Nuttin' New

Just hanging out----trying to stay warm. Out this AM---In this PM sitting by the fireplace w/the "3 dogmigos" on my lap. What a worthless foursome we make.

Happy New Year---keep healthy, stay safe and in touch.

Love, Mom

Putzing

Mass this AM, volunteered at rectory, ran some errands, washed the car (drive thru car wash) and limbering up to get ready to get more inside winter chores completed. Really difficult to stay focused today---temp is 71 degrees,  sun brightly shining, no clouds, slight breeze. Feel I should go out and check for daffodils.
Replaced all the switch plates and heater floor vents. Also, replaced the shower rings on shower curtains. Lots of help from the posse.

Think I am done----just noticed the Pinstripe Bowl started---K-State/Syracuse---K-State, Daniel Thomas just got a TD in less than 30 seconds into game----call me done w/this Blog.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Turkeys and Painting...

Keep catching glances of the wild turkeys in the back field. They are not the brightest birds on the block. Why do they think they can sneak past our place? These pictures actually were on the run due to barking varmints at the fence line. I do think the turkeys could take the "boys" but keep their distance because of annoyance of all the ruckus and barking.

Mass and volunteer at rectory this AM. Run a couple of errands and then home to finish the painting. Really am happy w/the color---just want to get it done. Will probably take a nap this afternoon. Was up at 4:15AM, couldn't sleep, fed the "boys" and am now watching them nap. 

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom 

Winter Projects

Almost done w/the painting. Someone please intervene if I mention tearing off wallpaper---painting is okay--wall prep following wallpaper removal  is the pits. Really work intensive but love the color.

Needing more sunlight in the hallway and decided would use fireplace screens instead of pet gates. What do you think? Talk about different. That is what I am about----different!!!

Got some wonderful pics of VA grandchildren today. Brought a smile to my face. What cute kids! How great is that!!!

Stay healthy, safe, in touch,

Love, Mom

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas.

Love, Mom

Busy Day

 Mass this AM, more painting to do---makes one wonder how big is that bathroom anyway?...What goes on in the head (will have it done in a day or two) has not gone on in the body. Think I might be in slow gear w/all my other activities----Oh well, have said before---I have the time, am retired, and can get it done as time allows. Just have to make a mental note to self at bedtime that toilet is no longer in the bathroom (so I can paint the entire wall). Would be a long drop to squat if I walked in my sleep. I feel the urge to get more focused on the painting today so I can get things back in order. Would hate to tell people it took 2 years to paint the bathroom (2010 to 2011).

Have a great day, stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Still Painting...maybe.

Nineteen degrees, crisp air, no breeze... Wild turkeys, deer in back field, dogs on guard, lots of racket. Start of a great day. Left for Mass early just to escape the chaos. Running errands and then back home to paint.

Have a great day, stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Ma's Day

Moon still out and lights up the back deck. Too cool to be out too long (24 degrees) but worth being out just long enough to look up at the winter sky.  Off to Mass this AM, run a couple of errands, back for a short distraction (more spackling) and then off to a movie this afternoon. 

Take time in your day to stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Wash the Walls...Fa la la la...

Oops, almost broke into a seasonal all about me song. ALL THE WALL PAPER BACKING IS OFF!!! Hope to get the wall(s) washed, spackled and possibly the ceiling painted before the day is over. Have an extension rod for the paint roller and can just whiz across the ceiling in no time at all. So it really is a Fa la la la la...occasion. (Have some wonderful Nativity pics and wanted to share as a reminder of the real meaning of this season.)

Mass and volunteering at the rectory this AM before the painting project begins. Woke up to the most lovable puppies this AM. Thirty-three degrees, no breeze, still dark, and everything is quiet...nice.

Take care to keep healthy, safe, and in touch.

Love, Mom

Busy week/Special Day

Mass, volunteering at the rectory, on going wallpaper removal/paint project, a few appts., some grocery shopping...

Great day today----Grand daughter (also God daughter) turns 18 years old today!!! Have a special day girl! See ya later in the day to give you a birthday hug. (Pic: Summer fun w/VA cousins {AKA: cute kids in car inVA}.)

Hope your day is special. Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Almost there

Removed significant amount of wall paper baking yesterday. Plan to finish up tomorrow and begin the wall wash, spackle stuff and hopefully be ready to paint before the end of the week----remembering I promised myself to be done by Christmas. We'll see.

Cool this AM, sun  shining, no breeze... Mass yesterday evening and slept in this AM (6:45am). Picked up a newspaper this AM at the corner store, made/drank coffee (lots), read, and sat (all 4 of us in one chair) w/the pup posse in the family room. Just finished breakfast and plan to resume the chair sitting, reading, and getting ready for football on the tube.

Have a great day, stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch. (Lots of family BD's this week--HB Danny, Allison, and Bennett).

Love, Mom

Distractions

Twenty-eight degrees, no breeze, felt a snow flake or two as I walked into Mass this AM. Work clothes on and ready to do more work on the wallpaper removal project. Will be difficult to keep at it----football on the tube later today. Great distraction until the game(s) starts. Might go to Mass this PM and sleep in tomorrow morning. We'll see how it plays out.

Stay healthy, be safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Backing off (as in wallpaper)

Mass this AM, volunteered at the rectory and am now home for a wallpaper backing removal day.  Thinking I might  be ahead of the Christmas deadline. It is going quite well. Plan on volunteering at the rectory all next week.  

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

It's On...

...or should I say it's off. Took all the wallpaper off this AM before Mass (note great ladder). Taking off wallpaper is contagious---once you start you cannot stop until it's done. Now, have to tackle taking off the backing. Figure I will have it done by the end of the week. Then will paint ceiling, sand/poly urethane the wooden window seat, and get those walls done. Plan on having it done before Christmas.

