I had a busy month in Nov. On Nov 8th, I drove down to South Jersey to see my 89 yr old Uncle who was in the hospital having a pacemaker & defibulator implanted in his chest b/c of a massive, near fatal heartattack on Oct 1st. Despite his age, he was in excellent health, still played tennis & baseball & was at his gym, working out, the day before. He's also the nicest man on the planet. My Aunt & cousin flew out from CO also so we had mini family reunion. My 3 sisters met me in NJ too. We had a really nice day with everyone despite the circumstances. However, my bad luck with hotel stays continued that evening. I went to bed at 11:30 & a few mins later I heard a faint click, click sound & thought, "Is someone trying to get into my room?"! Then a few mins later the same thing & then finally a female voice saying "141". I then yelled out, "141 is occupied......and trying to sleep!". Then there were 3 knocks on my door & I jumped out of bed expecting to see her running down the hallway so I could get a description & report it to the front desk. Instead I see 3 girls 2 doors down, 1 girl in a black cocktail dress lying on the floor in a drunken stupor apparently. A man, in a tux, approached from behind, asked what happened, said he was with a wedding party but the offending girls were not with his group. I called down the hallway that I'd like an apology & one of the girls actually did. She had not been drinking & was covering for her idiot friend but I appreciated it. But after all that commotion I couldn't fall asleep & was up most of the night. I met my 5 family members the next morning for breakfast & told them my story. NO ONE had a good night sleep with all the drunken wedding partiers roaming the halls all night long! I said my goodbyes & then went the 2 miles to the house my mother, who was raised by her grandparents, grew up in & in which we stayed as children when we were visiting. My Uncle sold it in the 1990's. It is on the National Registry of Historic Homes so I wanted to take some pics. Too bad I couldn't see the inside again too! From there I drove the 4 hrs home.

Then on 11/18 I got a call from my son. His car had broken down on his way to college. By 11am the repair shop told him that his head gasket was blown, it would cost $2500 & didn't recommend it be fixed. It was 03 Hyundai Elantra with 88k miles. I consulted with my husband & he agreed we shouldn't spend the money on it. But my son needed a car to get back & forth to college so that afternoon, he & I went car shopping. I LOVE car shopping! We decided to spend the $2500 on a down payment to a brand new car with a warranty. Hyundai has the best in the biz with 10yr/100k & a 60 mo bumper to bumper warranty so we decided to stick with a Hyundai for him. We looked at the Accent but they didn't even come with ABS brakes. I thought they were a life or death standard option on all cars! So they wouldn't work for us. The salesman started showing us used vehicles & only 1 was on option with a decent 60 mo warranty & only 740 miles on it. It was a red 09 Kia Spectra. We took it for a test drive, liked it alot, but wanted to do more comparison shopping. We went to the Kia dealership with our written quote on the used car & asked the salesman there, "Can you do better?" Yes he did. My son got a brand new 09 Kia Spectra in white with a full warranty for just $340 more than the used car. And the best part, my son got a loan all on his own-no cosigning needed from his parents. He had a 700 credit score for a 21 yr old. That's amazing! I'm as proud as when he took his 1st step instead now I'm bragging that he is FINALLY financially independent-yeah!! But now I have to adjust to the fact that he has a newer car than mine!! That doesn't seem right somehow! He earned it though!

Then 11/22 was my 4 yr old nephew's birthday party. It's an hours drive to their house. That's my husband's brother's son so we got to spend the day with the other side of the family too. They have a 2 yr old daughter too. 2 little kids sure do make a whole lotta noise! I'm so glad I've been there, done that & I'm over it! Don't get me wrong, they are great kids but I'm glad to go home at the end of the day to my nice peaceful house!

My daughter returned home from college on Wed, the 25th, with her new kitten, Fiona. She is an orange American Shorthair with the characteristic "swirl" on the side. Talk about a bundle of energy! I had to worry about things like her getting electrocuted by the big, old heavy duty outlet behind the stove or her walking on my countertops & kitchen table. I told my daughter she needs to break her of those habits. I was afraid to leave the Thanksgiving turkey unattended. My cat growled & hissed at her all day, everyday! No fights though. She is a sweet little thing & we did bond nicely during her stay here. They returned safely to college on Sunday.

