Sep3

Happy Move in anniversary to us!

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21 years ago we moved into our house here in southeastern, PA. Sean was due in about 6-7 weeks, but I felt like doing a few things, mainly making curtains for his nursery. We had a lot of people helping us clean and paint, but we still had two rooms to do, our master bedroom and the guest room. Bri did the guest room and I helped by scooting along and painting the baseboard in our room. Not an easy task.

To think back on all the things we’ve done over the years, the latest being the kitchen remodel. There are still areas that need our attention-mostly to be purged.

It’s a glorious day and here I sit. Not too chipper today. I was thinking about going to mom’s, but neither she nor I are quite ourselves. Bri went to his dad’s, so I am fending for myself. What I really need is a nap!

 I got some energy up and did a mini tour of our yard on this special day. It was actually 16 shorts combined. It should be up in Vod Pod soon.

Sep2

Nibble, nibble

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Sometime between Friday and today, some critters, probably deer, had a grand feast. No use showing you the headless flower stalks, as it’s a sad sight. I was admiring the lovely yellow rose that was presenting me with it’s final bow of the summer season. The lavender roses were just as pretty. I do have a photo of one of the now gone buds.

Now gone rosebud

And you know how much I loved my dinner plate hibiscus-many of them are gone too.

I did have fun making a few videos, even a live one of Cosmo the kitty. I was trying to video tape him and play with him at the same time! The first part, well he has playing with the jalapeños, batting them around and wouldn’t do it when I wanted him to do it. My voice is high and I sound a bit tongue tied.

Here’s a collage page I really like. I call it ‘Dance with Me’

Dance with me

Enjoy tomorrow if you can!

 

Sep1

Pooped pups

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Bri and I decided to go to my uncle’s house and do the yardwork today as it was suppose to be the coolest of Bri’s three off. Uncle Don has a very steep yard and dragging branches and clippings up to the back yard was a workout! His front hedges along the also steep front steps were so overgrown, no one could get up them. To make matters worse, in the garden at the bottom, some kind of viney weed with prickers had taken over a rock garden. Bri even used the hedge clippers to try and cut through it. We did the best that we could, I think it needs some Round Up weed killer to finish the job and the garden needs to redone. He also had a million and one sticks and branches of all sizes all over the backyard. We did the best we could with those. A lot of them were right near the neighbor who brings my uncle milk and bread. His yard was immaculate. I think if I knew my neighbor was in a home for 8 months, I would have cleaned up the area of yard near my house just to be a little helpful. My mom was trying to rake, but she suffers from what yard work she does. Needless to say, we are achy and very exhausted. UD did treat us to some Chinese food, but I wanted a large raspberry iced tea from McD’s, I was way more thirsty.

Even though we were dirty and a little rumbled, we went to a neat book store a few miles down the road. We got a little lost, but found our way there. It’s so big-they must carry 300+ magazines. I bought a few-a Cloth, Paper and Scissors magazine and a Better H&G Halloween issue. Bri bought a book and a few magazines but is too tired to look at them.

Sean enjoyed his first college football game at PSU! He’s in row 10 in the student’s section, so I guess that’s good. The home team won 50 something to nothing! Sean didn’t apply enough sunscreen and got a little burnt on his neck-bad boy!

; )

No photo hunt this week-but about 3 o’clock we were both dirty, but no one took our picture!

So I think the rest of the extended weekend will be more relaxing. Our own yard and bushes need a trim too.Yikes!

Some pals and I are playing with our Windows Movie Maker and I threw together the Fenwick Island one on the top of my Vod Pod list. I need to find a longer song, but it’s not bad for a first try.

Aug31

Seeds

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First of all, I want to thank Zoey over at Perennial Passion for the Lynchis Coronaria seeds she sent me recently. Zoey had a flower game-a letter mix-up and I guessed them all and got this awesome prize in a sweet homemade envelope-love it. So in return, I am drying some seeds for her. If anyone else would like purple or lime zinnia seeds, let me know. I’m also trying to get the Autumn Harvest heads on a few of the sunflowers before the birds get to them.

Tonight it dawned on me that I planted saved marigold seeds from last year and hadn’t seen them. The marigolds are in their glory right now, but where were the ones in the circle garden? Here they had fallen over, but they were the yellow marigolds with the big flower heads. I thought they may be the white ones. I’ll save them too.

I’ve been to Big Lots twice today, by myself and then later with Bri. They bought out a local drugstore and the stuff is 30% off. I noticed they had compact flash cards for the camera, so that’s why Bri and I went after dinner. We got a 256 mb one for about $11! They also got some neat scrapbooking stuff in, many items for $1! I was playing with some of the new stuff when Bri wanted to go there.

