Life in the Bristolwood

Taking a New Direction!

2007-07-06T15:32:00.000-04:00

I am moving my blog to my own domain! Please bookmark my new site, and find me at:

http://bristolwood.net

Hope to see you there!

Funny How One Thing Leads to Another...

2007-07-03T08:10:00.000-04:00

This morning, as I was "counting my blessings", I was feeling a little spoiled, as I was doing so while sitting in the hot tub. Mind you, the tub we have is a very *modest* model without lots of bells and whistles. However, the thought of being able to relax and enjoy the jets pounding against my spine made me feel somewhat spoiled....

And, while wallowing in the guilt of gluttony, I raised my left hand out of the water and looked admiringly at "the ring". This isn't the engagement ring that Mark gave me. Nope, it is a beautiful, almost "Victorian" looking ring. And, how did I acquire this ring?

My parents lived next door to a husband and wife who never had children. My mother has always been a very kind spirit, giving far more than she takes! So, when the woman next to her grew older and knew that she would need to move to a nursing home in not too many years, she gave my mom some jewelry.

In that jewelry was "the ring". When my mom showed me the ring, I was so envious. I didn't dream of the ring; neither did I think of ways to coerce my mom into giving it to me. Well, perhaps not wittingly...

Every time I saw my mom with "the ring" on her finger, I would make comments about how she could certainly "donate" it to me when she was done with it. Or, my birthday is.....Yes, I guess you could say that when I *saw* the ring, I was lusting after it. Sad, but true.

You cannot imagine my surprise, excitement, and ecstasy when I opened a birthday present from my parents a few years ago, and there it was! It was a little big, so I raced to the jeweler, where it remained in his possession for nearly a week! But, then, it was MINE!

I have worn that ring in lieu of my engagement ring and wedding band since, as they were cutting into my finger so, I was afraid they would sever it! This ring is so much more *me*, too.
And then, it hit me as the warm water splashed around me....my one clear remembrance of my maternal great-grandmother is "what little Lola wants, little Lola gets".

Talk about guilt literally washing over you! You see, my mom said that when I was a little baby, I climbed up onto the table to play with the silverware. This is when my great-grandmother uttered that now infamous quote that came to haunt me this morning.

As I sat, feeling rather repentant for my "get what I want" lot in life, a hummingbird came whizzing (very literally!) past my face! I quickly came to attention, jumping up and heading into the house. You see, when these hummingbirds *want* their feeder filled, one must HOP to attention right away! If you are the least bit familiar with hummingbirds, (weighing in at about the weight of a PENNY, mind you!) they are VERY demanding. They are territorial (dive-bombing any other hummer that might fly into *THEIR* zone) and demanding, in that if one doesn't keep their sugar water brimming in the feeder, they will leave and NOT return!

So, as I hopped out of the tub, I came to the glum realization that Lola (the human) was certainly reflected by the little birds that she so loves and admires!!!

So Many Mixed Emotions

2007-06-29T23:49:00.000-04:00

I took this picture of a flower on my Fushia plant hanging on the front porch. I took it on Wednesday, during a brief downpour, when the sun suddenly poked through the clouds and cast a little "spotlight" on the dripping flower. It was just so beautiful!

I had company on Tuesday. A friend came with two of her daughters. Cindy is an amazing woman...mother of eight, yes eight!, children! She came with her second youngest, as well as an older daughter who is expecting her first baby! I met the older girl (only 23) at a luncheon we had for a bunch of us soap making friends a couple of years ago. (Emily had come with her mom.) I do have photos from our day and will hopefully blog about this when I get the new blog set up. (it is getting very close!)

Cindy and the girls left our house at about 7:15 on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday morning, while listening to the news, I heard about a terrible accident that occurred Tuesday night at about 10 pm. Five young girls who just graduated from high school were in an suv, driving to a cottage on the lake. Apparently, the driver oversteered into the oncoming lane after passing another car. She crashed into an 18-wheeler and both vehicles were instantly engulfed in flames.
The driver of the semi was unhurt, and his attempt to try to save the girls in the suv was futile. All five girls were killed.

Mark and the kids and I had to go out today. On our way home, we could not miss the scene where the girls lost their lives....a car in the opposite lane had its headlights on a small memorial that has been made in tribute to the girls. An older man and woman were adding their own flowers. This had such an impact on Mark and me...a grim reminder of just how fragile this life is, no matter what our age is.

On a happy note, yesterday, Ben called to me up by the house as he was down near the road. He kept yelling something about "deer"! What in the world? I walked around the house, and I instantly saw what he was so excited about! A little fawn was walking along one of our paths. It looked so tiny! As I edged nearer and nearer, it looked quite tentative, then suddenly darted forth, springing as though it was "launched" into the woods. I did indeedy have my camera, but that fawn was F-A-S-T! I was sorry to miss the opportunity to capture the little one on the camera, but when one sees these little woodland creatures, there is a sense of having seen something almost "forbidden".....

Wordless Wednesday....

2007-06-26T21:44:00.000-04:00

Well, I Knew it was Coming!

2007-06-24T08:09:00.000-04:00

Yup. I have been blogging for almost one year now, and if you have seen my blog, you know that I love putting up pictures as much a writing.

Blogger offers 1024 MB of space for photos and I kept seeing my numbers edging closer and closer to that dreaded 1024....Last night, I was informed that in order to upload three photos, I was going "over the top".

I know that many bloggers have accounts with Snapfish, Flik'r, and Photo Bucket to store their photos. I will be looking into doing such, but I really like photos on the blog. ;o( I have found out that I do have an account that I already pay for that sponsors blogs, so I am going to have Mark look into that for me, too.

So....it looks like my Blogger account and I will be parting ways soon. It was nice while it lasted!
If I am not here for a day or two, I will be back. And yes, I will certainly leave my forwarding address here!

Everyday is a Celebration!

2007-06-22T19:24:00.000-04:00

This morning, Mark and I were chatting and we both agreed that each day should be lived as though it is a celebration. Not one of us knows the number of our days, so we should live each day in joyous anticipation, celebrating another day of life with those we love!

Late this morning (too late, I might add!), I decided to begin making lunch. Well, time got away from me, so we had a very late lunch or early dinner!

Everyone thought that shish kabobs would be good *again*! Well, since I had everything in the fridge, why not? I cut up all of the chicken breasts a couple of nights ago, so I just placed them into a ziplock bag. Then I sliced all the veggies.....

Mark *loves* the Zesty Savory Marinade from Wegman's. It is kind of spicy/hot, but it really has a nice flavor. After cutting all of the veggies, I threw those into the ziplock bag with the chicken and let everything sit on the counter to meld flavors for an hour.

I had begun some rolls to serve with the shish kabobs, too.

When I made the shish kabobs for Father's Day, I placed the meat and veggies all on the skewer. Well, Mark informed me that on the cooking shows, the chefs always segregate the ingredients by the amount of time it takes to cook them. So, I placed the peppers, onions, and mushrooms on separate skewers.

This was pretty funny....

The other day, while at WalMart, I saw some tiny hummingbird feeders for 97 cents. I picked one up and got this idea....since I cannot photograph the hummers very well out front, I would hang these tiny feeders on the back side of the house and try to catch them through the window in the kitchen!

So, while the rolls were finishing up proofing in the oven, I sat on a chair, trying to "catch" a hummer....

(I ***love*** my new stove! To keep the rolls at a nice steady 100 degrees while they rise...what a tremendous feature!) So....anyway,

Yup! The hummers like the little feeders! Hurrah. It is so cool to be able to watch them as I wash dishes at the sink! First thing tomorrow, I need to refill this feeder, as they drank all of the sugar water!

Well, I had to get up off my chair after I placed the rolls in the oven to bake. I needed to run outside to the back deck to check the shish kabobs on the grill. And, when I came back to the kitchen...............

Uh huh! When I first walked into the kitchen, Angus's nose was up against the oven door, sniffing to see if he approved of the rolls! When we used to go to my father-in-law's apartment for the holidays, he always invited Angus to sit on one of these chairs as we ate! So, when Angus saw the empty chair in the kitchen, he must have thought it was for him!

And here is the ned product. How I wish I could send "smell" over the computer! These smelled so delicious, and this is all the family left for me!

We finished up the dishes and cleanup and my poor head was throbbing like crazy! It felt like someone was pressing the sides of my head together above my ears! I finally wound up taking an ibuprophen, and then headed for the hot tub. I sat in there for two cycles (each about 20 minutes) then just sat there in the water with no jets for about another half hour! It was fun being entertained by the little hummingbirds.....they whizzed past my head and made their cute little chirping noise!

I finally came into the house after 7! I decided a cup of Irish tea would be just the thing to end my day, so I brewed a cup!

Well, tomorrow, we are going to be doing testing for the kids for school. It seems so insane that we have to do achievement tests, but I guess the school district has to know we really are doing something here day after day! The kids are finishing up some little things on their school, and we should be completely done by next week. This is a first! We usually end up doing school work well into July!

Happy weekend, and remember to celebrate life!

Keeping Busy and Little Things!

2007-06-21T19:29:00.000-04:00

The first order of the day today was to get rid of the wasp nests that they built under the rails of the swimming pool. Ugh! I am not sure why those wasps are so fond of building there, but it seems like every time I look, there are new nests. I ventured forth this morning, new can of wasp and hornet spray in hand. I found and sprayed nine nests.

About an hour later, I went out to remove the nests from the pool. Being lazy, I reached for a small stick on the ground to flick the nests off. I went around the perimeter of the pool, removing the nests, one by one. As I finished, I became keenly aware that the stick I was holding was.....*moving*! Eeeewwwwwww! As I looked down, there was this huge wiggling wormy looking thing crawling inside what appeared to be a cocoon. Rather than passing out on the ground, I raced to the woods, throwing the stick deeply into the thick greenery! Even now, as I think about it, I can feel my skin crawling!

After this, I needed something to relax my somewhat disturbed soul! As I looked around, I saw daisies everywhere! So, I grabbed my camera and began taking pictures. As I snapped photo after photo of beautiful flowers all around, my mind raced back a few years ago to when Michelle was a little toddler....Our neighbors have a daughter who is about a year younger than Michelle, and when the girls were little, we would fashion a daisy headpiece and ohhh and ahhh over our little princesses!

I set the camera down and went on a daisy picking expedition. I picked the largest daisies I could find, making sure to leave many daisies behind. I didn't want to take too many from any one spot. Then, I sat down and began braiding the daisies into a pretty headpiece. As I worked, I wondered if Michelle would even allow me to place the floral crown upon her brow! When the headpiece was done, I cut several of the pretty yellow daisies from the hanging basket on the back deck. Oh my! What a pretty headpiece this is!

I took several pictures of Miss M with the daisy crown on, but she asked me not to "display" them, so I will honor her request. So, here is a self-portrait with the daisy crown...

OK, so get up off the floor and quit laughing at me!

Let's see. I took a few pictures of wild roses, too! One of the flowers was so beautifully open, displaying the pretty yellow center. As I took photos, the petals began to fall off....one...by...one!

Here is a bud that was getting ready to open fully.....

And, a tiny bud...

I gave each of the little Scottie boys a bone to chew on; as they worked away, gnawing on their prizes, I uploaded pictures and fiddled around with both of my cameras. I took this picture of a hummingbird sitting on the feeder with my Olympus camera. I love my Nikon so much, but I have to admit, I would certainly miss my little Olympus if I didn't have it!

And, after all this serious work I was about today, I decided to paint my toenails. hehehe

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

2007-06-19T18:30:00.000-04:00

Emphasis on the word *Happy*!

Ah, Tis Good to be Home!

2007-06-18T14:57:00.000-04:00

This was our home away from home...this time, we were parked not in the shade, but more like in a field. Although the shade is great, this area was nice too, as I wasn't constantly crawling on the floor, cleaning up pine needles, dirt, sand, and whatever else!

Late yesterday afternoon, we had to put the awning away on the camper, as it was so windy, the thing was flapping about, bringing to mind old episodes of The Flying Nun! The camper began swaying, so we decided we had better roll it up!

Now, mind you, I was not suffering at all from *brain freeze*, but instead, from *brain MELT!* I should have taken so many more pictures, but I was just exhausted from the seemingly scalding temperatures. It was so hot, you could have cooked a roast in the sun!

Anyway, when we arrived late Friday morning, there were very few campers there. By Friday night when we came back after the laser show, the campground was nearly filled to capacity. There were class A's, fifth wheels, tow behinds, pop-ups and even many tents! And, my oh my, there were campfires galore!

By 11 AM yesterday morning, this was the scene! Nearly everyone that was surrounding us was gone!

The place looked so deserted, except for the little covering thing down next to the bathhouse.

And there we were...off in the distance!

Mark decided he wanted to just drive around a little yesterday. We stopped by a Dairy Queen, which is a treat as there are none near our home. I stopped at Wegman's and bought goodies to make shish kabobs and a Greek salad for dinner.

Because my brain was in total *brain MELT* mode, I did not photograph the beautiful kabobs! They were so colorful and drat!; they would have been such a nice photo! Ah well...I made them with marinated chicken, red pepper, purple onion, yellow pepper, and mushrooms. They were so pretty!

Since we had the entire campground basically to ourselves, we played outside for quite some time while the food cooked, then ate outside at the picnic table. It felt so cool to look over this huge expanse of field and see no other people within eyesight! Oh, and as soon as the sun began its descent, the temperatures cooled off so nicely!

This morning, we got up and decided to hitch right up. The kids have the system down pat, so Mark and I need only to double check on connections. Off we went, back towards home. As always, when we pulled up the driveway, I wondered to myself, *why* do we ever even leave
*here*? I mean, with all the beauty that surrounds us, we need only go out the front door to be in what many folks actually pay money to see!

Of course, there are other people to consider, eh? I mean, what do the kids think?......

Ayup....there is *no* place like home!

Happy Father's Day!

2007-06-17T07:16:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day to any fathers that might be reading today!

We have been out and about with our camper once again. This time, we went to Darien Lakes Resort and Theme Park. (used to be a 6 Flags park, but was recently sold) Each year, the park has a homeschool week, but we were unable to do the entire week...so, we went on Friday.

The kids love going and they have one special friend who meets them there each year. This year, when we arrived, yikes!!! There must have been well over fifty school buses from public schools all over New York state! The kids' friend had already made plans to meet some kids from the school district we are from after he discovered they were going to attend on Friday as well.

So, the kids were off and running....we always followed behind them before, so this became a new experience for us. We communicated via cell phone and Mark and I were both a little reluctant about this new protocol. However, it did allow us to spend some time relaxing near the lake and taking in some sights.

This is a beautiful lake that is located in the park. It is small, but very pretty. On one side of it is a hotel that is also part of the park, costing mega bucks to stay there! The park also has a nice campground where you can either bring in your own camper, or rent one daily or weekly. Once again, the pricing is quite steep. We park our camper at a beautiful state park nearby. Much cheaper and the noise level is *much* less intense. Our noisiest problem is birds!

There were several families of Canada Geese swimming nearby. They are so beautiful and graceful; just watching them made us feel so peaceful! This family was a changing one...the youngsters must be in their "teen" years, as their little "kid" fluff is being replaced with feathers. Even though these youngsters are getting large, the parents still keep a very close on on their offspring. We saw a woman and her kids trying to head down the walkway to their hotel room..the adult geese thought the humans were getting too invasive and lowered their heads to the ground, slowly snaking their necks back and forth in their typical goose warning! Thankfully, the woman was wise enough to figure out this was not a *greeting* maneuver and waited until the geese were a safe distance away!

The day was rather hot, with the temps climbing into the 80's. I don't do well in such conditions, and burn to a crisp if not careful. We decided to take refuge in a restaurant also located within the confines of the park. We *gulped* and went inside, suspicious that the prices were going to be quite steep!

The waitress came over and took our drink orders...I ordered a coke. Mark grimaced and asked if I knew the price of that coke was $3.29! Oops! We were able to find some reasonably priced items from the menu. I had a small bowl of French Onion Soup, and Mark ordered a Nacho plate at the suggestion of the waitress. When his meal arrived, we couldn't believe the size! The plate was completely buried under chips, meat, beans, and all the goodies a Nacho plate entails!

More interesting than the food was the decor of the restaurant. It was called "Beaver Brothers Restaurant", and, of course, the entire place was decorated with all things beaver. We were greeted by signs like, "Busy Beavers working here" and "The last one out of the dam blows out the lights"!

There were little beavers (looked like they were made from old-fashioned plaster instead of the more "modern" resin!) everywhere, hanging from the rafters! It really was quite quaint, and little kids would truly enjoy the surroundings. On one of the place mats, I read there were actually 68 beavers throughout the dining room!

We lingered on as long as possible, enjoying the air-conditioned environ. It was certainly a big bonus to be able to take refuge from that spiking heat outside! Mark rarely carries his wallet, so I always pay the bill. When the waitress brought the bill, I reached for my purse. Oops! I didn't BRING my purse! I had opted to carry my (heavy) camera bag as opposed to my (heavy) purse.

Our bill came to $13.37. As I dug through my camera bag, I was able to dig out $13.12. We explained to the waitress that we would go to the truck and bring back the 25 cents, as well as a tip. She was so gracious, telling us to forget it! Needless to say, I hoofed it to the truck and got the money. I was so embarrassed!

At dinner, we drove down the road, along with the kids' friend and his family, to a little pizza/sub restaurant. This proved to also be an enjoyable venture, as the temperature was cooling down rapidly. As soon as the sun was over the horizon, the temperature dropped off to a more reasonable state! We lingered, chatting and enjoying good company, until the kids alerted us they "needed" to get back to the park for a few more rides! And, after that, it was off to the laser show. There was a new show this year, and of course, the loud music and light show is a good way to end the day!

Yesterday, we shuffled off to Buffalo (only a few miles from the campground) and spent the day shopping for some things we needed and just looking around some.

Today is Mark's day! He will decide how we spend the day, and I know we will have fun!

Wordless Wednesday....Welcome to the Bristolwood

2007-06-12T13:03:00.000-04:00

"Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole."-Roger Caras

Sorry not to be wordless, but this was too cute to pass up....Murphy thought the flowers looked good enough to *eat*! Notice Angus's total disdain!

Olean, Revisited!

2007-06-11T07:29:00.001-04:00

As I was taking pictures of the various squirrels, I couldn't help but become enamoured by this little city of Olean!

Years ago, I met two sisters at church camp who were from Olean. I remember visiting and spending the night at their house. I think I was about 12 when I met them, and believe it or not, one of the sisters *still* sends a Christmas card every year! (I will only say that it was many, many years ago that we met!!!) I don't remember much about Olean from that visit, but in looking at it again, it sure is a beautiful place!

I took several pictures of Lincoln Park.

Although this compact park encompasses only one small city block, it is chock full of wonderful commemorative statues and beautiful settings! What a wonderful place to visit on a warm sunny day!

This large rock commemorates the Revolutionary Soldier who founded the town of Olean in 1804.

I wish I could have gotten an aerial shot of this particular statue. It is so beautiful, and the floral planting you see at the base is actually in the form of a star. I did photograph all four sides, as each side has an engraven message. I am hoping each of these photos will enlarge when clicked on....

A statue in memory of the GAR...Grand Army of the Republic.

I discovered this park while photographing the "Squirrels".....this is a LIVE squirrel enjoying a peanut a kind soul left for him on the "Freedom of Speech" bench in the park!

This pretty little pathway leads up to a "prehistoric" rock that was placed in the bicentennial year of 2004 to commemorate the founding of the town.

This pastoral little gazebo concludes my tour of Lincoln Park, although there were more commemorative markers located there!

And, across from the park on one side was a pretty Episcopalian Church. What really caught my eye about this church, besides its beauty, was this stunning year-round nativity, which is carved from wood!

Although the Baby Jesus is missing in the manger, I do not recall ever seeing a "permanent" nativity before! Usually, they only appear at Christmas time, and then disappear throughout the rest of the year. This one is so sturdy, so solid....it would involve major production to remove it!

Across the street to the north is the city municipal building. On the side of the building is this gorgeous mosaic!

It seems that many downtown US cities have become run down as a result of more appealing malls being built on their outskirts. Parking is more convenient, and in inclimate weather, it is so much simpler to hop from store to store inside, rather than braving the elements. Olean has retained its small city charm, and it seems many businesses thrive there. There is a very small mall located farther north along this street. The business above is a restaurant. It seems to define the word "charm" with its beauty.....the flowerboxes located on the windows are abundant to the point of nearly overflowing!

There was so much more to see and photograph, but time was getting away from me, and we needed to begin our two hour trip back home. As it was, we returned home after 9 pm. What a great way to spend a Sunday!!

Olean, NY, Gone to the Squirrels?

2007-06-10T22:29:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, we decided to meet my parents and brother in Olean, New York. My brother's birthday is today, so we celebrated yesterday. Happy Birthday, Randy!

We accidentally took the wrong exit off the Southern Tier Expressway, ending up having to drive through the city. As we went through, I noticed "squirrels" placed throughout the city streets. After meeting my family for lunch, I told Mark and my family about the squirrels. At first, they thought I was "nuts", but afterward, they all saw them, too!

Before we left the area, I needed to photograph these chipper little critters. In poking around on the web, I discovered these were being sponsored by area businesses, schools, and organizations to help raise money for the city's Historical and Preservation Society. They are pretty cute, and certainly add a little pizazz to the streets!

I tried to upload these pictures last night, but for some reason, the network kept kicking me off, so I present them now! Without further ado, let me introduce the "Woodland in the City" creatures! (there are supposed to be 14 of the squirrels, but these are the most prominent ones that I found.) Too bad I didn't have my computer to look up the info, as there are actually Google maps on where to find them!

*** please note: if you click on many of these pics, they will enarge to full size....IF you have any idea why ALL do not do that, PLEASE leave your thoughts in the comments!!! Greatly appreciated!"***

This little fellow is called "Sir Pennywise" an happens to be at home in front of Community Bank, NA

This brightly painted squirrel is deemed "Squirrelinksy".

Starry Night Squirrel with Benjamin!

Decoupaged squirrel "Artour O'Quick".

