sprinkler + tramp = summer fun!!

Cindy Lou was with her girlfriends and T. was at a buddys house. I had been running around getting stuff done and Cubby was playing with all of his long lost toys. With being away at my Dad's for almost four weeks it was like he came home to Christmas morning......everything seemed brand new again! Well...it turned out to be a hooooott sunny day and I surprised him with setting the sprinkler up under the tramp.....one of his favorite things to do!



He was soooo excited! It doesn't take much to make him happy....my favorite little Cubby Cub!!



Happy Summer!!!!!

packing up and heading out

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone here when I say that going on vacation is a LOT of work for the Mom!!!! Especially when the dad is out of town all week and they show up the night before we leave and just throw the stuff in the car. This pile doesn't look like much....but it is a few weeks worth of shopping, list making, putting stuff in piles, moving it around, getting up into the attic, getting it into the boxes and duffle bags...then carrying it all out. This doesn't include stopping the mail, getting someone to watch the dog, give her a bath and water the flowers. And I am the type who has to clean the house before I leave, makes sure every stitch of laundry is done, ironed and put away and put a few lamps on timers. Get the portable dvd players checked and ready to roll, pack the cooler with a few essentials and drinks and get some good snacks. We're heading to the Outer Banks tomorrow and right about now I'm exhausted and could really care less..........and when Chip says it's time to head out in the morning after he hops in and starts the car he can't understand why I'm a smidge crabby. I don't know why I am either. It's always like this before we leave....it's not a surprise. But for once I'd like to just hop in the car and head out. Maybe next time........

4 p.m.

4p.m. is what time my niece was coming over so she, Cindy Lou and I could do our nails for our upcoming vacay to the Outer Banks. We all leave on Friday....all 25 of us....in one house....on the beach. I could say a lot more. But I won't. It better be sunny......I digress.....anyway....it was a nice afternoon so we took our party outside. We got the foot bubbler going and the girl chit chat started! I have to explain my favorite nail products. When I was a flight attendant I always said I would love to do nails if I ever had another career. Well...I retired a few years ago and I haven't done it, but I do take pride in my nails and feel that I do a pretty good job. I have to confess that I have been using one color for pretty much the last 12 years or so....Mademoiselle by Essie. I just llllooovvve it! I would get manicures around the country on layovers when I was working and always asked for it. Then I started buying it and carrying it with me so I always had it. It is the PERFECT color in my mind. I sometimes get crazy at the holidays and go red or glittery...but it is pretty much always Mademoiselle. I used to keep a pretty color on my toes...to switch it up a bit....but lately I've been doing Mademoiselle on my toes too! But for the most part I am just an "Essie" girl. I prefer their colors over OPI. Anyway...I have my own pair of Tweezerman nippers for my cuticles. They are crazy!!! I could nip at them every other day!!! I have now idea why they are so out of control....but I always have my Tweezerman's nearby! And THE BEST top coat in my mind is Seche Vite. It goes on like glass and gives your nails an almost epoxy clear coat....definitely worth the splurge!! Oh, and you have to have a good pusher back thing....especially with the crazy cuticles I have!



So....we got busy and even Cubby wanted a little pampering!!! He couldn't resist the bubbler.



And check out these results!!!! This is the best my nails have looked in a long time....I'm thinking because I really didn't do anything or go anywhere for those two weeks when I had my cast on. They almost look fake!



Hey T.F.....it was a fun afternoon....but I MISS our every other Thursdays!!! :(

What is it?? Wednesday

Lucky Charms is the surprise this week!! They are a favorite of my kiddos....."magically delicious"!! Just in case you didn't know they have more Magic now.....with lots more mini charm marshmallows. Of course they are loving that there cereal is in a clear glass canister with a scoop. They feel all grown up AND they are totally raiding all of the charms and putting waaaaay extra in their bowls! I'm trying to explain that the last 6 or 7 bowls will have NONE in them.....but Cubby said he didn't care.....I could give those ones to our dog Gracie!! I never knew there were actual "charm powers" too.......there is a chart on the back of the box. Just in case you're wondering...here is a run down on how lucky you can be...

