First Snow 2007

So we had our first big snow storm Thurs. Dec. 14th, 2007. As you can see it was about a foot! I took this picture of the house as I was leaving the driveway for work. As you may have heard we are in for another blast tonight starting around midnight, but this one will also bring rain, sleet, ice with the snow. Ice is not good! I already fell once, I was getting the mail out of the mail box and trying oh so gingerly to walk back to the house. Slip! Bam! Down I went! Luckily nothing broke, just alittle pride as I looked around to see if any of the neighbors saw me sprawled out on the driveway, leopard umbrella (yes it was still snowing) flying one way and the mail from my other hand flying another into the snow. Hurt my right wrist and shoulder a little as I went down, but not to worry, I am fine.

VMG Girls

The VMG
Girls

These pictures are for you Marcia, as you can see Linda and the 2 little ones are growing! Isn't she cute!! See Kris in the background? She was wondering what I was up too. :)

And here are some of the other girls waving hello to you Marcia!! from the front line in Family Practice. They say
HOWDY!

I stopped by the Lab and caught Ms. Elizabeth, she said to say hello to you Marcia!!

And here is the infamous Judy working, I actually got a picture of her and she didn't know it. I told her later that
I had taken her picture and she said "When?"..........and when I told her she said "Well at least you got a picture of me when I was actually working!" Next time I will catch her at the snack machine where she usually is :)


I will get more as time goes by so you can see everyone at VMG. They all said to say hello to you and asked how you are doing down there in the south. I told them and let them know we keep in touch . They miss you too!!

"Big Red"

Well here she is folks.........."Big Red". I finally had to part with my little white Metro LSI 2000, to many things were going wrong with her and she wasn't reliable anymore.

I had seen "Big Red" online when I was shopping around for cars......used cars. I went to different dealerships, looked and and drove different cars but something wasn't exactly "right".

I knew why, she wasn't RED. As you may not know my favorite color is red. And my favorite color combination is red and black. So after looking and trying out different dealerships and cars, I floated back to the car I had looked at in the first place.

And so here she is..............."Big Red!" as we all like to call her. Of course I have leoparded (is that a word? it is in my dictionary!) her up...........got the leopard steering wheel cover going on, the leopard seat covers, the cat paw print license plate covers (enlarge the pictue and you will see it on the license plate) and just the other day my leopard floor mats came in the mail!! I have my little leopard buddy "Leo" who is sitting in the back seat. With winter coming, as you can see by the snow on the ground, I went to Advance Auto Parts and Cher bought me clear floor mats to cover my leopard ones, I don't want them to get all muddy and wet with the winter weather here. I had her windows tinted (to save Sun damage on her inside) and I had the automatic car starter installed, like I had in my other car. It is a MUST here in New England. It is so much nicer to get in a car that is already toasty and warmed up inside. So if any one has any other leopard "car goodies" that I can add to Big Red, send them my way! Oh yea, I am looking for some black magnetic "paws" that I can put on the back of Big Red........:)

Later!

Crock season!

Yes folks..........it is Crock Season again! With the temps. getting lower, the Fall breezes it is time to dust off the Crock Pot!............days when you don't feel like startin' up the grill (by the way, the grill is GREAT to use year 'round).........you can put anything in the ole' pot..........pork roast or ribs, chicken or stew meat and add all your favorite seasonings and ingredients..............MMmmmm! Good! do it first thing in the morning and when you get home from work Wha La! you have the most mouth watering, dripping off the bone, melt in your mouth.........dinner! Easy clean up too! Just pop a few biscuits in the oven and you have a hearty Fall meal. Ahhh.................I love Fall! with all of its beautiful crisp leaf changing colors, the brisk fresh air.........pumpkins beginning to show up on stoops of homes, kids getting excited about Trick or Treating........the smell of cinnamon and apples baking.
So don't forget Crock season............and get Crockin"!!

More pics of the inside of the cottage

Here is more of a view of inside the living area.

This picture shows you the 3 doors leading into the 3 bedrooms of the cottage. The front bedroom and back bedroom have full size beds and the middle room.........has bunk beds. Up to 6 people are allowed to stay at the cottage at one time.

More on the cottage

Now I take you for a short tour of the cottage, this is the living area, the table is over by the window for 2 reasons (usually it is more in the center of the living area)..........one because at night I put the air mattress down to sleep on, and as you can see there is plenty of space. Two............it is great in the morning to sit at the table and see nature (skunks and bunnies) .....see the sun come up and feel the warm salt breeze. In the background you can see where the kitchen is............it has a back door leading out to the back yard where there is a picnic table and an outdoor shower area. Around the refridgerator (see it?) to the left is where the bathroom is.

