however I've had a lot of pain for many, many years so a couple of months isn't so bad.

In the meantime, I am taking photos here and there of just stuff....

My new camera strap from MyFunkyCamera! Beautiful isn't it?

Gerber Daisies we gave to my daughter for making fourth chair clarinet in an area concert.

A simple dripping icicle....

Life is rolling along, we are busy with the kids and their activities, and I am hoping to feel better soon. I am taking a zumba class. It's painful but fun, and I am doing my best to keep my joints moving. I just load up on Advil before I head out to class.

Oh, last week, when leaving Zumba class, I was approached by a man who told me his car broke down and he was trying to get to Wilmington, DE to visit his sick mom in the hospital. He was even carrying a long stem rose and a bottle of hand sanitizer to make it look legit. When I offered to him that the trolley stop was only several hundred yards behind him, he said he had no money. Luckily, a friend was right there with her car so she told me to get in the car, which I did, and then we drove to the police station and told them about the incident.... sort of scary and maybe it really was nothing but still we felt an obligation to report it.

I am looking forward to spring very much - getting outside and walking and not dealing with snow and ice. As of this moment, we are awaiting a big rain storm coming today and through tomorrow. On the bright side, Phillies spring training has begun so that means spring is definitely on its way. Thank goodness for having hobbies or I don't think I'd survive the winter. Well, except this winter is a bit better because we have the Olympics to enjoy every day, and I so enjoy them. Helps me to relive my days as a champion figure skater.....

The Kiss (that never happened) - I Heart Faces

2010-02-08T13:29:00.000-05:00

This week's theme is very appropriately all about the kiss. Well, it never happened in this photo, although my daughter gave it her best try. I don't think her little brother will ever be "her Valentine".

Head on over to I Heart Faces and check out lots of other smoochie, smoochie photos!

No Way Out!!

2010-02-07T22:09:00.000-05:00

We awoke to almost 30 inches of snow yesterday morning. Our first chore of the day was to get the dogs outside for their morning potty break. But how would we do that?

This was our back door.....

This was our side door......

And this was our front door......

And our shovels were outside......

We got close to 30 inches of snow, and weather forecasters are telling us another storm is headed our way on Tuesday night. Maybe we should be keeping a shovel in the family room......

My Story In Photos - Places I Love

2010-02-02T20:57:00.001-05:00

This week's theme over at I Heart Faces is our favorite places. Mine happens to be the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

The ocean, while very rough with lots of rip currents, is amazing to watch and photograph.

One of the places that we always spend an evening at when we are down there is Jockey's Ridge. The ridge is a line of natural sand dunes that are high, wide, beautiful, and constantly shifting with the winds. As I get older, it is getting more difficult for me to climb them due to a couple of really bad knees. However, I once again scaled the dunes this past August to try and capture some of nature's beauty at it's finest.

And then there are those magnificent sunsets that I find myself pursuing each evening - even at the risk of trespassing on other people's properties.

If you ever have a chance to travel to the Outer Banks in North Carolina (OBX for short), you too will find so much beauty. However, in the meantime, head on over to I Heart Faces and take some vicarious vacations through other peoples' Story in Photos

Who Were Yours?

2010-01-28T11:44:00.007-05:00

Way back when I was a kid, my crushes were usually on celebrities...or some of my sister's dates. However, in looking back on my choices, they certainly weren't your obvious or usual ones like David Cassidy, Bobby Sherman, Paul McCartney (I am really dating myself), or Richard Chamberlain (rememba Dr. Kildaire? - probably not). Anyway, I woke this morning thinking about the men I had a crush on...

First, there was this guy - hint Danno on Hawaii Five-O.

Then there was this guy - David Gates - rememba "Baby Ima Wantchu"?

And then him.... before he went all Liberace on us.

And, finally, now this gets really pathetic...but I ran home every day from school to watch this guy...

I think I should have gone for counseling.

However, I did end up marrying my first crush's namesake - Dan O!

He's not a musician, not a detective, and sure as shootin' not a vampire. Funny how things work out.

Do you remember your TV/movie heartthrobs???

It Won't Be Like This For Long....

2010-01-22T09:24:00.009-05:00

As a follow-up to my previous post about our solar system, this song does me in every time I hear it and especially at this particular time in my life.... If you've never heard it before, and/or if you are a parent of a baby, a toddler, or a teen, listen to each and every word....

I saw Darius Rucker in concert last night. I am very thankful for my Tamron VC 18-270 lens. We were in the third level up and yet I was able to zoom in like this..... can you see his filling in one of his teeth? I can....

NASA and Our Government Are Keeping This a Secret

2010-01-20T22:24:00.001-05:00

NASA scientists have made a recent discovery that our government doesn't want you to know about. Up until about three weeks ago, we all believed that the sun was the center of our universe as depicted in the photo posted here...

This is no longer the case as it had been determined, here in my very own household, that my daughter is now the center of our universe and the new configuration of our "solar" system looks like this.

Based on information obtained from friends/family, this center of the universe situation will remain for probably the next 3-4 years or so and then our universe will revert to it's prior configuration. I just hope I survive this temporary realignment.... Fellow bloggers, I am open to any and all suggestions of coping mechanisms.

We Are Family, Oldie But Goodie

2010-01-19T20:39:00.001-05:00

This week's theme for I Heart Faces is "We Are Family". I have lots of old film photos (I can't believe my stuff can be called "old" now) of my DH with the kiddos. The one I chose for this week was not a posed photo - it is just one of those candid moments of what was a nightly ritual in my home when the kids were small. Dan didn't wear the hat all the time, only when reading Dr. Seuss.

Click on the button above to see all of the other entries for this week's I Heart Faces theme.

I Heart Faces - Best Face Photo

2010-01-10T22:46:00.003-05:00

It is so hard to believe that I Heart Faces is already celebrating it's first birthday. What a fun and learning-ful year 2009 was thanks to Angie and Amy.

In honor of this birthday, this week's photo challenge is supposed to be our "Best Face", and the photo had to be taken in either December 2009 or this month. My entry was taken just last evening as my daughter prepared to go to her high school's snow ball (which was supposed to be on December 19 but got postponed because of heavy snow - go figure). Anyway, I caught her just as she was putting on her necklace. I felt it just captured her.... wondering, probably, if she was going to have a good time and if she made the right decision about the dress, etc. She had an absolute blast and told me that in all of her almost four years of high school this was by far the "most fun" dance she had gone to.

I softened the edges of the photo using the dodge tool and I decreased the saturation a bit. Finally, I cropped it a bit to zoom in on her face. Oh, and I also reminded her to remove the string friendship bracelets before she left for the dance.

Be sure to go on over to I Heart Faces to see all of the other "birthday" entries.

Celebrating I Heart Faces

2010-01-07T23:24:00.000-05:00

I am submitting this photo into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.”

This week we are allowed to enter up to five photos. I had fun with this challenge. I need better photoshop skills but I think I did okay.

Christmas 2009 with two kissin' cousins!

I heart my son - he was very happy on his birthday.

My friends just got a place at the beach, and the three men enjoyed a photo op from up in the loft!

This is what hubby won at our Christmas Yankee Auction, but I have yet to see him pack his lunch in it and take it to the office...

Playing some Paul Simon music from the bleachers.

Be sure to head on over to I Heart Faces and see the other entries for this week!

Sixteen Years Ago Today

2009-12-28T22:44:00.026-05:00

I cannot believe 16 years have flown by as quickly as they have! After having spent 8 1/2 months pretty much as sick as a dog, the day finally arrived on 12/28/1993 at 2:44 PM. Fast forward 16 years.... and I see that little guy who seemed to be perpetually in a grumpy mood turning into a fun young man with a wonderful sense of humor, an annoying habit of correcting my grammatical and factual errors, and a heart full of love and loyalty to his family and friends.

Happy Birthday my young man....

