It's just another New Year's Eve

and I want to get one more post in for 2014. This time last year I was at Manda and Ben's, and we stayed up til 9pm their time, then called it a night. I don't know how much later we'll make it here! 

We went out for a late lunch at the Seven Stars Diner. I got a chef salad, and brought home enough for at least 2 more meals. We stopped at the new Home Goods in Deptford, which is an OK store. 

I binge watched Stalker earlier this week while finishing Mom's crocheted legwarmers. Now I'm binging on Sleepy Hollow and crocheting stars for next year. 

This morning Lowe's reduced the holiday items again, and I got the tree I wanted. It's nicely shaped, and has pine cones on it. It was reduced by 75% of the original cost! 

I'm so boring. I save yarn wrappers all year and count up my usage at New Year's. In 2014 I used 16.87 pounds of yarn! 

I've written out my sewing/quilting and crocheting goals for this year. I'll keep the list and see how many I accomplish. Manda likes the white snowflakes for the tree, and I told her that when I visit this summer, I'll make a bunch for her. I don't even have to look at the pattern anymore! 

I haven't counted up my books read in 2014, I'll do that tomorrow. When the crocheting goes up, the reading goes down! 

Happy New Year to all!
Holly

Christmas

We had a lovely Christmas, spread over two days. Christmas Eve day, we went to Heather and Ed's house for a turkey dinner and gift exchange. The kids were thrilled with their gifts, and immediately started playing with them. It was a nice, low key sort of day. Mom commented on how much she enjoyed it.

Christmas morning we met Mike and Donna, Mikey, Jake, Donna's dad, and Mikey's puppy Bow at Mom's for bagels and muffins and more gifts.

We relaxed Christmas afternoon and had leftovers for dinner, then went to Sharon and Jim's for dessert. Dave and Juliette were up from VA, so we got to see them, and Frank and Charlotte and Doris and Kevin were there. We ate entirely too many desserts!

Sharon made Great-Grandmom Lopez's pineapple cheesecake, Grandmom Florence's pizzelles, Grandmom Doris's butter cookies, and Aunt Donna's White House Pies. What a nice tradition! 

Juliette made us each a bottle of rosemary infused olive oil! I gave Juliette, Charlotte and Sharon each a crocheted angel. I've been giving the angels and snowflakes away as fast as I make them!

Boxing Day we went to Friendly's for breakfast, then to Lowe's to get another string of lights, and I got a few ornaments. Today we went to IHOP for breakfast, then Ralph went to Lowe's for potting soil for mom, and I went to Target and got two wreaths, some ornaments, and two throw pillows, all half price. Came home and took a nap! 

We facetimed with Manda, Ben, Becca, Brandon, Steph, Dan, Toast and Amary on Christmas Day. They all had a nice visit together. Steph and Dan headed back to Beaverton today. 

On Monday Heather will turn 40! How can I be old enough to have a child who's 40!? Ed is giving her a party on January 3, which will be fun. 

I'm crocheting angels and snowflakes, so that I'll have some for me and some to give away next Christmas. I'm on a roll, so I want to keep in that mode. My goal is 100 each of angels, snowflakes, and bells. Then I'll switch gears and turn to sewing. 

I was debating about my next trip to the PacNW, and it looks like it will be mid-August, right before school starts. Ralph thinks he'll go in June. For a lot of reasons, I decided to do one more year, so I'll work til June of 2016, and retire at 63+, but not collect SS til age 64. 

And the beat goes on!
Holly 

Winter Solstice

Finally, the longest night! Now the days can start getting longer again! We're without heat and hot water, and it's really annoying. The part that went is the control board, and it had been changed, then discontinued, and Heater Guy Dan was able to find one in NY. Hopefully it'll be in tomorrow, and he can get it going. Showering at Mom's is a pain, and having to keep the fireplace going and using space heaters has gotten old. 

And my car had to go in the shop- valve cover gaskets. It was having steam come from under the hood, which is very unnerving. 

Almost Christmas! Two more work days! We're doing something Christmas Eve at Heather and Ed's house. Christmas morning we'll meet Mike and Donna and their crew at Mom's and have bagels and coffee. The rest of the day we can just relax, which sounds heavenly at this point. It's been such a busy fall and and early winter! 

I've been crocheting snowflakes, and giving them away as fast as I make them. I just found an easy angel pattern, so I'm starting them, also. I've barely had time to read this month! By 9.30, I'm ready to call it a day and go to sleep. 

