8/15 Hallelujah!

The epidural hurt a lot more than the first one, but the doc was funny and fun. He put in a lot more medicine (steroids included). Jane and Jan were there the whole time and the doc said that if it hurt too bad it was Jane's fault.

Afterward Jane and Jan took me to lunch which was sweet of them. Then before taking me home we went to John and Paulette's new house and we got a grand tour. John and Matt were working hard and the place is looking great.

Right now I'm feeling a little "weird," but there's not much pain. Tomorrow I should be able to have my normal routine. I have high hopes that this epidural is going to work. I'm very lucky and very blessed.

Thanks, Jane and Jan, for being there for me today.

8/7 Pasta sauce

Tonight I had pasta with a sauce made from tomatoes from Joe and Cindy's garden, green pepper from Jan's garden, and onion from HyVee Market. Yay. And yum.

Saturday is the Kuhlman family reunion, and I'm really look forward to it. My family is hosting it this year and I'm going to orchestrate some very special Olympic games--the kind you can play from a chair. I'll report about them afterward.

8/3 Fun and more fun

Gus, Charlie, and I swam with Jan, Kris, Brian, and Rocky today. It was relaxing and wonderful.

My brother Joe blogged a bunch of pictures from my birthday and they cracked me up. The pictures were taken by my great-nephew Blake. He's five years old. (I think I got his age right.)

8/2 Yes, Joe, it IS all about me

Today turned out better than I could have even hoped. Jan picked me up for Mass and afterward we went to Gem City for dinner. There were sixteen family members there and I couldn't stop smiling. Thanks, Jan, for buying my dinner. And also for the fresh vegetables from your garden.

And thanks to Kris and Jan for making my cake. OMIGOD it was so tasty. I would have loved to have more but John ate it all.

Kris and Brian gave me a lovely bouquet of flowers in such a cute vase. Hard to describe, but they were ceramic frog boots. If you want to see the vase, stop by anytime.

Cindy and Joe gave me a frog votive candle holder and a cute vegetarian cookbook.

Jordan, my godson, gave me a new swimming suit. How did you ever guess my size, Jordan? :)

And Blake and Ty made me beautiful birthday cards---Blake drew a picture of Gus on his.

Everything was just perfect. My children called me, and Rob/Beata sent a package that hasn't arrived yet, so I still have someting to look forward to.

After dinner nearly everyone came over to my house to visit for a while. We drank beer and played with the puppies. Then we watched Wipeout and I Survived a Japanese Game Show--two of my new favorite silly shows.

Matt and Joe put my new license plates on, which I really appreciate.

Sorry if there were gifts I forgot to mention. I'll have to look through things in the morning to make sure.

Thanks to everyone for making my 61st birthday memorable. Hope some of you can join us at Jan's tomorrow for swimming. Love you all.

7/6 Best and Worst

This has been such a great weekend. I've been able to be with my family a lot which is so important to me. Last night, Kelly, Todd, and the boys came over, but I didn't hear them knocking.(Note to self: get a doorbell.) Luckily I went out in front to water the flowers and saw them sitting over at Joe's house. So Gus, Bozie and I went over.

I knew they'd come to meet Bozie, because they are definitely cat people. Bozie made quite a hit with everyone. She is such a cutie. And of course Gus got some great attention too.

The worst part is that this weekend my back has been worse than ever. This latest bad flare up started about two days before the MRI, and unless I take the pain meds it's really bad. With the medication, I can tolerate the pain, but can't do a lot more than that. All I want to do is sleep. Last night I forced myself to water the flowers (which was good because I got to see everyone).

I'm grateful the puppy and kitten have each other. Neither has to rely on me for their fun. I do love to play with them though. Here are some pics I took with my phone.

We didn't know if Gussie would like the water or not, but he followed Rocky (a miniature dachshund) right into the pond.



I finally have a picture of Gus and me. It looks like I'm choking him, but I promise I'm not. Just wanted him to look at the darn camera.



