Diapers for Everyone - Help a Mother Out (no not me, but read on please)

I follow a blog written by an up and coming photographer in San Francisco (the city of my early adulthood).  I am not sure how I found her blog(s), but I love her writing and I really love her photographs.  She has recently been branching out with new projects and HAMO (Help A Mother Out) is one of those projects.  If you are interested in reading about this organization (which can be done in any city), please read Julie's blog  here. 

I personally do not think that most of us ever think about the homeless and less fortunate needing diapers.  Even if the less fortunate are on public assistance and food stamps (you cannot buy diapers with food stamps), they can rarely pay for housing and food, much less diapers.  Please if you want to know more then be sure to read Julie's blog entry.  She tells you about her involvement with a local homeless woman and her three children that led her to this new venture. 

Thanks for reading.

Four Little Monkeys Sitting on a Couch

Here are my four grandchildren sitting on the couch in my living room.  They range in age (from left to right) Sarah-19, Cameron-5 months, Jeremiah-6, Sami-10.  Do you know how hard it is to get all four of them to sit still and look toward the camera?  I must have taken 10 pictures and this is the only one where they all kind of looked in my direction and no one had their hand in front of someone's face. 

Cameron taking a bath in my kitchen sink.  He usually has his bath in a Tummy Tub (if you do not know what that is, be sure to google it, they are the greatest invention for babies).  He loved being in the sink and of course loves his feet which he discovered a few weeks ago.  He has two bottom teeth that his parents forgot to tell me about, so you can imagine my surprise when he put my finger in his mouth and bit down!  Yeow!  those things are like razor blades.

And since we have a mechanic in the family, there is always at least one car that needs some work.  This time the Boston clan needed new brakes on the VW Station Wagon, so it was accomplished in my driveway.  Thank goodness it was a 50 degree day, with no rain.  It turned out to be more work than a normal brake job due to corrosion from salted roads, and required a pry bar to remove the piston from the caliper.  It all turned out good, and they have new brakes for their trip home.  

It was wonderful to have all three of my children home at the same time (with their respective spouses and children).  That does not happen very often, so I was a happy person.  There are more pictures, taken by my SIL and one of the DILs, so when I get them I will post more pictures. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will stay safe and warm for New Year's. 

The First Grade Christmas Party

On Monday I got to deliver this to the first grade classroom where my 6 yo grandson attends school.  Since we all know that homemade goodies are no longer allowed in most public schools, I could not open the box to take a really good picture, so this one will have to do.  This cupcake creation was baked by the local Target, and it turned out so cute. 

Sunday - Funday

Mannland5 is hosting Sunday-Funday - Getting to know you.  Join in, answer this weeks questions, then go here and grab a McLinky back to your blog.  Play it will be fun!

Today's questions..


1. Middle name?
Kay

2. What do you think is your best asset (physical)?
not bad legs for an old lady

3. If you could only eat one type of cuisine for a year, what would it be (Mexican, American,Chinese..etc.)?
Chinese (I love all those veggies and noodles)

4. Walmart or Target?
Target, but I do shop at Walmart too!

5. Favorite State besides the one you live in?
Maine

6. What side of the bed do you sleep on, left or right?
Left

7. King or Queen size bed?
Queen

8. Beer or wine?
Wine

9. Water..ice-cold or room temp?
room temp

10. Christmas..love it or hate it?
Not really a fan of the commercial version we have these days.

Now it is your turn, go ahead, it is fun. 

Oh Christmas Tree!

I have been very slow getting into the holiday spirit this year.  Last night I was very tired, so I took a nice hot bubble bath and suddenly I was in the holiday spirit, so I climbed the steps to the attic, got the tree and one box of decorations and at 10:30 PM, I put up my tree and decorated it.  I live in a small house with a very small living room, so the tree is small and I only used about one-eighth of the decorations I own, but I think it looks festive.
What do you think?

Had to put it in front of the fireplace or move out some furniture, so in front of the fireplace it went.  I don't use the fireplace because it does not make much heat and I hate to pollute the earth just to see a fire.  If it heated, now that would be a different story.   Those things on the tree that look like little white cotton balls are actually lights that in person look like snowballs, they are so cute.  I love to turn off all the house lights and just enjoy the tree lights.

