Family Pictures

Here is the Bride-Erin with her 2 sisters and brother.
Here is the happy Bride and Groom with her parents, Rick and Carol Collins.


Hint - the number 200

All Smiles

Another day and another Blog...........see told ya I was going to try and get better at blogging on a regular basis.
Here is Erin and Joey pre-marriage, as we were all getting into the festivities and getting ready for the BIG DAY. This is Friday, the day before the wedding. The cute hats were given to Joey and Erin by Erin's Mom Carol, you probably can't see it unless you click on the picture to make it bigger, but Erin's cap has rhinestones on it that says BRIDE and Joey's cap says GROOM. Cute huh? Erin's Mom and Dad are the greatest! and we all had a great time. I will post in the future a picture of the Bride's family.............more to come!!


Hint#4. It comes in many colors

Tuna Casserole

Of all the things in this world to eat, my son wanted for his Wedding Dinner Mom's Homemade Tuna Noodle Casserole. When he first told me back in January I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't. So here I am serving it to him on a silver platter on his wedding.
His beautiful bride by his side (I'll get more face shots later) a kiss from his Mom and Mom's Homemade Tuna Noodle Casserole. AHHHH.........what else could a man want?? :) He didn't think I was going to make it, as I kept telling him there was so much going on that day, I didn't have time, etc., etc. But I surprised him and he was happy!!

Hint #3. It runs by a meter. :)

Rockwood Manor, Dublin, Virginia

Here is the Rockwood Manor where my son Joey and his lovely bride Erin were married. We had the place for the whole weekend of fun!!

Hint #2. The Christmas Surprise is for my sons Joey and Allen. Some of my coworkers and friends knows what it is..............so please don't post on here. I want only them to guess and be surprised!!

To Long....

It has been way to long since I have Blogged. And I don't know why my pictures from my son's wedding are so small on here..............Help Joey!! Here is a most beautiful picture of my most BEAUTIFUL daughter- in-law, Erin Card.




Anyway, what has been going on............well, work is busy as usual, more so here lately and I don't know why, usually it slows down some in the summer, with families going on vacations and kids out of school, but not this summer. I am afraid once school starts for the kids.........watch out! I can't imagine how busy we will be then (did I mention that I work in the Behavioral Health Dept. in a medical group? )..........anywho, work is busy and the days just go by to fast.

Cher has been car hunting, and I think she has found the one she wants..........she is a Honda lover and has been a loyal Honda customer for about 20 years now. She has had Accords in the past , but her new one will be a cute little blue Honda Civic. I will post a picture when I get the chance to take a picture of it.
Me........well I still have the little ole Cheverolet LSI Metro............2000, going on 72,000 miles now. Good on gas, nothing fancy, no CD player, automatic windows, etc. , but it is reliable and almost paid for! Yay! I am hoping in about 6 more months this little baby will be mine.

This Friday is my youngest sons birthday................Allen, isn't he handsome!(He's that handsome young man in the suit at his older brothers wedding) He will be 26 years old. I can't believe it! My baby boy 26! Then my grandmother (Nanny) is going to be 97 years old on Saturday, Sept. 2nd. I can't believe that either! She said that she wasn't going to have any more birthdays.........and that was 5 years ago, but hey, here she is, going to have another one. Cher and I will be going to RI on Saturday to celebrate her 97th birthday with her and my Mom (who turned 79 yrs old. Aug. 14th) So there have been alot of birthdays going on lately.

I have also been working on something VERY SPECIAL and EXCITING that will not be revealed til Christmas this year. Just one little hint, more hints to follow in future Blogs.................Hint #1. You can't eat it.

Well there ya have it folks, I will really try and blog more, if my computer doesn't act up. It still freezes up and then I get mad and just say "oh forget it" and don't get on it much.
But I have found a way (I think) to trick it so I can blog :)

Later :)

The "Dip"

Well, I haven't blogged in a long time, computer issues............so I am going to try and make this Blog and see if it works.

The wedding of my son and daughter-in-law was a HUGE!! success! I will blog alot more about it later, but I wanted to show one of my favorite pictures of the 2 of them...........I call it The Dip.........it is beautiful!!