Steph, Dan and Toast are going to Manda and Ben's for Christmas Eve and Christmas, along with Becca and Brandon. I'm so glad they are all geographically close enough to spend holidays together. I miss them all terribly, but at least I know they have each other to be with. I sent them each a DVD of Muppet Christmas Carol. They always watched it together Christmas Eve, and now they can continue that tradition. 

So a Merry Ho Ho Ho to all!

Holly

The party's over

The guests of honor are in the air on the way back to Oregon. We had a lovely, though short, visit with Steph and Dan. Steph was in Jersey for a meeting, and Dan flew in after the meeting. They met up with a lot of friends, and Dan's family had a gathering Friday night, and ours was yesterday at Heather and Ed's house. 

Two big gatherings in two weeks was a lot, and I'm looking forward to giving my crockpots a rest. It was fun being together. We celebrated what Ed calls Little Christmas, which actually was on St. Nicholas Day, and Ed's birthday, which is tomorrow. 

This morning Ralph and I slept in til 9! We got up and went food shopping, and Steph and Dan were up when we got home. We went to the Lamp Post for breakfast, and it was the usual weekend morning crowded. Dan enjoyed being in Jersey by having both pork roll and scrapple. 

We got home and visited for another hour, then we drove them to the airport. It was a nice clear day, with little traffic, so it was a good drive. They have a layover in Phoenix, and get home late tonight. Toast has been at the  doggie spa, and Dan will pick her up tomorrow morning. 

We came home and I did some laundry and made my lunch for the week. I also went thru my spice cabinet and trashed anything expired. In the last month I've cleaned the freezer, the pantry, the canned goods cabinet, and now the spice cabinet! 

We made sure that we were in for the night, because tonight is the town Xmas parade, and the beginning of our street is part of the staging area. We didn't want to get stuck away from home. 

And the meatloaf is in the oven! 

Holly

Twice in November!

Twice posting, that is. Too easy to skip posting. Thanksgiving was lovely. Mike and Donna have hosted for years, and this year we had a change. Last week Donna passed out and hit her head and has a bad concussion. No way could she do the holiday. She protested a little, but conceded I was right. So Heather and I did the dinner, at Heather's house because of Ed's cat allergy. It went very well. Joseph and Ali came for appetizers with Joey and Rian, then went off to her parents. Mikey and Samantha stayed for dinner, then left for her sister's for another dinner! A friend of Heather's, whose husband had to work, came over with her two children. 

Yesterday I got up earlyish and went Black Friday shopping at Joann's. I got there about 9- no lines at the cutting tables. Snuggle flannel was 75% off, so I got enough for ten receiving blankets, and some yarn that was also on sale. 

I took the fall decorations down, and Ralph brought up the Xmas decorations. I hadn't decorated in years, and found things I'd forgotten I have! 

Today I never left the house. I did some laundry, and have been puttering in the sewing room. Tonight I hope to actually do some sewing! Tomorrow is food shopping.

This week Steph will be in for a manager's meeting Tuesday and Wednesday. Dan will fly in Wednesday night. They'll hang out with friends Thursday, and have an early Xmas with his family Friday. We have them Saturday for what Heather is calling Little Christmas. They leave Sunday afternoon, just a quick but welcome visit. 

And Monday is December 1!

Holly

The worst blogger ever!

That would be me. It's not like nothing has been going on, I just never get around to writing about it. How did it get to be mid November already? 

October was busy. Ben, Manda and Amary, and Steph, Dan and Toast all came home at the same time. The occasion was to celebrate Steph and Dan's marriage, and we had a great party. One day we took Amary to Duffield's and rode the hay wagon to the pumpkin patch. The kids had such a good time. 

My knee is doing really well. Most days I get 2500 or more steps, and on a very active day I've done 5000. 

November is a great month to work in a school. We've been off for Election Day, NJ Teacher's Convention, Veterans Day, and next week Thanksgiving. 

A lot of places have started offering free meals to the Vets on Veteran's Day. Ralph had lunch at Texas Roadhouse and dinner at Olive Garden. It's nice to have his service acknowledged and celebrated. 

I have a whole boatload of things I want to sew and crochet for Christmas! Steph and Dan will be in the first week of December, so we're doing Christmas with them early, and I have to get busy! 

My winter after-the-holidays project is going to make a log cabin quilt for our bed. We had been using a quilt that I'd made for Steph, and she took it to Oregon, so I've been using a store bought comforter. 

In the next week or so, our local radio station should be starting to play Christmas songs. I love this time of year!

Gobble Gobble!
Holly

Where does the time go?

I use this blog as a kind of journal, and I always mean to post way more often. Time is just going by so fast! If I could give up work and sleep, think how much time I'd have! 

