December 31, 2008, Last Day in the Year

Can you believe we are 8 years past the millennium? Do you remember all that Y2K hype? Doesn't seem that long ago. Ok, good start to the day, I've already had 2 of the 8 foods, I had oats & tomatoes. (not together)
Here are 5 of the twenty Worst Foods in America:

Chicken Selects from Mickey Dee's - 1,710 calories, 55 fat grams

Jamba Juiced Chocolate Moo'd Power Smoothie - 900 calories, 183 carbs (wow!)

Pepperidge Farm Roasted Chicken Pot Pie - 1,020 calories, 64 fat grams

Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger - 1,145 calories, 71 fat grams

Venti Strawberry & Creme Frappuchino from Starbucks - 750 calories, 120 sugar grams (more sugar than 3 cans of soda!)

Oh that is so gross! This is from the book "Eat This Not That" by David Zinczenko.

"Paint" on the Package

Tried to mail a package today but the (mystery) recipient will have to wait. The box was used for paint previously and the USPS won't sent a box if the word "paint" is on the outside. I will have to re-box the stuff.
Updates:
My sister (Marlene has been without power for 3 days. Yuck! Is it starting to be an adventure?
Karen (my niece) is due to have her baby boy any minute.
We are getting snow again tonight - 2 to 5 inches. Oh boy!
We will have Phoebe (Bailey's sistopher) for new years eve - PARTAY!



Carrots & yogurt. Maybe I will have some blueberries, later. 3 out of 8. better. (See yesterday's post)

8 Foods You Should Eat Every Day

Spinach
Yogurt
Tomatoes
Carrots
Blueberries
Black Beans
Walnuts
Oats
How many of these did you eat today? I had yogurt & walnuts. 2 out of 8, not so good I guess. Can you imagine eating spinach or black beans every day?
Here is a great recipe using black beans tomatoes:
dice 4 tomatoes, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 yellow pepper, and 1 mango. Mix in a can of black beans and garnish with 1/2 chop chopped cilantro & juice from a lime.
I have all the above mentioned ingredients, I just may make some of that tomorrow.

WII Fit

Found the WII Fit at Target this morning. Now I have no excuse not to exercise. It should be "fun" right? Wow, how about that wind this morning? Woke me up. I don't remember ever having such a sustained wind like that before. Some houses in our neighborhood lost their shingles. Crazy. How about the near 60 degree temperature yesterday? Crazy when just a week ago I froze my bootie off on that train ride at Huckleberry RR. Can't believe the snow is gone, there was so much!!
Well, everything has calmed down some and I will be back to regular schedule. Except I still have gifts to find spots for and still takin down holiday decorations and such.

You Know You're Getting Old When...

You need a 22 inch computer monitor! (so you can see stuff)
Your exercise machine is a Wii.
Your idea of an awesome Christmas gift is a set of pans.
Your favorite Wii game is Iron Chef.
You don't know any of the songs on the 90's hits Sing Star game.
You ask for lots of lotion for your pruny dried up skin.
You need to practice texting.
You need a phone with a full keyboard so you can text.

It's Christmas Eve

And these are the last minute things I still have to do:
make lasagna
make a salad
make some more buckeye's (by request)
wrap a few last minute gifts
pick up a prescription at Kroger
get my haircut (why oh why did I make an appointment for today?)
make tomorrow's breakfast casserole
oh, well that's not too bad I guess.
Merry Christmas Everyone!

Old Man Winter is NOT So Old

Winter arrived fierce and furious yesterday. Many of you probably stayed in your PJ's and just snuggled into your blankies, right? Well we had the "Rush" family Christmas. Sarah's mom's family. I made "Buckeyes" in honor of Grandma, who passed away earlier this year. They were a big hit - we didn't have any to bring back home. This year the plan was to do something "fun." We all had tickets to Crossroads Village & the Huckleberry railroad. We arrived about 6:00 p.m. after fighting the wind and drifts across the roads. We jumped out of the car and ran into the village. It was so deserted there was no one to even take the tickets. We quickly ran to the first building that provided shelter from the wind. It was still whipping around like crazy. After everyone arrived we headed over to the train station to board the train. We jumped, danced and sang to keep warm while waiting for the train to turn around! We quickly boarded and soon found out the windows were iced over. How were we going to see the lights? Everyone did their own method. Breathing, scraping, rubbing, thank goodness no one decided to stick their tongue to the window. The train was quite warm, at least for the first little while. We had our own train car, with 20 some people. I think all the body heat kept us warm. We sang along with the "canned" Christmas music. After we got back to the station someone decided that we should all head over to the building with the Reindeer. After taking pictures we ran back to the closest building to warm again. That was it! I was done for. We left soon after. When we got home I soaked in a hot tub for a bit. That was probably the coldest experience I've ever had.

Pouring Snow and Nowhere to Go

It's 9:30 a.m. and it's really coming down now and the wind is something fierce. I will NOT be going out. Too bad I did not stock up on baking ingredients, video's, etc. Here are some things I thought I could do:
wrap Christmas gifts
scan online recipes for new & tasty treats for Christmas day
laundry (?) why?
pick up the mess in the house (?) again, why? oh because the Renee's are coming over for pizza tonight, that's why.
read my new Rachel Ray cookbook! (thanks Jan)
make prank phone calls
make snow angels - oh no it's too windy!

Slip Slidin' Away

Bailey and I took a slidin' ride to the bank and the post office this morning. The roads were not to good. Semi-plowed. Come guys, it really wasn't that much snow. Couple O' Inches. Well, anyway the Christmas packages are mailed.
Tonight is the first annual Christmas party (dinner) for KNS Remodeling & Repairs. That is because we actually have employes. Should be fun.
Back to work.

Not Feelin' So Good

I haven't been feeling so well. Especially at night. I take several naps to get through the day. My head is achy and my stomach has a pain. My daily schedule:
get up - do a little
take a nap
get up - do a little
take a nap
ok, you get the gist.

Snug As A Bug In A Rug

OR

Snug As A Dog In A Bed

This is a dog who likes to sleep and be toasty warm!

He's got a bad habit.

Today is our annual outing to Frankenmuth. Chicken dinner here I come. We are leaving early to go either to Bronner's or the River Walk Mall.

Cranergize

I'm trying to

boost my energy

get stuff done

energize healthly

etc... I'm drinking Cranergy!

Eat nutritiouslyYou’ll function much better if you’re on a balanced diet rather than your child’s leftover macaroni and cheese.
Seek out foods that help you stay healthy Foods high in vitamin C and antioxidants, as well as foods with B vitamins are great choices, as they all support healthy energy production.
Stay hydrated Dehydration of as little as 2% loss of body weight can result in decreased focus and performance.
Get movingWorking out, taking the stairs and walking can all give you more energy and makes you feel healthier.
Create an energizing spaceCitrus scents, such as grapefruit, can enliven any room of your house. Buy a citrus scene or spray.

