Mom's Words of Wisdom

"I Looked Out the Window...."

2010-07-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

Early one morning (around 6:38) I woke up to a lot of noise outside.

I looked out the window and what did I see?

The Ranger, parked right outside our bedroom window.

What did I hear?

Does this surprise you?

I do like rainy mornings......

Fourth of July, Western PA style

2010-07-19T15:34:00.001-07:00

Dad and I have gone to the local Fourth of July parade for three years now and have enjoyed each one. I thought I would share some photos from our exciting day...

I always like to see the color guard walk by. An eight-year-old boy sang the national anthem before the parade started. He did a nice job.

We think next year we will ride in the parade...this couple gave us the idea. We want all of the kids to come home next year and join us. I'll start on costumes right now!

If I'm still alive. If not, I can ride in this vehicle.

Go Steelers!! (and Packers and Patriots)!!

Here's the one marching band in the parade. Wish there would have been more. What's a parade without a bunch of bands?

But, what we didn't have in bands, we made up for in horses...

And more horses...(I could have added a few more pictures but I think you get the idea).

Maybe Dad should be a clown next year, pulling a big spider.

The Shriners perform some daring maneuvers which I think are pretty scary-they weave in and out and form lines and do other crazy things. If one person messes up, there's trouble!

Oops, this picture should have been the one following the horses, since that is what he did. Followed the horses...with his shovel.

And of course we have tractors...green ones;

Little red ones...

And more, but I'll let you use your imagination. (Think blue, orange, yellow.)

It was a nice parade which lasted about an hour. There were lots of fire trucks and ladder trucks and ambulances too, from a lot of the surrounding communities. Luckily no fire whistles sounded during the parade so we were able to enjoy them all - along with the candy everyone threw out from the windows. Anyone want a Tootsie Roll?

(Wild)Life on the Farm

2010-06-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

I live in a beautiful part of the country - and in a beautiful old house (over 100 years old). It's got some cracked plaster walls, great old hardwood floors which tell stories of living, some dated wallpaper, doors that don't fit in their frames...and I love it! If you look out the windows by the chimney, you can see the Red Bank Creek and the abandoned railroad trestle.

Here's a picture of my garden, with an eight-foot fence around it to keep out the deer. Unfortunately, the fence doesn't touch the ground everywhere, so the rabbits have found some nourishment in the garden.

Here's the barn and the red garden shed. No more animals live permanently in the barn (like cows and horses), but we do have evidence of a raccoon visiting (trash cans overturned, bags ripped open). Better a raccoon than a bear which was our first thought. It now houses multiple tractors - pick your favorite color - red, green, or orange?

The railroad trestle - one of two on the property. At least this one has sides and a walkway on it - the other one is pretty scary to cross. DON'T LOOK DOWN!!!

It's a little hard to see them in this picture, but there are about 20 geese in this picture. We have four families of geese, some of them with 6 babies. They were all "grazing" in the field until they heard me approach them on our Ranger. They took off running - the babies can't fly yet but they do have cute little wings!

Okay, I tried to take pictures of some of the wildlife on the farm but they weren't very cooperative or maybe they were just camera shy. This is where a deer ran away into the woods in front of me. (Use your imagination.)

Eagle's nest high up in a pine tree - two babies this year but I didn't see any today. I don't think they're flying yet so maybe they're napping in their nest.

A little chipmunk was on the tree trunk but once again, camera shy!

There actually is an animal in this picture - a little rabbit right in the center. He too didn't stay around long enough to get a better shot.

A woodchuck took off running when he heard me approach. I asked him to stop but he ignored me. Luckily for him, the hunter wasn't with me....

Finally, some animals that didn't get scared off. These "friends" sit on my porch steps and greet any and all guests. Don't they have cute expressions?

Maybe next time I'll be able to find some more cooperative animals, but it was fun chasing them down. The weather today was sunny and cool - perfect!!

2010-06-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

When we moved to Pennsylvania, we learned that there was a flea market on the first weekend of the month from May through October. I thought it would be a waste of time - who wants to buy someone's junk? But as I've attended the "market" for a few years now, I have found the old adage "one man's junk is another man's treasure" to be true!! We look forward to the first weekend each month.....is that a sad commentary on our life here in western PA?