My sister Jane holding Gus. And a pic of a small evergreen on Jan's porch with bubbles on it. The kids were blowing lots of bubbles and some would stick on the plant. Loved it.



A very tired puppy.



Bozie loves TV. Here's she's watching Wimbledon.

7/5 A wonderful Independence Day

Thanks, Jan and Tim, for such a great time. Most of the family and lots of friends turned out, and it made it a special day. Poor Gus doesn't remember how to walk because everyone kept holding him. :) That makes me happy.

I had a lot of fun. Can't wait to see the pictures.

When Gus and I got home I heard Bozie meowing, but couldn't find her. Started to get scared. Then I found her closed in the pantry. She was there the whole time. Luckily she didn't have an accident. A great kitty.

6/30 No time

Will post more later, but here's a picture from Joe and Cindy. My little Gus being chased by a Huskie--Storm. By the way, Storm is very sweet and they were playing great together.

6/7 St. Francis Parish Picnic

I went over at 5 and met up with some cousins. Had a beer with them. Then when my sister, brothers, and families arrived we had dinner. Everyone bought great sandwiches--roast beef, sloppy joes, hot dogs, brats, etc. No vegetarian food except onion rings, so that's what I ordered. For dessert, instead of getting superb homemade cakes, I got a shaved ice--a HUGE one. Then suddenly I got sick to my stomach. Started sweating profusely. So I told the family--bye, I'm sick. Walked home and threw up.

Wonder what it was--onion rings or shaved ice, or a combination of the two. Glad it's over. But I'm sorry I had to leave the family so early.

5/28 Family fun

Just returned from Kelly and Todd's where we had dinner to celebrate Adam's return to Quincy for a vacation. It's so much fun to be with family even though tonight was for a short time. I was uncomfortable as I had a painful day, so came home early.

Tomorrow at 7 I have xrays, so that might tell us something. Sure hope so.

4/13 Ellie, etc.

My great-niece Ellie was baptized today. It was a beautiful ceremony and she is a gorgeous three month old girl. Her full name is Elaine Elizabeth Ann and when the priest said, "Elaine," several of us got teary eyed. That's our mom's name--Ellie's great-grandmother.

Afterward we went to Matt and Beth's house and enjoyed lunch and cake/ice cream. Yum. I love getting together with the family.

Then instead of going straight home I went to the dollar store to buy some trinkets for the children I see in therapy. It's fun to play games with them as we talk, and of course it helps them to be more open to talk.

It snowed yesterday and today, but of course none of it stuck. It sure was weird though to have snow showers this late in the year. I took Quincy and Cookie for another walk late this afternoon and it was a lot more squirrelly than yesterday. Damn.

4/12 I woke up happy

Don't even know why. The dogs did have to get up during the night--but they came right back in and went to sleep. Then they got up at 6 AM as always, but went right back to sleep, so I actually slept until 7 (eventually).

My back felt bum early this morning so I took ibuprofen (lots) and it's starting to feel better. The good thing is that while my breakfast was cooking I put away a box of books, with lots more to do. In a moment I'm going to take the dogs for a walk. Later today I have some shopping to do--especially for my great niece Ellie's baptism which is tomorrow. I love family occasions like this. It will be fun. I've been back for three weeks and haven't met Ellie yet.

Tonight I'm going to dinner with lots of sibs and spouses. That'll be fun too. As for now--Q and C want to go for a walk. Adios.

4/6 A good weekend

Took the dogs for a walk (separately) this morning. It worked really well. I loved it. Walked about a mile and a half in beautiful spring weather. The dogs loved it too.

And my niece Sarah just called. She's going to take the dogs for another walk this afternoon. Great. They'll be nice and tired. While they're gone, I'll finish my taxes. (About time, huh?)

Last night John, Joe, Jane, Jan, Paulette, Cindy, and I went to mass together, and everyone but Jan went to dinner at Kelly's Tavern afterward. A nice evening.