My sweet grandson Eddie turned 11 this week! I can't believe he's growing up so fast! Julianna is 7, and Amaryllis is a year old! It boggles my mind!

When the kids were growing up, I thought I'd have so much time when they grew up and moved out. I'm still waiting for all this time to appear. 

Friday night Manda, Ben, Amary, Steph, Dan and Toast will all fly in for Steph and Dan's celebration of their marriage. It was actually cheaper for them to bring Toast with them than it was to board her. With her getting older, they will worry less about her if she's with them than if she's 3000 miles away. 

My knee is almost 9 weeks postop, and doing well. On damp days it aches, and I figure that will go on for about a year. The ache is less than the pain that I had preop. Most days I wear the Fitbit pedometer, and I finally broke 3000 steps a few times. 

The computer is another time sucker upper. I limit my Candy Crush time, and should really quit it. Facebook is totally addictive, and I get some great recipes and quilting and sewing patterns from it, as well as keeping up with the goings ons of the family. 

And it's a gorgeous Sunday, and time to go to lunch!

Holly

Brrr!

The temps dropped down into the 50's last night! For the first time in months, I had to close the windows because it was cold out!

My knee is now 6 weeks postop, xrays are good, ortho is happy with my range of motion. The swelling in that foot is down enough that I can wear a regular shoe. 

Manda, Ben and Amary are in the San Juan Islands off the coast of WA. They are staying in a B&B and going on a whale watch. Steph and Dan are in Bend and Sisters, OR. Ralph is in DC for a reunion of his Navy/SeaBee's battalion.  Heather worked, and I shopped for clothes! 

Yesterday was my nephew Michael's 30th birthday! Next week Eddie will be 11, and Ralph will have a birthday. Tomorrow is my friend Pat's birthday. Last week was my niece Sharon's birthday, my friend Roseanne's, and my friend Barbara's. Lots of September birthdays! 

We're getting back into the routine at school. I'm happy that this will be my last year of working fulltime. I'm ready to start doing things on my schedule, not the district's. I like what I do, but the schedule is not a bit flexible. I want to be able to travel in the spring and fall, not just in the summer. I want to not have to worry about going to work (and coming home) in the snow. And I'm so tired of getting up at 6.30 AM, especially when it's dark out. So it's time to fold 'em and get out.

And now the laundry is calling me!
Holly

Four weeks postop!

My new knee is 4 weeks and 3 days old now. It's getting stronger and stronger, and I can walk around the house without the cane, most of the time.

We started back to work on Thursday. We had inservices all day Thursday and half of Friday, then we were released back to our buildings to set up our offices. 

We've had some gorgeous weather in August. A lot of the nights we could turn off the AC and open the windows. Towards morning, it gets chilly, which feels wonderful. More nights than not, I sleep well. 

Steph and Dan are visiting Manda, Ben and Amary this weekend- I'm so glad they are able to see each other reasonably often, so Amary knows who they are. 

Today starts a three day weekend! We've already been to the grocery store, and I'm planning to make meatloaf for dinner, one of our favorites. We'll have mashed potatoes with the meatloaf. 

And now to get off the computer and accomplish something!

Holly

Three Weeks Post-op!

The new knee is doing very well. The walker is history, and  so is the leg lifter. I still need the shower chair, and the cane most of the time. It takes a few steps for the leg to get going right. 

I got the 22 staples removed last week. Wow, did that hurt! More than I expected! And it throbbed for hours. The xrays look good, and ortho is very happy with my bend and straightening. Now I have to strengthen it. 

As soon as the staples came out, I started driving. It's my left knee, so the hard part is getting it up into the car. Ralph is thrilled that I'm driving!

The invitations are out for the celebration of Steph and Dan's marriage! I'm very excited to have them all come home for that in October. 

This will be my 25th year as a school nurse, and most likely my last working full time. I wasn't ready to retire, and suddenly I am ready. I'd like to work a few days a week, so I have to explore that. 

After a week of beautiful temps, it got hot and humid again, and the AC is back on. 

And so it goes!
Holly

Two weeks out!

I've had my new left knee for two weeks today. Tomorrow I go for a followup appointment with ortho, and get the staples out. The bruising is almost all gone, and the edges of the incision are well approximated- the staples need to come out. I've been transitioning from the walker to the cane. I was doing great til yesterday, when we had a rainy day and I could barely move! I'm icing it a couple times a day, elevating it a lot, and tylenol is pretty much controlling the pain.

We go out somewhere almost every day. Yesterday I got a long overdue haircut, and we went to breakfast. Today I stayed in, tomorrow will be ortho. Considering that 2 weeks out with the first knee, I was just leaving rehab, I'm doing great. But it's just not going fast enough! I'm tired of being a patient! 

