Category Archives: PA.

Nov19

My birthday dinner

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Click link to enlarge and select ‘all sizes’ or look at the photostream with the individual snaps. I didn’t want to take up too much space here.
My birthday November 19th, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

It was so cold tonight! We are lucky such a nice restaurant is only about 5 miles away. We practically had the place to ourselves for a while, hence the photos. The waiter was nice enough to take our photo too. I didn’t see lobster tail on the interesting menu. I decided not to get the prime rib ‘special’. My oh my, was that an expensive dinner, plus it could have been a bit firmer, so I brought some home. Brian had flounder and salmon on a bed of spinach (he isn’t a big fan of the green stuff). I had some shredded zucchini on my salad. Bri had a Caesar salad. I had my favorite cocktail (like my second of the year)-an Apricot Sour. Try one sometime.

Bri bought me a yellow cake with fudge icing. Let’s just say I’m glad I had Rolaids and peppermint tea in the house-for both of us! Bri wasn’t really up to par today. He gave me a lovely pearl necklace-not the real round pearls, but it’s really pretty, I’ll model it soon.

This was also the 26th anniversary of our engagement. : )

Here’s a recipe for an Apricot Sour. One of my former bosses introduced me to it back in the early 1980s and I get one everytime I go to a fancy restaurant:
Apricot Sour Recipe
Ingredients
2 oz Apricot Brandy
1 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Superfine Sugar
Pour the apricot brandy, lemon juice and sugar into a cocktail glass half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange wedge and a maraschino cherry, and serve.

siggie

Sep20

Photo Hunt-Road

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PSHunt

Roadview of Allegheny Mts, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I could have showed our snow covered road from a few years back, but I remember I took this on the way home from State College last year-through the windshield. It’s to remind me that Sean is between mountains and over a river away from home.

I did this last year. A few friends and I were photoshopping photos for fun!

Missing Sean

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By the way, the tech didn’t show up for the 3rd time and we were going to let him in at 9 pm to do the conversion on the tv. He didn’t even call to say he wasn’t coming. I can’t get over the sucky service. Dishnet better get some better subcontractors! It’s going to be either tomorrow morning-not holding my breath as I still have to call or Monday morning. Complete idiots. Go elsewhere people!

Sep9

Around the county

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Our Sunday afternoon was a bit warm and crowded. We headed up to the Mushroom Festival and parked in a bank lot-what luck! We couldn’t really look at what the vendors offered-how many baby strollers are there out there and people who are in a daze? A store in town had some collaged cards that caught my eye. I told them I like being inspired. We heard that Ilan Hall and Miguel Morales from Top Chef were doing a cooking demo at 2:30 and waited inside a tent for half an hour. We could have met them before hand as they were standing outside the tent for about 15 minutes. Oh well. I got a few good shots and Bri said the heat was getting to him so we left.

To my surprise Bri took me to Chadds Ford Days! Now that’s when I felt the heat! Lots of vendors, artists, antique dealers and local restaurants. I did get a 9 month free membership to the Chadds Ford Historic Society and I can go to ‘the big pumpkin carve’ next month for free. I’ve never been to that event! We saw some vintage cars-a 41′ Woody and an early 1960s Lincoln Continental similar to the one JFK was riding in when he was assassinated in 1963. The later vehicle was owned by someone at Chadds Ford Days. I saw a Martha Washington cabinet like the one I had, but it had been refinished and looked like new. The asking price was $185. We saw a child’s MW cabinet at another vendor.

Bri treated me to dinner at Ruby’s Dinner (yummy burgers with avocado and the works) and we went over to Borders where I purchased some awesome art magazines. I have to cook up some chicken for tomorrow (meant for tonight) later, but I plan to relax and get some great ideas from my new purchases.

Some of the photos in this collage were just things that I liked-the sunflowers with their hanging heads, a tractor, and old barn (I guess they are all in the collage).

We didn’t eat a single mushroom dish! The guys from Top Chef were talking so much, they burnt the mushrooms they were cooking!