I got a few more boxes put away yesterday and plan for a few more today, after I get my taxes done.

4/5 Dogs, house, lunch, shopping, and I succeeded

The girls have discovered squirrels. They jump at the huge maple tree in my backyard, and also have a go at the fence. Cookie is such an extraordinary jumper. I wish there was an agility course here. Maybe there is--I should check that out. She would be so good at it.

After working half a day I joined my sisters for lunch at the only Thai restaurant in town. Our niece, Kelly, happened by and she ate with us too. It was such an enjoyable meal and we sat for quite a while afterward just talking.

And I did it. Yes, I did. I made it through the whole meal without talking about my back pain. I'm very proud.

I went grocery shopping with Jan afterward, and even that was fun.

Last night my back bothered me a lot, so I called Jane and asked her a few questions. After using a moist heating pad and taking pain medication I was able to sleep well. Unfortunately the dogs had to go outside at 2:30 AM. The past week they slept through the night only twice. It's one day at a time with that--but I do think they finally feel like this is their home.

They sure love the big yard and get lots of exercise running and jumping every time they go outside.

Jane will be over in a little while to pick me up. I'm going to buy some new clothes for work. Then a haircut at one, church at 4:30. After that I'll have time to unpack some more. Last night I did unpack two big boxes, and that felt good.

4/1 It's April

What a great day. I was so busy at work that the day just flew by. Then I went to Alpha Dog to pick up the dogs and have their first private lesson. Elizabeth thought Cookie would be easy and Quincy difficult but it was just the opposite.

I was so proud of Quincy. She only needed one big correction and that was it. And I was correcting Cookie practically the whole time. She finally got it though and did well too. I'll have to get the right kind of collar and keep practicing with them.

Then I stopped by for Tim's Uncle Bill's birthday party. I think he's 82. Jan made a great salad and they ordered pizza. I was late, but Bill said he was really surprised. A nice ending to my long day.

3/30 Sunday

Went out to lunch yesterday with Jane, Pete, Jan, Deb, Joe, and Cindy. It was nice; I always enjoy spending time with family.

The fence is a mixed lessing. The good thing of course is that I no longer have to go outside every time the dogs do.

The downside is that they want to be outside all the time. I'm worried about all beautiful bulb plants that are already starting to bloom. If the dogs eat them or dig them up, Jan has threatened to dig them up and take them to her house. I definitely don't want that to happen. Kris has always had a beautiful garden in the back yard.

Speaking of Kris, she had a lot of toys stored in the shed and told me I could have anything I wanted for my office. So I took a few stuffed animals, two chairs, and tons of blocks. Cindy bought something for me, and I can also go to Kelly's to pick up some stuff, so I ought to be pretty well set. I'd like to get a few dolls, but can buy them if necessary.

Okay, back to work.

3/29 Brrr

It's been really cold, but thank heavens it's sunny. They're putting the gates on today, and then my fence will be complete. This morning I've been putting away items in the house and the dogs are driving me crazy because there's a squirrel in the tree in the front yard. They've not experienced this before.

The other things that drive them nuts are rabbits. Until here they'd not even seen a rabbit much less have them in the yard. They follow the trail around and around and around. Mind you they are on a leash, so I'm going around and around too. C'mon fence!

Went out to dinner last night with my sisters and their husbands, and a friend Debbie. They'd been setting up for the monster garage sale to be held today. Their proceeds will go to our Avon Breast Cancer Walk in Chicago. I can't help because of all the "stuff" to do in the house. But I'll probably join them for lunch when they're done at one or so.

Guess that's it. Back to work.

3/25 Survived second day

Today I learned so much. At the end of the day I did a crisis call with one of the supervisors. We went to the emergency room and did an evaluation of a patient with mental illness. There's certainly a lot more for me to learn, and I'm nowhere near ready to do this alone yet. It's not because I can't do it, it's because there are SO MANY DAMN FORMS to fill out. Yikes.

