I'm Late

Yes, and why, so you ask.....we went to bed at 3 a.m. Now to go back to yesterday...we left Linda's about 11 for Nashville with a stop first in Knoxville to a computer place that Vic wanted to check. We had a nice drive down with lots of good conversation. One thing we didn't count on was that the Music City Bowl was in Nashville and the Vols were playing NC. Our first stop was to be the Opry Land Hotel, but it was so crowded that we couldn't get near it. The hotel just recently reopened after the devastating floods and the whole area was affected. Tons of shops and restaurants in the area are still closed. Anyway, we then decided to find a place to eat lunch. We decided on a Thai place that didn't look that great, but inside was very nice and the food turned out to be delicious! After that we went to Trader Joe's and got lots of delicious items. Then we drove around some of the great areas of Nashville. It was nearing game time so we figured we might be able to get into the hotel. We drove back, but couldn't get close enough. We had planned on eating at an Italian restaurant that Vic knows, but weren't really hungry and decided to drive home. We got about 50 miles from Nashville when car trouble started. We were able to pull into a truck rest area and Vic discovered that the serpentine belt had brokern. He called a tow truck and explained that there were 4 of us. It arrived in about 50 minutes and the car was loaded on and we piled into the truck. It had room for 5 people plus the driver. He was taking us and the car all the way home. We made one stop to go to the bathroom and get a bite to eat and then headed on. We pulled into a bank just 10 minutes from Vic and Linda's house so Vic could get cash to pay the guy. He then realized that his truck was throwing out diesel fuel. It was all over the parking lot of the bank. We then called Richard, Jr. and he came to get us. Vic and Linda offered to put the driver up for the night, but he called a truck from Nashville to come and get him and AAA was coming to get Vic's car and take it off the truck and on to the house. We took Linda home and then headed home. We got here at 11:45, but were in no way ready for bed, so watched Letterman and then another show and finally just put music on and talked. We rolled in to bed at 3 and slept until 10. That was our adventurous day. As frustrating and crazy as it sounds, we actually had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. Today I'll just hang out. R. needs to go to the store to get a few things. The snow is finally gone and I'll clean up the deck. Tonight I'm having fondue and tomorrow I'll make bean soup. Pork and sauerkraut will be next weekend.....Happy New Year's Eve!...Be Safe!

To Nashville

The weather looks fine..a bit of rain but ending soon. It will be in the high 40s. The plan is to go to the Opry Land Hotel in the beautiful atrium, go to Trader Joe's, eat lunch, hang around Nashville and have dinner and then home. We haven't been to Nashville for several years and will be going there again in a few weeks for R's MRI. Weather supposed to get warmer this weekend and I hope to start dedecorating on Sunday.....later.....

Cruise Shopping

Didn't have any luck. Everyone said it would be a week or so before bathing suits and resort wear is in. I did find a cool pair of boots at Ross and got those. I just got home and now we're going out to lunch and then to Kmart and a few other places. Tomorrow we're going to Nashville with Linda and Vic. We'll walk around the newly renovated hotel and then have a light lunch, go to Trader Joe's and then have dinner at an Italian place Vic says is really good and then come home. I need to scoot..R. is ready to go. Oh, the Kennedy Awards were last night and that was really good, but the damn Eagles lost!! We went back and forth between those 2 things...later...Happy anniversary, Jerry and Marice..glad you liked Harry Potter and keep us informed about the new puppy.

PBS American Masters

We watched PBS last night..Glen Gould. It was amazing and we loved every minute of it. I have several of his CDs and saw him with the Cincinnati Orchestra in the 60s. His Goldberg Variations are something I love and to watch him and his technique brings tears. He died at age 50...what a genius! Now, yesterday we went to Lowe's and I found no tile that I like for my bathroom, but then went to this independent tile place and found one I really like. The tile is mainly white..small rectangular tiles with a sapphire blue in the middle of each sq. foot piece. R. thinks I'll be having too much white in the room. I'm putting bead board on the one wall half-way up and my vanity and mirror, etc. will be white as well. Above the bead board will be painted a pale blue. I'll have dark accents in the towels and shower curtain. My bathroom is so small I'm thinking the white will be fine. I'm open to the opinions of my readers. I think Maggie and Muir might want to see Black Swan, since I doubt your husbands will want to see that. Yes, I know I keep saying The King's English and R. corrects me every time, but I just keep saying that. I want to see that also. Today I'll be doing some cleaning up around here. It's very cold this morning..10, so snow is not melting.....later....

Somewhat Normal

Yes, it's still the holiday, but chores today make it seem like a normal week. We're taking R's car to the shop and then head to Lowe's to make some decisions about my bathroom. Now I'm thinking of bead board on the lower half. we'll see. Nothing else going on here. The roads seem clear but very cold so not much melting taking place.....later....

Snow Pictures

A Winter Wonderland

It continued to snow throughout the night. I think we have about 6 inches..maybe more. The birds are very active and it is beautiful. I just walked down to see if our papers were there. The NY Times was not and the Knoxville paper had no ads and just 3 sections...it's such a rag and it certainly wasn't worth my trekking down our driveway. As happens when it snows down here, everything is closed. I didn't see any churches open . Yesterday was fine. Both Richards loved the meal. I did my usual...after a lot of preparation and cooking, I wasn't hungry and just ate a few bites. The guys made up for it. I took some pictures this morning and R. will put them on later. He got me a new phone (which I didn't want because I didn't want to have to deal with calling and having it connected and talking to people who can't speak understandable English). R. is going to do that as well. We'll see how frustrated he gets! I got an Amazon gift card for Christmas and will be putting that into my Amazon account and ordering a few books for my Kindle. I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. I called Anne yesterday evening when I thought they would have landed in LA, but just got her voice mail. I'm assuming they got there without any hassle.....later....The phone just rang and it was Anne. They are in San Diego sitting on their balcony overlooking the beach and people surfing. Anne and Dan are about to take a walk on the beach and later they will all ride bikes on the beach.

Merry Christmas 2010

We have snow and it is still coming down. It looks beautiful! I'm getting a slow start this morning. I did prepare my mushrooms for the individual beef wellingtons and the broccoli is cut for the salad. Next I need to get myself showered and dressed. We started out the morning with a cup of delicious eggnog and then I made a small breakfast. We've been talking to all of the kids this morning and enjoying a nice fire. Anne and family are leaving this afternoon for a week in San Diego. They will be swimming with Beluga Whales again this year. Everyone have a wonderful day and safe holiday!....later....

A Must See!!

True Grit was superb! Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and the girl were all great. The music was great and we loved it. I never saw the John Wayne version, but R. said it was mostly like this one. That's one down of the many movies I want to see...Black Swan, The King's English, Rabbit Hole and a few others. We'll be busy in the next few weeks. Also R. is going to go to Nashville to get a standing MRI of his back. We'll go down and spend the night and eat at J. Alexander's while we're there. We don't have one here. Other than the movie we also had lunch at Olive Garden and then to the Fresh Market. When I got to the meat counter they were on #19 and my number was 51. That was a shorter wait, however, than the check-out line. Next year I'll go first thing in the morning. This morning I got up and went to Kroger's at 7:30. They were out of puff pastry sheets so I had to go to another store. I did a few other things and am home now. R. was still in bed when I got back. He didn't know I was gone. I have NPR on now and am listening as I will be most of the day. I'll be making my Creme Brulee in a bit. We may get a dusting of snow after midnight. To all who read me..have a happy Christmas Eve and a safe one!!...later....

True Grit

We're going into Knoxville this morning..first we'll go to the movies and see True Grit, then to Olive Garden for lunch and finally to the Fresh Market to get the makings for Christmas Day. I'll be having individual Beef Wellingtons, roasted potatoes and either asparagus or Brussel Sprouts. I'm making creme Brulee for dessert and the salad will be Maggie's broccoli salad. R. is over at Richard's setting up his computer and as soon as he gets back, we're off.....later....Oh, yes, dinner last night with Linda and Vic was good and fun!

Quick Blog

I have a lot to do today so this will be short. I finished the beef dish yesterday and it will only need to be reheated tonight. I did the rice and cut up the salad greens. Rice will bake tonight and I'll also be doing mini quiches and sausage balls. Dessert will be French Cakes with vanilla ice cream. Now I need to scoot and clean the kitchen and great room and set my table. It's raining again this morning. R. had a Drs. appointment and then he'll be home to help me. He'll do most of the vacuuming and set the fire for tonight....later....