Ilan and Miguel

The only things I bought were handmade soaps from a Virginia couple at Chadds Ford Days. I didn’t see my other soap people from last year at the Mushroom Festival.
Our day 9–9-07
To tell you the truth, I’d rather go to flea markets and yard sales. My mom was here yesterday and we hit a yard sale up the road. I got some vintage compacts-one has a little powder holder, rouge and lipstick. Mom went a little nuts there and I had to whine because the 90 degree heat from getting to me. She loves shopping-second hand seems to be her new thing.

Apr20

Catching up with a friend

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We did get to go out to dinner to eat and visit with Bri’s pal Kathy from college a few hours ago. Seems she was all around our house today, but didn’t plan to stop in-I don’t know why. I thought maybe it was too far for her to drive. Anyway, we went back to the restaurant where we couldn’t get a seat last Saturday. I called about 3:15 for ‘call ahead seating’. I bent the girl’s ear back about how awful it was there with people sitting and waiting while there were empty tables sitting empty. I suggested it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the people there to discuss how to make a bad situation better. We got a nice booth in the back-right away, like it was waiting for us.

Here’s a couple of photos that Sean snapped, which I should have cropped because of the big white napkin there. I like the first of Brian a lot!

Bri and Kath

Bri, Kath and me
Dinner was delicious, but this Carrabbas isn’t as generous with their food as the Springfield Mall one we usually eat at. I had lost a few pounds (I think because of my new med) but my dinner tonight added them back on. The guys ate some of mine and I had no leftovers. It helped my head to go out. When I came home I felt better. Even Kathy, who never had sinus problems, is saying how hers were bothering her.
She too just celebrated a big birthday (the same as Bri, but back on Nov. 19th-so she is exactly 3 yrs older than me as that’s my bd too).
She just purchased a lovely new house last summer (TN) and has wild turkeys running around-we saw photos. She’s a single lady and works at a community college to help disabled students. I gave her a mini scrapbook and an Art trading cards graced with tulips as I remembered they are her favorite flowers. I also printed out some photos and stuffed them in the bare pages.
I asked if Sean reminded her of Brian at that age (same age when they first met) and she said yes, but Sean is more outgoing. : )
The pal where Kath is staying called on her cell and said she had to take her son to Children’s Hospital as his injured and patched together knee of 3-4 weeks ago was causing him a lot of pain. Her friend sent her twins to a pals house, so Kathy has the place to herself. Tomorrow Kath is headed to near where my mom lives to stay and visit with another pal.
We are welcome to come to Tennessee anytime.

Apr6

Driving through historic country

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Sean and I took a late lunch at Red Lobster to celebrate the final day of Lent. We decided to drive the entire distance of our road which runs through an area where the Brandywine Battlefield was. I saw the fancy road marker even. At the end of our road that is near Chadds Ford and the Brandywine River Museum, the land is more open with lots of fields of grazing horses with a few sheep in the mix. There is such a mix of houses too! From the colonials of the 1960s (like my mom’s house) to the dark sided one with the unusual vertical lines and rectangular windows of the late 70-early 80s. This is about the area where the movie ‘The Village’ was filmed.
We had a nice lunch-great waitress who filled us up on the famous cheddar garlic biscuits and kinda spoiled our appetites. Sean had shrimp and lobster fettuccine and I had lobster pizza. We both ate more of our lunch for dinner later.

Run, don’t walk to your nearest Kohl’s! What a fabulous sale they are having Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately I grabbed a size 6 skirt and have to take it back in a few days. It’s too cold to wear it for Easter anyway. I got some earrings for my niece Tori’s upcoming 8th birthday and a few pieces off the 80% off rack. Plus they have a coupon for another 15% off, so I made out well.

We also went to Target and Michaels. I now have a nice mix for my art cards now. I bought some neat papers, rubber stamps, stickers and embossing powders today.

Better post my photo hunt photo for ‘clean’. Mr. Cosmo posed for that one.

Mar13

Shop ’til you drop

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Sean and I made our leisurely journey up to Lancaster and the outlets at 2. I just couldn’t leave any earlier as Bri had woken me up at the ‘use to be’ crack of dawn and I needed to rest a little longer.

First we stopped by the post office so I could sent the cross stitched piece pictured below to England. The traffic was all tied up in town. Diana, at the post office said an elderly gentleman had been hit by truck and dragged a block or so. Of course he didn’t make it. So sad.