A recap of my first night here--I promised to talk about the gifts waiting:

Joe and Cindy left a bottle of Asti Spumonte, two wine glasses, and a laundry basket full of food and paper products. What a wonderful surprise.

Jan and Jane bought me a gorgeous plant.

Jane and Pete got beer, wine, wine glasses, bottled water, and rolls from the best bakery in the world--Underbrinks.

I'm sure I forgot some stuff, because they were so generous. It sure gave me the best ever welcome home.

3/23 Happy Easter

Went to mass this morning with Jan and then went to her house for Easter dinner with her family and Jane's. Delicious food. Nice dogs. Fun card games.

Am now home with my pups.

Snowed last night and at 5 AM when I took the dogs out, they were jumping around in it, catching snow flakes with open mouths, just like kids. They ate it off the ground too. Just what I needed when all I wanted was for them to do their business and let me go back to sleep. :)

Last night was fun. Dinner and drinks at the Abbey for Eric's birthday then everyone came over to my messy house. We had a ball though.

Too tired to write much. I need to take a nap before I get busy putting more items away.

I start work tomorrow.

3/21 New home, same blog

Have to hurry. I'm signed on to a neighbor's wireless. Don't know who. Can't connect to Joe's across the street, so I'm "borrowing" someone else's. Can't get my own to work at the moment. Will try again tomorrow.

The trip up here took less than 14 hours, and that's with a 90 minute stop at a vet's in Jackson, MS. The dogs were very anxious and uncomfortable so we got them sedated a bit. They were out like lights. And it made the trip easier on all of us.

When Genia and I (and two very groggy dogs) got here there were so many wonderful surprises waiting for us. More about that tomorrow.

For now--all my stuff was delivered and we are safely ensconced in our new home. The dogs are not used to all the traffic. We lived in a very quiet area, plus they had the privacy fence. Here it's very noisy--close to a busy street with a gas station across the back alley. The dogs won't even go to the bathroom. Yikes.

More tomorrow.

3/13 They're gone

Jan, Tim, Cindy, and Eric left this morning at 5 AM. I miss them already.

Yesterday we spent the whole day in New Orleans. We started with a trip across Lake Ponchartrain. Someone said the bridge was 26 miles long, but we haven't verified it. But I'll tell ya--that sucker is LONG. Eric and Jan took some wonderful pictures and Eric is going to post them on his website.

Then we took the streetcar through the Garden District. We walked around and found another cool cemetery. A cemetery gave us a tour. He was a real character and we got to see an open above-ground grave. Very fun.

Afterward we went to the French Quarter and spent the rest of our time. We ate at the Gumbo Shop and ended the day with begnets and coffee at Cafe du Monde.

Gotta get ready for work. I'll post some pictures when they send them to me.

I miss you guys! Thanks for coming.

3/11 Another great one

We went through Alabama into Florida. Went to Pensacola Beach and it was absolutely beautiful. Eric took so many great photos, and I can't wait until he posts them on his website.

Tomorrow we're going to New Orleans again. Right now I am super-tired so will hit the sack. Am looking forward to another fun-filled day tomorrow.

3/10 What a day!!!!!

We all got up early and began our journey at Waffle House--a real treat for Cindy and Eric since they'd never been to one before. Then we drove west on Beach Boulevard, all the way to New Orleans. What a jaunt!

In N.O. we went to one of the above ground cemeteries and also went to Musicians' Row, a rebuild project spearheaded by Harry Connick, Jr.

On the way home we stopped at High Cotton Grill for a very late lunch. By the time we got back to my house it was almost time for Lorena, Genia, and Caroline to come over. We played cards for a few hours. It was a good time. And after they left, Jan, Cindy, Eric and I played euchre. It had been a long time since I'd played, but it came back to me pretty quickly.

And one of the best parts of my day was getting my car detailed. No dog hair, at least for a few days.

