Saturday, October 9, 2010

MARION

Tried to email you this morning and was rejected. Have you changed your email address lately? If so, could you email me please?

Back to school tomorrow for the last term/time, for the year and for me!!! 14 days of teaching classes and 22 days of library admin left. I am starting to make lists of things I would like to do over the next year or so. Lately I've been thinking of 'posterity' - making sure what we have stashed away is offered to whomever would appreciate it most - is that normal??? I'm thinking of taking photos of the items concerned and labelling them (previous owner, where bought, etc) so people will know what they're all about. Should keep me busy for a while?

We spent the school holidays doing a bit of travelling - visiting DS#3 and his wife in Melbourne and fitting in some genealogy work on the way. All very interesting. We've found out that my father spent time in gaol for bigamy - whew!!! All before my mother's time, thank goodness. Wonder if she ever knew.......... No wonder he never talked about his past.

Off to spend time with DS#2, who came up to visit for the weekend 'for a rest'. This also means bringing his laundry with him and also some trousers to hem LOL Guess who did all that!

Hugs
Fran

Friday, October 8, 2010

Congratulations Sandi !

Well done, 25yrs is quite a milestone, and you are looking good...! I suppose we've all had our moments.?!? Was very impressed with your DD's frugal ways. You did well there !

It's cold and wet today, after a week when we really thought that winter was well over. Back to fires and warm clothing. Good day to go to a movie but our nearest cinemas are closed because of earthquake damage, so we won't be doing that.

Are any of you on Face book or Twitter ? I have no idea about either, but am tempted to find out about them as they seem to be a fun way of finding old friends and keeping in touch with people. The thing is, do I want to spend any more time at my computer ? Probably not ! There's always a trade off isn't there ? We have got Skype and I'm not too sure that I'm thrilled about that. With family overseas, the calls come through at strange hours sometimes and it's quite an effort to suddenly become chatty and lively when you've been sleeping in front of the fire !

Enjoy your w/end.
Marion.

YES,

Rosey, she is gorgeous. She's also about a millennium younger than you and I. Do you suppose that has something to do with it?

Jane

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Oh, My Goodness

Sandy, you are gorgeous!

Rosey

25th Wedding Anniversary




















Ken and I celebrated out 25th anniversary by renewing our vows. We had a great time (and a great photographer!). I think the family shot will have to be a Christmas card this year.
My SIL, Adam, is on the left, our dd Lindsay (carrying 1st g-baby), Ken, me and son Weston. The dress was one that my dd wore for the dance part of her wedding. She, the smart shopper that she is, bought it for $100 and since it fit well, I used it, too. Since she's pregnant and didn't fit into any of the God-knows-how-many-gowns she already has she went to the Salvation Army store and bout the one she's wearing for $15! She worked at a tux store and ordered the guys clothes to match her dress.

I'm enjoying everyone's pictures, especially the field of flowers. Just lovely. Fun to see the pets, as well!

Jane, good luck with your surgeries. Hopefully there will be an upside which could be getting some hand sewing done.

Back to work for me. I have tons to finish for quilt market at the end of the month.

Labels:

caquiltn@yahoo.com

whoever this is, your email address has been harvested.

Rosey

I'M STILL HERE

Sarah, I haven't driven myself into the creek. Just very busy and very disorganized as usual. Unfortunately that has been the case my whole life.

In mid November I am going to have those cursed hammer toes and bunions fixed which means at least a month with a walker and only partial weight bearing as well as driving. I need to buy a lot of frozen dinners and make some (as many as possible) in advance. What a bother. However, I hope the foot pain will be reduced to a tolerable level and hiking with the canine crew will again be pleasurable. I also have an appt. with the gyn surgeon about a problem I've had for years which only gets worse (I won't gross you out with details) and vascular surgeon about the lower leg swelling. All of this medical hassle is in Asheville, 1.5 hrs away, because either the specialty is unavailable locally or requires inpatient care and I refuse to cross the threshold of the local chop shop except for outpatient rehab. What wild life I live. Oh well, none of my problems is life threatening, at least that I know of. Just falling apart.

