Good night, Irene

I'm thankful our kids don't live in NYC anymore. But, it sure seems like the city escaped super bad damage. Thank you Irene, for slowing down your wind. North Carolina seems to be hit pretty hard, though. Take care, Lori & others.

Thanks to technology and the people who use the tools they've developed to predict storms and warn us in advance of when they will hit.

Stay safe.
Good night, Irene

School Time

It's that time of year when we anticipate the begining of a new school year. Of course for us, that means the Professor is working on his syllabi, his outlines, grousing about the books he chose last spring and also..... looking forward to meeting new students and greeting old ones. He is from the old skool. He lectures and his content is amazing, but first he tells a few jokes and talks about pop culture. He teaches knowledge in his classes you can't find anywhere else at this University. And he teaches them how to find out more on their own.

I have always envied his summers where he was in control of his own professional and personal activities while I put in my time, but I think I envy this part of the year more. The excitement and hopefulness are catching and last many weeks. Have fun, my favorite Professor!

Remodel Before and After!

A New Look

There's a new look to the blog and to the Cottage, inside and out.  2010 brought a new roof, a new paint job and some landscaping to the cottage.  2011 brought a storm that felled three trees.  In addition 2011 is bringing a new kitchen and two new bathrooms to the cottage!  A new photo will come soon to replace this one.  We will miss that beautiful Hawthorne tree...............

Spring thoughts in early November

Morning Glory

November 1, 2010

A dog named Boo

Boo Doggie has gone to play with old Jackie and Ripple on the Rainbow Bridge.  We are still trying to get used to the quiet.  She was with us for thirteen and a half years. 

Greeting and Guarding were her "things".  When we were gone to work all day, gone for a week on vacation, or when the kids were gone for six months at a time, she greeted us with little yelps of happiness, running in circles and jumping up a bit to tell us how overjoyed she was that we were back home with her when we returned.   Often after work when I'd arrive home she would be in the back yard.  She would run in circles (fast) in the yard, then end up in "her" corner and start digging.  Sometimes when we would go upstairs and she was on the bed, she'd greet us by running around in circles on the bed and barking.  If you can imagine, these were all with a smile on her face. 

Strangers or infrequent visitors were greeted with barks and growls that sometimes scared them... as it was designed to do.  But, once they got into the house they were like family.  She'd follow them from room to room perhaps keeping an eye on them?   If a person was scared of her, she knew it and it made her uncomfortable. More barking would ensue. 

She was always in the same rooms with us, sleeping, guarding, always listening.  She wasn't a big cuddler. We used to say when she'd lay 2 feet from us that she was cuddling.  Like many doggies, she loved to have her back rubbed and scratched.  She listened to Dan's theories and helped him through illnesses.  They were best buddies.

Last of all, she loved people food.  Yummy.  She didn't understand when Dan told her not all dogs get Jarlsberg cheese for snacks......   And she loved her treats.  Thanks to Martha, for the last year of Boo's life she got Pupperoni or Beggin Strips every day.  

 We miss her........

Hosta

This one is in our backyard under the Viburnum

Hosta:  The name Hosta is in honor of the Austrian botanist Nicholas Thomas Host.^[2] The Japanese name Giboshi is also used in English to a small extent. The rejected generic name Funkia, also used as a common name, can be found in some older literature.  (from wikipedia)

They grow so well in Ohio and especially in our backyard where there's lots of shade.  With the gracious help of friends, we got new hostas for our front "parking" area.   We also have some in the backyard and along both sides of the house, West and North.  (On the North is the Shade Garden which will have it's own post).
 

The PARKING AREA PROJECT

The "Before" picture: just dirt










 

Wonderful Friends Donating and Planting Hostas!

Some hostas in

Not the best picture, but you see the hostas ringing the trees and also the ivy is planted now too.

Gardens

This year is the year of the "house".  We have a few projects planned.  Today I'll blog about gardening.  We got creative with our yard and planted a "green fence".  Some people call it a "living fence".  For us, it is a beautiful row of evergreen trees between us and our neighbors.  There is also a chain link fence, but we don't see that so much anymore. 

We also rearranged some bushes, lining the patio framing it nicely.  Today I transplanted some lilies from a total weed patch on the alley to our new lily patch out by the street.  I hope they survive and that cars don't run over them.

All seem to be doing well.

BEFORE

AFTER

Renewal

Spring is here! Spring is here!  Spring is here!

All the spring flowers are poking their heads up looking for the sun.  The temps are rising; it's been raining.  I'm reading blogs about spring.

It's the time of renewal, renewed enthusiasm for life and love...........

Go Hawkeyes!

The University of Iowa 

beat

Georgia Tech

Orange Bowl

January 5, 2010!  

Go Hawkeyes!!!!

Ring in the New Year: Year of Healing

Here are some photos from our Christmas celebration. Only one person couldn't make it -- she needed her R&R after a 3 week trip home and also carrying a baby inside.