Blah, Blah, Blog

Quoth Solomon, "there is nothing new under the sun". Can you tell I have the holiday blues? Or maybe it's just hormones, or should I say lack there of. ha ha Well, anyway yesterday I took my new Lil Sis to the mall. We picked a tag off the Angel Tree. Girl 9 - 12 years of age. We went to Sears and bought a High School Musical outfit. It helps when you have a 9 year old girl pick the stuff out, let me tell you. Then we went up to the food court and dinned at the Hibatchi Grill. Not my pick. Didn't feel so good afterward. Felicity is a real talker. She talked non-stop. We had a pretty good time. Her mom works long days and goes to school, I think that might be why she wants a big sister. Kind of fun being a big sister to a girl. I've only ever been a big sister to a boy, my brother Rob. It was fun to beat on him! Today's agenda includes:
laundry
entering apps for the Mentors job
picking up the messy house
Invoicing for KNS
addressing the Christmas cards

I Don't Need Any Christmas Gifts

I already got the best gift. Airline tickets to Anna Maria Island in February! Tickets are fairly cheap right now to buy. We will get to see the cousin babies who are growing like weeds. Mya will be 2 in December and Rylee is 3 I think.

New List.

The 10 Best Things I Like About Florida.

The Sun - warmth & brightness

The feel of the sand and water

The smell of the ocean

The Seafood

Visiting the friends (play cousins)

Beautiful sunsets

Looking for Dolphins in the water

Driving along the ocean

Pancakes on the beach

Going to Beal's

List O' Jobs

My sister wrote a blog listing all her jobs, so I thought it would be fun to do the same. Let's see if I can get them all....


Cleaner - Mason Dental Lab (1976)
Laborer - Screw Factory
House Cleaner - Fancy rich lady in Oak Park, IL
Temp - Manpower Services
File Clerk - AAA
Office Clerk -AAA
Member Service - AAA
Missionary - His Mansion (1986)
Nanny - Pam Rumley
Accounts Receivable Clerk - Pam's Company
Camp Manager - Living Science
Office Manager - Living Science
Computer Teacher - Curriculum Services
Program Director - Curriculum Services
3rd Grade Teacher - LCA
Assistant Principal - LCA
"Fake" Principal - LCA (2004-05)
Realtor Assistant/Realtor - Bush Realty
Long Term Sub - Center Academy
4th Grade Teacher - Center Academy
Tutor - Center Academy
Clerk - Kohl's
Naturalist - Genesee Co. Parks
Mentor Recruiter - Flint Com. Schools
Mentor Recruiter Supervisor - Flint Com. Schools (2008 -09)
I think that just about covers it. Wow, I wouldn't have thought I had that many jobs...

Holiday Travel

Is not for me! Especially in winter weather. Yesterday we encountered snow, freezing rain, and rain on the way to Cleveland. The snow started 2 hours before dear weather man said it would. So we had pouring snow all the way to the Ohio border. Then kind of a freezing rain, then in Cleveland pouring buckets of rain. The only good thing about traveling in Ohio is that they have Panera and Starbucks at their rest-areas! We did get out of the training session several hours early today so that was a nice surprise! I got home at about 5 p.m. and Sarah got home a little later after picking up the truck with the new plow in place. Now she is out with Robbie plowing driveways. It's 8:30 p.m. I'm snuggled on the couch watching the Grinch and catching up on laundry. There was no school today in the county - 5 -6 inches of snow. In fact it's still snowing.

Saravilla Bed & Breakfast in Alma

Alma is located approximately 15 miles south of Mt. Pleasant. It is a cute little college town. Saravilla is a huge mansion that a lumber baron made for his spoiled daughter. It was meant to be her "summer" cottage. It was turned into a B & B in 1991. There are 7 guest rooms; all with private baths. Our room had a wood burning fireplace and a whirlpool tub. After a relaxing evening reading in front of the fire, we woke to a delicious breakfast of fruit & muffins and oatmeal pancakes and sausage. We spent the day meandering from one small town to another. Bought a few Christmas gifts (of the sis-topher variety), went to a winery, bought a couple bottles of wine, went to an apple orchard, and even went to a historical train station. It was a beautiful day.
Now we are home to unpack and repack. We are supposed to be heading off to the Cleveland area for a training class. There is going to be a winter storm warning later however. So we shall see.

A Much Deserved Rest

All the cleaning and cooking is done.
The house is put back together.
The leftovers tucked in their bowls,
The boys are changing the locks,
The children are scattered,
We're taking off for a much need rest!
To a B & B in Alma, Where's that?
I'll let you know.

Pre Back to Work Meeting

Went to a Pre - Pre starting back to work meeting. Next week we meet again to discuss the nitty gritty. I think I'll be able to work somewhat from home. Sounds like I'll be starting back the week of Dec. 8th. Just in time to work a couple weeks and then get a vacation! Nice. I sure wasn't happy about dragging around in the snow today, oh well. That's the 411 for now.

It's Really Coming Down!

It's been snowing since about 10 or 11 this morning. Every once in a while there are big beautiful flakes floating down. It might be a good day for "Bread Bowl Stew." I actually made some last night and it was muy delisiouso! Here is the recipe:
brown a cheap piece of beef with sliced onion. (cube the beef)
Add 1 cup beef broth
Add 1/4 Cup red wine
simmer for about an hour at least
add: 1 can potatoes (i par-boiled 3 fresh potatoes)
Add canned frozen or fresh veggies: ( i added mushrooms, beans, carrots, celery)
Add 1 jar beef gravy
simmer - you may have to thicken with a little cornstarch
Meanwhile, make a pastry cup out of crescent rolls - 1 roll in each cup of a muffin tin
spoon thickened stew into each cup.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 - 15 minutes.
Everyone gets their own little Beef Stew Breadbowl. So cute! So easy! So yummy!

Wii

I never even started a new book yesterday. While Sarah went Christmas shopping I watched the Michigan vs Ohio State game. When she returned I said, "Let's go get the Wii." My rationale being that it is good exercise. Within the hour we were plugged in and waving our arms crazily through the air in attempts to swat balls, shuttlecocks, floating balloons and even those curling thingies. It's alot of fun and it really is good exercise.
I'm starting to be able to smell the wreath on the front door. Sweet William. It's always a good sign when you can smell it. It means the sun is shining brightly onto the front side of the house and heating up the metal door, thus heating up the wreath. It really gets strong sometimes. Ohhhhh weather dude just said we can expect 1 - 3 " of snow tomorrow. Yikes!

Ahhhh Coffee and Books

What could be better than a new bag of coffee beans and a few new books. We went to Borders last night. Got a pound of Seattle's Best Reindeer coffee. Just made a fresh pot. It's very good. Got a few new books hopefully to spark the reading interest again. I haven't read a book in probably 2 months. That is very weird for me. I probably read over 25 books this summer. Maybe I just needed a break. I've still got to read , The Shack. Tell Don I'm going to read it now. Oh and if anyone wants to buy me a nice gift you could get me the Sony Reader Digital Book. It's only $299.00 It's very cool. I saw it at Borders last night. Got to get going, Niki's got a scrimage for basketball in Flushing this morning. Basketball season, uh yeah......
After the game I plan to curl up with a few books and read, read, read.

Turkey Talk

So I've been hearing much talk about "brining" the turkey. Has anyone tried it? You soak the turkey overnight in salt water. It supposedly makes for a very moist bird. And then there is the infamous "Turducken." You have a turkey stuffed with duck, then chicken and stuffing. Wow, lots of work there! Me, I think I'll just throw Tom in the ole roaster and let him roast away. I did buy a fresh turkey this year. We'll see if that makes a difference.
In other news, my boss (?), do I still have one? Anyway, he called this morning and said that the grant money, or part anyway, has come in and that he is meeting with his boss and he should have some information for me about when I can return to work. Just in time! I have one more week of unemployment left.