Now on to wrapping the gifts, not one is wrapped yet, but I am confident I will get them done before Christmas morning (or maybe I will just plop them all in gift bags and call it done). 

Well it is Friday and my first time to particiapte in Yes I Did Friday.  It is time for that chance to tell all the things you did, that you probably shouldn't have....but also to tell some things that you did that were great.

 Jeanette at And on to Today is hosting this blog carnival every Friday. Here is what you do.....go on over to Jeanette's blog, sign Mr. Linky, leave Jeanette a comment and write your own Yes I Did Friday confession. Don't forget to also grab Jeanette's button....

Come on...play along...you know it will feel good to tell.

1,  I did take a bubble bath at 10PM on Thursday night and then get the holiday spirit, so I went to the attic, got the tree and a few decorations, which are now set up and looking much like Christmas in my living room.  

2.  I did work one day this week for cash, which I will now spend on buying good eats for Christmas Day.

3.  I did put off Christmas gift shopping again this week, I only have a few things to buy, but cannot bring myself to go into a store.  I hope I can get in gear and get it done by Monday.

4.  I did receive a $30 gift card from a friend, and yes I am going to use it for something I want.

5.  And I did put off wrapping the gifts that I have already purchased for about the 3rd week in a row.  

Not very exciting, but this is my first time at Yes I Did Friday.  Come join in, it is therapeutic.

A Day of Work & Christmas Trees

As some of you know, some may not know, I have not had a regular job in over a year.  In addition to not having said job, I also closed up my cleaning business in the fall of 2008.  The economy hit my business really hard and I went from cleaning 3-4 houses a week in the first half of the year, to cleaning 3-4 a month by September.  That being said I had a few regular customers that I still work for on an 'on call' basis. 

Today I cleaned a house for one of those customers.  I usually work for her 1-2 times a month and I love to clean her house.  When I arrived this morning I found that she had decorated her house and since I have not decorated mine yet, I fell in love with her decorations. 

Thought I would share a few pictures I took (with her permission). 

This tree is 12 feet tall, and so beautiful.

This is the 'Candy' tree

This is the tree she put on her porch for the 'dogs'

That ribbon has paw prints on it, so cute!  

So now I need to get inspired an put up a tree at my house.  My grandchildren will not be happy if they arrive on Christmas morning and 'The Graminator' does not have a tree and stockings hung by the chimney with care.  They might divorce me! 

Virtual Cookie Exchange

This virtual cookie exchange is hosted by Tracy/Gothic Butterfly, click here to see all the recipes. 

Mexican Wedding Cookies

A simple cookie whose resemblance to a snowball makes them a fun holiday cookie.  They're fragile, so handle them gently when you roll them in the powdered sugar.

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more as needed

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts (you can use hazelnuts, pecans or almonds)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter until light and fluffy.  Add 3/4 cup of confectioners' sugar and cream together.   

Combine the flour, salt, and chopped nuts in a bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the dough and beat until just combined.  Stir in vanilla.

Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or as long as 2 days (or wrap very well and freeze indefinitely).

Heat the over to 350 degrees.  Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and bake on ungreased baking sheet until the tops are just turning brown and the bottoms are golden brown, 10-12 minutes.  

Put the remaining confectioners' sugar in a pie plate or shallow bowl.  Cool the cookies on the sheets just enough so you can handle them; use a spatula to transfer them in batches to the plate of sugar.  Roll each cookie in the sugar until coated and then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.   Roll them in sugar again once cooled.  Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for no more than a day or two.

Advice From Maxine!!

Yep, Maxine is one smart cookie! 

He is not Rudolph, but he is a cute Reindeer!

Cameron's parents took him to the voting place this week, where they were voting on Senator Kennedy's replacement.  I could not resist posting a picture of a little reindeer with his papa!

He is getting so big and cuter everyday.  Here he is sitting up.  Soon he will be crawling so his parents better get on that kid proofing in their house or he will have to come live with the Graminator.  Ssh, don't tell them!

A River Runs Through It! (should I build an ark?)

This picture of my front yard was taken about 15 minutes ago.  Yep, that is a small river running through my  yard.  In past years this happened occasionally, but this year it is the norm.  I will be anxious to see what happens in the spring, will I have grass there?  Who knows.  At least it is not snowing, yet!   How can I be sick of winter in early December. 

