Brief Blogger Break

I have not been posting things for a week because Opa has been upgrading my operating system at home. My computer was running sssoooo ssssllllooowwwwllllyyyyyyyy that he decided to bite the bullet and reformat C. He just reloaded my camera software on Monday evening, so I haven't tried it yet.

I really love my tech weenie sweetheart . . . except he loves to try new software and thinks that I do, too. It has been a struggle to convince him to just put back the latest version of iTunes and the stuff I was using. I simply don't have time to learn to use all new applications; maybe one or two---but not everything major all at once.

Anyway, I have pictures of the Black Bean Lasagna that I made last weekend from my Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine. It was delicious! And Greg is extending the gas line for my new gas range scheduled for delivery in December. And the floor is supposed to be installed the week of December 15. Things are cooking all over.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Hopefully I'll have some pictures from ours on Friday.

P.S. We went to see Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond movie. My favorite character is still 'M.' But there are a lot of dead ends in this movie . . . . (sic)

My Response to the Tag from Poo!

Here goes. Six (somewhat) interesting things about me per the tag from Poo!

1) My biggest surprise ever was when I discovered that my mother was not BIG! At the age of 12, I was shocked to discover that she was barely 5-feet tall and that I had been afraid of her all those years . . . and she is a shrimp.

2) When I was 21 and single, I went on a vacation to Hawaii for 2 weeks with total strangers. I just signed up, got on the airplane, and flew off without ever having met my room-mate from St. Louis. It was a wonderful, memorable trip.

3) I met my husband, Greg, on an internet site for the Dayton Daily News Dateline. One of the first questions I asked him in e-mail was how to pronounce his last name. Little did I know that I would be answering that question for the rest of my life.

4) I've had two babies by natural childbirth.

5) I love to sew and have made just about everything from a tablecloth to a winter coat at one time or another.

6) I got a 2-year degree out of high school and then went back to college in my 30's. I earned my Bachelor's degree from Wright State University in night classes while working full time with two kids. I was 40 when I got my Bachelor's.

Now, to tag somebody that hasn't already been tagged is a challenge. Hmmm.

7) All my blogger buddies are Emily's friends because none of my friends has a blog. Greg!! Maria!! Teresa!! Mimi!!! Granny!!! Grandpa!!!! Send me your list in e-mail and I'll post it on my blog. :-) That's 6 interesting things about YOU.

Butterscotch and Bisque!

Santa better trade in his sleigh for a delivery truck this year, because the Froehle Christmas is looking like Homer . . . that is Home Depot is taking over.

As some of you know, the ceramic tile in the kitchen and hallway is cracked and damaged because of some bad decisions about sub-flooring by a previous owner and some water damage from the refrigerator. We have been pricing and exploring options and saving money for replacement of the floor for about two years. We got delayed a couple of times along the way for a number of reasons; but the planets finally aligned; and we are off and running with some updates.


After a hard look at laminate flooring, the installers told us that our floors aren't very level and are not going to work well with that material. So we are getting a pre-finished hardwood from Bruce in a color called "Butterscotch," which is pictured here (sort of). The materials are on order and should be here and installed in early December. I have fond memories of wood floors from childhood days in the house that Dad built in Markle. Memories of sliding on the throw rugs across the freshly-waxed floors and watching my mom mop furiously when the suds saver on the washer ran over and got the floor wet . . . water turns the wood dark!!!! I think the materials have greatly improved. The wood look is still my favorite---hands down.



Ever since we have lived here, the electric range that we bought with the house has given me fits. The house in Beavercreek had built-in appliances, so we took these appliances because they fit and matched the kitchen. Well, the stove is by far the worst range I have ever owned. The oven doesn't heat evenly and routinely burns baked goods on the bottom. The timed bake and cleaning features don't work. The burners are very hard to control. It works for basic things like spaghetti, but don't try to do anything creative. Since we are fixing the floor, we will be moving the stove. So I took this opportunity to say, "Let's just keep the stove going once we get it out of here!"

Greg is partial to gas ranges, so we decided on a new mid-range from Maytag! It's made in the U.S.! I love it! And it will be so wonderful to be able to actually COOK and BAKE without burning things. We are going to have to run the gas line about ten feet across the unfinished basement to put this in. But the plan is to get the range delivered after the floor is installed but before Christmas.