Care to guess this fellow's name? If you said "Ronald McSquirrel", you are 100 percent correct!

Yes, this is "Lady Justice", complete with blindfold, and scales in hand, er...paw! She also is the most highly recognizable squirrel with her.....um, "pecs"?

"Country Folk Squirrel" is a pretty fellow painted black with a faux gold overwash. He had pretty country scenery (folk style, of course) painted on his back!

"Enchanted Mountain Squirrel" sits in the front lawn of a memorial (gravestone markers) business. He is amongst the cutest of all! He has an oak tree growing on his chest, and has features such as an acorn nose and chickadee eyes!!! Very colorful and I love the oak leaves all over his body!

"Olean Patriot" sits proudly in front of a wonderful old-fashioned hardware store. He is dressed in camoflauge, has decals decoupaged on his tail, honoring the four branches of armed services (Army, Marines, Air Force, and Navy) and is complete with part of the American flag on his tail!

So, there you have it, nine of the fourteen squirrels of Olean!

What Ever Happened to Relaxing Weekends?

2007-06-09T21:38:00.000-04:00

Well, perhaps that isn't the right question. Perhaps I should be asking why did I marry a man whose list of projects (far) surpasses my own? I used to tease that Mark would make a great project engineer, as, if the company he worked for ever ran out of jobs, he could invent a whole new list! I usually don't mind extra activities, but sometimes I just want to do some things I want to do!

Ah well....Mark kept the kids busy today....not so much me!

I made a really great dinner with a recipe for a cauliflower side dish. It was really easy, and the result was a casserole that tasted very much like scalloped potatoes. Michelle can be picky, but she gave me kudos for the "best cauliflower, ever!" Ah, accolades every now and then are so rewarding, eh? The greatest reward was, however, an empty dish at dinner's end!

I had planned to take a lot of pictures today, but it just didn't happen....

So, here is one that is a bit blurry, but kind of cute......

See the tiny little chipmunk hiding in the weeds? You can see the stripes on its back on the left side of the picture, and a little black eye peering through the greenery!

This is one of the peonies in my front lawn. They need to be transplanted to a sunnier site, but I keep forgetting to do this! These peonies are really special, as my dad gave me the plants, and he got them from his mother, my grandmother. She passed away in 1972, so these plants always remind me of her. I waited all afternoon, until the sun was shining *just so* on this plant. The photo is just as I took it with no "doctoring".

Tomorrow promises to be a bit easier, as we are traveling to meet my parents and brother, as it is my brother's birthday on Monday! I love traveling in the truck, so I look forward to these days.

Happy Sunday to all!

Prettying Up the Bristolwood

2007-06-08T13:03:00.000-04:00

Last night, we had to go out for a bit. We have been thinking we might want to replace our hot water heater when we redo the kitchen, as it is 15 years old. When we spoke to a serviceman, he told us that hot water heaters are one of those appliances that can go in about 10 years.(more or less) He also told us that when they do go, well, they usually leave their homeowners with a big mess! After having an icemaker fail a couple of years ago, I never want to see another flood in the house again!

While we were out last night, we decided to look at water heaters at Lowe's. I saw that a water heater with a .8 rating would be eligible for a $300 tax credit, so I wanted to take a look at the tankless heaters. They run a little more expense wise, but save energy in the long run. They also are supposed to have a longer life than the tank models. Unfortunately, Lowe's was a bust, as there was no literature and no one was around to talk about the water heaters.

As we were making our way to leave, I told Mark I would like to visit the garden center before we left. I used to always hang several baskets of flowers on the front porch for the summer; since Mark's injury, I have been so busy with other things, I forget about flowers. So, as we looked around at all the colorful baskets and plantings, we decided to buy some.

This is a terrible picture, but the basket has Lobelia, tiny petunias, and a single Marigold!

I love Fushias so much, and these pink and white are my absolute favorite! I had seen a basket last week at Wegman's, but at $19.99, I just didn't think I could spend that much on a single basket. I am glad I waited, as Lowe's were less. Even though the basket isn't real huge, there are lots and lots of buds, so I know it will get bigger and fill out more.

Mark spotted this New Guinea Impatiens and I thought it was so pretty, too! Once again, this is small, but I know it will increase in size. Last year, I had one of these on the porch, and a silly Junco built a nest smack in the middle! I witheld water for weeks to the point where the thing looked so sorrowful....I actually blogged about it last summer!

I think these are Dianthus. It makes me upset when plants are sold without ID tags. I can never remember the instructions, so I leave the tags in a kitchen drawer until I figure them out! This little planter struck both Mark's and my fancy. It is just so pretty and *happy* looking!

The one thing we left without was a fountain. I saw one that I had admired in the store last year. It is rather simple one , but Mark said we need to think on it some more. I would love to have a water feature so hummingbirds could enjoy it, as well as other birds!

After our Lowe's experience, we stopped at Wegman's so I could grab some fresh produce. This is where I always get ours, as they seem to have the freshest produce of all the stores. As Michelle and I walked toward the store, they had so many colorful flowers in front of the store.

I just *had* to take a look.

As we perused, there were signs saying their big hanging baskets were $9.99. The price marked on them was $19.99. I looked and looked.......

When I saw this basket, it *really* caught my eye! The bright yellow daisies were just so very outstanding! AND, this basket had a sign poked into it saying it was the lesser price! I hung it on the shopping cart and Michelle giggled as I shopped throughout the store, pushing the cart with my elbows locked straight out in front of me!

This basket is hung on a shepherd's hook our neighbor fashioned for us a few years ago. It is bolted onto the back deck, and this big basket (almost 2 feet across!) is just so very perfect out there. The cheerful yellow flowers contrast so splendidly with the lush green hill behind the house!

Here is a closeup of the daisies. You can see how bright and beautiful they are!

This morning, as soon as my feet hit the floor, I raced downstairs and out the door. I stopped long enough to water all the new plants, then made my way to the garage. I was feeling rather smug about mowing the lawn before the sun came up! I had placed a latex glove on my hand with the injured finger so no dirt would get in.

I am a bit different in that no matter how hot I get, I do not sweat. Instead, my face glows an almost dangerous red color, and I feel overwhelmed by heat. (this is the reason why I am not fond of summer at all) Anyway, I think I may have discovered the secret to making myself sweat! When I completed the lawn, I anxiously removed the glove to discover my hand was so wet from sweat, it was dripping!!! Now, all I need is a latex *suit*!

This is a photo I took this afternoon of our cozy little porch, nestled snugly in the trees!

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!

2007-06-07T08:36:00.000-04:00

"I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well." Psalm 139:14

Yes,, this is a picture of the self-inflicted knife wound on my finger! When I removed the (huge) gauze bandage this morning, I was so happy to see how well this has healed.

This is the side of my finger where the knife went in more deeply.

This morning was the first time I was able to look at the wound without *shaking*! I globbed on a bunch more Neosporin, put on a new bandaid (no more BIG bandages!!!) and sealed it shut with waterproof Nexcare tape.

As I looked at my finger, the scripture above came to mind. I mean, *what* has man created that self-heals (and so quickly, too!), remains as good as new, AND the fingerprints remain unchanged? Think about that............

Is it Friday Yet?

2007-06-06T19:16:00.000-04:00

No? Ugh. Friday cannot come soon enough this week! I need a vacation after our small vacation.

We arrived back home late on Monday afternoon. The kids were terrific about unloading the camper, and I am grateful for that. I stopped by the local Subway and bought subs for dinner, as I was whipped and making dinner just didn't sound too appealing.

I got up bright and early on Tuesday morning, feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. I swept down the stairs, barely feeling the treads under my feet. I went out on the front porch, admiring all the beautiful flowers that had come into bloom whilst we were away. Ah, life is so good....

I came back inside and without even complaining, began washing the mountains of dishes that had strangely appeared while I slept....Hmmmm. Then, *it* happenend. I never saw such a freakish thing in my life....

I went to grab for a glass that needed to be washed. As I did so, a brand-spanking new knife I had *just* removed from its sheath the night before *spun around*, bludgeoning its grand point right into the tip of my middle finger of my left hand. I stood there, dumbfounded. After coming back to my senses, I grabbed paper towels and began to place pressure on the dripping fingertip. I think I used about half of the roll before it finally slowed down a bit.

Mark taped the finger shut and this worked well. Then, after about two hours, I wondered if it would tear open again when the tape was removed. So, we bandaged it once again. Drip, drip...you get the picture!

This morning, the finger was finally sealed shut and I placed a new bandage on it, making sure it was first bathed in Neosporin. Now, I have this terrible bulbous bandage on the end of my finger, driving me nuts and making me yell when I bump it on anything!

So, feeling very sorry for myself, I set out this afternoon with my camera, thinking a little walk would soothe my *feelings* if not my poor finger!

So, since my photo of a purple Columbine was a hit on Wordless Wednesday, I took a picture of a Columbine.

And, a whole *bunch* of Columbines.......

And my waning blue Columbines.........

My not-so-ordinary Columbines......

Wow! Look! My Begonia runneth over!

And Daddy Long Legs sitting atop a pretty Daisy!

As I walked in the woods, I was talking to Carly on the cell phone. Suddenly, something jumped up from the earthen floor........

I took about 20 pictures of this little darling, but each picture was worse than the one before it. This was such a total disappointment......

Oh, and to end this on a more upbeat note....My clever UPS man, Bob, has *just* the idea for me! He suggested that before I place my hands into the kitchen sink to wash dishes, I don a pair of Kevlar gloves!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2007-06-05T15:32:00.000-04:00

Dark purple Columbine

Allegany Pictures

2007-06-04T23:14:00.001-04:00

This is the Stone Tower located in the Red House area of Allegany State Park. Ben overheard someone saying this structure was built over 100 years ago as a lookout for fires in the mountains.

Inside the Stone Tower.

Steps leading to the top of the Stone Tower.

It was drizzly and wet when I took this picture from atop the tower, but one can see that on a clearer day, it is possible to see for miles and miles!

Another view from the tower with the sky brightening up a bit! Vision was still somewhat limited.

As I was entering into one of my daydreaming states, admiring the beautiful scenery, I was rudely snapped to reality by the kids.....imploring I take *just* one picture of them......

As Ninjas, fighting atop the tower....and I thought *I* was the one with the vivid imagination?

As we were readying to leave the park, Mark pulled over onto a flat parking lot to make and adjustment to the hitch of the camper. As he and Ben worked, I grabbed the camera to take just a few parting shots. The above photo is a little island located in the Red House Lake.

Michelle standing on a beautifu pier made from stone for people to fish on the lake.

And lastly, a beautiful covered bridge located on one of the many bike paths located in the park.

Good bye, Allegany State Park. I do believe we will be returning once again to visit this stunningly beautiful gem!

And All Good Things Must Come to an End.....

2007-06-04T22:46:00.001-04:00

Saturday evening, my parents and brother came out to the camp for dinner and to enjoy a little time in the woods! It was a beautiful evening, and as always, food tasted so much better sitting outside next to a campfire!

Sunday, we decided to take a little shopping trip to Erie, Pennsylvania. Erie is another terrific place to visit, but we were there to shop, not to visit! I was in sorry need of some new summer clothing. I generally only buy three or four outfits for any given season, but I was down to one weary-looking sundress that really needed to be replaced. I washed it too many times!

I made out like a bandit! I had some money left on a Macy's gift card and my mom happened to have a 20% off one day's shopping there. After looking throughout the store, I was not impressed with the styles of clothing they had. As we passed by a clearance rack, however, I saw a sweater that caught my eye. Then, another sweater jacket, then a blouse! I was so happy to have some beautiful clothes for a fraction of *Macy's* prices! They will be perfect to wear in the evening when it is cool.

After that, we hopped over to Value City. Wow! I hit the motherload....I found two really pretty sundresses as well as a couple of skirts and three blouses! Ben found a pair of Levi jeans and two nice dress shirts. As I went up to the register, I discovered that if I applied for a credit card, I could get 20% off. I did, and was totally amazed at the amount of clothing I purchased for only a bit more than $100!

After all of this strenuous shopping, we went to Presque Isle, and ate at an outdoors hamburger "joint" called Sara's. This place is really hopping in the summer. Behind the restaurant, there is a large campground. What a busy place, and summer hasn't officially started yet!

We looked around a bit more in a few stores, then headed off to my parents' home. We stayed for a little bit, then were off to the campground. Rain began and fell all the way there, and continued thoughout the entire night. It was cool and felt so good!

This morning, we awakened and began to make ready for our trip home. Somehow it always seems so hard to get motivated to return home, even though responsibilities await us! All of the memories begin to play out in my mind, and I enter into dreamland, romanticizing about the "what-if's". And so, I began daydreaming about how the woman at the gift shop explained how people actually camp out in the rustic little cabins at Thanksgiving and Christmas time. She said people decorate with lights and the whole nine yards. Ah, what a fun experience that would be! It must be that tiny amount of Indian blood within me that draws me....I have always wished to live in a tiny little house in the middle of the woods....Not so sure how all of my "techno-stuff" would play into this, though!

I am going to post one more entry with some more pictures.

And, On Saturday........

2007-06-04T22:00:00.000-04:00

Michelle and I relaxed a bit while Mark and Ben went out. Mark took Ben around the park to several places, including swimming and to the gift shop. They picked out the coolest souvenir.

They found some iron ore stones that were smooth as glass that had been magnetized. They are super magnets, and are just so fun!

I took several pictures at the park. As I stated previously, the park is just one beautiful area right after the other. Situated on 65,000 acres of natural beauty, it isn't hard to imagine the rugged gorgeous scenery stealing one's heart with rolling forested mountains and breathtaking streams running everywhere! The park has over 400 campsites, as well as rustc cabins and housekeeping cottages.

The only thing I kind of missed was my laptop. Although our Blackjack was working in the park (and I was able to post an entry to my blog on Saturday morning) most of the time, my laptop was so sluggish, I finally gave up trying to use it and just decided life could be lived without a laptop!

The above pictures are of the Red House Lake. This little lake offers so much....there are boat rentals and swimming areas. There are also bicycle rentals, as there are miles and miles of paved trails running throughout the park! There is also fishing allowed in the lake.

This is the administration building. It sits majestically overlooking Red House Lake. It houses a gift shop, a small museum featuring samples of the various birds and wildlife that dwells in the park, a lodge with lovely chairs overlooking the lake, the park police, and upstairs, a restaurant! I would love to have gone to the Sunday morning brunch, but Mark would have had a terrible time trying to navigate up the stairs, as the building has no elevator.

This park is located in close proximity to Salamanca, NY. Salamanca is a small city owned by and under the jurisdiction of the Seneca Nation of Indians. I guess that because of this, it is so easy to imagine this property many, many years ago when the Indians were living there with no modern conveniences!

One of my deepest regreats is that we were unable to go camping when Michelle was little....When she was just a little snippet, she loved the woods so much! Her make-believe friend was John the Baptist. Well, technically, according to her, John was her constant companion, as well as boyfriend! She dreamed of being an Indian princess. She would take Ben into the woods about a hundred feet behind our house, and the two of them would lash small pieces of rope around the trees and fashion amazingly well-constructed lean-to's. She even masterminded a beautiful "patio", constructed from flat shale found around the area. I look at my complex little girl who isn't much of a little girl anymore and wonder where the years have gone. With her dark eyes (a woman at the grocery store once called them "dark as chocolate chips" when she was only weeks old) and hair, she certainly could be an Indian princess. Besides, I do believe there was an influx of (I think) Algonquin blood in my mother's bloodlines!

Fish Fry Friday!

2007-06-04T19:37:00.000-04:00

OK, so when we went on our little camping excursion, we were not too far away from the home of my parents. We were excited about seeing them, and getting together to have some fun!

My brother had taken off the week to help paint my parents' home, so my dad and brother worked during the day, but we were able to get together for some time in the evenings. This was so much fun, and I cannot think of a better way to visit! By staying in our camper, we would not impose on my parents at all. Although my mom is one of the most gracious hostesses I have ever met, I love staying in the camper so Mom isn't stuck with tons of laundry to wash, nor dishes piled to the ceiling!

So, on Friday night, my parents invited us to the Rod and Gun Club they belong to. This is a REAL highlight, as this particular club serves the most delicious haddock meal on Friday nights! I have never been a big fan of fish, but this fish is so mild and tender....thinking about it is making my mouth water!

We met for dinner and, once again, the meal was beyond description! What is even more appealing is the fact that as we left, the bill for our four dinners (all haddock) AND sodas, came to less than $33.00! Believe me, this is not a place that you leave feeling hungry!

After dinner, we spotted many Canada Geese with their goslings in tow, walking near the lake. We decided that I had better grab my camera.....

I will never tire of taking photos of these pretty birds. I have always loved Canada Geese, although I am told that in some areas of the country, they have become a terrible nuisance, causing people to grow rather angry with them! Ah well....

As the sun edged nearer and nearer to the western horizon, this group headed westward, ho! Notice the second little one...it was so tiny compared to the other goslings. I am convinced this little one was no gosling at all, but rather, perhaps a little mallard duckling! I mean, HOW could that teeny tiny baby be a sibling to those others?

After leaving my parents' home, we stopped at a supermarket to pick a couple of items. And, what should be *appearing* in the parking lot?

Yes, a dozen Mallards! What struck me most about this little band of beggars was that ten of these birds were male, with only two females. Hmmm....Anyway, I hadn't noticed the ducks as I went into the store. However, when I returned to the truck, Ben was outside with them, throwing "breadcrumbs"? at them.

It was only after I crawled into the truck and we were on our way that Mark told me Ben had gotten into Michelle's "doggie bag" and grabbed a handful of HER leftover fish to feed the ducks. Ben remarked that ducks *do* eat fish, after all!

Where We Have Been!

2007-06-04T19:20:00.001-04:00

Last Thursday, we pulled out from our little home in the Bristolwood, and took off for Allegany State Park, in southwestern New York State. The above is a picture of our little home on wheels as it sat for the next few days.

We purchased our little camper four years ago, thinking it would be fun to be able to pull out and enjoy being away from home for a time. This was one of the best investments we ever made! When things feel as though they are about to "swallow us", it is so fabulous to be able to take off and spend a few days away from the heat of the situation! I have never been fond of spending time in a hotel/motel, but going out and getting into the great out-of-doors is just the ticket. Mark, growing up in a home where they spent time camping as a family, agreed one hundred percent!

Um...I would say that the kids rather enjoy camping as well. Michelle spent much of her time on the BlackJack, AIM'ing friends, but she also enjoyed getting out, as well. It was amazing. I grew up a short distance, relatively speaking, from this park, and never really enjoyed it as I should have! Everywhere we looked, there was an abundance of beauty!

A Grave Invitation

2007-06-02T09:59:00.000-04:00

The small town where we live recently sent out a newsletter...town residents were encouraged to visit the "Founders' Cemetary".

With such a big to-do about it, I felt compelled to do so. I have always been rather intrigued by *antique* cemetaries. When I was younger, I used to love to go to the cemetary and see where the town founder was buried. It seemed so interesting to view the resting place of someone who lived so very long ago.

What I witnessed when I arrived at the cemetary was a *bit* of a shocking surprise! I guess I had expected things to be more neat and tidy....the picture above is my first glance!

As I had entered the road leading to this cemetary (a long drive looking as though leading to "nowhere", located at the base of a huge hill) a familiar blue and yellow sign hailed anyone wishing to visit that the cemetary included folks buried from 1801, and several were from the French and Indian War as well as the Civil War. Interesting......

This is one of the early (1801) burials. The stone was so unique and elaborate compared to many of the others. The epitaph was rather humorous, as well:

"Behold and see as you pass by, As you are now so once was I. As I am now so you must be, Prepare for Death and follow me."

Most all of the graves were overgrown and as I walked through, my ankles were snagged by brambles and stung as the skin was scratched by jagged berry bushes. Chipmunks abounded, running through the tall grasses, unseen! As I walked around, I was somewhat amazed that the town would so proudly announce the "Grand Opening???" of this somewhat forsaken area! It seemed so ironic that they would draw attention to such an overgrown, seemingly uncared for cemetary! I will say, however, that some effort is being taken to "rejuvenate" the area, as the road leading to the cemetary is quite elaborate when compared to the road we live on!

This last picture is of the new and modern gravestone of the town's founder. Apparently, the town saw fit to spring for a proper grave marker. A few feet from this stone is a little stone, with the initials "GW" carved into it. I am thinking that must have been the original marker.

This was a pretty interesting little trip. I think I will probably visit again later this summer to see if anything is fixed a bit....

Ahoy, Mateys!

2007-05-30T23:03:00.000-04:00

Well, the kids finally made it to the theatre to see the Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Yesterday, I spent the better part of the day sewing two pirate shirts. Although I love to sew, I must say, I was getting so very tired of gathering what seemed like yards and yards of fabric! As it worked out, I was not able to finish the hem on the bottom of the shirts, nor the cuffs. As I was vexed by what to do, Michelle merely improvised, just like she always does!

Michelle said no worry about the unfinished bottom hems, as the shirts were going to be tucked inside pants. OK, so one hurdle down, one to go! Michelle sat down at the sewing machine, hemmed the bottom of the sleeves, then grabbed pieces of leftover fabric, and tied them around where the cuffs would go. How clever my girl is!!!

And here is a photo of the pirate contingency....

The kids told us after the movie that the theatre was built in 1920, and seated maybe around 50 people. We are talking small! But, the $5 tickets were a great deal, and the kids had a ball! The two tall guy pirates are actually twin brothers. While waiting for the movie to begin, the two of them sang a little pirate song, after which they drew cheers and clapping from the audience.

Although I didn't manage to get any really good pictures of the kids, it was pretty obvious they had a good time. The parents of the other pirates actually went and saw the movie, too! After it was over, we lingered in front of the theater, chatting. The manager came out a while later....he told the kids if they came back in their pirates' attire again, he would let them in for free!!! Rrr,rr,rrrrrr....now that is something to get excited about, matey!

Wordless Wednesday

2007-05-29T23:49:00.001-04:00

Happy Memorial Day

2007-05-28T20:05:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day is not one of my favorite holidays. Oh, I know, we must honor the memory of those who fought and served our country. For that, I am extremely grateful and I do want to remember.