Realizing A Dream - PW Comes to West Chester PA

2009-12-15T23:14:00.008-05:00

Okay, so maybe my actual dream was to go to The Lodge for a weekend and hang out with Ree and follow her on photo shoots and watch her cook and maybe kick off our shoes and watch some great old movies and just chat... but this was certainly the next best thing!

It all began with a lonely chair....

And then the chair, desk, podium, and microphone....

And then there was the crowd eagerly awaiting Ree's arrival. And now presenting, Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond!!!!

Wait a minute, that's just the guy who works at the bookstore announcing Ree's entrance...sorry... (he actually was perty darn funny).

And now, we'd like to welcome Pioneer Woman!!! (And her frappucino).

She welcomed our many questions and here describes choosing the proper fitting Spanx.

She then showed us this really cool trick where she can make her hand see-through! Cool isn't it?

Ree then belted out Journey's classic hit, With Open Arms, and she then happily obliged the 300 or so people there by signing her cookbook!

Everyone was so friendly.

These two lovely girls told me that we were permitted to save seats. Thanks to them, we sat in the second row!!

I met up with a blogging friend, Sarah Stump Streett and her sister-in-law. They were both very, very nice.

My friend, Vicki, also got to meet Ree and have her book signed.

Finally, I had my turn meeting Pioneer Woman, whose blog I have been following since 2007. It was so worth getting to the book store at 9 AM for the 2:30 signing. I got to spend hours looking at books and chatting with people.

Ree was so much fun and turned a really crummy weather day into something that was so enjoyable. Ours was her last stop before returning home. I'd like to think she saved the best for last....

Thanks to PW for sharing her life and her talents with us and for inspiring the cook/photographer/home schooler in so many of her fans!

I Heart Faces, Sweet Dreams

2009-12-07T09:47:00.000-05:00

When I saw this week's theme, I knew I had no entry - my kids are teens and I don't photograph them sleeping or they'd kill me! However, I then remembered a photo taken two years ago in Water Country USA in Williamsburg. This is a photo of my son after spending about 5 hours running from one water attraction to another, and then spending countless hours heading down Hubba Hubba Highway!

Be sure to check out I Heart Faces for other Sweet Dreams entries..

I Heart Tooshies - Week 47

2009-11-30T22:58:00.005-05:00

When I first saw this week's theme, I thought for sure I'd have no entry. But then I looked up at one of the wall's in my family room and saw this photo that has been hanging for quite a while - My son is now almost 16 years old and almost a foot taller than my 18 year old daughter. I am so glad I took these vacation photos - it was a simple moment captured on film that I will have forever. The bonus is that it fits this week's theme at I Heart Faces. Be sure to visit them for more tooshie shots!

The Christmas Holiday Season Has Begun!

2009-11-27T23:11:00.000-05:00

I am determined to do my best to enjoy each and every minute of the coming holidays. I refuse to get caught up in all of the running around in pursuit of that perfect gift. I also refuse to stress over the number of cookies that I get baked (or not baked).

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and my brother and his wife were the hosts as usual. I was assigned a veggie side dish but when you're not on the hook for the main course, it is so easy to go crazy with a few extra items - in this case an apple pie.

I also tried my hand at a peach pie and it turned out great, I think.

It's funny - none of us never left the kitchen. My brother and his wife have this beautiful home with a great family room and finished basement. Yet, we all stayed in the kitchen the entire day.

I think a lot of people find that when they entertain, most of their guests do gravitate to the kitchen - it is truly the heart of the home, isn't it?

What a great way to begin a wonderful time of the year as the little ones await Santa Claus - hopefully on their best behavior....

And the rest of use prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday!

A Promise To Myself

2009-11-22T20:55:00.001-05:00

Well, to me it seems like we are in the fast lane. To others it may look like we are moving at a snail's pace. I can't believe that Thanksgiving is just four days from now. Didn't summer just come to an end? Wasn't I just at Target purchasing school supplies? I really don't like that the time is moving as it is. My daughter is a senior in high school. While there are times (many times) that she's driving me absolutely up the wall, I don't want this year to go by too quickly because this time next year, she will not be living at home with us - she will be off to college. Lots of emotions are wrapped up with that - excitement for her as she enters this next phase of life in pursuit of a nursing degree, excitement for her to experience a bigger piece of life than she has so far, and excitement for all that lays out before her. However, I am scared too - very scared of the experiences she will be exposed to. While we've done our best to lay the groundwork that will form the adult she is becoming, there is so much out there that maybe we didn't cover. Finally, I am also sad. My favorite times have always been when the four of us are safely home, watching TV together or maybe playing a game, or even each doing our own thing. Just knowing my family is with me has brought me much happiness and now I wonder can I be just as happy/content with one of us away for a while? I guess time will tell.

In the meantime, we will enjoy things together over the coming months - a Christmas show, family parties, college visits (only two more to go!!), evenings spent together just as a family not doing anything exciting.

I've seen on TV and read in magazines how dinner time as a family is very critical in solidifying the family unit. Dinner time in our home has always been a priority - it is a time where we all discuss the day's events, hash out differences, and express opinions. It is also a time of laughter - and in my house a sense of humor is also a priority. If you don't have one, you won't survive.

I am heading into this week that heralds the start of the Christmas Holiday Season of 2009 with much anticipation of the great family times and memories that await us over the coming weeks of the holiday season, and the coming months of 2010 and a promise to get the most out of this time we have together.

I have also made a promise to my kids that I will never make them dress alike for a holiday photo .....

Well, except for last year... but I only made them wear the same hat. The fact that they are dressed alike is the schools fault....

The end......

Ooo la la! The Anniversary Dinner

2009-11-15T21:16:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I went out to dinner on Wednesday for our 20th Anniversary and I have to say it was one of the best meals I have ever had.

We started off with a drink and while I don't usually drink, because I had tasted a wine in Cape May, NJ that did not leave me with a pounding headache (a Riesling wine), I asked if they had it at this restaurant and they did. The waiter informed me it is a lower alcohol content wine. It is delish and I didn't get a headache.... whahoooooo!

We then ordered their table side prepared Cesaer salad for two.....

Then, my husband ordered the broiled scallops.......

I ordered the lump crab meat crepe with buttered lobster on top of steamed veggies and then I ordered a side of sauteed baby spinach because I didn't know my dinner came with a vegetable and I ALWAYS have to have a vegetable with my dinner. Oh my, the crepe was as light as air and the crab and lobster out of this world!!

THEN, just when we didn't think we were stuffed enough, we ordered dessert. It was our anniversary so we HAD to have dessert. I ordered the banana spring rolls with brown butter ice cream. The "bowl" that housed the ice cream was made out of crystalized sugar!!

And, finally, my husband got the creme brulee. Little did I know that when the waiter had earlier in the meal asked us if we were celebrating anything special, that he would be presenting us with this lucious finale.....

Yes, I can still taste this dinner - what a sweet, sweet way to celebrate 20 years together....

How Could It Possibly Be?

2009-11-10T20:39:00.001-05:00

It's been well over a week since my last post and since my back is bothering me again, I have found another opportunity to do another post.

Besides tomorrow being a day where we all remember our war vets, both living and deceased, my husband and I will also be remembering what we were doing 20 years ago on this very day. 1989 saw lots of "stuff" in our lives but it was also a year that towards the end got very "happy" when it marked our wedding - on 11/11/1989.

My sister was my maid of honor. My dad walked me down the aisle.

My mom wasn't well for most of the year but she rallied in time for my wedding day.

But our wedding mass went off without a hitch - and the weather was picture perfect!

Believe it or not, I don't really drink but it looks nice for pictures..... This was in the limo.

Honest, I don't drink but this looks nice for pictures - this was at the bridal table.

This is hubby with his mom (she just passed away on 9/28/09, exactly one month shy of her 94th birthday)

This is my dad and me - he had pink eye in both eyes on my wedding day. He toughed it out for me, though....

