Quick Summary of my NYE

OK here is a quick summary of my day today...
Up
horses and horse manure
lunch
nap
hotdogs and saurkraut and really awesome potato salad!
District 9
Color hair
Orphan ok part of Orphan, had to drive Sarah to grandma
Rest of Orphan
Blog
Bed
Happy new Year!

Hump day musings

Blue, yes that is a nice color to go with my background! Anyhow, how is everyone? Me I'm ok. Woke up with a bit of swelling on my knee. Didn't hurt it in anyway. Dr. says it is tendonitis more than likely and gave me some Celebrex samples.
I missed work for that? Sheesh..
Remember kitten Simba that we got in the spring? He went from a scraggly looking kitten to a handsome teen that resembles a Maine Coon cat. A very amazing transformation.



He is only half grown too! His fur is so soft and luxurious. I could bury my face in it all day! You can also see my new haircut.. sort of. I was planning on donating my hair, 12 inches of it, to locks of love. Unfortately I chose to put in in a plastic bag. My daughter picked it up and spun the bag and the hair tie fell off and the pony scattered. Here I am posing with the remains, but it was ruined.


Now that I know my knee isn't injured in anyway, I am going to begin working at the new stable tomorrow. Sarah gets to come and help out by being the "hay girl" and she gets to ride George the fat pony too! Lucky her! I wonder if I get to ride too. Not George of course! I could probably give George a ride! HA!
Going to take the camera and take some snaps tomorrow... Linda

$5 Meal giveaway

Go here to enter the contest! $5 dinners? Can't beat that!

Good news?

I went out to Sand Hill Farms to see about volunteering and it is a great place! I think I will love it there and the woman I talked to said I can ride too! I'm very excited and looking forward to working there!
http://sandhillfarms.webs.com/

Day after Christmas

Twas the day after Christmas and all thru the house, no child was stirring, just me and the spouse.
Yes the kiddos are sleeping off their long day of fun. Playing video games and watching tv all day sure can wear one out. Me, I took a long nap in the afternoon, only interuppted a few times by Sarah moaning about how bored she was.. Imagine that. The dishes still sat in the sink this morning because "It's not my turn" and " I just did them" coulden't be bothered. So I rolled up my sleeves and tackled them with the hubby. I woke up stiff and sore this morning. Stiff neck and aching joints. We had a little freezing rain this morning. Not going to the stables for a few days due to weather and rain. I'm thinking about visiting one a bit further away. They have a more extensive program where they board horses, plus have lessons etc. They also lease horses. Maybe I can volunteer there and work off a partial lease. I don't see riding in my future at the current stables. Not in the winter anyhow. I don't know, won't hurt to check out the other place anyhow.
We had a good Christmas anyhow. I got tons of candy and lots of smell good stuff. Going to visit inlaws tomorrow.

Rich and I at the stables

Naughty little Timon, a gelding. He loves to tease and pull at your jacket and try to steal gloves!
He also loves to pick on his barn mate, Earl by pulling his tail and nipping his butt. He is like a mischievous little boy. Earl half-heartedly kicks at him but Timon just keeps nipping and pulling!


We went out to help at the stables today and we snapped a few quick pics!
Me and Razz ma Tazz a 20+ year old therapy horse!
Here I am out in the pen helping feed the mini horses. Aren't they cute?


Rich bringing out Banjo, one of the mares.

Baking week

I have been doing something I rarely do. Bake. I am a fairly good baker, not great but good. I made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and regular chocolate chip cookies this week. Tonight I am trying my hand at pumpkin cranberry/raisin bread. I am going to make two loaves. One with cran and the other with raisin. I hope they are cooked enough. I remember a couple years ago, I entered jalepeno corn bread in the fair and it didn't win a ribbon. I picked it up at the end of fair week and tried a slice and found it wasn't cooked all the way thru and had rotted in the middle. Gross! Good thing I didn't poison any judges. My husband has me a little miffed. While he raved about my oatmeal cookies, he said the chocolate chip ones were just "ok". He said he has had better. I used the recipe from the back of the Hershey bag and everyone else thought they were great. So I brought 2 dozen of my "ok" cookies into Sarah's class party today and they disappeared. I guess the kids thought they were good.
I won't go on about the other things he has me miffed about. I guess there is no sense complaining because he could come up with complaints about me too! Plenty of them. I know being married is not easy. Relationships are not easy. Being a family of 5 is not easy. A blended family is hard. Really hard. It is hard to put up with someone else's kid and their ways. I'm sure it is hard for him as much as it is for me. I love my husband and can't imagine being without him. Well, ok I could but there I would be right back in the same lonely hole that I was in. He is nothing in comparison to my ex. No drinking, name calling or wrecked trees this year.
I mailed my Mommy out a box. I cannot reveal the contents here because she reads this. She will get it hopefully the day after Christmas. I was a little slow getting it in the mail.
I'm hoping to get out to the stables tomorrow. I am starting to get to know the horses and their individual personalities. They are gentle horses and very forgiving to this newbie. There is one horse that I particularly like. His names is Deacon. Short for "Deacon's verse". He is a pinto. There is a big horse called "Little guy". There is a big draft called Razz. Several mini's, two goats, 3 pigs, some chickens. The other horses are Earl and Timon, both greys. There are a few more but I can't remember all the names. The actual riding program isn't going on right now, but the horses still need care. They eat twice a day with hay available at other times. Lots of water. Clean stalls etc..
Well, I will let everyone know how the bread turned out. Linda

Help! I'm being consumed by Facebook!

