Category Archives: Sean

Oct16

Let’s Go Phillies!!!

Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 by Dianne

Phils reach first World Series since ’93
10/15/2008 11:38 PM ET
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com

LOS ANGELES — Using a perfect script without a surprise ending, the Phillies captured the National League pennant with a 5-1 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. With it comes their first trip to the World Series since 1993.

With the Phils never straying from their opportunistic best, Jimmy Rollins scorched a leadoff homer on the game’s eighth pitch, much like he did in the Game 4 NLDS clincher against Milwaukee. With a lead and the ball in ace Cole Hamels’ capable left hand, it seemed inevitable.

The Dodgers never had a chance.

The star of the game!

There’s a lot of celebrating in downtown Philadelphia tonight.

I’m so glad Brian and Sean got to see the team that made it to the World Series. : )

Oct13

This is October?

Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 by Dianne

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The outside is beckoning for me with these kinds of temps. Actually, it’s a bit warm to do stuff that is too strenuous, but I guess I can hose down the items in the last post!

Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian neighbors! Also Happy Birthday to my pal Carole (at Pea’s Corner) who is celebrating both Thanksgiving and her birthday today.

I was invited to her tea party and graciously attended!

Rant-Last weekend I helped Sean with a summary. I didn’t rewrite the paper, just suggest wording and order-he still got a ‘C’! The prof is just too picky or narrow minded. Sean is to read a 6+ page paper that is mostly about research. The prof already gives his summary of the article and then asks the class to answer a question or two in 200 words or less. To think he will be happy to get a ‘C’ is sad. Too bad the prof is treating seniors like freshman. I feel bad because Sean really tried hard this last time around. And to think he has the same prof next semester!

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I think I’ll be finished a cross stitched piece tonight after over 2 months of working on it. I’m so ready to do something else!

Oct9

Show & Tell #13

Posted on Thursday, October 9, 2008 by Dianne

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Today I want to share a pastel drawing of my son Sean that was done in Paris, France in 1989. My in-laws went to France several times back then as my father-in-law was there for business and my mother-in-law went along. I would too! They happened upon this artist who did a few drawings for them. Having a little artist training, I know a drawing or painting looks more like a person when they aren’t looking straight at the artist, so I picked the one with Sean looking away.

It looks a lot like him. I’m not crazy about the striped shirt. We obviously still have it hanging up-in the living/dining area.
Here’s the photo it was taken from.

My mom likes to draw and she said the artist didn’t quite get his chin and nose correct. I think she was very talented!

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I decided to rearrange my postage stamp collector’s album. I have been collecting mint US stamps since Sean was about the age he is above-3. Not all of them for each year, but quite a few. I had stuck a bunch of canceled postage from the US and around the world in the same book, but took them out. I did leave the uncanceled stamps from France in the book, as my in-laws had bought them for us while they were there.

Of course I wanted to use some of the stamps in my collage art and made these cards:

Here’s what’s cool about the above. I was making an Asia themed card the night before, (check Flickr side bar) and cut out this bamboo ‘deer chaser’ to use, but it didn’t quite fit. I cut it out and used it on a card and starting to go through the stamps and found the perfect Chinese stamp of the little boys with the bucket in a shallow pool of water. The verse says-“Not all those who wonder are lost’ by JRR Tolkien

I have done a few cards using Chinese fortune cookie fortunes. Used another Chinese stamp and the registered piece from an envelope that the first stamp was on. Apparently it came from Brian’s former place of employment.

Oct6

Just a wee bit lucky

Posted on Monday, October 6, 2008 by Dianne

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On Wednesdays and Saturdays, we buy Powerball tickets, actually Brian does. We only spent about $3 each time and buying them in a way is suppose to help senior citizens. So Saturday night, we actually got the powerball-twice-little bells didn’t go off, but that’s $3! Yippie do dah! And we got one number in the line with the powerball-so that’s $4! Holy moley, what’s next? This got me thinking about if we actually won a large sum of money, would we spread the wealth around? I wonder if my siblings would give us any? I think it depends on how much it was-if it was millions and millions, then yes. : )

I’ve won a few things in my life-the neatest was $1k worth of gift certificates to the stores up in the next town. All you had to do was put your name in a number of businesses and I believe I was second place. I may have mentioned this in my blog a few years back. The lady who won first may have gotten $1,500. We had our photo in the paper too! That was when Sean was an itty bitty guy. I think that’s the year I had gallbladder surgery when Sean was 9 months, so it was good to have something nice happen. The town never did that giveaway again. I’ve also won a cassette player for my car at my senior fair (back in 1976 or 1977) that got stolen soon after I got it. I’ve won a few online things like a Country Living hardback book and some blogger giveaways. Winning is fun!!