I'm in the midst of changing banks and that's a hassle with hours on the phone. Changing my Social Security and FL pension direct deposit isn't as simple as I wish it were and I have most of my regular bills like utilities drafted from my account so I won't be late in my usual disorganization so I have to change all those.

During my surgical recovery I don't know what will or can be done about two young and VERY energetic dogs. There is a hugely obese high school kid nearby who is the daughter of my wonderful cleaning person and maybe I will be able to hire her to befriend Kit in advance (Rocky already loves everybody, presumably including serial killers) and take them for walks over hill and dale. That would be wonderful for her as well as them. I've always had this co-dependent urge to kidnap that kid and get her weight under control. Since I don't seem to be able to lose myself I guess I should do other types of good works.

Speaking of losing weight I have stumbled across the way to hear from DGSs in their first semester of college. I sent brief notes on a silly card wishing them each well. One is at Bowdoin College in Maine and the other at Hamilton College in Clinton NY. I was dumb enough to ask each what his favorite cookie is and now I've been baking cookies and of course have to have some quality control. The cookies are now in the mail and I've warned the boys that they will have to wait until I get back on losing track before they get any more. They are both very lean and active, one of them is on the cross country team and the other climbs rocks and runs so they can get away with it. They also have multiple suite mates so the cookies will probably disappear in 24 hours.

I've been reading the board every day so am keeping up. Anna in Spain, who posts on the Yahoo board is have some very unpleasant medical issues including a chronic vertigo which that wonderful gov't health system has been fooling with for months. She has finally seen a neurologist who has opined that it is "probably" and inner ear problem. DUH. That should have been the first thing they looked at about a year ago. She says the rehab system is over loaded so she's looking for a private one she can ill afford. Spare me from the government.

Jane at 3 AM because it's just one of my wake up at midnight and can't get back to sleep nights. Think I'll go give it another try.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Goldenrod & Ragweed

Sara, there is a difference between goldenrod, which is in the photo posted below and Ragweed. Read the following:

Goldenrod is frequently blamed for hay fever but simply happens to have a showy flower that blooms about the same time. Goldenrod is entomophilous, i.e., insect-pollinated. Its pollen is heavy and sticky and cannot become airborne.

It's confusing to many people.

Rosey

I'm the one on the right, Sara

The one with longer, greyer hair, hanging on to Murphy just in case he decides he'd rather take the picture than be in it.

We are at the cabin for a few days, now. Did a couple of construction things this morning in preparation for winter. We will stain the new mouldings around the windows tomorrow, weather permitting. DH is off to the store to buy new topo maps so that he can start his elk hunt on the 15th. I'm at the library, since we don't have internet access at the cabin.

Back home on Friday and then who knows where......

Kathi

Ragweed, on line degrees, etc.

It has been a wonderful day here so far. Cool air, warm sun, just right for walking this morning. I even got one of my 1/2 finished quilts out and started working on it this afternoon.
Don't think my proportions are correct, but it is my "art quilt" so who cares?
Ragweed--oh, I'm so alergic to the stuff, glad I wasn't near where that pic. was taken. It is lovely, but I think it's also called sneezeweed, for a good reason.
Kathi in Idaho--which are you in the picture with the dogs? They are lovely pictures, looks like a relaxing, fun time.
As far as I have heard for on-line classes, you are graded in the weekly participation, several people are given an assignment, then you talk to each other, or critique each other's work.
This is 3rd had info. as I've never taken a class like that. I think it's sort of an open forum.

Where is Jane in N.C.? Hopefully she is off somewhere having fun, not run into another creek
Another scary thought, DGS #1 is now 14 and can get a learner's permit in N. D.
Guess it would be helpful for living in a farm area, but gosh, 14!
Is anyone other than me watching Hawaii-50 on Monday nights? I'd say I was trying to relive my youth, but the show is totally different, much more gunfire, fast action, that the original. It seems like another lifetime, 40 years, that I lived there. Was much thinner and single, and poor then. Some day I'll go back, as DH wants to visit. Maybe for our 35th anniv.
OK, going bowling tonight with some GFs. It should be fun, hopefully no one has a video camera.
Sara in sunny Fla.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Photos...