Heart-The power to bring things to life...This could be really cool!!!! Cubby could make his whole stuffed animal collection be real!!!

Horseshoe- The power of speed....gotta have these when it's cleaning day!!

Star- The power of flight...the kids must eat these when it's time to clean their rooms!!

Moon- The power of invisiblity...another great one! I could have these when my kids are out with their friends and then I would REALLY know what they are doing.

Hourglass- The power to control time. I'm sure they would like to control their bedtime :)

Clover- The power of luck. No duh!!!!

Balloon- The power to make things float????? Would be interesting to make teachers float right in the middle of class...hmmmm

Rainbow- The power to travel from place to place. All righty then.....this could REALLY handy when Chip is out of town and the kids all have to be in different places at the same time.

Did Lucky think these up??!! I can just imagine getting this as an assignment one morning at the briefing......hey, just think up some powers for these different shaped marshmallows. Have them on my desk by noon.

lettuce bowl

My Dad and several friends have terrific gardens.....even Cindy Lou has had a little one in the back corner of our yard for a few years. Well, here's mine!!! My sister in law got a "lettuce bowl" a few weeks ago at our local farm stand. It had 3 or 4 different kinds of lettuce. I loved it!! I went back to get one and they were all gone. So I put one together myself. There was only one kind of lettuce left when I went up to the nursery....but that's okay. I'm thrilled with the results!! I have enough almost every day to make a salad for lunch and our dinner. Last Friday when I had a surprise luncheon for my mother in law's 70th birthday I made 24 chicken salad and egg salad croissants. I was happy to put my homegrown lettuce on them! Plus, it just looks pretty!! What a treat for me!!!!!

What is it?? Wednesday

The cansister is travelling this week!!!!! She is parked on my daughters dresser and she filled it with her lip gloss collection! The kiddos have mentioned they want their own canisters for their rooms....they also have a lot of ideas for What is it?? Wednesday!! At one point she had well over a hundred lipglosses....when we went through them the other day there were a bunch that were sticky and yucky so we agreed to pitch them. She loves having the cansister in her room.......so it looks like when I'm up to Walmart next I better pick one up for me!!

The Parade!!!!

What a beautiful day for a parade!! 72 degrees, bright blue skies and a little bit of a breeze......so, I went and got my cast off and the stitches out from my surgery, and T. and I headed downtown... Cindy Lou was at a sleep over last night and went with her girlfriends, Cubby is STILL in Buffalo at my Dad's. It was soooo great to spend the day with T.!!! I don't skateboard, play golf or xbox 360, or ride dirtbikes....so I have a hard time getting any time alone with him these days. And what's a parade without a souvenir tent?? There were tents with all of the new Stanley Cup Champions t-shirts and hats.....



Here we are in our "spot" for the next 3 hours.....all I kept thinking was..."I better not have to go to the bathroom or we'll never get back here!!!"




Cindy Lou got downtown about 9am ...they were right on the corner of Stanwix St. and Blvd. of the Allies....we didn't arrive until after 10, and there was NO chance of squeezing in with her. But we were quite happy with our view.....



The city is getting pretty good at throwing a parade for our winning sports teams....having just had one 4 months ago for the Steelers when they won the Super Bowl. They estimated the crowd to be about 375,000!!! They set up the Jumbotron at the stage and played highlights of the games and interviews....but what's up with those cheesy balloons?????? Next year they need to put me on the balloon committee!



This is a pretty good shot of Sidney Crosby and Andre-Marc Fleury...I was just holding my camera up as high as I could and snapped away....and I just want to say that my camera has an 18x zoom, so we really weren't as close as it looks!



