Wednesday, August 27, 2008
A beautiful morning!
At nearly 10am now, it's only 67 degrees outside and 55 degrees on the kitchen!!! I got up early, opened the windows & doors wide and read an entertaining gardening book for about an hour! It was as quiet as it can be around here - occassional street traffic, summer insects and the murmuring of Good Morning America on the tv. Of course around 9am the tranquility was spoiled by the little banshees that are allowed by their parents to run wild all over the complex from morning til evening! (Seriously, I wish I was exagerating!!! I don't have children and I can't wait til Back to School!) But, it's quiet again for the time being so I'm going to enjoy it! (And watch a rerun of a Fraiser Christmas episode!!!)
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Seasons are changing...
Hints of Autumn are in the air tonight! Wood smoke scents, cricket chirps & songs, a refreshing chill, windows wide open and we're going on a bus trip to Salem MA next month!!!
Monday, August 25, 2008
While It's With Me Every Day...
Finally figured ouy how to post to my blog from my cell!!!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Testing New Phone!
So far none of my pics from my phone are posting here and I am not sure why since none of my account info has changed, just the phone! And this phone takes great pics so I am disappointed with not being able to post any pics yet! I got my SSD retro last week (FINALLY!) and when part of it became available we payed some bills, fixed the trucks and I got myself a pink Palm Centro cell phone! This thing is amazing and is basically a hand held computer!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Last Night's Moon At The Beach
Friday, August 15, 2008
Today's Writing Piece
Friday, August 15, 2008 3:33:01 PM
More Random thoughts!
Oh dear. The psycho chicks Mom that lives across the courtyard from us is wearing LEOPARD SPANDEX SHORTS. To say that she REALLY shouldn’t be wearing them has nothing to do with her age and I’ll leave it at that!!!
I over slept this morning and have been playing catch up ever since! I’ve been automatically waking up around 7am/7:30am every morning recently. Today, I awoke and the clock said 9:30am on the nose! But, sometimes my “monthly visitor” takes a lot out of me, so I’m guessing that’s the reason for it! (Of course, now whenever I over sleep for no apparent reason, I panic! When I did so last September, I awoke to find one of my kitties dead as a door nail and as stiff as one too! But, I feel that God let me sleep that day so I wouldn’t have to be hysterical the ENTIRE day!)
This week has been really bad for me and my dyslexia and motor skill coordination! I’ll have to keep an eye on it and see if it continues, if so, I may have to mention it to my Dr. when I go for a check up on 9/3. (Unless it gets drastically worse, of course! Then I’ll call!) I’m not sure if it has to do with allergy medicine fog or what. Could be distraction. Could just be another stepping stone I’ll have to deal with in my health ups & downs. (I’ve had the problems for a while now (years) and sometimes it acts up and is worse than at other times). It’s making my already frustrating writing issues all that much harder to deal with! When one’s trying to get past a writing block, that is exhausting! When one’s trying to do so at the same time her brain and hands don’t want to get along & work together, it’s down right deflating and my entire being gets tired!
It’s nearly time to get ready – We’re going to a benefit dinner for the Memorial Fund for our Friends’ son tonight. The costs for the funeral home and airline to fly them and his body home from Georgia along with the costs of the funeral home here having to meet them at the airport in addition to the wake and the funeral & uncovered medical costs have been astronomical! They’ve spent over $100,000. Both sets of Grand Parents have given them money, our American Legion Post has given them donations they’ve collected (to which we gave $100 though I wish we could’ve given more) and there have been 3 benefits prior to this one. No one wants them to lose their home or struggle after all this and they’ve still got 2 children with them at home!
My Mom has been persnickety about the entire thing. “Didn’t they have health insurance for him?” Most likely since they both work for Borough’s, but who knows how good the coverage was/is?! There’s always additional co-pays and the like! Not everything’s covered for a hospital! “Didn’t they have life insurance for him?” Uh, no probably not! HE WAS 8 YEARS OLD for crissakes! “Well, I had that life insurance for you…” Yes, but that wasn’t until HIGH SCHOOL and you were required to purchase it then! “Oh.” (Her newfound revisionist memory is REALLY ticking me off at times!)
She went with us to a benefit dinner at American Legion Post 321 in Union Beach last December for an Army Sargent who was severely injured & permanently disabled in Iraq. We didn’t know him or the family. Tonight is for OUR FRIENDS’ SON and she won’t go!
“It’s going to be a rather somber affair, don’t you think?” ARE YOU FREAKIN’ KIDDING ME?! (My Aunt just looked at her and raised her eyebrows in surprise!) It’s a benefit for the Memorial Fund for our Friends’ 8 year old son who hasn’t even been gone a month (Sunday, 8/17 is a month)… I figure it’s going to be a hell of a good time! (Sarcasm). Come on!
