Christmas 2012

I will have some Christmas Eve Party pictures to show, when my daughter sends me some. I took it extra easy that night (even wore a sparkly sweatshirt and jeans instead of a dress) and forgot to take pictures!

Here is Christmas Day. But first, the BEST present I got, among many lovely ones:

A tiny little pink dog collar. Yes, I'm getting a puppy! Mike and I agreed winter is not the time to bring a new baby into the house, and I told him I wanted Katherine to pick the puppy out some time in the spring--then Mike and Katherine could surprise me. My only criteria: tiny and female! Hence, the pink collar!

Here are some Christmas Day pics:

My little nephew loved the play mats I made for him! He took the fencing I gave him and put it around the 'ocean,' so that: "The water won't leak out all over the room!" He's such a funny kid, so full of imagination! You know, he organizes all his animals? All the hippos in one pen, all the tigers in another! I gave him the first lemur and first family of manatees in his collection!

John got a cool working crane from Santa, so Nicky had to take a picture of it to show his friends!

Katherine has a big smile as she mugs the camera.

Jamie's watching something on TV. Erick's texting, I think.

Didn't get a picture of Michael, or anyone else, but the whole family was there. Noreen made an amazing prime rib, with twice-baked potatoes and more! Mmmmm.

Another wonderful Christmas.

Our Tree, 2012

I am not totally ready for Christmas (who ever is?) but at least the tree is up and decorated. Michael came by last night after work, and Katherine came by much later. James helped out, too, but Nicky was at work until 11.
We got a Douglas Fir this year, instead of the usual balsam. It is fat and happy, as you can see. I really need to get something for the top. We had an angel but it doesn't work any more and I can't find it anyway.
The kids did a great job!

James--much thinner than last year, after spending an hour almost every day on the treadmill! He looks great!

Michael helped me put the lights on before the other kids got home--even so, we didn't finish until about 10 p.m.!

Katherine, joyful even after a long day of work (all she had time to eat was cookies!) and Shadow as a little elf.

Christmas Play

My little nephew John (who's middle name happens to be Joseph) played Joseph in a little play put on by his second-grade religion class. The kids were adorable, and we joined them in singing some of the Christmas Carols. John was great as Baby Jesus's earth-daddy, and he actually held the baby more than "Mary" did! We were all so proud of him!

Count Down

I can't believe Christmas is less than 2 weeks away. I usually start prepping right after Halloween. but lost 9 days because of the hurricane. I've been crazy busy, but I still feel there is so much to do.

This year I'm cheating with some store-bought appetizers, although I'm still making quite a few of my own. Of course, all the cookies are from scratch. I made up some cut-outs yesterday--froze half and hid a few for Mike to enjoy this weekend. They came out really good (the recipe is in the December issue of Redbook) and I think this will be my go-to rolled cookie recipe. I have the dough made for some other recipes, too. Just a matter of taking it out from the freezer and using it. I do my baking like this: mix dry ingredients, bag and label; then make dough another day; then take out dough and bake. Makes it easier not to take up an hour or so between prep and cleaning.

My house looks festive. All but the tree, which is sitting out on the deck until we put it up, probably the weekend before Christmas.

I like to set my decorations up by category. All my snowmen are on top of a hutch, for example. Here's my Snoopy display:

I'm keeping my eyes open for a Charlie Brown to go with the tree.

32 Years

Yesterday was my and Mike's 32nd anniversary. He gave me two gift cards and a really cute card. We went to dinner at Miller Ale House and had prime ribs. We really enjoyed ourselves! After, I spent part of one gift card at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I got some fancy coffee for the Keurig, a bag of chocolate/mint Lindt candies and some flavoring for water. My other gift card is for Barnes and Noble. I said I'd give Mike his Christmas gift for an anniversary gift, but he didn't want it. He was happy to give me presents and didn't want anything in return. He is awesome. I totally adore this man.

The funny thing is that Katherine and Michael came over to share a belated birthday dinner with James. He turned 26 during the hurricane, so we couldn't do his scungilli and sauce. This was his only available night for dinner. If we waited for the next time, it would be too close to Christmas Eve, when we also have scungilli. I'm glad his brother and sister joined him.