Mass this AM, stopped by grocery store, going to run errands, then the MAMMOGRAM. Wearing comfortable shoes that will support my weight as I stand on my toes during the compression phase.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Changes

Okay, think I am now leaning toward a new color from "Fig" to "Java" (Notice the food theme.) Went to Mass this AM, volunteered at rectory, threw paint samples out--except for the 2 above. Bringing up the wall paper removal tools and plan to start on the removal before the week is over. Bought (yes, at the hardware store) a great 250/500 watt lamp that can be telescoped or hand held so I will be able to do this into the dark hours of the day. Want to be sure I do not miss any areas.

Have a yearly dental cleaning and mammogram scheduled this week----just wish there were enough days to also throw in a pap smear and colonoscopy before the year ends---NOT!!!!  Got my first gas bill since using the gas firelogs in the fireplace and was pleasantly surprised. Let me tell you again how much I like those gas firelogs.

Okay, I'm OTD and DTR. Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

More paint samples

Mass this AM. More paint samples--think it is getting close. Found one named "Fig." (The sample is darker than above---might have to tweak the color.) Have placed it on every wall and it is growing on me. Feel some wallpaper removal coming on. Bought the greatest step ladder this year---real sturdy, nice height, and has a shelf for supplies. Have really gotten into loving hanging out at the hardware stores. On first name basis w/the guys at Sutherland's since the summer project.

Taking Buster to vet this afternoon for his yearly senior checkup. Already have the pillows loaded in the care (he loves to ride shotgun on the pillows so he look out the windows). Will be real traumatic for Rowdy and Spencer when we leave w/o them.

It is so bitterly cold out. The wind blew leaves all over the deck this weekend.  Mr T came over, removed/mulched  all of them and even spread them out in the back flower bed. Plan on doing some sewing/mending, TV watching, and reading in front of fireplace this evening.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

Turkeys in the area

Went to early Mass. Thirteen degrees, windy, bitterly cold, dogs barking, wild turkeys on the neighbors play equipment...what more could one ask? Planning on spending the day w/Allie. We are going to see the show to see Chronicles of Narnia.

Keep  warm, stay healthy, safe, and in touch.

Love, Mom

Food for Thought

Mass this AM, plan to attend the Our Lady of Guadalupe activities at St Pat's throughout the day. Wonderful celebration, lots of great Matachine dancing, beautiful costumes, good company, great food... The feast days (2 of my favorites) of both Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe were/are this week.  Sharing a reading from 12/09/2010 Missal: "Do not be frightened or grieve, or let your heart be dismayed. Am I not here, I who am your Mother? And is not my help a refuge?"---Our Lady to Juan Diego. (This makes me think of Pop and how he handled his illness. His strength had to come from an outside source.)

Picking up more paint samples this weekend. The wall paper removal starts when I find the right color---Have samples stuck all over the wall and still have not found the "right" color. Idea!!!---what if I just collage the samples and forget painting? Great winter project---temperatures supposed to drop this weekend.

Hope your weekend is peaceful, staying healthy, safe, and keeping in touch.

Love, Mom

Hmmmmm

Got the rest of the leaves spread and things outside picked up. Expecting cooler weather this weekend. The "boys" were such help---they "marked" all the spots the leaves were supposed to be. The leaves were flying---I dumped and raked--they scratched through them and had them everywhere. What fun we had---it was a beautiful day.

Off to Mass, errands, then home to put more paint samples up on the bathroom wall. The "paint project" is almost a certain thing---just not sure when---must find the right color---Hmmmm. Great inside project.

Stay healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

OTD and DTR

Warmer weather---36 degrees already. That means: Off to Mass, volunteer, cover a Holy Hour, and home to work outside w/the pup posse. Haven't told them yet as it would cause too much excitment and too much barking in anticipation of all the activity w/the warm weather in store for today.

Stay healthy, safe, and in touch.

Love, Mom

Busy Day

Mass, volunteering, possibly spread out some more leaves, and put a couple more things away for the winter. No wind this AM, though temp. is 27  degrees. Stay warm w/lots of layers from adipose to flannel and then of course the evenings in front of the fireplace. Cannot tell you enough---how great it is to not have to haul firewood and sweeper up and down stairs to do fireplace prep.

Already into the soup phase of winter. The soup of the week is Minestrone. Could (and usually do) have soup every day for supper w/Ciabatta bread. Also, doing lots of roasted winter vegetables w/Ciabatta bread. Think all of this is just an excuse to have something nutritious w/Ciabatta bread.

Stay warm, healthy, safe, and keep in touch.

Love, Mom

All is well

Mass, volunteering, reading, watching football, sewing...Quiet weekend ---great football games and ate great supper at K and B's yesterday.

Planning another inside project. Temptations circling to begin tearing the wallpaper off the wall in master bathroom--and paint. Still thinking about a color and plan to also replace the lighting soooo it is only temptation in progress not in action. When these thought cross my mind I begin to set plans in action. Oh save me from myself.

Stay healthy, safe, and in touch.

Love, Mom

Another Festive Decorating Season

Have spent another year out doing myself w/seasonal decorating. Wanted to share a pic of this years project. Know you are all envious of the creativity---easy as flicking a match to light the candles.

Really enjoyed yesterday. The volunteer day retreat at SLC was wonderful. They really made it special for all of the volunteers. (I volunteer to transport retreat attendees to and from airport and set up for banquets--and on call for whatever---call it flying by the seat of my pants volunteering.) Would recommend volunteering as a stewardship for the retirees.

All family members have successfully had their surgeries. Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers for thanksgiving and uneventful recoveries. Also, throw in some continued good health, safety, and keeping in touch w/our family members. Lots going on.

Love, Mom