The picture here is the model we got in stainless steel. We are getting "bisque" to go with the kitchen, so the top of the range will be light to match the rest of the frame. Otherwise, I know it isn't as personal as jewelry or lingerie; but I'll take this over a mystery gift from Victoria's Secret!

What do you think, ladies? Would you go for a new hardwood floor and a cook range for Christmas? Maybe I am showing my age that this gets me excited.

Happy Corvette Pictures!



One of my work friends, Judy, is married to Rich. (They have a son named Michael.) Judy and I have been lunch buddies for a year or more starting our acquaintance by spending lunch hours at Dave's Famous BBQ Restaurant in the North Hills eating baked potatoes and salad and such with our Federated discount.

Last January, Judy's husband, Rich, was working in their attic stringing some electrical wire and fell through the ceiling in the foyer area where it was two stories to the ground. Rich was seriously injured in this accident, and he was unresponsive for several days. The doctors told the family that a long recovery was in store, and there was no way to tell if Rich would ever walk again let alone drive or work. Well, doctors are sometimes surprised at how much faith and perseverance and hard work can do. Rich worked extremely hard, and he had tremendous support from Judy and his employer and a lot of people on their knees praying for him.


Rich started back to work part-time after about six months of recovery. The doctor's said it was unheard of for anyone with this type of injury to consider working in less than a year. But Rich started out with a couple of days a week anyway. After a few more weeks, he retested for his driver's license and added another day to his schedule. In September he started working 4-5 days a week and was released by his therapists. He is an amazing person; and his family and friends and boss and the people on the EMS board where he serves are a testimony to what it means to stand in the gap for a friend.

I got to see Rich again last month at the Sojourner House Jazz Explosion at LeMont where he and Judy were part of the group representing Federated at the event. A great deal of our conversation was about the new car that Rich got recently . . . a vintage Corvette! This car is a 90-something model that is a collector's item. Rich is extremely proud of this car, and I gave him a hard time because he didn't have any pictures of it with him at the event. Well, Judy and I had lunch this week; and Rich sent me a CD with several photos on it. When I opened the pictures this evening, I knew there was a blog entry in these photos. My only regret is that Rich and Judy aren't in any of the photos. Because the story here isn't about the car. The story is about faith and commitment and hard work and being able to drive again.

Congratulations, Rich and Judy and Michael, on being able to celebrate at the end of a long, hard year. You deserve it! God bless you.

P.S. Judy said the car is a 1996. It was the last year for the C4.

Remembering Amelia

Greg's niece, Amelia, was killed in a tragic car crash three years ago in Louisville, Kentucky. I knew Amelia only briefly as a spunky teenager with a mind of her own that loved life . . . grabbed it by the horns and lived it to the fullest.

As the anniversary of Amelia's accident approaches (next week), her mom is getting this tribute ready to post in their newspaper. I wanted to share it with all of you. Whenever people's lives touch, they are never forgotten. They leave impressions on us, and we become like diamonds reflecting all the people we have known and cared about. Amelia touched a lot of people.

Thanks, Peggy, for sharing this picture and tribute. May God fill you with lots of friends to celebrate Amelia's life and with tons of happiness knowing how much you loved each other in life.

Cappuccino

About a year ago, I discovered the fine delicacy at Starbucks known to me now as a "Grande Non-Fat Decaf Cappuccino." My love of this drink only grew when I found that besides being warm and wonderful, it was only one point on Weight Watchers with the skim milk. Soon I was stopping too many mornings for my fix; and those $3.19 a pop charges started eating into my pocket money pretty seriously.

Enter the cappuccino maker! I've spent many months finding the right expresso and the right grind. I have an official, stainless steel steaming pot and a couple of official Starbucks cup and saucers to make this treat perfect. At first I had trouble getting the temperature right; it just wasn't hot enough until I preheated the cup in the microwave with some boiling water. I'm proud to say that I think I've got it. This is the masterpiece I made on Saturday morning after my waffle . . . which by the way was prepared for me (the batter) by my darling husband before he left at 5:30 a.m. to catch a flight. Again, I digress. Ta Da!!! The perfect cappuccino!