But, eight years ago, on the day before Memorial Day, Mark came into the living room, collapsed on the floor, and instructed me to call 911. I will never forget that day. I ended up calling neighbors, and their daughter, who was pregnant, offered to stay with the kids. As Mark left in the ambulance, my neighbor told me that he sometimes suffered back pain that could be relieved with a muscle relaxer. I remember teasing and joking, never dreaming of the nightmare that lie ahead.....nor, the life-changing events.

All of Sunday night, Mark was on a gurney in the hospital, writhing in agony and pain. He was given shots of pain relievers, even morphine, but received no relief. I stood beside him, or sat on a chair as they wheeled him off for x-rays, a CT Scan, and then a milogram. I don't know when I felt so helpless, or so alone.

Finally, in the breaking hours of Memorial Day, another doctor was dispatched to have a look. He read through the results of the tests, then took Mark in for surgery. In his mind, he was semi-sure that when he saw Mark the next day, he would get up from the bed and be OK. But, such was not the case. Instead, Mark was sent to the spinal cord injury unit of another large teaching hospital to learn how to live as a paraplegic. Mark was 38 years old at the time.

When I think about this and this strange odessy we have been on in the past eight years, I cannot help but feel a sadness....sad, because I see a certain look in Mark's eyes as he watches the kids and I know that he is aching inside to be able to do more with and for them. He had built this house we live in from the ground up, with some help from my father and brother. To think of this rugged sturdy man living his days in a wheelchair seemed so foreign.

This morning, we decided that we would visit my father-in-law's grave. We put flowers on the grave for the summer on Memorial Day and we needed to get this done. There is another sadness because no one else sees fit to do this. My father-in-law was always a giving, caring person who loved his family so deeply; the fact that no one puts flowers on his grave just breaks my heart. But, on the other hand, I am happy to do this, as I know it would please him.

We stopped at Michael's to pick up the flowers, as they have good quality flowers that last well.
My father-in-law's grave is located in the Korean War Vets section, so we put a red/white/blue theme on the grave.

After buying the flowers, we drove right to the cemetary. I had bought several sprays of various flowers, and I dumped the contents of the bag on the ground and began to arrange them. As I worked, Mark noticed a couple with an older man.....the older man was walking funny, with his belly thrust forward. Suddenly, he fell onto a bench. As Mark commented on this, I saw the man's head moving strangely, indicating that he was breathing erratically.

At this point, the man that was with him hollered to lower him to the ground. I got up, wondering if the couple needed help, and yet, not wanting to get in the way. Within seconds, the man yelled, asking if anyone had a cell phone! Mark immediately gave me his and I ran to the couple.

The older man was lying on the ground, his face quite red. The younger man had called 911 and was talking to the dispatcher as his wife went off to get blankets. Another woman appeared with a pillow for his head.

The older man seemed very coherant when I arrived; apparently, he had lost consciousness for only a short time. I stayed with the couple, learning that they did not know this man...they met him over at a monument. The wife saw him walking strangely, and told her husband she was afrraid he was going to fall down. He had told them that several of the names etched on the memorial were friends he had gone to school with as a youngster. Although it was sunny out, it was not swelteringly hot, so it hardly seemed like the heat caused the man to pass out.

As we awaited the arrival of the EMTs, the elderly man told us about himself. We learned his name, he asked that we call his sister and tell her, and he felt so funny lying on the ground in the cemetary. The last time he had been lying on the ground like this was in Korea in 1952! He was a total delight. He said he had no medical problems, and then giggled as he said that the EMTs will be surprised to see a LIVE man lying in the cemetary!

As I became a little tired, I looked at the little bench where he had been sitting. There was an inscription on it....it was dedicated in the memory of Dr. J Bruce Iuppa. Dr. Iuppa was the name of the Dr that delivered Michelle. I felt the tears burning in my eyes, but was able to fight them off. What an emotional moment that was.

When the medical team arrived, I went back over to my family and finished arranging the flowers. My father-in-law had picked the most wonderful area for his grave.....under a pretty tree with a bench nearby. He had told us how wonderful this place was, but we never really appreciated it until his death. He certainly picked his final resting "place" very well!

Here is a picture of the grave with the arrangement.

And, the back side of the arrangement.

After checking out the elderly man, the EMTs filled out what seemed like mountains and mountains of paperwork. Since the man had driven by himself to the cemetary, his sister had told the EMTs on the phone that she would drive him back to her home. The man had declined a trip to the hospital, as this is the first time that anything like this had happened to him.

When the man's sister arrived at the cemetary, the man arose from the bench, walking towards her. They embraced, sharing a kiss on the cheek, then walked over together to speak to the medical people.

Although this started out as a rather unusual adventure, I somehow felt as though my life had been made just a little better, meeting this warm and wonderful Korean veteran at the cemetary!

Happy Memorial Day!

Meet the Appliances!

2007-05-27T17:12:00.000-04:00

So, how can one be so excited about new appliances? Well, considering the fact that neither the old refrigerator, nor stove worked properly, you cannot imagine the ease of my new appliances! One can indeed get excited about opening the freezer door and finding a bin filled with ice cubes!

Before I get ahead of myself, here is the new range.

This is a Bosch gas-powered convection stove. We originally looked at the Duel-Fuel models, but the difference between this one and that just didn't seem worth the extra money. So we settled for this model, which is just wonderful! The previous stove had an oven door that would not close and a broken clock/timer.

The new stove has a computer in it which makes cooking and baking a real joy! The stove not only bakes in conventional mode, as well as convection, but it also proofs bread, has a Sabbath mode, and self-cleans! This morning, I baked two loaves of plain white bread (unhealthy, I know) with the convection oven and it was so cool! The oven baked at 325 degrees instead of 350, and it took 25 minutes instead of the 35 minutes it normally takes.

We are so happy with the stove, except for one minor problem. Mark has always been one with a "pioneer spirit". As in, he built our house from "scratch" with help from my dad and brother. So, when it came time to hook up the stove, Mark said we could do it!

Well, now I am a bonafide plumber...can you believe it? Actually, we needed new connections for this stove, so I reconstructed the hookup under Mark's watchful eye. The good news is that all of my connections passed the leak test, and we were off and running.

The next step in the process was changing the new range from natural gas connections to LP. This proved to be a little more challenging. Mark switched out the new LP jets for the cooktop. Then, it was my turn to adjust the oven and broiler jets. The oven one went off without a hitch. For the broiler, I needed to remove 7 screws, then allow the tube where the flames disperse to lean against the back of the stove....oh boy... I could barely get the thing to move forward! Mark told me to pull...and **snap**! A wire broke from the ceramic ignitor. Argh!!!

Long story short, Sears is getting us a new stove. Hurrah! This, they were told by the Bosch rep, was the third defective stove in our area. Phew....I felt so bad, as I was sure I had broken it, but no, the stove had a problem!

So, I am able to use the cooktop and the oven, I just cannot use the broiler. However, a new stove shall soon be here and they (Bosch) will do the LP conversion and hookup. I am so glad I won't need to do this again.

Oops, before I move on to the new refrigerator, here is a picture of the inside of the oven, where you can see the convection fan in the back.....

Fortunately, the refrigerator was a much simpler installation. In fact, it was merely delivered, ice maker line hooked up, pushed into place, and then set to chill. My kitchen is so small (I prefer to think of it as "cozy") that I am unable to stand back far enough to get a picture of the entire unit sitting in its niche.

So, here is the top, which is the refrigerator part!

I love the interior of this fridge! At the top are the controls for adjusting the temperature in the fridge as well as the freezer. Below are two full shelves, (one is non-adjusting, as it is on top of the veggie and fruit drawers) and two half-shelves. Under one half shelf, there is a small deli drawer.

Do you know how much more inclined one is to make a salad when the veggies are sitting almost at waist level instead of doing deep knee bends to retrieve veggies that are nearly sitting on the floor? Oh this is soooo good!

AND, a door with little shelves for ALL of the condiments! Does everyone have a zillion different condiments?

And, the bottom of the fridge is the freezer compartment. This is where the new ice maker resides, completely functional! The ice maker not only is capable of making small, medium, or large cubes, but also features an on/off switch! When we leave for a time, we can turn the ice maker off so no new cubes are made until we turn it on when we arrive home!

We liked the bottom drawer fridges, but they cost quite a bit more. So, we opted for this LG model which ranked high in the Consumer Reports. The freezer door swings just like the refrigerator door, and there is a slide out wire drawer. We find this no problem as we keep the bulk of frozen goods in a large freezer in the basement.

Hmm...Murphy discovered some ice cubes someone dropped on the floor! Silly pup.

So, there are the two units which are making life better and simpler here in the Bristolwood. We have been using the refrigerator for a few weeks thus far, and are tickled pink with its service. The oven has been used twice now....once for the bread this morning, and just now for the pizza I just baked!

Off to enjoy a slice........

Pretty Columbines!

2007-05-26T21:34:00.000-04:00

I took a couple of pictures of Columbines the other day. I love the purple color...they remind me a great deal of the vibrant purple Irises I remember from my childhood. The other plants are ones that I planted many years ago, when we first built the house....

I do have one or two other varieties of Columbine that have not flowered yet. Not sure of their colors, but I also have a variety in the front of the house that I had never seen before. They look like pink with white snowballs! They are quite unique. When I bought them, I thought because they were so cool, they would never make it. What a surprise to find that they are taking over the plantings in their beds!

As I was walking along the stream bed, I noticed a bumble bee on the ground. I couldn't understand what this bee was doing....it moved sporadically, landing on rocks and burying itself in the ground under piles of leaves, then reemerging again!

May you enjoy this weekend! If you travel, please do so with great care....not everyone on the road is considerate! May you enjoy good company, good food, and good conversation. In the midst of the fun, please take a moment to remember those who have served this country and those who gave their lives that we might enjoy life as we know it!

Good Morning! (and I do mean good!)

2007-05-25T09:02:00.000-04:00

Oh, it is so wonderful to feel all better this morning! No more parainfluenza. No more drugs running through my veins, causing me to be a bit "off". I slept in until nearly 8 this morning, which is totally unheard of for me! All of my life, I have been a (very) early riser!

Last night, I felt better, so I did such a funny thing. I sat in a chair on the front porch, waiting for a hummingbird to appear. I only wish I could afford a telephoto lens with a smaller f-stop, because unless the area is flooded with light, it is tricky to get more than a silhouette of a hummingbird. Still, last night, I sat. The camera body was pressed firmly against my head, in lieu of using a tripod. I sat there as a rather large bee buzzed all along the railing, then right past my head. I did not flinch, however! I decided no matter what, I was going to get a good picture of a hummer! So, here is what I finally ended up with....

Yes, too dark, and as soon as she heard the snap of the shutter, she left. I still thought it was cool you could see her little eye shining!

Murphy awakened me this morning at about 5:15. I told him to "just go back to sleep". He was such a good dog, that is *exactly* what he did! When I awakened at 7:45, I told him it was time to get up, and he wagged his tail and followed me to the door! As I was outside walking the boys, Michelle came and talked to me. I told her since the boys have been so "sedate" lately with me feeling sick, perhaps she could run with them a bit?

Michelle always wakes up feeling peppy, so she took the boys and off they ran. They ran up and down the yard, Murphy yapping, and Angus just enjoying a good run. They really enjoy it when Michelle takes off with them like that. When they were done, Michelle brought them up onto the front porch.....oh MY! What a MESS the boys were......

Look at all of the tree "litter" in Murphy's kilt!!!

Angus could care less about all of that "stuff". After all, he is always *on the lookout*! For what, we oftimes wonder! As you can see, Angus has this junk not only on his undercarriage, but it is also hanging off his beard! Ah well, a brisk brushing and the boys were back to their fluffy selves!

Before I close, I must tell this. As I was writing, I looked up when something caught my peripheral vision...a wasp had made its way into the house. When I couldn't find the fly swatter in the linen closet, I grabbed the next best thing. (actually, the *only* thing that had a handle on it!) I firmly gripped feather duster in hand and viciously attacked said wasp as it hovered near the french doors. Murphy took this as a playtime, gleefully bouncing about, yapping, and wanting me to run with him!

Angus, on the other hand, being the senior, and (sometimes) wiser, decided that his Mum had "lost it" and took refuge..........

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!

2007-05-24T08:57:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe that I feel *so* much better! Hurrah!

Although I will continue to take it easy today, I already refilled the hot tub and took some pictures! And speaking of pictures, the night before last, a big pileated woodpecker was "attacking" a stump about 50 feet from my window. I felt so terrible...the thought of even getting up to get my camera was more than I could bear. There was no way I could have lifted the camera to take a picture!

I was going to post a couple of pictures here, but Blogger has other plans and keeps giving me an error message so....

In a couple of hours, I will probably be grumbling and complaining about the heat, as we are expected to have a high near 90. I don't do heat well.

I HATE Being Sick!

2007-05-23T21:56:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I wasn't feeling quite "right"...as the day progressed, I became downright miserable! By the evening, I was lying in bed with major chills. I was supposed to go to the doctor this morning, but it seemed like an improbability!

This morning, I woke up feeling like someone had run me over! YUCK! I decided I would try to go to my appointment this morning, so I got ready. I was going mainly because last visit, my blood pressure was a ridiculous 180/100. After having an echo cardiogram, I was given a prescription for Lisinopril. I took it for a couple of weeks, then discontinued it when I was acting totally "loopy". Both Carly and Mark said the medication was making me *weird*.

At the doctor appointment today, my blood pressure was down to a good number. The doctor was a bit surprised, as she noticed that the heart murmur she had detected last visit sounded a lot less pronounced. She explained that high blood pressure more or less amplifies murmurs. So, it was a good visit until she told me there are two strains of viruses making their rounds currently. The first is the flu, and the other, parainfluenza. Guess what my diagnosis was? Yes, I should count my blessings because I am not confined to the bathroom being sick! But why am I sick? I hate being sick!!!

Yesterday, I had intended to post some pictures, but they were preempted by illness! Anyway, I woke up yesterday morning with this cool idea to photograph "white" flowers. So, a day late, here are some of my pics!

My first pic is a white azalea flower. This is from a bush planted on the side of our house. The wonder of it all is that I bought this little "Charlie Brown" type bush at WalMart for some really low price. It was the end of the season, and I think I might have paid $2.00 for it. After bringing it home, I noticed the tag on it saying that it was rated for the zone where Oklahoma is located. Living in the northeast, it seemed that the bush was never going to make it here. But, it has been on the side of my house now for three years!

Oh, I so love the Lily of the Valley. I love their gentle fragrance, and the little white "bells"....they have always been a favorite of mine. I planted some of these next to the stream in the front of the house and they are now growing there and in another spot where I did not plant them!

As I was photographing flowers, I wondered if the May Apples had bloomed yet! I looked all around, and was able to finally find a blossom on one of the plants. Not quite open yet!

And lastly, not a white Trillium, but one that was "blushing" a very pretty lavender color! This isn't a great picture, but the flower was a little beaten up, too!

Wordless Wednesday:

2007-05-22T19:17:00.000-04:00

Can you guess what kind of flower this is?

I will give the answer in the comments....

ATTACK OF THE GIANT SCOTTIE!!!!!

2007-05-20T11:41:00.001-04:00

This is not amongst my best pictures, but I just had to laugh....Mark had recorded an Advantix commercial *just* for Angus!

This morning, Mark called me to come see....Poor little Angus; as soon as the scratching, itchy flea-ridden (hehehe) dogs came on, Angus went into guard mode....

As you can see, even a GIANT scratching Scottie is NO match for our little Angus Braveheart!

Why Today Should Not Have Worked Out!

2007-05-20T00:06:00.001-04:00

This day turned out to be a fun day all around....and, logistically, it should not have been!

Last evening, I was feeling tired, so I went upstairs to lie down for a bit. I was semi-fading when I heard Mark yell my name. I pulled myself out of bed, grumbling, as I made my way downstairs. Why all the commotion?

As soon as I was downstairs, Mark hollered to me that Ben had vomited! Oh gads! If there is one thing I cannot tolerate, it is the smell or sight of vomit. I was so tired and miserable....how was I going to handle this? As I stumbled into the kitchen, feeling so upset, Michelle said *she* would clean it up! As remarkable as that sounds, Michelle has probably suffered through more stomach bugs than Mark, Ben and I put together.

So, my brave girl cleaned up the bathroom floor, (Ben missed the toilet!) saying it wasn't so bad.
Well, he got sick one more time and then he was done. I went to the little store up the road and bought him some Gatorade, as Mark read on the internet that Gatorade is good for upset stomachs.

By the time I went to bed shortly after 10:30, Mark said Ben was beginning to feel somewhat better. Mark was determined he was going to sit up and watch Ben all night, as he was concerned Ben might be sick during the night. Finally, by about 1:30, Mark said Ben was laughing about things he saw on TV, so Mark finally was persuaded Ben was on the mend!

The only thing we can figure is that this might have been food poisoning.

This morning, I called Carly to cancel going to the Dachshund Parade, as I thought Ben might need some "down" time to feel better. No way. Mark and the kids thought I should go to the parade, as I had tenatively planned. I was a bit nervous about driving in the city, so Mark said he would drive. (he is from Rochester)

When we arrived at the festivities, Ben wanted to get out with me. I wasn't sure this was a wise decision, but he insisted he felt fine! I spent a little more than an hour taking pictures, then it was time to go.

Ben and Michelle had been invited to a birthday party near Elmira late in the afternoon. We talked about whether the kids should go, and Mark told them we would have to go right from the parade. The trip to Elmira from Rochester was about 2 hours.

Ben hadn't eaten since being sick, and while Mark told him he needed to take it easy, Ben insisted he was going to eat "regular food"! We bought him a Cinnamon Crunch Bagel from Panera's, and he ate it with no problems. We spent some time just chilling out, then took the kids to the party at about 4:45.

Although Michelle had been invited to spend the night, we all decided to pick Ben and Michelle up at 8. They were agreeable. Mark and I spent some time eating and just relaxing in the truck before picking the kids up.

On the way home, Ben told us he had some pizza, chicken wings, and chips at the party. He bounced on the trampoline, played badminton, and had a great time. Although he said he was tired and would sleep on the way home, he remained fully awake until we arrived home at about 10 pm.

As I said, the only thing Mark and I can figure is Ben suffered food poisoning!

A Little Weinie Fun?

2007-05-19T23:14:00.000-04:00

YES! Today was the annual Dachshund Parade in Rochester, NY. We all know that I am partial to Scotties, but this was an event that is just too fun!

As I wandered about, viewing what seemed like endless Dachsies, I was in total awe of the sights I saw! There were longhairs, wirehairs, smoothhairs, BIG dachsies, tiny dachsies, spotted, red, black and tan, black and white, dappled, and everything imaginable Dachshunds!

Instead of trying to comment, I am going to just display some of the over 300 shots I took this morning. Let me say that each one of these wonderful little companions seemed more loved than the next! In other words, these Dachshunds are terrific pets! I found myself giggling as I walked about, looking through the camera lens, discovering all the individual mannerisms, and yet, totally amazed by one commonality.....no matter where I turned, little tails were whipping back and forth like little perpetual metronomes!!! Happy little critters, these Dachshunds!

As I said, these are just a small sampling of the Dachshunds we encountered. I saw two different little "cart dogs" whose little rear legs were paralyzed and non-functioning. These little ones were just as loved and cared for as all the other little ones! I stand amazed and in awe of those whose hearts are so big that they take in these poor littles babies and love them to pieces. My hat is certainly off to them!

What fun this event was to attend!

A Little Scottie Fun!

2007-05-17T23:07:00.001-04:00

If you happened to take a look at my "Wordless Wednesday" entry this week, you would have seen Angus intent on attacking the base of a big old oak tree....there was evidence that some rodent had been partaking of its sustenence in said hideout.

I almost used this sequence for my wordless entry, but decided against it, as the pictures were shot into the sun, causing them to be dark. Also, the photo above needed some "words" of explanation. Ben was with me, and he had "cookies" of the canine variety. He asked Angus to sit on the little tree stump in the picture. Angus was happy to oblige, however, he misjudged and in the picture, his tush was sliding off the stump! Undaunted, the tenacious terrier merely adjusted his posture, and being a very clever lad....

He decided to "sit pretty", knowing full well that such behavior always wins him a cookie!!!

Wildflowers, Technology, and Having Fun!

2007-05-17T22:02:00.001-04:00

The pretty wildflowers are making their debut here in the Bristolwood, and I love their splashes of color here and there. The little wood violets are such a gorgeous shade of purple. They are showing up all over the woods and I love their bright green heart-shaped leaves!

My favorite time to photograph flowers is in the evening as the sun is heading off into the horizon. There is something especially beautiful about the sun shining through the flowers and playing upon leaves. Here, the sunlight highlights the darker shade of lavender in this wild geranium.

Today was a hurried day, starting out with an appointment to have our little camper inspected this morning. Although Mark always likes to plan ahead to make sure things are going to run smoothly, we were unable to check the electrical system before hitching onto the truck for the appointment. Luckily, all systems were go, and we were off in good shape!

We dropped the camper at the service center and then were off to a large fabric store. Michelle and Ben are planning a rather *unique* outing! They have some other home schooled friends that they met at the teen skates they attend. These kids are planning to go to the opening night of the showing of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. The catch is, the kids plan to make costumes and attend the movie as pirates! We spent a good deal of time looking at patterns and fabric, finally picking out some suitable for a couple of pirates! So, Michelle is anxious to get started on sewing! What a fun idea!

After the fabric store, we went to a nearby tile store to get some more ideas for our kitchen remodel. We found some gorgeous 24" square granite tiles that were simply terrific! While we were there, we got a call that the camper was ready so we rushed a little to get out of the store.

We will definitely be going back to this store, as they not only have tons of different types of tiles; they also have many displays highlighting various tiles in kitchen and bath settings. We were so excited to find this place, as the last place we visited, the guy was very negative and tried to make us feel incompetent of doing nearly any work ourselves!