A Christmas Ornament

On Saturday night I watched two of my grandchildren for a few hours so their parents could go out to dinner and complete their Christmas shopping.  When they came to pick up the children they had a few surprises for me.  First they had discovered a See's Candy kiosk at a local mall.  This is a big deal because growing up in California we always had See's Candy, but here in the south no one has ever heard of it.  So of course they bought me a few different kinds of candy (mostly sugar-free since I am a diabetic).  I am trying to ration this candy, but it is sooooo good.  Second, they presented me with a new Christmas ornament.  The picture below is exactly like the one they got me, except it has all our family names on it.  I LOVE IT! 

A few years ago this same DIL got me an ornament with all the names on it, but since then I have a new SIL and grandchild, so now I have an updated ornament to hang on my tree.  She is just sweet that way.

I was out searching the web and found a site that sells these ornaments, along with many, many others.  If you go to www.personalizedfree.com you to can purchase an ornament of your choice.  They are all so cute and they make them for all size families.  

The Holiday Spirit

Yesterday I finally started to get the holiday spirit.  Guess I have recovered from Thanksgiving and now I am starting to feel the Christmas season invade my body.  I got my first gift yesterday, from a lady that I work for occasionally.  It is so cool, and now I cannot wait to make cookies. 

It is so cute, I have never made 3-D cookies before, but I am going to give it a try so that I will have a centerpiece for my table.

I also was in such a holiday spirit last night that I made 6 lbs of fudge and I also make coconut bon bon's .  The bon bon's taste like a Mound's Candy Bar because I use dark chocolate to dip them in.  Here is a picture of the fudge in the pan before I cut it. 

                                          .

While the fudge was cooling I made the bon bon's.  They are time consuming because you mix them up, then you have to let it get cold in the refrig, then you form them into balls, then you let them them get cold in the refrig.  After they are nice and cold you dip them in hot melted chocolate, one by one by one by one...well you get the idea.  So here is a picture of a few pieces of fudge and a few bon bon's. 

My DIL was here this morning and sampled both.  She said 'just give me a box of these for Christmas, and I will be happy'.  I assume that means they taste good!

What yummy dessert type thing do you make for Christmas?

My First Blogger Award.....I am so excited!!

Shana gave me my first award as a new blogger.  Thank you Shana, I am thrilled to have received this award.  It took me a little while to figure out how to display it on my blog and make the appropriate links.  I think I got it right.  So I am going to nominate 3 people to receive this award (pay it forward). 

Now for the rules

*Display the award on your blog*

*Link to the person that gave it to you*

 *Nominate blogger's that make you feel all warm & fuzzy!  

*Link to your nominee's blog's*

*And most importantly, don't forget to let them know they have been given the award!*

Now to decide who I am going to nominate...hmmmm, think, think.  I hope all these links work, this is my first time adding links to a blog entry. 

GM @ grammiemommy

Lela @ Paden Family 8

fersher

He is growing so fast and I am missing it!!!!

Here is grandchild No. 4, he is almost 5 months old and is such a happy guy.  He and his mother are both dressed in maroon and grey to celebrate the school colors where she teaches and he attends daycare. 
I will get to see him again at Christmas when he will be almost 6 months old.  I cannot wait!

I Feel Like Marie Calendar

In case you do not know who Marie Calendar is, well way back when I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, it was a pie shop.  I think they branched out and had restaurants, but I have not seen one in years.

Anyway, today I baked two (2) cranberry/walnut pies, three (3) pumpkin pies (I know one is missing from the picture, because I ate part of it....am I bad!), and one (1) Impossible French Apple Pie (which is the easiest pie to make because it makes its own crust). 

It was a full day of baking and watching movies while I waited for them to finish baking.   Then of course the kitchen looked like it exploded, so I had to clean up the mess. 

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner with my sons and their families tomorrow.  My lovely daughter and her family will be on Cape Cod with her in-laws. 

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving.  Enjoy!

A Thanksgiving Tip

He Makes Me So Happy

Seeing this face makes me smile, every time!  This is my youngest grandchild.  I have not seen him since early October, and cannot wait until he visits me for Christmas.  I just 'love' his little self. 