Tomorrow we're driving to Mobile and will take the car ferry over Mobile Bay and drive to Pensacola, Florida. Lots of beauty on the way.

The most important thing is that Eric is having a great time. And he's taken some wonderful pictures.

Oh, I almost forgot--Genia knows Eric's girlfriend. She went to high school with Genia's daughter. Un-freaking-believable.

More fun tomorrow.

3/9 They're almost here

They should be here in about two hours. I'm going to take a shower and then eat some dinner, 'cause they're eating on the road. Can't wait.

3/8 Preparing

Last night Caroline called and said she and Genia were on their way to the Ruby Tuesday's near my house and why didn't I join them. Why not indeed. I threw away my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and said good-bye to the pups. Because I'd taken a few bites of my sandwich I wasn't extremely hungry, so I got the salad bar and a margarita. Yum on both.

Got home and vegged, knowing that the weekend would involve lots of cleaning. This morning I took the dogs to the kennel because I'd planned on shampooing the carpet. However--the only grocery store near me (where one usually rents carpet shampooers) is Walmart and they don't rent them. Yikes. So I'm doing the few "baddest" parts with my spot cleaner, and my carpet looks like it has some disease that causes spots.

I hated to spend money on it anyway, because all the carpet is going to get torn up very soon when the new stuff is installed. Ah well...at least it's only mud and not yucky stuff.

Genia and Caroline are coming over tonight to play cards. I wanted them here instead of going to their houses because that way I can work longer. Yeah, I know I'm not working now...quit being such a smartaleck.

Okay, back to the lovely carpet. (Do you recognize sarcasm when you hear it?)

One day until my family arrives. Nine days until the movers arrive. Things are happening.

3/1 This month

As my s-i-l, Andrea, reminded me--I'm going to be living in Quincy this month. I can't even believe it. One week from tomorrow my family is coming. Two weeks from Monday the movers are coming. In two and half weeks I'll be leaving. Wow. And I haven't done much yet. So--bye bye.

2/28 Can't sleep

The dogs woke me up at 4:30 to go outside. They came right back in and went to sleep, but not me. I haven't been able to go back to sleep. My mind is just racing--so much to think about, so much to do. I have to put the finishing touches on my presentation for tomorrow. There are going to be around 300 people there, and we are talking about the importance of funding case management. Some federal folks will be attending, and it's vital they hear us.

Then of course there's all I have to do with the house and other items to get ready to move. I'm so excited, yet know there's a lot of work ahead of me--not the least of which is driving to Quincy with both dogs. Last time I drove to Quincy in August, Q was six months old and I didn't have C yet. Now Q is one and C is 18 months. They'll take up the whole back of the car, plus I have to take at least two suitcases, a big bag, dog food, toys, water, computer case, purse, and a dog crate. Oh my. I have no idea how I'm going to get everything in the car. But I'll do it. Everything always does work out, even when it seems impossible. I just want to have enough room in the back of the car so the dogs can at least move around for the 12-15 hour drive.

Lots of fun things to look forward to also--I'm going to be home for Easter. Plus family members are arriving on the 9th. I love to show off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Besides the devastation still in evidence, there's incredible natural beauty. It'll be fun to have them here.

2/22 75 degrees and storming

It's a waste of a perfectly fine day. Seventy-five degrees--that's my perfect temperature. But it's storming. Tomorrow and Sunday will be either sunny or partly sunny, but only 65 degrees. I shouldn't complain since my family is still in the throes of winter.

Because of the rain the last several days Quincy has gotten lots of baths. She loves the baths as much as she loves rolling in the mud. Cookie isn't a bath fan, but will jump in the tub just because I tell her to. She's a good girl, but still kind of skittish about things. Luckily she loves people as much as Quincy does, so I never have to worry about that. Plus she's a great "early warning system" when people are coming to the door.