Yesterday, we received delivery of our new kitchen stove! Am I excited? YES! Is it hooked up? NO! The delivery men from Sears aren't allowed to do an LP Gas changeover, so Mark and I will do it ourselves. So, we also picked up the plumbing supplies today for that job. I cannot wait to try out the new stove, as it has a convection fan in it to help cook faster and keep food more juicy, and it also is self-cleaning. My old Magic Chef left with the delivery guys yesterday, and I was as thrilled to see that stove depart as I was last week when the old refrigerator made its way out of the house!

So, after we got home this evening, Mark and the kids were hungry. What to do, what to do....I cannot cook or bake, as the new stove isn't connected yet. But wait! The camper!!! I made a quick trip out to the camper to turn on the gas....turned the furnace on (it was only about 38 degrees outside!) and turned the oven to 350 to preheat. I assembled the pizza in the kitchen, then took it to the camper and baked it! Mark was shocked....HOW can you bake in a little "camp oven"? Ah, I so love technology.

As the pizza was baking, I brought my camera out, along with my laptop. I decided to upload my pictures. As I worked, I couldn't help but feel so drawn to my cozy little camper. So much so, that I told Mark and the kids "so long", as I headed out to the camper with pillow and blankets in hand! Yes, Murphy and I are spending tonight in the camper! I so love it!

After uploading my pictures, I saw the battery was low, so I plugged in the charger and we are good to go! But, before I end, I just gotta show off my SD card for the Nikon! Mark knows I am easily dazzled by technology (I have earned the nickname "Technochick") so he bought me this

SD card, called a SanDisk Ultra II Plus. 2 Gig.

I can upload pictures in my card reader, or! the little card folds in half........

to expose its little USB reader! How cool is that? So, I can upload 2 ways with the card, as well as with a USB cable connected to the camera itself! Oh, I used the Olympus camera to take these last pictures just in case you might be wondering!

Isn't technology GRAND?

Wordless Wednesday: Don't Worry. Mum...I'll Get It!

2007-05-15T21:59:00.000-04:00

Some Signs Just Make You Think

2007-05-15T10:22:00.000-04:00

When Mark and I were looking at land to build our house, we saw some rather humdrum as well as very interesting things. One of those *things* is located not too far from our home......

Being the owner of a somewhat large imagination, this sign made my mind race into high gear. I so enjoy living in the woods and the fact that there are many, many acres of state lands nearby is quite reassuring that the woods will remain woods! However, I also know that in this woods there are are bears, coyotes, foxes, deer, as well as *other* animals. My UPS man, Bob, said that a man only about eight or ten miles from here showed him a photo he took of a mountain lion chasing a deer.

Now that my imagination has been sufficiently (re)fueled, my mind carries me back more than 300 years ago (that sign says that LaSalle was in this neck of the woods in August of 1669)....I have forgotten to add that where we live, one must travel at least six miles to find food (albeit very limited to pizza, subs and chicken wings) or gasoline! So...I cannot even begin to imagine the state of this land as Monsieur LaSalle was exploring it! No fast food, no modern transportation, no GPS.....only woods, American Indians, and wild animals roaming about. I do know that if one became lost in this area now, there is a strong possiblity that they could freeze to death or starve, although there is enough farmland nearby that they might find an open field to be seen and recovered.

Enough of my imagination for now. I only hope I was able to "ignite" yours! I don't know if the springs there still *burn*, but if there was a small natural gas reserve, I suppose someone would have developed it long before this! There are, by the way, no gas wells located either in Bristol, nor any neighboring communities that I am aware of.

Here in the Bristolwood

2007-05-14T12:39:00.000-04:00

This morning, I decided to take a little walk in the woods. I left the kids and the boys (Scotties) behind, as I was so hoping to perhaps see a little fawn in the woods. I have come upon fawns two or three times while walking, so it is a rare and treasured occasion. Unfortunately, I found none this morning. I did spot Doe, Re, Mi, and Fa grazing out in the front woods, but no babies there!

As I walked about in the woods, I was drawn to the areas of bright green foliage. The woods is filled with all sorts of new growth....grasses, ferns, (as pictured above) as well as mosses. The floor of the woods is mostly covered with brown leaves from last year, so the bright greens stand out, almost like neon colors.

This is the stump from an oak tree that Mark cut down several years ago. Just prior to our purchase of the property, this area suffered from a rather severe ice storm; there was 3/4" of ice built up on everything. (This was in March of 1991) Many of the trees on the property fell over as the weight of the ice uprooted them. Mark was reluctant to cut the trees, but they were dangerously teetering in the air. Mark decided that since he had to sever the trees from their stumps, he would make a mill to cut the first 10' of the trees into lumber. This way, he didn't feel so guilty about harvesting the trees. Using them in their entirety for firewood struck him as almost sacrilegious. He and our neighbor fashioned a great sawmill (our neighbor is a gifted welder!) and Mark set off to work! Thus, we now have many, many board feet of red oak!

As I made my way down from the woods, I spotted my one of my little Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds on the feeder. I have been trying to get a picture, with no luck. I raced into the house and stood in front of the window, hoping against hope that I would be able to catch the little hummer. If only I had a telephoto lens with a smaller f-stop! Ah well, you can certainly see that this is a hummingbird, and you can see the white ring around its neck!

Yesterday, we celebrated Mother's Day by meeting my parents and my brother at our favorite restaurant. We had to stand in line for more than an hour for a table, but as always, the food was so wonderful, and well worth the wait! The picture above is my Mother's Day bouquet from Mark and the kids. The "vase" is a mug with the Buffalo Sabres logo on it. Which leads me to say....I have not spoken about round three of the playoffs as the Sabres are behind in both games played thus far. The first game, the other team (Ottawa) really did outplay us. It was as though the Sabres just didn't have their feet! The second game, in my opinion, was won by Ottawa because of poor refereeing. I know, one might say I am biased, but so many people felt the same way as they watched the Sabres take illegal trips and punches. The Sabres are known for being a small and fast team. Unfortunately, most other hockey clubs look like giants, comparatively speaking...

More Geese!

2007-05-12T19:01:00.000-04:00

Today, we took the kids to one of their favorite places...Darien Lake Park and Resort. I think that is the name now. It was previously Darien Lake Six Flags. Anyway, it is an amusement park, and the kids love it so! We left the house this morning around 9:30, thinking our lightweight sweaters and jackets would suffice. Brrrr! Were we ever WRONG!

As the kids raced from ride to ride, I sat out on benches, seeking some sun to warm my body! As we came to the end of our outing, I spotted two Canada Geese with their little ones near a small pond. I had left my new camera home as I was unsure how I was going to fare with a new medication I am taking. I did grab the Olympus, so I was able to get some pictures.

Although I only captured one adult goose in my pictures, there were indeed, two. I would love to know if the adults were the parents of the little ones. I am sure the female stays with her chicks, but I wonder if the male remains with the family as well. The goose that I pictured seemed rather at ease as I came within maybe six feet of them. The other goose, however, hissed at me a couple of times. SinceI have owned geese in the past, I do know to keep a respectable distance, and also when to retreat!

Aren't those goslings the cutest little babies? I so wanted to just touch one!!!

We ended our day at the park with Ben riding the "Superman". It is a rather (unnerving for me) large roller coaster that thrills kids to no end! On the way there, we passed some lilac bushes that called out to passers-by to come and smell them. They had a rather delicate lilac scent, and the color was so beautiful....

A Trip to the Mall

2007-05-12T06:30:00.000-04:00

Going to the mall brings to mind different adventures to the various crowds. Young people like to just"hang out" at the mall, while middle agers might view it as a pallette of unending magnets designed to draw their hard earned dollars from their pocketbooks! For moms and dads with young kids, it seems like a great way to get out of the house to just stroll about! (no rain, snow, bugs, or sun to burn everyone!) And, of course, the older folks find it a great way to get exercise!

Late yesterday afternoon, Mark, the kids, and I made a pilgrimage to the shopping mecca to the north of us. The mall is located there, as well as a few strip stores, and (where we were going) a big Home Depot. We looked around the Home Depot for quite some time, gathering thoughts, ideas, and some samples for remodeling the kitchen.

After leaving Home Depot, the kids asked if they might stop at Target. Mark and I were both a bit drained from our excursion, so we told the kids they could go into Target as long as they stayed together. I always dread sitting in the truck in the parking lot.....I am not a good "sitter"as I always feel the need to be busy.

As we sat waiting, I spotted a Canada Goose meandering through the parking lot, calmly making her way across, with several little goslings in tow! This was too cool! As she crossed the lot, another large goose came up, following in the rear. Of course, my camera was sitting near my feet, so I had to jump out to take some pictures!

As this group of geese crossed, there were actually four adults. The goslings were broken into two groups, each following an adult, with another adult in the rear, and one to the side, as though a "guard" goose, poised to attack anyone who might challenge their hike to their destination

As we watched, it became apparent that the older geese were well acquainted with traffic flow and patterns at the mall. They hopped to the front, standing on the mall road, and causing traffic to halt. The goslings fell into a "bowling pin" pattern to their side, and they crossed the road in a timely fashion, hopping up over the curb on the other side!

I had gotten out of the truck to take these pictures. I stood a long distance away, using the telephoto lens as I didn't want to bother the geese. After taking these pictures, I walked back to the truck, feeling such awe that these birds were so "smart".

Shortly after returning to the truck, Mark spotted another group of geese with little ones in tow following the same path as those who previously crossed! I was going to jump out of the truck once again, but Mark told me he would pull over nearer to them, as traffic seemed to prove no hindrance to them!

What a great way to spend time waiting!!! Even though Mark has never been a dedicated birdwatcher, he was totally engrossed, observing these geese!

We have no idea where these geese were coming from; the direction they were coming from leads to a major thoroughfare. It is the main road leading to the mall and it seems that they must have crossed that highway. Their final destination seemed to be a grassy knoll, surrounding a settling pond. There, they all enjoyed grazing on the vividly green spring grass!

Eeks!!! I Lied!

2007-05-11T08:48:00.000-04:00

Well, unwittingly, anyway!

A few days ago, Terri mentioned that she wanted to go for a walk and see if the Trillium was up so she could photograph it. I told her that I didn't think the Trillium was up yet, but....

Yes, it is! Now I feel bad....

Yesterday, I was walking around the house, looking at all of the new life that is springing forward, when I saw something "white" in the woods. When I checked it out, it was, indeed, a very beautiful Trillium!

It is illegal to pick Trillium flowers in many states, New York being one of them. When the flower is removed, the plant is seriously injured and/or may die. The seeds of Trillium are spread by ants and mice. The outside of the seed contains a fleshy part that the ant or mouse eats. When it passes through their system, it is then "ferilized", and a new plant then begins. We have never had many Trillium plants here, but the mice or ants must have been busy, as we now have many plants in one area!

The leaves of the Trillium are actually underground, with the three leaves that surround the flower actually being a bract. The type we see here in the northeastern US are called Trillium Grandiflorum.

New Beginnings

2007-05-10T07:54:00.000-04:00

As this spring seems to be racing in like gangbusters, it is so much fun seeing all of the *new* things...The new leaves coming out on the trees, the new little goslings that have hatched out, and to hear the "new" songs springing forth from the birds in the trees! The morning is such a special time as the birds have a great chorus of sound issuing from the woods!

I had to get up early this morning and make a quick run to the store. It was so wonderful being up and seeing a fresh new day dawning!

Yesterday was *the* day that my new refrigerator was to arrive. We were so excited, but as the temperature climbed and climbed during the day, I was a bit disappointed that the delivery was scheduled for mid-afternoon! I wanted to get the food removed from the old refrigerator, as the men were going to remove it, but I didn't want the food sitting out for hours. I did fill a cooler with some things that were critical to keep chilled, like milk.

I then did something I never thought I would do......

Yes, I photographed that poor, miserable, broken refrigerator! You can see that the crisper drawers are no longer supported. Part of the drawer on the left is missing, along with the part that controls the humidity of those drawers. All of the shelves that hung on the door were long gone.....

I wondered if I might be overcome by a feeling of melancholy, watching my faithful-for-the-past-fifteen years refrigerator leave, but I must say, I was only *thrilled* watching the new fridge entering through the door! No tears thinking about how the kids used to climb up and over the old fridge.....only gladness that I no longer had to *stuff* the magnetic gasket in as I shut the door to make sure it stayed closed!

I am happy to report that the new model is now well-chilled and making ice cubes to everyone's delight! It is so clean and wonderful and most importantly, all the parts are UNbroken!!....and I am happy!

This morning, the thunder is rumbling off in the distance and the weatherman is calling for thunderstorms. We do need some rain, as the ground is rapidly drying out. I am enjoying the fresh air, sitting out on the front porch with my laptop. I will end this with a pretty picture of some bleeding hearts I took yesterday. I am sure that plant has plans to take over the entire universe, if not my garden!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2007-05-08T23:02:00.000-04:00

Flight of the Bumblebee...

Going Quackers

2007-05-08T06:43:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Mark and the kids decided that they would like to have some Chinese takeout for lunch. Since the restaurant doesn't deliver 20 miles away (hahaha) I would have to run and pick it up, which never bothers me....I *love* going for a ride most any time!

I just wasn't in the mood for Chinese, so I decided that perhaps a nice Southwest Taco salad at Wendy's was more what I was wanting! After picking up the Chinese, off to Wendy's we went! As I sat in the drive-thru line, a Mallard drake flew up and nestled down in the grass......

The drive thru line was moving so quickly that I was unable to snap a picture of the duck, so after picking up the order, I parked in the lot and put on my telephoto lens to capture this fellow. I don't know what I was thinking, as I never turned the car off....the photos are a bit blurred as a result. Anyway, I do think that perhaps this lad has been favored with french fries tossed from a window, as he sat there so adorably!

Suddenly, what should appear, but a little sparrow! The duck looked right at it, as though challenging the smaller bird. Michelle was with me, and we both chuckled. Then, a person appeared around the corner, and the duck turned his head and looked as though he was *scolding* the little sparrow!

This picture is really hard to see, but you can certainly see that the duck's bill is aimed right towards the little sparrow, who is almost perfectly centered in the picture.

Here are some pictures I took Sunday and yesterday, just randomly around the house.

YES, Buffalo!!! And New Appliances!

2007-05-06T22:02:00.000-04:00

This afternoon, the Buffalo Sabres hockey team finished off their second round series by winning game four by a score of 5-4. This was a real nail-biting game, as the last three of the games in this round seem to have been. I am walking on clouds, so happy with this victory. The next round will be against a Canadian team, and I do not think it will be a walk in the park.....

We have been enjoying some very beautiful spring weather with bright blue skies and warmer temperatures. The trees and plants all seem to be coming so alive, suddenly!

This evening, our Sears store had a special "friends and family" sale. The sale was one we have been waiting for, so as soon as the game ended, we all sprinted out the door! We went right to Sears and ordered a new refrigerator and stove. I am so happy, as the units I have now are.....well, fairly *antiqued*! They are not that OLD, they are just antiqued!

I remember posting an entry on my blog previously, explaining about my strong-willed children. Well, their persistence caused both of them (little monkeys!) to open the refrigerator door and "climb" up the glass shelving inside the refrigerator to the top so they could see what might be hidden up there. I threatened them within an inch of their precious little lives, to no avail, as they recognized many years ago that I was not one of them! (IE, strong-willed!) No swat on the seat of their britches proved of value, nor taking away their treasures. (Have you any idea how belittling it is to take away toys from a four-year-old only to have them tell you they didn't want that junk anyway?) Life sometimes felt like an endless, never see the light at the end of the tunnel chess game!!!!

Fortunately, all of the climbing activities have curtailed, and some semblence of normalcy does reign! Oh, the stove...I remember when we purchased it. It had this little sticker on it of a child climbing on the open oven door with a bright red circle around it with the red line through it. When Mark and I built the house, there were no children yet, so we laughed at the thought of a child sitting on the oven door. Guess we shouldn't have done that, eh? We were fortunate that the stove never tipped over on a little one from climbing on the door....but the net result is that the door now "sags" and will not seal tightly when closed. So, a matching pair...refrigerator and stove will be grand!

Oh, and back to the refrigerator....I cannot remember how many years ago it happened, but one night, Ben awakened me in the middle of the night. I was so perturbed with him. He kept yelling for me to hurry downstairs! When I finally gathered my wits and went down, I nearly screamed at what I saw! There was about an inch of water on the kitchen (ceramic tile ) and dining room (hardwood) floors. I raced to the shut off valve for the ice maker, which had stuck in an open mode. When I went to the basement, I nearly cried, as water trickled through the floors, creating the illusion of rain in the basement. It took literally hours and hours to clean up the mess. Thank heaven, all of the "curved" hardwood eventually settled back down over the period of a couple of months and didn't need to be replaced! This event was totally caused by a faulty icemaker, and it has been disconnected since. A new refrigerator with a *live* ice maker will seem like a dream!!!

We plan to remodel the kitchen to go along with the new appliances. The formica countertops have also been antiquated and the sink needs to be replaced as well. Many of the poor ceramic tiles in the kitchen cracked after the water baptism proved to be a "lifting" experience, so the floor shall be done, as well. I am looking forward to all of this, as I have grown tired of trying to keep everything clean and looking nice when it is all a wreck! So, I think I will be quite busy over the coming weeks!

Argh!

2007-05-06T09:26:00.000-04:00

I have been watching the Sabres games for some time. WHY am I saying they are playing the Islanders??? They are playing the STRANGERS...er, RANGERS! Please forgive me! I guess all of this medical testing and such is bothering me a bit more than I thought!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2007-05-05T23:53:00.000-04:00

Today, the kids had a birthday party to attend, and right after that, off we went to take them and a friend to the last teen skate of the year!

While the kids were skating, Mark and I slipped off to Corning to just fiddle with the camera. Here are a few shots....

These pictures are pretty self-explanatory, so I won't waste words with them! Mark and I were surprised to see trees nearly completely leafed out in the Southern Tier of New York. Our trees are just showing signs of budding! Ah well, the green will be lovely when it arrives!

Well, as I was waiting for my pics to upload to Blogger, tonight turned into TOMORROW!!!!

We have some plans for later in the day....The Sabres face the Rangers once again in the afternoon at 2. I am so excited, hoping the Sabres will finish this round off to avoid a seventh game!

Nearly "Intoxicating"!

2007-05-05T06:42:00.000-04:00

I do not partake of alcohol, simply because I do not enjoy the taste, nor the "feeling". However, in watching the Buffalo Sabres game last night, I was feeling intoxicated!

The Sabres are in round two of the playoff games, playing against the New York Rangers. Each round is won by the team that takes the first four games, so the games can last to a total of seven. As of last night, the Sabres had won the first two games, the Rangers the second two. As Mark and I talked about the game, we knew in our hearts that Buffalo just had to win.

As we watched the game, it remained scoreless until the Rangers put one into the net in the third and final period. My heart sank. With less than a minute left in the game, Buffalo Coach Lindy Ruff called a timeout. Was he NUTS?

Apparently NOT! With about 7 seconds left in the game, Buffalo SCORED, sending the game into overtime! Chris Drury once again proved just how valuable he is!!!

Buffalo has a player by the name of Maxim Afinogenov. Maxie is known for *flying* with the puck down the ice and setting up some great scoring chances. However, in the playoffs, Maxie was getting a little....well, "off". So, in game four of this round, Coach Ruff had him sit out. We are informed on the Sabres sight that Coach Lindy and Maxie watched plays made in the past by Maxie over and over, and Lindy explained what he was looking for from Maxie.

Well, Maxie returned again for last night's game, and although he was criticized by some for making a few errors, it was he who hammered that puck right into the net, scoring the goal that sent the Sabres into a GLORIOUS 2-1 win!!!! Right after the goal, Maxie went down on one knee, celebrating, then went face down onto the ice, almost resembling a playful little otter, to REALLY celebrate!

I think the last few minutes of this game is the closest I have been to being intoxicated in a VERY long time!!!!!! What a wonderful, wonderful WIN! Before the game began, I told Mark I hoped that Maxie would score.....never anticipating that HIS would be ***the*** goal of the night!!!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Sabres!

Canandaigua Wandering.....(or, part II of previous entry)

2007-05-03T19:46:00.000-04:00

On the western side of the pier is a little "grouping" of boathouses with cottages above them. The funny thing about these buildings is that in the winter, they look so desolate and rather run down. By the time summer arrives again, they somehow take on a more *charming* look, as though the changing of the season "regenerates" them!

Every time I go to the lake, I always look for ducks and Canada Geese. I think this is the breeding season as the area is so lacking....However, as I was looking about, this lone Mallard Drake caught sight of me as I sighted him. I made a ridiculous "quacking" sound (of course, I panned the area around me first, not wanting to be taken away by men in white coats!!!) and the little fellow swam towards me, probably wondering if his attention to me might be rewarded with a nibble of bread.

Well, as soon as he figured out I was of no value, he immediately turned away......

The bad news for me is that the next several days are supposed to be bright, warm, and sunny. Such a change after dark, cold, and snowy only two weeks ago! Yes, I did say bad....bad in the sense that my poor heart is going to be longing to go wandering off again and again!

When the Sun Shines Brightly

2007-05-03T18:19:00.000-04:00

My heart begins to wander...longing to travel to new places....to see new things....to experience new sounds and indulge in the wanderlust that has been such a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My silly heart tells me it is time to move on when familiarity has set in....oh, what an inward struggle to continue on in the same old patterns...day after day.

Late this morning, Mark recognized that wanderlust was once again calling out my name, and he told me I had better leave and go out for a bit! He is such a gem. I grabbed my "Toybox" and keys for the truck. Oh, my toybox is what I affectionately call my camera bag.

I decided that I would go to Canandaigua and take picures of the lake. After all, the sun was sparkling like it hasn't done in what seems like ages! However, while visiting Canandaigua, I did do a few little errands that needed to be attended to, such as having an oil change done on the truck. This gave me a little time to check out my blood pressure and to grab some Dole salad. (I love the Baby Spring Lettuce, which Mark equates to "weeds"!)

