I don't post often enough.

 
Here is a gratuitous shrubbery shot. Just because I like to open with a photo. But I don't have any really good photos to open with today. And I'm sorry I haven't been posting more frequently. I would like to post more often. But today is Sunday, and so I have more leisure time. I can post a few things. And then, go do the laundry again.

The Great Depression

Gram was alive during the Great Depression, and she used to tell some really good stories about what it was like back then. Everyone banding together, hand-me-downs were fine because everyone wore them, food was more valued (but not scarce in her house because her family had gardens and kept their jobs.) I used to think of it as a very romantic time, because that is what it was to her. She didn't really suffer, and although she was cautious about saving things she never got neurotic like some of the other older people who lived through it with more trouble.

I am not really "into" watching the news and the financial reports and things like that. And I've never been that good at watching the money I spend. It's getting tight out there, though, and if even I'm noticing, it must be something. I keep wondering how difficult it will get before the economic turn around, or whatever they call it.

Like the gas prices. Last week -- maybe two weeks ago -- my friend Laurie called me to let me know that I should fill up the tank, because the gas prices were going up dramatically the next day. So Frank and I both filled up the tanks at $3.11 per gallon. Now, gas is passing $3.39 or so; It's expected to be up to $4.00/gallon pretty soon.

Which of course means that all of the food, which is shipped in, is also going up. I was never good at knowing my "prices" -- like am I spending too much for a gallon of milk, if I spend $3.50, or can I get it cheaper down the street? But I can tell you for sure that my food bill is going up and my cart is getting emptier. (And this of course happens now, when Frankie finally decides he LIKES food! Both boys are eating more, finally!)

Well, all that is pretty normal, I guess. Everyone always complains about the prices and things. But a week or two ago, someone was telling me that squatters had moved in somewhere down the park. I believe the park police moved them on. But THAT is eery. Hobos? How much more "Great Depression" can you get?

I'm really grateful to have gotten a job when I did, because with the economy the way it is, we need two incomes for sure.

Anyway, here's hoping that the "recession" goes away soon.

Happy Earth Day!

 

And happy almost spring!

Kitchen Window, Sunrise...

I took this picture earlier this week -- Tuesday, I think. I meant to post it sooner but it's been a very busy week, so I didn't have any time to. Now, all the flowers have fallen from the tree, and the leaves are sprouting. The tree looks rather bare today.

 

Everybody's a critic.

Someone anonymously recommended I post something from "this century" in response to my earlier excited post that we had Pearl Jam tickets, which accompanied a clip from a concert in 1996.

So, for those of you who are interested, here is a clip from the most recent concert they did... Lollapalooza, which I would have been at if I didn't get a job.

The perspective is probably much more like the view WE'll have at the next concert. Still a nice clip, though.

The Woodpecker... a complete poem...

Mom read the one stanza of The Woodpecker that I had posted,
and talked to Aunt Patty, who then found it for me -- on google, I think.
So, here it is... it makes me smile because I can remember Gram reciting it...


The Woodpecker

The woodpecker pecked out a little round hole

And made him a house in the telephone pole.

One day as I watched he poked out this head

He had on a hood and a collar of red.

When the streams of rain pour out of the sky,

And the flashes of lightening go streaking by

And the big, big wheels of thunder roll

He can snuggle back in his telephone pole.

-- by Elizabeth Madox Roberts

Camping Again

One thing about my blog. I think it may be predictable to the point of boring. Sorry. There are the camping posts, the stressing posts, the Pearl Jam posts, the flower posts, etc. -- but usually nothing overly unusual. Which brings me to the camping post, which follows.

We went camping this weekend, Nick and I with the Boy Scout troop. It was a little dicey for a while there, whether Nick was going to come or whether this was going to be me with none of my own kids. Luckily for me, Nick agreed to come. I love these trips. (Which you already know from earlier posts, right?)

Nick was looking super dashing, wasn't he?
 
He's such a cutey. He's getting really big, too. No baby anymore.

I took a ton of pictures, like usual. I took a lot of good pictures of some of the boys in the troop, but I don't really like to post those because I'm not sure that they or their parents would approve or disapprove. So I try to avoid taking pictures that are too identifiable, at least. I don't mind as much about the back of their heads. I took less scenery photos than I did last time.

So there you go.

Opening Ceremony

 

Camporees are started with an opening flag ceremony. Here are (most) of the boys. Nick's waving to someone, I have no idea who...

Misty Morning Hop

 

It turned out to be a beautiful weekend, in spite of dire predictions about the weather.