What would you do if you won a large sum of money? Would you help your family, keep it or give it away? ; )

I made some ATCs and a Skinny card yesterday to get my mind off Sean’s long trip back to school. Here’s one that made me crack up:

I had that Wicked Witch cut out and didn’t know how to use her. I figure love and flowers would make her melt. The fortune cookie verse said it all. I was in a Wizard of Oz swap, but have yet to get my goodie. My partner has/had to deal with the hurricane, so I understand.

Oct5

Say cya later

Posted on Sunday, October 5, 2008 by Dianne

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Sean’s about to leave. I think it’s too much driving for not even two days, but he seemed to need a change of scenery. I also sat down at the table with him last night to go over an article for a difficult class. He’s been having trouble writing summaries. So we went through it and he wrote down the important points. He has to answer a few questions about it in 200 words. I think that’s what’s throwing him-condensing what he’s written to that few words. Also, he’s to write 4 drafts of the paper before the final version and hand them all in. I think he’s changing too much around and it’s getting confusing to read. I suggested he write more than 200 and keep taking some away with each draft. I think the prof wants it to see if they understand what they are reading as the articles are filled with research. He hasn’t gotten very good grades so far, I hope I helped a bit. The photo above is at a luau party he attended with the Newman group he is in. His friend in the photo is from Seattle and chose to go to school at PSU.

The angel food cake I made which was gone in a day! Glad it’s lowfat!

Was so bummed I missed seeing my niece cheer at Sean’s high school yesterday. She cheers for the youth football league and we weren’t sure where she was until it dawned on Sean that they were called the Titans. He looked up the website and we found out too late it was at the high school. Plus Colleen had sent me email at 6:30 yesterday morning with the address. I am not on the computer before 9 am usually. I called her cellphone, and my niece answered and said ‘Hello Aunt Dianne’. I asked where she was and she was home already at 11:15. I thought she was cheering again at noon, but she said the older girls were. I promised to try and see her cheer again and even sent her a ‘I’m sorry’ e-card.

Ok, here’s something funny…Greg Kinnear, the actor, was on Conan O’Brien’s show Friday night. He said there was a new word coined for him because of a knitting blogger lady-The Yarn Harlot! She was at the airport last year and recognized him when they were in line waiting to board. So not to be too much ‘in his face’, she took a photo with her cellphone of him from a lower angle where he wouldn’t notice. The photo is only of his wife’s suitcase and part of his shorts, so you really can’t tell if it’s him or not! LOL On her blog, she coined the low photo angle as ‘kinnearing’. Now it’s like a new slang word and was posted in the NY Times. It makes sense because ‘near’ is in there.

Sean just left, so I’m collecting myself. I was fine until Bri gave him a hug before he left for his dad’s house. It should be getting easier for me. I’m blaming it on hormones!

Oct2

Doggone it!

Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2008 by Dianne

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Yes, I’m quoting Governor Palin from the debate tonight. She seems like a genuine person who is a good speaker. I happen to be a big Biden fan, enough said.

Anyway-thanks for those who have answered my ‘top of the head’ questions (I promise there will be more). They are things I wonder about, especially the religion and politics one. That happens to drive me crazy personally with a spouse who always votes one way. I’d be an Independent if I could.

So, my little ma was in the outpatient pavilion at the hospital from 8:30 this morning until 3:45 this afternoon. Seems she had an air bubble in her eye and they had to wait for that to dissolve or something. I called at 11:15 and she hadn’t been in surgery. Called three more times and finally was able to pick her up at 3:45. She had a monster headache, but tea and a damp cloth helped and she even let out a little snore snort at one time. I went down to a favorite restaurant for takeout which she only nibbled on, so at least she has a nice meal in the frig for tomorrow. She only ate some bread and applesauce while I was there. I hope she doesn’t get floaters in that eye too.

So that was my day, full of stress and worry. Glad she’ll never have to have that kind of surgery again.

Yeah-Sean is coming home for the first time in a month tomorrow!

Sep27

Congrats to the Phillies! NLE division Champs!

Posted on Saturday, September 27, 2008 by Dianne

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We’re always excited when a local team wins-especially for the second year in a row. It was neat that the guys went to see a game in person this year. I haven’t really followed them that much for a few years, but I think I know who all the players are now. ; )
Anyway-Yippee!!! Yo Philllies! Congrats!!