I Knew I Was In Trouble When...

I saw the salt truck had spun out on 23. There were brake lights everywhere! The road had become a sheet of ice. From Owen Road in Fenton to Hill Road in the Creek we crept along at 30 miles per hour. The highway looked like glass. If you even touched the brakes your car would begin to slide. Needless to say after I got home my neck, shoulders and jaw were all tightened up from hunching and clenching. I think I should get a massage...

I heard from my sistopher Marlene, that Karen had a similar ride home from the Telegraph/14 Mile Road area. Winter Woes, here we come.

Goulash Recipe

This is my own. Serves 4 - 6


2 cups cooked elbow macaroni - cook to package
1 to 1/2 lb ground meat - I use turkey
brown 1/2 C onion
brown & season meat with salt, pepper & garlic powder
add 1 can tomato sauce or soup and 1 can tomato paste
add
1 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbs. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 beef bouillon cube
simmer 15 - 20 minutes
add cooked noodles, simmer 5 more minutes

Snow Dog

If we ever moved to a warmer climate, here's one guy that would miss the snow. He loves to roll around in the snow! This picture is from 5:00 p.m. We were only supposed to get snow showers. It's been downright nasty out for the past couple hours. But then it stops. And then it starts all over. Pretty from the inside. We were out driving and the roads got terrible within minutes. ugh. How about a nice warm pot of Goulash for tonight? And maybe a nice hot bath. And then a BIG mug of hot chocolate. And then a warm blankie to read or watch some tv with. Oh definitely tv later. The "Iron Chef" Thanksgiving Cook off is on later.

Stay Warm!

Got The House To Myself

Wait, what else is new? Wish we had a (real) fire place.

I would curl up like Bay right in front of it. Everyone is gone, working at a job ($4000) in Grand Blanc. Hopefully they finish with that one today! So much work. Sarah has 2 employees now. Probably might could even use another one. Katie & Richie usually work on Fridays too. It's kind of sad the number of foreclosed homes, though. The economy is so bad right now. My brother-in-law just got laid off and a good friend of the Renee's got laid off yesterday. Hard times.

I'm catching up on billing (what else is new?) and picking up the house and then I'll make dinner. Chicken and Rice with brussel spouts. A recipe I found on, allrecipes.com I use that website alot! We used to call them "Russell sprouts." Went to Meijers and got some fresh veggies. I love their produce department. Along with the brussel sprouts I also got, fresh beets, mini cukes, sweet potatoes, & mushrooms. Oh yeah, and a piece of ginger. I can only eat fresh veggies, I hate canned or frozen anymore. I'm also watching Steel Magnolias. I remember watching this the first time at the theatre with Karen. We were laughing and crying at the same time. Some lady in the front row was sobbing so loudly that it made us laugh, even during the sad time.

Ho Hum

I have the "It's too much like winter" doldrums. The sun did come out for a little bit this afternoon. I decided to pull the dead flowers and prune the rose bush. It felt good. Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer! Then, yuck. I'm not ready for what's coming. The next five days of no sun. I could take the cold if the sun would only be present. It's the grey days that really get me down. Not the Rainy Days and Mondays. Ha Ha. Anyone know who sang that? I do. I bet Laura does.
I talked to Riley, she cheered me up. She is so silly. She was doing her mother's dishes. Maybe she (or someone) will come and do mine!

Sunday, Sunday

A big woodpecker came to visit this morning in the rain/snow. I tried to get a good picture, but it didn't turn out so good. I will try again if he comes back tomorrow. My back and legs have been in achy pain all day. I've been taking Tylenol, thinking about going to the chiropractor. Just had a nice hot mug of hot chocolate, that really hit the spot. I'm getting ready to make a pot of potato soup for dinner. Didn't want anything else. Not really ready for this cold, cold weather. Bought some Christmas presents yesterday. Not really in the mood for Christmas. Must make do. Turn that frown upside down...

Oh yeah, yesterday I took my new little sis, Felicity to Chuckie Cheese. We had lots of fun. She's pretty talkative, and she even thanked me and said at least twice that she had a really good time.

Seventy Again

A very nice day again today. Got up early & started on the paper work stuff. Had my play date with Syd. We ate Mac-n-cheese, played puppies, house, read books, (she loves The Cat In the Hat - she can tell the story page by page!) sang nursery rhymes with "On Demand" - Baby Boost, watched "Dora." I think her mom got all her homework done, I hope! Went to Kohl's for sox & brawls, also got 1 b.d. gift and 1 Christmas gift. Spent under $100, wow! Oh yeah, went to Harbor Freight and bought another compressor, whoopie.
Didn't even make dinner, had TACO BELL, can you believe that? I love those little Cinnamon crispy things. Now I'm waiting for Survivor to come on.

Nice Couple-a Days

It's been a nice couple o days, as you probably know. The "aunt & uncle" left early this a.m. Got up at 7 am to see them off. It was nice visiting with them. I went to the Linden Market yesterday afternoon and bought 4 HUGE Porterhouse steaks. Sarah grilled them and I made baked potatoes with all the toppings and pan-seared mushrooms, oh so yummy! We sat around and watched the election junk till we could stand it no more.
Today I've been busy reconciling the KNS accounts. Got to go see the account and get everything going. Chris and I made time for lunch at Olive Garden. Tried the new Gnocchi soup, but both of us returned to our old favorites. Mine - Pasta Fagolia, and Christ the Tuscan one. Bread sticks and salad were as yummy as ever.
Tonight I was in a snit about dinner so I wandered around the grocery store for a while. As I was stalking the meat isle I swept past the shrimp freezer. Ah-ha thought I. Shrimp on the barbie. And to go with that a cheese fondue with crusty bread. I returned home and whipped up a peanut-butter/soy/ginger sauce for the shrimp. It was excellent! So was the fondue. Later we're having vanilla ice cream covered with fresh strawberries. What will tomorrow bring? Oh yeah, I have a playdate with Sydney.

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the Kings daughters and
all the Kings sons
couldn't put Humpty together again.

Warm Weather, Trick or Treat & "Aunt Ann & Uncle Dale"

It's been a pretty busy couple of days. "Aunt" Ann & "Uncle" Dale from the great state of Florida arrived Thursday Night. We visited with them until they were "plum tuckered out" and headed for bed. Friday we hung out and then we all passed out candy to a record number of trick-or-treaters. I think the balmy weather had something to do with it. Lola (grand-child) was here and was underfoot as always. I'll have to get a pic of her. She is a Pug puppy and so teeny-tiny! Yesterday was another gorgeous day. "Uncle" Dale took me out to breakfast- we went to Bob Evans. It was really nice. He is a great guy. Now I see why he is Sarah's "Uncle." Syd and I played outside in the sun for a couple of hours. Her mommy had to go to her new job. (how was that?) Katie & Richie came over and we played my NEW Monopoly game - Electronic Debit Monopoly. I am sad to report Katie pulverized us all. I sooooooo hate to lose! We chowed pizza from Rocky's while we played. Then we went bowling. They all laughed at me cuz my "unique" bowling style. My butt sticks out cuz I can't bend my legs. (My torn muscle you know) But, I got the last laugh - I won the high score!! Can you believe that?
Ann & Dale went to Grand Rapids to a wedding reception. They'll be back later this afternoon. Dale is trying to talk Sarah into taking tomorrow off and maybe we'll do something. Supposed to be a nice day......... Maybe Frankenmuth? Cider Mill? The beach? ok, I'm getting carried away.