Thank you to all who have posted the photos. Don't they make a difference to the page ? I just love the wild asters and golden rod...what a combination and what a lovely long view you have there Rosey... Laura, the butterflies are beautiful, what perfects shots you managed. Well done . Kathi, nice to share some of your holiday snaps. I'm pleased your enjoyed your time away.

We are home again after a week in Auckland. We enjoyed seeing the family and DGD did well in The Nationals (cycling races) It was nice to be away from the shakes that we are still experiencing down here. Two very nasty after-shocks on Monday night. One over magnitude 5 . I was still up and it seemed worse than the original quake to me. No damage here but it was noisy and quite disturbing to watch the house swaying from side to side !!!

Our spring garden is looking fresh and pretty. Lots of colour . We appreciate the green lawns at this time of the year because some of them will dry off in the summer time and be the colour of cardboard. We are having sunny, warm days but it's nippy in the mornings, plenty of snow still on the alps, but hopefully the frosts are over.

I've been interested in the talk of money spent (or not) on education... Sport seems to reign supreme in this country too. We are hosting the Rugby World Cup next year and I can't begin to think how much money is going towards that when our education and health systems could well do with an injection of funds.. Don't even get me started on the Commonwealth Games being held in Delhi at the moment....(!)

Time for a coffee maybe !
Have a good day.
Marion.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

lots of chat today

It's good to hear from other people.
LAURA-I thought Florida was the only state that ha such a miserable school system. Seems like it is everywhere. We have what is called an FCAT-Florida comprehensive tests that the teachers have to teach for. I also think the powers that be don't have a clue. They think that throwing money at it, and any crazy "new" idea that comes along will work. This is one of the few things that I like about the DGS traveling to another state. Their school system is so much better than here.
DGS #1 will be 14 tomorrow. It seems imposible! Going to call them in a few min.
Both my football teams won this weekend. Jacksonville just barely beat the Colts with a last min. kick for 3 points. It was actuallt football weather here, cool air. Yea.
We went over to the beach for about 30 min. and the surf was really high and rough. All the red flags were out.
The costumes are finally done. The play starts on the 15th. Hope to have some good pictures then. There were 8 wood fairies, 8 indians, Peter, Michael, and John. My GF did several for me, so that was a help. The green fabric stained my fingernails, the bed of the sewing machine, and there were green threads everywhere. Even in the dog's water bowls.
OK, another football game is starting. Chicago and NY Giants.
Sara in Fla.

World Equestrian Games

Rosey P - are you getting the broadcast of this up in Canada? They're holding it only 3 hour drive from my house. I watched half of it today and loved it. You usually have B&B guests for one near you, I believe. The Dressage-Freestyle is my favorite. ~sighs~

IT is cold here! High is mid 50s with a strong breeze and a light frost warning tonight (38F). I needed a jacket to go outside with the dog. This will hopefully kill the ragweed & goldenrod, and jump start the maples on turning their colors.

Hugs to everyone.




An overcast day overlooking the valley with the colours of autumn; wild purple asters, goldenrod and the trees beginning to turn into oranges, reds, yellow ochre with woodburning smoke in the air. Summer is turning slowly towards winter. And thanks to SD Katie a picture of Hope, the beautiful black tri sister of Ceilidh, missing her sister and glad to have the company of Katie's dog Oliver.
Laura, such beautifully clear pictures of butterflies in a revealing post of inadequate funding for schools in your state. Doris, also, is this a result of the near collapse of the economy or as you say, people's choices in voting money for pleasure and not for education. Kathi, that Gus is a character along with Murphy and such a nice picture of you and Meredith from Canada.
It's guest laundry day...a full house of great B&B guests hiking the Bruce Trail (Niagara Escarpment)..and just barely warm enough to get the sheets out on the line. The towels will be racked inside before the woodstove and fire.

Rosey