It has come to my attention that I have been spending way too much time on Facebook and haven't blogged in nearly 2 months. Shameful! Not that my life is very interesting, but I know my Mom likes to keep up to date on all the trouble I cause!
Lets see... Still married.. so far! Broke my record on that so thats good. Kids are still brats. We are going to have to employ a strong arm technique with them I'm afraid as they still seem to think they are in charge and that video games/television etc.. are a right and not a priveledge. I am going to draft up a plan with hubby that basically cuts them off all together and they will earn the video/tv time by behaving, doing thier homework, going to school, doing chores etc... I also will have to crack down on unemployed son that is 18 and is taking up couch sitting as a career. Winter is here, unofficially or not. It has been very cold the last few days. The pipes almost froze up overnight last night. We had been having sewer trouble for a few months and hopefully have that fixed. The landlord has not been a happy camper and claims we have "abused" his septic so much that the whole thing needed replacing. He claims that in the 2 1/2 years I have lived there, I have done so much laundry that it has ruined the septic. According to the people who replaced the system, it was an old one to begin with and the drywall was cracked and needed to be replaced. The landlord claims that it was covered with a thick black tar like residue from all the detergent. Right after the septic was replaced our line clogged and we had to rent a power snake to clean it out. Hubby was not a happy camper with that. It wasn't expensive, just disgusting.
Lately the kids remind me of a giant grinder. One with a large opening at the top that you pour groceries, electricity, clothes etc.. into the top and all the comes out is garbage at the bottom. Most people seem to enjoy raising children. I hate it. I hate the nastiness, the rudeness, the disrespect, the lying and the laziness. I realize that it is my fault that these kids are this way and it is hard as hell to change them. I want being a parent to be fun. Somedays I just want to run away and never come back. I would never do that of course, but it is tempting. I think Hubby and I are going to have to institute the WWL bootcamp for wayward children. WWL is a combo of our last names. We want to teach them respect, discipline and compassion which they are sorely lacking.
Ok enough bad news... now for the good!
I have started volunteering at a local stable that runs a program called Equiability. It takes kids with disabilities and puts them up on horses for therapy. I have only been over a couple times and am mostly doing barn chores right now. That is ok with me, because that is what I wanted to do. I was looking for a place where I could learn how to take care of horses in the eventual goal of having one of my own. So far, I am learning about feeding, turnout, watering and learned how to measure a horse for a blanket. I will be doing stall cleaning soon enough! There are 18 horses there, so morning barn chores take about 3 hours. I haven't been there long enough for stalls. Maybe the next time I am going to go I should ask her to leave stalls for me until the afternoon. I am hoping that in the spring, after I've been there for a while, she will let me ride a bit. If I do get a horse in the near future or distant future, she takes boarders too! It is only 10 minutes from my house so is ideal and she takes very good care of the horses. I will love to help with the program too when the kids come out!
So thats the news from my neck of the woods... Linda

Rainy Day Saturday

What a dreary day, rain all day and some claps of thunder here and there. I worked from 6:30 AM until 3:00 PM. Very boring day. The colors on the trees are so pretty however, even in the rain. Somehow the rain seems to enhance the color.
My sister just celebrated her one year anniversary! I'm so happy for her and Bobby. It is funny, after I had Sarah, she had Abby, my niece. So now, she got married, and I followed suit.

Kickin' butt at Walmart and PriceChopper

I saved alot of $$ today shopping sales and using coupons. Here are some examples...

Walmart

B1G1 free coupon for Steamfresh meals 2 for 4.98
Ore Ida fries 2.57 ea $1.50 off coupon on two
Little Debbie cupcakes $2.47 1.00 off coupon
Jar of Hormel chili $2.50 $2.00 coupon
Hard to calculate the savings at Walmart, but with coupons I saved.. 18.17. I had a $25 gift card from work I earned by working over time so we paid 34.29 for 58.02 of groceries.

Now Price Chopper!

We got 27.00 on coupons off, plus with B1 G1 deals... we paid 43.62 for 88.61 in groceries. over half off! That was fun!

No clever title today.

I was trying to think of a clever title and came up blank. Nothing really happening lately except me hitting a deer and Rich getting a virus on the computer. I'm waiting for #3.
The deer was a complete surprise as I have never hit a deer before! I am usually quite cautious because deer are numerous around this area and really moving about too this time of year. I was driving to the school to pick up Sarah and did not take my "usual" route, I said to Rich, lets go the backway and avoid the traffic. Wrong decision! I was going up South Greenfield Rd. A road we drive on daily and all I saw was a flash of white and brown coming out of the corner of my eye and before I could react I hit it. I just shouted "Whoa!" and saw this poor deer catapulting up into the sky, flipping end over end and then disappearing. I pulled over quickly as there were a couple cars behind me. I remember looking in my rear view to see if they saw what happened. They just went around me, barely slowing down. I thought the first car would of stopped. They might not of seen me hit the deer anyhow. So we got out and the poor thing is struggling around trying to get up. I called 911 and they were going to dispatch a sheriff to come and dispatch the deer. We waited and waited. I called Sarah's G-mom to pick her up at the school and she came up and around and dropped Sarah off at the accident site before the sheriff showed up! The deer had died by then. Sarah is a bit of a ghoul when it comes to stuff like that. So about 5 minutes later, I called again and they said the sheriff was coming. So he finally came, a deputy by the way, we never see the real sheriff of course! He was really nice and helpful and informative. We got a written report. He said we could have the deer, but neither Rich or I were prepared for that so we didn't take it. I called an old friend and found out the next day they didn't come get it as the deer was still there. The damage to the car is not too extensive. The hood is dented and bent, the grill is cracked and one light cover is scratched and the light points up. So the insurance adjuster is coming out this morning.