Thanksgiving Day was a nice, relaxed family day with our only guest being my son's friend whose parents were in NC. I invited him b/c no one should be alone on Thanksgiving Day. We enoyed a nice big meal, the Macys Parade & the football games. My son left with a 2 gal storage bag filled with all the leftover dark meat, steaks & chicken kabobs. He also got a complete pumpkin pie & he raided my cabinets & took cereal, bread, soups & snack cakes! He made out quite well. I went shopping the next day anyway. I wouldn't miss the Black Friday sales! Thanksgiving would have been perfect if the Giants had managed to win their game that night. Instead they played miserably & had an embarrassing defeat. They better beat the dreaded Cowboys on Sunday or I might never recover! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Love to everyone out there!

I knew I was forgetting something in my last blog. I don't know how I could foget to mention the small fire I had on Oct 9th. I have a heavy duty extension cord in the outlet behind my livingroom couch. I plug my vacuum into it b/c I can conveniently reach all areas from that outlet. I called my son on the phone & told him to call me back on my cell phone b/c I was on my way to see him. Before I left the house, I decided to vacuum. I have a very fluffy cat! I finished vacuuming & was heading for the door when the phone rang. It was my son calling me back. Within 1 min of his call, I heard snap, crackle & then immediate flames underneath my couch! I yelled, "The couch is on fire!", threw down the phone, unplugged the vacuum, ran to the kitchen, got 2 glasses of water, opened up the recliner & threw the water directly onto the flames! Nothing happened! The flames were still there melting the fabric & rug underneath. I pulled the couch forward b/c I was going to try to flip it onto it's back so that I could get directly to the flames. This is a huge recliner couch with an all metal frame & a monster to move! The room was filling with smoke & I could taste the chemicals in the back of my throat. I used my adrenaline strength to pull the couch forward. Doing so somehow, miraculously, smothered the flames & put the fire out. I still turned the couch on it's back & soaked the entire underneath & arm of the chair with water so it wouldn't reignite. The whole thing took maybe 2 minutes but they were some of the longest minutes of my life! If I wasn't able to get those flames out & soon, the whole house would have gone up. If my son hadn't called me back when he did, I would have been out the door, the couch would have gone up & then the entrie house with my poor cat inside. My son stayed on the line & was ready to call the fire dept or ambulance if I keeled over with a heart attack! He calmed me down when it was all over. I told him I was going to stay home so that I could make sure the couch didn't reignite & told him to call me in the morning. Which he did to make sure I didn't die in a fire while I slept! That's the closet I've ever come to burning my house down. I don't recommend it! But all is well, even the couch survived with damage only to the underneath. I was very lucky. Love to all out there!

Hi Everyone! I've had a pretty busy summer. I visited with my 3 sisters in both July & August. In July, sis #2 had her annual "Girls Party". It was on 7/11 & it was chilly, overcast & VERY windy!! Despite the weather we all had a fabulous time. There were 12 of us. We had a grab bag gift giving party just for the fun of it. I recorded it all & the DVD has made the rounds for everyone to see & I have made lots of copies upon request. Everyone & their families enjoyed watching our antics! 12 partying women can make alot of noise!

I missed Albany's Alive @ Five Irish Concert this summer since I was away. I did manage to find out about the Irish 2000 Festival just days before it began. It moved from the fairgrounds close to my home to fairgrounds that were 64 miles away. I decided to go anyway & made a reservation at a nearby motel. I hated the new location. There was a long line up a steep hill, I drive a 5 speed Jaguar, and then NO parking once you arrived at the top! The nearest parking space was 1.5 miles away from the Main Gate! I ended up parking in an old man's driveway for $5 and I had to leave my keys with him too! That made me apprehensive, it is a Jag, afterall, but he wasn't going to steal it from his own front yard! So that worked out. Once inside the gates, I had a wonderful time listening to the music & watching the dancing. I loved one of the songs, named after 1 of my sisters, so I bought the CD. I said I must be getting old when I start buying Irish Folk music! Then I went back to my little motel room. Right next door were 2 20's guys drinking beer on the porch. By 10pm, they were finally quiet. I thought great as long as they don't reappear in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, they did. At 3:13am to be exact. Along with a bunch of their drunken buddies too! Apparently, it was a bachelor party celebration. They were loud & obnoxious for 45 mins. After they left at 4am, other people were coming & going, a taxi right in front of my door, up & down the stairs on the other side of my room & then walking around over me. I got 3 hrs sleep & RAN out of there at 7am. I could get home & take a nice long nap before my football game started. It was a disaster! I'm so used to my isolated lifestyle I couldn't take all the commotion!