Hubby asked me what I would like him to make for our anniversary dinner. I told him "reservations".

We are dining at a very elegant restaurant tomorrow at 5:30. I'll let you know how it goes. I just may have to sneak my camera in to take pictures....

Believe it or not, I just noticed this photo today when looking through my proof album. I have absolutely no idea who gave us rabbit ears. I am making it my mission to find out who it was...hopefully within the next 20 years!

Cape May, NJ and Fall

2009-10-30T12:41:00.005-04:00

I finally have time to post. The only reason I have time is that I hurt my back and cannot do anything else but sit in a recliner chair. No cleaning, transcribing, or cooking yesterday and probably I will not be able to do any of that until Monday. However, on the bright side, I could at least get to the bathroom by myself. Thank goodness for ibuprofen and Flexeril and my electric stim unit. Thank goodness, too, that this happened this week and not last week when we were getting ready for our weekend in Cape May New Jersey.

We had a lot of fun and I took quite a few photos while I was there. So despite having a very painful back,it is sort of nice to have time to do a bit of blogging about our weekend. We are really a very low-maintenance group of people. We eat, relax, play games, and then turn in for the night - none of us are night owls. Coincidentally, both of the other couples are celebrating their wedding anniversaries today.

Here are just a few of the photos I took.

I should have taken photos of us playing Apples to Apples, however things got pretty intense during the game and my attention was focused on winning - which never happened.

What The Heck!!!!

2009-10-23T09:44:00.002-04:00

I had a post that I typed up on my laptop (that is where all my photos are) but when I came here to my work PC to post it, the post was gone!

I am still alive, just busy with work and the college application/visit/panic stuff. Life is rolling along okay.

I will be posting again and visiting my blogging friends too. We are expecting more torrential rain this weekend. I may start to grow moldy at this point.....

Priceless Photos

2009-10-11T22:43:00.009-04:00

I am so fortunate that last year my husband scanned all of the photos his mom had in a storage tub in her apartment. They are now safely tucked away here in this laptop and backed up on to disk too. There are some pictures that go back as far as 1915, when Mom was born.

The others chronicle Mom and her two sisters through the years. What gems these pictures are. My plan is make the walls of my office my own gallery of sorts and a lot of these photos will be printed, framed, and hung.

Mom left us last week after living until exactly one month shy of her 94th birthday. Her mind was a sharp as a tack - it was just her body that was so very weary. Her last words to her family were that she wanted them to leave the hospital and eat dinner, her treat. She even told them what restaurant to go to, however they didn't want to venture too far from the hospital and that restaurant was a little out of their comfort range.

I used these photos for a family DVD I put together as a Christmas present for Mom and the rest of the family last year. I'm so glad I did that as she really enjoyed looking through the photos and laughing with her sisters.

Here are just a few pictures -the first of mom when she was just about 11 months, and the rest are photos of Mom and her two sisters through the years.

Now there are just the two younger sisters, 90 and 92. They have lots of nieces and nephews who will treat them just as kindly as we did Mom.

My Story in Photos: My Favorite Things, Week 39

2009-10-06T15:12:00.014-04:00

There is no contest to enter this week over at I Heart Faces. However, they are running a fun theme where we are supposed to post photos of our favorite things. That is easy for me to do as I have lots of favorites.....

I love drinking hot tea and have no problem drinking it year round, even when it's 98 degrees outside.

I love chocolate - especially M&Ms.

I love to knit.

I love to quilt, it just takes me a looooooong time to finish a project.

I love to listen to my iPod.

I love to take walks (while listening to my iPod).

I love our family trips to the beach. My favorite time to be on the beach is late afternoon when the fear of sunburn is fading and we can sit quietly and watch the ocean and hear the gulls and just relax. We will sometimes go back at night with flashlights to seek out ghost crabs!

I love these two furry critters.

I love to witness a beautiful sunset. I'm sure sunrises are just as beautiful too but I'm too lazy to get myself out of bed to witness them...

Above all, I love these people very, very much and without them in my life, none of the above would matter in the least.

I Heart Faces - Completely Candid, Week 37

2009-09-21T10:55:00.006-04:00

This is a photo of my niece and my new nephew on their wedding day. It was towards the end of the reception and I think they had just about had it. They never saw me take this as they were both in their own little world envisioning their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. They are a sweet, sweet couple.

Be sure to visit I Heart Faces to see all of this week's contest entries.

I Heart Faces - sort of

2009-09-15T19:07:00.006-04:00

I've been away for a couple of days to the beach with my sister. It was a great time of relaxing, reading, and knitting that I hated to leave to come back home to work. However, sometimes we do what we've just gotta do!

I got home at noon and walked the dogs, sorted some laundry, put some stuff away, and then worked until 6:30 or so, at which time I began putting my entry together for this week's theme at I Heart Faces. Sadly, when I logged on to the IHF site, I saw a note that the noon was the deadline today. (Amy and Angie, I hope you're both doing something fun!)

So, although I'm not officially in the contest this week, these would have been my entries. The themes were "Pets" (the squirrel is not our pet, only a visitor), and "Contemplative".

I blogged about our unexpected rodent visitor a couple of weeks ago. Here is another photo of "Oliver". I thought he had a cute enough face.

I knew I had the perfect photo for the "contemplative" theme. I snapped this photograph while on vacation. We were on top of Jockey's Ridge and I was fooling with the settings on my camera and just snapping random pictures. When I took this photo, I distinctly remember wondering just what my daughter may have been thinking of. I didn't ask her at the time and felt it didn't matter much - I loved the photo. So, when the theme for this week came up, I though "I have the perfect photo". She does look very contemplative.

Although I'm not officially entered this week, I am still posting my photos for fun!

Sweet Bribery

2009-09-11T22:51:00.005-04:00

I asked my son if he'd mind if I took his photo. Look at his response....

"C'mon, it's not like I asked you to scrub the bathroom or walk the dogs or cook dinner." Please smile without rolling your eyes at me".

"There, that's a good smile. Can you give me another so I can snap one or two more pictures? I'll buy you a piece of candy if you do".

"Oh wow, mom, a whole piece of candy?" I upped the ante a bit here... "Okay, I'll take you out and look for chewy apple slices". (His favorite candy).

Just look at the smile that got me!!! Just a few sweets work as bribery for my son. Unfortunately, though, after visiting 4-5 candy shops, not one had those green,chewy, sugary apple rings. We are hard pressed to find those little buggers anymore.

But, I got my smile!

Unexpected Visitor

2009-09-01T07:09:00.005-04:00

Yesterday should have been a very productive work day for me. Instead, it was a very interrupted work day as we tried to figure out what to do with this little fellow.

My husband was doing some weed whacking when he suddenly saw this little ball of fur trying to climb on the weed whacker. Thinking the mother would claim him, my husband left our back yard and started working in the front yard instead, only to discover he was followed. I was summoned outside to help and hence a day of squirrel sitting began, with the head sitter being my daughter.

We tried various things to see if we could get him back to his mom but nobody in the squirrel community around our home seemed to be looking for him. My daughter tried to position "Oliver" (thus named when we discovered he was a "he") close to what we thought was the nest but every time she attempted to leave the area, Oliver came running for her to hop in her lap and sleep.

He appeared very healthy, very energetic, and also unlike any other squirrel we had ever encountered. Neither of us could bear the thought of leaving him outside last evening alone because he did not know how to climb a tree yet and would certainly fall prey to any of the variety of wildlife in our area.

So, after a few phone calls, we ended up on a 50 minute car ride to the closest wildlife preserve where Oliver can spend the rest of his squirrel life with tons of other squirrels who hopefully will teach him how to be exactly what he is - a squirrel and not another member of our family.

I have to admit, though, that he was absolutely adorable and sweet....

