I recently received a box of things that my aunt(my mom's sister) had stored. She's sold her house downstate and is moving to Virginia to live with my uncle(mom's brother). Her health is poor and they've decided that they can help each other grow old. My cousins all live close by there, too.
The box contains things that were my mom's. Baby things-blankets, clothes, shoes, some of her report cards from elementary and high school, an autograph book from high school, some photos and her wedding dress. I haven't taken the dress out of the bag it's in, yet. It was just stuffed in a plastic bag, so I don't know what condition it's in.
Receiving these things made me realize that I don't know much about her life when she was young. I thought she had graduated high school here, a year before my dad. Nope, she graduated from a high school about 40 miles south of here.
I always thought I looked more like my dad. But after seeing photos of her when she was young, I can really see the resemblance between us. Especially around our eyes. A happy surprise!
There were a couple pictures of my dad in his army uniform, my grandparents when they were younger, one of my great-grandmother, who lived to be 104. Very cool.
From her report cards, I learned that my lack of mathematical ability is hereditary! Otherwise, she was a pretty good student. We had very similar childhoods-girl scouts, summer bible camps, camping at Higgins Lake, and a love for nature.
I'm so glad I got the chance to connect with her this way.
~Thanks For Stopping By~
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Pizza Anyone?
For quite awhile now, with the exception of baking during the holidays, I just don't want to spend much time cooking. The quicker and easier, the better! Maybe it's the fact that I'm only cooking for myself, I don't know. That and the fact that doing dishes is one of my least favorite household chores....
If I do cook, I make enough for leftovers-a couple days worth. That kills two birds with one stone, just heat it up and wash one plate and utensil when you're done! I've been trying some of those microwave entrees-Michelina has some that aren't too bad and they don't break the bank. And one of my latest favorites is buying a frozen pizza, adding more cheese as they never put enough cheese on them. I usually take the leftovers for lunches on days when I don't get the chance to come home. It's a nice change from sandwiches.
I tried one tonight from Walmart. Chicken, Bacon and Ranch. I like this pizza ALOT! While I like the tomato sauce on regular pizzas, I don't like it heavy. This one had a white sauce with ranch flavor. Very unique combination. I'm going to have to figure out how to do this one homemade. Maybe with mushrooms, and using frozen bread dough for the crust.
I finally found someone in the office at the State Park and got my yearly sticker! ::happy sigh::
Now, I can stop on my way home from work(4 or 4:30pm) and relax in one of my favorite places.
This time of year, the beach is quiet. Just me, the ducks and gulls-and millions of black flies! I had to pull a picnic table down onto the sand in the sun to get away from them-no problem. Oh, there may be a few stray visitors- just as I was leaving tonight, a woman arrived with her daughter and dog, with McDonalds bags in hand, for dinner in the park. I bet they had fun...and used the picnic table down on the sand!
Did you know that Mother's Day is Sunday? Did you know that I thought it was next Sunday(the 17th)? Geez, I need to pay attention to the calendar! I usually buy my clients a plant or a small bouquet and a nice little card, so I've got to get my butt in gear, go buy and deliver the ones I won't see on Sunday.
I can't always claim to be paying the closest attention to the world around me...
~Thanks For Stopping By~
If I do cook, I make enough for leftovers-a couple days worth. That kills two birds with one stone, just heat it up and wash one plate and utensil when you're done! I've been trying some of those microwave entrees-Michelina has some that aren't too bad and they don't break the bank. And one of my latest favorites is buying a frozen pizza, adding more cheese as they never put enough cheese on them. I usually take the leftovers for lunches on days when I don't get the chance to come home. It's a nice change from sandwiches.
I tried one tonight from Walmart. Chicken, Bacon and Ranch. I like this pizza ALOT! While I like the tomato sauce on regular pizzas, I don't like it heavy. This one had a white sauce with ranch flavor. Very unique combination. I'm going to have to figure out how to do this one homemade. Maybe with mushrooms, and using frozen bread dough for the crust.
I finally found someone in the office at the State Park and got my yearly sticker! ::happy sigh::
Now, I can stop on my way home from work(4 or 4:30pm) and relax in one of my favorite places.
This time of year, the beach is quiet. Just me, the ducks and gulls-and millions of black flies! I had to pull a picnic table down onto the sand in the sun to get away from them-no problem. Oh, there may be a few stray visitors- just as I was leaving tonight, a woman arrived with her daughter and dog, with McDonalds bags in hand, for dinner in the park. I bet they had fun...and used the picnic table down on the sand!
