Category Archives: Sean

Sep25

Spring cleaning in the fall

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We had a very unusual rainy spring and summer. Not ideal weather for hanging out comforters and curtains, so I’m doing it now. Brian’s been home this week painting with the help of Sean since he has some free time this year. The overhangs are finished and Sean is doing the front of the house now! I guess sometime in the future they will do the back and leave the high sides and parts on the roof for a handyman. The paint is a tad lighter in color, but it’s close enough as is Wally*World where it must be a stock color (I had the paint chip from last year and they had the same color this year). It looks nice and clean. I do wish I could have taken down the shutters and washed them. The painting of the front was a last minute thing. The shutters are plastic and we are afraid we may damage one and have to buy all new ones. I’ll have to go out with the Windex one of these days. I have a few cans of spray paint to do some wrought iron things, one of which was my table which Bri put away already.
I am also trying to get things together for a Holiday sale at the church in November. I found a great website where you can buy multiplies of goods. I have 48 memo books that I purchased to decorate the fronts with my collage art. I copied one I had made and my PSP7 program copied it to the size I needed. The site is called Dollardays.com. You have to register to use it. I also have religious pieces since it is a church sale-key chains and car magnets. I do want to hand make a few things too.
So that’s what I’ve been doing, despite having a few tummy issues (Sean and Brian were complaining too-I think it was the rotisserie chicken I had on Tuesday that threw us off-the smoky stuff just didn’t taste right).
My former classmates are hosting a get-together at the beach starting tonight through Sunday morning. I think 30+ are attending. I had planned to, but then Bri took a bit longer with the painting and now the Chestnut tree burrs are littering the side yard. We are having an evening get-together next month, so that sounds like one I can attend. It’s been fun getting to know almost 100 former classmates again (I was in a class of 486).

Sep21

Home Improvement-Day 1

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So It says on the calendar that today it the International Day of Peace, though not quite around my house! This week Brian is off to do a little painting. He was outside around 10:30 and within 4 hours, got 120 feet of overhang scraped (front and back) in prep for painting. Sean and I went to Wally World and bought a couple of gallons of paint. I had matched it up the best I could as the original color was splashed on about 11 yrs ago, by student painters-about 3 of them-who had the entire house painted in about 2 full days. Sean was itchy to start painting-a tall task for an already tired Bri. They got about 15 feet done in the back (we borrowed the neighbors longer ladder) when Sean was climbing up and I think it slipped off the edge of the flagstone patio and he went through it. That was it for the day. He scraped his leg a little, but is alright. Whew! I said it was good that they started on the back as it was the harder of the two sides to do. They aren’t touching the side eaves as Bri and ladders don’t mix well, especially when you add height and he had a traumatic event of falling off one and breaking his leg as a child. Guess we’ll have to end up hiring someone in the future to do them.
Good luck tomorrow guys!

Sep10

Thursday Thunks

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1. A 90 year old man’s dying wish in South Carolina was to be buried in his car. If you were told tomorrow you have 3 weeks to live, would you have any dying wishes or something special done before you died?
Do I want to jinx myself? I think not. And if I wanted to tell anyone, it would be my immediate family. Sorry.
2. Do you pay for more stuff using a credit/debit card or cold hard cash?
I prefer cash when I have it, but if I run into a sale, I may have to use the nasty cc.
3. What’s cuter- a baby lizard or a baby snake?
Definitely a lizard-it has legs to begin with. The heater guy was here today and was telling us he caught rattlesnakes in western Pa to ‘milk’ them when he was young. He’d sell that to the state for anti-venom. This all stemmed from a conversation about pets, mainly cats. He showed me his 3 in a photo in his wallet-ahhh.
4. You go out to eat by yourself at a restaurant. While waiting for your food do you people watch & ease drop on others conversations, read a book, use a laptop or chat with people around you?
Hmmm…probably read a book or magazine. I don’t usually eat by myself though
5. If you see someone walking around with toilet paper stuck to their shoe, do you tell them or just laugh?
It happened to me and it’s embarrassing, so I’d tell them.
6. You are talking to someone you just met but you can’t understand them at all because of their accent. Do you tell them you can’t understand them or just smile and nod?
Probably smile and nod and if it got to frustrating I’d raise up my hands like I was saying ‘no comprehend’.
7. Mudfest! Park filled with pools of mud and an obstacle course of mud. Do you go and play in the mud?
I was told I loved to play in mud as a toddler-as an adult-ugh! I just like to dig in it now.
8. Have you ever had a headache so bad it effected your vision?
Oh yes! Usually from a high fever-became delusional too.
9. Would you fit in more with the circus, Hollywood, Broadway, or comedy circuit types?
I’ll say Broadway because I can belt out a song, but I have a gnawing feeling in my gut that I could be a comedian.
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Sean bought the Guitar Hero Beatle Rock*Band yesterday and it’s fun! The graphics are really nicely done too.