Here's one of Sidney and the boys....he's giving a few words to crowd.....and look at how happy Mario looks!! The first person ever to win the Stanley cup as a player and an owner!! I'm wondering what they did after the parade???? Do they all head over to Mario's house for a pool party??? Someone brings a slushie machine for fun drinks??? Cake??? hmmmmm, they need to put me on the after-party committee next year too!!! Thanks so much guys!!!!!!!

THE CUP!!!!!!!!!

To quoute Mike Lange,"Lord Stanley, Lord Stanley...bring me the Brandy!!" Our city celebrates its third Stanley Cup win in a thriller game seven win over the Detroit Red Wings. Marc Andre-Fleury turns away 23 shots on goal and made a game/season/cup saving stop of in the final seconds of the game to deny the Red Wings the opportunity to tie up the game. Winning on the road is tough enough as Pens fans witnessed in games 1,2, and 5.....and winning game 7 on the road is almost unheard of!! The last time a team won a cup on the road was the Montreal Canadiens in Chicago in 1971!

The Joe Louis Arena was thick with intimidation....they did the whole dead octopus thing, flashing lights and smoke....but it didn't faze the Penguins, or the hundreds of fans in attendance. At the end of the 2nd period it was Talbot 2- Red Wings 0. Crosby was nailed hard by Franzen and only returned for a short shift in the 3rd period. I was rooting for a shutout in Hockeytown.....but Detroit scored with about 5 minutes left to play. And of course with seconds left in the game came Fleury's amazing saves.

The Pens celebrated with the 35lb. cup for quite a while...Crosby being the youngest team captain in the NHL to raise it. And the biggest heartfelt moment was when he served his dad champagne from the cup. We woke up this morning blinking our eyes, knowing it wasn't a dream...it was for REAL!!!!! How amazing to win the SuperBowl and Stanley Cup in one year!!!!!!!! Thanks guys!!!!

my step stool

It's not pretty or perfect.....but it is one of my favorite things and I will treasure it always. It a a step stool that my grandfather made me about 20 years ago. He is now passed away and it makes it even more special to me. He was from Germany and had an accent. He drove trucks for a paving company in Buffalo most of his life. When he retired he actually never stopped working. He would come to all of his daughters houses and clean out their garages, do yard work, shovel snow, squirt off your driveway....He also was a handyman at my Dad's company garage....My Dad was a site contractor with lots of dump trucks and heavy equipment. He'd change truck tires and clean things up over there too....anything he could find to keep busy (and probably stay away from my grandmother!). He never called first to see if you needed anything done...you'd just hear some banging around out in the garage and he'd have it all emptied out. Another passion of his was washing cars. I think he washed it a few times a week! Forever, I've been crazy about keeping mine organized, vacuumed and washed......it's been slipping a bit the past year or so.....but when I got my own place I mentioned to "Gramps" that I couldn't reach the middle of my windshield or the roof.....and I needed my own stool! He had been making these for years...there was one in all of our garages.Well, on my next trip home he brought this one over for me!!! He made it out of scraps of wood...and I love how he cut the "handle" out of the middle. I use this ALL the time and so do my kids! Just another testament to the fact that little things mean so much!!!

What is it?? Wednesday

How about a pretty summer layered salad???? I was inspired by a picture and recipe I saw in last months issue of Better Homes and Garden. It would be terrific to assemble a colorful stacked salad to take to a picnic, make ahead for brunch or feed a crowd for dinner tonight! This is a Basil-Red Pepper salad...the original recipe called for tomatoes...but I don't care for them in my salad, so I substituted red peppers....I love the splash of red! I also made my homemade croutons . So if you'd like to try this layered salad.....here's the recipe:

1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, below
homemade croutons
mixed greens
fresh basil, torn
1/2 red pepper chopped
1/2 cup soy nuts
cucumber, chopped
Your favorite cheese....I used gorgonzonla.

Combine the lettuce and basil. In your canister layer the greens, pepper, cucumber, cheese and nuts. Serve with the Lemon Vinaigrette.

Lemon Vinaigrette
In small screw top jar combine 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 4 cloves garlic-minced, 1 tsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper. Cover, shake well.