This is another shot from the living area, looking out towards the front door.

This is the small kitchen area.....................there is a stove and refrigerator in there, I just couldn't get it in the picture because of the angle.

Living area again...............showing the couch at the front window.

So as you can see, the cottage is rustic, but cute and perfect for the beach!!

The cottage

I know everyone is anxiously anticipating on just what kind of cottage and what it looks like .................well here it is.......small but cute! More pictures to follow soon of the inside and some of the rooms .

Day 2 at the Beach!

Monday morning arrived with alot of noise outside the cottage................next door the Septic Truck arrived! to do it's job and right across the street a construction crew was busy with starting to "raise" a cottage. Needless to say it was all very loud and very smelly!

Luckily the Septic Tank did it's job rather quickly and then left. "Ahhh"............the smell of fresh septic sewage instead of the fresh early morning salt sea air to waft in the windows in the morning to start your day!

Cher and I had our morning coffee sitting on the front porch of the cottage and then decided it was time to go to the beach! So again I made sandwiches, plenty of water, other snacks and loaded them all into the cooler, gathered our beach chairs, blanket, towels, suited up and we were off! leaving the contruction crew to work on the cottage across the street!

I can only Imagine...

This is one of the most moving and inspirational testimonies of a Father's Love.......enjoy and reflect. I cry everytime I see it.........it will move you also to tears.

YouTube - Team Hoyt - Dick and Rick Hoyt

Beach Time!

So on August 25th Cher and I ventured to Matunuck Beach RI for a week of fun, relaxation and just laying around on the beach.
Saturday night we rolled in and the whole place was fogged in, but not to worry, we were on vacation! and that didn't matter at all.
Sunday morning brought a beautiful sunrise with the promise of temps in the upper 70's and low humidity. Yay!
We had gone to the local grocery store and purchased some food (some we had already brought with us) to stock up for the week, mostly breakfast and lunch items, as we had planned on dining out in the evenings at the local resturants in the area to get some great seafood! The place was wonderful, just a little beach cottage directly across from the beach. It has a great front porch for sitting out on to read, just watch the seagulls, the locals and any activity that was going on at the time. The cottage has 3 bedrooms, a small but cute and efficient kitchen, a bathroom and the living room area. It was all very "cottage" and very clean. The only thing it didn't have was air conditioning, but not to worry, it is cooler by the beach and we had fans..........2 borrowed by a friend Donna. Thanks Donna! they were a Godsend! It would have been pretty bad without fans. The beds were uncomfortable for me, old cottage beds that were kinda lumpy with springs. Not to worry again, I brought the trusty air mattress, and it worked just great in the living room area. The first couple of nights I didn't sleep to well, all the windows were open for that fresh sea air breeze, but I could not get over the uncomfortable feeling of someone trying to break in............just a trama from my past that creeps up on me in a situation like this.
Anyway...........after the 3rd night I slept much better and enjoyed the windows being open and taking in all the fresh salt air.
Cher on the other hand was not bothered at all by the beds, so she slept in the front bedroom which has 2 windows, so she got fresh air too!
I still woke up early like I do at home, can't seem to break that habit, even on vacation or the weekends, but it didn't take me long to fall back to sleep for an early morning nap before the sun came up. What a beautiful sight that is........to feel the fresh morning air, smell the fresh sea winds, have a cup of coffee all on the front porch in my PJ's! as the sun is rising. Our plans for the first day was just to suit up, pack a cooler with sandwiches and other goodies, beach chairs, blankets, sunscreen, books, LOTS of water and head to the beach! It was great.........the beach was not crowded the whole week we were there (guess everyone else was at Cape Cod :) ).......you could spread out your beach blanket, unfold the chairs, put up the beach umbrella, get out a book and just relax as the waves crashed in front of you, the sand sifting through your toes, seagulls flying here and there along the beach, watch the boats out in the water and the other people on the beach. There were a few people up on the balconey of one of the local resturants that over look the ocean. It was just great and so relaxing!!
There were some surfers there too, we watched them as they rode the waves and paddled out again, over and over.
That night after we got back to the cottage, showered and changed into clothes, we headed to the local resturant.......Joyces Family Pub.....it is right on the beach, very rustic. Then was the decision on what to eat. A firefighter named Brian that also works there as the chef came over to us to take our order. He wanted to know if we wanted clam chowder. I scrinched up my nose and said "no thanks, yuck, I don't like clam chowder." He said "you haven't tasted mine yet" with a sly smile. Cher ordered some as she LOVES clam chowder and he brought me a "sample", well let me tell you, I LOVED his clam chowder! It was great and the next night we stopped by on our way to the cottage after an afternoon outing and ordered more To Go! We had gone by another local eattery and purchased the BEST Lobster rolls in all of New England I do believe. We had a feast that night.