Kitty in the cabinet

You get up in the morning, fix your morning coffee, getting a coffee cup (for hot coffee) or glass (for cold coffee-Cher's preference). You don't bother to close the cabinet door (this is Cher's fault she does it all the time!) and walk away to go watch tv or something.
Well guess who is lurking in wait, just trying for another place to scout out, hide in, investigate, nose around in, etc....... Ms. Cleo! She is such a Gladys! (Gladys coming from the tv character from Bewitched for all of you around my age who remember the tv show). Remember the nosey next door neighbor? Mrs. Gladys Kravitz, who was always looking out the window to see what the Steven's (Samantha and Darren if you remember) were doing?
Well that is Ms. Cleo! She is such a Gladys as I have just said before. She has to check everything out, know what is going on, survey outside in every window of the house.
Well she took advantage of this situation this morning! An open cabinet! left open, unattended, all alone. "Hmmmmm.." Next thing ya know, I go into the kitchen and this is what I see in the picture above. Looking at me all inocent like...."Hey, Mom, hi there....." I had to pry her out, she didn't want to come out, she loved it in there. I had hollered to Cher when I spotted the little Gladys and told her to rush and bring the camera. This is the result - A kitty in the cabinet. She's so sweet though, you gotta love her.
She also likes to escape out into the garage and eat the tumbleweeds that sneak in when the garage door is open, but that's another story................
Later!

Hot Flashes

My wonderful daughter-in-law (soon to be, just like saying it now!) sent me this awsome pillow for my 50th birthday. It is so true! I have LOTS of power surges! Enough where I could save alot on the electricity bill if only I could plug myself in somewhere! As you see this wonderful pillow has a place of honor on my leopard pillows on my bed.
Real Women...........like that :) and Power Surges! Thanks Erin!!

FooFoo Food and AARP

YEP! it is OFFICIAL! Now that I am 50 I have become an official AARP MEMBER!
I am so excited! Just thinking of all the discounts I will get now, when I flash that red and white AARP Card! My toes are just a tinglin'. Now I can buy my airline tickets to go see my baby boy (who will be 28 yrs old) in Virginia to his Wedding to Ms. Erin Collins! and I have discounts to enjoy! I think I can even get a discount on my car rental :)
So this 50 thing is kinda neat, discount cards, Foo Foo Food (see below) and just turning a half century. Wow! Who'd of thunk!

Well here it is folks, I have now officially eaten Foo Foo Food! Isn't it fancy? Doesn't it look delicious?! Well let me tell ya..........it was! Well some of it anyway. That is chicken on garlic mashed potatoes, with portabella mushrooms that are sauteed. That all was pretty good, but it did have some strange things in there I wasn't to crazy about, so I didn't eat them.
Now that I am the Big 50 Martha and Jeff Fisk (friends of mine and Cher's) took us out to dinner to celebrate the half century event! They took us to Spaletto's (I think that is how you spell it) in Northampton, MA. It is a Foo Foo Food place. We had fun, the food was great and I couldn't eat it all, had to take some home. So now I can officially say I have eaten Foo Foo Food. (the meat and potatoes southern girl that I am)

The rich and not so rich in NYC

Here is one of the Many people that work on the street selling tickets for shows and city tours. Most have foreign accents, like Jamacian, Greek, etc.
If you have the $$$$ you to can have a chauffer!!

Most of the apartments, condos and buildings of New York are worth millions $$$$.
Here is a homeless man taking a nap just outside the door of the rich and famous Waldorf Hotel.
This is just one of MANY homeless people living on the streets of New York City. This woman did not beg for money, just a little conversation and to have a cigarette lit. Here is Cher being kind, taking a few moments to say hello to her, listen to her and just care.
This is just ONE of Donald Trumps hotel towers............there are quite a few throughout New York City.