This is the highlight of the day--funnel cakes!! (More pics later) Very low in calories too!!

If you fancy yourself as "Davy Crockett", here is the place for you to shop. Raccoon tails, hats, and I'm not sure what the other animals are. Send me your order.

I took this picture from a distance because this woman is carrying a rifle (fortunately in a case) under her arm. I did want to ask her where she bought her shirt, but I was a little nervous. I was just hoping she didn't hear the click of the camera.

One of a kind, sitting all by itself by the road.

I can't imagine how many sales were made by the vendor selling these polar fleece robes and blankets. I was tempted though by the Bucky Badger blanket.

As you can see, something for everyone.

For the men in your family....

.....and for the women (pink garden tools, including a hose).

These wood crafts were really "cute". Too bad I'm not into "cute" anymore (ever?).

Guess what this is?

And this is it again, only in industrial size (and costing $390). I didn't buy it.

This is it....a funnel cake covered with powdered sugar after being deep fried. Mmmm-mmm.

And here I am, showing off my treat. I think the funnel cake vendors thought I was a little strange when I asked them to take a picture of me with their product.

I saved some for dad but it definitely doesn't taste the same when it's cold. Also, I was getting pretty full and feeling pretty guilty for eating so much. At least I had exercised that morning and did a lot of walking at the market.
Back to the car, empty handed. I spent $6 at the flea market - $2 to park and $4 for the funnel cake. This flea market just didn't have anything that caught my eye. Most of it was junk, although I did see quite a few of my Currier and Ives dishes for sale. I could be rich if I ever decided to sell my collection of them. I do like to look for enamel-ware items and use them around the house for waste baskets, catch-alls, etc.

That's it for June's flea market....I was there for about an hour and then the rain came to stop the shopping/browsing. It was fun - now you know what you're missing!! Plan vacations to PA around the flea market. You may find some treasures!

2010-05-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Grandma and I were out "eagle hunting" with her new camera that she got for Grandpa's birthday. We then came home and figured out how to get the pictures onto the computer (is that upload or download?) Anyway, we got them onto her computer and now I am going to try to get them on my blog without my niece Elza helping me. I think she gave me a good tutorial yesterday so wish me luck....

Help!!

2010-05-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Elza is here to help me put pictures on my blog since I was told by a family member that blogs are boring without pictures. Molly, this is for you....

Caleb was baptized today and so family pictures were in order - here are my three nieces from Butler. They are all beautiful and single, but only one is of marriageable age. Guess which one?

A "fwump" in the night....

2009-07-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

I don't know if "fwump" accurately describes the sound I heard last night. I was talking to Molly on the phone late last night as I was sitting in bed and I heard a "fwump"ing sound, like wings beating. The sound came from behind me so I figured some creature was in the little storage alcove behind the wall. I only heard it a few times so the nerves calmed down.

Fast forward to 2:15 a.m. I wake up because of a noise - something fell. What would make something fall? I didn't want to investigate but turned on the light next to my bed to see what happened. I didn't see anything at first, but then saw a bat flying erratically in our bedroom - erratically because the ceiling fan was on. I hurriedly pulled the covers over my head so did not see where the bat went. I woke up Chris so we could both be awake and nervous.

3:38 a.m. Still awake - I'm guessing I'm awake because of the fear of bats. The light is off and we shut our bedroom door and put a thick robe in front of it so no bat can come in under the door. That is, if the bat flew out of the bedroom. If it didn't fly out of the bedroom, now it can't leave. The clock keeps ticking....I know this because I'm not sleeping.

It's the afternoon now and it's been raining most of the day. That means the house is a little dark which means the bat may come out of its hiding place. Everywhere I went in the house today, I went there in trepidation. Is the bat on the shower curtain? Is it hiding on some clothes left on the floor? Did it fly in my closet because the door was open and it's dark in there? Did it go downstairs and decided to spend the day in the curtains? What is its next move?

I love where I live but I can do without these "friendly beasts". I hope I will have no more tales to tell about our resident bat.

Fwump, fwump, fwump.....

Staging my comeback, Part II

2009-07-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe the hairstyle will work. I did my volunteer work and one of the employees (who is young and has good eyesight) noticed I had my hair cut. She liked it and said it was "youthful".

