The Big Apple

We had a whirlwind visit in NYC. I've almost disowned Craigslist, but not quite yet. We rented an apartment from a nice young man that was about 10 blocks from the kid's place. It was a shoebox, but that's fine. We weren't there very much. What was the issue? Wellll, it had no heat! He had said "You can't control the radiator, so here's how to open the window if it gets too hot". Then he proceeded to show Dan how to open the big city window (bars n such because it was on a fire escape.) But, we never had to use it! Instead we were wearing sweaters to bed and cuddling to keep warm. But, oh! the Adventure!

Mooper continues to grow and learn new words. I had gotten toy tips from other bloggers and from folks at work. It pays to do your homework! She loved them all. The Super Slider is enthralling and she quickly learned to push the button for froggy. Munchkin's Mozart Magic Cube is delightful, with its melodies and instrument control. On no one's advice we bought her an old fashioned jack-in-the-box. She wasn't afraid! When the clown popped out she looked at it and said "oh!".

We had a couple of lovely dinners with Aba and Ima. All too early we had to board the plane back to Ohio.

Ready, set, go

35% of the way there! Today was 15 of 43.

Oh, and this weekend we'll be celebrating family & the coming of spring (really? You thought it was all about celebrating winter?). That's why the early-week's end report.

I have found some pretty cool kids toys for the Mooper this year, so I'm excited. I will share those after the weekend in case her parents read this blog. Her toys are for them, too.

Enjoy your holiday preparations this weekend and I'll send a report your way early next week.

News

Every Monday Dan sees the Doc; every Thursday he sees the Nurse Practitioner (nearly Doc). Of course, M-F he's there to visit the Radiologists. Today the Doctor said to him "You are going to breeze right through this." It was so uplifting to hear that!

Tonight I am sorting you-know-what into piles to take to NYC and to mail to SD. Not so much, really, just a few little things. Wrapping will ensue with a fire in the fireplace and wine glass in hand.

*Merry*

Another week.........

Well, 11 down, 32 to go! More than 25% of the way there! You go Dan!

This weekend: We are readying for Christmas/Solstice celebrations. We'll be finalizing presents for those out West and those out East. We have a wedding to go to tomorrow! These two people are pretty darn special and do so well together. It will be a joyful day.

I'm not sure how many days its been since we've seen the sun. Dayton is doing it's usual in contributing to the SAD syndrome in Ohio. Oh funny, just as I type this the sun peeks out! How can that be? Well, not for long, I see. Just enough to let me know that the sun still exists.

Been reading movie reviews in the NYT; looks like there will be some good ones out for the holiday season. I'll report after viewing.

This week

Tomorrow is Friday. In astrology Friday is connected with the planet Venus. This associates Friday with love, peace, and relaxation. Dan gets a free day with no visit to MVH tomorrow. It may be due to the new machine delivery.

So, as of today the count is 6 down, 37 to go.

We are looking forward to the weekend. We'll be buying 3 new outdoor lamps for our house. We have 2 front porches and 1 back door that have lights. They all need replacing! Electrician is scheduled for December 11. I'd love to put about 3 on the garage, too, but those will have to wait. The economy, you know.... We also have a Christmas Brunch to attend on Sunday afternoon.

Do you have weekend plans?

Thanksgiving

Thought you might want to see some pictures. I use Google & Picasa, so here's the link:

Spearfish Thanksgiving Photos

Remember, if you get there, ignore the hole in my sock :)

Here we go

Today is Day Three. Only Forty more to go.
Dan is undergoing radiation treatments for prostate cancer. He chose this method of treatment rather than go under the knife. Current literature provides data that rad treatments are just as effective as surgery -- sometimes more so.

Dan has been through cancer treatment before, so he's no newbie to all of this. We are a bit wiser with respect to holding our own against the "medical system". It's not easy. People need advocates and need to be advocates as well to make sure they get the right treatment at the right time.

When all the turkeys gather

We're off to the place where the Midwest meets the West. And where all our children will be! I can't wait. I wish we were staying longer, but this one has to be a short visit. And we'll pack in all the hugs and jokes and games of pool we can! (oh yes, and fabulous food & Sangria & Riesling & all that other good stuff.) Sounds corny, but I'm so thankful to have this holiday with my family.

