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!