So, we had a lovely time. We got a Charlie Brown tree and had a few presents. Books were notable (those present and not). Funny gifts and ones that had been lost and found were highlights. Musical gifts, gifts for others than the recipient, and gifts to make good food were all in abundance.

So were parties with old friends and new ones. Games to be played and noshes and drinks to be had . Even Boo, the doggie got her special Christmas treats.

It was special this year and perfect.

I love my family.

Hope all is well with you and this season of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas finds you with your family and those important to you.

From all of us with hugs.

Dagnabit

I've been working, cleaning and (gasp) community organizing. See blog here: www.northoakwood.blogspot.com

I'll get back to this -- fall is a'comin in. I'm prioritizing projects, sad about the cancellation of October visit by our daughter. However, I am planning Thanksgiving dinner with our son, daughter-in-love and Romy. Then, I will plan Christmas dinner with our daughter & BF. So, they will come to visit.

What is your favorite part of fall? I like the smell of the leaves, the promise of indoor fires, and nesting.

Take care.
-B

You knew those weren't the only internet sites I visit......

This site is maintained by someone I used to work with. He's retired now. His links are amazing. Check them out! They range from photos, philosophy, science, newspapers; I could go on and on. If you have a bit of time to kill, go there. I guarantee you'll learn something. His site is how I discovered WOOT.

Yes, Woot is a fun site. So is Shirt.Woot and now Kids.Woot and Wine.Woot. These sites sell a different item each day until they sell out or another day comes around.

"Regular" woot generally has geeky stuff, but they also seem to like vacuum cleaners.

Kids is brand-spanking new, just about a week old as of this post.

Shirt.Woot sells T-shirts. Some are a little wierd and all are very creative.

I have only ordered cheese from Wine.Woot and it was fantastic.

New New New

Yes, it's August already. Yes, it has been for, oh, 22 days. Sometimes I'm slow on the uptake.

Today I'll talk about the internet: how we get there and where I go. We get there through our BRAND NEW MAC desktop with its amazing 23" screen. I can finally see. Everyone over 50 should get a MAC just to be able to see with clarity. Where do I go on the internet? You may find some of these sites interesting.

Facebook: Yes, I have a fairly active FB page. Mostly centered around family & friends, books, movies and old high school acquaintances. My name is so common that if you want to contact me via Facebook, please just contact me here. It's easier, believe me.

SYD: Yup, a "diet" site. It's an amazing place with lots of tools to use to track what one eats and exercising. It has sections with philosophy and "help". It encourages formation of online community with blogs, private email messages and message boards. It is less than 10% of the cost of WW. Take a look if that's what you're into. And, yes, I have lost 15 pounds so far. My goal is, well, let's say it's down the road a ways but at least I can see the path.

NYT: This is our home page and favorite newspaper online and on paper. (daily, mind you)

BBO: This is an online bridge playing site that I go to infrequently. Gates and Buffett have been known to show up from time to time to play a hand. It works with the MAC which surprised me because I had heard rumors to the contrary.

I am pondering this: Grace

Someday I'll post the blogs I read, too.

Barbara

Ok I should post more often

My new August resolution to post more often. If I can find something useful, interesting or just plain fun to write!

** Our trip through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and back again was fabulous. We saw many relatives and friends, did some genealogical digging, visited our daughter and her beau, saw some awesome windmills, and got 26.5 miles to the gallon!

** It's August and school-time is coming up. Will be a big adjustment as Dan hasn't been teaching this past semester. He's already gearing up.

Take care! I'll find some more to talk about soon.

Jun 13, 1970

It has been forever since I've posted.
Today is a special day, so fitting to return
To the world of bloggers
With my Sweetie.
xxoo

Habits

No, not the kind the nuns used to wear. Those other kinds, the actions that stay with you even though you wish they wouldn't. The actions that you find yourself doing without even thinking. The kind that one minute you think " sheesh, I just .................". Oh, those habits! The bad ones, yeah.
I'm one of those to whom bad habits stick like glue. I'm peeling them off one by one. Smoking? Gone. Biting fingernails? Gone.

Now, on to the good ones! Exercise daily! Yes! I'm currently in a bit of physical therapy mode (nothing serious) and find that performing even the teeniest exercises daily requires a bit of a ... push? Thinking and nudging myself to do it. It'll take five minutes. I'll take time to enjoy the satisfaction that comes after as well.

What bad habits have you shed? How do you keep the good habits going?

Done!

100% of the way there! ZERO left!

Congratulations to Dan for finishing his treatment! Yay! Now we'll wait for the side effects to subside. These last couple of weeks have been a bit troublesome. I would say not terrible, though. The Med Team said it will take 8 weeks to get back to normal. Here's hoping for a quick 8 weeks!

And, we're getting a hint of spring! The last 2 days the temps have been in the 40's and 50's. It is so uplifting to not worry about falling (ya, we've experienced that this winter), taking twice as long to get to work, being shut-in because the old Volvo is surrounded by snow and ice -- you get the idea.

Water & Ice