I've gotten a lot of reading done, and a lot of crocheting done. I don't feel like I can stand long enough to cut fabric, so no sewing yet. I've cooked several meals, though. 

It's going down into the 50's tonight, so I turned off the AC and opened the windows. It should be nice for at least a few days. 

And all too soon, August 28 will come and I'll go back to work. Another school year starting- my last year before I retire!

And so it goes!
Holly

A New Knee!

Wow, the difference two years can make! I got my right knee replaced in June 2012. 3 nights in the hospital, 10 days in rehab. In 2013 my insurance company and the hospital were in negotiations. They finally came to agreement this February, but I wanted to go to the Pacific Northwest before getting my left knee replaced. 

So I went in on Wednesday, July 30. I was the first case. New technique, spinal anesthesia with sedation, rather than general. I got to my room at noon. At 2 pm, PT had me up walking with the walker, and left the walker so the nurses could assist me to the bathroom. I even sat up in the chair.

Thursday, postop day one, PT walked me in the hallway, and we did steps. I was discharged home right after lunch! Friday, home PT came out and had me do exercises, and left me a list. She'll be back three times a week for two weeks. 

I'm getting around well with the walker. I do the exercises, ice the knee, and sleep. Tylenol is so far controlling the pain. It's amazing the changes in procedure!

And now I have to do the exercises again!

Holly

A new family member!

Steph and Dan were scheduled to be married on 10-12-14 at a B&B in Pennsylvania. Then she told me they'd actually get married right before that, in Oregon, so they wouldn't have the hassle of a local license process. 

Then she decided to get married on her birthday, July 7. In the judge's chambers. With strangers for witnesses. And cancel the big Pennsylvania wedding. 

Heather and I were so sad that she got married without any of us there, but we understood. And understood the cancelling of the local wedding- it was going to be expensive. 

As to what kind of family celebration there will be, who knows. Not me, for sure. We'll talk about it next weekend when we see them. 

We all welcome Dan to the family. He's been in Steph's life for a few years now. He's supported her thru the deaths of her godmother, her grandmother, and Whiskey. He's provided love and a shoulder to cry on for her, which I love him for. 

When they moved to Oregon in December, it was hard. We miss them, and we're glad Manda and Ben are close-ish to them geographically. I don't worry about them, they both have a lot of common sense and a shared view of what they want their life to be. 

We'll see them next week at Amary's first birthday party- how is that possible that the little baby is now a year old! 

And the beat goes on.
Holly

Summer Break! Finally!

The district I work in is always one of the last ones to close for the summer, because we're off for every silly holiday anyone has ever heard of. Then they close for a week, and reopen for summer enrichment programs, which I don't work. 

It's going to be a busy summer. Next week I have preadmission testing for my knee surgery, and the following week I have doc appointments for medical and surgical clearance. 

The week after that I fly to Sea-Tac to visit Amaryllis for her first birthday! How can that be! We'll spend a few days at Manda and Ben's, then relocate to Beaverton to see Steph and Dan's place and visit Toast. I fly out of Portland, and come home by way of Phoenix. 

Then on July 30, I get a new left knee to match my right one. The left knee is getting worse and worse, I use the cane a lot now. I'll be in the hospital for 2 days, then come home for in-home PT. Rehabbing the knee will take up August, then back to work! 

Tomorrow is the long delayed birthday party for Julianna and Mom. A Frozen theme, of course. 

Last week we went to Tori's high school graduation party! She's grown into a beautiful young woman, and is going to Stockton. We also went to a meet the baby party for Barbara and John's granddaughter Clementine. Such a cutie! 

Also in June Manda turned 33, and she and Ben had their 4th wedding anniversary. 

It's been an eventful month, and the summer will be busy!

Holly

A beautiful day

Happy Sunday! It's such a nice day out, in the 60's, blue sky, low humidity. Spring at it's best. 

We celebrated our 42nd anniversary last week. I don't know how it's been so long already! We have a lot to celebrate, we have 3 wonderful daughters, 2 wonderful sons-in-law, a wonderful fiance-in-law, 3 lovely grandchildren, and some terrific grand-pets. 

As our gifts to each other, we ordered the laminate flooring for the living room, and upgraded our iPhones to the 5s's. We spent an afternoon at Heather and Ed's, and they barbecued for us. 

The flooring will be delivered Monday and has to acclimate to our house, so it will be installed next Saturday. The painter will be out Monday to estimate painting. The room is moving along!