So much to do to get ready for the move, but that will make the time fly. Of course, I don't want it to fly too much because there's not much time yet. I sure hope I'm able to get everything done. I'd given notice that my last day of work would be 3/21, but found out that's Good Friday, so it's holiday here since we're a faith-based organization. So that will give me an extra day to get home. I can leave early that Friday morning and arrive in Quincy 12-15 hours later. Both dogs are good travelers, but Cookie hasn't traveled more than an hour or so at one time. I've got my fingers crossed. I've asked either Caroline or Genia if they want to drive with me, to help with the pups. That way they can meet "the family" up close.

We're having a case management summit at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino next Friday. I'm going to do a small part of the presentation, and I'm stoked about it. Should be a good conference.

Quincy's graduation from dog training is next Thursday. Unfortunately she and I can't be there. I'm going to be spending the night at the Hard Rock Casino with Caroline and Genia, because C got a $59 rate. It's the night before the conference. I'm having a private training for an hour for Cookie. She's a well behaved dog except on the leash. She pulls more than any dog I've ever had. It's almost like a compulsion to be somewhere. Poor thing. She pulls so hard that her belly almost touches the ground. It's hard on me too, so I'm hoping Erika (the trainer) can do some magic.

2/14 Valentine's Day

I received a valentine card today. Surprised me. Very sweet. Also got an email from a former beau.

Anyway, today and tomorrow I'm going to a conference--MSVOAD (Mississippi Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster). It'll be informative and also enjoyable since all my friends are going. Yay for that. After the conference ends tomorrow Caroline, Genia,and I are going to Florida for the weekend. It will be a cheap trip too, as we're staying at Caroline's aunt's condo--right on the beach. The bad news is that rain is forecast for the whole weekend. That's okay because the weekend is all about relaxing, and that's what the three of us need. I'm really looking forward to it.

Then back home to work on program closure and the all-important job hunting. I'm still hopeful about Numero Uno, but received a no-thank you letter from the hospital back home. It makes sense though, because it was for hospice and I don't have any experience in that area.

One thing about Numero Uno that really excites me is that besides outpatient counseling, I would be on call for crisis work at the emergency department of the hospital for individuals with mental health needs. This is right up my alley because of my experience with behavioral health in St. Louis, and of course my crisis and disaster work. I've decided I can live on the salary negotiated, even though it's about 58% of what I make now. It will be hard, but I can do it. Plus they pay a productivity bonus,and I'd work hard to earn that.

Guess you can tell I'm kind of psyched about moving home. I absolutely hate leaving here, I love the place and have such great friends. But I miss my family terribly. More later on old-lady angst.

2/13 Excellent news

Nope, not about my job search, although the interview went very well and I feel confident.

But my sister, Jan, s-i-l Cindy, and nephew Eric are coming to visit me next month. Plus a b-i-l (Tim) and another nephew (Cody) may join them. I am beyond thrilled.

Gotta run to a meeting. Will post some Mardi Gras pictures tonight.

2/2 Groundhog Day

On my brother Joe's blog people are posting quotes from this movie. We have many cult favorites in our family--the most notable one being Tombstone. But I'm watching Groundhog Day right now and laughing--at the same old stuff. :)

Today I had lunch with Caroline and tonight we'll play cards at her house.

But other than these items, I'm feeling depressed. There it is.

Like I said yesterday, I've definitely decided to stop being depressed and only look forward as of Ash Wednesday. Will it work? I sure hope so. It has in the past; but it's been a long time since I've been depressed like this. 1992 to be exact. It worked then....

1/25 Let's talk about something silly

Since it's my lunchtime I'll accept my friend Monk's challenge to blog this meme:

How long have you been blogging?

Since December of 2004 and there have been very few days that I've missed.

What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?

No real blogging mentors, although I do admire people who stick to it. It's not easy.

What inspired me to start blogging was that I'd always written travelogues for my family and friends. When I went to New Zealand, Australia, and Okinawa I'd email everyone about the fun I was having. By the time I moved to the UK for five months, blogging had been developed and this was a much easier way to communicate to my family/friends.