Today, Katherine and I went out to lunch together. I took her to Ulta for her own birthday present, also very belated! I spent money there on gifts, too. Probably went a little overboard, but at least I have some gifts out of the way. We also stopped at Michael's, where I picked up a frame for a guitar print I got Michael and a Bob Ross beginner's kit for Nicky.

I'm pretty much done with family shopping. All I have to do is figure out what the heck to get James!

Too many storms

Our power came on at 3:30 yesterday afternoon, almost exactly 9 days after we lost it. We saw telephone poles being toted up the block and were so happy!
Then we got hit with a Nor'Easter that dumped about 3 inches of snow on us.

Pics:

This old tree ripped in half and is only hanging from these weird vines. You can see how the wood is twisted. It just about took out my neighbor's roof. Mike went there with a chainsaw to cut it back.

We only lost one section of fence, which Mike easily fixed.

This is one of the trees that almost took out our neighbor's house up the block, and caused us to lose power for more than a week.

Another reason we lost power. Our house is at the bottom of this hill, just two houses from the cracked pole.

AND JUST TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY:

The Nor'easter did this to our gazebo. It's supposed to come to a point at the top. Mike put on the awning to protect the generator from rain. We were NOT expecting snow!

At least, not snow that does things like this! This is the gazebo this morning. Mike and James had already wheeled the genny into the garage for storage, since we have power again.

And every time the lights flicker, we cringe...

Utility Trucks at Last!

We were told that the damage to our block is so bad it will take a special crew to fix it. Still, there are utility trucks up the blog and I hear chainsaws at work. At the very least they are cutting down the fallen trees!

Don't know if I posted this already, but the generator that was leant to us by my nice bil decided not to work. So Mike went off to Home Depot and happened on the last available generator. $700! But worth it, believe me, mostly to have some light and heat and to save some food.

The chest freezer downstairs kept things very cold or frozen, but things have started to thaw out. I have started taking things out and either discarding them, or cooking them if they were still icy cold. I don't have an oven or stove or microwave, but I'm using my barbecue. Browned up some ground beef today and we'll make spaghetti or something another day. I can even refreeze it in my upstairs fridge, which is working with the genny. (The power does not travel as far as the garage.)

Hanging in there, keeping busy with crafts and such. And watching DVDs!

Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy

Today is October 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy hit us last night. We lost power about 8 p.m. Mike went to bed early but I stayed up and did some crocheting by lantern, plus I played on my DS and with my phone. I also texted back and forth with Katherine for a bit--more on that later.

I kept hearing noises all night, other than the heavy rain and wind, but there was no telling in the dark what was going on. We woke up this morning to find part of the fence in the backyard down, and a tree broken and half-hanging into the neighbor’s yard. Mike went over there later with a chainsaw to help cut it down.

I am trying to keep busy with my crafts and crochet, as well as my puzzle book. I wish I had though to charge my DS, which is about to run out of power. So is the computer so I may not be able to continue my story for a while. Mike is saying it could be a week before power comes back on. Nobody has any in the area, not even stores. Most are using generators, or working by daylight only.

Back to Katherine: she had to do an overnight shift at her store because a manager must be on duty in case the power goes out. First of all, she had to head out there during the worst of the storm. As she was going down a street near our home, a tree fell down right in front of her! Not only that, but a woman had just driven her car past that spot a moment before. The tree fell

RIGHT HERE IS WHERE WE LOST POWER, ABOUT 8 Monday Night. I copied and pasted the above. The story continues:

 Anyway, that big tree fell right between the two cars. Thank God my daughter, and that unknown woman, were okay!
All night, the wind blew up to 100 mph. I kept hearing explosions--transformers going as telephone poles snapped in half. 
For all the horrors, there are other things to Thank God for, at least as far as our neighborhood:

We only lost part of our fence, easily fixed, as well as power.
Two massive trees fell to either side of my neighbor Tony's house, just missing it. It is a small place that would easily have been crushed--these things had eight-foot wide root bases.

Nobody I know personally was hurt or killed. My bil and his family are fine, even though they live on the South Shore. The flooding missed them by a few blocks!