Sean went to a pep rally for the football team tonight and it was fun. He got to see Coach Joe in person for the 1st time. This has been the slowest week here! It will be a week since we have been to PSU soon.

Aug31

Now if only I could airbrush…

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…the crinkly lines on my face and I’d feel like a million bucks. A new doJust got back from the hairdresser which helped to cover the Cruella Deville patches that are getting more prominent in my hair lately. I love people playing with my hair, don’t you? I do think that I’ll have to try touching it up again with the help of Brian to start saving money. How hard could it be for him to divide my hair with a comb and add some noxious mixture? I’ve been cutting his hair for about 25 yrs (even before we were married), so why can’t he help me? I am not vain, I swear. I let my nails go to pot a lot. With the hair, it’s so neat when people think I’m about 7 yrs younger. ; )

I just called Sean and he chatted a bit and then fluffed me off. That’s okay. I told him I was sending up a box and right away he wanted to know what it was. I didn’t tell him about the 7 layer goodies. I hope they don’t melt! I also told him I think I saw his friend Kat in the hairdresser but she didn’t recognize me.

Off to the post office and maybe hit Sean’s old stomping ground, Big Lots. ; )

Tomorrow or Sunday, we’ll be trimming hedges for my Uncle Don. I surveyed them yesterday and they don’t look terribly overgrown, but need a trim. Have a great weekend!

Aug30

Almost 9 months

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Well I finally went to see my Uncle Don at his house after all that time. He definitely is more frail and uses his walker all the time. But in the time I was there, he got up several times and I offered to get his glasses for him or whatever, and he wouldn’t let me! My mom came right before I left to spend the night. I brought him some Beach Plum Jam from Fenwick Island, DE and some Dunkin Donuts. His housekeeper was there and was busy most of the time, but left about a half hour before she should have. I suggested that he have her run to the store or wash bedspreads, etc. to keep her busy for the $22 an hour she gets.

Not much new. I did make the 7 layer squares-(not cookies-opps) so I could ship them to Sean tomorrow. I couldn’t get the ground up graham cracker crumbs as they are usually available over the holidays. I ground up some in the Cuisinart. That was the hardest part. I am taking photos and will post them. Here is the recipe from a previous post. I noticed they call them ‘cookies’ and this isn’t the recipe I use. I bake them at 325 for 30 minutes. 6 of one, half dozen of another!

The main ingredients-not shown- the 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of butter
Main ingredients
Ready to bake-the final ingredient-sweet condensed milk!
Ready to bake
An essential tool, my Graham Kerr cutter. Did anyone else love to watch ‘The Galloping Gourmet’ in the ’70s?
Essential tool
The finished bars, packed and ready to add to Sean’s first goodie box from home. : ) I’ll add the original shot to Flickr so you can see the recipe there. I made enough to freeze a small container for another time.Ready for the goodie box!

Before I went to my uncle’s house, I listed a few items on eBay, the first since May! I’m trying to get earn a little pocket money. I plan to go through craft books to find Halloween things to make and sell on etsy.

Aug29

Touch of Autumn

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close up sunflower
I realized that I haven’t taken too many flower photos lately. I wasn’t thrilled by what I saw around the yard-2 feet tall weeds! I thought I had kept on top of them, but the heat and rain really caused an uproar. I was out tonight pulling weeds, even from the back patio! The ants were not happy. I’m not going overboard, but I will get the gardens/yard presentable. Since I have to pay for online photo storage soon, I am going to start and use Flickr for my photos here. I can upload at their full size too. I love the colors in this sunflower!

On one side of the house, we have a yellow jacket nest in a window well area. They really fly in and out of it quickly, and I’m afraid to even walk by. It’s also near my fairy/gnome garden and glider, so I haven’t really been near that area for a while.

I had a craving for a brownie sundae, so Bri took me to Baskin Robbins tonight. I can’t remember the last time I ate ice cream. I’ve been good and have cooked well balanced meals all this week.

Sean called and said he went and checked his car and started it up. It’s a good distance from his dorm. We are hoping he gets brave enough to start and drive around soon. I have a care package almost ready to mail. It just needs his favorite goodie-7 layer cookies.

Aug28

Jury duty?

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I swear I have e.s.p. as I had a feeling someone was getting called for jury duty soon. Today Sean got a summons in the mail! Of course he can’t go, but he had to fill out a questionnaire online and even write a request to be excused. He has five days to get the letter off to them. Bri tried to get excused a few years ago but he couldn’t. I haven’t been summoned for a while. I guess I’m doomed. It’s just not my favorite way to spend time, but I know some people enjoy it. Where are you guys?

Not much new here. The priest’s visit was short and sweet yesterday and I talked his ear off. I think he was glad to leave! LOL

Off to the store soon.