Category Archives: weather

Dec11

Sneak peek

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Close up of snowmen display, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

You’ll have to wait until Monday to see everything. Everything isn’t up yet-not the tree until the weekend. I like to leave our tree up until ‘Little Christmas’-January 5th or so. It’s not real anyway.

We are getting pounded with rain, that cold drenching kind. We were going to a diner tonight, but Bri just went through McDs. Maybe next week. Right now we hope our basement stays dry!

May meet my mom at a farmer’s market for stocking stuffers, etc. tomorrow.

It was definitely one of those days to take a nap-which I did while trying to watch Ellen. I cuddled up and 15 minutes later the show was over. Try to go to her website and enter the 12 Days of Christmas giveaways. Today they all got Kindles-the portable readers-I was so jealous! Rachael Ray has some good giveaways too. Regis and Kelly are giving away a car in January, but you need to collect 7 of the 10 clues to enter.

Stay warm and dry!

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Nov21

Show & Tell plus some gifties

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My Aurora Borealis pin collection, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

These are my vintage pins featuring Aurora Borealis rhinestones-which are my favorites. I found most of them on eBay over the last few years. I thought I’d show these as there may have been a Northern light phenomenon in the local area.  A scientist from the Franklin Institute said that may be what has happened, but he’s going to look into it more. Here’s the story about it.

Gifts for my birthday

I received some lovely things in the mail too! Karin, my friend from Illinois sent the cute pampered card with the robe and slippers. She enclosed a gift card for Bath and Bodyworks inside.

Angela from NY sent a handmade card with lovely flowers. She made a miniature card to fit inside a pretty card box she made for me. She used one of the adorable flower fairies as the main design. She also sent the cute dolly that says ‘You are sew special’. Barbara from the Netherlands sent a sweet handmade scissor fob that she bought from Deborah Thorpe of Midsummer Night Designs (I think etsy.com)which she turned from a necklace to a fob. It has a sweet sampler on it. Donna, a flickr pal sent me an altered tin featuring a baby in a nest. Donna used vintage jewelry in her art, so that ties in with showing you my pins. : ) Thanks ladies, I love them all!

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I went to the dentist and got the filling replaced that was just replaced at the end of August-no charge-he even said he could have done a better job on it. It looks a ton better too. Also went and did most of my Thanksgiving dinner shopping and plum wore myself out! I had to only pay $6 for a $23-20 pound bird! I never cooked one that big before, but we like leftovers here!

Sean will be heading home Saturday night after the last football game of the season. We aren’t crazy about him driving at night, but he’ll have a pal with him.
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November snow captured by Brian out the window this morning. We only got an inch, but my mom got 4 inches and she’s only 23 miles away.
November snow-side yard

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Nov13

Mama’s here

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It’s a cold and wet day here in southeastern, PA. I was going to mom’s yesterday and she decided she wanted to come here! I am a bit nervous when she wants to drive her 17 yr old car here and she just had her eye surgeries. I thought she’s be here around 3 and when 4 rolled around, I kept checking the door.  She got here around 4:15! She said she had to wait until she felt better and she had to stop for gas. I was going to cook something she brought, but it was too late for that, so we ordered take-out and I will cook the pork chops tonight. I then went to the food store after dinner-did some power shopping in about 30 minutes! Mom was in Peebles store and was checking out when I came to find her. Unfortunately, one of her eyes was really paining her during the night. I did see her rubbing it earlier in the evening. It’s better this morning, but really bloodshot. I got the artificial tears for her and she is using them. My one eye had been really red a few days ago.It may be the house is dry or the cat hair too.

I guess I’ll go do some cooking soon. Mom also brought huge chicken breasts that I will boil for chicken salad.

I’ll have a really old WIP cross stitch to share soon. I seem to be better just working on something until I finish it. Kinda reminiscent of the charity stitching that I hope to start up again soon.

Oct26

Bleary-eyed

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Because of the torrential downpour we had around 6 pm last night, the 3rd game of the World Series was postponed until after 10 pm. It was a pretty good game with the Phillies pulling off the win (5-4) about 1:50am. I just about stayed up to watch it.