Ruby Is Not A Beach Bunny... Nor A Beach Beagle For That Matter

2009-08-26T15:26:00.006-04:00

All the best laid plans usually don't work out. On vacation, I had happily envisioned romping with the two beagles on the beach and dashing between the small waves at the water's edge. However, we were unable to get poor Freckles on to the beach due to the amount of steps he would have had to climb and descend to actually set paw on the beach. His back legs are unfortunately not in very good condition.

Therefore, my husband had to turn around and take him back home. I continued on to the beach with Ruby, only discover that she is petrified of the ocean.

Can you see "terrified" written all over her face?

I have never before been able to see such changes in a dog's face take place but plainly you can see Ruby is not at all enamored with the ocean like we are. She definitely has a "white knuckled" grip going on in this photo.....

I Heart Faces - Bubbles

2009-08-16T18:51:00.008-04:00

Here is my entry for this week's theme. I didn't think I'd be entering since I didn't think I could convince my two teenagers sit and pose for me while blowing bubbles. When I felt I would just have to pass this week's bubble theme up, I then remembered a photo that I took at my niece's wedding back in July and, bingo, I had my photo to fit the theme.

Be sure to check out I Heart Faces for all of the bubbly entries this week.

Exciting Meeting For Dinner

2009-08-12T23:24:00.010-04:00

It has taken me almost a week to put this post together as I was away chaperoning my kids and 85 other kids at band camp in Maryland. I can't tell you how happy I am to be home, using MY shower without bugs and dirt crawling all over, without the 90+ degree heat all day and only hitting the mid 70s at night, and food that left a lot to be desired.

Last Thursday, I had the privilege of meeting up with Rebeckah (Life with Kaishon) and with Drew (Happy Chaos) and their families at a Cracker Barrel restaurant. I don't know about Drew and Rebeckah, but my daughter and I had a blast. It is so cool to see these people in person for the very first time but you feel that you already know them.

We talked and ate, and ate some more, and then talked some more. The kids were wonderful and so well behaved. Drew's husband came along for the ride and what a great and funny guy he is.

I hope you enjoy seeing the pics. The lighting wasn't great but I did my best

My daughter, Naji, and Nathan.

Here are two of the sweetest and warm girls I've ever met - how can you not have fun when laughing along with these two.

This little guy was so mild and smiley.

Another smiler - I think Kaishon had had a great day with his new friends.

Sweet baby Jordan who sat near me and ate some mac and cheese - I think a bit more ended up on that pretty little face instead of her stomach!

Is it possible for this couple to be any cuter? I think not.

A Very Fun Evening

2009-08-07T08:42:00.007-04:00

The photo has nothing to do with my evening last night. It is however a picture I just took of our puppy this week. Fun had everything to do with last evening when I met up with two of my fellow blogging friends and their families for dinner.

I will post later today on this. All I can say is it was hard to tear myself away when it came time for us to part....

We Have Been Rick Roll'd

2009-08-06T13:36:00.004-04:00

My 15 year-old discovered this gentleman yesterday and he is getting such a kick out of the whole "Rick Roll'd" thing. Now, I happened to have loved this song back in the day and thought his dance moves were really cool - back then. I've watched this video several times now and find myself sort of chorkling at the "roll" and also the high jeans Rick is sporting.

Does anybody out their remember this song? Anybody out there really like it way back when? I googled Rick Astley and he is still alive and kicking and doing some performing.

Please enjoy this interim blog post and see if it doesn't bring back some memories for the folks who knew him back in the 1980s and also a smile to the faces of those of you who don't know Rick Astley from a hole in the wall.

I Heart Faces, At The Beach

2009-07-28T20:47:00.005-04:00

This photo was taken eleven years ago (way before I had a digital camera). This is my son and he had dug a hole and was sitting in it just staring at the ocean. I have this hanging on my family room wall and it is a moment in time I was able to capture forever.

Be sure to visit I Heart Faces to see a ton of people's photos of their happy beach memories.

DVM's Wife's Life Needs Our PRAYERS

2009-07-25T11:43:00.002-04:00

Today's post will be devoted to a blogging friend who needs our prayers desperately right now.

Please click on the link and please send good thoughts her way as her husband was just diagnosed with a brain tumor this morning.

Let's flood her with positive comments and send many prayers her and her family's way

We Had A Wedding!!!

2009-07-21T23:08:00.007-04:00

My niece was married on Sunday. The weather was perfect and the bride was beautiful. Although I am having trouble mastering low-light situations and probably will until I get a speed lamp (or is it light, I can never remember), I was able to lighten up most of the indoor photos with Photoshop.

My brother walked his daughter down the aisle. Can you guess how they feel about each other?

They are officially husband and wife!

That first real kiss of husband and wife - not that dinky one up on the altar...

The bride's two sisters (yes, I have lots of nieces) were both maids of honor. The bride didn't want to have to choose one over the other. We jokingly told my niece she shouldn't have put her gold tooth in that morning because it reflected the sunlight...

Great placement of bubbles on the bride's face, don't you think?

Here are all of the cousins - all of my siblings' children and my two kids with the happy couple. It is wonderful watching our family grow. We are truly blessed....

Although I hate to see the bride and groom get all sloppy from the cake slicing event at the reception, I still think these photos turned out so cute and both of them cleaned up very nicely and quickly too.

This little darling is my brother's stepdaughter. She is so sweet and she and my daughter ended up having a blast tearing up the dance floor. Although she is 11 and my daughter will be 18 in a few days, they were equally matched when it came to "Cotton Eyed Joe"

At the end of a wonderful, wonderful celebration, I caught the bride and groom showing most obvious signs of total exhaustion but total contentment too.

Jon, we already love you and are so thrilled to have you in our family. Victoria couldn't have found a better guy.

Your Morning Laugh

2009-07-21T10:50:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to add a little levity to the morning. I am working on a post about my niece's wedding on Sunday but until then, I am providing a little light entertainment. I hope you like it and it puts a smile on your face.

A Special Play Date (not just for the dogs)

2009-07-16T22:59:00.014-04:00

In recent years, properly socializing your canine member of the family has been emphasized so much. Back when I was a kid, dogs ran free all the time - all day long - and therefore were constantly meeting other dogs and interacting with them on some level throughout the day. I had neighbors who would open their doors in the morning to let Fido out and after dark call him/her back into the house before they turned in for the night. With the advent of leash laws and township ordinances regarding our canine friends, that has all stopped for the most part. We are therefore left to seek other ways to get our dogs socialized with others of their species to hopefully end up with what Cesar Milan refers to as a "well balanced dog".

Well, I too have been sucked into this philosophy. I have Freckles, an older dog, who couldn't care less if he ever crossed paths with any other canine creature. He's perfectly content to be the center of our human universe and very happy as long as I am somewhat nearby and he has something soft to sleep on - and he sleeps 22 hours every day.

However, I also have Ruby, a 4-month-old puppy, who would give her left paw for a playmate who plays as rough as she does and me thinks we may have found that playmate this week.

Meet Batman - isn't he a cutie?

Batman is a 2 year old Norwegian Buhund who has been very lonely (don't worry, he's been neutered) and he happens to belong to my best friend since childhood. We've been waiting for Ruby to have all of her vaccinations so she could meet Batman and so last night was the night of their first meeting.

They were cautious at first...

Then they felt a little more sure of each other....

Backing off and resting for a second....

Finally, an all-out rough and tumble brawl.

Yes, they got along famously and hopefully it is the start of a weekly rendezvous that leads to a lifelong friendship (just like their humans) - and the bonus is that my friend and I will also get to relax together every week and catch up....something that has been so long overdue since we have been raising our kids.

I Heart Faces, Week 27

2009-07-12T23:56:00.007-04:00

I am fortunate in that I happen to have two photos that fit both categories this week.

The first is for a sports action category. My son played soccer up until 2007 when he "retired" and decided to pursue ultimate frisbee instead. This is a photo that I took during that last season and while he is not the key player in the photo, it happens to be one of my favorite pictures from that season.

