Back from Thanksgiving . . . .

I haven't posted for quite a while. Facebook got me. However, I don't really like putting my pictures over there all the time, so maybe I will blog a bit.

Greg is downloading my pictures from the camera, so I can't get to them right now. However, I will post some shots as soon as I can. We went to Columbus and had Thanksgiving with the Mowery's and Melanie and Granny and Grandpa. The food was like we used to make when we lived in Beavercreek. The best! Then . . . Emily and Melanie and I went SHOPPING on Thanksgiving evening! I can't believe we did this because I thought it was a stupid idea for stores to open on Thanksgiving. But we went to Michael's, and I got a new Christmas tree for 50% off. I also got some picture frames for the new portraits that Emily gave me of their family and the kids! Wait until you see THOSE pictures on the Christmas card! Cute.

I have now had my Oma fix of playing trains with David and coloring and playing Old Maid with Katy and chasing Luke around the house trying to keep him from climbing up on things. I might make it until Christmas . . . but it will be close.

Now that I finally remembered my password to get in here, I will try to post photos tomorrow.

Does bad stuff really come in 3's?

For a short week, this one has been brutal. Having Monday off was wonderful . . . until it started snowing about 3 p.m. The freakish weather dumped 2-3 inches of wet snow over ice in a couple of hours. Greg spent an hour and a half getting home from work. It's 8 miles. The next morning, the 6-8 inches we shovelled off the driveway was very aerobic. The whole thing was a nasty surprize after the near-60 degree weather last Friday.

Tuesday morning was still a bit of a challenge, but things warmed up and the weather settled down. In finishing up the laundry from the weekend, it seemed like the dryer was taking a long time to get things dry. Tuesday evening when we came home from a meeting at 9 p.m., the temperature in the house was 57 degrees. I checked the load of towels in the dryer and confirmed my suspicion. They were wet. The heating element on the dryer was gone. Greg checked the furnace, shut if off and turned it back on, and the heat came on! (Yes!!) He started pulling the dryer out of the alcove in the kitchen while I draped wet towels over everything that didn't move.

With the dryer in the middle of the family room and towels hanging everywhere, I got the vacuum and tried to clean up where the dryer was sitting. Of course the sweeper wasn't picking up anything. The bag was overflowing---and of course we don't have a replacement. (I give up!) Greg found that part he needed on the website at Sears in Butler and printed the information to call in the morning. Off we went to bed at 11 p.m.,with the temperature at 65 in the house and the furnace still running.

I woke up at about 2 a.m. feeling cold. I came downstairs to find the house at 62 again but the furnace running. Add more covers and go back to bed . . . listening to the furnace run for another hour.

I was up at 5 to go to the YMCA to swim, the house was cool and the furnace was off. I flipped the switch on the thermostat and the heat started up again. (Something is definitely going on here!) I had dental surgery scheduled for 3:30 Wednesday afternoon. I envisioned myself returning that evening with an ice pack and pain meds and sitting in a cold house while Greg tore the furnace apart in the basement.

Greg left for work. After getting ready to leave, I called the phone number on the side of the furnace on my way out the door and scheduled service for 1:30 (before my surgery). I called Greg on my way to work to tell him what I'd done. He's not thrilled because he could undoubtedly fix the furnace. But he couldn't leave work Wednesday, and under the circumstances, he said, "What's done is done. OK."

I meet the furnace repairman (who happened to have originally installed the unit back in 1993). He cleaned and checked everything and got us up back up and running. I worked from home until my dental appointment and got my tissue graft without incident.

Greg retrieved the dryer part from Butler after work and got home about 6:45. He installed the part and put the dryer back together. He put it back in the alcove while I heated up soup. I couldn't eat solids because of my surgery, so Greg had leftover pizza with his soup.

I was so exhausted last night that I went to bed at 9 and crashed. Things seemed pretty calm today, but someone at work said we are supposed to get freezing rain tonight. That would truly be the crowning touch for this week. How on earth am I supposed to get the sweeper bags? Will this week never end? Just SHOOT ME NOW!!!

Christmas 2010 in Pictures

I know that I have been a slacker in posting here. What can I say? Facebook and e-mail are all I can keep up with. Anyway, here are some of my pictures from Christmas.

Opa in his new "big apple" cap.

Katy took this picture of Opa and me! Not bad!

Luke was in a festive mood. How can you resist kissing those cheeks?

Katy in her favorite Christmas dress . . . ready for Christmas Eve church.

Granny, Melanie, and me on Sunday.

Emily and Abby in the kitchen after our Sunday brunch.

David, who is big on transportation and things with wheels; cars, trains, trucks and buses.

Great-Grandpa (Dad), who can still eat us ALL under the table. :-)

Brian getting David ready for Christmas Eve!

Aunt Mel!

New Couch!!! WOW!

I have been looking for a couch for the family room off and on for about 2 years. Two years ago was when I decided to get the faded, blue sectional we had re-upholstered and about choked when they quoted $2,200 to rework it and put medium-grade fabric on it. OUCH! Guess it would be cheaper to just replace it.