I took the camera hoping for some postcard-like Lancaster shots, but we didn’t venture down side roads, so I didn’t take any photos. I promise next time to leave earlier and do so. Try to visual some baby lambs, with their mama. I would have loved to take a few photos of them. The buay roads we travel on (lots of trucks) hardly have any traffic lights, so taking photos is difficult. I tried to take one of a pretty church in Paradise, but I only got half of it.

Lambkins

(not my photo)

Our first stop was ‘Tuesday Morning’ (me) and Adidas (Sean). I scooted and found a few things-a few goodies for mom who is in a blue mood. Sean purchased two pairs of sneaks at a great price.

We went to Target where he did eventually get his money back. The girl behind the counter was very disagreeable and was going to tell us to call an 800 number. I told her it was all settled back in January with the man I spoke to. They had even looked at the video from the surveillance camera to check. The manager did come over and Sean got his refund. We shopped a lot in there. They have a fun area with $1.00-$2.50 items. I think every little girl in there had an Easter hat on from that particular area.

We then ate dinner at Red Lobster. Sean had coconut shrimp and I had lobster and shrimp. We hadn’t eaten in a Red Lobster for years and it was pretty good.

Next-Gap Store outlet. Got birthday gifts for Bri, Kenny and Tori all who have birthdays in the next month.

I got some scrapbooking stuff at the Borders book outlets for dirt cheap. I really wanted a bell jar at the Pottery Barn outlet, but decided there was no place to put it. Sean knows I like it at least. We almost got into the traffic for a Vince Gill concert at the American Music Theater. We’ve been there for a Jim Brickman concert back in ’03 and it’s a nice place to hear a concert.

I did get that gift that Bri asked for in my post below. I also got a little teapot with a strainer so I can get some loose tea and really enjoy a cup of tea like you are suppose to.

The roads were so dark coming home tonight.

I called my mom and she was moving furniture at 9 pm with Jim her boarder. She is asking for pain! No way could Brian and Sean do it after walking around Philly on Sunday.

Tomorrow the guy is cleaning the heater-funny, I know. I had made the appointment about last September! Then I am having my brother Ken inspect my van and check out a few problems with it-grinding brakes and it feels like it will stall (actually it has) when you start it up after it’s been run. I have to leave it at his house and pick it up Thursday or Friday.
So, that was an interesting day. A little shopping does a body good!

Mar10

Photo hunt-architecture

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PSHunt
Grab the Scavenger Hunt code.Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.

Church in rural PA

This was taken about 1991-92 when we went up to near Penn State for the wedding of Brian’s cousin. Brian’s mom was still with us (she passed on in ’96) and this was a little church behind the cemetery where most of Brian’s maternal relatives rest (including his mom now). Brian believes his mom went to church here, way out in the sticks.  I think because of taking this photo, I got an interest in the design and architecture of other churches, thus taking photos of them in my travels. This is such a simple, but beautiful place and I wonder if it’s still standing.

Feb19

The Mercer Museum

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Mercer MuseumUp in Bucks County, a few hours away, is a wonderful museum located in Doylestown. This area is one of my favorites and the museum is a ‘must see’ for those exploring Bucks (along with New Hope). I’ve been there twice, as has Brian. We took Sean up there a few years ago on his birthday. Instead of having parties, we take day trips for our birthdays. Mine are usually to either Dover, DE or New Hope.

Henry Mercer collected artifacts from all over the country and built this humongous structure to house it all. Each floor has several different areas of interest displayed in glass encased rooms. I know I mentioned this before, but it’s really a cool place. How many Conestoga wagons does one see in our lifetime, especially ones hanging from a ceiling! The one room with the medical instruments (if you can call most of them that) was frightening and I’m so glad I live in modern day American. We actually walked under gallows-chilling.

So if you get a chance to explore PA., drop by the Mercer Museum.

Inside the concrete palace

Feeling better-went looking for tummy med and found Equalactin and that seems to have made the burn go away. I had other stronger stuff but it was all expired. Most of thet time I try mint or ginger first before resorting to medicine.