Did you know that Mother's Day is Sunday? Did you know that I thought it was next Sunday(the 17th)? Geez, I need to pay attention to the calendar! I usually buy my clients a plant or a small bouquet and a nice little card, so I've got to get my butt in gear, go buy and deliver the ones I won't see on Sunday.
I can't always claim to be paying the closest attention to the world around me...
~Thanks For Stopping By~
Monday, May 4, 2009
Sniff...aahhh!
My bed smells like a spring day. My nightie, too! It almost makes doing the laundry something to look forward to! Almost. One good thing about going to the laundrymat is that the grocery store and dollar store are right nearby, so I can do errands instead of just sitting there. Today, I walked to the dollar store, getting my morning walk in, too. I feel uber efficient!
The state park beckons me. It was the perfect afternoon to walk along the beach, sit at a picnic table in the sun, relax after work. The problem is that I'm having a hard time finding anyone in the office to sell me one of those little stickers. I wanted to go to the park after work, thought I was going to get lucky, the gate to the office driveway was open, but the office was locked. I went to the park(it's across the road), but no one was in the booth either. My official state website says I can go to the DNR office for one, I'll call them in the morning.
I spotted the male rose-breasted grosbeak today. He was at the back feeders and the female was at the front. I also saw a red-headed woodpecker. We've(well, my client) had a couple of red-bellied woodpeckers, and one pilleated has appeared , but the red-headed has been absent till today. They are such beautiful birds to see. Their head is a deep solid red, the body solid white and their wings black. Very distinctive.
Today's entry is short. My computer(security suite) does a scan on Monday nights, and it's hard to do other things while it's scanning, so my time is limited. There's a button you can click to have the scan run in the background, but when I try to do that, it stops the scan. So, I just let it do it's thing. Talk to you tomorrow...
~Thanks For Stoppping By~
The state park beckons me. It was the perfect afternoon to walk along the beach, sit at a picnic table in the sun, relax after work. The problem is that I'm having a hard time finding anyone in the office to sell me one of those little stickers. I wanted to go to the park after work, thought I was going to get lucky, the gate to the office driveway was open, but the office was locked. I went to the park(it's across the road), but no one was in the booth either. My official state website says I can go to the DNR office for one, I'll call them in the morning.
I spotted the male rose-breasted grosbeak today. He was at the back feeders and the female was at the front. I also saw a red-headed woodpecker. We've(well, my client) had a couple of red-bellied woodpeckers, and one pilleated has appeared , but the red-headed has been absent till today. They are such beautiful birds to see. Their head is a deep solid red, the body solid white and their wings black. Very distinctive.
Today's entry is short. My computer(security suite) does a scan on Monday nights, and it's hard to do other things while it's scanning, so my time is limited. There's a button you can click to have the scan run in the background, but when I try to do that, it stops the scan. So, I just let it do it's thing. Talk to you tomorrow...
~Thanks For Stoppping By~
Sunday, May 3, 2009
3 Days in a Row!
*30 days in the hole*....Now I've got that song stuck in my head...well, it rhymed....
What a nice day for a canoe race. I went to the river park to watch the racers today. C-1, which is a one man(or woman) canoe. They start at 15 second intervals, already in their canoes in the river, and it's more of a best time, rather than who gets back first. The first paddlers made it in just over an hour, so I did get to see some of them return to the start/finish line.
It was fairly cool out this morning, but a couple of the local kids were swimming. Well, jumping in the river and running right back out. That is just nuts. I stuck my hand in the river and it is downright icy!
There's a pair of mallard ducks that have a nest near the park, they were in attendance today, too. They'll come right up on the lower part of the dock, hoping for handouts. The treat-de-jour was hot dog bun pieces. They won't come up and take it out of your hand, but will get fairly close. I can't wait to see the little ones with mama duck this summer.
It's going to be nice again tomorrow, so I'm going to hang my laundry outside. I just love the way clothes smell and feel when they've been hung out, all fresh and crisp. Not many people do that anymore, do they? I think I'm the only one in my neighborhood.
I've seen a few more birds around lately. Lots of bluejays, right now. I don't remember seeing any at all over the winter, but they are year round residents here. I also saw my first rose breasted grosbeak(female) at my client's feeders today, the male wasn't far away, I'm sure. And I just barely caught a glimpse of a cardinal at the river today, too. The goldfinches are all the way gold again. They're kind of a muddy greenish color in early spring. I really enjoy watching the crowds at the feeders, kind of like a deli-get up to the counter, get your order and move out of the way for the next customer.