Cooking fire

 

This is a lovely fire photo, in spite of the fact that it is taken during the day! We made this fire so I could start baking potatoes, and also for Booth's cake -- although the fire was gone way before the cake was started.

A Woodpecker

Here's a woodpecker, accompanied by a poem my Gram taught me:
 
Woodpecker pecked out a little round hole
And went to live in a telephone pole

(That's all I remember.)

 

YES!

We have Pearl Jam tickets!!!
C'mon, watch the clip. Eddie rocks!

Wordless Wednesday

 

Hog Wild in Hershey

 

I went to Hershey with Beth, her cousin Lynn, and her friend Marianne. We had a really nice and relaxing weekend away. It was a LOT of food and sightseeing and CHOCOLATE. Hershey is the town where they manufacture the Hershey chocolate, and it's quite a food town. We also went to the Gardens and toured the factory and ate somemore, and oh yeah -- shopping!

Desserts rule.

 We ate a LOT of food. How many times do you go out with the girls and not get dessert... or all split one? Not this time. We EACH got dessert. Every meal. YUM. Beth's on Weight Watchers, too. Can you tell?

Me and Marianne

 
I wasn't stoned, it was just so much lovely food. Ok, and maybe too much caffeine.

The View from the Garden

 
I took this photo (and several others like it) specifically to make Frankie jealous.
(Note the roller coasters in the background.)

He was, too. Very.

Digital Cameras Rule

 We each had our own digital camera. Have camera, will travel. HEY GIRLS! If you can, email me some of the photos of us at dinner -- I didn't take any!
Note Lynn's comfortable shoes. Cement Slippers. We didn't make her swim with the fishes, though.

Lovely

 

The gardens were full of color. Not so many flowers, though.

(Hey, I'm in this one. See what I did there?)

Chocolate is EVERYWHERE

 
In case you were wondering where chocolate came from, I can tell you -- Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Hugs and Kisses

 

We had a sweet time, all in all.

Another Award for Frankie

I know, it's probably lame of me to brag about my kids, but I'm very proud of both of them. So... what can I do? I HAVE to brag!
So Guess What! Nick shot a 52 in golf today! That's pretty good. By the time he's a senior, he should be shooting an amazing game. And really, Nick was never all that excited about golf before this year.

And oh yeah, Frankie won another award. :)

 

Tonight we went to the Pines Manor for a dinner for the Middlesex County School Boards Association and the Middlesex County Association of School Administrators. Frankie was among 68 kids from the County who were honored for their accomplishments, for overcoming difficulties. He received a certificate and a gift card to Barnes and Noble. How about that! We are very proud of him.

Gram and Grandma

I was just reading about Pink Dogwood's grandmother -- her Amma -- on her blog, "Wandering Mind." I knew just what she was talking about, because I think about my own grandmothers so often. (You can take a look at Pink Dogwood's blog by clicking on the link.)

I posted the picture of Grandma D. the other day when I was talking about how much (everyone SAYS) I look like her. Then, just two days ago, I came across this picture of Gram R., and I was thinking about her too...


Plus, I've been working on this painting. It's a memorial painting, to Gram. It isn't done yet, and I've put it aside for a while to look at it and consider what I want to fix or change. It's sitting in the dining room, where everyone probably figures I've forgotten about it, but actually, I look at it all the time. I'm contemplating it. I'll post the completed picture when it's finished. I've got a few serious changes to make in it.

Buzzing in my Brain

Do you ever get this buzzing in your brain, like you can't let go of stressful thoughts that keeping repeating over and over? About things that you did wrong? It's kinda like a song that you can't stop thinking of.

No, I'm not going psycho (at least I don't think I am) and I'm certain I don't have a brain tumor. It's EXACTLY like having a song stuck in your head. WEll, it's what's been happening to me lately.

I have this feeling that it's menopause related, because I have a feeling that I'm hitting a "certain age" and it seems similar to what I feel when I have PMS -- only like ten times worse. It's been creeping up on me gradually. Maybe, instead of a mommy blog, I should be hosting a menopause blog. You know, everything about "the change" from start to (hopefully) finish. Besides, there are already TONS of mommy blogs. I don't remember anyone else saying they have a menopause blog.

But, I digress. The real topic here is the buzzing in my brain. Whether it is caused by menopause, or by some kind of psychotic or neurotic tendencies, it doesn't matter. Because it keeps buzzing. Everything I do wrong in my life, repeated on an endless soundtrack in my head. (I know I've written about this before, haven't I?)