My next adventure was to go to the Parade of Homes in Sept. There were 15 newly built houses throughout the region that are professionally decorated too. Each house is built by a different builder & ranged in price from $130K to $1.3 million. I only got to 6 houses the 1st day. My GPS wasn't very helpful since most houses were in brand new communities & therefore not on any mapping system yet. I stayed in a hotel overnight this time & had a much better night. There was a little yippy dog at the end of the hall but I didn't hear it late at night. The next day I finished touring the remaining 9 homes. I enjoy doing that very much! That is one of my hobbies!

I'm planning another trip to South Jersey in a few weeks. My 89 yr old Uncle had a massive heart attack on Oct 1st & his sister is flying out from Colorado to see him. She'd like to see my sisters & I too while she is visiting the East Coast. My Uncle is the nicest man ever to live on the planet, really!, so I'd like to see him before he passes. Our closest cousins are his 2 daughters that we just love too & would enjoy spending time with. I haven't seen my Aunt or cousin from CO since 1999 either. So my sisters & I are trying to coordinate plans that work for all of us.

My daughter went back to college on Aug. 30th. She will be coming home this Friday for the weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing her again. She is no longer staying in the dorms & instead is living in a rented 4 bdrm/2ba condo with 2 friends she made last year. Her boy friends are directly across the hall. It is a brand new bldg so they are the 1st to occupy it. All nice, new & clean. The condo has a media room, computer room & general store. She only needs to leave to go to classes. Since they are in an apt & not a dorm, they have adopted an orange female kitten named Fiona! I've had cats for nearly 30 yrs but they were all abandoned cats that just showed up at my door & refused to leave until I gave in & took them in. So I've never had the pleasure of a tiny kitten. I'm looking forward to having the little kitten here too. I hope my cat will survive the invasion of her space!

My son is back in college too. This is his senior year which I'm thrilled about until he tells me that he is going to do another semester next year to complete his internship-ugh! He's also been given a leave of absence from his job at Wal-Mart so he can concentrate on his grades. He's also thinking about moving to Albany & rooming with his closet friends but he'd still have to commute to college all winter long. He lives right across the road from the college now & just 1 mile from work so I don't have to worry about him driving. I'd like him to stay where he is b/c I stop by his apt every week & I know I'd see him less if he moved further away. He's 21 yrs old now so he's going to do what he wants. He still listens to the advice I give him but ultimately he makes his own decisions. He broke up with his girlfriend of 16 months in June. He now has a new girlfriend. She lives in Albany so that is coloring his decision too. I haven't met her yet since she isn't local & spending time at his apt. All of his girlfriends have eerily looked alike! He definitely has a "type"! I expect that I'll like her too!

What about my husband you ask?! He's a workaholic. He is a plant engineer. When he's home he likes to build & invent things. He is always tinkering with some new project. He is a genius & naturally born electrican. He's the smartest person I've ever met. He sometimes gets frustrated with the people from work b/c everything he does comes so easily to him he can't understand why others don't understand it too. I have to remind him that they aren't dumb, he's just too smart! His intelligence & work ethic has provided a very nice life for us. We don't argue much. How can you win an argument with someone who literally does know everything?! Besides, we agree on just about everything. Politics, religion, how we raised the kids etc. We've been married for 29 years & happily so we must be doing something right! So that's my update. I'm probably forgetting something important but I'll end as always: Love to all out there!

My son is a Junior in college at SUNY Cobleskill. He is 21 yrs old. He has been studying advertising & TV production. He just showed me what he's been working on all year in school. If you're interested in meeting my son, Brian, go to youtube & type in Mini Pep Pep in the search or go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3JZD_OpRW8&feature=related.

Mini Pep Pep: My son, Brian, stars & narrates this crazy infomercial. His girlfriend is Nicole, she has short black hair & is wearing a green shirt. That is NOT his kitchen!

Other "movies";

Luigi's Betrayal: Brian is the camera man. He can only be heard singing & laughing in the very end with his girlfriend. The beginning takes place at his apt. Entry door in the kitchen, McDonald's sign in livingroom along with my yellow w/red flower paintings. Flowered wallpaper is in his bathroom. The rest is filmed at Bouck Hall, SUNY Cobleskill.

