Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Ten on Tuesday

1.  It's been a pretty quiet week.  We had a three-day weekend due to Memorial Day and stuck close to home and watched the Cardinals play.  My daughter and her family came by to visit on Sunday, but otherwise we had no company.
Sara having some chocolate milk--which they ask for as soon as they come over.
S.I.L. Dave playing with his phone and Michael eating Doritos and watching TV.

2.  I did a little better at garage sales on Saturday.  I got a really nice table cloth that was brand new and looks similar to the William Sonoma ones I have.  It was $4.  I also got two nutcrackers; I collect them and have about 75 so there aren't many I don't have.
$4 tablecloth from garage sale
William Sonoma tablecloth given to me by my sister for my birthday last year (probably $40.)
3.  We were going to go to the Cardinal's game Saturday evening, but decided against it because it was over 95 degrees.  They ended up losing, so I'm really glad we didn't go.  I have never been in the new stadium, though it's been here for six years.  I've never ridden the Metro Link either, so we were going to ride it downtown to the game.  We'll get there sometime this summer.

4.  I started using my new camera this past weekend.  It has a zoom lens and different settings, so it will take me a bit to get used to it.  I've been using a Nikon Cool Pix for years but the pictures were pretty hit or miss--some were clear and others blurred.

5.  It's been over 90 degrees for the past few days so we've been watering lawns and gardens constantly.  It's hard to believe it is still May, seems like July or August.  All of the pools around St. Louis opened this holiday weekend.


6.  We got Joe's teeth cleaned and a small cyst drained on his neck to the tune of $600.   They should have insurance on dogs like they do on kids--or we should be able to put Joe on our medical insurance.

7.  I'm still smocking on the christening gown; I'm about 3/4 finished.   The lace I ordered from Martha Pullen came, so I'm getting anxious to finish the smocking and start embroidering and sewing it.

8.  I've been making burp cloths, four sets of four for friends of my daughter and sons who had new babies (sixteen all together.)  I use cloth diapers and monogram the baby's name then decorate them with ribbon.  I'll take some pictures when I get this batch done.
Some burp cloths I did a couple of months ago for a friend of my little sister's.  The baby's name is Libby and so is my little sister's.

9.  I cooked and we ate all weekend.  Saturday I made a big pot of ham and bean soup and Sunday I barbequed pork steaks and chicken breasts and made a pasta salad.   Monday I bought a waffle iron, because we had one on vacation and the waffles were so good, so I made waffles.  It's a good thing I'm back at work today.

10.  Can't think of anything else happening around here.  Maybe I'll change to 5 on Tuesday?

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Pink Saturday

Happy Fourth Pink Birthday, How Sweet the Sound!


I got a new camera for Mother's Day that just came in and am using it for the first time to hook up to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound.  http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Ten onTuesday

1.  I finally went to the doctor after coughing for two weeks and I'm home today with bronchitis.  Got two prescriptions so hopefully I will stop coughing soon.
2.  While waiting at a stop sign this morning twelve cars got off the highway and made a left turn in front of me, and every driver was on the phone.  I sure wish they would make phones illegal while driving, not just texting.  When we drove to and from vacation a couple of weeks ago we could always tell when someone ahead of us was on the phone--they were usually weaving and going ten to twenty miles under the speed limit.
3.  I started on the christening gown for baby Stephanie this week and I think it will be beautiful.  It's a silk batiste and I'm doing the smocking now and will do some embroidery and tucks on the skirt.  I also ordered fifteen yards of french lace on-line and am waiting for that to arrive.  Not sure how I'll integrate it.
4.  Granddaughter Sara had her violin recital this past Sunday and was so cute.
5.  Our hydrangeas bloomed and they are gorgeous.  I can't believe I get so excited about flowers these days.  I'll post some pictures later this week.
6.  I went to garage sales Saturday but didn't fine much, some kids' books and some garden decorations.  I missed the previous two Saturdays because of vacation, so I've only been a few times this year.  My husband is happy because he hates it when I bring home more stuff.
7.  Baby Stephanie has another tooth.  I can't believe she already has three teeth and will only be four months old tomorrow.
8.  I was supposed to have my yearly evaluation this afternoon with the dean, but I'm home sick.  Too bad, so sad.
9.  We're getting Joe's teeth cleaned tomorrow.  They have to put him out to do it.  We had our last greyhound, Buck's teeth cleaned last year and he died three months later of bone cancer.  It cost $400, so I hope Joe stays around longer than Buck did.
10.  Looking forward to a three-day holiday weekend.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Ten on Tuesday