The other category is for pets or animals and I chose this photograph of my guy, Freckles, who is just a love of a beagle - very independent and not needy most of the time. He manages to strike the "regal beagle" pose many times and I happened to have my camera ready for one of those poses.

Be sure to go on over to I Heart Faces and see many, many great entries from both professional and amateur photographers.

At Least I Have Tried

2009-07-09T15:44:00.002-04:00

Below are two partial posts I've written that never got published. I seem to have developed a bit of SASS in the last few weeks (Short Attention Span Syndrome).

Please forgive me but based on some of the comments I have received, I'm not alone in not being able to sit for any period of time actually needed to compose a full post.

***********

After mass and dinner last evening, my hubby suggested we go to see Night at the Museum - Battle of The Smithsonian. My first thought was "I hate going out at night" but that thought was quickly replaced with "Hey, all four of us are home and it's raining out, and it's been raining for the last 6035 days so, why not?".

Boy, am I glad we went!!! Here is a movie that is just pure fun - no cussing, no violence, no sex - just plain fun for all of us. I found myself laughing out loud, mostly at Hank Azaria who plays the Kahmunrah, but I also glanced over at my two teenagers who had huge smiles pasted on their faces through most of the movie.

If I had six thumbs they would all be pointing up for this movie - truly a great outing for the entire family and nothing in it to make you cringe or wince. It is one that I could definitely watch again. It felt like the official kick off to Father's Day for us.

6/21/09

My niece is getting married on July 19 and I have absolutely nothing to wear. I went to several stores over the weekend and found nothing. Today, I went to Macy's and picked up the only dress they had displayed that I thought was suitable for a wedding. I didn't have anybody to lend an opinion when I tried it on so I brought it home and modeled it for my daughter who crinkled her nose up and said, "Um, do you like it, mom?" I replied that I didn't like it much but at least it was a dress.

Bottom line, it is going back tomorrow.

We got a dress for my daughter which is adorable and for my son, well he'll be wearing the suit I purchased in February for a snow ball that he went to. However, back then I had to have his pants shortened but I asked them to leave a 2" hem as I knew we had this wedding coming up. I'm glad I did for now we have to let the hem down 1". He tried the pants on today and he looked like he was wearing floods!

7/7/09

Please forgive me. At the moment I am typing this post, a mosquito is buzzing around me and I must find it and get rid of it. I will be back - maybe even later tonight - there is always hope!

P.S. Please disregard the above dress. I have since returned it and purchased another style. I will see if I can find a picture of that to post!

I Am A Ping Pong Ball

2009-07-01T09:32:00.002-04:00

I thought my chauffering tasks would slow down once the school year ended but the exact opposite is the case. I am in an out of the car so many times a day, my head is spinning. Because of this spinning, I am unable to think clearly enough to actually complete a blog post. I have three half-written ones that I never published.

So, at least I am managing to get one complete thought typed out here. I hope to do a "real" post soon. I even had ideas for I Heart Faces this week but had no time to look for the photo from my nephew's wedding last year.

Here's hoping I can do a full post tonight!

In the meantime, please enjoy this amazing acapella group perform "Africa" by Toto. The beginning, when they simulate a thunderstorm, is absolutely amazing!!!

Fix-It Friday @ I Heart Faces

2009-06-26T21:29:00.006-04:00

My work is done for the day and I can now have some fun with Fix-It Friday!

Original photo.

Photo with the eyes sharpened and the contrast bumped up a bit.

Photo with sepia action applied and saturation increased.

Finally, on this one I sharpened the eyes and the tear on his cheek, and then applied the "old photo" action but reduced the opacity to about 35%.

I had fun with this. Now I'm going over to I Heart Faces to see how creative everybody else is!

I Heart Faces, Let's Hear It For The Boys!

2009-06-22T09:48:00.006-04:00

Here us my adult entry for this week's theme - Hubby and the newest member of our family checking out the new dog run in our backyard.

I realize the kids category seems to be mostly little kids but my boy, although getting big, still doesn't look like an adult to me so I am entering him in the kids category this week. I love when I catch him off guard - I usually get the "real" smile from him instead of his Kodak smile...

Be sure to head over to I Heart Faces and check out all of the photographs in both the Adults and Kids categories.

My Son's New Summer Pasttime.

2009-06-19T22:16:00.006-04:00

Since school ended, my boy isn't spending much time vertical. I could have an entire blog filled with photos of him sleeping - in the recliner, on the love seat, on my office floor, on the sofa, and in his bed. When he's not eating, he's sleeping.

My husband capture one photo of him and the two dogs about a week or so ago. I then grabbed the camera since I was sitting at the other end of the sofa.

We got a break in the weather with an absolutely beautiful day today but that's all ending tonight. We are expecting a lot of rain this weekend. The weatherman just said today was the 5th day this month with no rain!!!

Other than a bit of a tussle with a bunch of ants, this week was pretty calm for us. Every time I think about the ants, I shudder. But, I got it all under control fairly quickly and I think I got them all. I don't like ants....

PS Vicki, if you stop by my photo blog, you'll see that I featured the dinner bell on your front porch!

Skywatch Friday

2009-06-18T23:19:00.005-04:00

It has rained all week here so no "fresh" sky shots were to be had. I had to dig up a prior shot. But, if you head on over to Skywatch Friday, you will see lots of sky photos from all around the world and they will be "fresh ones" I am sure.

Life Is About Adjustments

2009-06-16T22:31:00.004-04:00

I am learning to really start to roll even more with the "punches". I am a person who adapts to change pretty readily but as I've gotten older, sometimes it's just a bit more difficult to be flexible but I am working on it daily....

Last week was the third annual parish carnival that our sweet pastor started back in 2007. I think it was a success but the final numbers won't be in for a few more weeks. The tough part is that our pastor was transferred from our parish and won't be here to deliver the final results - very sad. While I am happy that this is a promotion for him, I will miss him so very much. I promised him I would compile all of the photos of the carnivals that I've taken through the years on to a CD so that he will have all of the faces of his time here to cherish forever.

These are some of the photos I took this year. I didn't edit any of them. They are all SOOC.

One of the photos is of the St. Anthony Society Parade. Our pastor invited this organization to join our carnival last year. It was such a success that he invited them back this year. They had a mass and then a parade through the streets of my town carrying a statue of St. Anthony. They even brought a roast pig to sell at the carnival.

The kids are done school now and summer is in full swing. My daughter got a full-time babysitting job for two young boys so she's gone almost all day. My son - well he's been sleeping in but that will stop in two days as he begins his 30 hours of classroom study to prepare for getting his driver's license. Scary thought.... I just keep rolling with it....

Skywatch Friday

2009-06-12T21:36:00.007-04:00

The other day we had a few really amazing thunderstorms early in the day. By evening, it was like the sky was washed clear and we were left with an amazing sunset. This series of photos was taken over the course of about eight minutes. The color change was so fast and intense.

I did absolutely no editing on any of these photos - nature provided the vibrant color all by herself.

Be sure to go and visit Skywatch Friday and see photos of skies from all over our world.

Blue Bandanas

2009-06-10T11:33:00.003-04:00

Here is Ruby sporting a blue "bandana", actually a piece of my quilting fabric as she is too small for the bandanas I have. Be sure to visit The Portuguese Water Blog to see other dogs sporting blue. Thanks to Sue for asking Ruby to be a part of this!!!

A Cause Near and Dear

2009-06-09T11:28:00.004-04:00

Here is a link I'd like to share. June is always Alex's Lemonade Stand time throughout our country, and especially at our local grammar school. The school featured is my kids' grade school. Little Alex Bilotta is the younger sister of one of my son's classmates and Danny Hammond is my daughter's friend since first grade. Lauren Brown's mom is a friend of mine through our many volunteer activities at school throughout the years. Since both of my kids graduated were finished as of June 2008, I no longer see Michele as much but my thoughts are always with her this time of year.