Neighbors

The University hosted a dinner this week for all the neighborhood organizations that surround the school. There were church representatives, neighborhood organizations and businesses. It was an opportunity to meet staff at the University who are in charge of student living and government relations and have conversations with them. The president of the University spoke to us about what they have accomplished this year and what is in store for the future. It was a good networking evening and a pleasant night out.

This type of event opens doors for our organization to further our perspectives and make our neighborhood an even better place to live.

Thanks, U.D!

Not enough to do?

Not enough to do? Today is a WOOT-OFF!!

See, www.woot.com is a site where they sell one thing a day... usually. They are typically nerdy things like memory sticks, computers, speakers, things like that.

BUT, every now and then they have a "Woot-Off" where they sell left over stuff until it's gone. And today is your lucky day, it's a Woot-Off day.

Have some fun discovering something new and you just might find that one thing you've been looking for............ Woot-Off!

List

This idea came from another blogger and it got me thinking. She requested that we make a list of "Things I'll never be able to do again".
It's a hard list to make -- a task not without introspection.

1. Hug my Mom.
2. Be worry-free. (oh, wait, I haven't been worry free since I was 13)
3. Climb to the Chimney Rock outside Durango, Colorado.
4. Attend my child's undergraduate college graduation.
5. Live in Canada.
6. Wear contact lens.

Yes, We can!

BARACK OBAMA

is the
PRESIDENT-ELECT
of the
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

Autumn

The seasons have finally changed here. Our mornings are cooler, the days shorter. The sunlight filters through the leaves as they change color and fall to the ground. Last week I was freezing all week as I adapted the change. This weekend my body has figured it out and we're in sync. Now to enjoy the fall colors and the crisp temperatures before the cold. In Dayton fall is one of the BEST seasons.

What do you like best about the fall?

Granddaughters and Phones

Since Doda Lena taught me about phones last May, I've been practicing. I was having a great convo until I was distracted by the random paper bag..........

Visitors

One upside of the children living elsewhere is the Visits. This fall, we got a visit from each. Lena was here during the power outage for a few days. Nate was here for a few days this past weekend. We enjoyed both visits! Lena and I had a fun afternoon going to an art exhibit. We had a couple of great grilled dinners with Lena and Tim. They shared with us their stories from South Dakota. Nate was here for his High School Reunion and brought Romy with him. She is a very busy person, wandering about the house, looking at everything. She discovered stairs and walked after the puppy never quite catching up with Boo. We had fun with Nate, too, when he wasn't running after Romy :)

We miss our children, but have wonderful visits.

Movie Update

Last week when the electricity was out, we escaped the dark house in the evenings by going to movies. First we saw Burn After Reading. Oh my goodness, Brad Pitt is sooooo funny. It was a typical Coen Brothers' movie -- weird, uneven and right on. The second movie we saw was Ghost Town. I liked this one better; it almost reminded us of a Capra-genre film. Ricky Gervais is hilarious and Tia Leone is so sweet.

Newfangled thing called Electricity

Here we are now, with electricity!! Seven days and six hours without power. We walked around the house marvelling at how much we can see and finding things that had been lost this past week. Now we are watching our Boob-tube, getting our fix by watching "Mad Men" on AMC.

Yoo hoo!

Powerless

We are 7 days and 4.5 hours without power.   Ike and some sisters came roaring through Ohio last Sunday 9/14/08.  How does it feel?  Powerless.   We've been through the different cycles..  cooking "refrigerator stew", going out to eat, eating Peanut Butter and crackers, and now are cooking canned goods with cheap meats out on the grill.  Feels good to not go to restaurants and better to eat better food.  But, we are missing our fresh veggies.

We've burned candles each night , and gone to movies twice.

So, is this postmodern or what?

--Barbara

Concert

We attended the July 16th concert at the Fraze by Mark Knopfler. Oh, the music was divine! Among the songs he played were "Sultans of Swing" and "Telegraph Hill". Of course, the Fraze is a great venue and we had awesome seats. He's a laid back performer, almost humble, not flashy at all. It's just him, his band and the music.

July

July is whizzing by. We've just been doing ordinary things. Some excitement coming up next week! Friends are coming into town and we'll all go see Mark Knopfler at the Fraze. The week after that our niece comes to visit for an evening.
So, not much going on yet, but couple fun weeks coming up!