I will now be accepting visitors.

Staging my comeback??

2009-07-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

It all started in April. I was walking through Wal-Mart and stopped to look at the books. One title caught my eye -- "Staging Your Comeback - A Complete Beauty Revival for Women Over 45". After leafing through the book, I decided I needed to have it and make a "comeback". So I went home and ordered it and had it shipped to Utah because I was flying out there to attend a women's conference and visit kids and grandkids. The book finally came (the day before I was to leave), but that still left Emma, Molly, and me time to look at all the before and after pictures and get inspired. It really is a great book and I saw myself in some of the before pictures (so did Molly and Emma!!). I decided to look on the book's website and discovered that the author, Christopher Hopkins, has a salon in Minneapolis, MN. Guess where I was going in mid-May - I was flying to Minneapolis to attend a family reunion in Wisconsin! So I gathered up my courage and called the salon to get a haircut to help me "stage my comeback".

Two of my sisters went with me for moral support as I got my hair cut - not drastically, but shorter and kind of fun. It was easy to take care of and I liked it. I even took "before and after" pictures but didn't publish them. The stylist told me to go to my beautician soon after I got home so she could see the cut and copy it. I sort of did that....it may have been longer than she recommended, but I did go and I got it trimmed and it still looked okay.

Well, since then I've been to Georgia and while there I decided I didn't like how long it was in the back - it made me think of mullets and we all know what people think of mullets. So I decided it was time to cut off the length in the back and make it more even. I called my beautician and went for a haircut yesterday. We looked through books and I showed her the style I liked and she asked questions and I answered them in, I thought, a clear manner.

The back gets cut and it looks good...then she started on one side and cut it short, like right below my ear. Now the back is longer than the side again, which is NOT what I wanted. "I guess we got our lines crossed...I thought you wanted it short" were her words. "We must not have been on the same page" she said. "I'm sorry" she said. I bravely smiled, all the while wondering if a person can pull on their hair to make it longer. (You can't.) She finished cutting the other side and trimmed the back a little bit more so it wouldn't resemble a mullet. It sort of looks like a bowl has been placed on my head and then cut around the edges.

There are no "before and after" pictures. I will be accepting phone calls, but no visits for the next month. I am going to stay secluded on my little farm and sit and watch my hair grow.

I have pictures!!!

2009-02-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

Emma just walked me through the process of adding pictures to my blog - thanks Emma!! I know I'll need help again until I get it solid in my head. Fortunately, I'm on Emma's 'Fave Five' list, so we didn't have to hurry through the process. It's tough to teach an old dog new tricks.

I downloaded all my pictures from my camera - all 52 of them, starting with pictures from Emma's college graduation in 2007. Isn't that terrible - so few pictures and so many events in our lives!

As I looked at the pictures which I've posted here, it made me wish for warmer weather. It's in the low teens right now and snowing on and off and blowing. Very cold...anyway, these pictures were taken in November before the loggers started driving up and down the driveway with loads of timber from the woods. They're the "before" pictures, just in case the heavy trucks caused damage to the road which was just rebuilt last summer. It was amazing how many times we encountered a log truck either driving in or driving out of our driveway. Of course, they couldn't back up very well, so we had to be the one to squeeze way over or back up to a wide spot in the driveway. I hate to back up and don't do it very well but I wasn't going to argue with a huge, heavy log truck. Fortunately, they are done cutting down the trees since the snow and ice makes it impossible to squeeze over.

Don't we live in a beautiful spot? I love living in these surroundings.

Find time to read this book.

2009-02-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

I volunteer at the local library and I gave the librarian a list of books I would like to read. I don't care if she buys them or gets them through interlibrary loan. My latest list was of new books so we couldn't get them on loan, so she ordered them. I volunteered there yesterday, and four of my book requests were there. The librarian (Jen) let me take two home even before they were put into the system and I read one of them last night and finished it today. The title (which is a big one) is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Odd title, but a great book. I laughed, cried, and pondered through the whole book. I read parts of it out loud to Chris so he could enjoy it. Now that I have finished it, I need to get him to read it. We looked up Guernsey Island and read more about the German occupation of the island during World War II, which is the background for this book.