This is the deer the day after. Already covered with bugs and bloated. It was a small doe.
In other news... we went to a Lincoln Brewster concert on Wed night. He is a Christian artist. Very good show. He sang, played guitar and told some stories. He used to play for Steve Perry from Journey. We all went and enjoyed the show a great deal. This guy is a phenomonal guitar player! I did take a video of a solo but haven't uploaded it yet.
Not much else to report.. Linda

Patrick Swayze and Spruce Mountain

I was so sad when I heard that Patrick Swayze died. Wow, what an incredible life lost. He was not only a great actor, he was a fantastic dancer and also could sing. He was a great role model and was an excellent example of how a celebrity should act. He loved his wife and seemed to have it all..

Anyhow.. Rich and I climbed Spruce Mountain today. It is a small mountain as mountains go. More like a hill compared to the larger peaks in our nation! It definately gave my fat azz a workout however! There is a fire tower on the top which is closed and a couple radio and cell towers. The woods were lovely and it was a beautiful day for late summer. Not to hot and not too cold. We saw a garter snake in the process of eating a toad! He first had it by a leg and was trying to eat it that way. Or maybe just tire it out. When we came back down he was swallowing it head first.


This is not my photo by the way! This snake is going about eating the toad but first. Poor toad.. Wonder what he is thinking?
Anyhow there was a nice cache at the top of the mountain as well as a little bit of a view. We did take pictures but on a disposable camera which we have to get processed first. I sure was tired when we were done with the hike. It was a nice accomplishment however and makes me a little more motivated to exercise more. Linda

Silly cat scare!

My little man Tarzan pulled a disappearing act on us. He has been hiding in the house since Thursday night. I noticed him missing on Friday and he just reappeared this afternoon! I was worried sick and crying thinking he was eaten by a coyote! I'm glad he is alive and well! Silly cat!

Herbert

We went to Albany today and saw two different Drs. who both came to the conclusion that Herbert and his friends were most likely a result of getting scratched by a cat! They seem to think because Sarah is diabetic she is more likely to get infections. So we have to be careful with her and her diabetes A1C levels need to come down a little more. Also Rich figured out how to use our scanner, so here is a picture of my son as a baby!

Halloween give away!

This neat blog site is having a giveaway for Halloween! I saw pumpkins today at some roadside stands, so fall must be almost here! It is also apple picking time.
Rich and I went up to Whitehall, NY for a town wide garage sale. Most of the sales were junk but at one I got a pair of barely worn sneakers that are normally around $70 for $5 and a pair of hiking sandals with tags on still, Teva brand for $2. I got a couple books and some other little odds and ends. This next weekend coming up is the townwide garage sales for our town. I have to work however, so no shopping for me except maybe after work.
School starts Wed. I have to make sure the kids have everything. I think Sarah just needs a couple more small things and she will be all set. It seems the list goes on and on for things they need. They have to bring alot for themselves and for the classroom supplies. It seems like the money never stretches far enough these days. Always scraping by on Monday and Tuesdays until the child support or the work check comes. Glad Rich is working and Travis will start a week from today. He got a job at Quad Graphics. It is seasonal but hopefully will work into a full time position! Not much else going on. Taking Sarah to the specialist on Thursday. Herbert has shrunk but has left behind a hard little lump in her arm. I am hoping it is nothing to be concerned about. I sure can't afford to take time off work right now for illness. Thanks for the prayers from everyone I think they helped!

Herbert

Sarah's lump named "Herbert" has shrunk. We are still scheduled to go see the Pediatric surgeon next week. If "Herbert" is still hanging around, they may want to do a little biopsy on him..

Sarah and the "lump"

My daughter noticed a lump on her arm a few days ago and complained about it and how it hurt. I told her what most Mom's would say.. it will be better in a couple days and if it isn't we will go to the Dr. Well, the Lump kept getting bigger and bigger so off we went to the Dr. yesterday. She was mystified about it, so she ordered an ultrasound of her arm. Turns out the lump which we named Herbert by the way, has 3 siblings... two are un-named but the largest is Matilda. She is twice the size of Herbert. Now I'm not trying to be silly or dismissive. I think naming these things is my way of coping with the fear that something is wrong with my daughter. We are waiting to hear back from the Dr. to find out what to do next... Here is a pic of Herbert anyhow.. please pray this is nothing serious!

