Monday Attitude

[Norma]

Oh Dear, poor little Willis. I am so sorry you are hurting. (I love this dog! And, I think he likes me pretty much! )

Cowinkie - I am soooo very envious. There are so many places I would like to see and Italy is at the top of the list. I will want to hear all about your trip when we get down there in December.

Mr Guy. Funny story. We found this wonderful Chinese Buffet near where we stay in Apache Junction. When I say wonderful - I mean perfect. It couldn't be any better. As we were leaving one day a really attractive Chinese lady patted DH on the shoulder and said "Thank you Mr. Guy". This struck us so funny and DH was telling Sweetie about it. Then, he gets this e-mail ending with "MGF". We tried and tried to figure out what that meant and finally DH asked him - well, as Cowinkie said it means Mr. Guy's Friend. On top of that, Sweetie said he went by there recently and it was CLOSED! WHAT!? DH almost had a heart attack. He hates to find someplace he loves and they close up. I am so hoping they will re-open when the Snowbirds get down there the first of the year. We shall see.

[Indiana]

Twins I saw the car but not who you are talking about.

[Twins' Mom]

Indiana, it may not show up on other's feed, then, he's in a suit and tie with a pretty girl!

More agonizing over letting things go. I have a ton of tableclothes of all types - some pretty "bridge" tableclothes from MIL who passed away 19 years ago, nicer, larger table clothes. Most the ones we've used recently (in the last couple of years?) are hanging in the hall closet. Others are all stuffed into drawers - but my gut says hang onto them? Also realizing how much our life has changed. As young marrieds and even when dkids were little we entertained - I have two silver plate baskets for rolls...silver trays...nice cloth napkins. Yes, I'd love to use them again but our Rosh Hashanah dinner got too big for "nicer" things, and I gave up doing Thanksgiving because dfamily (sis, brother, their families, etc.) didn't appreciate, sometimes didn't show up and always left as soon as meal was over!

[Cowinkie]

KIC...thanks for the information especially about the locks.

I was 16 when I spent my summer visiting a Italian family in Trento. Flew by myself from NYC to Frankfort, Germany and then from there to Milan, Italy.

Problem was my NYC flight was delayed 2.5 hrs which meant I missed my connection in Frankfort. Back then it took a week to set up an international phone call,(all of this before cell phones, computers and such) so I was out of luck reaching my family to tell them of my delay. I had to spend 16 hours in the Frankfort Airport, which was really 24 hours considering the time change. I remember sitting by a pole, wedging my luggage between the pole and myself, looping my luggage straps around my body and arms and trying to sleep in a foreign land where know one spoke my language. I had no way of knowing if my family knew what my alternate connections were. Fortunately a young man, 26 or so, took pity on me once I boarded the plane to Milan and stayed with me until my family arrived. Then we had an 8 hour drive to Trento.

Every thing was so strange to me. I remember driving in the car and looking at the speedometer. The cars register speed in kilometers, but I didn't know that. A kilometer is less than a mile so when I saw the needle hit 130 I almost croaked Didn't see the KPM instead of the MPH. Never been in a bathroom with a water tank over head and I fretted for several days over how to flush the darn commode. Turned out what I thought was the curtain pull was really the chain to the water tank. The family I stayed with did not speak English so all I had to communicate was an English/Italian dictionary. That was cause for some hilarious times. The young man of the family did speak English, but he spent the nights in a different apartment.

It was a memorable adventure in many ways, and one of the reasons my son refers to me as Sarah Conners from the Terminator. When I went to buy my SUV he tried his best to convince me to buy a Jeep. When I asked him why he said he thought the image fit me better because that's the way he likes to think of me.

Got much done today, but need to finish up. Willie Boy is still very quiet and not his usual self. He has spent the day sleeping by my side. I miss his thumping tail hit me...well sort of anyway. cy'all later

[Elizabeth]

I'm heading out now. I will do a little around the house as fast as possible, then go to VBS. After that I need to get XDH's dog some water, get some dates off his calendar, then my usual nighttime routine. See y'all tomorrow!

[OKay]

I spent a couple hours this afternoon visiting with DParent while LO napped. I always pull out of their driveway being thankful for the time together.

Supper has been served and somewhat cleaned up. I'm going to focus on updating MPB accounts in hopes of creating information that CPA needs.

[Harmony]

OKay, thank you for kind words. However, I am 2 months behind with my accounts paid spreadsheet. April and May need done. I was sewing instead, thinking I could get caught up anytime.

I am a bit envious of those who have time to travel. I would like to see things like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone park, and the Redwood forest. Someday maybe. I see time slipping away and these things never done.

Harriet, I'm sorry your life is so Topsy-turvey these days. I'm glad your DFamily pitches in to help you when necessary. I hope the rest of your family is doing ok.