I'll let you know if my other book is as good as this one was. I love to read and this book carried me to the places and time of the writing. Wonderful characters - it made me want to live there and have them as my friends and be a friend like they were to each other. Enjoy!!

Cat and mouse

2009-01-26T07:43:00.000-08:00

We had a nice thaw last Friday, but the cold has returned. We woke up to 0 degrees yesterday and today it was 5 degrees at 7:00 a.m. I think this prolonged cold brought on the problem last night (or early this morning since it was 2:30 a.m. when I heard the noise).

Remember in my last entry I wrote that Otis (the cat) had received a mouse look-a-like catnip toy that he chases around upstairs. I've heard him scrambling around during the night and assumed he was playing. That is, until last night when I heard him running around again. I listened for awhile and then noticed that the sounds weren't quite the same - there was a chewing, slurpy sound (sorry if this is too graphic). I found the flashlight and shone it on Otis who was on the carpet at the foot of the bed. To my dismay, he was not playing with the catnip mouse - he was playing, (actually eating) a real, dead mouse. How disgusting!! As I'm standing on the cold floor, flashlight in hand, freezing, I hear a voice from under the warm covers, saying, "pick it up by the tail and flush it down". Thank you very much. Of course, Otis doesn't want me to take the advice from the voice under the warm quilt, so I have to pick him up with one hand, carry the flashlight in my other hand and go to the bathroom to get some toilet paper so I can pick up the mouse by his tail. I accomplish this mission, go back to the bedroom with a squirming, mewing Otis under my arm, pick up the mouse by the tail, and follow the instructions given by the voice under the warm blankets.

I think the cold weather brought the little fellow into the house but maybe all those nights when I thought Otis was playing with his Christmas toy he was really playing with the real thing. I also think Otis doesn't have to sleep so close to me at night. Two nights ago, he curled up on my pillow and started to lick my face. I wonder if he just got done playing with a mouse....

Cold, cold, cold!!!

2009-01-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

We are experiencing a cold spell here in Pennsylvania. When I went outside this morning, I was surprised to see a reading of 4 degrees on the thermometer. If I would have known it was that cold, I probably would have stayed in bed with the heated mattress pad turned up to high. That gift from the kids last year was the best...it is so nice to climb into a warm bed at night. We enjoy it so much we decided to give some away as gifts for Christmas. Grandpa doesn't mind Grandma opening the window at night anymore - he's nice and warm in his heated bed.

With all the snow we have been getting lately, we have been feeding the birds regularly. Any old bread gets tossed out and I love to see their tracks on the snow on the porch. I held Otis (our cat) up to the window to watch the birds, but he wasn't as interested as he used to be. For Christmas, Otis received some catnip filled toys, one of which is shaped like a mouse, including a long tail. Dad and I have both stepped on them in the dark and are relieved when we realize it is only a toy. I'll see the mouse and have to look twice to make sure it is not real. Otis still has energy - he bats the toys around and chases them from room to room. He's lost them a few times but we have managed to find them. We have Grandma to thank for Otis' Christmas gifts.

Home, Home on the Farm

2008-06-10T06:19:00.001-07:00

I'm sure you are all familiar with the song "Home on the Range", "where the deer and the antelope roam". Well, I've been thinking that song might apply well to our farm. We have seen a myriad of animals roaming in the fields and in the yard this year and all in abundance. (We have our food supply of meat!)

We have many deer running around, along with their fawns. Rabbits and chipmunks are all over the place and I scared up 18 geese yesterday when I drove the Ranger down to the creek to find some way to cool off. The killdeer are back this year, nested at the same spot - at a bend in the driveway) and had four babies. They are the cutest birds, with their long legs and speedy walk. We have to be very careful where we drive and slow down because they run right ahead of you for quite a distance before they veer off into the grass.

We had a campout here last two weekends ago for the fathers and sons from church and some of them reported seeing a bear cross the creek and go into our woods. I had just been thinking of starting to walk the paths in the woods for exercise but now I'm reconsidering that. Maybee I'll just carry some pots and pans and make a lot of noise while I walk - I was told that would scare off bears. There goes the nice peaceful walk in the woods, with time to reflect and think.