Back from the Honeymoon

We are back from our trip up north into the High Peaks of the Adirondacks. WEDDING PICS here. We had a good stay. We went to two museums and did some fishing and attempted to canoe, but me the "naturegirl" got terrified we would tip over! I wasn't worried about getting wet, I was worried about loosing our equipment in the canoe! You couldn't make the slightest movement without it wobbling. We did catch some fish from the shore line. All small little fish, but better than nothing. We threw them back in to grow some more! I think the highlight of our trip was The Wild Center.
It is a beautiful new natural history museum in Tupper Lake, NY. It has live animals all throughout with the highlight being two playful otters. We also watched a demonstation of a porcupine. One of the handlers was feeding it bits of cucumber. The porcupine would stand up on its back legs to get the treat. They also have a raven that they do shows with, but we missed him.

Here we are on TV

The wedding was great and Stewart's handling everything perfectly, we had such a good time and we were on TV. HERE is the clip.

Getting closer

Is everyone tired of me going on yet about the wedding? I think we have everything we need, now just to get it all organized. Hair coloring tonight at my house! Nails tomorrow, no not at a salon, just glue on jobbies at home! Pick up the cake and the best man. Flowers pick up Saturday morning. Rich has his suit ready to go. Have to find the boys jeans. They are around somewhere. Sarah has decided the only dress she will wear is this white one she has.. she has to be difficult! I hope she doesn't ruin my wedding pictures by refusing to pose in them or throwing her arms and hands up in front of her face. She says "she hates" to get her picture taken. I think she just gets that from me. I don't like it because I look like a water buffalo in all mine... Linda

Are you nervous yet?

Yes, that is what I've been hearing alot from folks. I would have to say no so far, but today I am starting to feel the first twinges of it. I bet by Friday evening I'll be a wreck and won't be able to sleep! For those that don't know it, I'm getting married to my sweety on Saturday!
He is the guy on the top of the blog with me. I am still having a hard time believing that I'm getting MARRIED! For those of you that have read my blog for such a long time, I think you would understand why.. the years of mental anguish and torment that I went thru with my ex.. it has been over 3 years already. Hard to believe, I've been gone that long and now I'm getting married! I couldn't of picked a more gentle, caring man. Yes I have my doubts and fears but I think alot of that is just remnants of the EX.
Anyway.. I have so much to do the next couple of days. Shopping, preparing and then on Saturday getting over to the wedding site early to decorate. Hope it is all set up early enough for me to go get dressed and be ready for the limo by 11:45. My dress is hanging a few feet away from me. I need to press the sash a little. I am still not completely satisfied with the way it fits. I think a padded bra is in order to fill out the bodice. I think I should of ordered it a size smaller. Oh well, I will have big jugs for my wedding! LOL!

Tough Love

My son's obsession with his 13 year old "girlfriend" from Scotland has really gone too far. Last night I decided that I wanted to see his laptop and the files on it. He had a password on it. So I made him come in to turn off the password and he wouldn't give me the laptop because he said it was "loading". I said that while it was loading I wanted it. I caught him trying to erase files. What I'm worried about is that he is almost 18 and may get in trouble for writing to this girl in an adult manner. We got into a tug of war over the laptop and he got it away from me but not before I pulled the plug. It has no battery! He also was made to give me this girls phone number. I called and spoke to her mother. The girl had told her mother that Travis was only 14! I told Travis he isn't allowed to talk to her anymore until I see those files. Invasion of privacy? Maybe, but if it keeps my kid from being labeled a sex offender then so be it.

Auction no fun

I struck out last night at the auction. Rich got two box lots with some potential goodies in it, plus we got a nice chair that looked antique but wasn't. Only paid $4 for the chair anyhow. His boxes were mostly glassware and some old frames. I wanted some fabric and some sewing books and craft items but SOMEONE wasn't getting the hint to raise the card with our number when I nudged him. Also my fault for being a bit stingy and waiting for the next round of bidding. Lost out on two boxes that way. I will learn as I go I guess. Last night total payout was $26 for two boxes of "junk", a chair and a box of cereal. LOL! Did I tell all of you about the pan Rich found at a garage sale for $1 and we sold it on E-bay for $78? It is a Paul Revere limited edition saute pan. A little polish went along way! I told him next time we go to auction we are both getting a card with the same number on it! No problems with missing bids that way!

Feeling like crap

I have been going around for the last few days feeling like my head is going to either implode or explode. Lots of pain and pressure in my sinus' plus a mild ear infection going on. I'm too cheap to go to the Dr. so I have been using home remedies. I had a nurse at work look in my ears and she said there was alot of wax so I have been trying to get that out very unsuccesfully. I may have to cough up the $30 and go see the Dr. anyhow.
On top of it, I have to bring little Buzzy to the vet to get his ears checked out. He has been having problems for a couple months now with oozy discharge and has been walking around with a tilted head.
I am bringing Travis over to my work to apply for a job in the Nutritional Services dept. They start at around $9.00 an hr. I hope he gets the job and also keeps it. He is acting very particular about where he wants to work and I told him he can't afford to be picky anymore. All he has been doing is lounging around on the couch talking for hours to this girl who lives in Scotland and planning their life together. Oh and she is 13! Momma isn't too happy about that! There are a few young men and women around his age who work there so maybe he will like it.
In gardening news... we have alot of broccoli and are waiting to cut the first heads. I want to wait until they get a little bigger. I check them every day and make sure they aren't about to bolt. The tomato plants are growing and the squash and cukes have finally started and have flower buds on them. Maybe in a few weeks we will have some cukes and squash! I know once they start they go fast! My Mom and brother report that their garden is almost finished because it has been so hot down south. 100 degree weather every day. Rich is coming up for the wedding soon. Driving up.. it will be good to see him. Then his daughter and him are leaving for a road trip back down.