Sunday Update . . . Life on the River

Well, the jewelry box glue was dry this morning, and I put it back together this afternoon. I think it's going to work. What's your opinion? Do you think Melanie will like it?


We've had a very cultured weekend. Friday night we went to the opera to see Samson and Dalilah. We aren't usually into the opera . . . having only seen The Barber of Seville previously. It was okay, but we weren't really thrilled with the Barber of Seville. Greg bought a couple of 'sampler' tickets from a telephone sales person this fall, so we picked this opera and La Boheme to try. La Boheme is in March; we're going on my birthday. :-)



We REALLY liked the Saint Saens music in Samson and Dalilah; and the VOICES WERE WONDERFUL. It was an amazing production. Today we had our subscription concert for the symphony. We went to brunch after church and then headed downtown. We had a little extra time, so we walked down the waterway under the Convention Center and out to the river.



The pathway from Tenth Street goes down the middle of the street when it passes under the Convention Center. The sides are like a waterfall along the walkway with pools of water cascading down to the dock area along the Allegheny. I have been seeing it when I go for walks at lunchtime, and it was fun to go down and look. Here is a picture of Greg along the walkway this afternoon.


There is a beautiful, paved park area on both sides of the Allegheny all the way to the point. You can also cross several of the bridges on foot and go to the North Side where the PNC Park (baseball stadium) and Heinz Field (football stadium) are located. This is a busy place for restaurants and all kinds of activities, including a controversial casino that is being built. I have enjoyed walking along the river at lunchtime for exercise this fall. There is always a lot of foot traffic during lunch time as people stroll or sit by the river to eat or chat.


There is, of course, a homeless population in Pittsburgh like any other city. When you walk the river walk, you see evidence of many people literally living under bridges. But one thing that struck me about these humble abodes is that there is order to them. For example, some of the people have accumulated some serious bedding. It is not unusual to walk under an overpass and see a bed on the concrete, neatly made with the pillow in place and the flowered comforter spread out to cover everything. These people are so close to us every day, yet their world is drastically different. Living under a bridge . . . .

Back up at street level, there is Point State Park with its beautiful fountain and lights. This month the water in the fountain is pink for Breast Cancer Awareness. People in their cars sit on the double decker Fort Duquesne Bridge and complain about the traffic and the cost of parking. The contrast is maddening.

One time I packed some food and took it in my car to give to a man who hung around my parking lot all the time. When I offered him the food, he laughed at me and asked me for money. I said I didn't have any money to give him and went away. Does the insanity come from living on the street, or do they live on the street because they are mentally ill? How can I help them and still be safe?

"Chip off the old block . . . ."

As some of you will remember, Melanie's apartment was burglarized about a year ago; and one of the things that was stolen was her jewelry box full of her total accumulation of class rings, bridesmaid necklaces, and earrings. We have been slowly adding things to her jewelry collection, but jewelry boxes are either really big and expensive or little, portable things like Vera Bradley makes. I have been looking for one; but no luck.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to try eBay for a jewelry box, and there was a used, wooden jewelry box that looked kind of neat for a really reasonable price. On impulse, I bought it for the "buy it now" price with only 10 minutes left on the auction. Well, the seller shipped it; and it arrived yesterday. It was tightly wrapped in bubble wrap with lots of padding, and the box was marked "FRAGILE" and everything. However, the glue was evidently old and dry; and the shipper didn't take any extra care from the look of the box. The jewelry box literally fell apart when I removed the bubble wrap. At first I was kind of angry and feeling like I got gyped, but then I looked more closely and decided it probably was not the seller's fault.

Today I found the wood glue out in the garage and got some books and rubber bands and a sheet of paper for the kitchen counter-----and I got to work! Here's my work in progress. I think this is going to be okay with a little elbow grease. What do you think? The compartment behind the glass door has a little rotating hanger for necklaces.

When Greg saw my handiwork with the books and the rubber bands, he told me that I had to take a picture of it and put it out here so my dad can see it. He said it was pretty impressive and definitely has the McHenry stamp on it. Here's to you, Dad! You showed me how to fix things . . . a least with glue.