Barbara brought the Farm Fair Raffle Quilt down on Friday night to be quilted. We managed to load it and she quilted it without any major issues. The thread broke once, and the bobbin had to be replaced, but it went smoothly. I swear I'm making a cheat sheet up, so we don't have to stop and think about each step. 

4 more weeks of school, and the kids are so ready! The whole school has senioritis! 

And it's time to change the washer load before we go to lunch with Frank and Charlotte!

Holly

Memorial Day

We live in the land of the free, because of the brave. I say that every year, and mean it. Thanks to all the Vets out there.

It's been a nice weekend. Saturday morning we went and ordered new laminate flooring for the living room, then went to the diner for a late breakfast. While we were on the way to upgrade our phones, Heather texted to see what we were doing. She invited us down for a cookout. So we had a nice visit with her, Ed, and the kids. And Honey Rose, of course.

We talked about our trip to see Amary for her birthday, and we're buying plane tickets hopefully this week. We'll spend part of the week with Ben, Manda and Amary, then relocate 4 hours south and visit Steph, Dan and Toast. We want to go to the west coast beach so we can say we waded in the Pacific. 

Heather wants to go on a four day cruise for her 40th birthday. The conversation started with me volunteering Ralph to stay with the kids and Honey, and ended up with us going on the cruise with them! 

In between the trip to the Pacific NorthWest and the cruise, I'll get a new left knee, July 30. The ortho said they are doing a new type of procedure in which the patient goes home postop day 2, and most people are off the cane by week 4. So I should only miss a few days, if any, of work in September. 

One more month of school before summer break! The kids are ready, and the staff is more than ready! 

I've already made lemon bars and iced tea, and the baked beans are in the oven for our dinner. I've promised Mom burgers and hot dogs and beans- she's excited. 

And the beat goes on!
Holly

Cinco de Mayo

If we liked Mexican food, we'd celebrate! But since Ralph can't eat beans, and I don't like spicy food, we stay home. 

We had a busy weekend. Friday I saw ortho and set the date for my other knee replacement, July 30. Saturday I got dinner going in the crockpot, then started cleaning in the bedroom. I organized Ralph's closet by putting the dress clothes that he hardly ever wears in the rear top rack, and found a shirt he'd been looking for in the process. I pulled out the old scrubs, which he decided to get rid of. And I rehung his shirts so they all face the same way.

Then I did my closet and bureau, putting everything that's too big or too ugly in a mountain. I also pulled out all the wire coat hangers to toss. From there I moved into the alcove, where I spent a lot of the afternoon. I had a bag of trash, a bag of recyclables, and a bag of shreds, plus a pile for Ralph to go thru. 

Sunday we went grocery shopping, then out to lunch at Longhorn with Frank and Charlotte and Doris. Then back to work! I cleaned off the top of the armoire, and worked on the shelves in the alcove. I'm almost done. 

I had to stop my cleaning streak to go to work today, and we had errands after work, then I ran out of steam and started playing on the computer. 

I'm hoping to be motivated to continue cleaning this weekend. The areas I did look so nice!

I finished Amary's star shaped afghan, and started one in greens and white for the Farm Fair donation afghan. 

And the beat goes on!
Holly

An entire month!

That's how long since my last blog entry, which is terrible. I'm not sure where the time went, and why I didn't blog. The time just seems to zip by.

We had a lovely Easter dinner at Mike and Donna's. We only got Good Friday off, we spent the last week making up snow days. 

I'm almost finished the second star afghan- this one is for Amary. 

We had a decorator come and give us a consultation. We're turning the living room back into a living room! We, meaning Ralph, is taking out a half wall and making the living room flow right into the dining room. It'll look really nice. 

Steph and Dan went to visit Manda and Ben and Amary for Easter, and had a nice weekend together. I'm so glad they live close enough- 4 hours away- that they can see each other fairly frequently, but not so close that they get on each others nerves.

Other than that, the usual. Go to work, come home, repeat 5 times a week. 

Holly

Spring?

The calendar says spring, the weather- not so much. Chilly today, with snow- again!- forecasted for Tuesday into Wednesday.

Bob the Cat turned out to be Roberta the Cat- and she was in heat! She's now spayed, had her shots, and is chipped. She wants to be friends, but is too afraid to let us pet her. She's getting closer and closer, tho. She and Sly play with the sliding door between them. 

We had a nice, tho short, visit with Steph last weekend. She was in for business meetings, and extended her trip to spend a few days here. Since my Easter break was cut to make up snow days, I can't go to Portland to help her pick a wedding dress, so we went shopping here. It worked out well- Heather and Julianna went with us. Steph had a good idea of what she wanted, and she picked a beautiful dress. And Julianna got a flower girl dress and headpiece. It was a nice day.