Now for the bad stuff:
A million plus people without electricity--but the crews are working hard to fix this.
People are panicking about being able to get gas, and lines can be 50+ cars long. (Mike was lucky enough to hit a station just as it opened, so he has gas for both his car and the generator.)
The South Shore is a mess, many have lost their homes. I can live without hot water and electricity when I think that's all I have lost!
You don't even want to know about lower Manhattan and New Jersey. It's a massive, tragic disaster.
Some lost their lives, but I don't know the count. It doesn't matter, numbers are just numbers. These are human beings that are gone now.

Better news:
I was worried about Katherine being alone in her store, but three workers were there, too. I found out later that it is against company policy for anyone to be alone, so her other manager would have had to join her. Her store didn't lose power until the next morning, when she was leaving. She stayed to help. Believe me, I was glad when she got home.
Our nice  neighbors brought us coffee and let us use their wi-fi! That way, Mike was able to do some of his office work. I'm writing this thanks to them. Mike offered that they  (and our next-door neighbor) can take a hot shower here if they want.
My bil gave us a genny to use. It only lights up half the house, but we can watch DVDs and heat the place up.
Truth be told, I like this just a tiny bit. Not the scary, tragic parts. But the 'not being able to go anywhere anyway' part that gives me the excuse to watch movies and crochet! And it is fun to be innovative. We used the barbecue to cook and to heat water for coffee. Mike had a pot today. I didn't want any oatmeal or coffee (I'd already had breakfast) but I didn't want to waste the hot water. So I wrapped the pot in some insulated batting that I usually use for making potholders. I covered this with a bigger pot. And you know, I was actually able to make ramen soup for lunch? It's amazing what we can do. Sad as I am for those who lost almost everything, I know most of them will find a way to get on with life!

Our Trip Part II

We broke up the 12-hour drive back home by stopping for two nights at our friends' home in Johnstown, PA. Maryann and Sam have a full house with another adult female, her child, and their own 3 sons and daughter! They are one big, happy family. Seriously, you should see the dinners they put out--like feeding an army. And it was all good, too!
The littles were so cute and I finally got to meet their youngest. Garrison took to me and Mike very readily, which Maryann says is not his usual way. Makes me feel special. The girls, Abi and Bri, got Mike to buy a rock from them for a buck each.

It was nice to see the older boys, Tyler and Logan, too. Hard to believe they are both teens! We enjoyed our dinnertime discussions, especially hearing Tyler's very grown up points of view.

It was also great to see Lisa, Bri's mom, again. Lisa is a very nice woman who's come out of her shell quite a bit since living with the L. family. And she was nice enough to give up her level of the house for our use for two nights.

We had one full day with the family and took a long drive to see some sights. It was fun to go to Baldinger's, a really awesome candy store. There was candy there I haven't seen in years, like Kit-Kats and candy cigarettes. I spent about $30 on candy and really cute cookie cutters. I walked out with probably 3x as much as I would have gotten in New York for the same money--including the biggest jelly beans I've ever seen!

More on the visit next post, whenever I get around to it.

Our Trip

We headed to Ohio this past September 15th. Two days before (and one day before a wedding we attended), I walked into a table leg in the middle of the night and broke my toe--the second one from the small toe, on my right foot (of course).

So I spent most of the trip limping. For the record, I did get an x-ray when I got home and yes, it is broken. Still is as of this date. But that's another post.

Anyway, after a 12 hour trek, Mike and I arrived at Mom's. We were originally supposed to go to the Country Living Fair on Sunday. But mom had taken a trip there the day before and said you had to wait on a 45-minute line just to get in the place. And it was huge, twice as big (she believed) as the Ohio State Fair.

So, much as I really wanted to go, I opted out after all. Mom was okay about that. At 89, she isn't so keen about long walks on uneven ground. And my foot hurt so much walking was a big negative for me.

Honestly, I enjoyed our annual visit to Der Dutchmann restaurant and the little Amish-run stores more than I probably would have liked the fair. The prices are so cheap and there are no crowds. I came home with a few cute things, including a glass cat-shaped candy dish. I also bought some candy for our friend Patty and for Dr. Ahuja. Dr. A loves this stuff and it is about half what you'd pay for chocolate here!

Mike and I took a drive every evening. One night we went to Dairy Queen, just for nostalgia's sake. We found it wasn't all that Mike remembered. (I'm more of a Carvel type.) So the next night we hit Graeter's, a famous ice cream company that is mostly in Ohio. The ice cream was amazing!