I drove out to the city pier and parked. The pier is large enough for two lanes of traffic, with a small circle at the end. I had seen this sign before, but never really took the time to read what it said! It basically says that the small island that lies straight ahead of the sign is called Squaw Island, and is the birthplace of the Seneca Nation of Indians. It is the smallest state park in New York State. Legend says that in 1779, a General Sullivan came and invaded the Seneca land, and the men hid the women and children on this island, which was much larger at that time. Now, being a state park, precautions have been taken to prevent further erosion of the tiny island. Taking the picture of this sign was most miserable....as I was about to snap the photo, a gust of wind caught me, causing my arm to wave up and down like the water lying ahead of me!

And also located near the small traffic circle is this plaque, honoring those from the area who served in the Armed Services.

Standing on the pier and looking north/northeast, there is a restaurant......

And the bathhouse at the head of the lake, where residents (and non-residents with big pocketbooks) may swim in the lake.

And along the head of the lake is Kershaw Park. It is a small park, quite narrow, but long. There is a beautiful gazebo (shown below) along with a playground and the bathing area. The park is right next to the street, and across the street are restaurants, bars, and (very unexpected) a mobile home park with homes that date back to probably the 60's and 70's.

This is such a beautiful area! Canandaigua is a rather "quaint" little city that has been able to preserve its downtown shopping area, unlike most other small towns in this area. Businesses thrive along the main street, and it is so picturesque, as at the base of Main Street lies Canandaigua Lake.

Since I am no longer able to add any further pictures, I will end this dissertation now, and continue on in another entry!

Wordless Wednesday....

2007-05-02T10:46:00.000-04:00

OK, so after this, it looks like *I* will be silent on Wednesdays, allowing my camera to speak for me! (good news for YOU!)

Trip Home From Sam's Club...............

Random Nature Shots Around the "Yard"

2007-05-01T17:44:00.000-04:00

Since I live in the woods, any property to the front of the house is considered "yard". Don't tell Mark, but I *especially* love the areas beyond the grass! If I lived here without the family, there would be no grass! I just love, well....woods!

Does anyone else like taking pictures of a bright blue sky? I sure do. Guess I think that by taking the picture, that rich blue color will remain etched in my memories. As I snapped the picture, of all things, this blue jay went flying through!!!

Hello, hello...it is the "Monster Bleeding Heart" TREE! Yes, *it* is emerging once again from the earth, with plans to take over the entire community of plantings on the side of our house!!!

This is such a cool picture. The leaf is actually under the water, trapped there by the stones. A small portion of it was out of the water. I love the way the sparkling water plays in the picture.

Near the stream, there is a very large, flat, moss-covered rock. I have left it there just because it always seemed so cool. Kind of a little "point of interest" in the midst of lots of large, round, smooth rocks lining the stream bed. Well, it looks like someone else appreciates that rock, as well.....for he/she has left the remains of a tasty acorn lunch there!

Of course, these are my all time *favorite* Bristolwood wildlife! Every time I wander off into the woods with my camera, I can "feel" those four little eyes honing in on my every step...and when I come back, they are always waiting anxiously (or otherwise! hehe)

I survived the stress test today. It was quite interesting, seeing my heart beating away! Several times, we got to "listen" in as well. When the test was complete, the guy looked at me and told me he couldn't tell me anything at all. Why, I never even *asked*! Ah well, he said by two or three days I should know the outcome. So, until then, I will just put my feet up....

Testing Tuesday

2007-05-01T06:55:00.000-04:00

Ah, the day I have been awaiting. Not really. I have to go and have the echo cardiogram today. I am so unaccustomed to the whole medical scene. The last time I went to the doctor for exams was when I was pregnant with Ben. He is 12, so it has been awhile.

Yesterday, we decided (almost on a whim, of sorts) to run to Carly's house and drop Ben off to help her. We got there kind of late in the afternoon, but it was OK, as Carly and her kids had to take all of their stuff out of the basement first. By the time we arrived, all of their stuff was sitting in the driveway, and they were ready to "roll"!

Carly's husband, Jeff, has problems with spring allergies, and this year has been excrutiating for him. Carly has been working on the basement, removing a *room* down there. I am not too sure what the previous owner was thinking....he built a room in there. He used just regular framing lumber, instead of "green" lumber, which is used in damp areas. As Carly was pulling out all of the mess, she noticed there is mold growing all over the wood. It really needs to be removed. Once she gets all of the wood out of there, she can crank up her dehumidifier, and the results should be a nice dry basement!

Carly, her son, Kyle, and Ben worked fast and furiously. When Mark and I arrived back there about 2 1/2 hours later, the change was startling! They removed a wall that contained wet drywall and almost all of the stinky plywood raised floor. We were so happy to discover that under the wooden floor was a *terrific* concrete floor in excellent condition! The basement is built from cement blocks, so when that dehumidifier gets going, it will be able to "breathe" much better without all of the restricting walls, and it will be nice down there! Once all of the wood is removed, she will have to rewire a lot of electric lines, as they were left hanging mid-air, hidden behind the walls!

After Carly cleaned up the floor, I used a spray bottle, and sprayed down the damp wall with bleach. That should kill the mold. The cement walls really look much better than the damp wood did!

Boy, was Ben tired when we arrived home! Before we left Carly's house, we all helped carry their things back into the basement.

I took the picture below on Sunday, and I just love the expression on Angus' face! Scotties have pretty "soulful" eyes, and this picture expresses that fairly well!

Just Hanging Out With the Scots

2007-04-29T16:39:00.000-04:00

What a lazy day today! I have just been taking it easy....still! This is OK, I guess, but sometimes I find myself getting a bit stir crazy!

Last week, I was supposed to go in to the dentist for a cleaning. When I "mentioned" this in passing to Carly, she advised me NOT to go! She explained that since the DR was concerned about an undiagnosed heart murmur, I should wait until after the echo cardiogram. The DR said she could prescribe an antibiotic that is taken an hour before the appointment, but since I wasn't feeling so hot, Mark and I decided it would be best to just reschedule the appointment after we finish all of this nonsense!

All that said, I cannot believe that yesterday, I developed a *toothache*! I have never had a toothache before, and the timing on this is ridiculous. The echo cardiogram is scheduled for May 1, so I am planning to hold out till then. It isn't a "pounding" ache...it just hurts when I eat. So, I have not been stuffing my face. THAT is a good thing!

This afternoon, Michelle took a picture of me with the Scotties. She refused to try the Nikon, so she took the picture with my old Olympus.

Vanilla, of Course!

2007-04-28T07:06:00.000-04:00

I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to discover that I am not the *only* person who favors the flavor vanilla over chocolate! Lisanne, I have found out, loves vanilla, too! It just seems like so many people call themselves chocoholics, and I never quite understood what all the draw was to that "brown" flavor!

When Lisanne told me that she really enjoys a white cake with white frosting, I giggled, as I *always* am excited about my birthday, because I know what is coming down the pike....white cake with....you guessed it! White frosting! I made a cake a couple of weeks ago, but it was not "plain" white cake. Somewhere along the line, I saw a recipe for a "poke cake" that you use a fork to make holes in the cake and then drizzle jello over the top. I only had lime flavor jello, so it was kind of ho-hum. But, the frosting was a hit!

This "icing" recipe is one that my mom has used since before I was a teenager! It isn't so sugary it makes you want to gag, but it is a recipe that can be used for very special occasions!

*********************************************

French Creme Icing

1 cup milk

4 Tablespoons flour

Mix milk and flour well, then boil until thick. (My mom always used a Tupperware "shaker" to blend the milk and flour together. If these two ingredients are not well blended, the frosting will be a bit "lumpy"...like gravy! I would love to use an immersion blender for this, but mine is used for.....soap....)

Set this aside to completely cool.

Cream and beat well:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

Add the cooled milk and flour mixture, then 1 teaspoon vanilla (or twice as much if you are me!)

and beat until the mix is the consistency of whipped cream.

*********************************************

If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it!

Captured!

2007-04-26T21:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I decided to try out the Loreal haircolor kit I bought at WalMart a few weeks ago. I have been feeling so "off", I just didn't want to take the time to use it before this! So, after doing the base color, highlights are kind of "painted" on.

I have NEVER done anything like this before! I always just did a basic color......

Michelle helped me place the highlights, which was very useful as I do not have eyes in the back of my head. (in spite of the fact that I always tell Ben I do!) When I was done, there was still a lot of the mix left, so I told Michelle she could do her hair. When I tried to snap her picture today, she took off, fleeting like a gazelle! hehehe GAZELLE MICHELLE

Little did she know....I am ******fast******* or, at least my Nikon is!!!

The Results are In!

2007-04-26T17:02:00.000-04:00

The doctor called our house early this afternoon to tell me that the bloodwork results were now in and they were (as she put it) "picture perfect". She told me she could not have asked for better numbers. So, the possibilities of anemia and thyroid have been ruled out. The next step is an echo cardiogram that will be done on May 1. I am praying that the results will be as excellent.

There is not much happening here. The doctor had ordered me to take things easy, and that is precisely what I am doing.

Yesterday, Carly "borrowed' Ben for a few hours to help demolish her basement. Oops! Did I say *demolish*? Actually, Ben helped Carly and her son, Kyle, take down some walls in the basement! The former owners of this older home decided to build a room in the basement. The mode of doing this was haphazzard at best, and somewhat illegal. As Carly showed me electric wire hanging in mid air hidden behind paneled walls, I couldn't help but wonder what the building inspector that looked over her home before they purchased it might have said were it exposed...For insulation, the technique used was to place the insulation into plastic garbage bags and throw them into the walls. Ugh....

Carly met us to deliver Ben back to us, and her little dachshund, Joe came along for the ride.

Mark snapped this picture.....doesn't it look as though he is just hanging out, listening and taking everything in?

He is such a cutie...but he was thinking it was time to start heading on home. As we chatted, he began to think perhaps he needed to take matters into his own "paws"!!!!

Take a Deep Breath.....

2007-04-24T19:27:00.000-04:00

YES! I have been breathing *much* better today. No yawning and making silly faces, trying to swallow a big gulp of air! Ah, it feels so much better. I don't even have to open my mouth to breathe, matter of fact. Gads, it is hard to even imagine such a thing unless one experiences this!

And, I hope I *never* do again!!!

I called my father this morning and talked to him for awhile. He was telling me how nice and warm it was at the house. I laughed, thinking he was pulling my leg. Mark took the phone and talked to him for a bit, and as they were talking, I could see the sky beginning to change....there was some blue sky poking through. As the day progressed, we found ourselves bathed in golden sunshine...the temps were a good deal cooler than yesterday, but it was a stellar day!

Please bear with me, but once again, I was having some fun with the camera. I caught Doe as she was passing through our property........

Okay, so you are tired of seeing Doe and her little ones. So, how about................................

A *STINK * bug I caught as he was walking across the concrete sidewalk.........OR,

A pretty Robin redbreast sitting in the tree at the park?

Well, those *were* my offerings for today. Then, I came up into the bedroom and saw the sun setting through the bedroom windows!

I love how the light cast the shadow of the lace curtains in the windows and the little red glass Scottie that sits on the window. Forgive the mess all over my desk. I so need to clean up some, but *how* does one decide what to keep and what to get rid of? Such a dilemma....so many treasures remind me of the kids and it makes it so hard to even think of ridding the house of them! Believe me, I have never been a packrat! But......

As I began to make way across the room to pack up my camera, I looked up to see the picture of Brewster. ......

Brewster belongs to a dear Scottie friend, Ruth Wynne. Ruth and her husband had five Scotties at one point, but three of her dear little Scots have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Well, yesterday, late in the afternoon, Ruth was walking Brewster and his "sister", Molly. Suddenly, a large German Shepherd appeared and grabbed hold of Brewster! Ruth pushed and scolded the shepherd, but he refused to stop. He attacked Brewster and left several bites all over his back, base of his tail, and his hind legs! Poor Ruth called for help, and when the shepherd's master heard, he merely called his dog home, leaving Ruth and the petrified Scotties with no help. Ruth immediately rushed the Scots to an emergency veterinary center. Molly was fine, but little Brewster had to stay behind. He was treated for multiple bite wounds and was released home early this morning. What a terrible experience for Ruth. She assured those of us on the CyberScots forum that little Brewster will be just fine.

I hope all are enjoying the fine spring weather, wherever you might find yourself. This winter arrived so late this year and seemed to linger on and on. We are anxiously awaiting all of the buds to pop open and spring to go full steam ahead!

Four in a Row!

2007-04-23T21:55:00.000-04:00

Nice days, that is! I cannot believe the contrast from one week ago. Today, as I was walking outside in the sun, I felt faint from the heat! Wow!

While Mondays are usually hurried and crazy, today was relatively quiet. I enjoyed that and made the most of it. The only plan for today was that Michelle was going to meet with a friend she met at her Bible study. This friend and her family had moved here eight months ago. Her step dad was going to open a restaurant.....they had bought a lovely house and had so many plans. Unfortunately, no one knew that within just a few short months, the step dad would pass away at a young age. It was so sad, and now the family is moving back to where they previously lived. Michelle and her friend went to Penney's and looked around a bit. When they came back to the car, Michelle took a set of "bangly" bracelets from a bag. She cut the tag that held them together and gave her friend half of them and kept the other half....I thought that was so cool...Michelle would remember her friend and vice versa, every time they see the bracelets!

I am in awe of the way all of the flora bounced back after the terrible storm that passed through here last week. One week ago, I was concerned that the lilac bush was going to split in half under the weight of the wet, sticky snow. Now, the buds and leaves are growing larger in size by the day!

The peonies that had begun to poke through the soil shortly before the storm also seem unscathed by the heavy snow that not only surrounded them, but pinned them down to the ground. These peonies are pretty special, because they are from some that my grandmother had planted many years ago.....

I had titled one entry in my blog (April 14) I Want to be a Daffodil. I photographed my miniature daffodils then, after they had been frozen solid, blooming their cheerful bright yellow flowers! Well, nine days later, after being totally buried, they are as beautiful today as they were on that day! The regular daffodils seem to have been ruined by the weather, but not those minis! I need to check out the bulb sellers to see if I can get more of these hearty little buggers. I would love to have them everywhere!

When we were in town today, we went down by the lake to spend some time while waiting for Michelle and her friend. There were three men sailboarding (not sure of the name?) but by the time I thought of photographing them, rain began to fall and they came in from the water. The lake looked so *angry* as though it was lashing out at the shore! A little later, the thunder began to rumble, then we got some downpours.

The weather calls for some rain and coolers temps over the next few days. That is OK, though....after all, April showers bring May flowers!

A Spectacular Day!

2007-04-22T21:30:00.000-04:00

Wow, another wonderful, glorious, gorgeous day! Thinking back to one week ago, we were waiting out the pending storm and watching the sky! Hopefully, *that* weather is now behind us!

It was such a nice day, I just couldn't resist taking a stroll down to the camper to open the windows to allow the fresh air to flow through. Of course, once seeing that the floor was kind of messy, I needed to run an electric cord on down so I could run the little vacuum cleaner! I cannot believe how dirty the floor and carpet were, but when I consider we always close the camper up in October, when the weather is kind of wet and muddy, I guess it makes sense! A good run with the vaccum cleans everything up quickly, and it doesn't take much to make the little camper sparkle!

That was about all I accomplished today. I think we were all a little tired from our *almost* overnighter. Even the Scotties seemed kind of "mellow" today. So, we kind of took it easy. Mark and I spent some time looking online at various refrigerators. The one we have now is an Amana we bought while building our house. It was a good refrigerator, but it was greatly abused. As the kids got to the "age of exploration", they both discovered that Mom often hid things atop the fridge. Well, the shortest distance between two points, we have all discovered, is a straight line.

And, the straightest line merely required opening the refrigerator door, and climbing the shelves until the top of said appliance could be reached! It is a fact that both of my kids got reprimanded for such actions, but when it comes to strong-willed children, nothing short of binding them up will stop the unquenchable drive to attain *success*!

Our 15 year-old refrigerator served us well, but methinks it is definitely time for retirement to that big scrap pile in the sky! The poor thing....every single shelf designed for the door was long removed,or should I say "destroyed, save for the butter keeper. The fruit and veggie drawers defy gravity, somehow hanging in their appropriate spots, support broken many moons ago. The plastic cover for the bottom vent was finally pitched last year after Mark's noble effort to piece the many, many puzzlelike pieces together ended with the thing becoming UNglued. Little shoes had gotten wedged in the slots a long time before, breaking the plastic which I usually placed into a large ziploc bag. Oh my....the handle on the door began its slow degrading process ages ago and was finally totally removed only a few short months ago.

It is time for a new refrigerator, to be sure!

While looking at pictures I have taken recently, I came upon this picture of Angus. As we were getting ready for out little trip on Friday, Angus was watching over what was going on.....surveying all the activity, and making it known that under no circumstances was he to be left behind!!!

And another picture of Angus "sitting pretty" for my father. Whenever Angus wants something from a human, he strikes the "sitting cute on my haunches" pose, hoping that the viewer will take pity on the sweet little lad and hand over the booty...er, cookies!

I am praying to hear good news from the doctor tomorrow, but I guess I had better not hold my breath....no pun intended. I have been struggling for the past several days to take a deep cleansing breath. The doctor didn't tell me the timeframe for getting test results, so I will just patiently sit back and await the results. No news is good news, correct?

Sun-Saturated, Satisfying Saturday!

2007-04-21T22:04:00.000-04:00

The kids went to Splash Lagoon last November, and at that point, we decided not to stay at one of the expensive hotels nearby. We would rather save the money for a camping trip with our camper. So, after the kids reemerged shortly after 3 am, we went on down the road to Sam's Club. Sure enough, there was a big class A motorhome, slides out, parked in the lot. We simply pulled up behind them.

After getting Mark and Ben all set in the truck, Michelle and I took Murphy and crawled into the back of the truck. We placed a sleeping bag on the Bedrug, and then snuggled in for a few hours rest under a down comforter.

Michelle woke me up at 7, showing me how little Murphy was enjoying being placed under the comforter after waking up shivering! He never allows us to cover him up, as he would rather sleep down by our feet. Not being an *outdoor dog*, he obviously could not stand the "cold" temps in the 50's!!!

I couldn't believe how blue the sky was, nor how beautiful it appeared outside! People with business memberships could be seen in the distance, entering Sam's. I called Mark and woke him up. We went in Sam's for a bit, then called my parents to tell them we were coming back to visit today.

We had yet another day of relaxation and fun visiting with my parents and brother, Randy. We were able to spend the entire day outside! And, the most strenuous thing I did today was take pictures of some of the visitors to the bird feeder! (we are unable to have a feeder.....just last Thursday, one of our neighbors called to warn us a black bear had been wandering about our "neighborhood". It had upset their feeder, as well as a birdbath!) So, I must enjoy the birds at homes other than my own!

We reluctantly left for home, arriving here at about 7 pm. Only a little snow remains on the ground from the piles we shoveled to nearly 4 feet tall! As always, it was good to arrive home again after our little outing, but there is so much to do!!!

Frenzied But Fabulous Friday!

2007-04-21T21:29:00.000-04:00

I was going to tell all that has been going on the past couple of days in one entry, but decided it was too long. Sooo....

Yesterday morning, (Friday) I had an early appointment with the doctor at 8:30 am. Since last August, I have had a number of instances where I have a bit of difficulty breathing. I will be fine, then I will find myself having a tough time "catching" my breath. It is as though I can breathe deeply, but am unable to feel "refreshed"...it is as though the air is not entering my lungs. A little difficult to explain.

Given the fact that my older brother had to have open heart surgery last June, and my father recently had a pacemaker/ ICD implanted, I decided that perhaps I needed to have the doctor at least look at me....

I am generally on the low side when it comes to blood pressure. You cannot imagine my surprise and dismay when the doctor told me that my blood pressure was 180 over 100! She took my family history, and examined me. Upon completion, she decided that I needed to have bloodwork done and a cardiogram. When asked what her thoughts were, she said it could be heart, but she wanted to rule out anemia and thyroid problems.

I don't know exactly *why*, but I was relieved after the doctor visit. She asked me to have my blood pressure checked a couple of times this weekend, and I will tell you that the readings were considerably lower....in the range of 122 over 76.

After finishing up, I went in to a lab up the road and had blood drawn. The receptionist was a little different....she asked if I was fasting. Well, no, I had a cup of tea with a teaspoon of sugar and some milk......she released a heavy sigh as though insinuating I was a dummy, but the joke was on her....I had NO idea I would be having bloodwork done!

The doctor admonished me to "take it easy" and not do anything strenuous, nor anything that would cause stress. A bit hard to do, but we had some plans......

We finished up in town, then headed home to pack our bags! After an extremely disappointing cancellation of a trip to Splash Lagoon in Erie, PA last month, due to *extreme* weather, the time had finally come for the kids to go! The real "trick" to this whole event was that it takes place from 11 pm until 3 am! It is deemed an "almost overnighter"!

We left early, right after noon, as the kids had done their schoolwork ahead so they could have a day off. We went to my parents' home, as they are along the way. We had such a relaxing visit including a wonderfully delicious meal at the Lakewood Rod and Gun Club. The club is exclusive...you must be a member, and sits on Chautauqua Lake. Mark and I had their fish fry, and the meal was so fantastic! What a memorable evening this was!

We went back to my parents' house and visited some more until it was time for us to get on our way.

We arrived in Erie and dropped the kids off. We parked in the lot and Mark and I both immediately fell asleep! We had planned to go inside and take some pictures of the kids and just hang out, but our plans changed! Mark awakened me at about 2 o'clock, saying he was cold. I gave him a blanket, then sat and waited for the kids to come on out.

What a crazy but fun day!!! The kids had a delightful time and they were so excited but tired!

BIGFOOT Was at Our House!

2007-04-19T07:52:00.000-04:00

If Ben sees this, I hope he can smile at it instead of hitting me over the head with a baseball bat! I just could not resist....ever since Ben was a little mite, he always went outside in the snow barefoot. This is something I could never have *ever* done.....my toes would have FROZEN!!!

Sunny Days Ahead!