It's time for my day to end, so that's it for tonight.
~Thanks For Stopping By~
What a nice day for a canoe race. I went to the river park to watch the racers today. C-1, which is a one man(or woman) canoe. They start at 15 second intervals, already in their canoes in the river, and it's more of a best time, rather than who gets back first. The first paddlers made it in just over an hour, so I did get to see some of them return to the start/finish line.
It was fairly cool out this morning, but a couple of the local kids were swimming. Well, jumping in the river and running right back out. That is just nuts. I stuck my hand in the river and it is downright icy!
There's a pair of mallard ducks that have a nest near the park, they were in attendance today, too. They'll come right up on the lower part of the dock, hoping for handouts. The treat-de-jour was hot dog bun pieces. They won't come up and take it out of your hand, but will get fairly close. I can't wait to see the little ones with mama duck this summer.
It's going to be nice again tomorrow, so I'm going to hang my laundry outside. I just love the way clothes smell and feel when they've been hung out, all fresh and crisp. Not many people do that anymore, do they? I think I'm the only one in my neighborhood.
I've seen a few more birds around lately. Lots of bluejays, right now. I don't remember seeing any at all over the winter, but they are year round residents here. I also saw my first rose breasted grosbeak(female) at my client's feeders today, the male wasn't far away, I'm sure. And I just barely caught a glimpse of a cardinal at the river today, too. The goldfinches are all the way gold again. They're kind of a muddy greenish color in early spring. I really enjoy watching the crowds at the feeders, kind of like a deli-get up to the counter, get your order and move out of the way for the next customer.
It's time for my day to end, so that's it for tonight.
~Thanks For Stopping By~
Saturday, May 2, 2009
May? Really?
I've checked my calendar(s), I've checked the weather reports. I've seen the harbingers of spring( the robins) returning from their winter homes. The lilacs have leaf buds that are swelling every day. It's getting light earlier, and stays light later each day. The ice is gone from the lake, and most signs point to the fact that spring has sprung. The only element still dragging it's feet is the temperature.
We've had a few nice, warm, sunny days, but it's still jacket weather here. That's putting a damper on my plans to get the gardening started. I've got seeds to start, but don't want to rush it. I don't have the room or enough light to start plants in the house, so I'm holding back on starting them. By next week I should be able to set the transplant pots out during the day and bring them in at night. Imagine Bro's surprise when he goes to take a shower in the morning and sees the bathroom full of little plants!
I really have the gardening itch.
We're not planting too much. I'd like to grow more, but that would require a fenced in garden, so that has to wait for another year. I'm planting a few cucumbers and tomatoes(2) in the flower bed by the porch, growing some herbs and salad veggies in pots and a window box planter. And just to try something different, I'm going to plant some dill seeds around a small tree that'll get enough sun. I'm not sure if the critters will dine on my dill or not, but I just love fresh dill, so I'm taking the chance. As soon as it warms up a bit.....
Speaking of cold temperatures, this is canoe race weekend in my little river town. I surely don't envy those guys jumping in their canoes in 45 degree temperatures and paddling a course that goes 3 miles downstream, then turning around and paddling back(more water splashes up when you're going upstream).
It's a teeny tiny race compared to the Ausable River Canoe Marathon, but still fun to watch and a preview of the summer race season. We have a river festival weekend in June, so I don't know why they don't wait till then to do the race-it'd sure be warmer for the paddlers. Anyways....I'm going to the park to watch the start, but will have to leave for work before they return...bummer.
I'm happy to announce that spring cleaning for my clients is done-except for one closet. Yay! I've discovered some muscles that don't get much of a workout on a daily basis, reaching waaayyy back and up in those closets and cupboards has my shoulders aching and caused a few bumps on my head(the closet door was short-the shelves high and deep).
I haven't done much of my own cleaning yet, we just took the plastic off the windows, and I've got to wait for nicer weather so that I can set some things outside to clean the carpets. But...now that it's May, theoretically, I'll be getting started on those projects. Oh, and I've got to defrost the freezer(yuck!)
Well, I'm off to try some new(to me) ice cream. Haagen Dazs 5. Brown Sugar flavor. Just a pint, and I'm going to make it last for 3 dishes, but it was on sale and I just couldn't resist!