While I'm at this post, I also went out to Bed, Bath and Beyond this afternoon for a couple of things. I am a fire bug, you know, and my "Autumn Leaves" jar candle from Yankee Candle is getting low. I needed some more fall fragrance . . . especially when Greg was in his bacon-frying mode this morning! I digress. When I was shopping at BB&B, I saw a wall full of clocks. I have been wanting another wall clock for the family room ever since I repainted. The one we had was too small and kind of plain, but it told the time and served the purpose. It just didn't have any . . . personality!

Well, I found a clock on clearance and used a 20% coupon to buy it! I think you will agree that this clock has a personality. You can't really see it too well from the picture, but it has kind of sparkly, cut glass looking things around the outside. It also stands out a little more against the new paint. I like it. When I asked Greg if he liked it, he said, "It's a CLOCK." I guess he doesn't get the personality thing. Oh, well.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GREG!

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday, dear Greggie!

Happy birthday to you.

Here is your birthday pumpkin pie with the candles on your special day. And we had those crab cakes you like so well with baked potatoes and veggies to go along with them.

Greg is shown pictured here in the new flannel shirt and singing bow tie, which were a present from his BFF, Bill. Doesn't he look swell?

Below is a picture of Bill and Susie with the birthday boy as they joined us for Greg's birthday dinner. By the time I got home from work, Greg had already opened his presents that came in the mail. He got some great loot, like gift cards for books (always a hit). The birthday santa got him an IPOD and the DVD series on "The Truth Project." And yesterday he got personal birthday wishes from Mary by phone. So I would say he made out pretty well, don't you think?

Bill, Greg, and Susie . . . what a GREAT tie!

JAZZ EXPLOSION AT LEMONT!
Last night was the Sojourner House second annual Jazz Explosion at LeMont! It was a great success, and I couldn't wait to share this press photo with all of you. This was sent to WHIRL magazine here in Pittsburgh to talk about our event. The people in the photo with me are (L-R):

Anne Crawford, president of the Sojourner House MOMS board

Susan Seitz, board member and Committee Chair of the Jazz Explosion

(me)

Joann Cyganovich, Executive Director of both Sojourner House and Sojourner House MOMS

I am so honored to work with these great women. We have a great team of board members and volunteers who worked very hard to bring this fund raiser together. We had over 100 people at the event, which featured a wonderful dinner by the LeMont chefs and entertainment by The George Heid Trio, a world class jazz ensemble.

This is my REAL job, folks. The other stuff is a living. :-)

Columbus and the Babes!



Well, Oma has really been slacking in the blog department! There is a lot going on with our home group; we've added some great new people! Besides that, the Jazz Explosion at LeMont event for Sojourner House is this Thursday, October 16. So I have been trying to help out with some last minute things there. And the Pittsburgh Symphony season has started! YAY! Greg and I got a few more concerts this year by changing our day and our seats. There are just lots of things going on.

We went to Columbus this weekend to see the chillun. Brian and Emily wanted to go together to the OSU vs. Purdue game on Saturday, so Opa and I got some quality time with Katy and David. It was a bunch of fun.




David is 6 months old and sitting up all by himself. He is such a smiley little guy. Even when he's "fussy," it hardly counts; it's more like mild complaining. Rarely does he have a problem that food and a clean diaper will not correct. You can see that he is a charmer just like his daddy.


David is now enjoying rice cereal for dinner each evening. This is quite an experience for both the feeder and the feedee. Every time I put some cereal in his mouth, he grabbed the spoon and tried to wrestle it away from me. I finally gave up and got another spoon so I could alternate and let him have one and then switch when he grabbed the next bite. I forgot to ask Emily if this is why she put two spoons out on the counter when she left. Maybe this is a common problem. Regardless, David ate almost all the cereal . . . well, except for the part that got on his face. I think they can get nutrients through the skin, too, can't they?



Katy, meanwhile, was keeping Opa busy reading books and taking walks. According to Opa, there was a lot more going on than walking out there! There were rocks to pick up and berries on bushes and cats to chase and all kinds of things to find. Who would guess that the neighborhood was so interesting? Oh, and Barney is kind of annoying, you know? I still like Elmo better in spite of his slightly squeaky voice.















