total Bruce mode

Well...........it is total Bruce mode for me over here!!!!......that's what I call the state I get into when an album is released and the whole week before a concert.....sometimes my husband doesn't even recognize me on the ride into city... buzzing through all of my favorite songs.....and then there is the actual concert.....I am taken over, mesmorized and NEVER sit down....and at the very end I get very upset wondering if it may possibly be the last time I see him.......well...this is a big week...He will be playing at the Superbowl half time show and his latest album was released yesterday with the first part of his concert tour being announced.....he'll be here in Pittsburgh at the Mellon Arena on May 19th.....this is his 24th album...there are a lot of stand out tracks on this album...the most compelling are "Good Eye", "The Carnival"...a touching tribute to the E Streets late keyboard player Danny Federici.....and the "Wrestler" from the movie with Mickey Rourke...they boast a raw and poingnant quality.... the title track "Working on a Dream "was first performed November 2, 2008 in Cleveland for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign...... then there's "My Lucky Day" with a vintage E Street feel.....The album was recorded at Southern tracks in Atlanta, LA, NY, and NJ....it could be viewed as and extension of "Magic"......as the Boss finished that album, he carried on writing material for this album.......This album resounds with the same passion as "Born in the USA" 25 years ago....YES!!!!.....it has been 25 years!!!!!!!!.....yikes! It's great to hear Springsteens creativity....these optimistic tunes are just what America needs to listen to right now!

ice, ice baby!!

All righty then............the winter weather continues......and I am loving it!!!!!.......my husband arrived home from West Virginia last night and I had him park outside because he had about 15 pound of black coal slush hanging from his truck and it is absolutely horrible when is melts all in my garage......well.........after the ice storm that hit this was the view from my kitchen window this morning!!!.....it was totally encased ...as was everything else in my yard.....I couldn't resist snapping more nature pictures........



No wild life will be nibbling on these berries in the near future........




.......pint size icicles.......




.....and some frozen pieces of coral from our last vacation to Florida....



I know I sound crazy......but I do love it!!!!.......I have shovelled for about at total of 3 hours already today and it's only 2:30pm!!..........with I'm sure at least another 2 or 3 later through out the day.....I may not make it to the Y today....hmmmmmmm....I better call....I bet they are not even open!

my BB

I got my cute pink blackberry just before Thanksgiving...and I have to say I LOVE it......I had been thinking about getting a phone with internet capabilities because my husband and both of my kids phones have it.......and I thought it would keep me much more organized.....well......when it was time to upgrade I went into the Verizon store four times in two days!!!!......they didn't even greet me anymore!!...and I was bringing people with me to show it to them.....I was so apprehensive.....I'm just a stay at home mom....not a CEO or anybody really important....what do I need a Blackberry for?????....my sister has her own design group out in Vail, Colorado with an office in London and a new office opening in Dubai....check it out at http://www.greenauer.com/ ....make sure you click on portfolio to see some of her latest projects ......and she has the same phone.....but still, I decided I was worthy......as I drove home with it I felt silly, almost embarrassed....but not anymore!! I'm addicted!......just like the President Obama!...he is also a confessed Blackberry addict...saying they will have to pry it from his hands after the inauguration....I love being able to buzz through my emails, check on my ebay stuff, and even bid on ebay!!...I won a great pair of jeans in the Walmart checkout line that I had been outbid on!.....I use the calendar function , address book, daily alarm and camera all the time...but I know there is tons of stuff I don't know how to do, so I signed up for a clinic at the Verizon store!...I hope it helps!.... a dear friend tried it for a week or two and decided it wasn't for her, but you don't know until you try it out......now, I can't picture my life without it!....and just a little F.Y.I...they now have Verizion gift cards at Giant Eagle...you can purchase these to upgrade, use a gifts or pay your bill.....cha-ching!!! more fuel perks!!!!

water bottle

It really doesn't take much.....this new pink water bottle makes me so happy....I lost my old one last week....I checked around for a few days while I used some random ones ......and when I felt the old one was lost for good , I was in Walmart and thought I'd look real quick.....I didn't love my old one anyway....my ice melted in an hour and it didn't feel good......and of course I had it the longest without losing it....I was always on the lookout for a replacement but just didn't happen upon one.....I can't believe I was lucky to find it right away!.....it keeps my ice for 6-7 hours!!!!...the lid twists so a straw pops out....it has a great little loop so I can grab it easy right off the floor in class without having to bend over all the way :) ...and there is this black clip I could dangle things off of.....and you know I love to dangle things!!.....maybe it will be a good spot for my keys???......oh....and it fits in my cup holder!!......and when I love something this much I have to go get a second one in case I lose it!!....I'm so happy for me!

frosty and beautiful

I wanted to share these frosty and beautiful pictures that I snapped in my yard the other morning...I'd love to capture a red male cardinal perched on a snowy branch......I"ve been trying for several winters now.....I may have to break down and find one on etsy!!!

...the deer love these berries....they are all gone on the bottom 1/3 of the tree.....that's as high up as they can reach....

Take a few moments and enjoy the wonders of winter!

the conditions were perfect!

What a fabulous morning!!!......the condtions were perfect for sledding!!.....the sun was shining, no breeze, not too cold and we were the only two on the hill......I haven't been sledding in years.....but I looked out the window this morning and thought it couldn't be better.....so I didn't clean...I didn't check my emails/blogs or put clothes away....and I didn't finish my ebay crap..well, I did change all the sheets on the bed..but anyway....we got all bundled up and headed to the big huge hill by the pool for a morning of sledding....as I pulled up I didn't realize how HUGE that hill really is!!!.....Cub grabbed his sled out of the back of the van and started running!.....we had soooooooo much fun! ....just he and I.....run after run we just kept laughing and whooping it up!....we'd come to a stop at the bottom and lay on our sleds in the sunshine soaking it up......and once again I have to say thanks to those girls at the Y for whipping me in to shape.....I breezed right to the top time and time again....effortlessly!....I don't know if it is one of those things that he will remember....but I certainly will.

the inauguration

Today is the day of the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States.......a historic day in the history of our United States...a cold brisk day...the oath will take place at noon....millions of people will attend...millions and millions more will watch on t.v.....10,000 people will participate in the parade......the festivites started days ago as thousands flocked to to Washington' National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial to attend a two hour star-studded concert which included BRUCE!!!!....Beyonce, Bono and Stevie Wonder...to name a few....yesterday Barack helped paint a dormitory in honor of Martin Luther King.....and today he will attend a private prayer service at St. John the Episcipal Church ....the church of the Presidents...they will sit in pew 54....across the street from the White House at 8:45 am...the Bushes will host him at a coffee at 10:15 and then the ceremony will begin......he will be taking his oath with the bible Abraham Lincoln used...the only President to use this bible since him..... he will attend 10 inaugural balls with his wife.....and of course everyone is wondering about her dress....the media have run out of adjectives to describe this enormous American experience.....behind the scene hundreds of people are moving the Bushes out of the White House and moving the Obamas in...mother in law and new puppy included!!!..painting offices, putting clothes away, placing floral arrangements, preparing food....all within the few hours he will be away this moring and early afternoon....and then tomorrow he will begin his first day at work......his new job....the most important one in the country.....getting the economy moving is paramount...the threat of terrorism and the war are just a few of the daunting agendas he will have to tackle.....but for now.....the American people will watch the historic events with a sense of hope and wonder.