Sean just left around 12:30. First he is stopping to see his grandfather, then he will head back to school. He has a ticket for comedian Lewis Black’s show (on campus) at 7:30. The three of us went to see him a couple of years ago at another university-he is sarcastic and funny rolled into one.

Back to the rain-we had just gotten out of church and couldn’t decide where to eat when the heavens opened up! We drove through some terribly big ‘puddles’ in town, almost big enough to stall out the car. We went to BK. The place was almost empty and our burgers were lukewarm. The a/c was blasting in there-may have accounted for the cold food. We should have complained. After ‘dinner’ we ran over to Wal*mart so Bri could get his dad a tv-a 32″ RCA as he has enough money and it was the right size.

We all got up feeling funky and bleary-eyed. The guys are over pop-pops and I am hanging low here trying to get my act together.

GO PHILLIES!

This is the Philly Phanatic:


Update-
I was so whacked out today, it wasn’t funny! Dang BK, but Bri brought me home McD’s chicken sandwich (am I brave?) and I was ok with that. I think I was hungry by then. I also get in a stew when I know Sean has that long trip ahead of him. He made out fine and enjoyed the show.
The Phillies are playing great and winning 8-2 so far in the bottom of the 8th. I get nervous and have to do something else instead of watch. Here’s something interesting-some of the ashes of the late Phillies relief pitcher Tug McGraw

were scattered on the pitching mound last night by his sons Tim and Mark. Tug’s # was 45 and the winning pitcher Jamie Moyer is 45 yrs old.  Jamie was really sick with a stomach bug and played anyway. Darn tummy bugs!! I got choked up when I heard about Tug (thanks John Clarke) as I had met him after the 1980 World’s Series and got his autograph. He lived in my hometown for a number of years. (The photo is of Tug recreated his winning pitch at the closing ceremony of Vet’s Stadium in Philly. He would pass away 4 months later).
What! another homerun-Ryan Howard appears to be out of his slump-10 to 2!! We won! 3 games to one! Looking good! I hope it stays that way!

Oct13

This is October?

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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!

Sep14

This is September?

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The thermometer already reads 86 and expected to go up to at least 92 which will feel like 100. I think I’ll stay inside and do something quiet as my sinuses around my eyes are complaining.

My mom is seeing a little more each day, though she can’t watch tv. The anesthesia made her act a bit funny (feeling sorry for herself), but she is better today.

I’ve been working on a 18″x20″ canvas that I recycled. I’m giving it to my mom for her birthday. I’m almost finished, just trying to figure out if the top needs more. It’s a collage, with some things that reminds me of her. This lady, from the cover of a catalog, inspired me. I learned my lesson-that this particular paper is so thin and wrinkles or tears like crazy. I should have mounted it on card stock first.

I’ll show you the rest on the 23rd, which in my mom’s 78th birthday.

Brian’s dad is getting help in his house 3 days a week now. He is having a nurse dress his wounds and hopefully help him with other things. He hasn’t slept well for nights on end and is so disheartened. You get to be 85 and stuff like this happens to you. Also, Bri’s aunt has been there a few times now. I knew she would step up as that’s the kind of person she is. We appreciate it so much!

I’m keeping the people in Texas and Louisiana in my thoughts and prayers.

Jul23

What to do on a rainy afternoon

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Before and after the power goes out (for two hours-ugh)

From a 6″ Hershey kiss box and the candy’s ‘ribbon’ This was on Artist Trading Card Idea’s as card of the day. I’m flattered!

I was in the middle of clipping my mom’s old magazines (I wouldn’t let my brothers toss them) and the background image is from one of them.

That’s lavender in the background from a flower catalog.

And here’s the deluge. I grabbed the camera to capture the marble size hail, but it melted as soon as it hit the ground:


Jul23

Much needed rain

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We did get a nice soaking rain last night-with lightning too. It figures it had to be during the wee hours of the night. Sean slept through it, Brian didn’t (me either), and he’s really bushed today. I hope that’s it for the heat waves for a while, but I’m not holding my breath.