More graduation pictures

These are from the high school graduation ceremony...

My first "project"

Here is my first sewing project on the Singer... A potholder.. LOL!

Graduate!

Wanted everyone to know that Travis graduated today and got a REGENT'S diploma! We only expected him to get a general diploma but he exceeded our expectations! Way to go Travis!

A crazy, fun Dad

Pics from the graduation

Here are a few pics from the graduation!
Mom with the graduate!
Mom, Sarah, Karl, Ashley, Travis, Greg, Kate!

Sarah, Karl, Rich, Travis, Greg

Potato Salad

Tennessee Granddaddy had this on his blog this morning. Worth watching all the way thru!



It rained all day yesterday. We went to Travis's graduation. It was long but nice. They had 350 graduates from the different classes. Our Vo-tec offers a wide variety of training programs from Cosmetology to Horse Care! Travis took two years of Criminal Justice. Not sure what good it is going to do but it might look good on a resume!

Graduation!

I'm so proud! My son is graduating from Boces Vo-tec tonight. He took 2 years of Criminal Justice. He didn't pass his security guard test, but he did pass the course. He will have his high school graduation next week! He is at the high school right now taking his final in Biology. I ordered his cake yesterday. Marble with chocolate frosting. I'm sure he will get lots of $$$ for gifts so he can buy the guitar he wants. I suggested he start with a acoustic but if he has enough he could buy an electric with an amp. Him and my step-son are going to DJ his party! LOL heavy metal all day! We are having cook out food, picnic type food too. Chicken, dogs, hamburger, potato salad, baked beans, chips, soda, cake!
Rich's new job is going great. Only problem is he won't get paid until next week and probably only for 2 days. We need the money NOW! I get paid Wednesday but most of the money is going to have to go to bills. I hate having money issues, it is such a big source of stress for me. I'm sure there are people who know how I feel.
The wedding is 7 weeks away! Its getting close to the wire! Linda

petcentric: Cat Videos

petcentric: Cat Videos

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Different wedding dress

I got my dress from Fashion Bug yesterday. Here is me in it. I think this one is much nicer. Just needs a minor alteration here and there and maybe hemmed up.

School is out

School is out.. for Travis anyway. He only has one test and that is this Thursday. He has his Boces graduation this Thursday evening. I never got the chance to mail out the invites so I guess it will be phone calls. I can hand out the invites later on for souveniers. Can't believe I wasted my money like that! I guess I can still get them out today and they will make it by Thursday.

Wedding plans moving ahead

Yesterday was a busy day in wedding world. We visited with the florist and the cake decorator. The flower theme we are going with is casual, summery and seasonal. Black eyed susans, sunflower, daisys etc.. Here is a picture of the cake we are getting except in different colors.. and also a cake topper, no writing.
It should be really nice. We are getting a double layer with chocolate cake and raspberry filling. White frosting and orange, yellow, white type flowers. I have a dress but it needs to be altered slightly under the bosom area. Here is a picture of me in it.

The reason I am not smiling is because I was just posing to potentially sell this dress on E-bay. I still haven't completely decided if I want to wear it or not. I am being encouraged to do so by a few people. They said it looks great, just needs a slight alteration. I am not going to wear the veil in the picture either probably. Too much. Too big! I look like a midget in this dress!

Sick

I have been sick since Midnight of Wed with a stomach bug. Vomiting and diarrhea. Haven't been able to eat a thing since Wednesday. I'll probably end up gaining weight. That is the kind of luck I have. I hate being sick like this. It is the worst. The weakness and pain from laying in bed too much is bad too.
I did buy a dress, but I'm not sure if I'm going to wear it or not. It is old from the 80's and a bit too big. The train is enormous. I can't figure out how to work the darn thing. I think I might sell it on e-bay. Not much else as far as wedding plans and progression. I had to cancel two appts again with the cake and flowers because of being sick.

Neglectful

I have been terrible about remembering to post here in my journal. Shame on me! I missed reporting so many things. Things like our first hummingbird. We have two males. I have not seen any females yet. We have more plants in the garden. Besides the broccoli and brussel sprouts, we put in tomatoes, cukes, butternut, yellow and soon, zucchini. Oh and peppers. I think our garden is going to grow beyond the space we allotted it however. I'm worried about the squash vines overtaking everything! My Dad's garden gets like that. He has 4x as much space but plants more than me. There is barely room to walk in his garden!
Graduation time is coming on us quickly. I have to send out some invitations pretty soon. We are planning on having a cookout here at the house. Hope it doesn't rain. I really can't afford to rent a canopy tent. Hope people show up to the party besides the usuals. But even if it is just the usuals, we will still have fun!
Wedding plans are on a stand still because we have no money to buy anything. Also I keep forgetting to go to my appts at the florist and cake makers. Duh... I forgot to go to my bankruptcy lawyer for the second time. My memory is getting very bad. I also mix up my words alot. I was trying to tell my dog Buzzy to cut it out. I ended up saying Quit it out, Barthy. I'm wondering if its just a perimenopause thing? The picture at top is of Sarah holding the baby weasel that lost its mother. Well that is all the news for now... Hope everyone is well. Linda

Gotta get that..