Katy also managed to go upstairs and sneak up to her parents room and turn on the TV when we weren't watching. And there were some beads in a Ziploc bag inside a drawer in a nightstand in the guest bedroom that Katy ALSO found and managed to spill ALL OVER THE FLOOR. Opa and I had fun sweeping up THOSE puppies and trying to get them back into their bag. But it was a great reminder of how much energy a 2-year-old has and how quick they are.












On Sunday, I went along with Emily and Katy to the toddler gymnastics class over at the RPAC on campus. This was a lot of fun, and I got to see Craig and Pam and Jack. The class only lasted 30 minutes, but it was amazing to see how the instructor keep 10-15 toddlers busy and active and distracted the whole time.

Katy seemed to really like the running and jumping and climbing and walking on the balance beam and hanging by her arms from the bar. I got one good picture of her tuck and roll practice here. Things moved so fast that I had a hard time getting into position and snapping a picture before it was over.



Wheeeeeeee!!!!!!

Wasn't that fun?

Where's Jack?

UPDATE!

I got a card today from Sharon! You remember . . . the friend who made my darling Alison print. We are looking forward to getting together to catch up on my next trip to the Dayton area. In the meantime, I'm adding the web site for the shop that Sharon and Lisa manage in Clifton. It's called Herbs and Lace. I can't wait to check it out in person.

I am off to the convention center tomorrow for the Pennsylvania Governor's Conference for Women. I will be working at the Zonta booth a couple of hours tomorrow, and then I hope to attend some of the workshops. They have so many good topics. I'll take my camera and post some pictures for you tomorrow. Stay tuned!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD, GRANDPA, GREAT-GRANDPA!

84 YEARS YOUNG ON SEPTEMBER 26!

Sharon, Alison, and the Gallery

Way back in my college days, I hung out a lot with Sharon. She graduated a couple of years ahead of me from Northwestern High School, where her mother was an art teacher. Sharon had her mother's passion for art and a lot of talent as well. She lived at home and went to Wright State back in the early days when lots of their art classes were held in places that looked a lot like farm out buildings. One of her favorite parts of the Fine Arts curriculum was the print making. Sharon used to etch the plates and print her own Christmas cards every year . . . and they were beautiful. Most of her prints were produced in quantities of 10 and 20; and I was lucky to get several signed and numbered copies as gifts. Hey! We were poor and made each other's gifts a LOT!

In the early seventies, I was attending Sinclair Community College and commuting into Dayton for my classes while Sharon was commuting to Wright State to complete her bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. We sometimes spent time on weekends going to art shows that Sharon was required to attend as part of a class. What I know about art, I absorbed by osmosis from Sharon. I also typed most of her papers since I was majoring in Executive Secretarial Science for my Associate degree. So when we weren't doing homework or going over to Yellow Springs to the Little Art Theater to see some artsy flick in a small, dark room filled with pot smoke, we went hiking in Glen Helen and swam in the pool at Sharon's house and drove to Fairborn to drink coffee and talk late into the night.

Sharon went on to get her Master's degree, and I got married and moved to Kettering. While Sharon was studying for her Master's, she did a drawing of a little girl named Alison. Sharon rented an upstairs apartment from a woman who took care of a couple of kids during the day. Alison was one of those children. The drawing of Alison was so neat that Sharon did an etching of it and made prints. A framed and matted copy of that print was a gift Sharon gave me . . . maybe it was a wedding present. I have always loved Alison, and she has been a part of every living space I have ever occupied. She makes me smile. She reminds me of a friendship that has faded but not been forgotten.

Alison has been hanging over the mantle in our family room here in Pittsburgh for 8 years. Recently, the print came loose from the mat that Sharon carefully cut. I took Alison down and had a double mat made to help bring out the print; but I kept the original frame since I know Sharon made it. My poor photography doesn't do her justice, but here she is! I moved her into the entry hall where I can see her up close when I walk through to the kitchen. Isn't she pretty?

I tried several times to get a better picture. But this is the best I could do. You'll just have to come over and see her for yourself.

To top it off, I was going through my desk about a month ago and found two other prints that Sharon had given me which I had never framed. Since Joann Fabric was having a special on custom framing, I took these two down and had them framed as well. They are hanging on the opposite side of the entry hall creating a little "Sharon Gallery" in my entry way.

This picture is me at about age 20. I think Sharon sketched this while I was typing one of her papers at my desk one evening . . . or early morning as the case may be. You can't see extremely well, but the print is done in a deep red, so I had the inside mat done to match.