Back to the chipmunks - one day I was filling the bird feeders and left the basement door open. I had been warned by Grandma that animals (chippies in particular) would sneak in but I thought since I was only a few feet away, nothing would happen. I was wrong...one came in. I heard some scratching noises in the basement later that day and I saw the chipmunk by the freezer by the window. I tried to get him to leave with the assistance of a broom, but he ran the other direction. I opened the window and screen, hoping he would go out that way but then you run the risk of him inviting his friends in because it's nice and cool there and there's a lot of food stored in the basement (wheat, bird seed, crackers, cereal, etc) - all things they would like. So what do I do? Everytime I go downstairs, I make a lot of noise and close the door behind me - I don't need a chipmunk in the main part of the house although he could squeeze under the door to the kitchen (old farmhouse - not real tight). I'm not scared of this fellow, but I don't like to be surprised.

Now I have heard a new noise coming from the basement. I swear he's in the heat ducts - I hear claws scrabbling on metal. I stomp on the floor of the dining room (where the noise is loudest so I'm assuming he's right below) to try to scare him but where is he to go? I have no idea how he got in there, but I have taken the precaution to cover up the floor vents with books and boxes just in case he can somehow work his way up and try to escape that way and give me an unwanted surprise. Even as I type this, I am hearing noises from the ductwork...time to go stomp on the floor!!!

Sundays

2008-05-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

I serve in a district calling and we have been holding branch conferences in March, April, and May. I traveled an hour north yesterday to attend one and it was very enjoyable. I really like meeting and seeing members that I don't know very well and I like to observe them and see how well they work together and how much they accomplish with few people. The YW there had a "light" in their eyes and seemed to be happy with life. It was so refreshing to see!

Of course, there are glitches in all well-laid plans. My counselor was scheduled to speak and by 11:00 she still hadn't arrived. I had some advance warning that she might be late because of a reaction to an allergy medicine but she said she would try to be there. During sacrament meeting, I was looking over my branch conference talk (used at another conference) and trying to adapt it to a lesson so I was partially prepared.

We met with the YM/YW and I stretched out introductions - luckily we had a big group (9 kids) and just as we finished that, in walked my counselor. Prayers were answered!!

At branch conferences, we always get fed well. Yesterday was no exception--taco salads and a nice selection of desserts. It was a chance to visit and laugh and enjoy each other's company.

After that conference, I drove back to my branch building (45 minutes) and sat in on a district council meeting, waited after that to attend part of a priesthood leadership meeting (sat in on the YM info section), and then Chris and I went to sing "happy birthday" to the oldest member of our branch (89). We got home at 8:00 so it was a long day, but a good day. I am sure many readers can relate to Sundays like this. This wasn't the first, and I'm sure it wasn't the last!

A New Skill?

2008-05-19T06:00:00.001-07:00

I don't think the title is exactly correct because doing something once probably doesn't make it a skill and I probably won't ever do this again.

Saturday our neighbor called with the offer of a 15-inch brown trout that her daughter had caught while fishing with her grandfather. They were about to leave and didn't want the fish to sit in their refrigerator for any length of time so they offered it to us. I asked if it had been cleaned and she hesitantly replied, "no". That was when I should have said thanks, but no thanks. But I thought "Chris has probably cleaned a fish before and I have watched my dad and brother clean fish when I was young, so it should be okay". So I said we would like to have the fish.

Ten seconds later they were walking up the driveway to my kitchen door with a big brown trout hanging on a stick. I thanked them and put it on a cookie sheet We talked for awhile and then Chris came in from mowing the fields and looked at the trout and told me he had never cleaned one before. I was in trouble now. After the neighbors left, the suggestion was to throw it out because it had been out of the water for awhile and it hadn't been gutted yet - both facts causes for concern about how safe it would be to eat.