Cooking and Cleaning

I've been cooking all morning and need to start the cleaning. R. has gone to the store. The eclipse was such a disappointment since it was so cloudy we couldn't even find the moon. It's raining here but we may get a bit of snow on Christmas morning. I really have nothing to say..loved the pictures of Max with Maggie's pregnancy pillow and of J.J. He is a charmer!

We're Back

We had a very good time in Cincy. They have a lot of snow, but roads were all clear. We left Friday morning and stopped in Northern Kentucky and had lunch with Trip and Susan. After that we headed to Anne's and stayed there Friday. Saturday morning Anne and I headed to Ikea and Kroger's. Anne and Dan had their neighborhood Christmas party at their house Saturday evening. We went to lunch at Skyline with Anne and the kids and then headed for Muir's. Trip and J.J. came over and we had a lot of fun playing with the Boy! Here are a few pictures of the weekend. This morning I made French Cakes and am now trying to get some other things done around here. I'm heading out later to finish my shopping and pick up a few things at Kroger's and then to the gym....later....

Ice and Lots of It!

Went to bed late, so got up late...about 8:30. Ice everywhere! We bring the one bird feeder in at night and I wasn't about to chance walking out on the deck to put it back. R. did and he didn't fall. Temp is above freezing now, but just. It's 53 degrees in the Smokies. That's hard to believe. I'll just be snuggling by the fire and reading today. I'll be making onion soup later. R. is going to make a few banana nut breads. I need to pack for our trip tomorrow to Cincinnati. ....later....

Cookie Decorating

I made my sugar cookies this morning. I only baked half the recipe. I froze the other half and will save that for Valentine's Day. I really don't like decorating them..probably because I'm no artist and also it's a messy job. I had food coloring everywhere. Anyway, they are cute even if they do look like a five year old decorated them! The bad weather isn't supposed to hit until this evening so I will be going to the gym for the first day since I was sick. I feel excited to be getting back! R. is out doing some errands and it's cold, but I'm not sure what the temp is. .....later....

Richard's Colonoscopy

We left a bit after 7 this morning and he was out of there by 10:15. From there we went to IHOP for breakfast. I brought him home (even though he wanted to tag along with me) and went back out to do some more shopping. I made 4 stops and am home quickly. Had he gone with me we would have been there forever. I knew what I wanted and got those items and left. He likes to look around at EVERYTHING! I'll let him do that when I'm not with him. I'll do some more wrapping in a bit. Very frigid this morning..almost, but not quite a record. It was 9 and 8 is the record. Tomorrow we're supposed to get rain, sleet and ice, but turning to rain only on Thursday. I'm hoping that will be the same in Kentucky and Ohio as we plan to drive up there Friday morning.....later....

Pay Back Time

We watched tv last night until 11 and I was about to go to bed when R. said to stay in the great room and watch the fire. We turned on music and watched the fire and the tree and didn't go to bed until after 2 a.m. What were we thinking? I bounded out of bed this morning when I saw that it was totally light outside and it was 7:30. I could have stayed in bed for a few more hours, but I got up and am doing laundry, etc. I also made some cookie dough and will make another batch of dough for another type of cookie later. We got about 2 inches of snow and it is really very pretty. All of the schools around here are closed. R. is having a colonoscopy tomorrow so today is his fun day of no food and lots of bathroom time. I'll be late posting tomorrow as we have to be at the hospital by 7:30...very cold this morning....later...

Never Say Die!

As a Bengal fan I hope they can pull off a win today..not likely since they have been awful lately, but one can always hope. Yesterday was a very productive day. We got the tree up and trimmed and cleaned off the deck and covered all of the chairs. R. met Jim and Tommie at Lowe's and they bought a light bar for our great room. As soon as they got back here I started dinned and they started installing. I made Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and peas..warm and comforting. After dinner Tommie and I cleaned up and Jim finished the light bar. When he turned it on it was great, but showed my dirty mirror. R. is going back to Lowe's today to get a dimmer switch for it. It's great to have friends who can do anything and Jim is one of those friends. We're supposed to get some snow later today. I'll spend the day indoors and get some gifts wrapped. I have a few things to do this weekend. I need to make salted pecans and next week I'll make French Cakes. Maggie borrowed the French Cake iron 2 years ago and never returned it, but Muir brought it to her place last week and I'll get it when I'm up there next weekend. I think I'll just make half a batch. ......later...

Decorate the Tree Day

We will be decorating the tree today and also cleaning off the deck, covering chairs, taking up the rug, etc. Jim and Tommie may come over and if they do I'll make dinner. I have cranberry crunch in the oven now. It's the fastest and easiest dessert and so yummy! If you have a Joy of Cooking it's on pg. 901. On the health front I have a classic case of bronchitis and she put me on an antibiotic..a four day deal. I never take antibiotics, so I should be much better in no time. Other than that I have nothing, but need to get busy. Rain expected later this evening and through the night with snow coming tomorrow. We're expected to get about 2 inches down here in the valley. The mountains will get much more.....later....

To the Drs.

I decided to call the Dr. today for an appointment. I hate the weekend to come and me not feeling well, so I'll be going later this morning. I feel okay, but no better than yesterday and I coughed a lot last night in spite of the pills she gave me. This is getting tiresome. Other than that R. has gone off to Lowe's to get a light bar for our living room. Every year we complain that we can't see the mantle at night, but have never done anything about it. Jim is going to install it for us..he is qualified so that will be good. I'll feed him in exchange for that. All is set for our cruise. We'll be going to Ft. Lauderdale a few days early and hang out around there. Nothing much else to report....later....

The Power of a Pill

R. picked up my medicine yesterday and I took one at 4 and another before bed. I slept all night without waking up hacking and blowing. At 6:30 R. asked me how I felt and I actually felt okay even at that hour. When I got up I kept feeling well..and peppy. I'm still going to stay in today, but will do some much needed jobs around here. R. called me hard-headed because I didn't call the Dr. earlier. Anyway, it feels so good to feel good and have some energy. R. will be spending time trying to get our flight for our cruise straightened out. The flight we booked doesn't give us enough time to get to the boat so we will have to go to Lauderdale a day or two earlier. That should be fun. we'll rent a car and do stuff down there for a few days....later....

Still Home Bound

Finally bit the bullet and called the Dr. this morning. She called me in some cough meds and wants to see me if it doesn't help. I am feeling somewhat better, but really still hacking and blowing. Very cold here this morning..about 10. We're getting our 3rd load of wood this evening. We've been having wonderful fires. We plan to decorate the tree on Saturday. Oh, also, R. booked us a cruise from Jan 30 -Feb 6th. We'll be going to Cozumel, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Key West. I've been to Grand Cayman and love it and have always wanted to see Key West. I won't get off the ship at Ocho Rios..have no desire to be hassled by Jamaicans. It's an Italian line ship and we are excited...our first cruise. Getting plane tickets these days is such a big hassle. We get one way tickets to Ft. Lauderdale for $39., but by the time they add on baggage fees, convenience fees, seat fees, etc. it turns out to be about $70. one way. I told R. to tell them I didn't need a seat fee..I would stand. It's a pretty short flight. They get you every which way they possibly can!!!.....later....

I'm Over It

The misery, not the cold. I may break down and call the Dr. today because I'm getting worse instead of better. Jerry, I had a similar thing 2 years ago and all went well. I really had no pain afterwards and didn't even need crutches or a walker. Hope all goes well with you. Muir, I feel your pain, but he does mean well and is so sweet. It did make me laugh...because it wasn't me! It's snowing here again this morning and looks pretty but is mighty cold. Keep well and warm!....

It's a Zoo Around Here

Now in addition to all of the birds we feed and the squirrels and opossum, we have a raccoon. He came last night before we went to bed. I went out and chased him away. He kind of ambled away from the seed, but was back in a few minutes and he's quite large. I'll keep putting the suet away at night and make sure there is corn for them. A bit more snow this morning...nothing to worry about, but very cold. And speaking of cold..my cold will not go away and I didn't sleep well last night..kept coughing. I'm so over this, but have decided I need to just stay home and rest and hope that will be all I need. I think going out Saturday in the rain and rushing here and there did not help. Watched Boardwalk Empire last night..sorry the season has ended. We now have a DVR, so I'll be able to see all of my favorites which I have been missing....later....