Busy like a bee

I feel like I'm running in place with getting ready for the wedding. With no cash it is hard to get started! I am going soon to try on another dress. I tried one on already and it was too small. This is a size bigger so I am hoping! I guess wedding dresses run small so I shouldn't feel too bad! I have an appt next week with the florist and have to set up one with the cake lady. Then we still have to get rings, a licence, an officiant, decorations, favors, dresses and suits for the kids... The list is endless and the money is non-existant! We might all end up getting married in jeans!

I want to shop here!

More on the wedding

Yesterday we met with Tom Mailey of Stewarts and Amy who also works there. We discussed our thoughts on what we wanted and they showed us our budget. They will cater the reception with Stewart's food, which really isn't that bad. I'm sure the kids will enjoy the hotdogs! They gave us a $100 allowance toward flowers and an additional $100 toward a cake. I might have to supplement the flower allowance with some wildflowers as flowers are very expensive. I have a pretty good idea what look or theme I am going for. I am thinking a wildflower/butterfly type theme as the cake I want is decorated that way. Here is a PICTURE
of the one I want. 2nd page #229 Butterfly garden. I have never seen a cake so pretty. I am planning on going to David's bridal to get measured or else measure myself and get a dress off e-bay or craigslist or a clearance rack! I don't want a fancy wedding dress. Something simple but pretty. Rich wants to buy a suit or rent a tux. We also have to get one for his son. Travis has a suit he can wear. Karl will have to get a light gray one to match Travis or we are going to have a really mismatched wedding! Also for the best man. Sarah will get a dress with a similar color to my maid of honor. I am picking my friend Barbara. So I have alot of work to do and ordering to do!
Stewarts is going to set up a tent off to the side of the plaza we are getting married at. It is near the woods and very quiet. I guess a local newspaper and also a TV news channel has caught wind of this and may do stories! So we may be on TV getting married! The condo in Lake Placid sounds great. It is right upstairs from the Stewarts shop there and has 3 bedrooms, a huge family room etc... I guess we can sleep in a different room each night! I am so excited about this. Linda

Wedding costs

I know that there are some people out there that think if you can't afford to get married that you shouldn't but with a free wedding basically being given, who would turn it down? We were planning on getting married anyhow. The only problem is the extra costs. I have to get a dress, nothing fancy, maybe even a pretty white sundress. I need a dress for my daughter and a dress shirt for my sons. Shoes all around. My fiance needs a suit, we can probably rent one or he has a friend hopefully he can borrow from. We are meeting with the rep from Stewarts today to see what the deal is and start planning. So we will find out if we will be eating chili dogs at our wedding! :)
I can't remember if it includes flowers or not. Wildflowers will be abundant then. Then there are the little extras, gifts, favors, a cake cutter, wine or champagne, beer if not provided and if allowed. I realize we will be getting money as gifts, but we need it now, not later. I am flat out broke and have not been using my credit cards due to the bankruptcy proceedings. Sigh.. the tangled web we weave...

WE WON!

We just got a call from Stewart's. The couple that won backed out and we won! We are getting married at Stewarts in August! Send money! :) There is a donate button on my page if anyone wants to help out! I need to buy a dress!

Happy Mother's Day!

I want to wish everyone a Happy Mother's day. Yes, even to you guys because you have a mother or know a mother! I am working today, but that is ok because I get to wish alot of people a Happy Mother's day! My new job is going good. I have gotten the hang of things and am flying solo on the weekend now.

It is very windy today. The trees are blooming beautifully. The lilacs are just opening now and smell heavenly! I have heard reports of hummingbirds in the area. I have not seen one yet but I'm sure they are coming! I hope they brought winter blankets because we have a frost advisory tonight. I will have to cover my flowers and lettuce etc..

Rich and I did not win the Stewarts contest. Too bad, but we can plan our own wedding for next year! We don't have to eat chili dogs if we don't want to!

I hope everyone has a good upcoming week.. Linda

Comments - Graphics - Layouts - Photobucket

Community Photo Challenge

I decided to try my hand at the Photo Challenge.. This weeks theme is Tranquility. Can a tank at sunset be tranquil? I think so... if it is an old one from WW2 and is no longer being used in war.

Stinky Spring day

Why a stinky day? It is going to be 90F and Our septic tank is backed up and the landlord is sending someone out to dig it up and pump it. Urrgggggggg! The smell is going to be horrendous!
On the bright side it is definately spring. I got some pansies and broccoli to set. I have a beautiful tag from Donna at D's designs. Not much else going on tho. Will post some sewage pics... LOL!

Please take my poll. Would you let your 9 year old daughter and 11 year old girlfriend neighbor sleep in a tent in the front yard alone? On right...

Happy Friday!