Just The Usual

Cleaning, grocery shopping, bookkeeping. But extra much so because we are having out of town guests. Sarah's aunt and uncle from Florida are coming tomorrow and staying for the week. So I've been scurrying around trying to get everything done. Last night we had to fly down to Northville (after Sarah got home from working) and winterize a house before it got dark. So for a treat we all went to Macaroni Grill. Had to hurry back to do the nightly uploading. So no time to visit the locals. :-(
Tonight we bought a new (old) truck for the business. We will be buying a plow so Renee can plow for Sarah. ha ha It's a new task for us this year. Hope it pays off. One of the PP companies requires plowing of the driveways. (for the foreclosure houses) Renee had said she wanted to do it..... I think one of the 2 new employees will be doing that. I'm pretty much working part time for the bus. now. I'm thinking pretty soon I would like to get paid!

Fall Fun

The girls scrapbook weekend was lots of fun and very relaxing. I'm not sure how many pages were scrapped but it was a good excuse to get away. Friday night we ate fish and chips at the Canadian Steak and Fish in Grayling. We all decided it was only "ok." Saturday was mostly rainy, but the sun did eek out so we decided to hit the road and drove to Petoskey. We introduced Renee & Chris to the Roast & Toast and other of our favorite shops in town. Renee was a maniac with the camera! Driving and snapping and making me very nervous. She did get a lot of really nice pictures though. I love her new camera. She let me take some pics and I actually took a few good shots. I will put them on various blogs. We returned home and had yummy taco salad and then Harvest Pumpkin Spice Bars for dessert. Sunday morning we decided not to make breakfast (so we could get the dishwasher running....) and opted for breakfast out at the One Water Street Cafe. 3 of us had the famous eggs Benedict. By the time we got home it was raining, hailing and thundering. Poor Sarah still had to winterize the boat. She was sopping wet by the time she was done. After cleaning and packing we got on our way about 1:00 or 1:30. It was crazy weather. We kept going in and out of sleet, hail and severe winds. The temp would drop 10 degrees inside one of the "dark spells." Then the sun would pop out and the temp would go up 10 degrees. Renee got us all safely home. She probably had a hard time uncrimping her fingers from the steering wheel. I got the most pages completed at 10, but I must admit I was only working in an 8 x 8 book. I think we will try and make this an annual trip! It was so much fun and quite relaxing.

Feeling Better and Heading Out of Dodge

Yesterday I started feeling much better. My nose finally stopped running and running. This afternoon Sarah and I and Renee and Chris are heading for Boyne. We're planning a restful, kind of scrap booking extravaganza type of weekend. I still have to grocery shop, bake and pack. I better get going!

Sneezing-Draining-Dripping-Coughing-Achy

That's me!

Ah, To Be Turning 4

Today was Sydney Bean's 4 yr celebration. I will include a pic if Renee sends me one. There was at least a million people in attendance. The Renee's have a lot of family and friends. The kid got the hook up. Lot's of baby dolls, kitchen dishes and plastic food for her new Little Tykes awesome modern kitchen with real working ice cube dispenser. I am sure a play date will be up and coming soon!

Still working on the office. Got a new desk last night. Moved everything around. It's still a mess though, so I can't do a pic until everything is put away. It was a nice, sunny day.

Rudolph The Reindeer Tea

After an average day of bookkeeping, phone calls, picking up the house etc. AND a nice dinner of salad bar and crab cakes from Ruby Tuesdays, my throat felt scratchy. I searched the cupboards to see what hot liquid I might imbibe to help the throat. My eyes scanned the teas and low and behold stopped on the package of Rudolph the Reindeer Tea. Ah just the thing. I stuck a cup of water in the microwave (i have no teapot :-( It helped. But I woke up this morning with an even more scratchy throat and watery eyes and stuffy nose AND a headache. Cinnamon tea for this morning. And a piece of cherry nut bread from Great Harvest.

Weekend Project: Re do the office so it's more user friendly. Last night we bought a new 4 drawer filing cabinet and some baskets and such for storing batteries, pens & pencils, papers. I think some of the furniture needs to be moved or REmoved.

Sistopher Outing

Yesterday started with a leisuryly drive down to Livonia. The trees were really looking pretty in all their splendiforous glory. We piled into the car and went to our first location; the Northville Farmers Market. The trunk was soon loaded with squash, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, beans, bread, fall decorations and even a huge pumpkin that is going all the way back to SC. Apparently they have no pumpkins there. We even went back for a second trip. I bought some pretty yellow/orange mums and the sistophers added a few more items. Then we went downtown for lunch at Rebecca's. Marlene and I chose the cabbage/veg soup and the sweet potato fries. Oh my! They were so yummy! Pretty fattening I'm sure, but oh so good. Our next stop was to the Northville Cider Mill. We walked back to the river to see the ducks. They were paddling around waiting for stale doughnuts. They didn't get any from us. We then proceeded into the store to purchase cider, doughnuts, carmel apples and cider slushes! We arrived back home stuffed and tired. Don and Riley pulled in to the driveway just as we were pulling in. No rest for the weary. Aunt Jan had bought some huge paper dolls from her earlier garage saling trip. So we made clothes for the dolls for the next hour or so. Riley is pretty creative and enjoyed making the clothes. Soon it was time for dinner. My sister can still cook so don't let her fool you. She made Italian crusted chicken, stuffing a squash bake, and fresh green beans. Cider Mill doughnuts for dessert. Very good! I had to leave so I wouldn't be driving in the dark; which I hate. All in all a very fun day!

What A Wind

There were some heavy duty gusts this morning. The deck umbrella blew completely around to the side of the house. Then it rained and blew. But by noon the winds and rain were gone, gone, gone and the sun came out to make a nice warm afternoon. I threw a roast in the crockpot and it was falling apart by dinner. I made yummy hot roast beef sandwiches and coleslaw with raisins and poppyseed dressing. It was tasty.
This week there is going to be a sistopher outing. My sister Jan is here from SC. So on Thursday we are going to go to the Northville Farmers Market, out to lunch in Northville and then to the Northville Cider Mill. I guess it will be a Northville kind of day. I'm looking forward to the trip.

A Beuticious Day

It started when the Fed-Ex man pounded on the door and woke me up at 8:15 a.m. What a sight! (me) I did some stuff around the house, then I decided to go to the new S-O-N-I-C. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and a Strawberry Limeade! It wasn't too crowded at the time I was there. But they were gearing up for the lunch crowds. ( I had already gone to the bank before Sonic.) Then I had to go to Lowe's and pick up a Dehumidifier for a job for Sarah. When I dropped that off she asked me to go to Gilroy's and get a carpet cleaner. Then I finally got home. I did junk on the computer from around 12:30 to 5:30. Had a Lean Cuisine Panini for lunch - not too bad. Called my dad to let him know we're going to the cottage for the week of the 24th. Gonna be a Scrapin Week end with the girls. Sarah and me, and Renee from across the way and cousin Chris. Can't wait!