Snow Flurries

We had a dusting when I got up. Now a flurry or two, but more in the mountains. Yesterday was a terrible day to be out and about, but we went anyway. Started at Sam's and then to Michaels and Rafferty's. I really loved the movie, but I couldn't sit in the handicap seats with R. and R, Jr. The seats in front of me were to tall and cut off part of the screen for me so I moved to the regular level and sat alone. That was probably a good thing because Blossers love to talk and make comments during movie watching. It drives me nuts. Neither of them read the book and they thought it was a bit long in parts...I disagreed. God, Voldemort is so evil looking as is Bellatrix!! After the movie we went to the Fresh Market and then home and a nice warm fire. We watched Auburn kill South Carolina and then Va. Tech beat Fla. State. Great football endings. Now we're waiting to see who Tech will play in the Orange Bowl. We were thinking it could be W. Va. and I hope that's not the case. I would feel guilty for rooting for Tech and I like both teams. Today..I'll do a pot roast for dinner and snuggle up and read....later.....

Harry Potter..Here I Come....

We're off to Knoxville this morning. First to Sam's and then eat lunch at Rafferty's and then to the movie with some stops after that..probably The Fresh Market. We're supposed to get a rain/snow mix, but mostly rain. The mystery about the suet is solved. We were sitting in the great room and R. looked out and the cutest opossum was sitting on the railing. She had the biggest eyes. When I opened the door she just looked at me and then went on to eat the suet. I forgot to bring it in when we went to bed and this morning one whole cake was gone and half the corn was eaten. I know she's not hungry. I'm hoping Muir and Bubba got off and is safely on their way to Maggie's in Columbus. Muir, bring the French Cake Iron home with you because I would like to make some this year. I'll get it when I come up and then give it back to you guys for next year......later....

Feeling Fine

Finally after a bad sore throat last night. I took a Tylenol 3 and gargled with salt water. I slept great and am fine this morning. We're about to go to Hobby Lobby and then back home to enjoy our Friday. I got most of the indoor decorating done yesterday. R. is going to finish outside today. Tomorrow we'll go to Knoxville to see the Harry Potter movie, go to Sam's, eat lunch at Raffertys and make a few other stops. We also got DVR installed yesterday so we will no longer have conflicts.....later.....

More Misery

I hate having a cold!!! Yesterday I took some cold medicine and just sat around reading and napping all day. Last night we watched Stage Coach on TCM. It was a 1939 movie with John Wayne and very good. The night before we watched PBS and Celtic Christmas. It's reruns this week on most of the shows we watch. Today I'm going to attempt to get a big part of the inside decorating done. R. is bringing up the bins from downstairs and then he has to go to R.Jr. to deal with his computer problems. I need him to finish up the outside stuff. I need to call our leaf guy. Most of the leaves are finally down. Again this year we have some creature that comes after dark and eats the suet. This year we also got corn which was never eaten before, but is being munched on every night. We finally got smart and bring the suet inside at night and it must be a raccoon doing this. I can't think of anything else that would come after dark. I have never seen a raccoon around here and they never bother garbage cans. Our neighbors are slobs and aren't careful about their garbage, so I would think I would see a raccoon sometime. I want to put a camera out on the deck to catch the critter....later....

Rotten Cold

I didn't post earlier because I stayed in bed until 9. I didn't sleep well last night and got up at 4 and took cough medicine. R. went to Walmart and just got back. I finally got up at 9 and watched some tv and read and fell back to sleep. I feel better now and will be even better by tomorrow. Very cold today with some flurries this morning.....later....

Thanksgiving Pictures

Here are the pictures from the weekend. I had another card, but the computer would not recognize them. The dog lying down is a Goldendoodle and the one standing is a Labradoodle. The other pictures are taken at my Nephew's home with family and friends.

Bad Weather Day

We closed the awning yesterday afternoon in anticipation of lots of rain and high winds today. So far we have nothing. It did rain last evening and through the night. I started getting this throat thing yesterday afternoon...not a sore throat, but just a froggy throat. I still have it but nothing else. I haven't had a cold in years..ever since I started getting flu shots. I'm thinking this is really nothing. I need to clean the spare room and make room in the closet for all of the stuff I've been just putting in the room, but not away. I'll also keep going on the decorating. I need help in finding a beautiful piece of music. I have in on an LP, but have never been able to find it on CD. It's by Pablo Cassals and the English name is The Manger. In Spanish it's El Pessibre and I'm not sure of that spelling. I looked on Amazon and got nothing. It's a Christmas Oratorio. To my kids..ask you dad if he has it and where he found it. Anyone else..help! Other than that, I've got nothing....later...oh, R. started to put my latest pictures on the computer. Everything but the latest ones are deleted on my camera, but when he plugs the camera in to the computer all 250 pictures come up. We can't figure this out!..Strange!!

So Much to Do

I'm working on the laundry and have made the start of bean/pasta soup. I need to cut the chicken off the bone and freeze it and then pack up my fall stuff and put that away for another year. I'm really not ready to get out all of my Christmas stuff, but will try to do the outside stuff. R. put up the wreath yesterday and the winter flag is up. Now, here's a suggestion for Bubba's ears. Buck (Stephanie's mom's dog) gets yeast infections and the medicine was quite costly. She heard this vet on t.v. talking about yeast infections in dogs and said to add plain yogurt to the dry food once a day. She has been doing that with great success. That's all I have..we'll get around to the pictures on a not-so-busy day.....later...

Happy Birthday to my baby, Muir!!

Yes, hard to believe. My baby is 40 today. We got home yesterday evening about 5:30. The trip home was longer than usual due to traffic and some delays, but not too bad. We finished listening to Travels With Charley and that was good. Also did some puzzles and listened to music. I have many pictures, but R. probably won't get around to putting them on today and maybe not tomorrow. Lots of stuff to do around here. He left his lights on all night so has to jump his car and fill all of the bird feeders plus several other things. Tomorrow he has a Drs. appointment and will start with the outside Christmas decorations and I need to start taking down the fall decor inside. Last year I wasn't that excited about Christmas, but I'm much better this year. We had an awesome fire last night. R. had to pick R, Jr. up at the airport at 10, but that didn't take long at all. His plane was actually a bit early and he called us when he landed. We're only 20 minutes for the airport so not problem at all. later.....

Happy Thanksgiving

We're at Tim's and they are at the gym and Hayden is running a 5K. When they all return we'll be heading to Jeff and Becky's. It rained a bit this morning, but has stopped, but is chilly. The Labradoodle and the Goldendoodle are here and are just too cute. The lab belongs to Stef's mom and Dad who are in Florida. I want to kidnap him. I'll post pictures when I return. Not much else to say except hope you all are having a great day....later....

And We're Off

I hadn't planned to blog, but I'm dressed, packed and pretty much ready to walk out the door, except for putting things in the car. Rain is coming and I don't know if we'll run into it as we head northeast. Linda thinks we are travelling way too much and we need a dog to keep us anchored at home...I kind of agree. We do want to take a cruise in January or February. Okay..have a great Thanksgiving!!!!!

Busy Day

Besides doing the laundry I'm doing things to get ready to leave tomorrow morning for Va. I've watered my plants and planted my amaryllis and made pita chips to go with the hummus. I have some ironing to do and the laundry to fold. R. is going to vacuum and check the car. It's an 8 hour drive to Tim's house in Ashburn. I'm looking forward to going to Wegman's on Wednesday. To all who read this have a great Thanksgiving and don't eat too much (like anyone will heed that advice). Enjoy!!..I'll be back Saturday.

Great Autumn

After such a shitty summer we're having a great fall. Today only in the low 60s but warm again tomorrow..near 70. It's supposed to get cold next weekend. We've had a fire this weekend because when the sun goes down it gets cool. My split pea soup was delicious and we'll have that again tonight, maybe. I also have half a quiche left and a lot of chicken. We need to get rid of these things before we leave for Virginia. When we get back it will be time to retire my fall decorations for another year and start to pull out Christmas things. I'm really hoping December will be dry with no snow..I want to make it up to Cincinnati around the 15th. Boardwalk Empire tonight on HBO. Lots of good games yesterday with positive results for us. Va. Tech looked very shaky at first, but pulled through. They always seem to start slowly and then come alive....later....