How To Keep A Pet Bear: Had I known he was doing this I would have suggested a buffalo instead b/c I actually have a huge buffalo head hat! It would have worked in this video! Anyway, it's Brian's apt that the "bear" trashes. It's obvious why I'm buying him paintings & curtains, lol!!

Interview: What's this about?! It's hard to say! The rabbit is cute! Does the rabbit die? I hope not, I don't want to be a Grandmother yet, lol!! Brian asks the questions off camera & he interviews his girlfriend Nicole. Again, short dark hair.

Dalton The Zombie Killer: Seems to be the most popular with most views. It is the shortest.

I hope you enjoy my son's crazy antics! He tells me his professor has given him & his team all A's for their productions. Feel free to comment to me or on youtube. He'd appreciated some KIND words ONLY, lol!! Love to all out there!

Today is Earth Day! I hope everyone is enjoying life on this beautiful planet today!

My brother in law is having eye surgery today. He is only the 8th person in the USA to have this surgery. He had a radioactive "seed" implanted in his eye last year b/c of cancer. It worked, the tumor is gone but the residual effect are cataracts. Today he underwent surgery to have the cataract removed & he is going to have his lens, the new experimental part of the surgery, replaced too. So for the 1st time EVER he will have PERFECT vision without glasses! This will really, truly change his life. He needs limited activity for 2 weeks & then will undergo the procedure to his other eye for truly perfect vision! His birthday is on Friday & his wedding anniversary, to my sister, is on Saturday. A big week for him! I hope all went well for him today. Nobody deserves it more than him! Love to all out there!

It's been a long time since I've written. Would you believe I had another blackout even longer than the 1st? My daughter came home from college on Wed, Dec 10th for 6 weeks! On Friday Dec. 12th we lost power again! This time it didn't come back until 4 days later, Tues, Dec 16th at 8pm. Good thing I had heat & running water. I read 2 more novels. That's 9 for 2008! Thank goodness we haven't had any more since! I was beginning to worry!

Christmas was pretty good. For the 1st time in a very long time I wasn't sick on X-mas day. There was no coughing in the background of my video! I had all the relatives over at my house. Everyone ate their dinners elsewhere so I had it easy this year. I just had to provide dessert which was in the form of birthday cake & ice cream for my son turning 21 & my niece who turned 20. We always have fun together. My sister-in-law has 2 little ones, 3 & nearly 1. I'd nearly forgotten how much noise 1 3 yr old can make! Such energy! New Year's was quiet & uneventful. I stay out of trouble that way, lol!

The 2 biggest news stories were the inauguration of President Obama & the plane crash on the Hudson River. I watched & recorded all the inaugural festivities. It was history in the making. To see the sea of people to witness his inauguration was so amazing. And there wasn't a single arrest either! Everyone was happy & celebrating. Being a NYer, the plane crash on the Hudson was a huge story. There were special reports on tv within 10 mins of the crash complete with pics of the plane floating on the river. The pilot is a true hero by doing the nearly impossible & saving every passenger & crew member on that plane. 155 people! Truly a miracle!

My daughter went back to college on Sun, Jan 25th. Before she left, she spent $600 in cash I had given her during her 6 wk vacation & much to my surprise charged $327 on her card which I also pay for. I asked her what she was spending all that money on. Again, much to my surprise, she told me she got more tattoos! "Carpe" her right ankle & "Diem"on her left ankle. I was not happy! I asked her if she plans on wearing pants for the rest of her life. What happens when she graduates, gets a job & has to wear a dress?! The charge card was used at local convenience stores averaging $11 a day for an entire month. So then I asked her if she smoked cigarettes. She said Yes, for 2.5 yrs! Man, am I disappointed in her!! She's a smart girl with common sense, I thought! I took her charge card away & told her if she wanted to kill herself with cigarettes she has to get a job. I will not be paying for her cigarettes! I sent her off to college with $300 cash for 6 wks which averages to $50 wk allowance. (My sister sends her an additional $25 a wk!) I told her she MUST stick to a budget b/c I will not give her another penny!! Meanwhile, my son is going to college, working, paying his own rent, his own expenses & my daughter is spending her parents money like it's water. It's not fair to us or her brother! She's a good person but just hasn't learned to handle money correctly. She better learn quickly b/c she will have student loans to payoff after she graduates!