Random pictures of NYC

This picture I took thinking of my son Joey............the internet wiz!!
You'd better have alot of $$$$ to stay at this hotel!!
Nightsights in NYC. This is where Good Morning America broadcasts and Nightline with Diane Sawyer. Sorry to say while we were there we didn't see her.
While in New York, Cher and I went and saw the Broadway Production of Mamma Mia. It was great! funny! and a blast! All the old Abba tunes were played and sung in the production . If you get to NYC I recommend............go and see it!
The Color Purple is being played on Broadway.
The Empire State Building. Cher and I didn't go to the Empire State building on this trip, there was just so much to see and do in 3 days..............this will be on another trip.
Some of the beautitful detailed hand scuptured work on some of the older buildings in NYC. This is not done anymore, as the unique handcrafting ability by the craftsmen were Europeans, and they went back home after completing their job here in NYC. The trade was not passed down to anyone that remained in NYC, thus this beautiful detailed work is not done anymore. But NYC is proud to have some of it's older buildings with this artwork and preserves it.
New York city during the daytime
Nighttime in New York City
A busy street in New York City
New York Citys Finest.........NYPD
Reflections of a building on a building
The dancing water fountain in NYC. The kids got a kick out of it!
A group of students on a field trip to the Statue of Liberty. They all bought their hats and had their picture taken with Lady Liberty (see her holding the flag sitting down?)
Cher and I at one of the resturants in New York City, it is called "Frankie and Johnny's" it was recommended by one of the employees at our hotel, the Hotel Edison.
The food was great but VERY expensive! I wouldn't recommend it to anyone touring NYC. Cost charged per meat, vegetable, salad, pasta, ect. Everything was priced individually...........$$ But hey, how often do I get to NY anyway?
THE CHOCOLATE place in New York City! Do you believe I didn't go in there??? Cool storefront huh?
I took this picture of the city as we were going over the Brooklyn Bridge into Brooklyn .
Sights of Chinatown
A trip through Chinatown was great too! The smells of all the foods cooking, all the oriental decorations, and a statue of one of the founders of Chinatown.
One of the MANY street vendors in New York City.
Part of the sight seeing tour was a visit to Harlem. It is not what it once was.........down trodden, dirty, crime ridden.........delapadated buildings. Everything is being revitalized and is so pretty! Nice new buildings, the streets are clean and the people are so friendly.
Carriage rides throughout the city were a common sight.
The "Lady" out in New York Harbor. Cher and I didn't do the cruise out to Ellis Island, that will be on a future trip! There is just so much to do and see in New York, there is NO WAY you can just see it all in 3 days.
Can you tell who is the cute one? :) This is the famous Bull in NYC
A cross Tribute to the fallen people at the Twin Towers of 9/11. The cross was made of beams from the rubble of the Twin Tower buildings.

This is the only way to see all of New York City! Cher and I took 2 days of doing the "tourist" thing on the top of one of these buses. It was so cool! you could see everything, and the weather was perfect, we even got a little sunburn :)
Anyone want to go over the Bridge to Brooklyn NY?
The nightlights in Time Square in New York City

Random pictures of NYC

A discount store for millionaires? Hmmm...........I wonder if Donald Trump shops there?

Back from the Big Apple NYC!

Part of Times Square

The lights, the people, the taxi's! The street vendors, the cops, the city noise, it was all so exciting!!

Ahhh! New York City and the Statue of Liberty! That's me with the "Lady".......it was a beautiful! marvelous 3 days in the big apple! Arrived there Wednesday, after stopping by a friends house (Jane) in New York. Cher and I had a great time visiting with Jane and the kids, Michael, Andrew and Mia. Jane then directed us to the train station (we followed her) and took the train (Hudson River route) into Grand Central Station in NYC. The train trip was about 45 min. to an hour and very scenic. Stopping along to the way into NYC to pick up passengers.
Got into Grand Central Station and walked up to Times Square, our hotel room was only a block from Times Square.

50 Years of Cher!!

Here she is.............the 50 girl! Cher turned 50 on May 2nd (remember I just turned 50 myself!) The beautiful roses are from one of Cher's bestest! friends in New York, her name is Jane and they were nurses together way back when.

Now that we are both the big 50, Cher and I are off to New York City for a few days of fun, a show and who knows what else we may find (or get into :) )

So tada! the 50 Girls are making their way to the Big Apple today..................pictures to follow.........when we return..................:)

50 in the Big Apple

Well it is off to the Big Apple today to do the "tourist" thing and take in the Broadway Production of Mama Mia! Cher and I will be stopping by a friends house in NY, then taking the train into Grand Central Station. We will be staying at the Edision Hotel a block from Times Square. Last time we were there (approx. 4 years ago) we had stopped by the Edision Bar/Pub which is connected to the hotel to have a drink and listen to live piano music. Well come to find out, most of the people that go there are actors/actresses, singers, etc. from Off Broadway and they were wonderful!! Totally professional. We met Bob the owner of the hotel and bar, and he and I got to talking about the military (he being retired Army and having been stationed at some of the same places that my Dad (being military in the Army) and I as a military wife (years ago!).......we had a great conversation and he was so nice. I told him if I ever got back to NYC I would come to his hotel and stay there and look him up! So I am gonna! When I had gotten back to Virginia, I mailed him a postcard from Williamsburg, VA. to thank him for his friendliness and conversation. So I am excited to see him again! Cher and I can't wait to be in the Big Apple again, and hope to see Diane Sawyer (Cher's idol) and catch all the excitement, sounds and everything NYC has to offer!
Lovely Amanda (Cher's niece) will be staying at the house to take care of the kittys. And by the way............SHE WAS ACCEPTED TO NURSING SCHOOL!!!!! She deserves it, she has worked so hard to get there, and with the person that she is, she will be a wonderful, compassionate, caring, loving, thoughtful ( I could go on and on, she is a great kid!) nurse to patients and the patient's families. Doctors will be glad to have her on thier team!

Well gotta go get packed for NYC!! Be back in town Friday..........see ya!