Heather, Ed, Eddie and Julianna, along with Honey Rose the dog, the duck and the chicken, moved into their new house yesterday. They've been moving things all week, but the furniture went yesterday. Luckily it's only a mile from the house they were renting, so they could take their time. Steph and I got to tour the new house last week, and it's super nice. The kids will ride different busses, but they'll be in the same schools. 

Last Monday Ralph was helping shovel out the recycle truck, which was stuck on our hill- yes, it snowed again. He slipped and fell flat on his back. That evening he felt funny, and we went off to Camp Cooper to get him checked. They collared him, and did and MRI which thank goodness was negative, so they discharged him on meds. We got home at 4 a.m. Luckily I was signed up for an inservice, so I didn't have to go into work. I went to the inservice, and just kept getting up and walking around. It ended at 1.30, and I was home and in bed by 2.30! 

I finished the star shaped afghan that I made for Julianna for her birthday. It was interesting to do. I have to decide what my next project is. 

And so it goes!
Holly

Daylight Savings Time

So it'll be dark in the mornings again when I get up. But we'll have light in the evenings!

Ralph is delivering Bob to be spayed. He couldn't get him in the carrier last time and had to let him go. He caught him yesterday in the have a heart trap, and kept him on the porch with an electric blanket wrapped around the trap for warmth. 

It's been a busy month! Two more snow days, and we lost spring break to make up days. We still get out June 26. 

Amary came for a visit, and brought her parents. We had a wonderful long weekend together- she's such a smiley baby! 

Steph and Dan's poor Whiskey passed. The vet thinks there was neuro damage from the many infections he had, and also thinks he was a few years older than Steph was originally told. Whiskey was a rescue, and Steph had him for almost 5 years. He had the sweetest personality, and we all mourn with Steph and Dan at his loss. 

Steph has a business trip this week, to here! She'll be in meetings at her main office, but she'll come here from Thursday til Sunday. We haven't seen her since December 27, the longest we've gone without seeing her since the day she was born! 

Julianna and Mom got a snowstorm for their birthday! Julianna wants their party next month, after the big move. 

I'm crocheting a star shaped afghan, and I had to correct the pattern in the first couple of rounds. And there is not enough of one color yarn, so I had to alter the way the colors go. I have to email Herschnerrs, where I got the kit. 

It looks like it's shaping up to be  a nice day!
Holly

And yet another snow day!

This makes 4 so far this school year! We haven't had 4 snow days in years- some days we haven't had a single one. It's going to be a problem- I think this puts us up til June 30, and by state law we can't get out past then. And going to school til the end of June is miserable. The kids are done learning after Memorial Day. The teachers can keep teaching, but the kids are done, and everyone is miserable. 

We got the call early, before 6 a.m. It was raining at that point. It rained, then it sleeted, then it snowed heavily, and now it's a fine snow or sleet. 

Bob the outdoor cat is getting spayed this weekend. Ralph is partitioning off a section of the porch so that we can trap Bob in there, and then he/she can recuperate in there. Bob has to be kept quiet for a few days after surgery. 

Amary comes to our house this weekend! And she's bringing her parents with her! So of course we're having a "Come meet Amary" party for friends and family. 

Since I'm off today, I made breakfast. Leftover hashed browns, and pork roll, with beaten eggs poured over them and fried up like an omelet. It's one of our favorite breakfasts, and I also make it for dinner sometimes. 

Yesterday I took Mom some of the leftover tortellini to see if she likes it. 

I've already crocheted two snowflakes this week! Ralph watched the big sport-ball (Dan's new term, I love it!) game, the only game he's watched this year. 

For my license renewal this year, I had to have CEU's on organ transplant and donation. My supervisor found us one online, that was good for 3.4 CEU's, so I finally got around to doing that on Saturday. It took less than an hour, which was great. And it was actually pretty interesting, which was a bonus. 

The only fabric I've bought recently was when I was in WA. I bought zombie fabric to make pillowcases for Steph and Dan. I made them and Ralph mailed them out. I also made them new coasters, so the Christmas coasters could be put away. I made some citrus-y, and some beachy. 

And time to change the washer load!
Holly

A heat wave!

It went up into the 40's today! It was great- melt more of this snow. We got another four inches or so during the week, but the closer I got to work, the less snow there was. The shore areas got more- the kids got a snow day. 

We did our usual Saturday routine- to the diner for breakfast, to Perks, and made a liquor store run. Manda, Ben and Amary are coming home for a long weekend, so of course we're having people over.