The All-Clad sale

Well....I made my first outing last Saturday since my surgery...My SIL picked me up and took me to the All-Clad sale. For anyone unfamiliar with All-Clad cookware, turn on the Food Channel and you'll see all of the cooks and chefs using it. The factory is just about an hour from where I live and twice a year they have their seconds sale. It is just fabulous!!! Everything is half price...often even more....like 75% off....I've been going for years and have just about everything...but I keep going back! There's always someone who needs something! And my sister usually places a huge order for me to equip the kitchens of the several projects that she is working on. She has checked into getting a wholesale account....but the sale is cheaper than the wholesale price list they sent her....even with the shipping expense! The sale has been in a few different locations....the last few years it's been at the Washington County Fairgrounds. We parked and made our way in to the excitement!



This sale my Dad requested a few things for his birthday and Father's Day....he's become quite the chef!!! And I was on the lookout for their measuring cups, now that I'm baking I need a nice set.....and a colander. I still have this ratty white plastic one since before I've been married.



When you enter the building they give everyone a big cardboard box to put their treasures in...we always meet such fun people.....a lady I was talking to said she saw in the paper someone actually has an All-Clad blog!! Gotta check that out!




It was a much more pleasant sale than usual not having to collect a big, huge order for my sister......we browsed, and held up several items for consideration....and in the end we both were really happy with our treats!!! I got a few utensils, my colander, and the set of measuring cups I wanted....that came with a set of measuring spoons.....treat for me!!!!!

What is it?? Wednesday

A little treasure from nature rests in my canister this week.......I love bird nests...the intricate detail and the time and patience that those mommy birds put into their homes never ceases to amaze me!! I found this one last week while I was trimming my shrubs and doing some weeding. It had fallen from a tree branch. I have been watching it since last fall when the leaves fell off the trees and it was exposed to the world. I nestled it in my canister with a branch and it is just the perfect thing!

out of comission

I had surgery on my elbow today...I knew it was coming for a few weeks now and over the weekend I was scrambling to have a lot of fun and get tons of stuff done....and now reality is setting in and I have come to the conclusion that I am going to go nuts!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wasn't nervous at all until they came in and told me about the anesthesia....and then it all happened so quickly...the nurse didn't tell me to count backwards or anything.......I opened my eyes 3 hours later and I didn't even know they had done it! They gave me an epidural under my arm and it feels like a dead piece of wood. When I stroke my fingers with my other hand they don't even feel like they are mine....creepy! As they were discharging me and giving my instructions thats when I knew this wasn't at all what I thought....I have a cast that can't get wet....how am I going to take a bath and wash my hair?! Especially when Chip is out of town?...bedrest for 48 hours with it elevated above my heart...no driving for 2 weeks! He said a month to heal, a month for recovery, and a month to get my strength back! 3 months??!! I was thinking about 6 weeks!!! This is all a total shocker!! He is the surgeon for the Steelers and Penquins....I can't imagine him telling them 3 months!! I don't have any feeling in my fingers yet, but maybe when I do I can do a little bit........I was planning on going to a GNO with my friends from the Y tomorrow night....and a scrapbook crop on Friday night....but right now it's a struggle to rip the toilet paper off, so I don't think that is going to happen. I truly would have made a few batches of soup and a casserole or two....I don't know what I was thinking!!! And thank goodness my Dad offered to take Cubby to Buffalo for the week!! Having him here would have made it sooooooooo much harder!!! Well......this typing one handed is really hard....especially pressing the shift button to make a capital letter.....so I'm going to wrap it up for now....please check back.....I'm not sure how my progress will be on my little blog....but I know I'll try and do a little bit! Oh, and a big thanks to Chip for taking care of me today...check out the big pink body pillow he got me at Target when he ran in to get my prescription....he did forget to bring me some dinner, but thats okay...I'm worried sick about gaining 25lbs. back because I can't go to the Y!!! I'll miss you terribly girls!!!!