~Thanks For Stopping By~
We've had a few nice, warm, sunny days, but it's still jacket weather here. That's putting a damper on my plans to get the gardening started. I've got seeds to start, but don't want to rush it. I don't have the room or enough light to start plants in the house, so I'm holding back on starting them. By next week I should be able to set the transplant pots out during the day and bring them in at night. Imagine Bro's surprise when he goes to take a shower in the morning and sees the bathroom full of little plants!
I really have the gardening itch.
We're not planting too much. I'd like to grow more, but that would require a fenced in garden, so that has to wait for another year. I'm planting a few cucumbers and tomatoes(2) in the flower bed by the porch, growing some herbs and salad veggies in pots and a window box planter. And just to try something different, I'm going to plant some dill seeds around a small tree that'll get enough sun. I'm not sure if the critters will dine on my dill or not, but I just love fresh dill, so I'm taking the chance. As soon as it warms up a bit.....
Speaking of cold temperatures, this is canoe race weekend in my little river town. I surely don't envy those guys jumping in their canoes in 45 degree temperatures and paddling a course that goes 3 miles downstream, then turning around and paddling back(more water splashes up when you're going upstream).
It's a teeny tiny race compared to the Ausable River Canoe Marathon, but still fun to watch and a preview of the summer race season. We have a river festival weekend in June, so I don't know why they don't wait till then to do the race-it'd sure be warmer for the paddlers. Anyways....I'm going to the park to watch the start, but will have to leave for work before they return...bummer.
I'm happy to announce that spring cleaning for my clients is done-except for one closet. Yay! I've discovered some muscles that don't get much of a workout on a daily basis, reaching waaayyy back and up in those closets and cupboards has my shoulders aching and caused a few bumps on my head(the closet door was short-the shelves high and deep).
I haven't done much of my own cleaning yet, we just took the plastic off the windows, and I've got to wait for nicer weather so that I can set some things outside to clean the carpets. But...now that it's May, theoretically, I'll be getting started on those projects. Oh, and I've got to defrost the freezer(yuck!)
Well, I'm off to try some new(to me) ice cream. Haagen Dazs 5. Brown Sugar flavor. Just a pint, and I'm going to make it last for 3 dishes, but it was on sale and I just couldn't resist!
~Thanks For Stopping By~
Friday, May 1, 2009
MayDay, MayDay...
...wait, let me brush the dust off first...
Happy MayDay! And for my pagan friends-Happy Beltane!
2 months. And truthfully, it seems much longer than that. It's not that I haven't been around. I have been. Reading, commenting once in a while, but just kind of hanging out on the fringes. Why? I'm not 100% sure of the reasons. There were days when I picked up my notepad and started entries...half a notepad full of partial pages that never made it this far. I even managed to start a few posts...just never hit the publish button.
And Now? What has prompted me to venture back to this venue of expression? A challenge. The challenge of writing 30 posts in 30 days. I'm calling it the 31/31 for the month of May. I wouldn't want to leave that last day out of the game.
So, let's get really crazy. I have 2 blogs here, I'll post an entry in both. Deep breath...I may as well jump in with both feet. I do know how to swim...maybe not in the ocean of the most prolific bloggers here, but in my own little pond-hell, it's over my head in the deepest parts. I've gotten out a fresh pad of paper, one of my favorite pens, and made room in my hectic(haha) schedule for writing time.
Wish me luck, I'm going to need it. And words, I'll need lots of words...*runs off to find dictionary and thesaurus*...
You can find me here and here: Walking In My Shoes, Honestly .
~Thanks For Stopping By~ especially since I've been gone so long.....
Happy MayDay! And for my pagan friends-Happy Beltane!
2 months. And truthfully, it seems much longer than that. It's not that I haven't been around. I have been. Reading, commenting once in a while, but just kind of hanging out on the fringes. Why? I'm not 100% sure of the reasons. There were days when I picked up my notepad and started entries...half a notepad full of partial pages that never made it this far. I even managed to start a few posts...just never hit the publish button.
And Now? What has prompted me to venture back to this venue of expression? A challenge. The challenge of writing 30 posts in 30 days. I'm calling it the 31/31 for the month of May. I wouldn't want to leave that last day out of the game.