I used the crockpot again, made a tortellini dish which was really good. Tortellini, fresh spinach, veggie broth, diced italian tomatoes, and cream cheese put in at the end. It was another facebook recipe, and Ralph said to keep this one! He had two helpings. 

I crocheted 3 more snowflakes this week! 

Whiskey is on another antibiotic, and seems to be doing well, poor little guy. And our outdoor cat, Bob, has a date with the vet to get shots and get fixed- we'll find out if Bob is a he or a she. 

I took a nap this afternoon, a wonderful thing about Saturdays. I don't nap on Sundays, because I have to get to bed at a decent hour. 

And so it goes!
Holly

And more snow!

We ran around and did errand yesterday morning because more snow was predicted. We went to Perks, stopped at Mom's to drop things off to her, to the library, and to the diner for breakfast. Since it was 23 out, we didn't worry about our groceries thawing, so we brought them in when we got home. 

The snow started at noon, and it snowed til 5. The prediction was an inch or so, Ralph said it's at least 3 inches. Today the sky is blue, and a 30% chance of more snow tomorrow. We've had more snow this year than for several years combined! 

While it snowed, I finished Steph and Dan's zombie pillowcases. Ralph will mail the pillowcases and coasters this week. This was one of the few weeks that I both sewed and crocheted!

Last night I wrapped up in an afghan and watched this week's Grimm, one of my favorite shows. I still have 4 Sleep Hollow's to watch. I love the DVR! 

Two weeks til Ben, Manda and Amary come home for a long weekend! My friend Barbara recently pointed out that Holly and Amaryllis are both winter plants- something I'd never thought of. 

Today we're meeting Frank, Charlotte and Doris for lunch at Olive Garden. When Charlotte said where they were going, my first impulse was to call Steph to see if she and Dan wanted to meet us. I was so sad when I remembered they are 3000 miles away. 

And the beat goes on!
Holly

Snow Day!

It started to snow yesterday morning. It snowed, and it snowed, and it snowed some! My district, like most, had already planned to have a half day. My 40 minute commute took just under two hours! The roads weren't plowed, and apparently every terrified driver in south jersey was on the Pike, going 5 MPH. Finally when the road widened, those of us who were comfortable driving 15MPH passed them. The Hill was actually pretty clear! 

I don't know the official numbers, but we got at least a foot. The family room is dark because the skylight is snow covered. Ralph used the snowblower for us, our neighbor, then went up and did Mom's driveway. 

When Ralph got home from Mom's, I made us a hash brown and pork roll omelet. I also have sauerkraut cooking in the crockpot, for hot dogs and sauerkraut for dinner. The dishwasher and washer are doing their thing. And I finally finished reading the stack of newspapers and mail from when I was in Mill Creek! I've had 3 cups of raspberry zinger tea already today. 

Poor Whiskey is being worked up by the vet. He's having trouble pee-ing, even after a course of antibiotics. He's had an xray, and they're trying to get a good ultrasound. He's the sweetest, most loving dog ever, and Steph hates to see him in pain. He goes back to the vet tomorrow for another try at the ultrasound. Poor little guy is almost 13. 

I started watching all the Sleepy Hollow's that I have DVR'd, and I'm hooked! 

And the beat goes on!
Holly

Three Day Weekend!

Love the three day weekends! Yesterday we went to lunch with Frank, Charlotte and Doris to Texas Roadhouse, and had leftovers for dinner. Today Heather and the kids are coming up so we can buy girl scout cookies from Julianna, then we're picking up Mom and going to lunch at Friendly's. 

Just the part about an extra day of sleeping past 6.30 AM makes it a wonderful day! 

Later this afternoon I have a routine cardiology appt. Friday I see ortho after work. 

We Face-Timed with Amary and her parents last night, which was wonderful. Amary is moving all around and making noises. She started eating mashed banana yesterday, her first food! I can't believe she's six months old!

I made snowflake #4 yesterday, this one from crochet thread. Using that teeny hook and the thin thread is really going to take some getting used to! On the way home from lunch yesterday I went in Michael's crafts to check out the yarn that was on sale. They had a rack of Christmas things 90% off, and I got containers of bells for 59 cents! I'll need them for a different ornament that I want to make, so I got one of brass, one of silver, and two multicolored! 

And the beat goes on!
Holly

More soup

Today's soup is chicken noodle- chicken stock, chicken, celery, shredded carrots and fine noodles. It came out really well, but a little bland. I added salt and pepper to my bowl, and that fixed it. We had grilled cheese with it, of course! 