Bored

Can I just say that I am bored.  Yep, I said it.  I know that I used to tell my children to find something to do, that with all those toys and books they could not possibly be bored.  Yep, I am bored. 

Before I retired in 2004, I thought that being retired would give me all this free time to do the things that I had always dreamed of doing.  What I did not take into consideration was that I would not have anyone to share in these magical adventures.  I have come to realize that when you retire, all those friends you made in your 30+ year career would not keep in touch.  After the first 6 months of retirement I had basically stopped hearing from all my working friends.  Do the think 'I died' is what I asked one of my children recently. 

I live in a state where I did not grow up, so I do not have any childhood/school friends here.  Although I am a spiritual person, I am not into organized religion.  I live in the Bible Belt, so there you go. 

I did not dream that my retirement would be so boring.  Now I know why people frequently die after they retire.  I even went outside my comfort level and starting attending exercise classes at the local Senior Center.  After six months of going there 3-5 days a week, I still did not know anyone well enough to say anything other than 'hi, how are you doing'.  It seems that most of the ladies had lived in this town most of their lives and like when I was in high school, there are definite clicks of people.  Don't get me wrong, they are all polite and pleasant, they just are not very friendly. 

So I am bored.  I have looked for a job, but with the economy being in such a state, it does not seem likely that I will find one any time soon.  I have opened my week-end booth at the flea market and have been sewing lots, but that too is a solitary activity.  I do get to talk to customers and the other vendors at the flea market, and that helps.  Am I complaining, yeah, I guess I am in a way.  More than complaining I am stating the facts about retiring without the benefit of a support system.  Being socially isolated is not fun.  It is so not what I lived all my life thinking.  I worked all those years thinking that when I retired I would feel fulfilled and happy. 

Hey this is my blog and I can say what is on my mind, so today that is exactly what I have done.  Hope I did not put a downer on your day!   I just decided to call it like I see it.  I am not unhappy, I am BORED! 

Everything is Sunny

I had a really good week-end at the Flea Market, more traffic than we have had since it opened 9 weeks ago.  It was rainy on Saturday morning, but about 1PM the sun came out.  I was 74 degrees on Sunday and today it is still sunny with temps in the mid 60s.  I got orders for my purses so I will spend the week sewing those orders and finishing some little girl dresses that I had already started. 

The only downer here is that there was a 5 year old girl missing here in North Carolina, and today about 1:30 they found her body in a wooded area in Lee County.  This story just keeps getting more weird as the days go on.  First they arrested the mother's boy friend.  The mother had reported that she put the child on the couch in the living room about 5:30 AM last Tuesday morning and at 6:30AM discovered she was missing.  The boyfriend was arrested and later released when a camera at a hotel in another town showed a man carrying her into the hotel that same morning at 6:10 AM.  Now her mother has been arrested for human traffic, prostitution of a child and child endangerment.  For some reason the authorities think she gave/sold the child into sexual servitude.  The man that was seen on the camera has also been arrested, he has admitted taking the girl, but claims he did not kidnap her.  It is just so darn sad. 

Here are some pictures of my sewing room mess.  I have to get in there and straighten things up, but right now I am only interested in getting my project done so I can get paid for them.  I cannot believe Thanksgiving is next week, I am not ready, can we postpone it for another week?  I thought not, but figured I would ask. 

Can you see the picture of Jerry Garcia next to my guitar? That tambourine sitting on the left side of his picture was given to me by a current member of the Dead back in 1969.  But that is a story for another time. 

Yep, there is a bed underneath all that 'stuff'.  What you cannot see is that there are a couple more bins of material sitting on the other side of the room.  What a mess, but I am having so much fun sewing that it is not even bothering me....YET! 

Rain and more rain

 **Update at 11:30 PM**
Just watched the weather update and they are now saying that 6 inches of rain is a low estimate and we could get double digit rainfall.  Flood warnings are being streamed at the bottom of the screen on all channels.  I think I better build an ark! 

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I live in the path of the storm that was formerly Hurricane Ida.  It started raining earlier today and now they have issued flash flood warnings for the next two days.  According to the weather guessers, we could get as much as 6 inches of rain over the next 36 hours.  I know we need the rain, but do we have to get it all from one storm?