Am I really related to this woman?!
More Random thoughts!
Oh dear. The psycho chicks Mom that lives across the courtyard from us is wearing LEOPARD SPANDEX SHORTS. To say that she REALLY shouldn’t be wearing them has nothing to do with her age and I’ll leave it at that!!!
I over slept this morning and have been playing catch up ever since! I’ve been automatically waking up around 7am/7:30am every morning recently. Today, I awoke and the clock said 9:30am on the nose! But, sometimes my “monthly visitor” takes a lot out of me, so I’m guessing that’s the reason for it! (Of course, now whenever I over sleep for no apparent reason, I panic! When I did so last September, I awoke to find one of my kitties dead as a door nail and as stiff as one too! But, I feel that God let me sleep that day so I wouldn’t have to be hysterical the ENTIRE day!)
This week has been really bad for me and my dyslexia and motor skill coordination! I’ll have to keep an eye on it and see if it continues, if so, I may have to mention it to my Dr. when I go for a check up on 9/3. (Unless it gets drastically worse, of course! Then I’ll call!) I’m not sure if it has to do with allergy medicine fog or what. Could be distraction. Could just be another stepping stone I’ll have to deal with in my health ups & downs. (I’ve had the problems for a while now (years) and sometimes it acts up and is worse than at other times). It’s making my already frustrating writing issues all that much harder to deal with! When one’s trying to get past a writing block, that is exhausting! When one’s trying to do so at the same time her brain and hands don’t want to get along & work together, it’s down right deflating and my entire being gets tired!
It’s nearly time to get ready – We’re going to a benefit dinner for the Memorial Fund for our Friends’ son tonight. The costs for the funeral home and airline to fly them and his body home from Georgia along with the costs of the funeral home here having to meet them at the airport in addition to the wake and the funeral & uncovered medical costs have been astronomical! They’ve spent over $100,000. Both sets of Grand Parents have given them money, our American Legion Post has given them donations they’ve collected (to which we gave $100 though I wish we could’ve given more) and there have been 3 benefits prior to this one. No one wants them to lose their home or struggle after all this and they’ve still got 2 children with them at home!
My Mom has been persnickety about the entire thing. “Didn’t they have health insurance for him?” Most likely since they both work for Borough’s, but who knows how good the coverage was/is?! There’s always additional co-pays and the like! Not everything’s covered for a hospital! “Didn’t they have life insurance for him?” Uh, no probably not! HE WAS 8 YEARS OLD for crissakes! “Well, I had that life insurance for you…” Yes, but that wasn’t until HIGH SCHOOL and you were required to purchase it then! “Oh.” (Her newfound revisionist memory is REALLY ticking me off at times!)
She went with us to a benefit dinner at American Legion Post 321 in Union Beach last December for an Army Sargent who was severely injured & permanently disabled in Iraq. We didn’t know him or the family. Tonight is for OUR FRIENDS’ SON and she won’t go!
“It’s going to be a rather somber affair, don’t you think?” ARE YOU FREAKIN’ KIDDING ME?! (My Aunt just looked at her and raised her eyebrows in surprise!) It’s a benefit for the Memorial Fund for our Friends’ 8 year old son who hasn’t even been gone a month (Sunday, 8/17 is a month)… I figure it’s going to be a hell of a good time! (Sarcasm). Come on!
Am I really related to this woman?!
Zucchini Bread Recipe & Last Week's Writing
This is to make in a 9x13 baking pan or for cupcakes! Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix the following well:
3 cups unbleached flour
2 cups sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp pumpkin spice
1 tsp baking powder
14 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/3 of a 15oz box of raisins
In another, seperate large bowl, mix the following well:
3 eggs
3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup veggie oil
3 tsp vanilla
1/8 cup evaporated milk
brown sugar to your liking
Once you've mixed your wet ingriedients, you can then pour them into your already mixed dry ingriedients and mix everything together well.
Spray baking pan or muffin cups with non stick spray! Crush a very small bag or can of shelled walnuts and sprinkle the crushed walnuts in the bottom of the baking pan or muffin cups, then pour the zucchini bread batter into the baking pan or muffin cups. Bake at 325 degrees, 45 minutes for the baking pan (or until inserted knife comes out clean) or 15-20 minutes for cupcakes (or until inserted knife comes out clean).
Cool completely. You can use regular vanilla or cream cheese icing, if you chose. For the baking pan version, I cut the bread into 12 squares, wrap each individually and put 3 at a time into a zip lock bag. I keep some in the fridge and I freeze some, which you can later thaw out at room temp. (You can do the same with the cupcakes).
To make this for a loaf pan, either use multiple pans and bake for 60 to 70 minutes or, 1/2 the recipe.