We had snow flurries this morning- better than the two feet of flurries that my friend Janet in NY state had! 

I have three snowflakes done for my blizzard! I took the advise of Sherry and made them in yarn with a bigger hook first, to get the idea of the pattern, now I'll go back and try crochet thread. 

Baby Joey will be a year old this week, and Amary turns six months old tomorrow! 

We went to the grocery store this morning and spent a small fortune. It had been almost a month since we did a big shopping. I love our little grocery store in town- it has about everything you need, without all the extraneous aisles. If you don't stop to talk- sometimes you run into half the town- you can be in and out in a half hour. 

I just finished the new Jayne Anne Krentz, "River Road", which was really good. She remains my absolute favorite author. 

And the beat goes on!
Holly

Soup's On!

I have the crockpot going with chicken noodle vegetable soup. 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken, a can of crushed tomatoes and one of diced, 2 cans of chicken stock, half a bag of fresh shredded carrots, some chopped celary, some seasoned salt and a little water. Put it all in the crockpot (with crockpot liner, of course), and go away and let it cook and blend. I'll put noodles (precooked, or I'll lose all my broth) in the last half hour. It'll give me a couple of meals for us, and I'll take mom a couple of days worth. 

Yesterday was horrible- rain, and a sudden drop in temp made the roads all icy just as I left for work. The hill was slippery, and a bus coming up the hill was stuck. I went down it about 5 MPH! Once I got to the Pike, the road was much better, but no one was going more than 20 MPH. I was about 10 minutes late for work, but I got there!

Am I the last one to find out that you can put teabags in the re-usable Keurig cup? Or just put the cup in empty, and put the tea bag in the cup? So much cheaper than the k cups, and a better selection! Right now I'm drinking raspberry zinger. 

Today it's almost 60 out, and rainy. We've already been out and did all our errands, so I'm in for the day. 

Steph, Dan and the pups are settling in to their new life in Beaverton (right outside Portland) Oregon. Amary is feeling much better after her bout with bronchitis. 

I got the urge to crochet snowflakes. I found a pattern on about.com that uses regular yarn, and made a couple while I was in Mill Creek, which I gave to Manda. I also bought a book that uses crochet cotton, and the supplies. And I put up the question on the HGTV crochet boards, which got me some links. One of which was to join a group called crochetville, which I did last night. One suggestion was to make a snowflake every Monday, which will give me 52 by next Christmas. I like that idea a lot. As one woman put it, she's made blizzards of snowflakes! 

But I have to finish the baby afghan I'm working on before I start anything else, quilting or crocheting.

Happy Saturday!
Holly

How can it be January already?

From September on, 2013 was a blur. The middle of December, Steph and Dan sent his car and their belongings off to Oregon, and moved in with us. We had Christmas at Heather and Ed's, where they made a lovely dinner. Christmas night we came home and ran around like crazy people, doing laundry and packing. Rapid Rover came at 5.20 AM on December 26, and took me, Steph, Dan and the dogs to Philly airport for our 7.30 flight. 

Who knew that December 26 is one of the most busy flying days? I use mobility assistance for my knee, so I was thru security and at the gate by 6.30. At 7 they announced they'd start boarding, just as Steph and Dan finally got there with the dogs. The flight ended up waiting another 45 minutes for the 20 people stuck in the security line! 

The flight was good, and the dogs were good, except halfway there when Whiskey decided he'd had enough and started barking. We quieted him with cookies. Ben picked us up at the airport, and warned us that we were going to a house of sickness. 

We knew Ben had been sick with a virus. He'd shared it with his Dad, then with Becca and Brandon, then with Manda. Manda was in the beginning stages, Becca and Brandon had gone home, and Ben and Randy were recovering. We were careful with handwashing, but by Saturday I was having a lot of nausea.
Steph and Dan stayed away from everyone and left at 6 a.m. Friday,  but Steph still got very ill Saturday afternoon. 

It was so nice to see Polly and Randy! We hadn't seen them since the wedding. Polly was the only one who never got any trace of the virus. They had lunch with us when we arrived, then they headed out to Becca's for the last days of their trip. 

It was a quiet visit for sure! But Amary is such a delight! She laughs, and smiles all the time. She was being clingy, and would only come to me for a few minutes. She ended up getting sick after I left, and had bronchitis, poor baby. 

I flew back here New Years Day, and was home for 12 hours before I had to go back to work- that was a miscalculation on my part. I should have came home the day before. So we had school Thursday, then the snow hit and we were off Friday. Much as I don't like snow days, I was glad to have that one! 

And now it's January, and a new year!
Happy New Year!
Holly