Oh well, I guess it is my opportunity to sew, read and watch good movies, thanks to Netflix.  Two of my grandchildren will grace me with their presence on Wednesday night because their parents have a work schedule conflict.  It is always fun to have them here overnight, but this time will be a challenge because the spare room is covered wall to wall with my sewing projects, that includes the bed!  I think maybe I will let them camp out on the floor in the ready-beds we use for traveling.  They are easy to please, so some hot cocoa with marshmallows and they will think we are camping.  :-)

How I Spent My Week

It has been cold here so I have been spending more and more time in the house.  To keep myself busy I have continued to do my crafts/sewing/mending and I cleaned out the attic.  Well, I did not exactly clean out the attic, but I did go through all those boxes/containers that have been stored up there for years.  I found things I thought I had misplaced, things that made me wonder, why on earth did I ever buy that!  And things that I am so thankful that I found because they have sentimental value to me (not to anyone else, but I love them).  So I sorted through all that stuff, and found lots of things that I can add to my booth at the flea market.  I also found things that belong to my children, so they will eventually get to take those home with them...oh yeah they will!

So the pictures I am adding are 3 of the purses I made this week.  **Scratch that, only two pictures would upload.  Not sure what the problem might be, but I am to busy right now to figure it out.

 

Sewing, sewing and more sewing

I have been reorganizing and going through the bins of craft stuff I have hanging around.  I found lots of material that I forgot I had (at my age that is probably normal).  I had made some purses when I was in Boston over the summer, and thought I would make a few more.  Here are the first two I made late last week.  I think I am going to try to sell them in my flea market booth over the next few weeks.  Hopefully with the holidays approaching, they will sell and I will have Christmas money.  I also found some patterns for little girls dresses and jumpers, so I might try my hand at those too!  Stay tuned, I will post more sewing project pictures as I progress. 

Witches and Goblins and Ghouls

I had fun last night going trick or treating with two of my grandmonsters.  After working all day in my booth at the flea market I was bone tired, but dinner  and a coke brought me back long enough to trek around for two hours in the dark streets of two neighborhoods.  The kids got lots of candy, and had a great time.  Several of the houses were decorated and there were scary things about like a full size gorilla (since it was 75 degrees last night that guy must have been suffering inside that suit), a hot water heater and washing machine, which were very cute homemade costumes, a shark and lots of princesses and pirates.  Granddaughter was a vampire bride, but could not find the appropriate teeth, so she just looked like a bride.  Grandson was a zombie,and did a good job of acting out the part. Here are some pictures.  Fake blood made from corn syrup and red food coloring adorns the zombie's clothes.  Costume was created by my oldest son. 

Washington, DC

I have never been fond of Washington, DC.  The roads are confusing, and the traffic is normally horrible.  Well today I got even 'less fond' of Washington, DC.  The story starts back in early October when I was traveling with two of my grandchildren to Boston.  As we approached DC my grandson and I were working on math and spelling.  I was paying very close attention to the road, but not the road signs and I missed the turn to the 495 beltway.  This mistake took us on 395 which goes very close to the center of DC.  We laughed and said it was an educational detour since we got to see the Pentagon, the Washington Monument and a distant view of the White House.  I pulled over and got out the GPS, which I was not using since I have made this drive 2-5 times a year for the past 11 years.  I used the GPS to guide us through DC and back to the 495 beltway and we did not even lose much time.  I was on the SE Freeway for part of this ride, it was not heavy traffic and I was moving with the flow of traffic at 55 mph.  I try to never speed, especially when the children are with me.

So today I go to my mailbox and among my mail is a legal size white envelope with bulk first class mail and the word POLICE in the upper left corner.  Normally I just run this type of mail through the shredder, but for some reason I decided to open this envelope, and it was probably a very good thing that I did!!

Inside this envelope was a speeding ticket for going 55 in a 40 mph zone.  There was a picture of my truck following about 10-12 car lengths behind another car in the left hand lane of this freeway.  There was a second picture of my license plate.  I swear I never saw a 40 mph sign on that freeway, it was Saturday morning and there was no construction being done either.  So I officially 'really dislike' DC! 

So $50 of my Christmas money will now go to our Nations Capital....ARGH!  I am not a happy camper. 