A couple of weeks ago, Macy's had a furniture sale, and Greg and I stopped there after a trip to Half Price Books near the Ross Park Mall. I found a lovely green sofa that blends perfectly with the love seat we had in the basement. So I went back the following Tuesday and ordered it.





Today was delivery day. Let me share the excitement of the "new" room. We moved the leather recliner from the living room into the family room also. (Don't worry, Melanie. The rocking chair that has been around since 1974 found a home in front of the TV in the basement. It actually has become one of Greg's favorite reading chairs.)

I like the new look. It's light and cheerful.

There are lots of comfy places to site and relax.

Anybody know someone looking for a serviceable but sun-faded L-shaped sectional couch? I know where you might pick one up really cheap. :-) Craig's List . . . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MELANIE!

Love,

Mom

WHEW! Forget the new editor! I had a terrible time getting this posted!

Greg's New Lawn Mowing Hat from Thailand!

Granny with Baby Luke

Grandpa Playing Doctor with David!

Granny coloring pictures with Katy!

Granny, David, Luke, Grandpa, and Katy

When I got back to Pittsburgh, our good friends, Bill and Susie, came for dinner. They are back for a visit from their first year living in Chang Rai, Thailand! It was good to spend time with them.

Baby  Luke!

Here are a few snapshots from Baby Luke's first few days.   He is quite the cutie and is lucky to have such an adoring big sister and big brother.  He is starting to sleep some 4-hour stretches, but people are holding him much of the day since there are many loving arms around.

Baby Luke and Aunt Mel (sort of)

David and Katy

Katy and  Luke

Aunt Mel and David

Oma from Katy's Perspective (yeesh)

[Bob the Tomato t-shirt]

Father's Day, 2010!

In honor of dad, I'm posting two important things.  One is a picture of Dad with his World War II buddy, Freddie, during his Honor Flight about 18 months ago.  This great picture was taken at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.  It is a favorite of mine because it reminds me of the great respect and honor we owe our dad's and all the veterans who have fought to preserve our freedom.

Artsy Finish for an Old Chest of Drawers

My dad made this chest of drawers for me in about 1963 when we moved into the house in New Carlisle.  One of the drawers has a bottom in it that is made from a scrap of panelling from the lake cottage in Indiana.  So this has been around a while.

I used it in my room during high school . . . and painted it yellow.  I lined the drawers with some 60's kind of contact paper in turquoise and pink with big flowers.  It was psychedelic!!  Later, I painted it pale green to go with baby stuff and used the chest for my kids things.  When Emily got her own bedroom furniture, it moved to another room; and I used it to store sewing projects.  Eventually, Melanie borrowed it for her clothes in an apartment at college.  It kind of has a legacy with the family, don't you think?

Melanie brought the chest of drawers home a few months ago.  She didn't need it anymore.  It sat in the garage with it's pathetic, flat latex finish in pale green and it's ugly contact paper in the drawers.  With so much of my life in it, I wanted to keep it.  

I went to Home Depot and found a technique they call "Crackle" which looked kind of neat.  I stripped off several layers of paint and took the contact paper out.  Next came the crackling technique.  

Here's the result.  The chest is in the foyer awaiting hats and gloves and the card games we play when the family is around.  I kind of like it.  Greg is not so sure.  He can't believe I did this on purpose!

What do YOU think?

Greg's New Mower

For over 10 years, Greg has mowed our grass with an old-fashioned push mower because he hates the noise and maintenance of a power mower.  A couple of weeks ago, our neighbor, Mary, had to have surgery on her foot.  She asked Greg to cut her grass for a couple of weeks until her foot heals so she can do it herself.  Mary offered Greg her self-propelled mower since he was going to be cutting 2 lawns each time during the rainy month of May.

Well, the power mower was a lot easier to use than the push mower; and to top it off, our yard looked wonderful!  Our mower doesn't have the height adjustments that Mary's does, and the push mower was cutting the grass too short.  The higher cut (combined with the treatment service which I hesitate to mention) made the lawn look AWESOME!  Last night as we ate dinner on the deck, Greg said he had to admit that Mary's mower did a nice job and that the lawn looked nice.  He guessed he was going to have to get a power mower. 

So Greg checked the Sunday paper and found a mower at a good price at Home Depot today.  The rest is history.  I never thought I would see the day, but we own a Toro Recycler.

For those of you who don't know, Greg ALWAYS wears his "Cat in the Hat" topper when he cuts the grass.  Here he models the hat AND the mower with grass catcher.

It starts pretty easy, and it looks like I can operate it, too.  Hmmmm.  There may be a problem here.  :-)

Emily's Dress!!

Here's the dress I made for Emily to wear for Melanie's wedding.  It turned out even better than I expected.  We wanted Emily to still be in green but to have  some  "shimmer" in ivory chiffon.   So  we layered the green and the ivory for her.

Here's the view of the dress from the side/front.

This is the detail of the front.

Emily really likes it.  I can hardly wait to have her try it on.  Hope it fits.

Happy Valentine's Day to the Presidents?