Indian Summer

A period of mild, sunny weather occurring in late autumn, usually following a seasonable cold spell. [Late 1700s] Isn't it wonderful? The weather man said it would hit 80 degrees today and tomorrow.
My sister & hus. are up north, lucky ducks. I imagine it's gorgeous.
We accomplished some tasks around the yard yesterday, I did some grocery shopping and made a yummy recipe, Harvest Pumpkin Spice Bars to take to our monthly card party last night. First we started out at the Hollywood Diner for breakfast on Corunna Rd. I had a huge "super" omelet. Of course I forgot to bring the part I didn't eat home. The we went to Home Depot to pick up some stuff.
Today we are going back over to Mike & Chris's to finish off last nights leftovers. Cheesy Potato soup & chicken salad. And of course, Harvest Pumpkin Spice Bars! ( I sent a picture of them to Marlene via cell phone.)

A Birthday Dinner Rescued

Homemade lasagna, garlic bread with homemade garlic butter, salad and a birthday cake. Katie and Richie were supposed to come over to celebrate Richie's birthday, but had to cancel because Richie's sister is in the hospital to give birth. The Renee's graciously accepted an invitation to dinner. The dinner got "killed" and even Evan seemed to like the lasagna. He's kind of a picky eater. I was very impressed when after dinner the kids got up without direction and cleared their dishes. We had a good time (as we always do) with the Renee's.

A Very Nice Day

(The Alamo)

It started with me making biscuits and gravy (i cheated on the biscuits--i used "Grands") and scrambled eggs. Very good. Then I set up the new computer; which took quite a while. I did everything so far by myself and haven't needed to bug Tom yet...
Then we went to Wolcott's Cider Mill in Mt. Morris. We got apples, cider, doughnuts, a Carmel apple for me and apple dumplings for Sarah & Niki. It was beautiful. WAS. It is now clouding up. It's even supposed to rain tonight, yuck. Sarah & Nik got the camper all set for winter. boo hoo.
I'm making stuffed pork chops and asparagus for dinner. Cheating on that too and using box stuffing.

The Dump at 7:45 A.M.

Now that is real thrilling, let me tell you. Unloading wet, soggy trash; other people's nasty stuff. Good thing I'm not a collector of stuff, or I'd be pulling stuff as it's in mid-air on it's way into the dumpster. Should have took a picture. OK, enough about that.
So because I was up so early I've been everywhere and it's only noon. The library, Blockbuster and the grocery store. Getting ready to have that meatloaf sandwich I never ate yesterday. We have 2 teams out working today. There is so much work it's crazy. I might have to start going - YUCK. I really hope not. Anybody know someone with a pick up truck that could use some part-time work?

P.S. The pic is frm San Antonio. Stay tuned for more.

Oh yeah, Happy Birthday Karen & Raymond!

New Post

I don't know where the week has gone. Monday seems like ages ago. Tuesday I went down to Ann Arbor to sit with Don while Marlene was having surgery to repair an aneurysm. (which could not be done) So she got to go home after they woke her up! Wednesday I got up early to go down to Livonia to babysit for Riley. We had a blast and played with the baby dolls for SEVERAL hours. Then Karen, Riley and I went to Oodles of Noodles for lunch. I wish we had one here, it was yummy. Then we stopped to see the recovering Mar, then we went to go visit Knock-Knock. (That's what Riley calls my dad) A very busy day. I came home and took a nap. We had left-overs for dinner. (yuck) Then went across the street to celebrate Elissa's 12th birthday. Finally went to bed, whew! Yesterday, I stayed home most of the day. I took Sarah a sub from Jimmy John's. First time we tried that. It was ok, nothing special. Then I came home and made a meatloaf. I'll be having a meatloaf sandwich for lunch today.-) Insurance dude came over last night and Sarah and I both got hooked up with some Life Insurance. Then I watched "Survivor." I tried to watch the VP debate but it made me crazy so I had to stop.

Home Without A Hitch

Taxied up to the gate at about 11:15 p.m. last night. The girls and Bailey were up and waiting (not for us but for the pizza they ordered!) Slept in but still really, really tired. Unpacked today and grocery shopped. Tomorrow I will have to tackle the laundry.
Austin was a really crazy place, but the seminar was very informative. Also helpful was the networking with other small companies who are doing the same thing. We met some nice people & the food was good at the seminar. Tomorrow I will upload pictures from the trip.

The Lone Star State

Flew into San Antonio, TX without a hitch. (Unlike the last time I flew anywhere.) San Antonio is a very cool place. Went to the Alamo of course. Then on to the Riverwalk area which is very, way cool. Shops and restaurants built along the river. You take tour boats or taxi boats to get around. Or just walk allot! Had a nice steak dinner along the river bank. There were Mariachi bands strolling along too. Went to the Market Square today which is an area where several vendors from Mexico sell their wares. Bought a Mexican blanket, salsa bowls, t-shirt, shorts, a metal sun for the shed, toys for the kids and a bag to carry all the stuff in! Drove to Austin this afternoon. Tomorrow is the seminar, all day - 9:00 - 5:00, whew! Probably won't do much after that cause we'll be tired and this place is crazy. Almost got crunched in our little rental Kia tonight. They speed everywhere and don't let anyone over. But in this case the dude tried to squeeze into our lane right where we were. Pictures to follow - the camera is in the trunk of the car.

Yesterday

Was Syd's first day of pre-school
I did the laundry :-(
I made some beef strogonoff
I packed for our trip to Texas
I mowed the lawn
I watched Dancing w/the Stars for the first time

Max & Cheese Recipe

I added the Mac & Cheese Recipe to the Mac and Cheese Blog...

Amelia (Bedelia)

This is how I held my great-niece Amelia Henderson for 3 solid hours yesterday while her mom (Audrey) looked through 9 totes of Riley's baby clothes. She is such a sweet little baby. Audrey gleaned about 2 totes worth of stuff for both Amelia and Maddie.

Well, last weekend we were TP'd if you remember and this weekend we were egged! Nicole swears up and down she has no enemies at school.... Anyway, the house is clean inside AND out and I've got a chicken in the crockpot with potatoes and will make some stuffing and maybe a squash to go with it. I think I'll read this afternoon, although since I have a brand new scrap-book room I should work on something. I even bought a new scrapbook.

New Recipe for Mac & Cheese

I saw this on tv. Just can't remember what I was watching. It wasn't anything on the cooking channel. Oh well. I took some pictures because Marlene keeps telling me to do that. So this is:

Fluffy Macaroni and Cheese

I also took a shot of my lovely place setting and my new fall table decorations. Sarah said I should have stuck a sprig of like Rosemary or Basil or something on it. Maybe next time.

The recipe has several secret ingredients:

Evaporated milk, Velveeta cheese, Cheddar cheese, egg, sugar and a pinch of nutmeg. It was way delisioso!

So the recipe: (i actually hate writing recipes cause I don't really measure.