A Beautiful Fall

Another great day. I'll be blowing leaves this afternoon. This morning I'm making stuff to take for Thanksgiving...my cranberry relish and hummus. I'll also be making split pea soup for this weekend. Madison called this morning to tell me she loved the Harry Potter movie and it really followed the book well and didn't leave out anything important. I can't wait to see it, but it will be after we get back from Thanksgiving. She said Max was scared in parts. I've heard it's pretty dark. Another nice "no t.v. evening" last night.....later.....

Busy Morning

I'm off soon to Target and then get a haircut and Kroger's and finally to the library. It's a cool morning, but should be a beautiful day..a good day to be on the go. We had a great fire last night and watched our last Boardwalk Empire that brings us up to date so we can watch on Sunday evening. We really like this series..very dark, but a good look at the Prohibition Era and the politics of the time. Had a good workout yesterday...love the Life Fitness machines at the new gym. .....later.... Oh, I'll bet Madison and other kids are bummed out that the new Harry Potter movie opened on a school night. I'll wager they will all be at the movie tonight!

Not Much to Report

Got the baking done yesterday and read until time to go to the gym. The day was sunny and R. got his chores done around the house. He fixed my birdhouse that I really didn't need fixed until spring, but that's one thing not to do then. Today my big thing was cleaning up my dressing room which is often a depository for all sorts of things. It looked messy, but really isn't taking much time at all. Now all I have to do is dust it and vacuum. Nothing else is going on this a.m. We'll go to the gym this afternoon. A broccoli quiche for dinner. Tomorrow I'll get a haircut and pick up anything I need before leaving for Va. on Tuesday....later....

Baking Today

I've got one cranberry crunch in the oven and will make another to take to Jeff and Becky's for Thanksgiving. I'm also making a banana nut bread to take to Tim and Stef's. I ran out of eggs, so need to run to the store before that is complete. Last night was a bit tv night. We watched another Boardwalk Empire on Demand to catch up and we only have 1 left to watch and we'll be caught up. It is really good..after that we watched Entreatment and finally The Good Wife. My eyes were crossing at the end of the evening with so much tv. Not much else going on today..going to the gym after lunch. Yesterday we left for the gym with a stop at Walmart first. When we left here the sun was shining, but got to Walmart and it was raining. Left Walmart and it was a total washout with rain coming in all directions and high winds. When we got to the gym it was raining too hard to get out of the car so R. drove me to the door...he so sweet. When we were finished with our workout we went to Lowe's and it was sunny again. We looked again for tiles and other things to redo my bathroom. We'll do that after Christmas....later....

I Hit The Jackpot

So yesterday we went to Olive Garden for lunch and just across from Olive Garden is an upscale consignment shop. As we left R. asked me if I wanted to go in there and I replied that I did not, but he thought we should go look. I started looking and found a really nice 3/4 length coat that I liked..It's very classy..more a jacket since it has no buttons, etc. Then I started looking at jackets and I ended up liking a brown suede one and a rose colored one. I asked R. which he liked and he told me to get both. Now I had the 3 items. In the meantime R. was looking around and he started pointing out purses to me. I found 2 that we both liked and he told me to get both of them. Then I announced that I was finished and he wanted me to keep looking, but I didn't. The purses are like new as are the jackets. This place has beautiful stuff and very reasonably priced. I got all of this for 212. and some change. After that we want to Barnes and Nobel's and I got Christmas gifts and then to Sam's. I got a new comfy throw for the back of my chair. My old one is one Muir got me with rabbits on and I love it, but it now has holes in it and is fraying. I won't throw it away. At any rate we spent money yesterday like we really had it. Anyone who likes nice things but is reluctant to spend the money should try out the consignment shops. The quality of the one I was in was very nice...lots of things from Talbots and Chicos and other labels that were well known. Today...rainy. I've made jello and cut up vegetable for snacks and we'll be eating leftovers all week. We also got a chicken at Sam's....later....

No Sun Today

Rain after lunch. We'll be in Knoxville. First we'll go to lunch and then to Sam's. Dinner was good last night..Linda brought cannolis and they were yummy. Not much to report this morning. I'm just finishing up the laundry and then I must get myself ready to go to town....later...

--And the Rains Came

I wet forecast for this week. So far so rain, but it's expected. We had a great Saturday evening. It was touch and go for awhile with Va. Tech and Auburn, but they both pulled it out. I was on the fence about Ohio State and Penn State and also about W. Va and Cincinnati because I like all of them, but I was happy with the outcomes. Brunch is over and the NY Times crossword is solved. Now I need to finish cleaning the kitchen and great room for company tonight. I'm having baked ham, scalloped potatoes and artichoke casserole and I made a cranberry conserve for the salad. Linda is bringing dessert. I guess we'll go to Knoxville tomorrow since we didn't get there Saturday. We had other things going on. Muir..you're driving me crazy..What is the name of that restaurant in Hyde Park? It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't get it out. .....later..

Clean-Up Day

It's another beautiful day..maybe the last for awhile. I'm doing some more cleaning up outside and in. For some reason I've been getting cold at night in spite of our down comforter and a blanket and flannel sheets, so I put another blanket on the bed when I changed it this morning. I didn't say anything to R. about it...he'll probably be too warm. Yesterday I was telling Linda that we were having baked ham on Sunday with scalloped potatoes. She said she loved that, so I invited them over. I was going to have her over next week for roast beef, but we'll do it Sunday with ham instead. I'm making a baked artichoke heart dish for a side. R. just went to the store and he has to get new speakers for his car. One has blown and it is so annoying. We had such a nice evening last night. We put cds on and no t.v. and we put a fire log in for atmosphere. It was too warm for a regular fire. I think it will be cool enough tomorrow evening for a fire. ....later....

TGIF and Beautiful Outside

I'm waiting for it to warm up so I can go out and blow leaves and pine needles from the driveway. I also have some annuals to pull up that I forgot about when I did the cleanup this week. I think I'll walk outside instead of doing the treadmill this afternoon and then I'll go to the pool. I did the other gym yesterday and used ankle weights in the pool. It felt really weird. I'm going to take Linda and Marilyn to the new gym next week on a guest pass. I know they'll like it, but not sure if they'll decided to change. We'll go to lunch first. I think we're going to see a movie tomorrow and lunch and then go to Sam's. I'm making pork fried rice for dinner tonight from the rest of the pork from yesterday's recipe. Oh...Happy Birthday, Charlie. Is there any possibility that your wife will cook you dinner? Oh well, there is always next year! ....later....

Delicious Recipe

We
had this for dinner last night and it was delicious. I'm printing the full recipe which serves 4, but I halved it. Also, I cut down on the red pepper flakes and it was quite spicey. I liked it, but R. thought it was a bit too hot for him.
Combine the 1st 8 ingredients for the sauce: 3 T. cornstarch
1 t. sugar
1 t. red pepper flakes*(this may be way too hot unless you really like it spicey)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 t. dark sesame oil
Combine 1 # pork tenderloin that has been cut for stir fry and combine with 1 T. cornstarch and 1 T. vegetable oil.
Spray pan with vegetable oil and saute 2 cloves garlic, minced and 2 t. grated ginger root. Add pork until no longer pink. Add 4 cups broccoli florets, 3 cups sliced mushrooms, 1 carrot that has been julienned. Saute until done to your desire and return pork to pan. Add the sauce and put on 1 1/2 cups sliced green onions. Serve with brown rice.
This was a recipe from Cooking Light from several years ago. I hope you like it as much as we did. There was extra and I just had that for lunch. I actually used 1/2 of a pork tenderloin and made extra rice. Tomorrow night I will be having pork fried rice with the remains of the rice and other half of the tenderloin. For those of you who don't like mushrooms, eliminate them or pick them out. Enjoy!