So, let's get really crazy. I have 2 blogs here, I'll post an entry in both. Deep breath...I may as well jump in with both feet. I do know how to swim...maybe not in the ocean of the most prolific bloggers here, but in my own little pond-hell, it's over my head in the deepest parts. I've gotten out a fresh pad of paper, one of my favorite pens, and made room in my hectic(haha) schedule for writing time.
Wish me luck, I'm going to need it. And words, I'll need lots of words...*runs off to find dictionary and thesaurus*...
You can find me here and here: Walking In My Shoes, Honestly .
~Thanks For Stopping By~ especially since I've been gone so long.....
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Revenge!
Well, I must have really pissed Ole Man Winter off with my last entry. His payback? A huge regional snowstorm with wraparound lake effect aftershocks. Phfftt....
I was out at 5:30am shoveling his latest contribution to the landscape-8 inches of it. ;P
Why so early? Well, I was supposed to have 6:30am shift in a town 15 miles away, but the nice man at the County Sheriff's Office said "The snow plows aren't out yet, old 76 has not been cleared." "If you don't have 4 wheel drive, don't go."
Okay, good enough for me! I called the office, talked to one of the on-call staffers that live about 80 miles away(our agency covers the whole eastern half of the Lower Peninsula, with 3 offices) and she sounded kind of doubtful about my not going. But I explained to her how far it was, what the conditions were and that the area is a dead zone for cell coverage-an empty, desolate stretch of road. If I had gone off the road, I'd sit there till I could flag someone down.
I made that trip in the exact same kind of conditions last year. Once. The roads were so bad, that I didn't dare stop, or try to turn around. All I could do was keep going forward. White knuckle time.
I also missed a 3 hour afternoon shift today. Again, 15 miles from my house. I called the client and she said that she didn't know if her road had been plowed or not-she can't see it from the house. She's the only house back on this country dirt road-not a priority for the plows. So I offered to drive out there and see. Not only was her road not plowed, but the dirt road that it connects with-that I have to drive on to get to her road-wasn't plowed.
Again, I called the office, talked to the same on-call and explained the situation. I know she thinks I'm being some kind of slacker, and that she called the client as soon as I hung up. I also know the client would explain the whole situation.
So, I basically have the afternoon off. The shoveling is finished, I've relaxed a bit and now I'm going to do some reorganizing in my bedroom. I really need to thin out my book collection stacks, and shelves, and boxes. I know, that's alot of books, what can I say?
I am still optimistic about spring's arrival, I can't let this late winter weather beat me down!
So, bring it on, Ole Man.... (there's another snowstorm forecast for Thursday!) ;p
~Thanks For Stopping By~
I was out at 5:30am shoveling his latest contribution to the landscape-8 inches of it. ;P
Why so early? Well, I was supposed to have 6:30am shift in a town 15 miles away, but the nice man at the County Sheriff's Office said "The snow plows aren't out yet, old 76 has not been cleared." "If you don't have 4 wheel drive, don't go."
Okay, good enough for me! I called the office, talked to one of the on-call staffers that live about 80 miles away(our agency covers the whole eastern half of the Lower Peninsula, with 3 offices) and she sounded kind of doubtful about my not going. But I explained to her how far it was, what the conditions were and that the area is a dead zone for cell coverage-an empty, desolate stretch of road. If I had gone off the road, I'd sit there till I could flag someone down.
I made that trip in the exact same kind of conditions last year. Once. The roads were so bad, that I didn't dare stop, or try to turn around. All I could do was keep going forward. White knuckle time.
I also missed a 3 hour afternoon shift today. Again, 15 miles from my house. I called the client and she said that she didn't know if her road had been plowed or not-she can't see it from the house. She's the only house back on this country dirt road-not a priority for the plows. So I offered to drive out there and see. Not only was her road not plowed, but the dirt road that it connects with-that I have to drive on to get to her road-wasn't plowed.
Again, I called the office, talked to the same on-call and explained the situation. I know she thinks I'm being some kind of slacker, and that she called the client as soon as I hung up. I also know the client would explain the whole situation.
So, I basically have the afternoon off. The shoveling is finished, I've relaxed a bit and now I'm going to do some reorganizing in my bedroom. I really need to thin out my book collection stacks, and shelves, and boxes. I know, that's alot of books, what can I say?
I am still optimistic about spring's arrival, I can't let this late winter weather beat me down!
So, bring it on, Ole Man.... (there's another snowstorm forecast for Thursday!) ;p
~Thanks For Stopping By~
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