1/2 box macaroni - cooked el dente

1/2 cube of small velveeta cheese

2 cups cheddar cheese

1 can evaporated milk

1 egg

1/4 C sugar or less to taste

pinch of nutmeg

1 t dry mustard (can make w/out)

mix noodles 3/4 of milk egg sugar nutmeg & mustard

melt cheese reserve 1 C for top

pour cheese mix into macaroni

bake at 400 for about 1/2 hour

pour remaining milk and mix half way

after 1/2 hour top w/ remaining cheese and broil 5 min.

Low, Slow, Lazy Day

Slept in, got a late start to the day. Rescheduled an appointment with the insurance man because I didn't feel like going anywhere today. Trying to cope. Did all the usual house chores & even did a load of whites. Just me and Bailey hangin out today.
Got a note from Karen Pianki (Mayes) an old chum from H.S. on my Facebook today. It seems there is going to be a reunion of the Bentley H.S. Concert Choir, next year. We were both in the choir- me for 1 year and she was in for 2.
My sister wants me to start a cooking blog, but I don't know if I could keep up with 2 blogs! Can't I just write the cooking stuff on this blog? What do ya think?

Rain Rain, Finally Went Away

We were left with flooded streets (impassible) and tons of sewer back-up in the flint area. Luckily not us! Yesterday was cloudy and cool - but at least no rain. Someone had TP'd or as Syd called it (Pee-Peed) us on Friday night. What a sopping mess all over the trees, grass, bushes and flowers. I paid Evan $5 last night to clean it up! He did a good job.

Well I finally made the chili and cornbread last night. It was pretty cool yesterday, so I thought it WOULD BE A GOOD NIGHT TO COOK CHILI. (sorry i was interrupted by a phone call.) Sunday night I made a really nice Ratatouille. It's my signature dish. Just like the rat. ha ha

Over the weekend we played *Singstar* with the Renees. We had so much fun we went to Wally mart and bought our own Singstar. Now I'm practicing for a rematch.

Pamper Day And I Don't Mean Diapers

Yesterday I decided we needed an afternoon of pampering. So I made appointments at the Sumerset Spa for Sarah to have a massage and me to have an Ultimate facial and then a nail appointment to get some acrylic nails. Sarah enjoyed her massage and the Ultimate facial was awesome. It included a arm/hand & leg/foot massage, as well as of course a facial massage.

Rumor has it that I will receive more information today about my job. They are supposed to be having a BIG phone conference today to get more details.. We shall see...

Lots of rain expected for this weekend. That's fine. I am armed with lots o' books. Marlene gave me 3 or 4 and I had ordered some from the library and picked up 2 yesterday. I started reading Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber yesterday. probably 1/2 way through it already. So it will be a Read-A-Thon weekend.
Doesn't a BIG pot of chili and cornbread sound good??

P.S. Lisa - Cavette is already bye-bye from Center Academy.

Barrage

A group of young people from Calgary - a drummer, 2 guitarists and 6 violinists. They played everything from Ukrainian music to Calypso to Country to Rock to Swing to French. The were quite lively. The spun and jumped sang and danced all while playing the violins. We enjoyed it very much.

P.s. We did eat at Steak & Shake. I think the novelty has warn off. It was only ok.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

The house is clean (smells good too!) the lawn is mowed so we are taking off and going down to Meadowbrook Music Theatre to see Barrage. Free tickets. Well $6 for handling. Barrage is some kind of violin group. I'll let you know tomorrow what it was like. We will eat somewhere down there, maybe Steak-n-Shake.

Life, Death and Politics

Life
I'm back to not sleeping at night
Sarah is working like a dog
Its raining sideways this morning (grass looks good)

Death
My brother Rob's father-in-law passed away yesterday - complications of cancer

Politics
Sick of the sickening presidential slam commercials - why don't they just tell us what their own beliefs are?
Tired of hearing about Kwame Kilpatrick
Unbelievable the way a certain group of people think that Kwame should be given a 2nd chance

Perjury, Misconduct, Obstruction of Justice and Felony Charges

Nothing major. Throw the bum out. That's what Jennifer Granholm is trying to do. May she succeed. Wow, is there even a question?

Anyway, my day in review:
Went to a 9 a.m. meeting where I found out I'm still waiting to find out if I'm going back to work
Did some paperwork on the computer
Ate left over sloppy joe for lunch
Watched Millionaire
Went grocery shopping
Went over to the Renee's to hang out (bought her some detergent and a pack of taco seasoning I owed her)
Helped Renee's daughter Elissa with her homework; wrote a simile
Made some broccoli salad to go with tonight's hamburgers
Checked out everybody's blogs
Watched the dark clouds roll in
Watched the news

Oh yeah, last nite I tried making and eating grilled cream cheese stuffed Jalapenos. Someone suggested it over the weekend. What a mess! Cream cheese oozed out all over the grill. However they were pretty tasty and HOT. I don't think I scraped out all the seeds and veins. I gave all the rest of the Jalapenos to Tom's friend Will.

Camping Extravaganza

We left Thursday night for Myers Lake campground in Argentine/Byron. Set up in the dark, but we got the premo location! You see we were trying the "group" approach to camping. Renee worked diligently to assemble 12 families together to try this group approach. Friday morning we had the place to ourselves. One by one later in the day the campers started pulling in. Renee directed everyone into the perfect spot. All told there were 21 kids and 19 adults. Renee planned a potluck meal for Friday nite so that we could get to know one another. Later around the campfire we tried to do introductions. It was a bit hard over the dull roar of the children at play. It was fun and mostly successful. The weather was great, the water warm the setting beautiful, and the food plentiful! A great time was had by all!!

(Picture "borrowed" by Renee)

We're Outta Here

The campground where we're going is open tonight so we and the TREES are there!
Myers Lake - Come out and set a spell...

Update

For those of you who have been following:
My niece Michelle is now cancer free!!
She's feeling great too.

FYI - I didn't even cook last night, went out to a new Mexican restaurant- it was ok.

Not To Brag, But...

Everyone (Sarah & Niki) said tonight's spaghetti was the best ever. I, yes I, have even outdone my own cooking skills! Tomatoes & peppers from the garden, fresh basil from the herb garden, red pepper flakes, vadalia onion chunks, a touch of Merlot, and of course Italian seasoning and then of course.................the secret spice...........

New Post

How funny that my last post about stuffed peppers caused such a ruckus !
Well I've been busy getting ready for Niki's "Sweet Sixteen" party. We had several H.S. age teens over Saturday night. They were supposed to have a bonfire but that got rained out. So they had a massive shaving cream fight instead. (I'll attach the pictures when Renee has some spare time to send them to me) Then they ate massive amounts of pizza and cake. After that they went downstairs and just messed around with the air-hockey and basketball net.
Yesterday was clean up and rest up after the party. I read a book- finished it too! Dinner was easy, Chicken, potatoes, and carrots in the crockpot. Tonight, chicken nachos for Niki's birthday. After she goes to volleyball practice and assistant coaching soccer with Renee that is. If time we'll go shopping for the digital camera she wants for her B.D. gift.

P.S.

I made a batch of stuffed peppers today.
&
I'm making Monte Cristo Sandwiches for dinner.