I know for many of you, it is the weekend. Not for me. My weekend will be Tuesday and Wed. this week. The weather is finally going to warm up. It is really cold out right now, so that warm front better get a move on.
I put an ad on Craigslist a couple days ago to borrow some garden space for veggies in return for what else.. veggies and someone about 5 minutes away responded with an offer of space for me. So he is supposed to have it plowed up soon and we are going to meet and see what my space allotment will be. The only problem is it is prime deer and rabbit territory up there! It will be fun to try different types of vegetables this year. The kids are going to have to help too. Of course the boys said they aren't going to help. I told them if they plan on eating, they will. Picking up rocks out of the garden once it is tilled and weeding too. It is going to be a family project and hopefully we will have plenty of veggies to either give away or sell. Sarah can have a roadside veggie stand, she will like that! Everyone have a good weekend.. Linda

Happy Sunday

This month has been flying by hasn't it? I haven't been doing to much except work and geocache all month so far. A little gardening mixed in. I planted some so called Bleeding Heart. I think its actually the dutchman breeches version. I opened the bag and here is this pathetic clump of roots and dirt. Does anyone think it will grow? I also planted some chives my Dad let me dig up from his place. I got enough to split and plant in two different spots. There is also some other type of plant mixed in that does not look like a weed. Here are a few pics from our latest geocaching excursion. The peeper frogs are out and mating season is in full swing as shown by this photo of one unfortunate female being accosted by 3 males. There were 4 but one fell off!
Doesn't that make you jealous girls? I think if you click on the picture you might get a better look and be able to count all the frogs.
Rich has been driving me nuts with picture taking. He likes to snap random pictures of me and always in an unflattering pose. I'd like to take that camera and shove it up his... anyhow here is an example.
Nice huh? Note the double chin exposure and the fat tummy roll. I could of crouched in the trees and used them as camoflage for a better picture! :)
Anyhow, off to work again... Have a good week everyone! Linda

Has spring sprung?

I think spring may have arrived. It did so on tippy toes and very slowly but I think it is here. We are expecting 60 deg temps the rest of the week with a run at 70 for Friday! The daffodils are starting to bloom and forsythia and dandelions too. Pretty soon it will be time for tulips and lilacs. My favorite! I love the peonies too.
My new job is going pretty good. We have been very busy but I am picking things up slowly. Scheduling Dr. appts, driving the van and helping on transports, staffing, etc.. The staffing is the hardest part especially when there isn't enough bodies to go around and we have to call and bug people to pick up extra time.
One of the residents families had written a really nice letter to the paper I believe calling us "Halls Angels". We are the angels in the halls. We meaning staff at the nursing home. It was a really nice letter.
There is a couple of nurses at Wesley with a little girl who is very sick. She had an aneurysm that burst and she is in critical condition. She was expected to die but somehow has miraculously survived and is being sent to a specialist in Boston. Please go HERE for more info and support!

Contest

I entered a contest put on by our Stewart's stores. That is the most prominent local convenient store around here. Every town has one, some have two or more! Anyhow, they are having a contest called Love is in the air. The prize is a wedding package! You get a catered reception for 25, limo, cake, flowers, music and $100 in gift certificates if you win. The catch is... you have to get married at a Stewart's store! The reception also takes place there.. outdoors. To enter you had to tell them about Why we want to be married at Stewart's, the date and what shop. Part of the contest was telling about how you met at Stewart's. I told them how I met Rich there and we had coffee together on our first encounter.
Wouldn't it be funny if we won?

Washington park

Hello all, I am again being remiss in blogging. Darn Facebook steals my time away with all the silly games and applications. The photo above is of Sadie, Little Buddy and Bob the cat. Sadie has recently gone to the Rainbow Bridge and my Mom is very sad. Little Buddy has recently become a father! Bob is Bob. I worked this weekend. Only two more days to go and I start my new job! Wednesday is my last day at rehab as I have tomorrow off. It was just about unbearable yesterday slogging thru the day. I hope I enjoy doing the staffing portion of my new job. I have to try to remember to make the best of the situation and keep plugging along. I cannot afford to loose my job at this point. Yesterday we stopped and made a quick visit to Washington Park in Albany. The tulips are coming up and soon it will be time for Tulip Fest! This event draws thousands of people. Click on Tulip Fest for more info. Also I saw the magnolia trees are starting to bloom.
This weekend however we are going to Queens to visit Rich's brother for his niece's birthday. She is turning or has turned 4. Not much else for news. Hope everyone has a great week.