Sep9

A little catch up

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Not too much to post, but I wanted to update you about my mom and Sean.
Mom has to have another series of injections in her eyes as a further measure to save her eyesight because she had macular degeneration. They haven’t gotten better. I think at this point they are hoping they will stay the same. She said she’d be happy to have one good eye so she could read. That is breaking my heart. She wanted a netbook and the man at Target said no way would that be big enough for her with her poor eyesight. I got a new cellphone for myself (I had some gift cards from my Visa and it was free) and am giving her my almost new razor cellphone. She had one from my brother and lost the many chargers they bought her. I have to devise a plan so she won’t lose this one. I got a Samsung*Gravity with a little keyboard. So far it’s pretty neat. I should be texting more now.
Sean didn’t get the internship in Delaware. The guy hired the young lady who was interviewed at the same time. Maybe they didn’t need more than one person doing that work. Sean was bummed, but I am glad in a way as I didn’t want him using a lot of chemicals. The guy said there may be some openings down the road. He is waiting to hear from the Brandywine*River Museum for another internship.
Thought you’d like to know. Hope all is well.

Sep2

One good deed deserves another

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Yesterday Sean helped trim his Great Uncle Don’s bushes and worked around the yard, so something good came about today-he got a call from the Delaware*State Park Dept! On Friday he has an ‘interview’ in Delaware City for one of two positions in researching invasive species in the the area. The man that called said some funding came in, so positions were opened up. The research area would be the White*Clay Creek State Park in nearby Newark, DE. Crossing fingers for Sean as he’s been looking for 3.5 months and found this on his own. One thing could lead to another. Of course he said he’d love to do research in the beach areas. ; )
I also worked my pants off at my uncle’s yesterday. The first thing I did was get my trusty rake and pull a 40 foot vine (at least) growing up and around his bedroom window. My next big job was a wild grape vine attacking a bush near the end of his driveway. I was praying it wasn’t poison ivy or anything-so far, so good. Many of the properties in his area are on steep hills and Sean had to do the dragging up to the back yard. I did that a few years ago and it was too much for my knees. The only bad thing that happened was Sean cut through the cord with the hedge trimmer! So we are glad to have helped Uncle. I saw the garage door open and out he came with his walker and watched us and ‘ordered’ us around a bit-lol-he wanted Sean to throw the debris over a fence. He made a big pile. We are hoping we’ll be allowed to go and burn it sometime in the fall. He has oodles of tree branches around too.
Trying to muster the strength to go food shopping and mail off Sherry’s package. : )