Happy Veteran's Day

The veteran's I know personally are few and they don't read my blog, but I'll post something on Facebook later. Not much going on here. The compressor went out on my Caddy and I'll pick that up on the way to the gym this afternoon. At least it didn't happen in the heat of the summer. I don't know why compressors don't last longer, but they don't seem to. R. got all of the shrubs trimmed yesterday and I got the rest of my pots, etc put away. The next thing we have to do is close the awning. We'll do that before we go away for Thanksgiving. I'm feeling really bad for Maggie...I know she is totally over being sick every day. This should end soon as she is at 12 weeks. Then she can enjoy being pregnant! I hate more than anything to throw up and I wasn't really didn't suffer too much from morning sickness, but I can only imagine. I need to get showered and do a few chores around here.....later...

A Misstep

I did write my blog yesterday, but I must have forgotten to press the publish key..sorry. For today...Happy Anniversary, Maggie and Charlie and thank you for the pictures of Baby Bean. It's amazing how far we have come. It seems like it was the dark ages when my kids were born! It's a beautiful morning and will be lovely and warm again today. This morning I cleaned vegetables for snacks and prepared veggies and pork for tonight's pork stirfry. As soon as it warms up a bit more I'll be doing the rest of the cleanup on the deck. We watched a good show on Nova last night about dogs and wolves and then Entreatment and The Good Wife. Tonight nothing on so we'll catch up on Boardwalk Empire....later....

I Love Controversy

Thank you Muir, for spicing up my not so exciting life. My comment on Facebook caused a firestorm of comments and I love it! Joel and Gina...what can I say? Gina is all about Steeler's 6 wins...Other than that, we had a delicious dinner and time with Linda and Vic. The Paella was so good and colorful and the conversation was fun. It's cold again this morning, but warming up to the 60s and on to the 70s later this week. That will give us a chance to finish up on fall cleanup. I'm pretty sure the Bengals will not win tonight, but you can never tell....later....

Really Cold!!

It was in the 20s when I got up at 5:30. I went to bed at 10, but that is 9 now and I woke up early. It will take me a few days to adjust. Anyone who knows us knows that we sleep in a very cold room...no heat and both ceiling fans on all winter. If it gets too cold I'll turn on the heat to 50 so we don't ice over, but I didn't do that last night. I woke up with my feet freezing and inched over to R. to warm them up, but his feet were colder than mine. It's time to get out the heating pad which I put at my feet and use it when it is too cold. We'll be going to Linda's around 4 this afternoon and it should be about 51 at that time. I made a frozen dessert...I should have made a warm one. The Bengal's play the "shit-sucking Steelers" (that's Muir's term in her blog, not mine, but I agree) tonight. Anyway...have a good day...later....

Good Soup

It was yummy and there is a lot left, so we'll be eating it this weekend. Very cold this morning, but not quite freezing. The movie I wanted to see..Catfish..is gone, so we're not going to Knoxville. We may finally trim the shrubs when it warms up a bit. We'll also be watching some football, golf and the Breeder's Cup. I'll be making the dessert for tomorrow and getting in some reading. I guess I'll do some dreaded ironing.....later....

Soup Day

I left this morning as soon as it started to get light and went to Walmart for a few things I need. I was there and back before R. knew I was gone. I'm making minestrone soup for this evening and I need to make the dessert for Sunday at Linda's. It has to be frozen so I'll put it together today. It's a sunny day but quite chilly...in the 40s. Our new garage door opener is installed and it is much quieter than the last one. The Va. Tech/Ga. Tech game was a cliff hanger, but Tech pulled it off in the last minute..Va. Tech, that is! We have a meeting at 2 about changes in our insurance and at 4 we need to watch the Breeder's cup on ESPN. This great horse has never lost a race...I forget the name....TGIF..like it really means anything to us!....later...

It's Always Something

First something..I just read about Muir's dog, Sami, having a seizure. I know that was scary, but it doesn't happen often. This was her 3rd one on 3 years. Nothing so dramatic for us...on Monday when R. came back from the store the garage door opener went kaput. He later went to Lowes and got a new one and we've been waiting for them to come and install it. We were going to go to the gym this afternoon, but of course that is when the installer is coming. R. had decided that this morning was when we were going to trim the shrubs and do some additional fall put-away. I told him it was supposed to rain and it did. It started last evening and has been raining since. However, it is supposed to turn sunny this afternoon so I guess we'll stick around here and do the trimming and wait for the installer guy. Tomorrow afternoon we have to go to a meeting at the library about changes in our health insurance. As I said, it's always something. I'm still hoping that we make it to a movie on Saturday and Sunday we're going over to Linda and Vic's for dinner. Linda is making paella and I'm taking dessert. I'm lazy this morning. I woke up at my usual time...about 6, but decided to stay in bed and I went back to sleep and didn't get up until 7:26. Good for me!....later....

Fall Cleanup

After a few errands I spent yesterday doing some fall cleanup chores. I pulled out annual plants from my pots and emptied and cleaned them and put them in the shed and put away other things and then cleaned out the bird feeders and R. filled them and we very shortly had a chickadee and a titmouse. Nothing else yet. R. is going to disconnect the hoses today in preparation for a hard freeze this weekend. I also blew the leaves off the deck. Ken brought us our first rick of wood yesterday and will bring another this weekend. This morning I did a bit of cleaning up around here. My kitchen fan was filthy and I cleaned that and dusted around the house. It's gloomy and chilly this morning with possible showers this afternoon. Nothing much else to report...I think we're going to Knoxville Saturday to see a movie...later...

Election Day..Thank God!!

This morning I actually watched Mike and Mike and then an infocommercial just to avoid listening to all of the election shit and have you EVER been more fed up with ads??? Anyway, we'll vote this morning although there are about 4 democrats in East Tennessee. After that R. is going to do grocery shopping and I'm going to the library and Target and then come home to take in pots, get out bird feeders, etc. I'll post some more vacation pictures.....

Picture of our Trip

I'll start to put on some of our pictures. Not much going on...I had a huge amount of laundry and am still working on that. R. just left for an appointment with the eye doctor...to the gym this afternoon...

Unpacking

We got home yesterday before 4: It was an 8 hour day with stops for lunch, gas and a Dairy Queen. We unpacked the car and the food, but the bags are still packed and I have that to do today along with getting everything else put away. We just watched Auburn (War Cam Eagles) trounce Ole Miss. It was a great game and then we watched Entreatment on HBO. I gave out after that and went to bed. R. stayed up and then came to bed and watched a movie, but I was gone. I woke up at 5 this morning and got up then. R. slept until almost 9. I made pancakes, bacon and eggs...our last meal before really hitting the diet trail. Cool here this morning, but going to 70. Our driveway is littered with pine needles and leaves. We have lots of yard work to get to this week before it turns colder this coming weekend. We both did so love our vacation. It was a beautiful time of year...much brighter with all of the maples than down here and seeing lots of things we hadn't seen before was fun....later....Oh, yes...Happy Halloween Everyone!

Stressful Day

It all started out fine and we were off at 8:30. It was a pretty, but chilly morning. We got on the Taconic Parkway in NY..a lovely highway with no trucks. We then saw a sign for Hyde Park and FDR's home and museum. R. wanted to stop and I wanted to see it also, but hated to delay our trip. It cost us a few hours and we were a bit disappointed. His home is so dreary and dark with horrible furnishings. Everything is dark..rugs, curtains and the furniture is big and ugly. The King and Queen of England stayed there in 1939 and Churchill also stayed there. The bedrooms were nothing even remotely elegant. Sara must have been tight as a tick. The furniture in the bedrooms was so everyday! Anyway, we saw it and then were on our way. We took a different route than when we came and it was good..not too stressful, but as it got later and construction around Harrisburg...I was ready to stop. We are in Maryland..Haggerstown, I think. We were going to eat at Olive Garden but there was a long wait, so we ate Chinese. I just had soup and an egg roll. R. had the buffet. We are in the motel and I'm very anxious to get home tomorrow. We had a great time, but it's time to be home. .....later.....

Our Last Day

We will be leaving tomorrow morning. I'm not sure how far we'll drive, but we'll try to go the longest distance tomorrow so we can get home somewhat early on Saturday. Yesterday it rained most of the day. We went to Tanglewood and then had lunch and after that we went to Edith Wharton's home. It is in the process of being restored, so not all of the rooms were finished. The grounds were just amazing...such a great piece of property. Not sure what we'll do today...lunch shortly and this afternoon I'll start getting things together....later....