Anyway, getting back to the first night..............I ordered some fried shrimp (it was ok but not the best I have ever had) and Cher ordered a Ruben. We were tired after our first day at the beach, sun tired you would say, but relaxed and fresh, so after dinner we went back to the cottage for the night.

Next blog.............Second day at the beach-Monday-cottage raising and Septic Truck "parfume"? "Whew"!!

Hokie Ribbons

Tonight I sat down and made Hokie Ribbons. Tomorrow is National Maroon and Orange (the colors of the Virginia Tech Hokies) and in honor of them everyone is asked to wear the Hokie colors of Maroon and Orange. I told people at work about it, and some said they would gladly wear the colors, while others told me they didn't have anything to wear Maroon and Orange. WaaLaa! Hokie Ribbons........Made with Maroon and Orange silk (only the best for the Hokie colors) ribbon and a little "bling". So I will pass them out tomorrow for who ever would like to wear the colors in honor, respect and support of all the people who died at Virginia Tech on April 16th.
Wear your colors and remember all the innocent victims and their families.

Fun times at VT

Here is my son Joey (on the left) with his fellow Hokies, Monica and Jeff!! He has wonderful memories and friends from VT.
Once a Hokie ALWAYS a Hokie..! He is very active being an Alumni and will host a dinner tonight for his fellow "brother" Erin Peterson as she would have become in life. The gang will be there to honor her in life and now in heaven.

Friday, Maroon and Orange Day

Yes, as a Proud Hokie Mom and for the love of my son who LOVES VT and all his Hokie Pride, the events that unfolded on April 16th broke my heart. I cried off and on for 2 days, trying to come to a meaning, an understanding (which I now know there is none) of this awful tragedy. I hurt because my son hurt, I cried for all the parents that lost their children, the families that lost a Dad, Mom , sister or brother. Hokies are strong and they will survive..........so take the time to honor with the colors of Maroon and Orange this Friday. In honor of all the victims, the family's, friends, the University of Virginia Tech, the town of Blacksburg, the state of Virginia and the whole country, this Friday is Maroon and Orange day. Please wear the colors in respect, support and pride of such a great institution. As a proud Hokie Mom here of my Hokie son, I plan on spredding the word. Two of his fraternity "brothers" were killed on April 16th. Erin Peterson and the sister of another, Reema Samaha. Erin Peterson was to be initiated in a ceremony this Sunday. The fraternity will be having a get together/dinner this evening at my son's and his wife's home and will be talking and planning the ceremony. Erin Peterson will be proudly inducted in the fraternity that she loved so much.
Go Hokie Pride! Hoola!!
Show your respect and support this Friday by wearing the proud Hokie colors!!
Proud VT Mom forever.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

As you can see here we are in New Orleans just havin' some fun! This was taken by another tourist while Donna, me and Cher were at Harrah's Casino. Yes I played the slots, and yes I lost. But it was fun! and the money is very welcome in New Orleans. During the day Donna and Cher had to sit in stuffy rooms and attend a Medical Conference while I did the tourist thing. But when night fell, the girls went out!! I think that night we were out until about 2AM. Started out at Harrah's, then after some drinks, watching a live trio during the Motown Decade, and me loosing money$, we headed down to the French Quarter and the infamous Bourbon St. The Jazz bands were great! lots of music, lights, people, beads, beads and more beads.......vibrant colors, alot of police presence which was comforting and just a great time. This was a week after Mardi Gras and there was still plenty of life (alot of Medical Conferences were in town that week).
More to come.....!

Muffuletta!

Cher and just one section of the infamous Muffuletta! Even the wrapping is big enough to make a shirt out of.

What is a Muffuletta you say?.................Just the BEST signature sandwich of New Orleans. (Just as good as the New Orleans Roast Beef Po-boy) As you can see the Muffuletta is one big honkin' sandwich!

It was actually "created" in 1906 at the Central Grocery in the French Quarter. The sandwich consists of the round loaft of crusty Italian Bread, split and filled with layers of sliced Provolone cheese, Genoa salami and Cappicola ham, topped with Olive Salad: a chopped mixture of green, unstuffed olives, pimentos, celery, garlic, cocktail onions, capers, oregano, parsley, olive oil, red-wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Yum!