Sep25

Show and Tell #11

Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2008 by Dianne

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Stitching girl, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

This is one of the several porcelain dolls I have around my home. I got her at least 10+ years ago and she sits on top of my hunter green roll top desk in my living room (I forget her name). She is a stitching girl (opps-where is her needle!) She came with a little stitched piece that had a few letters of the alphabet stitched in it. I found the little basket of flowers I did several years ago and swapped it with the piece it came with.

Since I love cross stitching, she is very dear to me. She has gorgeous auburn ringlets. I love the little pinafore she is wearing too.

Behind her is one of our ‘Tree of Life’ prints. We have one for Brian’s birthday month-March and mine-November. We’ve had them for over 24 yrs.

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My mom is still here. She is staying in Sean’s room. Yesterday really wore her out and she napped for 2 hours during the afternoon. She’s not use to all the fresh air and 2 hours of walking. I made a pot roast for dinner and even roasted a butternut squash in a dish in oven along with the meat. I have her eating more. I know if I lived closer she would weigh about 20 more pounds. Brother #2 is suppose come out and get her on Saturday. He hasn’t been here in many years.

I’m proud of Sean for getting help writing summaries for very dry reading material. He usually sends me stuff to proof, but since it was over my head a lot, he got help on campus. He sent me his latest paper and it was very good, I didn’t touch it. Yes!

Aug24

It’s all about Joe

Posted on Sunday, August 24, 2008 by Dianne

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Since Senator Biden is fairly a ‘local boy’ (born in Scranton, PA), close to both Philly and Wilmington, the news is all about him and the people camping out at his home in Greenville, New Castle County, DE (there is also a Greenville in Kent Co., DE). I like to hear that people sit next to him in church, and see him out and about. He’s been teaching at Widener U law school p.t. since 1991. (My mom worked at the Widener campus in Chester, PA and I attended there a few months-hard school).

Here’s a map of how close the ‘maybe’ next VP lives from me. How cool (his birthday is the day after mine-Nov. 20th)!

Makes me want to take a drive down there to see where he lives! It’s not a very big town and you definitely would not miss it (you know the expression of if you sneeze, you’d miss it) as it has some lovely homes and scenery.

I think a lot of us locals feel we know Biden personally as he’s been a senator so long. He’s had some really down moments in his life-

His 1st wife and infant daughter died in a car accident shortly after he was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972. His two young sons, Beau and Hunter, were seriously injured in the accident, but both eventually made full recoveries. Biden was sworn into office from their bedside. Persuaded not to resign in order to care for them, Biden began the practice of commuting an hour and a half each day on the train from his home in the Wilmington suburbs to Washington, DC, which he continues to do.

In February 1988, after suffering from neck pains, Biden was hospitalized and underwent lifesaving surgery to correct two brain aneurysms, one of which began leaking.^[6] The hospitalization and recovery kept him from the Senate for seven months.

From Wikipedia

Biden is a politician through and through!

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Sean is doing well, getting use to living in an apartment and buying his own groceries. Seems the only thing he forgot was a trash can and bags. He can walk a 20 minute walk to the campus or take a bus. Today he took his car to go to church. He’s been visiting with some old pals. Tomorrow classes start.

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I was a cleaning fool yesterday. I think it helped me not to think about Sean driving 160 miles. I even got Bri in the act! He got out the Murphy’s Oil soap and did some of the floors in the living room. Men have such great upper arm strength, that the floor shone! He failed to lift a few area rugs to get the dirt from under them. I worked so hard in the living room, I neglected the family room. Mom and friend dropped by to bring back my tote bag with my latest read and cross stitch project in it and they sat in the messy family room. You want to see my latest XS?

It sure doesn’t look clear here-rats! I think the camera focused on the chart. It’s called ‘Sleeping Kitty’ by Ellen Maurer Stroh. I’m doing it on fabric I think I bought from Carol S. I usually don’t start in the middle (at the top) and I’m finding it harder to keep my place, thus the pencil marks. I don’t think it will take long to finish.

Need to do some art one of these days. I’m stalling working on a Wizard of Oz swap. I have 3 weeks, but I really want to think of something neat for my partner. I have the main piece I will collage and most of the materials gathered. It’s just to sit down and get cracking!

Oh! I’ve been using the back massage chair cushion (Shiatsu by Homedics-my mom has one we bought her too) we have and I think it’s helping! Yeah! When the chiropractor made me lay on a table with the same principle of ‘faux’ massage, the lightbulb went off to start using mine again. Even Bri’s been using it.

Monday will be the first day I’ve been alone since the 15th!