After I returned to the states my blog became a lot more boring, hence the title of this blog.


Are you trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?

For fun.


What 3 things do you love about being online?

Basically I've met so many great people. In 1995 I joined an online writers' community and have met many of those folks face to face. They've become dear friends and it's all because of being online.

What 3 things do you struggle with online?

The hardest thing is to remember that this is a public forum. And also that people can (and do) misinterpret what one says. When anyone has criticized me about being boring or self-centered, I just say, "Stop reading it." It's my blog and I'll write about what I want.

I kept diaries for many years. In some ways, this has replaced it. In others, no--I can't write my innermost thoughts. But my blog has helped me keep so many memories alive for myself. That's a really good thing.

I tag my niece Kelly, my daughter-in-law Beata, my son Rob, and my brother Joe. Will they respond? Maybe Kelly will.

1/20 Go Packers

Am watching the playoff game with Todd and Jill. It's fun since Todd is from Eagle River, WI and Jill lived with me in Milwaukee. So it's a lot more fun than watching the game alone. Being with other fans sure makes a difference.

We taped the game so still don't know how it ended. Right now it's 20 to 20 in the fourth quarter. An exciting game.

We had such a wonderful day. Went to Build a Bear with Jill and the kids, and I bought some belated Christmas gifts. Plus this morning we opened other Christmas gifts. Everyone seemed to like what I got, and I loved my presents. I got a gift certificate so I could get the Ironman Triathlon watch I wanted. This one is a lot more feminine than the usual honkin' big ones I buy.

We also went to Starbucks and the kids got to play there while Jill and I enjoyed some coffee. Tomorrow the kids are off school for MLK day, but both Jill and Todd have to work. So I get a full day with Kayla and Hunter. We'll take Jill to work, then go to breakfast at Coco's, a tradition when I visit. Afterward we'll come back and get their dog Sadie, and go to the park so the kids can play. And I'll play with Sadie. She's a sweetheart, but has really aged since the last time I was out here. She's probably 12 years old and is getting up there in years.

I am having a wonderful time. Yay for family!

1/9 A new Bozarth

Meet Elaine Elizabeth Ann Bozarth, the newest addition to our huge clan. She's called Ellie, which I think is just adorable. She's named after my mother (her great-grandmother)Elaine, Ellie's mother (Elizabeth) and Beth's grandma Ann. So both Beth's and Matt's grandmothers are represented.

Isn't she a beauty? Born this afternoon and everyone is in love with her already. Actually we loved her before she even entered the world.

Welcome to the family, Ellie.

1/7 Busy and fat...

Went to a home dedication today. It's an amazing thing, and a big payoff in this job. We do lots of work for which we'll never see the results. But on the occasions when there's a house blessing, it's a beautiful thing.

The local news has been covering them, and once again my fat frame is shown. This time I'm hugging the homeowner, and it's fast, so it's not so bad. But still...

My family has started our own Biggest Loser contest. Several of us joined up. We've been at it for a week, and will go until Easter Sunday. As you can see, there are varying degrees of loss needed, so we're doing it by percentage lost, not by amount. My nephew-in-law, Todd, is a math teacher so we have him being the "keeper of the data."

I'm psyched about this; just need to really get busy. Wish us luck. And I'm laughing in the picture, but my brother Joe said that it looks like I'm pulling a Karen Carpenter.

1/2 Home again

New Year's Day 2008, I'm in the middle with the pink scarf around my neck. Brrrrrr.

January 1 was awesome as usual. Part of the family went to the cemetery to celebrate Mom's and Dad's life, and we toasted them with a beer, like we always do. There were 20 of us there, which was great. It was absolutely freezing--a bitter wind was blowing, but we huddled together and enjoyed the visit.

Then we went back to the old homestead, owned by Joe and Cindy, and ate and ate and ate. We played games all day too. Most of us got very involved in the musical version of Catch Phrase. We played Texas Hold'em too, twice. And I won one of the tournaments, so that was a good pay off. Others played Cattan, which is a game where you build civilizations. Others played Rummikub and Triominoes. It was a super day.