A Perfect Day

Yesterday we headed out to do more exploring. It was warm and sunny and the foliage was beyond beautiful. We stopped first in Williamstown where Williams College is (Madison...this would be a college to consider). I loved that town and we also ate there...lobster rolls for both of us. From there we headed toward Shelburne Falls going east. It was a beautiful drive and when we got there we went across The Bridge of Flowers. It's a walking bridge with flowers on both sides of the walkway. I took lots of pictures which I will post when I get home. Today it's raining and we're headed to Tanglewood and Edith Wharton's home...The Mount. I want to stop at the Yankee Candle outlet to get some tarts, but other than that not much. It's warm again this morning. We ate lunch outside yesterday. I'm running out of light shirts. I brought mostly things for cold weather. Tomorrow is our last day here..not sure what we'll do. We may go the the MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams.....later

Bash Bish Falls

Yesterday we started out here to get on the internet and then we had lunch at a brew pub. From there we headed toward Bash Bish Falls. It's in Mass., but we went into Connecticut and New York to get there. The foliage was beautiful and when we got to the site there were 3 ways to view the falls..I looked at the first way and it was down 1/2 mile and a steep decline meaning that a steep incline back..not for me. The second way was just as bad..climbing over rocks. We drove down the road to check out the 3rd way. It was 3/4 of a mile and R. really wanted to try it in spite of his back, so we did it. Getting there was a it tough, but worth the beautiful view. The way back was easier..so glad we did it. Today we'll be going to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Lennox and also Edith Wharton's home and garden. It's warmer today..about 60 and tomorrow will be 70. We're loving the quaint towns and the scenery is beautiful....later....

It's Cold Here

It's Sunday about noon and plans today are after doing stuff on the computer we'll go to a pub for lunch and then do some grocery shopping. Yesterday we went to Greylock Mountain and it was really beautiful. It was sunny, though chilly. I'll have pictures when I get home. The resort is large and in Lee, Mass. Our unit is very nice..rustic decor. It would be perfect if it only had a fireplace. I love all of the towns around here..you go from one to another and they are all clean with cute houses, shops, etc. I went into a kitchen store yesterday and drooled. They had everything you could possibly imagine for a kitchen and a lot of things beyond imagination. On the way back to Lee we just missed a gigantic wreck of some kind. There were 3 fire trucks, 3 ambulances and about 10 police cars. We turned around, but had no idea how to get to Lee and our atlas was in our unit. We pulled into a funeral home and asked the director how we could get back to Lee. He gave us great directions and we got back. Okay...I have to give you my original recipe. I dreamed this 2 nights ago. Take a large sirloin steak and put cinnamon rolls on top of this, add sauteed brussel sprouts and pour 1 bottle of red wine on top and bake. Let me know how it turns out for you...remember it's original with me and I want all of the credit. R. thinks I'm writing the great American novel, I'll close and be back in a few days....later...

We're Here

The trip up was uneventful...81 for over 8 hours was busy with trucks, but no delays. We stayed in Allentown, Pa. last night at a Sleep Inn (no bedbugs) and the room was really nice with a king bed. We ordered food in to our room and that was also very good. Today we drove up through New York and the fall foliage was beautiful, but as soon as we hit Massachusetts, it was spotty...some gone and some pretty. We aren't in our place yet but waiting for it to be ready. No connection in our rooms, so if we connect we have to come down to this area, so it may be hit and miss. It is cold!!! in the low 40s and windy. I'm glad I brought my winter coat. Hope to talk to you on and off....later....

We're Off

Just a note to say we're off soon. We'll be staying somewhere in Pa. tonight..probably around Hershey or Harrisburg. I'm going to be on bed bug watch! Talk to you all soon...Let me know about Bubba, Muir.....later....

Busy Day

R. has gone for his dentist appointment..cleaning. I'm packing, cleaning up the house, etc. I went to the new gym yesterday and love it! It is definitely state of the art. I guess it's a great incentive to get there. Today is my day for the old one and although it is really nice and super clean, etc., it will feel dingy next to the new one. We're eating leftovers this week trying to get rid of things in the frig. For some reason it seems like Monday morning to me. I didn't wake up until almost 7 and that is because we watched The Good Wife and then The Tonight Show. We've got to get a Tivo. After Jeopardy there was nothing on until 10. I read and R. putted around. I may or may not post tomorrow. I'm hoping we will be able to get connected, but if not, I'll be back on the 30th. Remember, I have my phone and will welcome calls....later....

Haircut and Chores

I'm off this morning to get a haircut, go to Walmart, make a few other stops and then come home to see what needs to be done here. I've already ironed and have a bunch of stuff packed. The weather in the north will be quite chilly with 50s during the day and 20s and 30s at night. It takes a lot more room to pack long pants, sweaters, long sleeves than shorts and t-shirts. Yesterday we changed out most of the cds in our cases to different ones that we haven't heard in ages. I'm not confident that we'll have internet service in Mass. We'll take the computer but if you don't hear from me you'll know we couldn't connect. I need to get moving.....later...

I Don't know what Happened

I just wrote a somewhat long blog, but it didn't print. I have no idea what happened and I really don't feel like re-writing it. To summarize, I rejoined the gym I quit on Friday and now belong to 2 gyms. My chores are complete for today, but I need to help R. with the trimming of the shrubs. ....later...

Beautiful Weekend

Birthday Week

Tim's birthday was on the 13th, Maggie's was yesterday and Trip's is today as was my Mother's. It was always a busy time for us. Happy birthday, Trip. I talked to him this morning and also to Maggie. Also talked to Anne, but no birthdays at her house. It has always been a tradition to sing to my kids the first thing in the morning. When they were at home I always woke them up with "Happy Birthday". Now I still do the song thing, but not first thing in the morning. Yesterday when R. and I sang on Maggie's answering machine we were both in a different key and then started laughing. I had to explain that we really weren't drunk. Another beautiful fall day today. Yesterday was a day of football. We watched Auburn, Kentucky and Ohio State. Two of the outcomes were good, Ohio State a disappointment. R. just left to go to Walmart to have the tires rotated, etc. for our trip. We will leave on Thursday and drive part way. I made a delicious Risotto with shrimp, mushroom, etc. yesterday and today I'm doing a pork tenderloin marinated in bourbon and other things.......later....

Maggie's Day

Happy Birthday, Maggie!!
Hope you feel great and have fun all day. It is beautiful down here. I will be watering and trimming my house plants and bringing them inside today and then I'll work on my little houses that will be part of the mantle display at Christmas. We had our first fire last night and it was so nice. We stayed up late just to enjoy and watch it.....later....

Morning Interrupted

Yep, it happened again. R. got up before 6 and when I got up he had PBS on loud and it was playing Alexander's Ragtime Band! I understand he has a right to put the tv on what he chooses, but it really gets my morning off to a less than pleasant start. After that he put on Imus..also very loud. I ate at left...got my shower and am in the process of changing the bed and putting on flannel sheets and my winter comforter. It is about 40 here this morning. I need to bring in my house plants from outdoors this weekend. I'll need to do some ironing this weekend. We leave on Thursday for the Berkshires where I'm sure it will be a bit chillier than down here. Today is my last day at my old gym. I'll miss a lot of the people I talk with every time I'm there....later....

More Fall Like

It was cooler yesterday..more like Fall is supposed to be. We got rain and thunder during the night and it's still just a tad rainy, but supposed to be lovely and sunny. I'm going to walk outside this afternoon instead of going to the gym. I'm also taking a bunch of my craft stuff which hasn't been used and I'll never get around to it..to the Boys and Girls Club. I called them yesterday and they love to get that kind of stuff. R. is going to do his closet today and more things around. Looking ahead to our trip next week..This Nor'easter which is headed in that direction will likely take down all of the remaining leaves, so we probably won't be seeing the fall leaves we hoped to see. I just hope the rainy weather will be gone by then. We had enough of that in Williamsburg!....later...

I Have Nothing

Well a shout out to Tim on his birthday. R. has gone to Walmart and I have some things to look for on the computer...I need to get some info about my Kindle and I cleaned out shelves yesterday and found several craft kits that I know I'll never get around to. I'm going to try and donate them to Boys and Girls Club. This afternoon...time to get back to the gym! Watched The Good Wife last night...one of my favorites....later....