My husband is an electronics engineer & is a textile factory's Plant Engineer. He is renowned around the world for his expertise. His plant is only running 6 out of 60 machines. Victoria Secrets ordered then cancelled a large order. Who's spending lots of money on lacy underwear in this economy?! The factory has gone to a 4 day work week & there were layoffs on Thurs & Fri of last week. We hope that he'll still have a job in 6 months. We do have 2 kids in college at the moment! I think the Prez should stimulate the economy by giving everyone in the US a million dollars. Believe me, people would buy houses, cars etc & that money would circulate within the economy. Instead of giving it to the CEO's & irresponsible bankers who got us in this mess in the 1st place. They have already misappropiated the funds that were given them already. Give it to us! Sure some of that money would be saved but I bet the majority would be spent. It would be cheaper too if they gave us all a million! Just wishful thinking on my part!

I hope all who've read this entire thing are doing well! Til next time, Love to all out there!

I haven't written anything in over a month & the most exciting, or boring, depending how you deal with this kind of situation, thing to happen to me is that we had an early & rather large snowstorm totaling 10 inches on Tues, Oct. 28th. I was literally just taking my dinner out of the oven at 6:15pm when the lights went out. I got out my flashlight & candles while there was still some light & then ate my dinner. I was hoping the lights would come on before the primetime shows started at 8pm. No such luck. I was all by myself since my 2 children are now away at college & my husband was in NC. To amuse myself, I got out the word game Upwords & played myself for 2 hrs! I had my Ipod playing my favorite songs. Then at 10pm I started to play Boggle, another word game, easily played by 1. My cat hated it. She ran away every time I had to shake up the cubes. She also runs away as soon as she hears a football game on the tv b/c I have a tendency to yell.....alot! Anyway, I played that for about an hour & then just sang along with my music. I gave up on the lights by midnight & went to bed. Man was it quiet! Wednesday morning, still no lights. I decided to finish reading the book I had started awhile ago. I finished "Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut. A weird outcome for the end of the world. 9pm still no power & I was so annoyed that I was missing Criminal Minds! I love that show! I played "Upwords" again Wed night & listened to my Ipod until I ran the battery down! I went to bed again in complete darkness, I do like it that way though! Thurs morning still no power. I started & read an entire novel on Thurs. I read "Love Walked In" by Marisa DeLosSantos. It was a love story but not a romance novel. There were deaths, an orphan & love triumphs in the end-yeah! Another night in the dark. Friday you'd expect power by then, right?! Nope! I usually do my food shopping on Fridays but why bother since I didn't have a running fridge or freezer for 3 days. I had called the power company on Thurs & was told there were only about 100 houses left without power then. Lucky me, I was one of them. I was luckier than most of my neighbors b/c I had running water. I was able to bathe, clean dishes & flush the toilet! Important stuff we take for granted everyday! My house was built in the 1800's before electric so I just had to switch a valve in the kitchen to have our spring well, gravity fed from the mountain behind my house, turned on for running water. I also have a propane fireplace in the livingroom so I had heat as well. I also had a 2 burner camp stove that I was able to cook on. So I was doing ok, better than most! Finally on Fri, Oct 31, Halloween, I got my lights back at 1:15pm! Yeah, I'm back living in the 21st century! There may be a permanent, positive outcome to this story. Instead of replacing the 3 poles & lines that snapped miles into the woods, the power company rerouted the power lines to follow along the road!! They were down the road from my house until Midnight on that Thurs night replacing the poles & lines. So hopefully we won't lose power as often but when we do they should be able to find it much easier than before. There are only 13 houses in a 2 mile stretch were I live. Only 7 have permanent year round residents, the other houses are summer homes or hunting camps! So we are the few & left for last.......all the time! I hope now that will change. Love to all out there!