Mom, of course, cooked great dinners. We had beef stroganoff and sausages and peppers. The peppers were from her garden. Yum! (And I only gained 3 pounds the whole visit!)

We cut our trip home with a visit to friends in Pennsylvania--

--to be continued!

Things are moving fast

A few months ago, I got a call from my agent that the actress Octavia Spencer was interested in taking one of my old books, "Cries of the Children" and making it into a movie. One thing leading to another, I have a contract with her to set that in motion--which means she has the right to find a producer, not necessarily that we'll actually get a movie made. Whatever, it's exciting since I wrote the book 20 years ago.
We decided to put this and two other books out as eBooks, and now one of them will be published on the NOOK next week! So I have to get a Twitter page started and I've been working on Facebook and my Wordpress page. And it's overwhelming, since we are leaving for a trip on Saturday and I'll be gone a week. Too much to do, too little time!

A Cute Shop

It's funny how you can live in a place nearly 60 years, hear about something again and again...and never go there. Such is the case with "The St. James General Store." I've always wanted to go there, and we've passed by the street it is on a thousand times. Mike wanted to go for a little ride yesterday, so I decided it was high time I paid this 150-year-old General Store a visit!
I wasn't disappointed. It looks exactly as it might have looked long ago, from the wooden floors to the old wooden bins. Even the front door was original, or at least very, very old. Mike says it was 'not up to code,' which means the door swung in, not out. (In the case of a fire, you'd want a door that you could push!)
The prices were reasonable for Long Island. Mike picked up a wind-up crab and a wooden pop gun. I bought some doodads and some candy (including something called "Gibralters" which was the first candy manufactured here in America), but my nicest thing is a nut-shaped dish with a cute squirrel sitting on the edge.
I definitely want to go back with Christmas shopping in mind!

An Evening on the Beach

Mike and I took a stroll along the water at Sunken Meadow. It was a lovely evening, not too hot. I overloaded my pockets with interesting rocks. There are more rocks than shells here, as it is the Long Island Sound, not the ocean. But I hope to hit the South Shore (and the Atlantic) before the summer is over--in the evening, when most of the crowds are gone and it isn't hot!

Mike was a lot easier to photograph than the gulls. At least he'll stand still!

Shopping...not

I went to Macy's today with the idea of trying on some dresses. And there weren't any! At least, not what I'd wear to a wedding. I'm surprised. I thought they had a dressy-dress section. Maybe another Macy's would be a better try.
It wouldn't surprise me if, since I have the style of dress I want in mind, I'll never actually find it.
I hate shopping. Especially shopping that is a waste of my time!

Two Visitors

My friend Virginia came for a visit yesterday. We went to a store and I tried on six or seven dresses in search of something to wear to a wedding. It was just a 'try on for looks' day. The wedding is in September. I don't want to spend a lot because I won't wear it too many times, and it won't be the dress I wear to Katherine's wedding next year.
We did decide a v-neck with some kind of waistband looks best on me.  The color I like best was turquoise or something in that range.
After that we went to the mall and walked around, which was a good thing since we at Chinese for lunch and we were stuffed!

Then, in the nighttime, we had some surprise visitors. A mommy raccoon and her baby. (Baby was about half mom's size, but I could not get a good picture of him. I do have a video, though!)

Yes, I know they are dangerous. This is through a glass door. Mommy kept looking at me, but did not perceive me as a threat so she didn't run away. She liked the peanuts I threw out for her! I hope they visit again, but will make sure the cats are inside for the night. Melody was actually in the 'gazebo', just yards away, but they didn't get in a tussle with each other. Melody just came in nicely.

New Gate!

Mike and the boys worked for several hours between yesterday and today putting a gate in on the side of the house. I helped for about an hour and brought out cold drinks, too. It looks great!

Happy and Not So Happy

Happy: lunch with my good friend Sue yesterday! I had a chicken and bacon panini. We always meet at a Greek restaurant, but to tell the truth I'm not a big fan of Greek food. We always have such a good time and usually hit Michael's craft store afterwards.