Balance of my desk chores are done. One bank account reconciled. Dinner made and cleaned up. I made a nice pork roast with mashed potatoes and cooked all the broccoli and beans I'd been collecting from the garden. I can't believe it is still producing edibles in this heat. The tomato plants withered up, all but one, and the beans did too. I have an infestation of stink bugs. Ewwww.

Every year I buy a new wall calendar. I transfer all my dates from the old one to the new one. It's how I keep track of everybody's birthdays and DH's license renewals, all the important stuff. Every once in a while I will put a date in the same spot as the year before, but it will be on a different day. I wonder if that's what I did this time? Like computer work, this calendar is only as good as the one inputting the information!

[Sunny]

Good Evening Everyone! I was here earlier this afternoon, shortly after we had lunch. There was only two pages to cuop then; but it's hard to type with a 75 lb. dog (our black lab, Minnie) laying beside me nudging my hand with her head to pet her! So I gave up and took a long nap with her. I woke up almost three hours later when ds#2 came to trim and mow our front yard.

Thank you, everyone, for the anniversary wishes. I appreciate each and every one. I'm proud to say that this will be our 44th year of marriage. We met in 1966 and wed 1 1/2 yrs. later. Harmony, maybe it's a omen your thinking the date was earlier --- I've been thinking about it for a few weeks now!

A few thoughts from cuop....

Dh and I both like all kinds of squash here. I wish I was able to have a garden like Harmony and OKay!
Harriet...I'm glad you enjoyed your Sunday social time at church. Sorry to hear you're having a rough time nowadays. And I hope tonight is quieter with good rest for everyone.
Indiana...good thing you found that split tube when you did! Poor Mr. Frog....maybe Jake will find another playmate.
Helia...Is this dd14's first trip to D.C.? She will have a wonderful time there and also in Gettysburg. I love that part of Penna. My daunt (ddad's sister) had a farm just a few miles out of town on rt 15. Their property was adjacent to Pres Eisenhower's farm.
OKay...I can understand all your emotions seeing your dmom up on a ladder. Gotta give her credit, though, for wanting to keep her independence as long as she can. My dh is very unhappy knowing that there's a lot he can't do that he just took for granted in the past.
Kathryn...I liked you dress and hat. The color looked very pretty on you. Sorry your coleslaw got lost in the shuffle since you put a lot of work into it.
Lucy...nice to hear that the shower turned out well.
Cowinkie...wow!! what an awesome opportunity for you to travel in Italy with dson!
Norma...when we visited our dson#3 in Seattle area a few years ago I loved seeing Mt. Rainier everywhere we went. We could even see it from their upstairs windows. Loved the story about your and cowinkie's dhs. Hope your eye procedure goes well.
Thinking of Lynlee's dmom and dbro. Also thinking of Lilac's duncle.

That's all I can remember right now.....and I just looked at the clock to see the time. Didn't realize how late it was since it stays light later in the evening now!

I didn't do much today except basics and taking it easy. I still have clogged sinus and ear that makes me kind of woozy and almost headachy. I think I need to get a decongestant.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Back from choir which went on forever because we had to go over 10 hymns we don't know. Over the summer we have 'learn a new hymn' each week so the choirs had to learn them first.

I'm exhausted and really cranky. Dh is going to watch a movie. I'm going to try and work on synching the calendars.

[helia]

Sunny, we went to DC on a family vacation about. . . 7? years ago. But I think dd14 will get a lot more out of it now that she is older! I've driven through PA several times, and there are some very picturesque parts!

44 years, Sunny! Congratulations! That is a great accomplishment.

((Harmony)) Travel can also be a pain. I'm hopeful you'll get to see some of the sights you'd like to see eventually. Maybe you could just schedule a trip; it does mean you'll probably get behind in other things, but that is the way it is. Unless you bring work with you, which dh does.

International Travel: I don't think I'm a great source of wisdom for international travel b/c I'm not sure others travel/want to travel like we do. . .I'm quite sure not many of you would want to pack for a trip to Europe that would require (1) climbing gear, including ropes, harnesses, ice picks, carabeners, 5 backpacks, etc.,(2) camping gear, including tents and cooking burners as well as (3) clothes for big city tourism and (4) clothes for the mud of the woods in NL around dh's family's summer home. And it all has to fit in a sedan along with the 5 of us. When we had to pack for all these situations with 3 small children, THAT was the worst. Although, dh has always been in charge of the hiking and camping gear. I finally said NO MORE to camping in Europe. It always rained when we camped anyway. Dh agreed, and that has simplified things. Also, we always rent sedans in Europe, which is easier and more convenient for us. At least we're past car seats and pack'n play cribs, which we used to bring. *phew* Dh is European so that has to make a difference in how we travel too. I'm not very fussy about my clothes; I'm not particularly fashionable, actually, so maybe that makes it easier too. LOL!

Alright, I'm going to try go be productive. I didn't get much done today which means I'll have a LOT to do tomorrow. We leave Wednesday morning.