Library and Chores

Here are a few of the pictures from this weekend..all with J.J. Today I'm doing things around here. I have to move my craft things to another location so that R. will have room for his clothes. I've been to the library and Kroger's and the laundry is finished except for folding. I also cleaned vegetables for our afternoon snack.....later

Super Duper Weekend

It was a Great weekend! We got to Trip and Susan's around 3 and shortly after that went to pick up the J Bird at pre-school and from there we went to the farm for a hayride, pumpkin picking and just a lot of fun. The weather was great and J.J. is a hoot. After that we ate dinner and then home and to bed for J.J. and watched the Reds get murdered. Saturday Maggie and Charlie came and later Muir came over. We had so much fun just talking and watching the antics of J.J. He is so cute and does he love his balls...football, soccer, base or any such ball. He has the best eye-hand coordination ..better than most 5 or 6 yr. olds. We headed for Anne and Dan's around 5 and they took us to J. Alexanders for a great dinner. Everyone had roast beef except for me. I had chicken salad and wildrice with orzo. It was enough to save for lunch on Sunday. When we got home we sat out on their back porch until after 11 just talking with Anne and the kids. Sunday morning Anne made breakfast and then we headed for Muir and Jim's. We sat out on the porch until time to watch the Bengal's. It's time to get rid of Carson Palmer. They should have won, but they threw that game away. It was disgusting! After the game we ate and then watched the Reds lose. They are a young team and weren't expected to go that far this year. They'll be back stronger than ever next year. We got up this morning and took off for home about 8:30. We're home now and unpacked. Jerry, a belated birthday!! Believe it or not, I thought of you last week and was pretty certain your birthday was on the 10th. I was right. I wasn't sure how old you were..so I'm 11 years older than you. Hope you had a great day! I'll have some pictures to post when R. gets around to doing it...maybe tomorrow. They are all of J.J. ........later

Off to See My Kids and Grandkids!!

I'm packed for the weekend and will shower in a bit. R. has gone to Walmart for a few things. We'll leave around 11 for the 4 hour trip to Trip and Susan's. I guess we'll watch the Reds win tonight!! Maggie and Charlie come tomorrow and in the late afternoon we'll go to Anne and Dan's and then to Muir and Jim's on Sunday...home on Monday. The big bonus will be the grandkids! It's a nice day already. I finished Jennifer Weiner's latest book...Fly Away Home yesterday. Very good..recommended for chicks. Now I'm back to finish The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest which is on my Kindle. I was going to wear my brown pants, but changed my mind when I realized that the Reds play tonight. I'll wear blue pants with my Reds t-shirt...later...

Bruce Springstein on HBO

Tonight at 9...it should be good. R. keeps pestering me to watch less tv, but I have my favorites and don't want to give them up. Last night it was The Middle and Modern Family. We did turn it off after that and I read while R. did a puzzle. The next time I go to the library I'm going to get him a bunch of books to read so he won't bug me about it. Finally getting to 80 today. I made Veggie soup this morning and while I was doing it, R. called me out to see a dog on the deck. It was off the deck, but it was a Beagle that I had seen baying in the woods. I sat down on the step and called him. He came down wagging his tail, but wouldn't come to me. There was another black dog in the yard by the swing. I called him, but he looked at me and then walked away. The Beagle kept looking back at me. Maybe he'll come back. He does have a collar on and I don't have designs on him, I just want to pet him. Maggie called shortly after 7 this morning and R. was up, but I was in dreamland when the phone rang. I was walking on the beach with Dan and I was walking their dog who was a Yorkie. Dan was taking me to lunch at a place called The Lion's something or other that I can't remember. It was raining and then the phone rang and I couldn't figure out why there was a phone in the middle of the beach. R. and I are about to stack wood. I need to go to the store later and get something light for dessert tonight. Jim and Tommie are coming to share soup with us.....later....

Love Going to Bubba

Muir's dog has a tumor on his head and it is cancer, but hopefully the treatment will shrink the tumor and then it will be more treatable. He is such a sweet dog and we have a special feeling for him because we rescued him and he was a pal of Wolfie's. He gets lots of love and attention and he is in good hands...much better hands than when he was running loose down here as Dale! So today should warm to about 70. I'm sure it will get hot again since I got all of my cold weather clothes out and put the warm weather ones away. I did keep some out. I got all of my chores done, so will get some reading done this morning and then go to the gym this afternoon....later.....

No Complaints

About the cold mornings, that is. Even colder this morning, but warmed up the house. Just hoping for some sunshine today..not much yesterday. I got some weeding done and pulled down the morning glories from the trellis as they had mostly gone to seed. Also brought in some beautiful zinnias. R. threw up all of the old wood onto the pad where the hot tub had been. Today we'll stack and cover it. I've started switching my warm weather clothes for cold weather ones, but leaving some up here. The chair lift is a big help in bringing the crates upstairs and R. does most of the other toting for me, so it's not really such a big job. I'll just take my time and then this afternoon I'll do some ironing. Commenting on Melonis in Uniontown...we also really like it..one of the best. I've never had the veal, but I love veal, but never get it anymore because I think of those poor little calves. I baked some spaghetti squash this morning and we'll have that with salmon and broccoli tonight...diet time....later....

Brrrr!

Got up this morning and put the heat on to warm up the house and then turned it back off after about 20 minutes. I'm not sure what I'll do today..the laundry is done, dishwasher emptied and I'm watching golf with high hopes. Later I'll pull down the morning glories and pull up some of the other flowers that are looking tired and also do some weeding. Tomorrow is the day I'll put away my summer clothes and get out the warmer ones...always a job I dread, but never takes as long as I think it's going to take. The chili was perfect for last night and there is enough left for tonight. Talked to Trip and will head up there Friday afternoon. He doesn't want me to bring the Eggplant Parm. as we will eat out, but it's a much too big portion for just us, so I may take it anyhow and take it to Muir's. /R. also has a lot to do today starting with bringing up the old wood and making room for the new wood when Ken delivers it. Also the basement is a mess and we have to straighten that out. ....later....

Sports Weekend

Golf, football, baseball...what a weekend. Va. Tech won and played great at the end, but it was scary for awhile. The poor Vols lost due to a penalty and that was really sad. The Reds won and we're enjoying the Ryder Cup. More of the same today. Breakfast is over and it's chilly and rainy. I didn't think we were supposed to get rain, but here it is. The humming bird is still here and I think she should get going before it gets too late. I told R. I wanted to capture her and drive her to Mexico so she wouldn't be in danger. And to Muir..we'll keep our fingers crossed for Bubba and we plan to stay at Trip's until Trip and Charlie leave for the game...still haven't heard from Trip to confirm....Chili for dinner tonight....later....

There's No Place Like Home

We really had such a good time...in spite of the weather, but home looked mighty fine. Today I'll be unpacking and cleaning up around here. We've been watching the Ryder Cup this morning and R. will be going to the store sometime today. The flowers and everything look good...thank you, Linda. I made more food for the humming birds although I'm sure they will be leaving. I can't believe they are still here...actually only the females are still here. I thought they were gone, but we saw one last evening. I got home and told R. that I missed my kids, so I guess(if it's okay with them) we'll be headed to Cincy next weekend. As it turns out, Maggie and Charlie are coming down to Trip's where Trip and Charlie will go to the Kentucky/Auburn game on Saturday. I'm thinking that we will go to Trip's on Friday and stay until about 4 and then head over to Anne's for the rest of Saturday and then on Sunday morning we'll head to Muir's and leave her place to come back home on Monday morning. I've only talked to Maggie about this so far. That will kill 4 birds with one stone with a plus for also being with grandkids and spouses! I'm not sure what games will be on today. I hope we will get Va. Tech and NC State and the Reds.....later....

Heading Home

We'll be leaving here this morning..hopefully by 8 a.m. The heavy rain from yesterday is gone with just a bit of drizzle and light rain. They got over 10 inches of rain yesterday..it never let up. We turned off the tv after jeopardy, so missed The Big Bang which I really love. I had weird dreams last night..we were having a yard sale at a cemetery and I had to drop off a few more items which were already there and I needed to stop by the local school and invite the 5th and 6th grades to come to the sale. I'm not sure where that came from..but we were flying out to Texas for the weekend. Okay, I need to have my coffee and then get myself together. We're mostly packed up except for the refrigerated stuff and then load up the car....later...