Well, what's new since my last blog? My just 18 yr old daughter was in a severe car accident on 8/8/08. She was at one of the many graduation parties this summer. Drinking was involved. She got in a 2 door Saturn with 3 other people. She was sitting behind the driver in the back seat. The guy came down a steep decline too quickly, missed the turn, hit a telephone pole, right where my daughter was sitting, which spun the car around several times and then ended in the field. My daughter lost consciousness & later suffered from amnesia, from a concussion & whiplash. She was so incoherent & confused that the other 3 "friends" in the car decided to tell everyone at the party that she was walking with the other girl in the car & she fell down a hill & hit her head. The boy driving the car said he totalled his car but that he was alone. So for 3 hrs everyone tried to "help" my daughter but no one got her any medical help. Her 2 best friends brought her home at 3:30am that morning. I put her to bed but woke her every 2 hrs to make sure she was OK. We all found out the next day that she had indeed been in a car accident & not the concocted falling down story. I actually got to see a picture of the car that my daughter was in. Every window in the car was shattered except the windshield, both airbags were deployed, the drivers side door was bent in half, the rear tire-where my daughter was sitting was gone & what was left was bent, the rear panel was crinkled like an accordian. It was a MIRACLE that she walked away from that crash!! I actually broke down & cried when I saw the picture, it was that bad! I was furious that she had been in such a serious accident with obvious head trauma & no one got her medical attention. I could have forgiven the accident but not the lie that followed if my daughter had suffered any permanent damage. The only good thing to come out of it is that she is done with drinking! Then on 8/22/08 she left for college, 4hrs & 250 miles from home. Much to my surprise, she had trouble adjusting to her new life. By the 3rd week, she was feeling better about her new roommates & tough college schedule. She is doing much better now.

I went away to visit with my 3 sisters right after she left for school. I had a great time with all my sisters. When I came home, I had no idea I would just have 1 more week with my cat of 13 years. I noticed on Sat 9/6 that my female cat was squating in the livingroom like she was about to go to the bathroom. I thought maybe she had a bladder infection & began watching her more closely. She seemed better but as the week progressed she became weaker & weaker. By Friday I decided I should take her to the vet. I brought her there on Sat 9/13. I had to leave her for some tests so I kissed her goodbye & told her I loved her. That was the last time I ever saw her! The Vet called on Sun 9/14. My cat's blood sugar was 448 & had diabetes. I said I'd be willing to give her daily insulin injections so treatment began. On Monday I was informed that she did have a bladder infection & was also put on antibiotics. The insulin did nothing, the Vet would up the dosage. Tuesday I was told that she had developed a severe cold with blood in her mucus & urine. Her body temp had dropped to 97*. She could no longer regulate her own body temp. The insulin was still not working. Wednesday morning I called the Vet who said my cats whole system was shutting down & the humane thing to do would be to euthanize her. So on Wed 9/17 I authorized the euthanization of my cat of 13 years. I'm still very sad! They took care of her cremation. I will make a marker for her next to my other cat we lost in 2005. She was 17 years old. I now have 1 cat left who seems to be enjoying being the center of attention. She was low cat on the dominance pole! She is 6 years old so I don't expect to lose her anytime soon!

I went to an Irish Concert night in Albany in August. They moved the site & I had to walk about a mile carrying my chair & purse but the bands were good & so were the fireworks that followed. The news the next day said 32 people were arrested for DWI after leaving that concert. They sell beer & food there. I didn't drink at all so that wasn't a problem for me! Then this past weekend I went to Irish2000Festival at a nearby fairground. They had 2 huge tents set up with bands from Ireland playing in both. All kinds of Irish music. Rock, traditional, even bagpipes. There were Irish Dance Companies there too. There was also the usual vendors of food & more beer & merchandise. I got a sterling silver claddaugh necklace. It was a warm 65* sunny day so I enjoyed myself for the 1st time since the loss of my cat.

I guess that's the update for anyone who might be interested! It's important to tell the people in your lives that you love them but once in a while make sure you show your pets that you love them too! You never know when they'll be taken from you either! Love to all out there!!

Let's see, what have I been up to? I did buy myself a "garden tractor" from Sears. It was delivered the following week. I must have looked crazy the 1st time I mowed my lawn with it. When I wasn't singing along with my IPod music I was laughing to myself just trying to get used to the darn thing! Even slight inclines felt like I was going to tip over. It was funny & I was having fun....mowing my lawn, all by my lonesome! I'm getting better at it now. I can go faster & now I know I won't tip over & get chopped up or crushed. Nice picture, huh?!!

My daughters HS Graduation went very well on 6/27. She was #4 in her cl*ss. Behind the Valedictorian, Salutatorian, Honor Student & then my daughter. There were only 66 in her graduating cl*ss. She was also the Vice President. My son also had a job interview earlier that same day so I was very happy that day! My daughter & the other cl*ss officers hosted the graduation night party which was a huge success! She's still going to graduation parties! And my son got the job too! It's only at Wal-Mart but it is the perfect part time job for a college student. He & I are both happy he has a new job!