The next envelope I open is my annual health benefits enrollment.  Well, that just made my day!  My benefits have again gone up and this year it was not $15 or $30 dollars it was a whopping $53 bucks a month.  In 2005 my retiree benefits were $126 a month, they are now $270.  If I am not mistaken that is more than a 100% increase in 5 years. 

Well that is my tale of woe for today.  Hope the moon moves to another spot, I am tired of bad news! 

Flea Markets - one of my favorite things to do

I have always loved a good flea market!  For several years I have been complaining that I need to clean out the attic, the room over the garage, and get some of the 'stuff' out of my house.  About six weeks ago this flea market opened near where I live, so I finally took the leap and rented a booth (which are 12x14) and moved my stuff in this past Friday evening.

So here is my first attempt at being a vendor at the Flea Market.  It was a slow week-end since the State Fair is in town, but I made enough to cover the booth rental and make a few bucks for myself.  I am looking forward to next week-end since I have more stuff to move into the booth, to replace the stuff I sold.  The building is not full yet, but will be soon I am sure.  The vendor on my left sells paintings and prints, and the vendor to my right has literally hundreds of book, lots of antique glass and sodas and candy.

It was a long two days for me since I am not used to standing on concrete floors all day.  I am tired, but I am sure I will adjust.  I will also start selling the purses I make, and possibly little girls dresses.  Hoping that the upcoming holidays will bring lots of shoppers. 

Hope you all had a great week-end. 

The Weather Outside is Frightful, oops that should be Delightful

We have had several days of absolutely beautiful weather and after the cold from last week, it was sooo welcome.  I managed to get my lawn mowed, which is my least favorite thing to do.  Hopefully this warn spell will not cause it to grow to fast.  This time of year I always think (when I am mowing), this might be the last time I have to do this until Spring!!

My favorite thing this time of year is when the local markets get Cranberries.  I love Cranberries!!  I thought I would share one of my favorite recipes with you. 

Cranberry Streusel Pie - The season's bright berry meets walnuts and cinnamon

1 - piecrust (homemade or store bought)
2 cups fresh cranberries (you can use frozen, but I like fresh better)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Put your crust into a 9-inch pieplate, fold edges, and crimp
Stir together cranberries and next 4 ingredients, and spoon into the piecrust
Whisk together egg and remaining ingredients, and pour over cranberry mixture
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350 degrees, and bake 30 minutes

I love this pie with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream.  Enjoy! 

Back from Vacation......Thank Goodness!!!

I had forgotten when you travel with children (in my case grandchildren) it takes longer to get where you are going. It took 16 hours of driving to get from my home to our first destination on Cape Cod. Thankfully both children travel well, and it was not a bad drive, just took a long time when you factor in stopping for meals, gas fillups, potty breaks, etc.

We went to the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory in Hyannis to see how potato chips are made, and of course to visit the gift shop where we bought a big bag of Vinegar and Salt chips. We also went to the beach to play in the sand (and write names in the sand). The weather was cool but nice.


Then is was on to Boston where we found lots of parks, went apple picking and spent time with the new cousin (who is now 3 month old and as cute as a button). The week went by very fast and on Monday we drove home. The trip home was much faster since we left from Boston. It only took us 12 hours to get home. There is something to be said for traveling on Columbus Day, no commuting traffic jams in the major cities. We ran into some light rain, but nothing that slowed us down much. I spent Tuesday in my jammies trying to catch up on laundry, emails, paying bills, etc. Hope you all had a great week too!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Last night I attended my 10 year old granddaughter's softball game. I have been to 99% of her ball games over the last couple of years, but last night was the most exciting. It was cold, there were millions of bugs, and we were on the edge of our seats. For the first time at the end of the game the teams were tied and had to play an extra inning!!! The other team was up first and did not even get on base, three batters, three outs.

Then our team was up, First batter struck out! Second batter got a base hit, third batter got a great hit and due to an error (overthrow) by the other team the person on base got all the way to home and it was all over! The girls were so excited, as were all the parents and other spectators. It is too bad the season is over as these girls are just now learning to play as a team. Well, there is always next spring. Oh, and my granddaughter was playing third base. She has rotated between catcher, first base and third base. I love watching her play, she is a good sport and always does her best.