Not So: Mike called me. He was in a 'fender bender' at the end of our block. Some idiot ran a red light. A red light at a school crossing--you'd think people would know better. Thank God Mike is okay and the car is drivable. We spoke very briefly on the phone but he had to cut off 'cause the cop arrived. It's also lucky it's a company car, so everything is covered. I'm sure he'll fill me in later.

We had trouble getting in touch because I was on the Wii (doing freestep) and by the time I'd get to the phone it was already at the answering machine. And we kept missing each other on our cells. But at least he got through to me. I'm going to carry the phone everywhere today in case he needs a ride. He doesn't think they'll fix the car right away so he might just bring it home again. We'll see. What a fricking hassle. (Of course, I'll take hassle over hurt any day!)

My Nephew is 7

John Joseph gets ready to blow out the candles on his birthday cake! He also had cupcakes...with "Angry Birds" rings on top! We gave him a check for his college fund, plus three books about animals. He loves all animals and even has his playroom set up with 'pens' and 'corrals.' 


I taught him how to play Yahtzee today. Michael played with him, too. He picked it up very readily, and it's the grownup version! (He even got a Yahtzee, although I 'helped' a little bit with that.)

Lunch with Katherine

Katherine and I had a nice lunch together on Tuesday, July 10th. We went to Aki for lunch (we both had sushi!) and then afterwards we took a drive to find a thrift store we'd gone to many years ago. We found it, but unfortunately it is closed for the summer. Oh, well, at least we know where it is for next time!
We hit Marshall's. Katherine didn't find anything but I picked up a set of four bowls. They are clear, colored glass and look kind of flowery. Very pretty and a good buy at $10.
I love going out with Katherine. We always have such a nice time!

Nuts

June Birthdays

Today is my husband's birthday. He says he 'doesn't celebrate birthdays any more.' Unfortunately, I have to work (only 5 days to go!) but I gave him money to knock himself out at the grocery store and get whatever he wants to eat.

The 12th of June was Nicky's 22nd birthday. Hard to believe!

Beauty in Our Yard

A gorgeous rose!

A gift from Utah

Katherine just got back from visiting a friend in Utah. Years ago, I had visited Arches National Monument with her Uncle Patrick and it was one of the places there I hoped she'd get to see. She made the visit with her friend Kelly this week, and brought me this cute mug!

Mother's Day

Mike gave me a cute card with an ad for a Smart Phone inside. I'll be picking one out as soon as I know exactly what I want!
The kids gave me a gorgeous Philonopses orchid, a card and a gift card to Target!
We joined John and family at a really nice restaurant on the water for Mother's Day Brunch. The food was amazing but I am proud that I didn't overeat! I just enjoyed myself without being piggy. I think Mike was impressed with that, which makes me happy!
Called my mom to wish her a Happy Mother's Day. She sounds great and is doing well.

Some pics:

Back again

I haven't posted in a while. Life goes on. I had a lovely dinner last night (early Mother's Day) with Katherine and Michael at our favorite Japanese restaurant. Brought half of it home and ate some for lunch today. I'm on a plateau as far as weight loss so I was very careful to measure out only a half cup of fried rice. I don't eat much rice these days, but this stuff is killer good.
Off to PT at 1:30 today. My back has really improved, although I do have some bad nights. I have to rethink my living room chair, where I sit and crochet or knit at night while watching TV.
James is downstairs putting together a new treadmill. I gave him a break on his rent this month because I'm hoping to use it, too.
Mike is not happy at work these days. They have him doing twice as much work since they moved the other guy in construction elsewhere. This means trips to NYC every week. He's planning on retiring in about a year. Me...I have less than 2 months to go until my last day. Can't wait! I'm not unhappy, I just don't want to do it any more. Been saving money for the summer, when we hope to visit friends, and I've got over 360 saved!

Sunday

Mike's got some nice sauce cooking on the stove. Michael is coming over in a bit to have dinner with us. I hope Katherine comes, too! I may or may not edit this for a picture, but I've decided it's just not interesting enough to take a picture every day. I'd rather concentrate on life than taking a picture for the sake of a challenge. Not that anyone reads this blog, anyway! And at the end of the year, if I make up a book on "My Family in 2012" I would edit out all the boring posts, anyway. (Although I probably will dedicate a page to squirrels and flowers, LOL!)