So, today, I tried to fix it, and it seems to be working. I started with reading my fortune cards. I hope that doesn't stress any of you out, but I have fun with it. My fortune cards are American Indian based, and they were a gift. Really, they just help you focus on what is going on in your life.

Then, based on what I came up with, I did some meditation exercises. I visualized myself being cleansed. And then, I cleaned my house. (Actually cleaned it, not just visualized it becoming clean. Really, I did. I know it doesn't look it, but I did!)

I listened to some music. And then, I went and volunteered for a while at the High School gift auction.

And so far, it seems like it's worked. I'll let you know.

For those of you who worry about my sanity for writing stuff like this -- just comment me a smiley face and I'll know. You don't have to book a rubber room for me yet. Although you might want to book a dinner reservation for me! That might help!

Break time.

Yeah, I know, I'm still procrastinating. But I'm home again, and it's break time. I got a lot done. None of the stuff on my list, but still...

Frankie got an EXCELLENT report from the Doctor. His Crohn's is in control, which is a great thing. He's gained 10 lbs and gotten an inch and a half taller since the last appointment!!!

And we brought the last of the toys from his Eagle project up to Morristown, to the Community Center that the hospital recommended. The hospital couldn't take everything that he'd had donated, but everything went to a good home.

We even hit the Shop Rite and got the groceries, which was a good to do with the boys, especially since they are responsible for going through so much soda. I'm tired of carrying it!

So I told the kids that they had a half hour of down time before I start making them work -- homework time. Spring break will be over before you know it, and I'm sure that they have something they need to do.


And I guess I do, too... so enough of the procrastinating!

Checking In

Hi all. How's it goin? Fine here.

Let's summarize. The spring break vacation is half over. And -- have I finished my to do list? No. Have I finished HALF of my to do list? No.

I hate that rushed feeling of running out of time.

Anyway, that's it for now. My current plan is to make french toast for the kids for breakfast, before we head for the doctors up in Morristown. Promises to be a long day of not getting the things done that I wanted to.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Happy Easter!

 

Emeril and Rachel Ray

Down in Barnegat last night, the recipes for chocolate delicacies kept the chefs busy in the kitchen... (I was purely an onlooker.)

Spring! Fabulous!

I'm so happy that SPRING has finally sprung. However, it doesn't really feel that springy outside. None of that mellow warmth you like in spring. Just a biting wind. Maybe not bitter cold anymore, but still... it seems that March wants to go OUT like a lion, not like a lamb. We have a few days still, though.

Anyway, you can talk about the weather, but you can't do anything about it.

Today is the first day of spring break. YAY! Frank went to work like always, and Frankie started his job in construction for the season -- although he and Nick also have Golf team practice this week coming up, so he won't be working all that much. I'm not sure how much his boss is going to appreciate that. Nick of course will be sleeping all day, so it's like I have the house to myself again. YAY!

And like all vacation weeks, the days are stretching out before me endlessly... I have SO many plans, I plan on getting SO MUCH done... and chances are, like always, it won't happen. TAXES, though. TAXES MUST GET DONE. And badges. And drawings for Mansi's book -- one of my aftercare kiddies wrote a great book, and I'm doing the illustrations. I have to get them done before the end of this week.

So what I have to do is stop blogging for now so that I can get going on the work that needs to get done. The computer is as bad as books or the TV for absorbing all of my time. Which is maybe why I love it!

Boys

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

glitter-graphics.com

St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays, which is odd, considering I'm not Irish. For some reason, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's day. Also odd -- I can't think of other holidays specifically celebrating another nationality that everyone celebrates here as much as St. Patrick's day.

What is St. Patrick's Day all about, you ask? Basically, everyone wears green. You can be Irish today even if you aren't Irish. I have a lot of Irish friends, and I do love the music. I don't drink beer, but Tea is pretty Irish too. I've started liking Corned Beef and Cabbage -- so that's what I'm cooking tonight -- but the kids won't eat it.

So anyway, Here's wishin' ye the luck of the Irish!

More from the Saw Doctors...

... in honor of St. Patrick's Day...

Almost like Being There

Actually, this is a snip from the concert they did in Galway, but it is just like last night. Actually, the only difference -- even the size of the crowd seems about the same to me, but you know I'm numbers challenged -- the only difference is that in the middle, they didn't play "I wanna be Sedated." They played the Beastie Boys, "You gotta fight, for your right, to PARTY." It was really cool.

Here we are at the Concert