Aug25

Skeeter Heaven

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The insects have all seemed to appear within the last few weeks when it got warmer outside. I didn’t miss them one bit! I spray Off! on me, and they find the spots I missed. And don’t get me started about the weeds. I think I will do a few areas that I see all the time, like when I come out the front door-across from that and let the others go. That garden looks awesome. (I know-where’s the photo). We do need to clean out where the tomatoes were as we have some fall crops to add. I love planting seeds, so that shouldn’t be too difficult. I have some zinnias still coming up from seeds I put in a few weeks ago. I also have nasturtiums sprouting up too- I just poked the little dried ‘peas’ everywhere.
Today I went to the Social Security office with Sean so he could apply for a new card. That and his Birth Certificate went missing. I think back in 2002, they were put in an envelope when we went on the plane to Florida. Remember we had to show ID back then to fly after 9/11? I know they are around here somewhere, but he doesn’t want to dig deeper to look in his closet,etc. He already got a replacement for his B.C. It wasn’t a big deal. Glad I went as the office was stuck in a shopping center where he may have missed.
Our priest came for his bi-annual visit yesterday. He stayed 5 whole minutes. I think he was happy I had him sit in the living room so close to the door! : ) Sean was in the shower and it’s right in the hallway there (we live in a ranch style house) so I could see him when he came out wrapped in a towel-lol. He had just cut the grass. He did run out in his socks (after he got dressed!) to say hello and help Father back out on our busy road.
Here are a few photos of my parlor area:
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My little settee. Everytime I think of getting rid of it, I can’t as I thought it was so cute and the Victorian look I wanted. I have a Tiffany style floor lamp next to it I got from mail order. It’s heavy!
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I have so many collections! I still have the summer one up on the sofa table in the window. I’m getting in the fall mood though.
Guess it’s off to the store tomorrow. I have a nerve issue or pull in my left shoulder blade. It’s like when one of your fingers goes out of joint. I was sitting on the floor sorting things and I can’t do that. Or I lifted something funny-who knows? Bri is complaining about his back too. Wish we could find a chiro*practor we like and for a reasonable price.

Aug3

Need a baseball bat?

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All the rain kept us out of the garden for a number of days and lookie what Brian found over the weekend:
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Yep, a biggie! We also harvested about 4 cucumbers so far. Next week we’ll be digging to see if I got any fingerling potatoes! I see some green beans that need picking too.
Unfortunately, many of the tomatoes in my container garden and a few in the big garden are getting blossom rot from the rain. We need some hot, dry days to hopefully remedy that! Tomorrow and the next should help.
For the second Sunday in a row, we had a terrible storm that knocked out the power for 5 hours each day it happened. I tidied up some art supplies and made this as one of the four I made that day. It’s my friend’s grandmom-I don’t think she reads my blog and she’s away right now:
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Don’t put an old photo of yourself or a relative on your blog or in Facebook or I may use it! I’ll gift her with this. I’d say it’s about 1908 or so.
Sean and I went down to my mom’s and did a few things around the place. She bought yet another bagless vacuum which I scolded her for. I hope this one doesn’t ‘blow up’ like her previous clunker did! We went down to the liquidator store and JoAnn’s and I bought a few things namely paper crafting things at JoAnn’s (40% off) and 70% off windchimes and a few little gnome figurines. We went to The O*live Garden and the portions were very slimmed down. I always had some left to bring home, not tonight.
So that’s my last few days. Plan to stay in and cool tomorrow!

Jul22

Zipping along

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We’ve been having such nice weather this summer. The humidity is just starting to build over the last few days. It was overcast yesterday, so I retrieved the weed whacker from the shed and went on a mission to do away with that darn Creeping Charlie and grass that was invading my many gardens. An hour and a half later, I was done, though the string part was a nuisance to deal with at times. Today I am tired and have my right hand wrapped up as it was the one holding the piece of machinery up. My left trigger finger was asleep this morning. I’m pretty happy with the way the yard looks this year and using the weed whacker gives it a finished look and saves my back. We were trying to get rid of weeds and grass growing in the cracks of the sidewalk bricks- a never ending job!
That’s basically what I’ve been up to. Hopefully Sean and I will see a movie within the next few days. He’s at the dentist-again-getting a few fillings.
For Zoey-My Crocusmia!
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I need to take a photo of them open!

Jul9

Can you see Brian?