2007-04-19T06:29:00.000-04:00

After this latest deluge of snow, I was thrilled beyond words when I looked at the weather and saw that the temperatures are going to *soar* into the 50's today! The sky looked rather pretty this morning....not dark and foreboding! We are fortunate that in this late snowstorm none of the trees near the house look to be badly damaged. As soon as the snow melts, we will be doing a lot of yard cleanup as there are little branches everywhere!

When the snow came down, the ground was warm and as it fell, it melted. Thus, I guess it would be better to say we received almost a foot of "slush" than snow! The Scotties and I had a blast going out in the morning. NOT! On Monday, the snow was so deep, the boys made *me* walk in front to make a path for them! By Tuesday morning, enough snow had fallen after being cleared away that it was up to their shoulders. (OK, so Scotties have short legs, but there was a good 4" of snow there!) I am grateful for warmer weather ahead, as shoveling in April seems like such a tiring task!

Last night, Michelle had her Bible study. I dropped her off at the church and then went to the lake. This town is located about 16 miles northeast of us, and they have no snow! What a contrast to see vibrant green! I drove around near the head of the lake and it was so beautiful. People were walking everywhere! As soon as the weather makes a turn, people get out!

I stopped by Wendy's and got a Frosty (Lisanne, are you reading...I didn't get the float,though.) and sat by the lake just enjoying it and the peacefulness around me. The sun had come out yesterday afternoon, and it gave the lake an almost "hazy" surreal look as it streaked through lingering clouds. I could have sat there a long time but I went to Lowe's and looked around instead.

This morning when I took the Scotties out, music filled the air! Birds are chirping and singing so loudly. I am sure they are also happy for warmer kinder weather! Last week, I was so excited as I spotted an Eastern Bluebird in a tree at the end of our driveway. Since we are in the woods, a bluebird is an unusual sight, but I know that people further up the hill have nesting boxes for bluebirds in their open fields.

I am anxious to get out and take pictures of something other than snow with my camera! I think it is time to get some *colorful* pictures, as opposed to monochromatic ones!

A Word to the Wise

2007-04-16T22:23:00.000-04:00

I have finally reconciled myself to the place that I can talk about this.

Several weeks ago, I was in the Dollar Tree with the kids. I was just looking around and I remembered that I wanted to buy the Tylenol equivalent as I thought it might be a good idea to alternate that with the ibuprofen that I had at home.

I rarely ever take anything. I am of the mindset that when sick, it is better to let one's system go into overdrive to rid any illness than to cover it up with meds. Having said that, when I get a head-throbbing, cannot concentrate headache, I need to take something to get rid of it. I do not have the luxury of lying down until it passes. (and frankly, lying down usually does little more than make it worse!) So, while at the Dollar Tree, I grabbed a bottle of acetaminophen and brought it home, placing it in the linen closet.

A week ago this past Sunday, one of those headaches struck. I woke up with it. After a few hours of thinking it might go away on its own with no success, I grabbed the little box out of the closet and opened the bottle, mindlessly taking one of the pretty blue caplets.

After taking the pill, i noticed I was having a terrible time trying to stay awake. I did manage and as the headache subsided, then left. I forgot all about this.

Move ahead to Tuesday. We had to run to the city, and while there, we stopped at Carly's to drop off a dresser. I mentioned in passing that I had this annoying rash on my elbow that was driving me nuts. I also had little red pimply spots showing up on my body...mainly my extremities. Carly said she had hydro cortisone cream, but I told her that stuff never helps. She said she also had some Claritin that I might like to try as it sounded like an allergy. I thought a bit, then took one of the pills.

After taking one a day for three days, the rash finally quit appearing and by Friday, it was actually getting better.

I kept wondering what caused this rash, but couldn't think of anything. No new detergent. No new soap. Nothing new.

It was only a couple of days ago that I thought about that acetaminophen. I grabbed the bottle out of the closet and alas! It was a PM version with a sleep aid. I told Carly about it later and she went nuts! Right away, she KNEW that it contained the same substance that Benadryl contains. Huh? I have been allergic to Benadryl for many years! And, every time I tried to take it (only twice) I ended up with a terrible rash! The dosage for Benadryl is usually 50-100 mg. The pill I took only had 25 mg. Carly scolded that I should never take "that stuff" again.

So, from now on I will try to remember to READ the label....IE, I WILL take the reading glasses out and be assured I am buying what I *think* I am buying! And, I will order a medical alert tag saying that I am allergic to Diphendydramine AND penicillin.

So, as the saying goes, "read the labels"! Might I add, "know your enemies, as well"!

Just A Little Bit More Encouragement......

2007-04-16T14:07:00.000-04:00

You cannot stop spring from advancing! So says my lilac bush from under its heavy burden!

If This Was November or December.....

2007-04-16T11:46:00.000-04:00

I think I would have turned cartwheels! I love snow for Thanksgiving or Christmas. But this...well, it is a bit hard to swallow......

I decided to wander out for a few pictures, as it seems that people living only a short distance from me have not had the pleasure of dealing with this wet, heavy snow!!! So, here goes!

This is a maple tree located about 20 feet from the front porch. I have never seen the branches hanging down so low. When we bought this property, we experienced the ice storm of 1991. The branches of trees were encased in a glaze of about 3/4" of ice. It was terrible and we lost a great deal of treetops. This storm, I do believe we will also lose many branches, as they cannot hold this much weight. Ususally, by midday, the snow has fallen to the ground, but the wet snow just keeps on coming, and the branches are getting heavier and heavier. In spending a couple of hours outside shoveling this morning, I heard many sounds of splitting trees in the distance.

The term "whiteout" has taken on a new meaning! *Everything* is white out!!! I was going to venture further down the driveway to take a broader view of the house, but after shoveling through several inches of what felt as heavy as *stones*, my energy level was vastly diminished!It is easy to see that everything is now white!

When I awakened this morning, the trees were swaying back and forth as though the winds were gusting heavily. Praise God, they have lessened and it is rather still outside right now. We are so grateful to have received *only* about 8 inches of this snow, as we were told the potential was for amounts of 2 FEET! Considering the great effort Mark put forth to clear our driveway, I think any more than we had would have been nearly impossible to clear out with the ATV.

As I looked into the woods, it seems like I was surrounded by a sea of white!

I got to thinking about those pioneers who came to this country to settle it so many years ago. Today, with our Doppler Radar and (fairly) accurate forecasts, I cannot imagine how disheartened those folks must have been to see a day such as this. Just think....if their firewood supply was running lean, how would they have felt, wondering if they might freeze to death as they could not get out to cut? The burden of shoveling this messy snow today was greatly lightened by reading the forecast.....highs into the 50's by Friday, and into the 60's on Sunday!

This is looking into the woods where I photographed the deer late yesterday evening. It changed so much in just several hours!

Lastly is the lilac bush in the side yard. Poor little bush looks so forlorn as it sags under the weight of the snow.

So, if you are one of the fortunate ones who did NOT have to shovel your way out the door today, consider yourself lucky! And for those like me, well, brighter *warmer* days lie JUST ahead!

Unfinished Business!

2007-04-15T19:24:00.000-04:00

This morning, I was barely able to post the pictures of the snow coming down because of issues with my laptop. The processor was running out of control, and it took forever to even TRY to do anything. Since then, my computer guru hero, AKA my hubby, Mark, took care of business and I am once again *in* business!

I wanted to post a picture I took yesterday of a little Junco bird that was nestled in the lilac bush on the side of the house....

And, I was excited to tell about a new soap I unmolded last night! One of my Scottie friends I met online is from Arizona, and she ordered some Lemongrass Soaps made with my Scottie mold. She had fallen in love with Lemongrass while visiting in London. I decided to add a little of the herb to the soap as well, (just a tiny tad) and it gave it depth, texture and character....I love it and the scent is so fresh!

So, that was my unfinished business from yesterday! Last night was such a bust, as the Sabres lost to the Islanders. I was so bummed, but the Sabres were outplayed AND the refereeing STUNK! I always smile and tell Mark the refs always SAY they are going to call everything.........against Buffalo! Yes, I am biased, but even were I not, I think anyone can see that many of the refs just do not want Buffalo to win.

Today was spent lazily lounging about. Yes, Mrs. *Busy* took a day off! I am so tired. I think I didn't sleep well or rest well because of the game last night. Mark keeps telling me not to get so worked up...hehehe

I made Zatarain's Cheesy Jambalaya for dinner tonight. There is a recipe on the back of the box for stuffed green peppers using two boxes. Well, since I only had one huge green pepper, I cut it into small pieces and added it. The recipe on the box also calls for sausage, which I detest! So, I use ground beef and I used Habanero pepper instead of the jalapeno it called for. This is one of those recipes that is guaranteed to clear sinuses, but if you like *hot*, it is SO tasty!

As I was cleaning up in the kitchen, I caught sight of Doe, Re, Mi, and Fa out on the back hill. I was so excited because they lingered on and on for some time....then, they actually bedded down for a bit.

You can see the size difference here....Doe is on the right, and one of her youngsters is on the left side. It was difficult taking these shots because, 1. once again, I had to shoot through the french doors, and, 2. it was snowing like crazy! I just knew that were I to open the door, the youngster definitely would have bolted into the woods. Doe is much more at ease with humans!

Here is Doe lying in the snow.....

And here, Doe got up to graze a little bit more while her youngster remains resting.

A closer look at the youngster. This was such a wonderful way to end a lazy day!

Yes, Snow....

2007-04-15T06:41:00.000-04:00

I live in the woods. When we turn off the lights, it is very dark. Last night, however, when I woke up in the middle of the night, I could see outside, so I knew it had snowed or was snowing.
This morning when Murphy insisted it was time to get up, I opened my eyes to a world of what looked like black and white. I decided to just open my window and take three pictures, each in a different direction.....

Hey, wait a minute! These pictures all look the SAME! Yes, they do, and yes, it DOES!

We are being blessed with *really* heavy wet snow right now. In looking at the radar and maps, it looks like the east coast is going to be getting the brunt of this beast. I imagine lines will be going down, as this is seriously heavy stuff, and we are only getting the fringes of it!

It is hard to believe that yesterday I was outside taking pictures in my flip-flops! This morning, I had to grab my Crocs with no holes in them before taking the boys out. Those flip-flops would have left me with FROZEN toes!

I Wanna Be a Daffodil!

2007-04-14T08:49:00.000-04:00

OK, so I don't really want to be a daffodil, but how about resilient like a daffodil? I worried so about these miniature daffodils as they were frozen solid last week. They were rigid and even looked freezer burned! But, alas....they are FINE! Now, THAT is resilient!

I took this picture of the little stream....I loved the little bubbles!

I couldn't help myself when it came to this picture! Michelle was lying across my bed with Murphy, upside down, next to her. It was too funny....Michelle's feet hanging off the bed, and Murphy's up in the air!!!

The sky is presently blue, and the weatherman said to get out and enjoy today as the temperatures climb well into the 40's. Of course, tonight the wild wintry mix is supposed to begin, so I think I will head outside, SOON!

Such a Grand Night!!!

2007-04-13T06:37:00.001-04:00

Last night, I was so excited about the Sabres game! Yes, it is Stanley Cup playoff time and the Sabres played their first game of the first round against the New York Islanders. The game was so exciting as the Sabres just played so well and scored over and over.

During the last five minutes of the game, I told Mark I really had to run and take a bathroom break, as I felt as though I was going to burst! He told me to go ahead....he has a DVR, so he could record the last few minutes and we could watch it together. Ben was in the dowstairs bathroom, taking a shower, so I bounded upstairs.

Since I was in such a hurry, I only pulled the door behind me, not latching it. Within a few seconds, the door came flying open, and there was Murphy. Not too far behind came Angus. As soon as I was done, I grabbed my camera, as these little boys meant business!!!

Can we PLEASE have a drink of water?

By the time I came back with my camera, Angus was actually IN the tub! He loves to go in there and have someone "drizzle" the water out for him. He happily laps it up, saturating his little beard and paws!

As I took his picture, Angus decided he was going to have to possibly SIT down and wait for his drink of water! He sat there looking at me!

In the meantime, Mark commented he wondered what took so long!

The Sabres won this game 4 to 1! If they could just play like this throughout the playoffs, they would definitely win the cup! Each round is potentially seven games....whomever wins four advances to the next round.

Gooooooooooooooooooooooo Sabres!!!

On a less *stellar* note, as I listened to the radio this morning, I just found out that we are expecting a Nor'easter this Sunday and Monday! And yes, they are saying this is going to be a "juicy event" with lots of snow. Hmmmm.....isn't this April? Yikes!

Going to the Birds?

2007-04-11T07:39:00.000-04:00

Well, no not really....

I was sitting in the truck while waiting as the family was in the grocery store. I just thought it was so cute the way these sparrows were playing in the parking lot! Sorry the pictures aren't that great. I was disappointed with the gadget bag I got with my Nikon, so I sent it back and was awaiting the new one. In the meantime, I wasn't about to carry the new camera without a case.
So, I was using my old camera....

And, when I got home, the new case was there!

Searching Out the Beauty

2007-04-10T20:00:00.000-04:00

Yay, I am finally back. Yes, perhaps you didn't know I was gone, but I was! I tried so hard to submit an entry to my blog last night and this morning, and my poor laptop would just freeze up and the hard drive spun so loudly, it sounded as though it might just lift off the desk!

Yesterday, I was so discouraged by the cold. Every time I looked out the window, there was a fine snow filling the air. It never amounted to anything but it was just becoming, well, depressing! After seeing my poor daffodils and tulips lying down on the ground as though they had fainted from the bitter cold, I decided I could choose to bemoan the damage, or, look for the beauty....

And so I grabbed my camera and went on a little hunt. I honestly didn't need to venture too far, as it seemed as though beauty was calling out to me! Just look at these little Columbine plants. I do believe they are bigger than they were last week!

If you look at the frosty snow surrounding those little diehards, you can see it is that sparkly, icy cold kind of snow that is *so* cold!

As I walked along the banks of our drainage ditch where water runs down across our land, something caught my eye....perhaps it is the bit 'o Irish in me, but the intensity of the green called out to me! As I moved in closer to observe, the ice that had formed from the unusual cold snap we have been experiencing was drip, drip, dripping ever so slightly onto the bright green moss underneath it. Such a contrast was so beautiful! And the green just makes the heart hopeful for the good weather that is just around the corner!
And although nearly all of our hearts are longing for fresh spring breezes and warming temperatures, this little formation of ice caught up on the grass is undeniably beautiful!

Last week when we enjoyed some warm and delightfully great springtime weather, the sheets of rain that accompanied that weather caused the volume of water running in the ditches to increase enormously! As I walked along, I couldn't resist photographing this little "bowl" that was created in that massive overdose to the little ditches that usually carry just a small amount of water!

I was so happy to enjoy all of the beauty that is ours for the looking! By going out with camera in hand, I really did feel so much better!

Last night, just before the sun was setting, Angus went totally nuts! He growled and barked and basically made me feel crazy! I called for Michelle to take Angus upstairs, as in looking out the french doors, I saw nothing unusual. A little later, I did see Doe, Re, Mi, and Fa partaking quite zestfully of the new blades of grass that have poked through the earth.

Angus positioned himself at the top of the stairs and began to take his singing to a new level. At this point, he was inconsolable, making so much noise, he was really driving me crazy. The hair stood up on his back and he eventually moved his way down the stairs. Michelle came and grabbed him to lift him up and in so doing, looked out the window. Surprise, surprise! Yet another visitor to add to our ever-increasing menagerie of wild critters! No wonder poor little Angus was getting so stirred up! He sensed this fellow barging in on his territory!

I went out on the back deck, much to Michelle's dismay to chase this masked fellow off! I hissed at him and commanded he leave the premises at once! He turned and looked at me, then slowly moved away into the woods!

Good Monday Morning!

2007-04-09T07:58:00.000-04:00

After a rather leisurely restful day, it will be hard to get moving and into gear! I have already been up for a couple of hours, but was busy washing dishes (that seem to multiply every night under the cover of darkness) and laundry. I will not even comment on the (endless) amount of laundry I do!

Mark had rented a documentary from Netflix that he thought I might enjoy. It was entitled Devil's Playground ; it turned out to be a very disturbing look at the Amish custom of "rumspringa". This is a tradition that when a young person turns 16 years of age, they are released into the "english" world to experience sex, drugs, alcohol, smoking, and whatever other unsavory vices they might like to try....thus, the title.

As I watched this documentary unravel, there were a few kids that were the "main characters". My heart grew so heavy at some points and I found this so upsetting. The fact that these people keep themselves so set apart from the world, only to release their youngsters into it so they may "sew their wild oats" before joining the church seems so ludicrous and without wisdom to me. I find it amazing that the parents can simply turn their kids out without holding back. I could never do that....

I lived in a town where there were a great number of Amish families and I had never heard of this custom before. I do know that there were dome rather humorous stories about the Amish and some of the things they did, but they were "harmless" and funny! One of them involved a certain "rabblerouser" Amishman who happened to own a car. Seems he kept it in his barn and whenever he wanted to drive it, he would don a football helmet and drive on down the road so as not to be recognized by his peers. I have no idea if this was true or not, but the kid who told me happened to be the son of the police chief in the small town, so it could quite likely be true!

I guess that the bottom line in this documentary is that people are people, and will seek after destructive behaviors if left on their own with no accountability. After watching the entire story, I went back and re watched it with the director and those involved in making the story talking about it as it ran. In the end, one of the youngster's pretty much ruined his life and is now serving time. He was a rather remarkable young fellow....charismatic, charming, and so much going for him. In the end, it seems part of his destruction was his indecisiveness.... he could not choose whether he was Amish or "english".

After watching this, I came down and we watched the Sabres vs the Philadelphia Flyers game. It was a little disappointing, as the Sabres lost! (to the last team in the east?) Ah well, it was OK, because in watching the game, it became obvious to me that none of the players were going to get rough....with the playoffs beginning this week, all of the players need to be in top physical shape. To get injured in a game that really didn't even matter....well, why bother? It was an entertaining game, as the goalie for Philly was just recently sent there from the Sabres so they could pick up Danius Zubrus.

After the game, we had our dinner and spent the rest of the day just relaxing. Oh, as I was preparing dinner, Mrs Doe, Re, Mi, and Fa were outside the kitchen window, grazing like crazy on the new shoots of grass. I was making broccoli, so I went to the french doors and calmly talked to Doe. She wasn't afraid at all and watched as I pitched the stem her way. After I was inside the house, she went over and looked at it, but passed it by. Phooey....I thought she would eat it!

I hope you enjoyed your day! It looked more like a Thanksgiving or Christmas Day here with the sudden spritzes of snow!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

2007-04-08T07:20:00.000-04:00

Yes, Jesus is risen, He is risen from the dead!

When I think of "Easter", I don't think of bunnies and eggs and baskets and all the other things. Instead, I am grateful for the Lord and that He laid down His life for all. We have never been big on all the candy and stuff, but we did buy some jelly beans and candy for the kids.

Last night the kids went to a teen skate, and while they were there, Mark and I went to a little WalMart Superstore. YIKES! It was nearly filled to the brim with people! This store has been rather traditionally quiet on Saturday nights, but last night it was packed with folks. I am not sure exactly what the occasion was....perhaps buying goodies?

When we left the store (we were in there for probably about an hour and a half) the snow was falling ever-so-softly in those pretty wet big flakes that were accentuated by the parking lot lights. It was so beautiful...and yes, I know it is April! It really was stunning and I do agree that I would have been much more impressed had this been around Thanksgiving time!

We picked the kids up at 10, then headed home. Hmmmm....Mark took the path less traveled. Oh, AND this path just happens to wind through the "higher elevations". And, if you live in the Northeast, you just KNOW what that means! Yes, we were greeted by completely snow-covered roads challenging Mark to figure out WHERE the road was!

As we drove along, I kept asking Mark if his knuckles were white yet! I could sense his great relief when we finally reached the little valley town just a few miles from our house. The snow was greatly reduced to just fine little flakes in the headlights and I think I actually heard a huge sigh!

I was awakened this morning to the sound of the snowplow coming up our hill, and when I saw the trees outside my window frosted in white, I just wanted to close my eyes and roll over. But, I did indeed get up with the boys and we went outside into the 16 frosty degrees. Wow! To add a bit of insult to injury, the weatherman announced this morning this day shall be colder than our Christmas Day was! Hurrah, hurrah....

We didn't make plans with my parents to get together, so our day will probably entail spending a leisurely day grateful for a warm hearth! I do have a Honeysuckle White turkey breast that I will roast later in the day, along with lots of sides to go with it. I always stand amazed that I forget to plan meals for holidays. But, there is plenty in the pantry and refrigerator to make for a delicious meal!

To you and yours, Happy Easter!

And the Winner IS!!!!

2007-04-07T23:44:00.000-04:00

Woo hoo! Am I psyched? You had better BELIEVE it! This afternoon, the Buffalo Sabres made history in clinching the President's Cup. This is a prestigious award in the NHL, going to the top team in the league!!!

The Sabres have one more game to finish off the season. It is tomorrow afternoon and will be shown on NBC tv at 1:00 pm, EST.

After this, it is on to the STANLEY CUP!

Goooooooooooooooooo Sabres!!!!!!!

The Great Weather Challenge

2007-04-05T07:14:00.000-04:00

I have decided that living in the Northeast means that each and every day *is* a weather challenge! Especially this time of the year. The weather "turns the corner", so to speak, and everyone gets ready for the new season. Then....kaboom! The weather returns to its former state and we are left wondering....

Yesterday, I decided to return the large bag of soda cans and several smaller grocery bags of soda bottles and cans to the store. I crawled up into the truck, gathering them more towards the back so I could hop down onto the ground and grab them out. (I guess it is pertinent to mention that at five feet, one and one-half inches tall, it is a bit *hard* to reach things from our four wheel drive Silverado truck if items are not close to the back.) So....I hopped down after getting the bags readied, and walked about two feet from the truck towards a shopping cart to carry the bags.