If you ever get to New Orleans you gotta try one! Usually it will feed four people, each section is so big!

First Day of Spring??

View from the back porch, the deck is still covered! I feel some "shoveling" coming soon :(
As you can see the first day of Spring here in New England has a ways to go! This is from the snow that we got blasted with on St. Patrick's Day. Now comes the fun part........it is suppose to get into the 50's and possibly around 60 degrees this week, so you know what happens next.....all this snow will melt and it will be a muddy mess! Yes folks here in New England they have 5 seasons a year. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Mud season! But alas with all this water we will have green grass and pretty flowers in no time!!

The world was moving but I wasn't looking..

I haven't blogged in a long, long time. Didn't really think alot was going on in my life to do so. But when I was listening to a friend the other day recount all that has gone on in the last few months, I realized there had been alot going on.
First of all as you know my wonderful Nanny (Grandmother) passed away this past Dec. 1st. After the funeral, I then had to get my mother moved into a one bedroom apartment. My Mom and grandmother had lived together for almost 14 years in a 2 bedroom apartment. Luckily for my Mom there was a one bedroom apartment available in the same building where she lives. Going through all the things that through the years she and my grandmother had collected was very time consuming. I cannot tell you how many trips I made to the dumpster, the new apartment with boxes, furniture ( I bought a furniture dolly that ended up being a God send!) Cher and I moved and boxed, cleaned and sorted, saved and threw away, kept for memories, etc. It took every weekend in the month of December for me to get all this done. My Mom moved into her new apartment in January 2007. I got her cable TV so she could watch her favorite shows (her and Nanny didn't have cable), bought her a new recliner to be comfortable in, new towels, etc. all for her new apartment. She needed so much NEW things, all the old and worn out, were tossed out! There was so much paperwork to go through, the bank, calling Social Security, etc. all the things that just have to be done. Thank goodness my Nanny was pretty much organized and I found alot of her paperwork rather quickly.
Christmas was ok, not like in the past where I would have one or both of my sons come to visit. This year they couldn't.......Joey just getting married last July, this was his first Christmas as a married man! Allen is doing ok, moved into some assisted independent living on a trial basis, and as of right now, it is a day to day process as to see if he can live there on his own. He is taking a horticulture class which he seems to like.
Also we received some very sad news, Erin's Dad (Joey's wife) Rick was diagnosed with a brain tumor 2 weeks before Christmas. Rick was such a wonderful human being.!He was strong with his faith in God, the love and support of his family and friends, and sad for all of us, but he was ready and he went to heaven just a couple of weeks ago.'
I was down in New Orleans when this happened, and when I got back to Massachusetts, I couldn't get off of work to go back down to Virginia for his funeral.
Cher's family is still having alot of health issues. Her Mom has to have a total knee replacement, her Dad is still totally dependent on his family for just about everything. He has to get his blood tested every week as he has a slow bleed, and then blood transfusions when he is getting low. Kenny is on the mend, slowly, still hasn't gone back to work in the fire department, he had his accident on Halloween and is just now walking without the help of a walker or his cane.
Last week Cher got the stomach flu very bad! She was out of work for 2 days, and let me just say she was spending alot of time with the porceline Goddess! I got a touch of it this past Saturday but not to the extent of what Cher did and I am feeling a little bit better.
I have been scrapbooking, I have so many projects that I haven't even finished yet, like my son's wedding, New York City (last year visit) New Orleans, and just alot of pictures that I really need to do.
Dabbled a little with making bracelets and such. I haven't done that in a while.
Cher and I have discovered the worlds best pizza! It is at JP's in Holyoke, MA......it is a white pizza with shrimp and fresh spinach! Needless to say we like going to JP's! Kenny , Michael and Kim are there sometimes too and we have a good time. We went for St. Patricks Day and it was packed!!
The kitty's are doing fine.......spoiled as ever and the snow is still on the ground here. We got walloped on Valentines Day this year and again on St. Patricks Day (over a foot).....so everything is still white and cold. I am getting alittle bit tired of this snow ya know.
I will be posting and showing some pictures of New Orleans. While I was down there I did the tourist thing........Cher and Donna (another nurse from the Hartford Ins. Co. where Cher works) were in classes and conferences all day. I took some tours in the city during the day. At night we went out to taste the wonders of New Orleans cooking, listened to all the lively music, Jazz, etc. did the Bourbon St. and French Quarter thing.....but all that will be on another post and also of alligators eating marshmallows and Muffalattas! (not sure if I spelled that right)...
Until then, this is the latest update in a while.........but I will be writing more.......til then.............have a great day!