Oh and did I tell you it was cold and there were millions of bugs.

Movin On Down The Road

It has been almost a week since I posted. Not much happened this week, just the same old laundry, lawn mowing, etc. However, this next week should be more exciting. I am taking grandchildren #2 and #3 on vacation. They both attend year-round school and tracked out for their 3 week break on September 29th. So we are off to Cape Cod and Boston to have some fun. Hopefully the weather will cooperate for our bike riding, beach walking, Nerf Gun backyard battles, grilling our food and just enjoying the fall weather.

Thankfully they both love to travel since it takes many hours to get to our destination. They make me laugh with their questions and comments. They love to eat at Cracker Barrel, so I am sure that we will go there at least once on the driving part of the trip.

I hope you all have a great week-end. I will be posting more about the trip in the middle of next week. Possibly with some pictures for your enjoyment.

The New Man in My Life

One Day Old

Back in early July I was blessed with my fourth grandchild. I was fortunate to be part of the birth process and get to see him make his way into this world. He was 11 days late, weighed 9 lb .05 oz, and was 22 inches long. He is the first child for his parents (my only daughter and her husband), and is very lucky to have parents in their 30's that really wanted to have a baby. I got to spend a month helping with his care and getting to know him. I was also blessed with being the person that got to help prepare for his arrival by painting his nursery and making curtains for his windows. It was very hard to return to my home after that first month, but I will be seeing him again in early October and again at Christmas. My daughter sends me lots of pictures so I can track his progress.

His Gilligan Look

I love this picture taken during his first month of life while we were on Cape Cod visiting family.

I cannot express how much I love this baby and his parents. I am so grateful to them for letting me be there for this event and allowing me to hang around and spend time with their beautiful baby boy.

Alfred Hitchcock

Okay, so on Tuesday afternoon I was sitting in my little home office, which is located upstairs in my little house. I was reading my online news and blogs when I happened to look out the window. It gave me flashbacks to the Alfred Hitchcock movie 'The Birds'. I don't think I ever quite looked at birds the same way after seeing that movie (when I was of course an impressionable teenager). I am not sure what type of birds these were, but they are all black and they usually are in the trees to the right of my house, or in the bushes across the road to the left of my house. The thing I really hate about these birds is that when they fly from the trees to the bushes they cross over my driveway where they deposit lots of bird doo-doo on my shiny black automobile. If you have ever had a shiny black automobile you know that bird doo-doo must be washed off right away or it will ruin the shiny paint job!! Thank goodness I have a hose with a great spray attachment! FYI, this picture was taken through a window and a screen, so it is not the best photography!

Happy Birthday First Born Grandchild

Happy 19th Birthday to my first born grandchild.

Those of us that live in the area got together tonight for strawberry cake, chocolate pie and lots of whip cream. It is always great to have a family get together and especially for the birthday of one of my beautiful grandchildren. A good time was had by all, and we missed those of you that do not live in the area.

An attempt to Add Pictures by a new Blogger

This is 'Soldier Boy' and 'Pumpkin'. Picture was taken two years ago at the Pumpkin Festival in Keene, NH while we were on a family vacation. They are grandchildren #2 and #3.

I Had to Start Somewhere

I have been reading blogs for about a year and finally decided to set up my own to communicate with my family and friends. Hopefully I will also make new friends through this venue. I am very new to blogging, so it may take a while to teach this old dog (64) some new tricks. Since I spent my career working for a major computer company before retiring a few years ago, I am hoping that I will catch on faster than the average bear.

Do not hesitate to give me blogging ideas and suggestions, I welcome the input. If you have any questions where you need a second opinion about life, raising children, organizing your everyday life if you are a working parent (I did that for almost 40 years), please ask. If I know absolutely nothing about the subject you choose to inquire about, I will tell you. If I have a POV about any subject, I will be glad to share it with you, but please know I am not an expert, just going from my own life experiences.

So come visit me, I will try to update 2-3 times a week with what is happening in my life. I will not divulge any personal information about my family members, so I will give them fake names until such time as they choose to allow me to use their real names on this blog. I will experiment with all the features on Blogger and see what works best for me and makes my blog reader friendly. Hope to hear from you soon.