Suddenly, this ***HUGE*** gust of wind (Mark, who was sitting inside the truck, called it a sudden hurricane-force wind!!!) caught the smaller bags and they were lifted into the air and sent sailing across the parking lot! I chased and caught up with two bags, but two others landed probably a good three hundred and five hundred feet from the truck. I felt so silly...I just took my two bags I had in my hands and walked back towards the truck. Ben had jumped out and raced after the farthest bag, then a young guy who works at Wegman's grabbed a shopping cart
(HOW did he just happen to have that cart right there?) and gathered the bottles and cans from the other bag. Within about, oh, five minutes, all of the bottles and cans were back in my possession. I thanked both Ben and the young man....profusely.....then headed into the bottle return area of Wegman's.

This morning, we are nineteen degrees with a bitter wind that would chill a snowman's heart! The forecast calls for one to two inches of accumulation (yes, of sn*w!!!!) AND 20 degrees below *normal* temps. Hmmm...so, what IS normal?

Well, no matter whether this weather is agreeable or not, we gotta take it!

Ever Feel Like Eve?

2007-04-03T20:23:00.000-04:00

You know, in the Garden of Eden? This morning, Mrs. Doe came back again with Re, Mi, and Fa. The youngsters bolted off into the woods, but as I spoke to Doe, she actually turned around in her tracks and walked a few steps towards me! I was standing on the back deck....does she look frightened?

I was anxious to take some pictures today, as the woods is beginning to "brighten" up a bit. AND, I am so antsy to try out the new camera in lots of different modes with different lighting and such. My biggest problem right now is that the current lens I am using doesn't do so well in low light situations, and I am awaiting a new lens. So, while waiting, I will be patient and make the most of what I have.

As I was getting up this morning, I noticed that my (other) weird Christmas Cactus had such a pretty blossom on it, I just needed to take a picture. I love the colors in this one....the streaks of color are stunning! Oh, and now my Christmas Cacti have bloomed for Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and you had better believe there are going to be even MORE flowers for Easter!

After taking pictures of the deer and plant, I decided to go outside and take some pictures.....Hmmmmm......what can I take pictures of? Let's see....

Ah yes, this morning, my little miniature Daffodils were nearly blooming! How exciting!

And how about this? I had two very perplexed and frustrated black-bearded little boys looking longingly through the french doors as I walked outside to snap a shot of their morning offering. There is their special ground turkey meatloaf, ground green beans, a few blueberries, cranberries, a small spoonful of virgin coconut oil, topped with a teaspoon of flax seeds! What you cannot see is a bit of olive oil and fish oil drizzled over the top. As I made my way back inside with the dish, I was seriously thinking I was about to be mugged, but the little boys were gentlemenly. Well, until I put the food into their bowls!

This afternoon, Ben wanted to ride his bicycle on our road. Where we live is so steep, there was no way he could ride it unless he had worked at it for quite some time! So, we loaded his bike into the back of the Explorer and I drove up to a more gentle incline. Ben was so happy to ride along and I followed behind. As Ben rode, you cannot imagine my delight when I saw man walking a Wire-Haired Dachshund!

What was humorous about all of this is that I was on the phone with Carly, who owns the cute little Black and Tan Dachshund, Joe! I stopped the car and got out to talk with the man. You see, Bob the UPS man had already told me who this man was, as I had seen him walking this pup several months ago and inquired. It is so rare to see one of these dogs, so I asked Bob and he knew exactly who this was!

I got out of the car and introduced myself and asked if I could take pictures. Of course! This neighbor is so proud of his little girlie. She is of European lines and is a licensed "Deersearch Dog". When a hunter injures a deer and cannot find it, he can notify this pair, and little Karma may then search the woods until she finds it. I learned that they were featured last fall on a page of the local newspaper!

Isn't she a cutie? I love the way her paws turn out and that little beard! As I bent down to say hello, she came right to me and smothered me in kisses!!!

I caught up with Ben and he rode on and on for awhile. Near the end of his ride, there is a big hill. Ben loved gliding down the hill. So much so, he went back up the hill and rode down once again!

When we got home, I was surprised to see that my mini Daffodils were now blooming!

You cannot know how much the sight of those three little flowers made my heart sing! We got up to 60 degrees this afternoon, and tomorrow, we are supposed to be warm once again. Until the afternoon. Then, our weather is supposed to degrade to the point that the temperatures drop into the 30's by evening! The weatherman says "snow" in the forecast....well, with Easter around the corner, what else should we expect? We *are* in the Northeast, after all!

I went inside the house, and in looking out the french doors, who should I spot grazing up behind the house once again? Yes, Doe, Re, Me, and Fa! Just like the Garden of Eden, I tell you!!!

Out of the Bristolwood...

2007-04-02T22:15:00.000-04:00

Yes, today we went up to visit Mark's mom and to take her to a doctor appointment.

It was such a strange day as far as the weather was concerned. When the sun was not out and shining, it felt terribly cold. The wind blew like crazy, making it feel unbearable at times. We picked Mark's mom up and headed off to the doctor's appointment....

As we were driving along on a very busy highway, a schoolbus came up on our left and passed us........

So, do you suppose the driver knew the engine compartment was exposed for all of the city to see?

Mark and his mom went into the appointment and the kids and I went to Wendy's to grab a small bite to eat. The kids were hungry and it was a great way to pass some time.

Afterward, Mark wanted to stop by Daddy's Junky Music. That isn't my idea of fun, so Michelle and I sat with the pups out in the car. The boys were so good! They always are, though. Earlier in the day, Michelle trimmed Murphy. She can't stand the thought of him looking "bushy", so she is always trimming! She plans to do Angus tomorrow and he hates having the clippers anywhere near his face, so I grabbed my little folding scissors and trimmed quite a bit off his head and face. He didn't like it, but he was so good!

Remember I said it was windy today? Yes, the car is really sitting still. I tied Angus to the steering wheel and Michelle was holding Murphy's leash! The boys' beards and eyebrows were blowing like a flag in the wind! That is Angus on the left with the "smile" on his face! You can see his eyes.....before I touched up his face, they were almost hidden!

We went to a couple other stores, and by the time we got home, it was nearly 9:30. What a long day!

I Forgot to Mention....

2007-04-01T23:38:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that I rarely sit still during the day. Sometimes I get to feeling like a gryroscope, spinning round and round.

Well, it is a rare day when I can actually sit down long enough to watch a movie. AND, you better believe it had better be GOOD if I am spending time like that!!! The other day, Ben gave me his I-Pod to watch a movie Mark had put on it. The name of the movie is I Am David.

If you are looking for a movie that the entire family can enjoy together without mom and dad turning red and fast-forwarding through stuff that is inappropriate, this is it. The movie is just so good and that is all I am going to divulge!

Funny Farm Visitors.....

2007-04-01T20:07:00.000-04:00

This morning, as I was making my bed, I looked out the window and there was Mrs. Doe standing down in the woods. She was so pretty. So, I grabbed my camera and took some pictures. The quality is crummy because they were shot through my (dirty!) bedroom window. Drat.

It was only after I started to look through the viewfinder that I realized that Re, Mi, and Fa were following in the rear. I was unable to get the three of them together, as they were so scattered. They must be Mrs. Doe's brood from last year, as they are rather small compared to her. It seems like the deer near us have twins or triplets all the time, as it is not uncommon to see a Doe with two or three younsters in tow.

The deer family graced us before the thunderstorm made its way through this morning. And, afterward, we were graced with yet MORE! wildlife.

This time, it was Tom Terrific (Turkey, that is!) And, oh MY what a show Tom put on. It was so hard taking pictures without busting into laughter....Tom came by with his.....ummm....harem? of NINE females. What a chauvinist!

Tom is in the center of the picture, along with four of his girlies. Once again, these pictures were taken through a window that was less than "stellar". In other words, it was a MESS! Anyway, back to Tom.....

As if on cue, Tom spread out those tailfeathers and strutted his stuff! AND, as if that was not enough,

Tom must have thought we would like to see his posterior as well! He strutted about, turning around and around as he went. It was too funny to watch, but perhaps that is how he captured the hearts of his nine lady friends?

I was totally bummed by these pictures, not only because I took them through glass, but they are out of focus because I had been fiddling around with the dioptor adjustment last night, and thought I would "callibrate" it correctly this morning. Then, the wildlife began their show and I never got around to making the correction.

Then, there is this picture I took last night....

I had taken the Scottie boys out for their final constitution, and I grabbed the camera on the way out. The moon was so cool the way it kept coming in and out of the clouds. I (*tried*) to plant my elbows against the railing on the porch, but with two wild Scottie boys on two separate leashes.....well, you get the idea! Anyway, I thought this pictue might be a cool one to begin a mystery.............................

Did anyone else get a kick out of Google's silly April Fool's joke this morning? Mark and I giggled and teeheed as we read about their new FREE broadband TiSP offer. Gads, methinks their humor is going down the toilet! hehehehe

Dad's Home!

2007-03-31T18:48:00.000-04:00

I am so happy....my brother Randy called this afternoon while he and my parents were on their way home from the hospital. My father was talking happily in the background and it just seems like all is right in the world once again!

Today was a research day online where I was reading and rereading information about digital SLR cameras. I was learning (or trying to!) about lenses and depth of field and focal length and f-stops and so on and so forth. Since I am not prone to being detail oriented, my poor head was beginning to feel like it was going to BURST!

So...I took a little jaunt into the woods with my little Olympus camera just to snap a few pictures. This morning, the little Scottie boys were so drawn to the tree in the center of this picture.

So, while they were safely inside the house, I squatted down and took a looksee.....

Well, no WONDER! Squirrely Nutkin has been hiding all kinds of goodies in there! Since I did this little "sneaky maneuver" while the Scotties were inside, I felt terrible and decided I had better head right back to the house.

On my way back to the house, I looked at my little garden in the front.What a pleasant surprise to see that my pretty hydrangea bush is waking up after its winter rest. I love this bush. My mom bought it for me and I think she must have picked the blue because it is my favorite color of all!

As I said, all is feeling so right in the Bristolwood.....

Waiting, Prayers, and Optimism

2007-03-30T14:05:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, my father had to travel to the doctor (about 60 miles) to be wired with a heart monitor. He wore it for 24 hours, then returned it to the office. As soon as he and my mother returned home, there was a message from the doctor's office on their answering machine. The message said that the doctor wanted my dad to drive right back so he could be admitted to the hospital for testing!

I just happened to call while my dad was waiting for the doctor's office to return his call. It was funny, but I just had that feeling that made me call right then, in the middle of the day. I hurried my call, not wanting him to miss the callback from the doctor's office after he explained all this to me.

The office did get hold of Dad, and they told him he could return the next day, which was yesterday. He was to go to the hospital for testing and to be examined by a cardiologist, and he was also told to plan to stay at the hospital for testing.

My mom called last night and said that the cardiologist decided not to do a heart catherization, as the other doctor had planned, but that today, he would implant a pacemaker to regulate his heart. He was told that his heart was only operating at about 35%! This is a bit of a hard pill to swallow, as my father has always been the epitome of good health. He takes good care of himself and is always busy. Even the doctor said that he looked younger than his 76 years!

So, going to bed with this on my mind last night, I was a bit disturbed. During the night, Murphy kept waking me up, moving all around. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him until this morning....I picked him up and flopped him belly-up to give him a belly rub, and there, in his "skirts" was a round hairbrush! Silly pup!! I had brushed my hair before going to bed last night, and when I went to set the brush on the bedside table, I heard it fall to the floor. Apparently, Mr Murphy thought he would have a looksee at the brush. Good thing he didn't get it tangled in his beard! It took some time to gently loosen all of his skirt from the brush. I think the more he moved about, the more it tangled....and it was tricky loosening the sensitive hair under his legs (armpits?).

When awoke this morning, a robin was chirping so loudly in the woods, I could hear it in the house! I grabbed my camera as the boys and I headed out the door, but try as I might, that robin was no where to be found, although the chirping continued on and on. When I looked up in the tree I *thought* it was in, only these two were there...and they AIN'T songbirds!!! (look in the center of the picture!)

After the boys finished up outside, I went out to the garage to examine Mark's project from yesterday. He worked out there in the afternoon, along with Michelle. When Michelle found out Dad was going to be painting on the poly, she was SO there!

Yes, Mark's workbench is all completed! He even has a really nice woodworking vise built into the surfaces of his bench!

Mark faced the workbench with beautiful red oak, and made a big drawer the width of the bench with oak. Before he had the spinal cord injury, Mark used to always take the first 10 feet of any live tree he had to cut down. He and the neighbor built a porable sawmill that used Mark's chainsaw to cut the tree into boards. We had oodles of boards drying outside for a few years, before the kids and I carried them upstairs in the garage. Now that Mark's woodshop is getting all put together, many of those boards will be used for pieces for the house and such!

As I looked around the shop, I had to smile....there, atop the little refrigerator sat and old pair of speakers. Michelle must have brought them out to connect her MP3 player, so she and her dad could listen to some music!

I had written this entry this morning, but never got the time to upload it, as this was just a very busy day!

Update on my father....I called him this evening and he sounds great. He has a "frog" in his throat, but other than that, he is doing well and if all goes as planned, he will be set free tomorrow! I am so happy!

It is amazing just how miserable I was all day today. I just didn't feel good, wondering about how my father was doing! But, now that I have spoken to him, I feel so relieved. It is hard thinking about him in the hospital as he has spent little time in the hospital over his lifetime!

I just thank God once again for His grace and mercy. And, as I said before, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made!

A Chilly But Beautiful Day!

2007-03-29T21:53:00.000-04:00

Even though the temperature never reached beyond the 40 degree mark here today, it was a day full of bright sunshine...the kind of day that just causes your heart to sing with the anticipation of warmer days ahead!

As beautiful as it was outside, I had to stay inside most of the day, doing chores and all the stuff that needs to be done! However, later in the day, as the sun was beginning to set, I did get a chance to go outside for a little bit.

Ben and Murphy had a fun time playing tug of war with a stick on the lawn. I am not sure who won, but little Murphy looked so humorous carrying the big stick all around!

It is funny, but Ben has suddenly (or so it seems) grown taller than I am! It seems so weird when kids grow like that, but it would be a shame if they stopped growing! I think Ben is going to be pretty tall. If he is anything like a puppy, he has some growing to do to fit into his paws!

As the sun was setting in the west, the moon was so pretty in the eastern sky.

The sun was shining so brightly...it was hard to imagine that it would ever stop!

I like this picture of the moon. The tree on the right is a really cool shagbark hickory near the garage.

If you look closely at this picture, in the center top, you can see a bird sitting in the tree. I think it was a robin...it just sat up there and chirped and chirped. I think perhaps it was saying its evening prayers!

Ben's maple tree he tapped must have yielded close to a gallon of sap today. I was in awe as Ben told me twice today that he needed to empty the little bucket. There was so much sap, and in watching it run, it almost looked like a spigot that wasn't fully turned off!

Ditches and Flowers

2007-03-28T21:49:00.000-04:00

Ditches...the reality is that when one lives on a steep grade, one must spend some time cleaning and unplugging ditches! Every time it rains heavily, Mark asks Ben to check the ditches. I never realized the power of water running over the earth, even though I have learned about erosion since I was a little girl!

The night before last, we had some pretty hefty downpours. I had no idea of their severity until we went out yesterday. I wanted to stop by the neighbors', and on our way, the local road crew was working uphill from our house. YIKES! A big "bite" was taken out of the side of the road! There was a huge area where the rain undercut the road and part of it tumbled away.

We were gone the better part of the day yesterday, so Mark and Ben thought they had better take a look at the gutters and ditches around the house this afternoon. One of the ditches that carries a good deal of water down from the hill behind the house was partially plugged with broken branches, leaves, eroded soil, and rocks, so Ben went to work cleaning the area so water would run through the culvert instead of over it!

I watched Ben working and then decided to take a picture or two of him.

This is a section where Ben had not yet worked....so, *where* is the ditch?

And this is where Ben cleaned the ditch out. You can't see the water in the ditch, but it is there. Ben enjoyed standing in the ditch and just letting the water run over his feet! Of course, he was totally muddy, but he had fun! AND, he *is* a boy!

I was rewarded for taking the stroll out behind the house, too! When we first moved here, nearly fifteen years ago, one of the first things I did was plant some crocus bulbs. I just love the colors of crocuses, and I think I planted a lot of them.

Well, there are now NO crocuses growing in the side garden. They strangely disappeared shortly after planting. But, as I walked up to see Ben, wonder of wonders! On the crest of the little hill, I encountered......

One little white crocus......

A very pretty dark purple crocus.......AND................

One itty-bitty purple and white striped crocus! Now, this is the actual variety of crocus that I originally planted. I remember having them come up one year, but after that, they diappeared. I do have a theory of what happened, though. I have come to the conclusion that I have a strange little squirrel on the premises that is studying botany and he figured those flowers would look much more stunning planted rather haphazardly up on the hill instead of neatly planted next to the house..... Do you suppose?

Can This Truly Be March?

2007-03-26T21:03:00.000-04:00

As I was loading pictures to share, I came across one I forgot to mention yesterday! (in my lengthy entry!) When we were at Sprague's yesterday, my mom decided to spoil me by buying a bottle of liquid gold! (AKA, maple syrup!)

I also noticed that Carly made a comment on my entry yesterday regarding my wild youthful days of cooking syrup on the woodstove! I cannot believe that she would actually choose high fructose corn syrup over the genuine article!!! I love maple syrup and always have! Ah well, just means there is more for *me*!

I think I really need to take a look at pictures I took this time last year. I can hardly believe that my daffodils and tulips are up as far as they are....I thought they usually bloomed late in April or even May. Perhaps I am wrong, though.....

I think I planted these tulips well over ten years ago. They always were real "scraggly" and I was lucky to get one bloom per plant. There used to be an elderly German woman who lived down the hill and she told me you need to dig your tulips up every couple of years to break them up and also to replant them, as she was convinced they "migrate" deeper into the soil. I never did check to see if there was any information about that online, but these tulips couldn't look any healthier! You can also see the columbines beginning to come alive in front of the tulips.

As I photographed these daffodils, I could see the swollen heads with a yellow tinge where flowers are developing. They are standing about 5 or 6 inches tall.

I shouldn't even show pictures of this garden as I was supposed to dig it up and replant it last year, but it never happened. We have such a dilemma between the house and the garage. What do we put there? It is an area of about 14 feet by about 30 feet. I would love to put up a fence and a wooden walkway with plantings and some grass so the Scotties could play there, but I guess we are at an impass on how to accomplish everything we want to do!

As I was just soaking and enjoying the hot tub this afternoon, I noticed the lilacs are swelling up, getting ready to burst out their green leaves of spring!

I spoke to Carly early in the afternoon, and she said they had storms complete with heavy downpours pass through earlier in the day. It kept looking threatening here, but the rain never came.

I decided that if we were going to perhaps get rain today, I had better drain some of the water off the pool. While I was at it, the hot tub also needed to be filled a little. After filling it, I couldn't help but climb in! It was a gorgeous day. The temperature climbed and climbed....all the way up to 70!

While sitting in the hot tub, I saw the moon!

As you can see. the sky was vibrant with color!

As I got out of the tub, these clouds began to roll in. They looked pretty harmless!

At about 8:30 this evening, the lightening began flashing and the thunderstorms began. I got myself all set up with a candle burning on the bedside table and my laptop all charged up! The rain is *pounding* on the roof of the house! But we are safe and cozy and dry!

Oh, and as a sidenote, Ben's maple sap yield was about 3/4 of a gallon since last night.

Sunday Fun!

2007-03-25T19:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, my mom called and asked if we wanted to meet at our "regular meeting place". That has become Sprague's, a terrific restaurant I have mentioned on my blog before. I was especially excited, as they are actively "sugaring" during the month of March. Yesterday didn't work out, so Mark suggested today. Although disappointed at first, it worked out great, as today the temperatures soared close to 60! A beautiful day for a ride!

We decided to meet early today.....at 11 am, as opposed to later in the afternoon. This restaurant is a very popular spot, and people travel for miles to eat there, no matter what the season is! So, to avoid the long lines, my mom thought if we met early, perhaps we could get seated quickly.

When we arrived at the restaurant, my parents and brother, Randy, had already been seated. So, we were able to get right in and sit down. Randy, Mark, Michelle, and Ben all opted to go for a breakfast while my parents and I had salads. Ever since I was sick, I have been craving salad.

We ate, and as always, the food was so delicious! This restaurant is huge, and the fact that they can consistently serve top notch food all the time is mind-boggling!

After finishing our meal, we went outside where we began a fun adventure!

Behind the restaurant, there just happens to be a sugarbush where some of the delicious maple syrup they use in the restaurant and also sell begins the process of transforming from sap to syrup! (inside the restaurant there is a huge area where syrup is made, but is inactive on Sundays) In the picture above is a big open tank where sap is fed through plastic lines from the trees. The little blue tank at the top, is actuated by pressure, releasing the sap into the tank. In this shot, I happened to catch the sap being released. There was a man at the tank to answer questions....he told us that the sap is always clear, but because the temperature was warm today, the sap was a yellowish color. When this tank fills up, a truck will come and pump the sap into a tank on its back take it to be processed.

On the right of this picture are two hoses leading into the pvc elbow below. You can watch the sap splash into the clear tube, then go into the pvc....it then drops into the blue tank. Once that is filled, a float opens a valve, causing some of the sap to fall below into the large tank.

On this table, there was a display of tools used in tapping trees as well as some taps that can be used. There was also a display of the various types of buckets and tap mounts used for sugaring.
Ben, my parents and I hopped aboard this really comfortable wagon, drawn by a tractor, to take a ride through the sugarbush to a sugarshack at the top of the hill.

As we ascended up the hill, I snapped a shot of the back of the restaurant where much of the sugaring paraphernalia is stored. When I asked, I was told that the outdoor furance on the left side of the picture heats hot water for the restaurant, as well as supplying heat to part of the (huge) building!

On the grounds, there are numerous wood carvings of bears....this one was so cute!

Upon entering the sugarshack, we were greeted quite warmly....literally! Ben said he kept feeling something dripping on his head! I explained to him that when the sap is boiled in the evaporator, the water contained in the sap escapes in the form of steam. The steam had gathered on the beams of the building and was falling like rain!