The young woman at Joann Fabric who took my order and did this work was a young artist right out of school. She was delighted with how this turned out and was excited to be working with original art. (It sure beats Steeler memorabilia!)

This second print is some wild flowers that were probably sketched on one of our weekend hikes over at Englewood Dam. Sharon particularly liked trees for a while, but I don't seem to have any of those.

Sometimes on Sunday afternoons we would go to the print shop and I would study while Sharon carefully wiped the plates and made the prints. The students had to take turns with the equipment, and there were a lot of people trying to get their assignments done using the same stuff. The hours were weird.

Well, I still have at least one more print that I haven't had framed yet. I think it is in my cedar chest, and I will probably get it framed the next time I save up the money and get a coupon for some custom framing. I think the other one has a skeleton and an owl in it. That print will complete my collection. Of course, I did get Sharon's wood sculpture called "The Relationship" from my mother a few years ago. It has a place of honor in the living room next to (what else) the piano. :-)

I haven't heard from Sharon in many years although my mother has seen her a couple of times. When I got the gallery set up, I looked up an address for her on the internet and took a chance at sending her a card and a couple of pictures from the gallery. Of course, I sent her the address to the blog and an invitation to get back in touch. I hope I found an address that will reach its destination. It's never too late to find an old friend.

Hilton Head in September!

Just got back from a cool week at the beach. It was a great vacation with the family, and the weather was perfect pretty much the whole time. Emily and Brian and their kids intersected with Melanie last Saturday in Beckley, West Virginia. She was coming back from a week in Williamsburg with Dad and Sue. Granny and Grandpa came to Pittsburgh on Friday and made the trek with us. We did a marathon drive of 12 hours pulling into Hilton Head at about 6 p.m. (Yes, we left at 6 o'clock in the morning.)

We stayed at Turtle Lane Club out on Sea Pines, and our place was on the second floor with a view of the ocean and a big porch that we enjoyed pretty much 24 hours a day. The water was really warm so late in the season. Here's a picture that Greg took on the beach on Saturday night when we first arrived. The sun was getting low, and David's hat is shadowing Granny's face. The rest of us are squinting.

This is Emily and David on our first beach walk on Saturday night. David got the prize for the best beach hats of the whole trip.

After we arrived, we started getting phone calls from Ohio saying that the wind had knocked out the electricity and there wouldn't be power for a number of days. It turned out that Em & Brian and Melanie were out until about Wednesday and Grandpa and Granny in New Carlisle didn't get their electricity restored until Saturday afternoon the 20th! So they missed the big excitement; and we were especially glad that Grandpa and Granny were with us since they have a well and would have been without water and everything all week. Our place had high winds, but the electricity just flicked and didn't go out. I think we are on a different power grid.

For the most part, we swam in the ocean, rode the bikes we rented all around, walked on the beach, read books, and generally relaxed all last week. We made one side trip to Savannah, Georgia, to visit the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, which is the unit Dad served in during World War II. This was a really nice little trip on Tuesday; and Dad bought our lunch at the Cracker Barrel on the way back to the beach. Otherwise, Greg made his beef stew (which is more like McHenry vegetable soup with gravy in it) and generally kept us well fed with French Toast in the morning and other treats in the evening. We ate pretty well and just made it out to Hudson's on the Dock our last evening for some amazing seafood.

Here is our week in a few pictures.

This was Tuesday morning on our way out to go to Savannah. Please note Dad's shirt, which I purchased for him on e-Bay specifically for this trip. I think it is the first shirt Dad has owned in about 40 years that is not a solid color. I did stay with 2 colors and made sure one of them was either blue or green. But our deal was that he needed a beach shirt and would wear it in public! He wore it TWICE! Once to the museum and again when we went out to eat on Friday!

This is Dad working with the librarian at the museum to find some of the pictures and books about his unit, the 445th. He updated his information in the database with more details. Some of the info was lost in a fire in St. Louis at an archive center.

Here is a picture of Dad in front of the museum for posterity. Mom is standing in the wing on the left.

Back at the beach, David liked to sit on Grandpa's lap and chew on things. (He is cutting his first two teeth.) Here he sports his second sun hat with Hilton Head on it.