Last call

Wow, am I ashamed

I haven't posted anything here in a long time. How shameful of me. I have been busy with facebook and not much else. Anyhow, I hope this post finds everyone well. I have been busy as usual. Not too busy where I didn't spend Saturday finding geocaches in the Amsterdam, NY area. Got 12 to be exact! I get kind of a geocaching fever this time of year. I want to be out all the time looking for them. I know it sounds kind of stupid to some people. My sister and Dad both have the same problem! Poor Rich has been so good about it though and tags along. In fact he usually finds them before I do.
Speaking of Rich, we are ENGAGED! He popped the question in geocacher fashion by hiding a fake cache for me to find. When I found it, I opened it up and there was a piece of paper inside that said "Marry Me cache". I turned around and there he was with a ring! I had told him I wanted a non traditional engagement ring so he got me a sapphire surrounded by diamonds. It is very pretty!
I also have more news. I got a new position at my job. I will be an Inhouse transportation CNA. Also staffing clerk on the weekend I work. I start that job in a week. I can't wait to get out of rehab, it has become unbearable for me lately. I hate it. Not the residents of course, just the job and the monotony of it. I'm afraid I have been feeling awfully lazy about it too and uncaring. I have no enthusiam for it anymore. Of course having a co-worker you can't get along with doesn't help at all. Mrs. Snarky comments still is at it and probably is thrilled that I am leaving. Well good for her, she can have someone else to torment now. Hopefully whoever fills my spot won't put up with her crap. I am too soft, that is my problem.
Two and a half more months of school. My son will hopefully graduate. He keeps teetering on the edge with his grades. One falls and then he brings it up and then another subject falls. He is lazy and doesn't want to really try. He has a book report due tomorrow and he hasn't even finished the book. In fact he has been reading the same book all year! Maybe he can come up with something of a report to turn in. He is doing volunteer work at Saratoga County EOC for his Participation in Government class. He has been helping Gary with various tasks. Gary had hernia surgery and can't lift so Travis is his lifter. Travis has been working on arranging a freezer for a couple days now. I am supposed to meet for the bankruptcy on Friday. I am still lacking some paperwork and hope it comes in the mail this week. The credit card companies are really breathing down my neck as I haven't paid them for a couple months now. I probably should of and will get yelled at by the lawyer more than likely. But if I am filing bankruptcy what difference does it make really? My credit is ruined anyhow. Ok have to go to work now. Hope everyone has a good week... Linda

I will

Travis and Sarah

Waterpark pics

Here are some pics from our trip to the waterpark. Click HERE

Special request for Nancy

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Anybody going to drive any snakes out of Ireland today? Not me, but I am going to have some corned beef and cabbage!
We had a fairly good trip to the Great Escape lodge. Kids seemed to have a good time although Travis was more concerned about talking with his friends on his laptop as that is what he did most of the time. We did a bit of geocaching this weekend. Got over 10. Hope everyone has a good day today! Linda

3 almost 4 day weekend

Had to leave work early today which was fine by me. Sarah got "sick" at school again. Funny she is always fine once she gets home. We are going to the great escape lodge again this weekend. We went last year and had a good time. We won't be going until Sunday afternoon and then spending the night and coming back Monday afternoon. Here is a picture of Buzzy who appears to be a "little" happy to see me! Click on photo to enlarge.

Remember my post about drugging the kids?

I am sure some of you remember my post about drugging up the kids at the dentist. This Youtube video is viral right now...

Sleep study

I went in last night for my sleep study. What a crummy experience! While the staff was polite, the experience itself was not fun. I had wires all over and bands around me and things stuck up my nose. It took me along time to get to sleep. I am being tested for sleep apnea. Maybe this will help me find out why I am so exhausted all the time. By the way, that is not me in the picture, but I had wires like that all over me! I won't get results for about a week. Linda

Video I made of plane trip

Here is our plane coming into Philadelphia airport.

My niece doing a magic trick!

Hollywood's war against women

I think Hollywood or the celebrity mags should be ashamed of how they treat female celebrities regarding their weight or lack there of. No wonder so many women have eating disorders. Look at these recent pictures of Jessica Simpson who was called "fat" and the pictures of Jack Black and nothing was said regarding his weight at all. Am I the only one who thinks there is a problem here?

Drugging up the kiddies at the dentist

Yes indeed, going to the dentist for kids these days is a walk in the park. For the nervous or tantrum prone child they now can be administered a light dose of Nitrous Oxide also known as Laughing Gas. This wonder drug was offered to my daughter for getting a baby tooth "wiggled" out of her gum. I declined and the tooth was out in less than 5 seconds after the doctor put some numbing gel on her tooth. In fact the tooth fell out using just the cotton tipped sticks he had the oral medication on. WOW! Sarah let out a little yelp and it was all over. Geez maybe I should of let them drug her up for that first! I remember when I was a kid that was not an option. You sat in that chair and saw the big needle filled with novacain coming at you and you took it like a soldier or else! No screaming or crying allowed! In fact I had 4 perfectly good teeth pulled to make room for my other permanent teeth. All molars too! Then after you get to enjoy the feeling that your face was a big puff of hot flesh jutting out from your skull and feeling yourself drool on yourself! Mom would spoil us with nice soft food and icecream too! Nope no laughing gas for me! I didn't get to experience the charms of that particular drug until the early 90's when my brother, sister in law and some others went up to northern Vermont to a Greatful Dead concert and there were these nice people selling these pretty balloons. But that is another story... :)

Need help

I am doing a trivia contest at work and one of the questions has me stumped.
What screen star was always shot at angles so his maleness would not be apparent?

More snow on the way!

Yes my lovelies we are getting 8 more inches of snow! Oh joy... I wish I could send some down south to my Mom and maybe to Miss Ginger too while I'm at it.
We had a nice "field trip" on Friday to Utica to a couple different museums. There are links to that in the next post with pictures. It was a cold and windy day. This morning is quite mild but I know that will be changing. I really don't have any news... Oh wait yes I do! I got a phone message on Friday from THE RACHAEL RAY SHOW! I remember filling out something for a segment under their "be on the show" part of the website but now I can't remember the topic! Anyhow they called and I am going to try to get back to them Monday. Wouldn't that be exciting if I got to be on the show! I just hope it wasn't for "The dirtiest house in America". LOL! Have a great day everyone and stay warm!