If you get a chance, take a look at this video. Danny is a living, breathing, walking miracle - in third grade he was given a prognosis of just 18-24 months and now, along with my daughter, he is getting ready to enter his senior year of high school. All of the money raised has funded research that has provided Danny with new drugs each time his cancer has recurred.

He never ceases to amaze me.

Skywatch Friday, Cityscape, #47

2009-06-04T22:26:00.007-04:00

The skies as we headed over the bridge back to our home town. A lot of the shots contained the rails of the bridge which then made the photos very blurry but I managed to get a couple in between the rails.

Be sure to head on over to Skywatch and view amazing skies from all around the globe.

Did I Offend Someone?

2009-06-03T18:42:00.008-04:00

I lost a follower today and when you only have 19 to begin with and you lose 1, it seems rather a large percentage. I hope I didn't offend anyone. My guess is that I don't update enough. I used to update just about daily and then life got in the way. I wonder if there is any way of getting that follower back.......

I plan on getting back to my blogging roots once the school year comes to an end and a portion of my volunteer duties are over with until August when I assume my new position as Secretary of the Band Parent Association at my kids' high school. I purposely took the position of the head of the baked goods table last summer just so I'd be helping out the band without taking on a lead position. For some odd reason, that didn't work and they asked me to be secretary because "they are aware that I spend a great deal of time in front of a computer" and then they also offered to relieve me of my job as the "bake table lady". I hope I don't disappoint as the secretary. Thank goodness it will not require me to speak in front of all of the parents again - that part of the best part!

Tomorrow is another blogging day and I even may have pictures to put with my day's entry. I actually have my Skywatch photo ready!! Some days I do have it all together...

I Heart Faces, Week 21

2009-06-01T18:27:00.010-04:00

This week's theme over at I Heart Faces is "Happy Birthday" (for the kids) and "Anything Goes" for the pets. I actually have a photo I took of Freckles on his 11th birthday on February 1, 2009. He even posed for me in a birthday hat!

Be sure to go on over to check out "I Heart Faces" for lots of other photos in each of the two categories this week!

My World In Photos

2009-05-29T14:53:00.009-04:00

I've decided to share my world with my blogging friends. I took photos of my immediate environment this morning - from my PC to the window that I look out of every few minutes, to the dog sleeping on the floor beside me, and to the dog hanging out in my kids' old pack and play.

This is my world on a daily basis. Some days it is very uninspiring and other days it's just like a well-worn shoe. Today, I guess you could say I was feeling the well-worn shoe version.

My computer monitor, not exciting but there it is.

Ruby in her pen.

The window that I gaze out to see what's going on in the neighborhood.

The old fella, who does this the entire day. No wonder he's got to shed 4-5 pounds. C'mom Freckles, get up and get moving....

Some artwork my kids made for me years ago that I just don't have the heart to take down yet... But, I will have to when I repaint my office. Please note the ugly sponge wall painting job. It really was "in" when I did it!

So, there you have the guided tour of my office highlights. Thanks for joining me on this little journey.

This weekend will be filled with three graduation parties and some planting of flowers, and on Sunday I will be going out to dinner with seven of my childhood girlfriends. We are trying to get together every couple of months.

What will you be doing this weekend and will your weather cooperate with your plans?? Please share if you have a moment.

Just the 8 - Jon and Kate, Not So Great

2009-05-26T14:02:00.006-04:00

I have been a fan of Jon and Kate Plus 8 since it first aired. I have not always been pleased with how Kate has treated Jon in front of the entire world but always figured/hoped they had some sort of off-screen agreement about her verbal abuse (wishful thinking on my part).

The recent turn of events has really bothered me tremendously. I have to say that while I don't dislike Kate, I think she's slow in seeing what all of this fame has done to the family and how it has really molded her. Jon expressed his feelings at the end of the last season. He clearly did not want to continue with the show. He indicated in no uncertain terms that wanted his old life back but Kate seemed very much excited about anticipating the next season. Obviously, there were already problems back then, as Kate mentioned in last evening's episode that things hadn't been right for the last six months - this would take the start of their problems back to around Christmas time.

I think Kate missed Jon's sort of call for help at that point. I think Kate really got caught up in all that goes with fortunate and fame. Jon was already experiencing some of the pitfalls of this and he was telling her that he really couldn't handle it anymore. She needed to step back and listen for a moment, something she really has a hard time doing.

I am keeping up all hopes that the show will just end now and they can start to rebuild what they once had. The kids need them both equally in their lives.

Any other fans out there have any opinions? Do you think their marriage can be saved?

Who Gets A Cold In May!!!!

2009-05-24T08:09:00.013-04:00

Yup, I have a head/chest cold and it's in the 80s outside. I got through the last two winters of snow, cold, sleet, ice, and hail with not a single cold (only one sinus infection) and here it is practically summer and I'm sneezing and coughing all over my keyboard - go figure.... Thank goodness nobody else uses my PC.

The kids were both involved with an Ultimate Frisbee tournament this weekend. I didn't make it to the tournament yesterday because of a certain 7 lb 7 oz ball of hair and teeth. Since she's not old enough to hold "it" for more than an hour or two, leaving her at home for what turned out to be a 14 hour day for my husband and kids was totally out of the question. So I spent Saturday, when I wasn't sneezing or coughing up a lung, being chewed upon by Ruby....

Doesn't she look sweet?

I don't recall purchasing an aardvark....

Things will be great once she learns she will have nobody to play with if she keeps biting us. Meanwhile, I am taking suggestions for suitable substitutions for our arms, hands, and feet.. Anyone, anyone??

Blindsided

2009-05-19T18:33:00.011-04:00

None of us, not even him, saw this coming...

He is a good man and he has been our pastor for five years. I always assumed (and I think he did too) that he would be in our parish for the next, oh 30 years until he retired. I also assumed he'd be around to bury me....

However, he stunned us with the news this weekend that he is now being transferred from our parish to become pastor of another parish and also vicar of one of the counties in our archdiocese. You could hear the collective gasp in the congregation when he made his announcement and we could hear him getting choked up. They are moving him up to bigger and better things, however he is leaving the people he has come to love and count on. He doesn't want to go but realizes he has to and has asked for our prayers for this new journey of his. He came the year my daughter was confirmed. He was there to congratulate her on her full scholarship to high school. He was there when my son was confirmed and he was there to watch them both graduate from grade school.

He is also my kids' first-ever boss. Both of my kids have had the privilege of working at the rectory and he and my daughter have gotten into some fairly heated discussions over who she will marry and whether or not he will allow an outdoor wedding (frowned upon in the Catholic church). He is like a mother hen and matchmaker all rolled up in one - constantly putting out suggestions for possible dates for my daughter. He's like another dad. He's been wonderful to both of my children. He's tried so hard to make our parish feel once again like a community - something the previous pastor didn't even bother to try doing.

God has big plans for this man but, sadly, being with us is not part that plan anymore. While we didn't always agree with all of the changes he brought to our parish, we never wished for him to leave.

He'll leave us on June 15, two days after we close up the parish carnival - a tradition he started three years ago. What will we do now?????

What Kind Of Mother Would Allow This

2009-05-16T23:05:00.010-04:00

While preparing a totally different blog entry for today's post, I came upon some old photos taken with an old point-and-shoot digital camera. When I saw these photos, I was taken back to about 3-4 years ago when they were taken, at a time when my daughter was still somewhat taller than her baby brother. Things in height land have taken a dramatic turn and he is now about 7 inches taller than her. Anyway, I do recall this skirmish taking place and rather than yell, scream, and threaten to take away Playstation for a decade, I did what any other mother would do and grabbed the camera so that I could remember this

and this

and even this

A lot of us try to capture the cute things our kids do

But how many of us are willing to stand by and watch one child overpower another just for the sake of a photograph?