Katy is a real water baby. She couldn't get enough of those waves . . . even when they knocked her down! We had a lot of fun running around playing in the water and . . . chasing those silly birds around, of course.

This was taken Friday night before we went to Hudson's. Emily has another family picture that has everyone in it which I'm sure she will post on her blog as soon as she recovers from the trip. She and Brian had the tripod and the camera with the timer.

It was truly a wonderful week! It is going to be hard to go back to work tomorrow after so much relaxation. The worst part is wearing shoes . . . . .

Blogger Boredom

There is a lot of "stuff" going on right now, but it isn't interesting blog material. I have been doing a lot of cleaning. This is quite uncharacteristic for me. For this reason, I have been taking advantage of the burst of nervous energy to do things like dust and clean the woodwork. Is that pathetic? Is this why I have a blog to bore you with this kind of thing? It is sort of like the "nesting" urge you get when you are nine months pregnant and ready to go into labor. Well, obviously THAT isn't the cause of it!

It is especially pathetic to be in a cleaning frenzy when you consider that we are talking about tearing up some of the floor in our kitchen and replacing it. You KNOW what kind of dust and dirt this will generate. Right? So why am I bothering to clean? Oh, well! It really does look nice.

The funniest thing that has happened this week is that there was a post-it note stuck to the wall today by one of my co-workers. Our women's restroom has two doors with a little hallway between them for privacy like many of them have. It seems that in spite of the fact that the trash can for your paper towels in right next to the exit door in the restroom, someone is in such a hurry that they consistently dry their hands and throw the towel against the wall next to the second door out of the restroom heading into the work area. The post-it note struck me as humorous, so I went back to my desk and got my cell phone so I could take a picture of it. I present it here for your entertainment.

That'll learn 'em!

The post-it note . . . only e-mail can surpass it for delivering bombs to your co-workers and taking out your aggressions on them. At least all the words are spelled right.

Happy Labor Day

I have been really wanting to do some fix up around the house. A lot of the main floor hasn't had any maintenance or changes since we moved in eight years ago. The walls in the kitchen and family room area where we spend all our time were white, and the curtains were "Early American Blue" made by the previous owner. They were fine, but everything was looking pretty worn and dirty.

Enter Sherwin Williams 30% off paint sale!!!! I had found some paint samples last weekend when I was cleaning out my desk, and I really liked a couple of them for the kitchen and family room. So Saturday morning I made a trip to Sherwin Williams and got the paint - - - three gallons. The kitchen paint is called "Pale Brick". The color I got for the family room and hallway to the front door is a Martha Stewart color called "Hatband." I would call it a light taupe. Regardless, Greg helped me remove switch plates, take down the curtains, mask around the woodwork, and move the furniture out after lunch on Saturday. Then I proceeded to paint the kitchen. It turned out so great! The color really brings out the grain in the cabinets.

On Sunday we went to church and then went to our good friends' house to celebrate Bill's birthday. Susie made a killer meatloaf with all the trimmings. She also loves to decorate cakes. For Bill's birthday, she made him a Popcorn Cake . . . complete with Orville Reddenbocker's on the top. I took this photo with my cell phone; quality isn't good---but you get the idea!

Today I worked on the family room and finished all the actual painting by about 1 o'clock. Then it took Greg and I both a couple of hours to vacuum and remove the masking tape and put the room back together. Then we went off to Home Depot to get a new blind for the window. And by 8 this evening, the place looked like this! I'm pretty happy.

But now, I'm just going to go up and sit in my nice, fresh family room. Time to relax a bit before jumping back into the grind tomorrow.

Making Stuff - - - WOO HOO!!!

Oma has been making stuff the last few days. First there was a necklace to go with Melanie's new shoes! When we went shopping last weekend, Melanie bought the most audacious, wonderful, green flats on the planet at DSW. They are so nice, that one of her roommates suggested they would be just great with something as plain as a khaki skirt and a white shirt and ------TA DA ----- a GREEN NECKLACE! Since all of Melanie's jewelry was stolen last year (another story), she needed a green necklace. So I promptly came home and laid out some green beads on my bead board. I only needed a few smaller (5mm) beads for the ends. So off I went to Joann Fabrics to get these. You can see the amazing results.