Being the frugal person I am (sometimes!), I decided we couldn't throw out a perfectly good fish, especially a trout! So I wrapped it up and put it in the refrigerator while I made some phone calls to fishermen in our branch. I finally reached one and he gave me the specifics of gutting and cleaning and preparing a fish. It was exactly as I remembered seeing my dad do it....so I got brave, put the fish in the sink and started to scrape off the scales (under running water so the scales wouldn't fly everywhere - advice from the fisherman). Then came the more difficult part, slitting open the belly and cleaning it out. There is amazingly little "innards" in a fish and, lucky for you, I don't know how to take pictures and download them or you would get visual step-by-step instructions. After cleaning the fish, the head needed to be removed with one quick slice. The fish was then wrapped in saran wrap and cooked for supper on Sunday. Chris wouldn't eat any and I had to put it back in the fry pan a few times because it wasn't quite done when I started to "flake" the meat off the bones to eat it. I guess raw fish, or partially cooked fish, is safe, but I like my fish done. It tasted fine, and I was very careful about the bones.

All in all, it was a "flashback Friday" experience if I can use Hannah's phrase. Probably won't have the chance to do it again, but at least I can say I did it!

Ahhhh.....

2008-04-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

For our anniversary in March, the kids got us a dual control heated mattress pad. When we opened the box, I must admit we thought it was a nice gift, but just a little extravagant, especially after we saw the price on the invoice. Dad thought we should send it back, but I said let's give it a try...we don't have to use it if we don't like it. So I put it on the bed and thought those little wires running through the pad are going to be annoying to sleep on - kind of like the "Princess and the Pea" story.

Time for bed and I turn on both controls to 'high' before I brush my teeth. While I am brushing, Dad gets in bed and calls out to me "you're going to like this". I go to the bedroom and dad is enjoying the warm bed so I climb in and he was right....I really liked it. I had never put the flannel sheets on the bed this year and sometimes the sheets were so cold. When my feet are cold, I can't sleep - I rub them on the sheets for friction or hold them against Dad's legs but they just don't warm up. Finally I resorted to soaking them in hot water before bed which someone in the house thought was ridiculous but it did the trick. But since getting the mattress pad, so more soaking my feet. It is wonderful to have a warm bed.

But a word of warning - don't fall asleep with the control still set at 'high' because you will wake up in the middle of the night, sweating, and looking for a cool spot which you won't be able to find.

Thank you, kids, for the gift - we won't be using it much more this year but I am already looking foward to winter and those cold nights when I will be toasty warm!!

Not much news from PA

2008-04-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

All right, it's time to write again. I have been hassled by my children for not writing - but it's because I haven't had anything to write about. I've been busy with church (YW), volunteer work, etc, but nothing exciting has happened. Still fighting the faux ladybugs.

I taught "Strong Women" at the nursing home on Monday and made a dollar. Didn't even pay for the gas to get there but it sure is nice to visit and talk to the women I've met. I must admit that my children are fodder for our talks - most of it good!!

I started a "Biggest Loser" group at church and we met on Monday. Four other women came and we talked about exercise, weight, and food in general and laughed (until we did the weigh-in). There is a pregnant women in our group so if our numbers are bad we will blame her. Did you know that Ben and Jerry's ice cream - Chunky Monkey - has four servings per container and that a container has 1200 calories? So as I sat on the couch and read and absently ate half the container, I consumed 600 calories!! Each one of them tasted so good!! Another woman at the meeting understood exactly what I said when I shared my experience with "bad" food in the house - instead of tossing it out, which would be wasteful, I eat it to get rid of it. I was brought up with the "clean your plate" mentality. I hate to waste food. We're meeting again on Monday and I said I would lose 2 pounds this week. I bought journals for everyone and we are supposed to record what we eat and drink. I'm only two days behind..... Wish me luck!

Here's my update on the Prevention exercise plan: 6 days last week, 3 days so far this week. Each day the exercises are adding distance and time so it's becoming more challenging. But I'm hanging in there.

Since American Idol honored Dolly Parton this week with her music, I think next week the contestants should all sing John Denver songs. That would be the best show ever!!

I'm Bugged!!

2008-03-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

Before you start to read, here is my disclaimer....the topic is disgusting and gross. I am not writing this to keep you from visiting us, but just to let you know the situation I am in at the moment - buggy!!

Pennsylvania, especially our home, has been inundated with beetles that look like ladybugs - I call them "faux" ladybugs - they are small with dots on their backs and when you pick them up they smell so you want to use a kleenix or papertowel to get rid of them. But since we have so many, we just keep the vacuum out to suck them up.