I know at least one mom who would!

Featuring A Bit Of Bokeh Today

2009-05-13T22:37:00.006-04:00

Miz Booshay first introduced me to the term bokeh on a guest post she did for Pioneer Woman a long time ago. Since that day, I have always strived to get bokeh in my photos. Every now and then I meet with success.

Here are my most recent bokeh photos. I also used the picture of my son on my photo blog but I thought my son's face was worth being featured a couple of times. Plus, his posing for me was part of his Mother's Day gift to me. I then photographed our little neighbor buddy who is always willing to share his smile with us. My kids think he looks like Bobby Brady on the Brady Bunch.

I will try to get some bokeh photos with the new puppy soon, however I will wait until I am assured that I will retain all ten of my fingers. She is biting at EVERYTHING, including my camera lens when she sees it!!!!

So, what an upset American Idol was last night!!! Kris was in the bottom three so many times and here he has gone on to the final round between him and Adam. I was so sad to see Danny Gokey get the boot last night. I wanted the final round to be between him and Adam but I guess it serves me right for only casting one vote the night before for Adam. It was the first time I have ever voted on AI and just last night I realized I could have voted for Danny too - I could possibly have been the one vote that swayed things in his direction. What if it was only one vote that separated him from Kris, what if...... I could possibly have changed the entire course of events.

I take consolation in the fact that he is probably going to to do very well for himself despite not being this year's American Idol.

How about Jon and Kate of "Jon and Kate Plus 8" fame? I am so saddened by the latest turn of events. I am really the eternal optimist and will deny any negative "rumors" that I hear, especially when it involves people that I know and people from TV shows that I enjoy watching. I feel badly for both of them and for the eight kids. You hope fame won't change people but in the long run it seems to change just about everybody it touches.... so sad. Glad my daughter gave up her dreams of acting - I didn't want her going to Hollywood anyway.

The countdown to the end of the school year is really winding down now. The kids (and mom) cannot wait to be rid of homework and activity schedules, even if it is only for a few short 8 weeks. I think all us moms deep down inside enjoy those first 6-7 weeks of summer with our kids around us, it's just that last 2 weeks or so with them that really bites...... when we start humming the tune "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" in our heads and begin to salivate whenever we see school supply commercials. My daughter has a full-time babysitting job to look forward to so she will be working from 8 to 3:30 Mon, Tues, Wed, and Friday at babysitting and then one or two evenings a week at our church's rectory. My son will work at the rectory one or two nights a week and possibly caddy at a local golf course. Vacation is still up in the air.

Some Days It's Just Not In The Cards/Dad Vail Regatta

2009-05-10T14:26:00.012-04:00

Life has a tendency to get in the way of my critical blogging time. Thankfully, it's mostly good things that take up my precious time so I'm not complaining at all. Today is Mother's Day and I wish all of the best to the moms who happen by my blog today. We are having the most glorious of weather on the east coast today. Aside from a little extra wind, the temps are wonderful, the sun is shining, and I'm loving hearing the sounds of lawn mowers and hedge trimmers whirring in the background. We have all of our windows open today and I'm washing and hosing down the screens. When my husband asked what I wanted for a Mother's Day present, I said that I didn't want anything bought. I asked that if all four of us could, over the next few weeks, get the house spring cleaned, I'd be such a happy camper. It seems I will be getting what I wanted in the coming days and I am really psyched about that.

I would love to hear what everyone did for Mother's Day. If you have a chance, let me know what you did today, what was done for you, or what your favorite part of the day was. Or, you can just tell us what your Mother's Day dinner was. My husband and I picked up our dinner earlier today. All he has to do is throw it into our oven for about a half hour. We are having Bobby Chez homemade lump crab cakes, lobster mashed potatoes, and stir-fry veggies!!! For dessert, we are having Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia and Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream!! It doesn't get much better than that!!!

So, if you have time, please share your day with me.

I do have some pics to share. Yesterday, we went to the Dad Vail Regatta to watch my niece coxswain for St. Joseph's University Womens Crew. It was so much fun and very exciting. Also racing were teams from Michigan, Wisconsin, California, and Tennessee among others. Here are some photos I took.

Also, Action News was on hand to chat with the crew team. They interviewed my niece (pink baseball cap)! Here is the very short news clip.

"

Happy Mother's Day to everybody!

Please share the highlight (s) of your special day.

I Heart Faces - Constructive Feedback

2009-05-08T09:18:00.006-04:00

The first photo is my SOOC.

In the second photo, I removed the color cast (so-so result), fixed some facial blemishes, increased the contrast about 18%, and ran unsharp mask at 68%.

My son is not the easiest subject for me. He's hard to pin down and hard to get to smile for the camera. However, he did oblige me a few weeks ago, however after giving me an ample 25 nanoseconds to take pictures, the "smiley session" came to an abrupt end. I was so disappointed when the best shot I had of him came out a bit blurry. I know how to remove color cast but I'm not always happy with the results. I really need to make this photo pop as I would love to frame it.

Can anybody tell me how to improve this in PS CS4?

Let the constructive criticism flow!!!! I don't have the photo EXIF data on this one and I'm not quite sure where to find it when I don't have the photo uploaded to Flickr. I apologize for that. I know I had my ISO set at 400 but I don't the other stuff.

Skywatch Friday, Finally A Sky Worth Capturing

2009-05-07T22:30:00.002-04:00

After nine days straight of rain, tonight, at about 7PM, I was able to see clearer skies. I was certain I would have NOTHING to enter this week just as I had nothing to enter last week.

Be sure to head on over to Skywatch Friday and you will be amazed at the skies you will see from all around the world!

Hats Off To You at I Heart Faces

2009-05-04T21:47:00.006-04:00

Here is my kids entry!

Here is my adult entry!

Be sure to check out all of the other fantastic "lids" at I Heart Faces!

MIA Blogger

2009-05-03T22:03:00.017-04:00

I find it difficult to blog sometimes. My life, while I love it, is not very exciting. I prefer a calm life and am thankful every day for what I've been blessed with. This week I was very busy with work which is such a great thing. For a good portion of 2008, I feared that I would possibly have to go back outside the walks of my home to get a job. There wasn't a lot of transcription work for a while but around December/January the work volume began to pick up which was great news for me. However, since my work volume increased, my available blogging time decreased. I do hope to do more than one post a week and maybe with the nice weather, I'll come up with some stuff to blog about.

Let's see what happened.... Well, April ended and May began. I spent a week working with a puppy who loves nothing better than to sink her 5000 razor-sharp baby teeth into your flesh, your hair, the paper towel you are cleaning her pee/poop up with, and your clothing. My week was basically filled with the early stages of training Ruby to be a bit more civil and we have a long way to go!!!

My son's 1 year old Xbox360 suffered the "Red Ring of Death" so I'm seeing more of him as his usual 1 1/2 hour nightly stint in the basement has ended. (Microsoft requested that he ship it back to them and they are either going to repair or replace it. I'm not sure which). He's bummed and I ended up a bit bummed for him but what was really cool is that he now tackles the tech phone calls regarding his Xbox so he found out all of the info, printed off the return label, and filled out all of the necessary forms. When he got this Xbox, I told him that he would be responsible for contacting all tech support people as I am totally clueless when it comes to this new gaming system. He's learned a lot and while hesitant the very first time to call microsoft when he couldn't get an wireless connection, he is now a pro at handling these phone calls.

Lastly, we had a cousins reunion last night and I got to see several of my cousins that I had not seen in years. While obviously I didn't take the group shots (because I am in them), I did take the other photos that I am not in.

My cousin's granddaughter.

My cousin, brother-in-law, and my brother.

My sister....I used to bug the heck out of her when I was little. Face it, when you are 18 and dating and you have an 8 year old sister who checks out all of your dates and stands on their feet, it can be annoying - not to mention having to share a bedroom with said little sister. However, my sister started liking me when she was about 21. We are now friends...