Here's my writing piece from last Friday:
Friday, August 08, 2008 10:00:32 PM
Right now I'm sitting in the living room with no lights on, trying to see my note book by the light of my laptop! The Cicada's are chirping back and forth to one another in the trees. People are coming and going for the night here at the complex.
Some of the most wonderful summer night sounds are best heard in our bathroom! In there (which doesn’t face the courtyard) the crickets & other summer night time bugs aren’t over powered by the Cicada’s and their incessant chirping (because they don’t generally go in the trees along that fence). Our bedroom faces the courtyard and the dang cicada’s, so sometimes I feel like throwing some pillows on the bathroom floor so I can fall asleep listening to the crickets! (Hey, I’ve never claimed not to be odd!) Oh how I LOVE to be lulled to sleep by their summer songs! (Unless, of course, there’s a cricket in the house! Then I just want to kill it!) My hesitation in the whole sleeping on the bathroom floor thing is the fact that Vic doesn’t exactly have good aim when he goes to the bathroom in the middle of the night!!! (Not to mention the fact that he’d probably think I’d lost what’s left of my mind!)
Around 5pm this evening, I wrote how summer rain and thunder had brought wonderful quiet to the complex! Those children not scared by the storm were called inside by their parents!
I also wrote how Summer is winding down. Really?! Already?! Years are starting to fly by at an alarming rate for me! Yesterday it was January and 2008 stretched out before me - Today, there are only just over 4 1/2 months left in the year!!!
Last night I wrote the following: "Ok, I'm stuck in our Legion Post bar with a gabby, wacka-doodle bar maid and a cheesy guy who used to make eyes at me all the time when I worked at Home Depot! (Actually, he still does, just not when Hubby's looking!) He's kinda cute. Nice body. Then he opens his mouth and it goes down the toilet from there! He's got a high nasally voice with a Bayonne accent - need I say more?!?! (Not as bad as actor Joe Pesche, but...) Shit! He's leaving so that means I'm stuck with her and she's gonna gab my frickin ears off now! Lord I hope Vic's meeting doesn't take long tonight! Brett Farve is now with the Jets?! What the F?!
This week I've written about Stephenie Meyer, author of the "Twilight" series, how after seeing her on Good Morning America and CBS News Sunday Morning, I wonder... Can writing really be as easy and fun for her as she claims it to be?! I don't know, something makes me suspicious! I'm not begrudging her any of her (enormous) success, a lot of people like and buy her books and that's great, but while 'someone doeth protest too much' raises a flag, so does one who seems so happy go lucky about everything!
And don't even get me started about this whole YA lit craze among adults going on right now!
But, I am curious about "Twilight," though Gillian read it and, well, disliked it! Of course, I skimmed a copy that's on hold for someone else at the library today and found that it's written in the 1st person - I'm so not a big fan of novels written in the 1st person! (Nor am I big fans of novels whose main character is a child or teen!) The librarian told me that "Twilight" is actually on the summer reading list! "TWILIGHT" is on the summer reading list?! I find that disheartening and I haven't even read it myself! Based on what I've heard though I'm sure there are far better books that kids and teens could read in place of "Twilight" that are also contemporary!
Anyway! I've also written about my writing this week. I've been frustrated! Why is it that when I sit down to write out these inklings I've got regarding story idea's THEY ALL JUST GO AWAY?!?!?! It's so damn maddening!
I've got all these wonderful idea's floating around me, just out of my reach, and I don't know for the life of me how I'm ever going to be able to catch them! I know they're there! I can feel them! I get this creative buzz going on and they feel so close! I don't know how to let them in or how I'm supposed to grab them!
I've been writing for YEARS about how I need and want to write my way to a better life! How the hell am I supposed to do that if I don't and can't write?!
In a large bowl, mix the following well:
3 cups unbleached flour
2 cups sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp pumpkin spice
1 tsp baking powder
14 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/3 of a 15oz box of raisins
In another, seperate large bowl, mix the following well:
3 eggs
3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup veggie oil
3 tsp vanilla
1/8 cup evaporated milk
brown sugar to your liking
Once you've mixed your wet ingriedients, you can then pour them into your already mixed dry ingriedients and mix everything together well.
Spray baking pan or muffin cups with non stick spray! Crush a very small bag or can of shelled walnuts and sprinkle the crushed walnuts in the bottom of the baking pan or muffin cups, then pour the zucchini bread batter into the baking pan or muffin cups. Bake at 325 degrees, 45 minutes for the baking pan (or until inserted knife comes out clean) or 15-20 minutes for cupcakes (or until inserted knife comes out clean).