Here's a picture of Rob and me on Christmas day enjoying the scrumptious meal.

12/31 Family stuff

Sorry I haven't posted for several days, but I'm staying at my sister, Jan's. She lives in the country and has dial up connection. She's ordered DSL but it hasn't been turned on yet.

So I'm sitting in a coffee shop in Quincy. Free wi-fi is a good thing. :)

I'm catching up on some work while Jan is working at the clinic this morning. Jane is off, but don't know what she's up to. I've been here since Friday and everything is going beautifully. Jan and Tim are always so welcoming and loving to me. It's such a treat to stay in their beautiful home. Friday night we just relaxed and played some games. Saturday we went shopping with Jane and her daughter Sarah. I got a few after-Christmas bargains. Saturday night all the siblings got together, without kids. We ate at Sprouts. It was a lot of fun. Several of us went to the Elks afterward, where we met up with True and Pat (a cousin and her husband).

Sunday Jane, Jan, and I went to Mass together. Then last night Jane and her family came for dinner, and so did Kris and her boyfriend, Brian. Kris is Jan and Tim's daughter. Also, Tim's Uncle Bill joined us. Caught up with the cast of characters? Just wait--there will be tons more tomorrow at Joe and Cindy's house.

Tonight Jane and her family, and Kris and Brian are coming again for dinner and games. I'm looking forward to it. But of course the reason for my visit will happen tomorrow--on New Year's Day. More on that later.

12/8 It's those days....

Yesterday was my brother John's birthday. Today is my brother Joe's birthday. Tomorrow is my brother Jay's birthday, and my son-in-law Todd's birthday, and my ex-husband's birthday.

Here's a general HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all!!!

Genia came over tonight and helped me wrap presents. Sorry, guys, they weren't birthday presents.

Time's passing so quickly....

(Oh, it was 80 today, and will be in the 60s overnight. Not too shabby.)

12/1 70 degrees in December

My home office was basically just a big closet until Rob came and helped me organize it. I'm grateful beyond words. (The TV, printer, and phone are on the desk. Everything but my laptop.) Still some boxes under the desk, but I'll take care of that soon.

11/29 More pictures

Some of the live oaks that died were sculpted beautifully by an artist with a chain saw. (Yes, they are really called "live oaks.")





















My beautiful kids.

11/29 I won't kill it

My sister Jan brought me a plant. Beautiful baby tears. I've had this plant before and love it, but always kill it.

This one sits on my kitchen window sill and still looks perfect. The problem begins when it starts getting a little leggy and I try to replant the ends. Supposed to be easy and for most people it is--just pinch off the ends and put them in the pot. But somehow I kill it.

The reason it's important is that this plant is from my Grandma's plant. She always had beautiful baby tears around the house. When she died we all got a plant. Some people, like Jan, were able to keep it going, and she keeps giving offshoot plants to plant killers like me.

Thanks, Jan. I love having a part of Grandma Bozie in my house.

11/28 I miss you, Mom

Even though Mom's been gone for 27 years ago, I still really miss her. My brother Joe wrote a great blog entry about Mom today. So I'll be lazy (and tired) and just refer people there.

Didn't get home until 7:30 tonight, so it was a long day.

11/27 Photos

A series of pagodas on a fishing dock.


















And the Hard Rock guitar at the casino.


























King Neptune lost his arms in the storm.























Finally, here's a Katrina Cottage--many of the survivors are given that after the FEMA trailers are removed.

More photos later.

11/25 Not much time

Need to get some sleep. Rob is downloading his photos for me, and I'll post some tomorrow. But for now I have to catch some zzzz's.

He was absolutely awesome today. Rob did so much work around my house; I can't believe it's the same place.

I took him to the Beau Rivage tonight for dinner--the seafood buffet. He was suitably impressed, and did some damage.