Most of the first cousins - my other brother was missing.

My brother and his wife.

Cousins and their spouses.

The Junior Prom

2009-04-28T21:48:00.005-04:00

I cannot believe I am actually saying the words "my daughter went to her junior prom"!
My little girl - JUNIOR PROM!!

My little sweet, fun-loving, spirited little girl has outgrown all little girl things...

and has turned into a young lady....

She did go to the prom and she had a wonderful time. These pictures remind me that although she's not my "little girl" anymore, she is still as sweet as she was back when she was my little girl.

I Think I've Fallen In Love..... All Over Again!

2009-04-26T22:33:00.004-04:00

The weekend was filled with a 4.5 lb ball of fur. It's amazing how busy you can get with the care of such a little life. It's been hectic but it is so worth it. Yes, she's just a puppy and yes it hurts when she chomps on our arms, hands, fingers, and toes but when she's done playing with us and done gnawing on us, she wants nothing more than to crawl up on us and drift to sleep.

I know we are in for a lot of work. I knew going into this. But, she has stolen all of our hearts.

I've Only Paused For Station Identification.....

2009-04-25T21:02:00.001-04:00

I plan on doing a full post tomorrow. Got a new puppy (which involved an 8 hour round-trip car ride) and had a junior prom all on Friday. Today was a whirl of driving all over dropping things and people off at different places, a quick 40 minute nap, and then church tonight.

I have lots of puppy pictures and prom pictures that I do want to share. I will be back!! Please be patient with me.

"I Wanna Talk About Me" aka A Meme From Angie

2009-04-21T11:02:00.012-04:00

I visited Angie Arthur's blog today and she had a meme to participate in....

Okay, Angie, here goes!

(Oh, and if anybody is a Toby Keith fan, you will recognize the title of my blog entry today)

1. Were you named after anyone?
My mom – her name is Dorothy Mary. Never quite understood why I was just name Dorothy – no middle name, and I’m the youngest and the only one out of my four siblings who didn’t get a middle name. I guess times were tough when I was born

2. When was the last time you cried?
I guess my last really good cry was the day I had to put my young, otherwise physically healthy (but not mentally) dog to sleep in August. She was so happy and wagging her tail but all involved in her care knew it was best for her.

3. Do you like your handwriting?
Absolutely not!

4. What is your favorite lunch meat?
None, I don’t care much for lunch meat.

5. Do you have kids?
Yes, I have two wonderful teenagers who have been featured at various times on my blog.

6. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?
I think I would. Except when I get in a bad mood, then I would have to drop me as a friend!

7. Do you use sarcasm?
Yes, but would prefer it if I didn’t – I do try to stop myself.

8. Do you still have your tonsils?
No, they came out in sixth grade! And, they stuck me in a pediatric ward with a room full of screaming babies and toddlers who cried all night long! Yup, that was back in the day when they actually kept you IN the hospital after surgery. I was the only one in the ward who was old enough to talk!

9. Would you bungee jump?
Nope, not for all the money in the world.

10. What is your favorite cereal?
Like Angie, I’m a kid – who loves Lucky Charms!! However, I usually eat frosted mini wheats or Cheerios because they are “healthy”.

11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Not always, but I hate having to untie them to get them back on so I do make an attempt to untie when removing.

13. What is your favorite ice cream?
Ditto Angie!! -Anything with chocolate and peanut butter in it.

14. What is the first thing you notice about people?
Eyes and smile!

15. Red or pink?.
Pink.

16. What is the least favorite thing about yourself?
The fact that the weight seems to be finding me lately – I guess Easter didn’t help this either.

17. Who do you miss the most?
I am fortunate, I have my family close by.

18. Do you want everyone to complete this list?
It would be fun if they did but whatever.

19. What color pants and shoes are you wearing?
Jeans and black clogs!

21. What are you listening to right now?
My music playlist – “Moonlight Serenade” by Glenn Miller.

22. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Periwinkle!

23. Favorite smells?
Clean baby heads, baked apple anything, my son after he has showered with his Ax shower gel, my hub when he uses his cologne.

24. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
My neighbor last evening.

25. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
I most certainly like the person who put this out there on her blog (Angie) and we have never even met, only chatted on the phone, but I hope one day to have a photo excursion planned with her!

26. Favorite sports to watch?
Baseball and ice hockey.

27. Hair color?
Reddish brown but going gray so I am now “supplementing”.

28. Eye color?
Very blue!

29. Do you wear contacts?
No, I have to wear progressives – doc said contacts won’t work for me….. big bummer there.

30. Favorite food?
Pasta with seafood on top!

31. Scary movies or happy endings?
No scary movies...ever. Hate them. I don’t do anything scary movie-wise – dates back to nightmares I had as a kid. I love happy endings!

32. Last movie you watched?
Legally Blonde for the umpteenth time – I love that movie!

33. What color shirt are you wearing?
Maroon long-sleeved t-shirt.

34. Summer or winter?
Summer for sure!

35. Hugs or kisses?
Kiss for those close to me, hugs for everyone else.

37. Most likely to respond?
Hate this question too.

38. Least likely to respond?
Hate this question.

39. What book are you reading now?
Nothing at the moment – too busy with blogging and photography.

40. What is on your mousepad?
I don't have a mousepad. I have a laser mouse and I just use it on whatever surface is close by.

41. What did you watch on t.v. last night?
A bit of Little People Big World, but I was on my laptop most of the evening watching my new puppy play with her siblings on Ustream.

42. Favorite sounds?
Sweet sounds of springtime/summertime – birds, the whir of a lawnmower in the distance, and my kids just discussing something fun.

43. Rolling Stones or Beatles?
Beatles.

44. What is the farthest you've been away from home?
Backpacked through England, Ireland, and Wales!

45. Do you have a special talent?
I used to draw, play piano and flute but I lost my talented genes when I gave birth to my kids.

46 Where were you born?
Philadelphia, PA

47. Whose answers are you looking forward to getting back?
Anyone who wants to leave their answers in the comments below. I love reading how we are all different and similar.

48. How did you meet your spouse/significant other?
I met my hub on a blind date. I worked with Nancy, he worked with Jeff, Nancy and Jeff were a couple so they introduced us. We were actually both at Nancy and Jeff’s wedding but never noticed each other.

I Heart Faces, Self-Portrait

2009-04-19T22:37:00.010-04:00

Maneuvering an SLR camera around in one hand to take one's self-portrait is no easy feat but I did manage, after about sixty-seven shots, to get my face in it! I also was trying to obtain a sketch-like quality to this photo.

Be sure to go on over to I Heart Faces so you can finally see the faces of the women (and men too) behind the lenses!!

Welcome Ruby

2009-04-18T21:32:00.003-04:00

Today was puppy pick out day. It was much harder than I thought it would be and I was so torn between two of the three puppies I had to choose from. but, after 45 minutes of watching, hugging, and just holding these babies, this is the one who has found her forever home with us.

Oh, and my daughter picked the name about a month ago as Ruby is a character in "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" and my daughter liked the name of the character a lot. My son also said the name was cool with him too.

Ruby will come home with us on Friday, April 24.

Fix-It Friday, I Heart Faces

2009-04-17T21:21:00.009-04:00

This is my first time participating in Fix-It Friday. With my photo, I adjusted the contrast a smidge, darkened the "highlights", and then ran a film grain filter. Oh, and I used CS4.

Skywatch Friday

2009-04-16T22:36:00.005-04:00

Here are my entries for this week's Skywatch. If I could only get rid of the power/telephone lines, house and trees on my street, I'd be sharing fabulous unobstructed sky views. Oh well, if you want to see some amazing unobstructed views of the skies, head on over to Skywatch! The earth may be large, but each and every one of us looks up at the exact same sky - we just capture it at different times and in varying states of beauty.