And the Rains Came....

This week of weather has been unbelievable. It rained all day Monday and Tuesday morning, but cleared the rest of Tuesday. Yesterday more all day rain. We did drive to Yorktown and took a car tour of the battlefield. Today there is rain everywhere and lots of flooding..that mostly down toward Norfolk and schools are closed all around. I guess we'll stay in today. We did go to dinner last night to a nice place and had delicious prime rib. Last night we watched 2 of my favorite shows...The Middle and Modern Family. Today I'll start to get things together for the trip home tomorrow. We had thought we would stop in Blacksburg for the night, but I think we'll go all the way. It really isn't that bad of a drive...about 9 hrs. to home. I'm missing hearing from my kids. I usually connect with them on and off during the week. I at least hear from Muir through her blog. I doubt that I'll blog tomorrow..later....

Congratulation to the Reds

So happy to see that the Reds won! We went to Colonial Williamsburg yesterday and ate lunch at one of my favorite restaurants...Chownings. However, it was a huge disappointment. They have pared down the menu at midday to 1 soup and 1 salad, Brunswick Stew and 5 so-so sandwiches. We had soup and a barbecue sandwich which wasn't that good. Oh well, you win some and you lose some. We lost yesterday. Tonight we're going for prime rib. We may go to Yorktown today, but rain is expected again with heavy rain in the afternoon and the same tomorrow. It was very nice yesterday after morning rain....Watched The Good Wife last night..one of my favorites from last year....later....

Rainy Day

We were going to go to Colonial area of Williamsburg yesterday, but first started out at Trader Joe's for a few things. It was raining and as we got our few things it started raining even harder. We were trying to figure where to have lunch and we decided not to do the Colonial thing because you have to do some walking and it would have to wait for a less rainy day. In the end we decided to spend the day at the resort and I made burgers for lunch and spent the day reading. It was a very nice day. We were able to sit on our balcony as it stayed dry. This morning is supposed to be rainy with some clearing this afternoon. We'll head out later in the day. We are having such a nice time and I'm glad we're here alone..great together time!.....later...

Arts Channel

We discovered this Arts Channel that is available for free for all cable channels. They played some operatic arias, a cello concerto, so instrumentals and some ballet. It was just great. Yesterday we had a leisurely breakfast and later went to the pottery where we got a few things and then started looking for a place to have lunch. We went into 2 places and walked out without ordering but finally found a good place. When we got home we watched golf, napped a bit and read. It was much cooler with rain predicted, but it never happened. Today rain is definitely in the forecast. We were planning to go to Colonial Williamsburg area, and have lunch there at one of my all time favorite places...Chownings...We'll see what the weather brings....later....

Heat and Crowds

Went to the Neptune Festival yesterday, but it was so hot and crowded that we didn't stay long. On the way down we stopped in Norfolk to find my old apartment building near the Naval Air Station. It was gone and the government had the whole area for their use. We had lunch at a Mexican Restaurant on the street where the parade opening the festival went by. It was kind of fun. We headed back to Williamsburg after an hour or so and went to Walmart to get the rest of what we need for the week. We had a lovely quiet evening..watched some football and just listened to music. Not sure what we will do today. Rain is expected on and off. We may go to the pottery. I'm about to make breakfast...pancakes, bacon and eggs.....later....

Plans for Today

We just had breakfast on our balcony and after this and a shower we'll be driving down to Va. Beach for the Neptune Festival on the boardwalk. The morning is just lovely with a great cool breeze, but the last day of Hot is today. This place is so nice...our bedroom has a California King and I slept like a log. The bathroom is also beautiful. The kitchen leaves a bit to be desired. We just have a 2-burner hot plate and no oven, but we had bacon and eggs and toast. R. made Bloody Marys and I made coffee. There is an electric skillet and we made the eggs in that. We went to Trader Joe's yesterday and I was quite disappointed! They have a huge and impressive wine selection, but we couldn't get such things as baggies or coffee filters, etc. Anyway, we're having fun and looking forward to the rest of the week. If it gets cool enough at night we may even turn on the fireplace......later....by the way..we're on vacation and we had to pay extra to have wi-fi so you all better get busy and do your blogging!

We're Here

spent the night last night in Richmond. Now we're in Williamsburg and loving it.. the place is awesome. I'll blog tomorrow when I'm more with it. Hot here and I don't appreciate my blog buddies not blogging when I need to hear from you and what's going on in your world. Talk you tomorrow about my world.....later....

And We're Off

Well, not yet, but soon. I'm pretty well packed with everything by the door. The cooler has to be done yet. Another hot day but better fall weather coming. We're taking the computer so I should be able to blog as long as the resort has connection. Don't forget I have my phone if you need to call me or if you just want to...865-368-1923. Talk to you from Williamsburg (I hope)....later

Much to Do

I need to get busy...first we're taking both cars to get air in the tires. Mine is just a bit low and R's is much lower. Then I'll start to pack and water all of the flowers around here. I'm going to ask Linda to come over in the middle of the week and give everything a drink and check on the humming bird food. I made more of that this morning, but I don't expect them to be around much longer. Another day in the 90s. The weather is Williamsburg is supposed to be hot through Saturday and then down to the 60s. I'll be taking some long pants. I think we'll likely stay in Blacksburg on the way home to break up the 10 hour trip.....later....

New TV Shows

Watched Mike and Molly last night..pretty cute, maybe a keeper and then we watched Hawaii 5-0. I never watched it in the 70s, but it was entertaining. Went to the library this morning to get some CDs on tape for the trip and also got 1 new book. I have 2 books on my Kindle which I will be taking. I had a bunch of ironing to do and that is done (one of my least favorite chores). This afternoon I'll make cookies to take for Eric and do a shrimp salad for dinner tonight.....later....

Preparing for Vacation

I'm so ready for a vacation and different scenery. We've been to Williamsburg before and lived not far from there, but I love it down there. We plan to drive down to Va. Beach and to Jamestown while we're in the area. I'm thinking the weather will be warm...we'll check on that mid-week. I'm happy that the Bengals and the Colts won yesterday and unhappy that the Steelers won...sorry for all of you Pa. people. I used to like them...that changed. I'm doing the usual today...laundry, to the gym later......

Football

Lots of games on yesterday. Some good news, some not so good. Va. Tech won, Ohio State won, Auburn barely sneaked by Clemson, WVU won, Vols lost along with Notre Dame. I'm mostly happy about the outcomes. We went to Sam's yesterday and I stocked up on beef for the freezer. I got 2 chuck roasts, ground beef and stew beef. We're set for quite awhile. Today I'll be making stuffed shells with Italian sausage (turkey) and ground beef plus sauce I froze when I made my eggplant dish. We watched Letters from Juliet last night on pay to view. It was really good, but definitely a chick flick. R. liked it. There are so many movies out or coming out that I want to see. We still hope to see The American and Town and I can't wait to see Catfish. It's not here yet. We probably won't get to the movies this week as we have things to do around here before we leave for Williamsburg on Thursday......Colts and Giants tonight and also the new HBO series about Atlantic City..can't wait for that.....later....

Great Start to the Weekend

R. and I had such a nice evening...we watched the usual, but after Jeopardy we turned off the tv and listened to music and enjoyed our candle-lit room and just talked. Today we're going to Sam's, lunch and the Fresh Market. The Vols play this afternoon, so after Sam's we'll head in the opposite direction of the stadium toward Turkey Creek for lunch and go to the Fresh Market up that way. I'm not sure what football games we'll get today, but I'm sure we'll be watching some of that. Tonight I want to watch Letters to Julia which is on Pay to View.......later....

Sad Report

I just learned of the death of Young Allen West. He was just 24. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all of the West family. I can't even imagine how hard it is to lose a son or grandson!! On a lighter note, we got some rain last evening along with a thunder and lightning storm which resulted in losing our electricity for about an hour or so. The rain, however, was great and I awoke this morning to more of the same. I think it's over now. For anyone who likes dogs and good mysteries...Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt is a very good read. It involves an ex-cop and an Iraqi war vet and his German Shepherd who was a K-9 dog and also a war vet. I'm off now to clean house.....later.....