1.  We got home from Gulf Shores late Sunday evening.  I think it was just about our best family vacation ever--the grand kids all got along great and the new baby was the perfect toy for all of them.  I told my son and d.i.l. they need to have a baby every year for us.
2.  I finally downloaded 548 pictures from vacation this evening and will post some more soon.
3.  I went back to work today, and it was incredibly quiet.  I can use some quiet for awhile.  Summer sessions start next Monday.
4.  I'm going to make a christening dress for my new grand daughter who will be baptized on June 17.  I ordered some material on-line a couple of weeks ago but washed it and ironed it and do not like it.  I ordered more material and a pattern on-line last night.
5.  My sister in law Didi fell this weekend while gardening and broke both wrists and maybe her tailbone.  Ouch!
6.  Our yard looks gorgeous!  My husband is a great gardener and grass cutter.  Our Hydrangeas are blooming and so are the Stella D'oro and Clematis.  The peonias died while we were on vacation.  I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures.
7.  We'll be going to Cincinnati the middle of June for the christening; then I'll be going to Boston the end of June for my niece's wedding.  Lots of traveling this summer.
8.  I have a guy coming to talk to me about retirement on June 6.  I'm really thinking about it seriously.
9.  I finished reading Cutting for Stone.  I started months ago then got away from it for awhile then started up again right before vacation.  It's probably the best book I have read in a long time.
10.  Although I miss all of the family and being on the beach, there's no place like home!


Friday, May 11, 2012

From Gulf Shores

We're having a great vacation.  Eating, swimming, building sand castles, catching minnows in the ocean, going out to eat, ...  The waves are huge today, so the kids are playing in the pool.  It's nice to have options. 

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Wordless Wednesday


Making Memories

We're in Gulf Shores vacationing with our whole family.  We have the best entertainment for the older kids--baby Stephanie. The kids fight over who gets to feed her and who get to hold her for pictures.  We figured a way to get the kids to let us take pictures--whoever smiles the biggest gets to hold the baby.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Kentucky Derby

My Boston grandchildren, Jack and Corinne going to a Kentucky Derby Party

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Fultondale, AL

We're about two thirds of the way to Gulf Shores.  We drove 8 hours today so we'll only have to drive four tomorrow.  We had a hard time finding a hotel room and finally learned the Talledega Race track is close to here and some big race is going on.  We're definitely in the south.  My oldest son and his family passed us on the road in Tennessee, daughter and her family went the Mississippi way, and son from Cincinnati and his family are already in Pensacola visiting with her family.  Our east coast kids will be flying in tomorrow.  So excited!!!I'll have lots of pictures starting tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Wordless Wednesday

Hunting lizards

Guess who has two teeth???


She can hardly believe that she is only three months old and already has two teeth.  I knew she would be very advanced for her age, lol.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Tra La, It's May

Tra la! It's May!
The lusty month of May!
That lovely month when ev'ryone goes
Blissfully astray.
Tra la! It's here!
That shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts
Merrily appear!
It's May! It's May!
That gorgeous holiday
When ev'ry maiden prays that her lad
Will be a cad!
It's mad! It's gay!
A libelous display!
Those dreary vows that ev'ryone takes,
Ev'ryone breaks.
Ev'ryone makes divine mistakes
The lusty month of May!

I remember hearing this song every spring as a child.  My mother loved musicals and Camelot was one of her favorites.  I always think of it on May Day, along with the May Day we used to have at our Catholic grade school.  
Every year each class would pick one girl to to the May Day representative, and the eighth grade girl  would be crowned the Queen of May.  I guess she was supposed to represent Mary.   We would have a Maypole, and we would sing:
Oh Mary we crown thee with flowers today,
Queen of the angels,
Queen of the May.
It was quite different from the lusty month of May we heard at home; even though my mother was super religious, we all sang along.   We had no idea what lusty even meant. 
Now that I'm grown and a mother and grandmother, May means our family vacation.  On Saturday we will leave for our family trip to Gulf Shores.  My husband and I will drive from St. Louis, and my oldest daughter and oldest son who live in St. Louis will drive; my son from Cincinnati and his family will fly down as will my New York son and Boston daughter and grandkids.  
We've rented a large house on the beach and will all be together for a week.  I can hardly wait.  I've been buying lots of matching clothes and sewing up a storm with vacation outfits.  We're renting the same house that we rented last year; this is the first time we are renting the same house two years in a row.  Here are a couple of pictures:
Back of the house
Pool on the side of the house
Looking out at the beach from the back porch.