Party

I see I didn't write about the party! Graduation was a lot of fun; we spotted our graduate easily in the sea of green mortar boards and robes! The ceremony started a half an hour late and lasted longer, so we didn't have as much prep time as we thought for the party that began at 3:00, but it was great! Everyone pitched in and made it a success! Lena's friends came and had a great time; the food and drink were plentiful and delicious. Photos are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/FloweringBranch/LenaGradWeekend

Ta da! We are very proud of our daughter!

Uh oh

Well, last post was 8 days ago; I blew NaBloPoMo. Maybe next time. We had a whirlwind wonderful weekend with out of town visitors, Carol, Nate, Maya and Romy. Carol helped sooo much with food prep and general sisterly love. Nate, Maya and Romy toddled around and made jokes. Lena graduated with aplomb! It was a great weekend!
Dan and I are exhausted now; resting each day :)

Getting Ready

Tonight I put together the baby bed that my children used 33 and 30 years ago. It was also used for 2 babies for friends. I think I put the gate that goes up and down on backwards, but that's okay. It'll remain stationery. But, think! This baby bed is so old and we still have all the parts; it went together pretty easily once I discovered the knack. Took me an hour to find the knack. Ha. We hope Romy likes the bed and the new Grover Sheets and the little Pooh blankie.

New Yard

This just in: Every day is busy in this house! Ha! Still lots of work to do in the yard ,but the grill is sporting a new cover and there are more supportive little fences by the irises. The new hose waits to be screwed up to the new outdoor faucet. The backyard seems brand new! Plans STILL include more flowers to be planted, patio to be weeded and a few branches cut off. The latter may have to wait a few weeks.
Countdown to party is now T minus 3.5 days. And I have to work every day. So, will make use of the evenings!
Laters!

Homes on the borderline

We live on the city-edge of an inner ring suburb. Our houses along this block face the city. Some call our houses "the moat". Others call them the "front line" or "the buffer". Across the street from us (in the city) is a university. Aha! Yes, hence the title of the blog! Oy vey, she *finally* got to the point, you say.

So, anyway, tonight we are attending our first city council meeting of the suburb of which we belong to help them help us and help the city. We've been besieged by students renting houses in this residential neighborhood. We don't mind students, but we don't like their loud parties and beer cans, and it's affecting our QOL and our housing values. So, we'll see what happens.........

Teasers

I've noticed a pattern: plan for 2x, get 1x done. Okay, so yesterday we made a dent in the yard, lopping off the lilacs and planting impatiens (there, I finally spelled it correctly). I love lilacs, but trimming these back was the best thing ever. Our backyard is smallish and cutting the bushes back has opened it up tremendously. It will be a great party space :)
Lena is on the home stretch now! Just 2 finals and one presentation, then GRADUATION! We are SO proud of her for her accomplishments! It will be a very happy party on Saturday.
Now, back to work........

Does it Rain in Ohio?

Another day of rain. No wonder this place used to be a forest...... We did get some work done this morning before it started. Impatients nearly all planted. Wisteria much more presentable, and lilacs have been started.
Also, talked to Nate and Romy this morning via Skype. LOVE that application. It's wonderful! Here's a new picture of Romy, just in case you haven't seen one lately!
Now I'm going to the store to pick up some supplies for next week, get a new set of branch loppers and a baby bed mattress!
Have a good Saturday!

Friday at Home

This evening we'll start on that list. First is to get the backyard in shape so it doesn't look so much like a rain forest. Remember, the Indians talked about walking on trees across Ohio? Our backyard wants to make that possible again. We'll be trimming the lilacs, the wisteria and the crab apple tree. The viburnum is too big for us to tackle all of it. (I'll find a recent picture of it). Then, maybe the Stella lilies under the lilacs can get enough sun to bloom. We still have some inpatients to plant and need to get some more geraniums to fill in some flower beds.
Lucky we both like to work in dirt........