Today I went into our bathroom and it looked like a combat zone - it was scary to walk in because of all the bugs on the floor, window and walls. So I got out the vacuum and started counting. I have been counting in the past but today I could see a record being made! Now there are some flies in the head count here because they are as disgusting and bothersome as the beetles. Are you ready? 168 of those horrible creatures!!! I sucked them up and then went to my bedroom to take care of the problem (about 2 minutes away from the bathroom), went back to the bathroom and found more!! I don't know where they come from but I am ready to call an exterminator.

Okay, so now I go downstairs to my living room. There is a bird outside the window, trying to get to the bugs that are inside the house flying around and sitting on the window sill. I couldn't believe it! I pull out the downstairs vacuum and get to work....at least 70 bugs and flies. Finally, I have them all which is difficult to do because they seem to come out of the woodwork so you have to look very carefully.

Done...or so I think. I put the vacuum away and glance down...and there's a bug on the front of my shirt....aarrrgghh (a Charlie Brown favorite saying).

Life in Pennsylvania.....come and visit anytime!

Prevention is the best medicine

2008-03-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

I forgot to write about the "Prevention" challenge that Emma, Molly, and I are doing (Hannah and Shauna - are you in the loop?). Molly found an article in Prevention magazine about walking a marathon which included a day-by-day plan to prepare for it. I can't imagine myself walking for five hours one Saturday, but we'll see what happens when that day arrives - I'll probably be busy that day....

Anyway, here's my update. Day Three has been accomplished - I'm right on target, having started on Monday. I hope to keep you updated on my progress. The day I don't write about it will be the day that I quit, fail, give up, don't see any progress, sleep in, get lazy, all of the above. Wish me luck!! And good luck to all who try this program.

2008-03-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been busy - played dominoes with my nursing home buddies (and won four out of seven games!). Dad asked me once if I let them win, and I usually do, but this time I decided to win if I could - not that dominoes is very hard to play...Anyway, I won four and could have won another one, but decided to draw more dominoes instead. I just told the ladies that I must have gotten up on the right side of the bed that morning. It doesn't take much to get these women to laugh. I then played a little "dinner music" for another group for an hour before going home to spend some time with Gma and Gpa Siebach.

I took Gma to the library with me while I did my volunteer work - she sat in the reading room and enjoyed books about the history of Ford City, Kittanning, and Butler. When I was done we all went to Brookville for dinner at Fox's Pizza.

We watched American Idol too - Gma and Gpa had never seen it before. Kristy has got to go. I had control of the remote (unbelievable!) and would switch back and forth between American Idol and The Biggest Loser. At the end of that show, Gpa decided he wouldn't have to watch that show again. I think the tears and hugging of the men didn't appeal to him too much - pretty dramatic.

I visited with another library volunteer today while I worked - for some reason we were talking about books and then it turned to war and she mentioned her brother was a POW in Germany for six months during WWII - he fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was captured then. He didn't talk much about his experiences and I remember my dad (who also served in WWII) didn't talk about it either. I guess they just did what they had to do and fortunately survived. We are lucky we live where we do and have not had to experience war in our backyards.

You're Never Too Old

2008-03-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

I guess it's time to catch up with my kids and try my hand at 'blogging'. I enjoy reading everyone's blogs - and that's all you'll be doing with mine, at least for now - because I don't know how to add pictures. Give me some time.

Today I spent time with four women at a senior living center. We lift weights together for about an hour and it's been great for me (and hopefully for them). I like to ask them questions about their lives, families, and sometimes we just laugh and talk about food - like ice cream and banana cake (which my mom made for me on every birthday - we didn't get gifts, just our favorite cake and ice cream to go with it). Growing up with six brothers and sisters didn't allow for a lot of presents and we were alright with that - I never knew anything different. I think these women probably had similar upbringings - not a lot of money but a treasure of memories. One of the women's parents owned a candy factory and she worked there and remembers eating lots of candy. Her name is Wilma and she is tall and thin. When I first started the class, I asked them each their name and told them to tell me something about them so I could associate it with them. Besides the candy factory, she told me to think of Wilma Flintstone - and it was a perfect fit! I can't look at her now except to think of Fred and Wilma. She's very nice and very active and is in her 80's. I admire these women for their energy and willingness to try new things.

More later....