A Pair of Cuties

Woke up with a sore throat today. I'm not going to work this evening. Caught it from Nicky. Here are some pictures of my friend Patty's cute Westies:

 

Lulu

 Leo

So much for 366 photos

I forgot to 'publish' my Sunday post and I'm missing a few days. Oh, well. I'll still try to post as many pictures as I can. Here are a few to catch up:

My cat Melody near the azalea I just planted:

Our friend Patty (with her son Shane), celebrating her 50th birthday:

Sunday with Family

Today was Mike's Uncle Jimmy's 85th birthday. We had a nice dinner at a restaurant in Brooklyn. My bil, John, did the driving. Michael came along, too. (The other kids had to work.) It was a hard drive for John because of traffic, but that is to be expected with NYC. I got to see the Manhattan skyline from the 'opposite' side of where I usually see it when we go to Ohio. I wish I'd had my camera for that, and for the dinner. But it was almost an hour's drive and Uncle Jimmy was already at the restaurant. (He got there very early!)
Afterwards, my nephew John wanted to come into the house to play with Rocky the Ferret. I think Rocky had fun with him, and I know John enjoyed the ferret. His mom does NOT like them.

The corner by the back door is messy with garden things, shoes and goodies for the squirrels. I think John was trying to barricade the ferret with my sneakers and a laundry hamper!

4 PM

Some views of my yard on a late spring afternoon:

 

The male has been chasing the female for a few days now. Not sure if he caught her yet.

Just chillin'...

The view from the top of our backyard. I love that it is fenced-in and private!

Lettuce Eat

Well, eat lettuce, anyway. I planted 3 romaine plants this morning. I usually have pretty good luck with lettuce.

Morning Dew

Here is one of the strawberry plants I bought, fresh with morning dew! See it on the tips of the leaves?

My House Today

Flowers are blooming all around!

I picked up two strawberry plants, a red azalea bush and a romaine lettuce plant. I hope to get them planted later this week. Meantime, I love the daffodils and crocuses!

Catching Rays

Melody was sitting behind my mini daffodils. I wanted to get a picture of her, but of course by the time I came out with the camera, she had moved. Still, she's kind of cute the way she stretches out in the sunshine! So floofy!

Sunday

I planted a forsythia bush today. It is just a few inches tall, but I hope it will grow into a nice big tree full of yellow flowers.
Michael came over for dinner. I made a ham, twice-baked potatoes and salad. Everything was delicious. The glaze was made from cola, brown sugar and mustard and was soooo good. I wish Katherine could have come, too.
Tonight is the season finale of  "The Walking Dead." Katherine and I both like that show and I wanted to talk to her about last week's episode. Oh, well, maybe we'll get together for lunch one day soon.

One more thing

The Green "Brownies" came out really good! They taste like chocolate chip cookies. Yum! Gonna have some with some cappuccino before I go to work.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! (Especially to my brother, Patrick, up in heaven!)

Suburban Archeology

It was so beautiful outside today that I did some work in the yard. Mike had taken out some juniper bushes last year. I want to plant something like lilacs up there. But it means doing more cleaning out, so I did some digging. Found lots of slate and some concrete, which I think might have been part of this house's original patio (now buried under the deck). I also found some odd, rusted tools. And pieces of toys  my kids had played with years ago!

And I got an awful allergy attack. Two kinds of meds and my eyes are still itching.

But it's still a beautiful day.

About as Green as I Get

St. Patrick's Day Green, that is. I made dessert today to enjoy tonight and tomorrow. Mike and I don't eat at home on Saturday. I was going to make brownies with Bailey's. But I don't have any brownie mix so I decided to make cake mix cookies. Except I'm making them 'bar' cookies. Right now they have been in the oven over 15 minutes with no sign of really cooking. I'm wondering if the alcohol changes things. Since I've never made anything like this before I'm checking them every five minutes or so. If they work, they work. If not, well...the ingredients were cheap enough and chances are someone will eat them, anyway. They might end up being "pudding," LOL!

Beautiful Purple

Nutmeg in the Garden

73 degrees and sunny.

Pretty

More baby daffodils! (And 70 degrees today!)

Stylin'

Katherine was cleaning out her car. Her father had told her no trunk is complete without a reflective vest, so she took it out to 'model' it. (Actually, it's kind of nice to know she has it in case she has a breakdown on a dark road!)