This is a head-on look at the evaporator...it is two levels. The upper level in the back is where sap is fed directly into the tank. As it boils, it is then released into the lower tank. The sap enters the left side. As it thickens, it moves along the four sections of the lower tank where it is finally dispensed as syrup. From there, it is moved on to another machine where it is filtered.

I happened to be fortunate enough to be able to back into the woodshed as the attendant loaded the firebox of the evaporator. As you can see, it takes a really hot fire to keep the sap boiling. This is an operation that doesn't begin at 9 am and end at 5 pm. The man here told us that his boss worked until 3 am this morning. The processing requires eight men to tend to the lines, taps and operation. And, as soon as the door was closed on the firebox..........

The sap really began to roll into a turbulent boil! Notice the center! Also, the steam increased to a thick fog! The attendant told us this can be dangerous, as the boiling sap can crawl up and over the sides. The solution? He picked up a plastic condiment bottle filled with vegetable oil. He added one drop and the boiling mass settled down!

Here is the backside of the sugarshack.

And the front with so much steam escaping through the top vent.

It was hard to leave the warm and cozy atmosphere of the sugarshack. The dog in the picture is one of the owners' two golden retrievers. They make themselves quite comfortable in their familiar surroundings. Before leaving the premises, we had a sample of syrup. They had dark, medium, and light so everyone could try the different grades. They also had delicious freshly made maple doughnuts! YUM!

Although this sugarshack is so romantic and beautiful, we were told only a small portion of syrup is made here. The majority is made at the processing center located in the same building as the restaurant, using oil as its source of heat, rather than wood. We learned that Sprague's produced 1700 gallons of syrup last year, and 2400 the year before. The goal, which has yet to be attained, is 3000 gallons. We also learned that because of the roller coaster weather this year, the production will probably be rather meager.

My parents took the wagon back down the hill and Ben and I walked along one of the wood chip lined walkways to check out a large teepee we saw in the sugarbush.

It was here that we learned that the wife of an indian chief near Lake Champlain noticed sap running down a maple tree. She gathered some of the sap and rubbed it on some meat, making a very tasty treat. The rest is history!

This exhibit shows how the indians used hollowed out logs to gather sap from the trees to make syrup. There is also a tap made from wood, but it is merely for exhibit purposes. The owner, not wishing to gouge a huge hole in the tree used a small tap inside the wooden one!

The sap was then placed into another log that had been hollowed out. And, hot stones were removed from a fire and placed into the sap to make syrup.

After adding the heated stones, the attendant encouraged us to "sniff" the steam. It smelled just like cotton candy! What a tedious and time-consuming way to make syrup!!!

Yet another wooden woodland critter!

Along the paths through the sugarbush were signs with maple syrup trivia and stats!

At the bottom of the hill, there is a large display with several bobwhite quails.

On the grounds of the restaurant, there is a very large pond with a pair of swans that reside there. Randy, Ben, and I hiked down to the pond to see the swans. Although much of the pond was ice covered, there was a section of water and the swans were so beautiful to see, as always!

Now, as I was looking at Ben, I could just see the wheels turning in his head. He disappeared for a bit....he had gone inside to the gift shop to inquire about buying a tap for gathering sap. The man who is normally in another area of the building where taps are sold was not there, so the girl gave Ben a tap!

As soon as we got home, Mark and Ben looked online for a few instructions and........

It appears part of this year's homeschooling experience will involve the science and economics of producing maple syrup!

Homecooking and Whatnot

2007-03-24T22:58:00.000-04:00

Today was a busy day. Michelle had made plans to see a movie with her friend, Katie, and we had to drive them up to the theatre. We did some things around the house this morning, then had to get ready to go.

Michelle had risen early today, as she had some laundry to do.....She called me over to look at this particular load...does it go in the whites and lights, or darks?

After dropping the girls off, we went over to WalMart, as I needed to pick up a few things. As I was looking at meat, I noticed they had several packages that were marked down about 30%. I picked up some packages of chicken breast for only $2.36 a pound, a boneless leg of lamb, and some chuck roast. These aren't things I normally buy, but as I mentioned in my last post, I am going to begin cooking for the Scotties once again. I have decided it really wouldn't be that hard to make them fresh food. I also grabbed some sweet potatoes.

Upon returning home later in the day, I immediately put on a large sweet potato to cook. Then, I heated a skillet and added some olive oil and sauteed a clove of garlic in it. I added two chicken breasts and cooked them just until they were white all the way through. I mashed the sweet potatoes and shredded the chicken. I then mixed them together, adding a few blueberries and cranberries and ultra-finely shredded raw carrot. After everything was well-blended, I added a fish oil capsule.

As soon as I set this bowl on a carpet to take a picture, Murphy went bonkers, trying to get at it. While Angus has eaten homecooked before, Murphy has never had food like this before. I had to let it cool before serving, but Murphy was totally psyched. He followed me all around like a starving hound!

As I tried to get Murphy's opinion on homecookin', he just ignored me.....entirely! Perhaps Angus would have a few words to say regarding this meal?

Hmmm.....both boys were eating with gusto! And, after finishing their own food, they traded places just to make sure their "udderbrudder" had cleaned his bowl clean! Angus was kind of disappointed to see that Murphy's bowl looked cleaner than usual after eating.

I am so glad the boys are both illiterate....I would hate for them to read the bottom of this bowl. They have never been called "d*gs" before.....they think they are "little boys"!

And, for the photo du jour, I had to giggle and laugh over this. When I was in my knitting mode a few years ago after we first got Angus, I decided to use my skill to make Angus a nice little Aran sweater. I had no pattern and not much of an idea how to fashion a sweater for a Scottie. So, I made it up as I went. Well, the little Aran sweater never really looked that great on Angus. It just looked "wrong".

This morning, Michelle brought the little Aran sweater down and put it on Murphy......

What a Pretty Crescent Moon

2007-03-23T22:24:00.000-04:00

When I took the boys out for their final evening "constitution" tonight, I was in awe of the wonderful celestial display. How beautiful all the stars...shining in all their glory. And the crescent moon is so pretty! So, I did something I could not do with my Olympus camera!

Yes, there is the moon shining through tree branches!

It was a relatively quiet day here in the Bristolwood. I did what seemed like tons of laundry today and cooked and cleaned. It was nice to not feel totally wiped out early in the day. And, I even cooked steaks out on the grill tonight!

This afternoon, I got a piece of very good news....Carly's husband, Jeff got the job in Buffalo! I am so happy for them, as he will be doing much better at this job than he did in his previous job! The only "downside" to the good news is that I suppose Carly and Jeff and the kids will be moving in the not-too-distant future. It isn't that far away, but I will miss doing things together. I am just so pleased that Jeff was able to find himself a good job!

I have been following the stories about the "tainted" pet foods. It was announced today that the cause was rat poison in the components the company bought from China. This is so awful, and in reading an article that was sent to one of my Scottie lists, the damage to pets might be long term for some of those not yet showing symptoms. It would have been so much more "palatable" to learn that the food was ruined because of bacteria. This new information just makes me question the wisdom of importing food stuff from abroad.....

Addendum to Feeling Good!

2007-03-22T10:20:00.000-04:00

How could I have possibly forgotten about the little "glitch" last night?

Mark and Ben and I arrived at Wegman's a few minutes before Carly. We looked around at all the food (and they certainly have a wide variety) and decided the subs looked good. When Carly arrived, Ben went off into the store to pick up a bag of potato chips to go along with the sub.

Carly works at another Wegman's as an overnight baker, so I asked her if she wanted to check out the bakery while we kept an eye out for Ben. Well, along the way, *something* felt like it landed in the back of my throat. It was one of those "featherduster-tickling" feelings. I suddenly (after being totally cough-free ALL day) broke out into a coughing rampage. You know the kind...where it feels as though you are gagging and choking all at once?

As I stood gasping for air, Carly asked if I was all right to which I responded, NO! I suddenly remembered that I had placed a can of Pepsi into my purse.....As I grabbed the can, I could "hear" the strains of the theme to the old Popeye cartoons when Popeye grabbed for his spinach can and poured it down his throat! (WHY do such GOOFY things happen when you feel like you are about to breathe your very last breath???)

I downed a small amount of the carbonated delight and let it "sit" in the back of my throat. It helped until I tried to say "it helped" and I began choking and gagging once again! By this time, tears (certainly NOT of JOY!) were streaming from my right eye and I felt so ridiculous. I downed a larger swig and this time, it did the trick. I walked around, not speaking, tears streaming from my right eye, feeling like such a basket case. Fortunately the only people nearby were Carly and Mark. If anyone else came near, I merely turned my back and walked away.

I guess each day as we count our blessings, we need to thank God that we do not choke on a regular basis!!! Perhaps even better, we must thank Him that we ARE fearfully and wonderfully made!

Oh, It Feels SO Good!

2007-03-22T07:31:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am finally cough and cold FREE! Told you I wanted to be there by Thursday!

And, life is good! I am so happy that the Buffalo Sabres won last night! We were unable to watch the game...something seemed to be "hosed up" with our RoadRunner, but everything is working now. In fact, I was unable to get online last night as well.

Yesterday, I got up, feeling so much better than I have in quite a long time. I was able to stay "on my feet" the entire day without wandering off to lie down for awhile! What a huge thing that is!

Last night was Michelle's Bible study night, and Mark and Ben went along with me. We met Carly at Wegman's. We bought a couple of subs and a bag of chips and were able to just sit and chat for a long time. That was so refreshing.

Carly's husband, Jeff, lost his job due to downsizing of a very small company...this happened right at the same time that he was suffering from a terrible case of bronchitis-on-the-verge-of-pneumonia! Carly has been anxious over this, as you can imagine. He was offered a job in Amherst, just north of Buffalo, and Carly is more nervous than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. She would love to have him take the job, as one of her heart's desires would be to move to Buffalo. She loves it there.

Last night as I plopped onto the bed to call it a night, the wind was blowing so hard! The trees were swaying and the temperature was almost 40! What a change! This morning, when I got up with the boys, the winds were still blowing (QUITE briskly) and the lid of the hot tub was lying on the back deck. No one was inside the tub, so it looks like those winds blew the cover off! This has happened before, but at least it wasn't sub-freezing temps this time! The water had gone from 102 degrees to 98, so apparently, the lid hadn't been off for too long!

As I walked the boys, I could actually hear birds singing in the midst of the wind blowing. What a cheerful sound that is! I could hear two phoebes off in the distance.....one would call out, then another would answer from another area. And, as I listened, my memory went back to so many years ago when Michelle was just a baby......I remember one day Mark and I walked out on the front porch on a spring day. Mark suddenly stopped and listened...."Listen, the birds are calling out to Michelle. Hear them? Swee-tie, swee-tie!" I will never forget that, as I thought that had to be one of the cutest things I had ever heard. Mark had NO idea *what* a phoebe even was!

Wow, That Was Easy!

2007-03-20T22:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I posted that I needed to just get *over* the cold thing. And, I think I HAVE! The coughing actually subsided today to the point that I am rarely coughing at all! I am so happy!

I had to run Michelle to the library this morning to pick up a book for language arts. As we scurried out the door, I thought it wasn't too bad temperature wise. But, it was chilly and windy most of the day, requiring a fire in the stove.

Tomorrow, the weatherman is promising temperatures much higher than today! It is supposed to be in the 40's and perhaps even reaching into the 50's. I am so glad to be feeling better, but I am still kind of weak and lacking energy.

Today, when I was walking between the garage and house, I had to stop for a minute to look! The snow had piled up pretty deep in that last bout we had, but next to the house, it had begun "sagging"... apparently because of the warmth of the house. Look at my brave little tulip plants, peeking out from the snow!

If you are familiar with snow, you can see this is the "crunchy" variety!

After Ben finished his schoolwork this afternoon, he and Murphy settled down to watch a movie. I love this picture! Murphy could care less about what is on TV. Angus, on the other hand, watches intently. He loves seeing shows about animals, and gets very disturbed when watching shows with any form of violence. Murphy is just happy to be near someone he loves!

And, sorry...but I just had to include a picture of my silly cactus. I have finally come to the conclusion that it is....(drumroll.....) actually nothing other than a Holiday Cactus! It's primary goal is to merely celebrate any and all holidays within reason! I wonder if it will bloom for the 4th of July?

Get Over It, Already!

2007-03-19T18:22:00.000-04:00

That is how I feel about this hacking, nagging, driving me crazy cough. I suppose I could have gone to the doctor, but I really would rather let nature take its course.

This weekend was totally non-eventful. We worked in the garage a little yesterday, as Mark needed a hand with his workbench.

This morning, I was coughing stuff up and not feeling so wonderful. I had thought I read that the temps were going to be near 40. Guess I must have been hallucinating, but, I have been sick, so that is my excuse, and I am sticking with it!

Even though I felt sorry, errrr.....*sick* this morning, the show must go on, so I somehow managed to pack six orders! I actually dispatched the help of Michelle, who made the workload much lighter. She works well, and rarely says anything. Makes the job seem easy!

The temperature never made it up past 30 outside, much to my dismay. When I did go outside, the winds were whipping about, making it feel terribly chilly.

After our packing, I made my way back up to the bed, where I rested. This coughing is much more miserable than anything, but it really is getting better. As in it is now much "higher" up in my chest instead of from the bottoms of my feet!

Michelle came upstairs shortly before dinner time. She asked me if I had been thinking about dinner. UGH! I have been cooking, sorta, since this thing overcame me. In between, the kids have been making a few things, and Mark has bought out a couple of times. So, I tried not to growl at Michelle, thinking she wanted me to arise and cook. But NO! She used my laptop to find a recipe for Ziti and she made it, along with brussel sprouts. And, it was DELICIOUS! Hurrah for Michelle!

One of my cyberfriends is concerned about the death of her Scottie a couple of weeks ago. He had been eating canned Nutro food, one of the tainted foods from the Menu Foods Income Fund,
and now, she and her husband are feeling as though they poisoned their little boy...My heart goes out to this couple, as they have been nothing but loving and caring pet owners. This is such a sad situation....one of the suspected "culprits" in the mess is a new source of wheat gluten for the company. The shame of it all is that dogs cannot even process gluten.

In looking through the whole mess with canned foods and kibble, it makes me rethink making my own food for the boys. I did "cook" for Angus previously, and although any food could be contaminated at any time, I felt good giving him food that I knew exactly what the ingredients were. It really isn't that hard making food for pets. I have a friend in Canada who cooks for her three Scotties and has for quite some time. She said there are cookbooks for dogs.....guess I need to grab out the list.

I hope I am not hallucinating once again, but I am sure I heard the weatherman say it is going to be 60 degrees on Thursday. I am going to try to be OVER this thing by Thursday. I so want to breathe in fresh air without choking!

Snow and Disappointment

2007-03-17T22:13:00.000-04:00

How disappointed the kids were that they couldn't go to Splash Lagoon last night, as they had been anticipating this outing since last November. We heard on the radio that the outing was being postponed because of the threat of a winter storm. Since folks would be traveling from all over New York and Pennsylvania, safety was more important than anything. We received a call later in the day to verify that the event was truly postponed.

In all honesty, I was relieved, as I now am in the final stages of this cold....coughing and causing my head to throb with each outbreak! For the past three mornings, the first thing I did upon getting out of bed was go to the medicine chest to get some ibuprophen. What a terrible way to arise!

The weatherman predicted a winter storm, and as of about 3 o'clock yesterday, we were wondering if the storm would take a turn and go elsewhere. Well, shortly thereafter, it began snowing and it never stopped! The snow was very dry and pellet-like. By this morning, when the boys and I went outside, the snow was up over their shoulders. Angus "hopped" through the snow, blazing a path for Murphy and me to follow.

It was just so gray and dismal outside the entire day. It is hard to imagine all of this snow after enjoying balmy temperatures in the 60's just days ago. But, that is weather for you!!!

As the gloomy day unfolded, Mark and Michelle were cozy inside the garage! That third bay on the right goes all the way to the back of the garage, then turns to the left, forming a huge "L" shape. The back of the garage houses a year's supply of firewood for both the house, and garage.

The remaining part of the garage is the "old" part that Mark built about 11 years ago. Last March, Michelle and I worked for three days, insulating the downstairs of this part. This now houses Mark's emerging woodshop.

Mark had taken apart an old workbench he slapped together years ago. He and Ben then remilled the old boards on the planer, causing them to look just like new! He then redesigned the workbench so it will be comfortable working at it seated. In the middle of building the bench, he needed to build the base for his bandsaw. And, we had to disassemble the bandsaw and carry it down, piece by piece! (it has some very heavy cast iron parts!)

Mark was getting ready to assemble his "new" workbench when I suggested he poly it. He hadn't really planned to do this, so he thought about it, and agreed it would preserve it and help keep it nicer. So, this morning, Michelle and I lifted the bottom onto sawhorses and she and Mark spent the better part of the day sanding and poly-ing the bench.

Mark was very surprised to learn that I had kept the fire burning through the night in the garage! When he came out this morning, it was a toasty 55 degrees! After stoking the stove a bit, it was as warm as the house! He and Michelle worked in total comfort.

After seeing just how nice the new workbench looks in its poly coat, Mark told me he is going to place it in the living room as a piece of furniture!

This little Jotul stove first served in the house for a few years. It really didn't keep the house toasty warm, so when we bought a larger model, this little guy went out to the garage! It does a terrific job of keeping the temps warm inside when winds howl and snow blows outside!

All in all, it was a rather non-momentous day. Mark and Ben ran to Circut City after finishing up in the garage. Michelle and I remained home, and I had corned beef and cabbage awaiting when the guys returned.

Much snow moving was done today, and after this, I think I wouldn't mind if it doesn't snow any more this year. Even though our "winter" seemed short, there was a lot of shoveling and moving snow about. I think perhaps it is time now for some warmer weather!

Happy St Patty's...Just a Wee Bit Early

2007-03-16T22:49:00.000-04:00

Every now and then, I like to take a trip down memory lane and look at pictures. I had to giggle over last year's St Patty's pictures. Here is Angus wishing you a Happy St. Patty's Day....I am not sure exactly what Angus had in mind, but he sure looks funny! Murphy made ***sure*** he and Angus would never have to wear those ridiculous hats EVER again...I think he demolished the very last one just a month or two ago. I am not even sure where he found them!

Tomorrow morning, I will start preparing the corned beef for the traditional corned beef and cabbage. Mark had never even heard of it before, and now he looks forward to it every year. So, whether you choose to celebrate St. Patty's any way you see fit (green bagels, green beer, corned beef and cabbage) or not, here's to the Irish!

And yes, I do indeed have a wee bit o' the Irish in me. My maternal great grandmother happened to be Irish! She was a wee little woman whom I remember precious little about. She passed away when I was only 11.

For those experiencing the wild winter storm on the east coast, please stay safe and warm!

Shadows....

2007-03-16T01:04:00.000-04:00

As I was feeling sick the past few days ago, one of the most comforting things was lying on my bed, or in it. I have a set of flannel sheets that are so snug and cozy and they were also a great comfort as I rested.

Some of the time when I wasn't feeling really weak or tired, I would lie on my back with the laptop propped up on my knees. I had to make sure there were no blankets underneath, or the poor laptop would have overheated! When I used the laptop, I couldn't stand having the lights on in the room, so I used a small nightlight in an outlet to my right side.

The above shadow appeared on my ceiling from the nightlight. It is my silly St. Patrick's Day cactus, er...Christmas cactus that keeps on blooming. (is that where the expression "bloomin' idiot" comes from?) Anyway, this is just kind of a silly entry that shows my shadow on the ceiling that just made me feel like all was right in the Bristolwood during my beleaguered stay in bed!

Life in the Bristolwood

Taking a New Direction!

Funny How One Thing Leads to Another...

So Many Mixed Emotions

Wordless Wednesday....

Well, I Knew it was Coming!

Everyday is a Celebration!

Keeping Busy and Little Things!

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Ah, Tis Good to be Home!

Happy Father's Day!

Wordless Wednesday....Welcome to the Bristolwood

Olean, Revisited!

Olean, NY, Gone to the Squirrels?

What Ever Happened to Relaxing Weekends?

Prettying Up the Bristolwood

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!

Is it Friday Yet?

Wordless Wednesday

Allegany Pictures

And All Good Things Must Come to an End.....

And, On Saturday........

Fish Fry Friday!

Where We Have Been!

A Grave Invitation

Ahoy, Mateys!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Memorial Day

Meet the Appliances!

Pretty Columbines!

Good Morning! (and I do mean *good*!)

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!

I HATE Being Sick!

Wordless Wednesday:

ATTACK OF THE *GIANT* SCOTTIE!!!!!

Why Today Should Not Have Worked Out!

A Little Weinie Fun?

A Little Scottie Fun!

Wildflowers, Technology, and Having Fun!

Wordless Wednesday: Don't Worry. Mum...I'll Get It!

Some Signs Just Make You Think

Here in the Bristolwood

More Geese!

A Trip to the Mall

Eeks!!! I *Lied*!

New Beginnings

Wordless Wednesday

Going Quackers

YES, Buffalo!!! And New Appliances!

Argh!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Nearly "Intoxicating"!

Canandaigua Wandering.....(or, part II of previous entry)

When the Sun Shines Brightly

Wordless Wednesday....

Random Nature Shots Around the "Yard"

Testing Tuesday

Just Hanging Out With the Scots

Vanilla, of Course!

*Captured!*

The Results are In!

Take a Deep Breath.....

Four in a Row!

A Spectacular Day!

Sun-Saturated, Satisfying Saturday!

Frenzied But Fabulous Friday!

BIGFOOT Was at Our House!

Sunny Days Ahead!

A Word to the Wise

Just A Little Bit More Encouragement......

If This Was November or December.....

Unfinished Business!

Yes, Snow....

I Wanna Be a Daffodil!

Such a Grand Night!!!

Going to the Birds?

Searching Out the Beauty

Good Monday Morning!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

And the Winner IS!!!!

Good Morning! (and I do mean good!)

ATTACK OF THE GIANT SCOTTIE!!!!!

Eeks!!! I Lied!

Captured!