Old Houses

We're having a little pahty next weekend, so we made a list of things to do before then. Think we can get the house painted, the patio redone, the downstairs and upstairs bathrooms remodeled and the window put back into the kitchen before then? Hmmm I think not. The joys of living in an old house once again fill our lives. We'll trim the list, prioritize and be happy with what we can do. I shall keep the list and share with you after we're done.
It's Thursday! One more day til the weekend! (and working on that list.)

Storms

Rain rain rain for the next three days. Then it'll be four days in a row of rain. I know Ohio wants to become a forest again. Rain can be comforting, soothing. On dark days like this I like to stay home and clean, read, watch a movie.
What do you like to do on rainy days and Mondays?

Dining at Home

Last night we ate dinner on our patio. Wow! This is something new for us! We have a new/old grill from Lena and a new set of patio furniture that we bought for father's day/anniversary/birthday. Sooooo, we had the traditional patio dinner: steak on the grill, baked potatoes and a salad. Dan has turned into the Master Salad Chef. I love it! His salads are tasty.

We'll have many more dinners out on the patio.

Let's take care of Home

There are a number of blogs I read, but this particular post has struck me as so important now... we need to take charge of our markets, the products we buy, and our "home".. ourselves, our children. The quote below comes from www.lalleysalley.blogspot.com

Please take a moment to read, reflect, then act!

While the Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in American markets, the media wrings its hands and criticizes the Bush Administration for perceived errors.

Yet 70% of Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended.

Well, duh…why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges?

SIMPLY DO IT YOURSELF, AMERICA!!

Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says 'Made in China ' or 'PRC' (and that now includes Hong Kong ) simply choose another product or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products; however you will be equally amazed at what you can do without. Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter?

If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some American farmer. Easter is just an example, the point is…do not wait for the government to act.

Just go ahead and assume control on your own.

THINK ABOUT THIS: If 200 million Americans refuse to buy just $20 each of Chinese goods, that's a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor...fast!!

The downside? Some American businesses will feel a temporary pinch from having foreign stockpiles of inventory. Wahhhhhhhhhhhh
** Downside??

The solution

Let's give them fair warning and send our own message. Most of the people who have been reading about this matter are planning on implementing this on June 4, and continue it until July 4.

That is only one month of trading losses, but it will hit the Chinese for 1/12th of the total, or 8%, of their American exports. Then they will at least have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness were worth it.

Remember, June 4 to July 4.
EVEN BETTER. . . START NOW.

NaBloPoMo

I'm going to try my hand at this... National Blogging Posting Month (or something like that), where I'll blog each day for a month. This month's theme is "Home". So, I'll start with a description of our house which is our home and has been for 19 years. A lovely nearly 100 year old home that creaks in the wind and holds so many memories. It's prairie style, taken from Frank Lloyd Wright and designed by Louis Lott.

Office Stuff & Names

Things are heating up at work and at home. In a good way. I have a new hire at work; I think we've made a good choice this time. (Last time the guy stayed 3 weeks, then left an email resignation after coming in at 3 a.m. to clear out his desk!).

With this hire, we have 2 people named "John" in our division. This is in addition to others:
2 named Beverly(and an additional on contract),
2 named Lynette (Linette, Lynette)
2 named Barbara
2 with last name Mullins
~~~ And we only have 30 people in our offices!

I feel fortunate; while Ohio/Dayton is in a recession ~~ but there were 163 job ads for IT folks on dice.com just in Dayton alone! We've had the staff vacancy for awhile.

Aridzona

In March we went to Arizona and were hosted by two sets of friends, both of whom are retired. What a life! First we went to Tucson. I had no idea how different that area is from the Phoenix area. The mountains are majestic and were snow covered when we were there. It's more laid back and certainly less congested than Phoenix. Phoenix was warmer and more pristine; perhaps even more midwestern. Part of this perspective is where our friends live -- in a retirement community that caters to retirees from other areas of the U.S.
Our friends were all wonderful hosts; we had a marvelous time.

She stands

This is a new one: a 7 month old standing up for a paperback! She is changing and getting strong and growing each day. We love her.

Winter is still here

Can it be? THAT many months since I've posted? Where has the winter gone? Well, actually -- you know what? Winter is STILL here! (See photos taken today). D and I are going to Arizona on Saturday and I'm ready. This snow is beautiful and fluffy and all white, but I wouldn't mind some warm sunshine. Hope all is well with you and where you are. - B