We went to Columbus for the weekend.  The official mission was to help Melanie and Aaron with bridal registry and some wedding planning.  However, I forgot to take my camera on some of those outings.  And besides, you can look up the registries on Bed, Bath & Beyond or Target websites.  It won't show the tough decision-making process, but you will see the RESULTS!

Here are the few pictures I did take of the kids.  I found a hat that was Melanie's, and I washed it and took it to David.  He looks just as good in it as Melanie did!  (Not surprising, now is it?)

Katy & David in PJ's on Saturday morning.

Close up of the hat!  (Isn't he a cutie?)

Watching Dora on Monday morning . . . ahhhh, cartoons and blankets!

Heading home this morning ahead of the snow!  They were off to the mall to play with some friends!  Bye, kids!

The Great Snow of 2010

I know, I know.  I have been doing a lot more Facebook than blogging lately.  Besides, I haven't taken as many pictures since the holidays.  But this one deserves documentation.

Friday night and Saturday, we got 21 inches of snow.  It was a mess and caused the road to be treacherous, but it was beautiful.  And Saturday was actually sunny and nice for shovelling out.

Friday night . . . big flakes.

Digging out the driveway---Greg.

Digging out the driveway---Kathy.

That's our mailbox up there.  Yup!

Tuesday night it started snowing again.  We got about 2 inches between 3-10 p.m.  Then we got another 4 inches overnight.  Greg and I both worked from home today, and we got another 3 inches or so during the day.  I think it stopped now.  Maybe.

30 inches.  It's not pretty any more.  YIZES!!!

I'm really looking forward to a just plain normal winter day.  Is anybody with me here?  HUH?

OBTW, it is my brother, Neil's birthday today!  Happy Birthday, Bro!!!

Christmas 2009

Here's Christmas in a nutshell.  Oma sewed cowboy outfits for Katy and David and then ordered hats and bandanna's to go with them.  They were a big hit!  But the most fun was watching Katy learn to play "Go Fish" and playing with David's new truck on the living room floor. 

We had a great time on Saturday eating City Barbeque with Granny and Grandpa, Bonnie and Neil, Brian and Emily, and Melanie and Aaron.  I hereby declare Christmas a success!

Melanie and Aaron checking the lottery tickets Santa left.

Katy playing high-stakes card games.

David and Mommy in front of the Christmas tree.

Opa and the kids . . . . .

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and is heading into a good new year!

Christmas, 2009



Family and Friends:


This year seems to have flown by even faster than last. It’s time for another state of the family letter.


We made a lot of trips to Columbus this year. Brian and Emily moved into a bigger house in Westerville in May, so Oma and Opa were around fairly regularly in the spring for David’s birthday in March and Katy’s birthday in May and then helping with the move. Then throughout the summer, we took care of Katy and David a couple of times on weekends when Mom and Dad were attending weddings. So we have enjoyed spending time with the M’s this year. They are expecting a new baby next June, so there will be even more fun to be had next year.

Oma can’t wait for Katy to be big enough to come to Pittsburgh so we can go to a Fiddlesticks Concert down at Heinz Hall. Now that she is 3, I am watching for a good opportunity that might fit the schedule. David will be 2 in March, and he likes trucks and bikes and buses and things with wheels in general. He also likes it when Opa holds him WAY up in the air so he can touch the ceiling. I think he needs a drum set, though. Music, music, music . . . .

Melanie finished raising her support and is now full-time on the staff of H2O, the Great Commission Ministries church plant on Ohio State campus. Melanie has made the transition from college student to career life very well. It has been a great year for her as she moved to a non-campus apartment with 2 of her former room-mates and experienced her first year of life without a summer break. Her job is both exciting and demanding. She is planning a trip to the Dominican Republic over spring break with the OSU students. She recently became engaged to Aaron Wibberley, who is raising his support and preparing to work with H2O in the near future. He is an OSU graduate in biology who likes snakes and stuff. (I think a conversation about pets might be in order.) Wedding plans will fit in there as well.

Matt and Mary also visited with us a couple of times. They were here in February for a cold trip up the incline to Mount Washington. Then they came back in the warmer weather so we could go to the Carnegie Museum to see the dinosaur exhibit. We’ve also met up with them in Columbus a number of times, and they joined us for dinner at Brian and Emily’s house in September. It has been fun catching up with them and spending time together.

Greg and I took a vacation to Charleston, South Carolina, this fall with Mom and Dad. You can see one of the pictures here. It was a relaxing trip. In July, our good friends, Bill and Susie Antolec, moved to Chang Rai, Thailand, to be missionaries. We were actively involved in helping them disperse some of their household goods and have become trustees of some of their prized possessions that couldn’t make the trip. Thank goodness for Skype; we get to talk to them periodically in spite of the 12 –hour time difference.


I continue to do a lot of volunteer work, and I finished 2 terms as president of the board at Sojourner House in June. I thought I would take a rest, but I ended up as president of our local chapter of Zonta in August. We have been doing some women’s advocacy and education in the area of human trafficking; and I’ve added this to my list of heart issues.


We hope that this year finds you well. Merry Christmas from Pittsburgh, and may God bless you in the coming year.


Greg and Kathy