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Taken from the garden area, that’s Brian cutting what we call ‘the long part of the yard’. It was always my hope that we do something with that piece of uneven property, like grow flowers to sell or something along those lines. The problem is that it’s far way from the house and if we had done the flowers, people may have been able to help themselves from the nearby road. Yes, the road is that close and not very private much of the time we are in the yard, even trying to lounge under the big Chestnut trees.

Sean made it to State College fine. I hope he has a great time. I saved the Hibiscus that he gave in for Mother’s Day 2008 and it just started to bloom again:

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I feel like I’m in Hawaii! : )
And some of my Nasturtiums are blooming too:
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Jul9

Bulky

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I have one of those wholesale club cards and don’t use it very often. Yesterday Sean and I decided to go to the one near my mom and take her. I had a ‘limit’ to what I was spending, but with Mom and Sean along, I completely blew it! We hadn’t been there since December or January, so I should account for that! I really wanted the big box of Cas*cade, which I got. Sean likes the energy bars and a few other things. It really adds up. I shouldn’t need to buy shampoo, soft drinks and snack food for weeks or months now. We also went to the store next to the wholesale-For*man Mills. It’s mostly a clothing store. I think only 10-20% of it is worth looking at and you have to go up in the size as most of the clothes look shrunk up. BUT, I did find a ‘tiered’ dress in white, black and gray, a black and white patterned skirt, a double knit black top with some beading around the neck, a red and white stretchy top (I should have gone up a size) and a funky 1960s type handbag-the body of it is big white faux leather circles and it has beaded handles. All for under $50!! Also got a big bottle of Coconut/Vanilla shower soap. It was definitely a store to snoop in. Sean found a Eagles football watch for $7. I had to read the sizes to my mom as her eyes aren’t too good yet.
Sean’s off to Penn State for an Arts and Crafts fest. I think it’s an excuse to see old friends. I would have liked to go, but only one bed and no way am I letting him or me sleep on that inflatable mattress again. He said he’d buy me something!
I’m going to out to tie up some plants…so here are the ‘thunks’…

1. Do you tend to have a guilty conscious?
If I do it’s when I look in the mirror. I’m not happy with what’s going on, but sometimes when I exercise, I hurt myself-like when I pulled my right back shoulder blade, it hurt for almost 3 months. I try and do lots of outdoor gardening-digging, hauling stuff, etc this time of year to firm me up a bit.

2. Do you still have your wisdom teeth? No! Had them out when I was 19 and it was horrible. I had twilight sleep, so I knew what was going on a bit, but played dead for the dentist.

3. Peanut Butter – creamy or crunchy?
I like both-creamy on bread, chunky in cookies.

4. Get up off your butt. Take 5 steps. Which leg did you start out on?
My right one!

5. What color is your favorite kitchen utensil? Almost cabalt blue-my Kitchen*Aide mixer

6. Did you watch the Michael Jackson memorial/funeral? Yes! I even took photos for my Flickr account. Michael was only 14.5 month older than me, so I followed his entire career.

7. Do you know anyone who graduated from high school this year?
Were you invited to their graduation party? Did you go? No, not this year.

8. White with black stripes or black with white stripes?
I think black with white stripes looks better.
9. If we were to call your 6th grade teacher, what would they say about you?
You had to be pick 6th grade-didn’t like my teacher at all, an ex-nun with a case on herself. She’d probably say I didn’t speak up enough and had bathroom problems.
10. Can you draw a perfect circle?
I think I can draw a pretty good one!

11. What was your favorite scratch & sniff sticker scent?
Coconut!

12. What does your sibling do for a living?
I have 3 brothers-
the eldest is an electronic tech for a major news network in Philly; the next is a medical recruiter and the baby is a master mechanic.

13. How many light switches and electrical outlets are in the room that you are in right now?
2 light switches-and about 7 outlets.

14. Do you know sign language?
Only a few signs like ‘I love you’.

15. Do you step on cracks in the sidewalk?
Bad luck! I don’t want to fall down either.

16. And the sheets on your bed look like….?
Yes-I like sets.

17. What is something that everyone else has, but you don’t?
A job!