I went to LI to visit with my 3 sisters for a week in July. Unfortunately, both of my parents are gone. Both diagnosised with terminal cancer just 6 wks apart after 52 yrs of marriage. That was in 2000. My sister lives in the house I grew up in. She is married with 2 grown boys. I stay with her. The house is 3 stories with 6 bedrooms & 4 bathrooms. Plenty of room for me to visit! Even more impressive, the house my Mom grew up in is on the National Registry of Historic Places! How many people can say that?!! I loved that house! It was a grand Victorian built by a famous architect in the late 1800's. My Uncle sold it about 20 yrs ago. Anyway, I spent 9 days, going to a concert, movie, dinners out & tanning by the pool. I don't usually tan but 2 of my sisters love the pool so I got alot of color just swimming around! We have so much fun hanging out with each other! This is the 1st summer that I had to make the trip all by myself but I can do it with my eyes closed at this point so it didn't really matter! I will be going back the day after my daughter leaves for college which will be Aug. 22. I'll spend another week then with my sisters. Then I won't see them until next Spring, ugh!! I can get as many as 25 emails a day from my 3 sisters. We're always talking with each other. I'm the only one who lives far away though.

My daughter just got her dorm room assignment. We requested a private suite for her which consists of a common/livingroom with private bathroom with 2 bedrooms on either side of it. My daughter will share a room with Justine & in the other bedroom will be Mattie & Rebecca. I hope she likes them all! She really does get along with everyone so I'm not too worried. Either is she. She is getting very excited now about leaving in 16 days! We went to the college orientation 7/14 & 7/15. We got her registered, got her ID card & settled in the dorm room for the night & then I went to check into my hotel room. I met her again for dinner 2 hrs later & she had already made a new friend, Lindsey, a pre-med student. We had a lovely dinner at, coincidently, the Irish table. There was Maureen, Jennifer, Lindsey, Erin, Sean, Patrick & Colleen at the table! I liked all the kids at the table. I think my daughter will be very happy there. She already has a lifelong friend attending too. My husband & I will be empty nesters when she leaves. It'll be so quiet around here without her. Atleast my son is only 1/2 hr away so I see him every week, like it or not, ha, ha!!

This week is the county fair. I used to go all the time but haven't been there in years. I may go on Friday if the weather is good. The food alone is worth going for!

I went to see Bo Bice in concert for free in Albany on 7/11. He's from American Idol. My sister was in love with him! It was an outdoor concert with the Hudson River immediately behind the stage. The weather was perfect. I really enjoyed it. I want to go to Irish night next week. I just have to convince a non Irish friend to go with me!! I love Irish music. It's so happy all the time! This concert isn't going to be the traditional music though. More modern, rock. That's ok. The Coors are 1 of my favorite groups & then of course U2. I'm sure I'd enjoy it. Who doesn't like a live concert? There will be fireworks too. I hope the weather will be good & I'll go even if I have to go it alone. The concert starts at 5pm-8pm so my husband isn't home in time or I'd make him come with me!! They have food & beer vendors there too so I'm sure he'd have fun there too!

I guess that's the update for now! So til next time...Love to all out there!

I haven't been here for a while since my favorite show, Criminal Minds, is done of the season. I am happy that A&E is showing Season 1, so far in order, on Friday nights at 11pm. I am recording them onto a dvd. I will then have all 3 seasons recorded-yeah! I'm enjoying Season 1 again!

Lets see what I've been up to since my last blog. My daughter's car a Plymouth Neon lost it's brakes the last week in May. Her friend replaced the brake cylinder twice but it would just blow out again. That was the last straw. The headlights barely lit the road at night, and we had them replaced, the engine was burning oil badly, the wheel bearings needed replacing, the brakes were replaced & now the brake cylinder, the A/C didn't work, the heat barely worked & the trunk no longer opened! Pretty much from hood to trunk nothing worked. Since my daughter would soon be driving 250 miles for 4 hrs at speeds of 65-70 mph to college, I decided she needed a safe, reliable car. So the search began. Smaller cars like Elantra's, Focus', Cobalt's etc. are in such demand because of gas prices that they were selling before I could get to them. I stumbled across a 2003 Chevy Cavalier at a local dealership. It only had 57,745 miles & was only $6888. I picked my daughter up from school so she could test drive it. She did & loved it. Such an upgrade from her beginner car! I paid cash but they wanted a certified check so I called my banker since it was after hours. She opened the bank just for me & had the check waiting when I arrived! Now that's service! So I was able to pay for the car that day & we picked it up the following day. It looks & feels like a brand new car & my daughter is soooo happy with it. She contributed $2000 of her money towards the car so she isn't totally spoiled!!