Tuscan Pizza

Ingredients:
Pizza Crust - I use frozen bread dough
Cheese Mixture - Asiago, Parm. and Gargonzola
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar & Brown Sugar heated (1/8 C each)
Roma Tomatoes
minced garlic
Fresh Mixed Greens

Directions:
Spread out dough onto cookie sheet
spread out cheese on dough
spread out sliced Roma tomatoes & minced garlic on top of cheese
sprinkle with Olive Oil
heat at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes
Sprinkle top with fresh greens and pour the vineager mix on top
slice and eat!
~Enjoy~

What Today Is Wednesday?

I think Monday and Tuesday were one big long day. It doesn't help that I only got 4 hours of sleep last nite. I know, I know--waaaaaa to ya.
I'm making Tuscan Pizza tonight - YUMM-OH! Smells deliciocio. If you want the recipe just let me know.
I need to start scrapin now that I have a WHOLE scrappin room. Think I'll go to Micheal's tomorrow and get some new albums and some photo boxes. Think I can talk Renee into going too? Probably not on a Thursday. Renee, is your homework done? Get to steppin! Guess where all the pictures are? Stuffed every which way, not a good thing...

Caffeine Overload

Let's see the count for the day =
1 Med. Honey Cinnamon Iced Latte from Seattle's Best at 3:00
1 and 1/2 Iced tea with dinner @ 6:00
1 Diet Coke at 9:00
Raise your hand if you think I can't sleep.
What was I thinking?
Now I'm watching Everybody Loves Raymond reruns at 12:00 a.m.

My Current Favorite Comercial

The Orkin commercial. The one where the BIG bug tries to deliver a pizza to a home. The best part is when the Orkin guy gives the BIG bug a dirty look, then the BIG bug looks at the Orkin guy and then zooms away. So funny!

How trivial you say. However, sometimes it takes the focus off the unbearable. Just a smidgen of humor. Anyway, the camping trip to Bay City was nice and relaxing. Mostly. The beds in the camper are not so comfortable. Didn't get allot of sleep. We are considering upgrading to a hard side camper.

This week I'm going to focus on getting a lot of chores and stuff done. I'm still not sure when I'm supposed to report back to work. Hope to find out this week!

It's Been A Week...

Because...
My brother kidnapped my dad
Katie's moving out
The Renee's are on vacation
I've had the "D" all week
Can't sleep, eat or get myself motivated

Good news -
Niki made the JV Volleyball team
We are going camping - bay city
I decided to let my sister have my weekend up north because of #1 up there.... she didn't really get to enjoy herself earlier this week. I figured we could always sneak away in the camper and that is exactly what we are doing. Camping can be quite relaxing. Just ask Bailey - he loves it!

Star Gazing

2008 Meteor Showers and Viewing Tips
The next meteor shower is the Perseids on August 12, 2008. After the first-quarter moon sets, around 2 a.m., meteors should be more easily visible until dawn. You may see dozens of meteors per hour. I'll be up will you?

I Got Sick of Watchng the Olympics So...

I flipped the cooking channel on. Mrs. Neely from Down Home With the Neeley's was on. She was making a delicious looking bread pudding. I decided to start baking and cooking. I whipped up a batch of that, it's baking now. We put some great new 'rub' on some chicken wings and we're goonna be bbqing them up in a little bit. Then when I was watchin the new Big Daddy's House he was makin some Au'Gratin Potatoes. So I decided to make some cheesy potatoes to go with the wings. Which by the way we're going to try some new sauce that we bought last time in Petosky - Cherry Hot BBQ. Then I whipped up a Green Been Blue Cheese Salad that I've been wanting to try. Next I'll be making:
Scones - umm I love scones, my grandma used to make them. I found a real easy recipe online.
Homemade Salsa - with tomatoes, peppers and jalapenos from the garden
Granola - I have all the ingredients for making a big batch of homemade granola.

I found that baking and cooking has relived a little stress. Who knows what I'll make tomorrow!
Tonight we'll be using our "Coke Rewards" rewards. 2 movies, a large bucket of popcorn and 2 sodas. Just what the Dr. ordered!

Humm Drumm

Sorry folks, nothing much to say lately. There is just some stuff I'm dealing with so I just don't have much to say. But just thought I'd check in.

Sigh...

No Comment...

P.S.

While at the A2 Market we visited the Spice store upstairs in the market building. It was so interesting. I bought some Allspice, Cardamom, BBQ Rub and even some Ginger Twist Green Tea. Don't know yet what I'll do with the Allspice and Cardamom but yesterday we went to Borders and I got a really cool herb and spice book. I had a 25% off coupon for my birthday. I think I'm on a health kick. This morning I made pecan waffles. By the way the tea makes a very yummy iced tea. Today we planted the mint and basil. The lady that we bought the mint from gave us a good tip on how to plant it so it won't spread. Put it in a buried coffee can. So that is what we did.
Tonight we are having some baby back ribs and trying out the rub. I got some of those cute little mini yellow & green squash too.

What Do Golf, Herbs, & Elizabeth's Breakfast Stew Have In Common?

They are all things I have enjoyed previously at one time or another and have partaken of this weekend. Yesterday we decided to dust off the ole golf clubs and headed over to the local 9 hole par 3 course. It was fun and just 5 bucks. The herbs and the breakfast stew kind of go hand in hand. Sarah had a job in Ann Arbor so we decided to head over to the Farmer's Market. We ate of course at "The Broken Egg" and I had my old favorite breakfast, Elizabeth's Breakfast Stew. Many years ago it was named, The Kitchen Sink. It's still the same stuff, hashbrowns, sliced potatoes, ham, bacon, peppers, onions and eggs! Yummy, especially with a spalsh of Clancey's hot sauce. The herbs, well I used to plant and use alot of herbs. I have kind of gotten away from that. I decided today to buy a big bunch of basil and make some pesto tonight. So, that got me to buying a couple of herbs. Of course the basil and also some mint for my iced tea and mojitos!

1958 Babe or Vett - Which Looks Better?

Never mind, don't answer that! We saw this beauty (which one you ask?) at the classic car show in Lexington over the weekend. Had a great weekend at a beautiful B & B right on Lake Huron. Took an unexpected trip to Canada for 20 minutes. That was potentially frightening. Took a wrong turn, couldn't get off bridge and had to go over. Had no $$ to get back so we had to get "denied" access to Canada so we could get back to U.S. for free. The nice Canadian woman did that because it was my birthday. Talk about a "senior moment" ha ha. Sunday we had a small celebration at Mike & Chris's. The Renee's plus the Codes attended. I actually went swimming in their pool. We had spaghetti & meatballs, salad, breadsticks and of course cherry cobbler. Just like Mom would have made, only not quite as good.....

Happy Birthday To Me

We are leaving for Port Huron this afternoon. Gonna hang around and do whatever. W e love to hang out on the river side of P.H. and watch the huge freightors steam up and down the river. Staying at a B & B tonight that is north of Port Huron in North Lakeport. It is supposed to be right on the lake. I'll check back in on Sunday.

Coming Soon to Flint

Sarah saw the sign on her way to work this morning. I am so excited. I wish they would hurry up. I'm waiting for my "Cherry Limeade." The location will be right on my way to work... Miller Road at the I-75 overpass. Well that's if my office is still in the same location. Which is questionable... But I could make it on the way to anywhere, couldn't I?

