Heater is in!

 Our heater was about 25 years old, so we decided to replace it now, rather than wait til it goes, which would probably be on a cold winter's day. So we called our HVAC guy, and signed a contract in May. The unit came in in June, and was delivered to our basement. The company finally had a break from air conditioning emergencies, and installed it earlier this week. Another project done!

Page finish! I think the bottom left corner took as long as the rest of the page! So many colors in such a little space! I'm about 75% done at this point. I then took a couple of days off to read the new Patricia Briggs book, which was fantastic.

Just Donald in a birdbath, nothing unusual.

A morning visitor! It's mom was there, off to the left, eating my bushes and lawn.

July was a slow reading month, I spent so much time doing cross stitch and having the kids here.

Ali sent me the first couple of pix that she took, I can't wait to see the rest! 

August!

 It's been so hot and humid! Too hot to go outside unless absolutely necessary.

We had such a wonderful week with Manda and Steph and families! Manda and family got here July 18, which meant that Amary celebrated her 9th birthday here!

Of course there were 3 cakes! A Sweet Eats cake of chocolate with orange creamsicle cream, a carrot cake, and an ice cream cake. Lots of gifts and fun. 

Trips to the shore and the Aquarium with Aunt Heather and Julianna. 

And of course a big family party to celebrate our 50th anniversary and being together! 

Amary declared that she wants to spend her next birthday in jersey, but to stay two weeks! We're in for it!

The camera pix and computer are back to talking to each other, yay! Posting without pix just didn't seem right.

One week to go!

 Next Monday, Manda, Ben and the kids fly in for a week's visit! We haven't seen them since August 2019, thanks to covid. Next Tuesday is Amary's birthday, so we get to have a party for her! Then on Thursday, Steph and Dan get in. Friday night we're having a group picture done, and Saturday is a summer family party. 

Manda and family will divide their time between here and Heather's house. They haven't planned out any activities yet, other than spending time in the pool.

OK, I have pix to add, but they aren't showing up. To be continued when tech support gets home!

It's July!

 Happy July! June zipped by, like all the months have been.

ok, not the pic I wanted to insert, and can't figure out how to delete.  I'm putting my pix into folders, and now they are all confused.

I only read 10 books in June, one on the kindle. Total for the year is 80, 23 of them on the kindle. 

I finished watching Yellowstone last night. What a good series, Sopranos with cows! John's birthday is this week,  and since he can't get Comcast out in the boonies he doesn't get Peacock. I doubt if he can figure out, and know he won't pay for, streaming, so no Paramount. So I ordered him the boxed DVD set of all 4 seasons. He'll get it tomorrow, and I know he'll love it. Mike and Heather both recommended it to me. Today I want to watch the most recent Stranger Things, which just dropped yesterday.

Another week...

 another page!

This page had a lot of blue!

That is how much of one color on this page, which is why it went to fast.

A friend shared the recipe for egg bites. You make them in silicone cupcake lines. Bits of wheat bread in the bottom, then sausage crumbles and cheese, and topped with an egg and milk mixture. They freeze well, the recipe says, but we ate the whole dozen over about 3 days. 

While stitching, I binged Sweet Magnolias on Netflix, based on the books by Sherryl Woods. It had a Virgin River vibe. I watched the two seasons, and they are making a third. 

Then I read this book, which I picked up at the library. It started a little slow, but got really interesting. When I was finished, I was happy to see there are two more in the series, which I'll request. It made me think of how my life could be different if I had made different choices. I'm so lucky in that I'd do it all again. There have been bumps in the road, but it's my road. 

Mid June already!

 Time is zipping by! It seems to go faster and faster.

Another page done! I had to move it back to a small snap, because when it's in the big one, it's too hard to reach the top. I've been putting a lot of hours in, I want it done by the end of the year. 

We went out to breakfast one day last week, to the diner of course. Ralph got oatmeal and fruit, I had scrambled eggs, hash browns and bacon, and hot tea. 

Eddie was in a race in PA. He had a problem with his brakes that caused him to fall, hurt his shoulder and the bike. Ed has been replacing all the parts needed. He's posing here, he gets all helmeted up for the race. He has another one this weekend.

I've been glued to the TV for the January 6 hearings. Of course, there are idiotic and/or gullible people who still insist that there has been no wrong doing. 

This is my big frame that Ralph made me from plastic pipe. He cut a couple of different lengths for the sides and top and bottom so I can alter the size. The piece is held in place on the frame by q snap pieces. 

It's June!

 The months are going by fast. It's been a week of AC on, windows closed, then AC off, windows open. Repeat. Repeat.

Ralph is growing lettuces in his hydroponic thing. It's amazing- you cut off what you want, but never more than 1/3 of the lettuces. By the next day, more are growing! We have lettuce from it at least every other day!

I had another page finish, and moved the piece on the q snap frame. It's coming out so well! I treat each page as a project, which keeps it from getting boring. My goal is to have it done by the end of the year. I'm not saying which year! I've got almost 2 years into it, but I've put it aside twice for a few months. 

June is Manda and Jake's birthdays, and Manda and Ben's 12 anniversary. The 26th, their anniversary, is also the sad 3rd anniversary of Joseph's death. It's so hard to believe he's gone. I pass the cemetery where he's buried frequently.  His ashes are buried with Mom's. Dad is next to them, and my grandparents are in the next row. Every time I go by them, I salute my Dad and my Pop, blow a kiss to Mom and MomMom, and touch my hand to my heart for Joseph. I talk to them, and I tear up every time. Just writing about them makes me tear up. Mom, Dad, and my grandparents lived long lives, all well into their 80's. Joseph was 32. 32 forever he'll be. He's already missed so much, and my heart hurts thinking that he'll miss so many milestones of Joey's. 

I hope he's resting in peace.