My mom finally went to the hearing specialist and she was found to have fluid in her ears which is causing her hearing loss. He told her to gently hold her nostrils closed 10 times a day and blow! If that doesn’t help, he’ll have to put incisions in her ears for drainage. Mom is so funny, said the doctor was about her age and was ‘eyeing her up‘. ; )

Me, well now it hurts where I had the two injections. I have a scar in my cheek from oral surgery and I am wondering if the dentist hit that? Sean went for his checkup there yesterday and my dentist said to him that he guesses he was glad he didn’t have teeth like me-then nudged Sean like it was a joke! Sean’s wisdom teeth appear ok for now and he had no cavities. I go for my checkup in a few weeks. I will also get my eye checked out on Friday-I’m sure the medicine (I stopped using) helped.

I am seriously thinking about going to a chiropractor for my right shoulder blade problem. I had an injury to it back in 9/01 (that ‘great’ month) and I had terrible pain for 3 weeks. It comes back to haunt me, especially sitting at the computer. I did it from using an exercise chair and the arm lifts over my head-the next phase-tore or pulled something.

The guys are getting geared up to go the their first Phillies game together on Saturday. They plan to try to go to at least one baseball and one football game at the stadium a year. Gotta give the hometown boys some support! : )

Jun18

Rainbow effect

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We had a heavy downpour a little after dinner and this pretty rainbow appeared briefly. I just heard on the tv, that something similar happened after Tim Russert’s memorial service. The last song that was played was a ukulele version of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. When the guests left, they looked up to see a double rainbow in the sky. Pretty awesome.

Tim’s 22 yr old son Luke did an awesome job on his eulogy. He has so many of his dad’s mannerisms.

Since I was out in the after rain, I took a few more shots:

The pretty peachy pink Hollyhock that use to be across from our front door. You can see where the deer nibbled the leaves right to the stem.

Golden Lantana with rain droplets

Red and rust colored coleus

I cooked dinner on the grill about an hour early as rain was threatening. I got the burgers cooked, then threw on some chicken and thought I’d do a few hot dogs for the heck of it. I brought it all in and the skies opened up! Brian ate all three things (I cooked more for other meals)! and Sean ate a burger and a hot dog.

Sean’s first day on the job was ok-he washed walls for most of the time. The lady from my hometown called this morning to offer him the internship! Can you believe it! If he had waited a few more days before accepting the janitorial job he would have made it easier for himself. All the ‘old’ folks want him to do the internship. It would look good on his resume next year when he’s looking for a real job. He’s stalling about it and we think he’s a big scared. Reality will have to set in one of these hours. I think he’ll do fine. Wish him well in making up his mind.

Jun16

A reason to clean

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Oh grrrrrrr…. something told me to check inside the dust covered camera case to see if my older camera, the Powershot was there, it wasn’t. And I’ve been looking to no avail-it’s missing! Dang it. I remember wanting to use the video feature it has, that’s it, the last time I saw it! I was trying to make a video of how the solar lights around the pond act funny when they have a few cloudy days-they flash on and off at night like fairies are playing tag. Now, what did I do with it?

Time to clean anyway. I don’t remember seeing so much dust in the house for a long time-but I remembered that Bri had knocked down a wall in the basement’s bathroom so I could get to the shelves behind it months ago-dry wall dust is the pits! Never let people build walls or closets without your approval. He had our neighbor helping him and instead of just putting a spring rod for a curtain, they built a wall in front of roughly 12 feet of shelves (two-6 feet areas). I put up with that for at least 18 years maybe and I was sick of moving boxes to get to boxes. That’s another job I have to finish, cleaning and moving boxes around. Also, when we were converting the garage into our most used room, they added a closet on one of the long walls. I wanted it in a corner. I have really no options for moving the sofa and chair around. It was the same neighbor who came up with that bright idea.

So I’ll say a prayer to St. Anthony and hope my little camera reappears!

Sean is going for an interview with the school district for landscaping/maintenance in about an hour.

Thoughts and prayers to the people of Iowa and the Midwest who are trying to survive flood damage.

~Update~

Found my camera laying on the backseat of the van under a neck pillow. It was in there in all that heat, so hope it’s ok. I remember I took it to my Mom’s for Mother’s Day and never took any photos, so it’s been in the van for over a month.  I had started to clean and then my usual beginning of the week wonky tummy starts acting up! I guess I’ll do a bit more.

Sean is going to do maintenance at his old elementary school! He has to start pretty early, but it will help toward his rent next year.