With the necklace on its way, I turned my attention to the little, fleece jacket I had cut out for David for fall. Several weeks ago, I made a trip to Joann Fabrics on my way home from Giant Eagle to pick up a separating zipper for the front of this little hoodie. I got a 7" just like the one I got for Katy's jacket when she was small. Well, Saturday I put the jacket together. When I got ready to put in the zipper, it was TOO SHORT! I forgot that Katy's jacket was a 6 month size. David's is a 12 month, and it needs a 10" zipper. So yesterday on the way home from church, Greg stopped at Joann Fabric (again) to let me buy a 10" zipper. Later in the afternoon, I went to put in the zipper and finish the jacket. IT WASN'T A SEPARATING ZIPPER!!! I GOT THE WRONG THING!!! So tonight on the way home from work I stopped AGAIN at Joann Fabric and carefully bought a 10" separating zipper. I finally finished the jacket, which is being worn here by one of Melanie's favorite playmates of old, Jonathon. Jonathon and his sister, Gina, were Melanie's "twins." They were often found reading books or watching TV or taking naps in various parts of the house when Melanie was small. Now they model baby clothes and wait patiently for children to come and play with them. Jonathon is also wearing a bracelet that Oma found for Katy the next time she sees her. And if you know anybody who needs a couple of black zippers, I can save them a trip to Joann's.

Oma also made a pair of slacks yesterday for herself, which turned out very well. They are navy blue, and I wore them to work today. I still have another pair of slacks to make and another hemming project. Then it will probably be time to think about Halloween costumes!

What does Opa do while I am sewing? He reads books and cuts grass and buys things on E-Bay! One of the things that he has gotten into recently has been "California Shirts" inspired by Jimmy, one of the drummers at our church who recently returned from several years in California. Jimmy has that Miami Vice thing going with the shirts; and Greg has been having a great deal of fun buying short sleeved, cotton print California shirts. Last week he told me about getting the winning bid on a truly amazing shirt. He couldn't wait for it to arrive and watched the mailbox for days in anticipation. Well, it's here. I have to agree. It is truly AMAZING! Jimmy has met his match.

How would this one look with a bow tie? What color bow tie would you WEAR with this?

A Tribute to David!

Oma is not up to speed on little boys after all the girls in the family. But I have to admit that David is introducing me to a whole new world of clothes and toys and special times. At 4-1/2 months, his personality is really starting to emerge. And his ready smile always make me want to scoop him up and kiss those adorable cheeks.

If you are into Star Wars, David is R2D2 to Katy's C3PO. He kind of gurgles along making pleasant sounds and surprises you with his newest trick while Katy gets excited and talks a mile a minute. You kind of expect Luke Skywalker to stride in at any moment. But actually, the droids are enough entertainment without the rest of the cast.

When I was in Columbus last weekend, I recorded a short video of Katy and David that kind of illustrates my point. I think you'll enjoy this!

So come on, all you mommy's and oma's with little boys! Give me some pointers on the most fun toys and things that I can look forward to here! I am really terrible when it comes to balls and eye-hand coordination in the large motor area. (I play golf because it was the only game I could find where the ball lies still on the ground until you go hit it again.) Should I get David some golf clubs . . . or should I wait until he can stand up first? Men make fantastic pianists with their big, strong hands. Maybe Brian will share that toy chain saw I got at "Once Upon a Child" when Katy was little.

Give me some help here . . . you can see I'm struggling, can't you?

Random Rambling . . . Stan & Abby's New House . . .

This weekend I made a quick trip over to Columbus to celebrate Melanie's birthday with her (a little late). We went shopping at Easton on Saturday evening and then met Drew for dinner at P.F. Chang's. On the way back to town, we stopped at United Dairy Farmer's and got our dessert. ICE CREAM!!!! It was SWEET (as Brian would say).

Here is a video of Katy from this morning to show that I got my fix of Oma kisses.



When I got home, I got an e-mail from Abby with a picture of their new house . . . from the FRONT so you can actually see what it looks like! Isn't this awesome?

She also sent some new pictures of Gabe, and I can't resist posting one of those because I haven't seen him for a couple of months. He's growing and getting sooooo big!

The end. (I told you it was random!)