My daughter went on her Senior Cl*ssTrip to Ocean City, NJ on 6/7-6/9. She is the Senior Cl*ss Vice President & her best friend is the President. Ocean City, NJ has been my family vacation spot for 5 generations, since the 1920's. I took my daughter & her 2 friends to OC in 2005. We stayed in a 2 bdrm/2 bath condo. That is the year that the Travel Channel named Ocean City, NJ the nations Best Family Beach!! They obviously loved it as much as my family always has & being in control of the Seniors they recommended it for their final trip. About 40 of the 62 graduates went. It was an extremely warm & sunny weekend, just perfect for a beach vacation! They all had a wonderful time. If you've never been to or heard of Ocean City, NJ it is a barrier island in South Jersey. It has a very long boardwalk with 2 amusement parks complete with roller coasters, a water park, atleast a dozen mini golf courses some with waterfalls & caves-just beautiful, a multi-movie theatre, the Music Pier with concerts, shops for just about anything you want and restaurants galore. It is a dry town, no alcohol is sold there & there is a police station at the Pier & they patrol it on bikes. It is really the perfect beach vacation spot. I'd recommend it to anyone!

Tuesday I was mowing my lawn, which is quite large, I own 1.8 acres, when I hit an old tree stump stalling the mower. It would not start again. My husband explained what happened, he knows everything, he really does, and told me to go get a new one. I told him with the kids gone & him at work the mowing is up to me & I'm done with a push mower. I want a ride on mower! I'm going shopping for one tomorrow! I hope I can have one delivered on Saturday since my lawn is only half mowed!

My preemie niece was Christened on Sunday, Father's Day, 6/15 @ 11 am. My brother & sister-in-law arrived with the kids AFTER the mass had already begun. They were about a 1/2 hour late to their own daughter's christening! My sister-in-law, who I like very much, showed up wearing shorts too! I thought the whole thing was very inappropriate! But atleast my niece is doing really well & she is now christened. They didn't have a reception afterwards either since it was Father's Day & they thought most people would have plans. I thought I did, spend the day with them, oh well!! We just had a bbq ourselves to celebrate the day. It was nice seeing them again even if just briefly. They live an hrs drive away so we don't see them all the time.

So that's what I've been up to! My daughter's graduation ceremony is next week & then it's off again to her college for orientation in July. I just made another hotel reservation for myself for that today. I guess that's what I'll bore everyone with in my next blog!! Till then, Love to all out there!

Yesterday, May 4th, was my 28th Wedding Anniversary! It was a nice day & my husband & I celebrated by going out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. We were married 5/4/80. He still gives me the most loving cards. He has been a wonderful husband, friend & father. He is a genius. He is an electronics engineer at a textile plant. He is known world wide for his knowledge & skills. He is sought out around the world for his help & job offers too from China, Vietnam, Germany, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Chile & Canada. That pretty much covers the planet! I am very proud of him! He spoils me rotten too. I needed a new refrigerator. I got my new fridge plus a matching stove, dishwasher & microwave oven. And since ALL the appliances would be out of the kitchen I suggested a nice new floor . I got that too! My dream car was on sale. Hon, can I get a Jaguar? Sure!! I want to go on vacation or a cruise, no problem! He is smart, kind & generous. I am a very lucky lady. He is also an excellent Dad. How many Dad's get on the floor with their daughters to play with Barbie dolls? He did! He went to all my sons baseball games & all my daughters music & choir concerts. He has always been there for all of us. I am so grateful for the wonderful life I have shared with him & for our 2 beautiful children, now adults...almost. My daughter will be 18 on June 11th. We are very lucky!

However, yesterday did not pass without a family tragedy. My 88 yr old Aunt passed away. She was a Roman Catholic Nun for 70 years! She was my Dad's oldest sibiling & the last to die. She was truly saintly & I have no doubt she is in Heaven now. When it's my turn to go, I'll feel good knowing there's someone up there with clout to give me a good reference! I will travel the 200 miles to attend her wake tomorrow & her funeral on Wednesday. I will get to see my 3 sisters & all my cousins, all of whom are 100% Irish. My daughter just got back from Ireland & I have the pics to show to everyone. Something nice to temporarily take our minds off the sadness! So even if it's not your anniversary tell those you love that you do love them today. There may not be a tomorrow! Love to all out there!