Suprise Family Birthday Party

So this is the awesome cake that my sister Marlene brought for the BIG occasion! It was absolutely delicioso!! Those planks that you can see were white or dark chocolate all around the cake. We brought the leftovers home, but it's already gone. Laura my sister-in-law had a Mexican food theme complete with gazpacho, chips, salsa & guacamole, a bean dip and then taco lasagna and corn cake. Everything was very yummy. I got a lot of humorous cards and some Gerber daises, perfume and a "SISTERS" scrapbook from Marlene. Oh yeah and Riley picked out the little birdie that you can see by the flower pot.

Home From Vaca

to:
huge piles of laundry
long grass
fried flowers - trying to bring them back to life
heat & humidity
chauffeuring
grocery shopping
but:
a clean house (good job Katie)
my nice fluffy bed

hApPy BiRtHdAy tO mY bIg SiStOpHeR mArLeNe

The Big 6 0 !

C-Ya

Leaving tonight for vacation. Going up to the cottage in Boyne.
Going to:
sleep
eat
read
rest
boat
spend money
watch the sun set
shop
relax
try the new girl scout cookie Blizzard
just plain enjoy myself!

June is Gone

Wow! It's hard to believe it's July 1st!

Some thoughts ~
Trying to keep the flowers hydrated
Love the warm days and cool nights
Evan and I are going to set up the badminton net today - tonight the official tournemant begins
Washing clothes and packing for vacation
The first crop out of the garden - radishes
The bluebirds have flown the coop (nest)
Summer 2008 drink of choice - Mojito
Can't wait to grace the doors of Red Mesa Grill
Got a new weed whacker for the cottage
Got a call from Jeff Grayer (my boss) - It looks like I will have my job back! (Thank you Lord!)

Annonymous Birthday Cards

keep showing up at my house. The latest is a funky 100 year old card from some people I don't Even know, Leona and Herman. Ok, this reeks of my sister Marlene. And anyway there is always an old picture of me when I was a child. She is so funny!

Grandma Rush

Sarah's grandma passed away early Tuesday morning. She was a great lady. She had a really good sense of humor and was very kind! She has just been getting sicker and sicker. She broke her hip about a week and a half ago & then she got a bad infection from an anti-biotic they were using to treat a urinary tract infection. I think she was just tired of not feeling good. The obituary from the Flint Journal is below:

Alva S. (Sy) Rush
RUSH, Alva S. (Sy) - Of Flint, age 86, died Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at Avalon Hospice. Funeral service will be held at 10AM Friday, June 27, 2008 at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, Pastor Doug Klein, officiating. Burial in Sunset Hills Cemetery. Those desiring may make contributions to the charity of their choice. Visitation 1-8PM Thursday at the funeral home.

It's Over, I'm Tired

Woke up Saturday morning bright and early (6:30) to thunder & rain. Oh well. It melted the crepe paper so we had to change the red-spotted tablecloths. Other than that it was okay, by the time we got up it was nice and sunny & everything was drying! We had a nice turn out for the G.P., weather was ok, not too hot. It sprinkled a few times but not too much to ruin anything. We didn't run out of food (the big nightmare!) and actually we had too much. BIG shout out to Tom & Renee, Meckenzie & LeAnn, Mike & Chris(Trenton, Lindsay & too) and Trina for all the help. We couldn't have pulled it off without you guys. It was nice to see everyone. The biggest surprise was Ms. McCann, Katie's third grade teacher from Gaines. She was an awesome teacher! Everyone loved the video that Renee made and hopefully she'll get her business started doing videos. I don't even know if we have any pics - such a busy day. I think Katie took one of the cake, if I can find it I'll upload later today. We had a bonfire after the G.P. Had to stay up on the longest day and all. We toasted the new choclate smashmallows (that's what Syd calls em) that Renee brought over. Different.

June 17, 2008

Sarah turns 40! Some friends decided to decorate the house/yard and we had a little get together to celebrate. It was a cold and cloudy day. The sign kept blowing down, we had to keep putting them back up. Sarah was surprised to see all the signs when she got home from work. She was really suprised to see the blow up picture that Chris did from their middle school year book. We had the Aurands and cousins Mike, Chris & Trenton over for hot dogs & such. A fun time was had by all!

Happy Father's Day to All the Dads

We decided to have Sarah's mom and dad over for brats and burgers. We had an early dinner (4:00) it started to rain about 20 minutes after we got everything in from the grill.

I cooked up 5 lbs of burger (taco) and 3 lbs of chicken today for the G.P. on Sat. Everything is pretty much done. I still have to cook up some more chicken and just buy the fresh stuff.

Yesterday was Katie's graduation at Perani Arena. It was nice and over in 1 &1/2 hours! I will upload a pic when I get up off the couch and get the sd card. We went out to Bubba O'Dooleys afterwards for dinner. It was pretty good. I had a stromboli which was really good.

Week In Review

I'm so happy that Rich's Greenhouse is open. I went and got a variety of fruits and made a yummy fruit salad one night. Sunday we went to the Creek Farmer's Market but it was pretty bad.... Wednesday I attended a luncheon (FCS) to honor the mentors in the mentors program. We're still waiting to hear if the grant to reinstate our jobs will be approved.

Yesterday I was on the computer all day making reservations for our trip to San Antonio and Austin TX. Sarah needs to attend a seminar for one of her service companies so we decided to make a mini trip out of it. We'll be going the last w/end in Sept. Should be fun, I've never been to the Lonestar State before. Probably go to the Alamo, it's in San Antonio. Don't know what else.

Saturday is Katie's graduation ceremony. Then we'll probably go out to dinner. Then of course there is the never ending list of "get ready for the party chores!" Today I'm just chillin - probably do some of the accounting for the buss.

Just Busy

Getting ready for the big par-tay. Renee dragged me out shopping for flowers and pots and stuff one day. Now I just have to plant them! Sarah's been busy painting the deck, putting up and painting a wall in the garage. The grass is coming in good with all the rain we've been having. Yesterday we ordered the balloons and bought more decorations. Did I mention that I can't wait until this bash is over?

Tonight I'm making Monte Cristo Sandwiches. I saw Rach make them and thought they looked yumm-o. I'll tell ya how they are!

June, Wow!

So my fans are getting jumpy again. Have no fear. Anyway, we went camping again this weekend. I had a great idea. Since we were going down to dad's to clean on Saturday I decided that we could camp at Proud Lake and then just hop on over to dad's on Sat. night. That worked out pretty good. And we even got to test out the camper in a thunderstorm! It stormed from 10 p.m. until about 2 a.m.Friday night. I gotta admit it was a little frightening. But the camper held up just fine. Sunday dawned cool and cloudy. All around us we could hear people packing up. I didn't want to get caught packing up in the rain so we booggied and split 45 minutes later. We stopped at National Coney Island at Beck & Pontiac Tr. Man that area has changed so much I didn't even recognize that it was where I lived in the apt.
So by the time we got home it was warming up and sunny. So we decided to start a few projects around the yard. There is alot of work to do. Patching bare spots in the lawn, flower pots, flower beds, etc... Pics are of some of the finished and unfinished projects.

P.s. As you can see we need to buy a new umbrella for our table as the meices have chewed up the old one!