Cool completely. You can use regular vanilla or cream cheese icing, if you chose. For the baking pan version, I cut the bread into 12 squares, wrap each individually and put 3 at a time into a zip lock bag. I keep some in the fridge and I freeze some, which you can later thaw out at room temp. (You can do the same with the cupcakes).
To make this for a loaf pan, either use multiple pans and bake for 60 to 70 minutes or, 1/2 the recipe.
Here's my writing piece from last Friday:
Friday, August 08, 2008 10:00:32 PM
Right now I'm sitting in the living room with no lights on, trying to see my note book by the light of my laptop! The Cicada's are chirping back and forth to one another in the trees. People are coming and going for the night here at the complex.
Some of the most wonderful summer night sounds are best heard in our bathroom! In there (which doesn’t face the courtyard) the crickets & other summer night time bugs aren’t over powered by the Cicada’s and their incessant chirping (because they don’t generally go in the trees along that fence). Our bedroom faces the courtyard and the dang cicada’s, so sometimes I feel like throwing some pillows on the bathroom floor so I can fall asleep listening to the crickets! (Hey, I’ve never claimed not to be odd!) Oh how I LOVE to be lulled to sleep by their summer songs! (Unless, of course, there’s a cricket in the house! Then I just want to kill it!) My hesitation in the whole sleeping on the bathroom floor thing is the fact that Vic doesn’t exactly have good aim when he goes to the bathroom in the middle of the night!!! (Not to mention the fact that he’d probably think I’d lost what’s left of my mind!)
Around 5pm this evening, I wrote how summer rain and thunder had brought wonderful quiet to the complex! Those children not scared by the storm were called inside by their parents!
I also wrote how Summer is winding down. Really?! Already?! Years are starting to fly by at an alarming rate for me! Yesterday it was January and 2008 stretched out before me - Today, there are only just over 4 1/2 months left in the year!!!
Last night I wrote the following: "Ok, I'm stuck in our Legion Post bar with a gabby, wacka-doodle bar maid and a cheesy guy who used to make eyes at me all the time when I worked at Home Depot! (Actually, he still does, just not when Hubby's looking!) He's kinda cute. Nice body. Then he opens his mouth and it goes down the toilet from there! He's got a high nasally voice with a Bayonne accent - need I say more?!?! (Not as bad as actor Joe Pesche, but...) Shit! He's leaving so that means I'm stuck with her and she's gonna gab my frickin ears off now! Lord I hope Vic's meeting doesn't take long tonight! Brett Farve is now with the Jets?! What the F?!
This week I've written about Stephenie Meyer, author of the "Twilight" series, how after seeing her on Good Morning America and CBS News Sunday Morning, I wonder... Can writing really be as easy and fun for her as she claims it to be?! I don't know, something makes me suspicious! I'm not begrudging her any of her (enormous) success, a lot of people like and buy her books and that's great, but while 'someone doeth protest too much' raises a flag, so does one who seems so happy go lucky about everything!
And don't even get me started about this whole YA lit craze among adults going on right now!
But, I am curious about "Twilight," though Gillian read it and, well, disliked it! Of course, I skimmed a copy that's on hold for someone else at the library today and found that it's written in the 1st person - I'm so not a big fan of novels written in the 1st person! (Nor am I big fans of novels whose main character is a child or teen!) The librarian told me that "Twilight" is actually on the summer reading list! "TWILIGHT" is on the summer reading list?! I find that disheartening and I haven't even read it myself! Based on what I've heard though I'm sure there are far better books that kids and teens could read in place of "Twilight" that are also contemporary!
Anyway! I've also written about my writing this week. I've been frustrated! Why is it that when I sit down to write out these inklings I've got regarding story idea's THEY ALL JUST GO AWAY?!?!?! It's so damn maddening!
I've got all these wonderful idea's floating around me, just out of my reach, and I don't know for the life of me how I'm ever going to be able to catch them! I know they're there! I can feel them! I get this creative buzz going on and they feel so close! I don't know how to let them in or how I'm supposed to grab them!
I've been writing for YEARS about how I need and want to write my way to a better life! How the hell am I supposed to do that if I don't and can't write?!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Check This Out!
Getting Ready For Fall, Part 2
Yesterday I also switched out some of the books on the back of the couch with late Summer and Fall ones like Sunflowers for VanGogh (rght), Country Roads (lft) and The County Store (cntr), not to mention the Organic Gardening book on the little end table with the Tomato Plants on the cover! (Books are a BIG part of our home, in case you had not noticed by now!)
Sorry, I thought this pic came out better!!!
Getting Ready For Fall!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Yup, They've Multiplied Like Bunnies!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Crappy Day Ends In Comforting Bargains!
Saturday, August 09, 2008
How We're Spending Our Weekend!
Monday, August 04, 2008
Saturday, August 02, 2008
What A View, Eh?!
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