I'm still here....

The Holiday Frenzie has begun.....
The Thanksgiving gathering and meal was fantastic this year. As more of the
next generation pitched in, the meal was somewhat different that Mama's traditional fixins, but still great none the less.
Reg roasted root veggies-beets, parsnips, and carrots-loved it!
Liz recreated grandma's sweet potato dish
Rena made pumpkin pies with her maple whipped cream to top them off with
Judy brought mashed potatoes
Pop cooked carrots
I made the green beans, cranberry salad, dressing with apples, cranberries,raisins, and pecans....
cooked turnips fresh from the garden, and sauteed fresh spinich...
Grandma of course had the most important role of "turkey cooker" and the turkey was delicious!
the list goes on and on...
Now, let the Christmas festivities begin....hanging of the green tomorrow at church, music, parades, crafts, cards, parties, gifts, .........

Easter Weekend

Spring is here-flowers are popping out everywhere, birds are singing, we have new week old kittens, garden is plowed,tilled, ready to plant.......Yep, it's spring!
Thankfully had a wonderful day not at my job yesterday-took Rena to school, then headed "to town" (you know I live in the country when I refer to a shopping trip as a trip "to town"). Anyhoo, hit Goodwill at 8:10 am-I had no idea so many people are at Goodwill at 8am! Same stuff-found a pair of black Levi jeans and a J Jill shirt as well as an unusual netty sort of half sweater thingy with beads (any thing with beads is great)....snagged some book finds (favorites to give away and some new ones to read like Poisonwood Bible-been wanting to read that for a while).
Salvation Army and Habitat were closed for Good Friday-seems like a missed opportunity for sales to me, but good for their employees to be off to enjoy the day too. Yokefellow was open-found some odds and ends there-definately still has thrift store prices (unlike Goodwill and their ridiclously, outrageous, humorously HIGH prices on stuff-don't mind most clothing prices though)...
Came home, stripped down and set on the deck and read while catching a few rays of sun to tame the winter whites. Temps were upper 80s!
Great day!!
Today, I tackled the task I've been dreading since I knew I had to do it-totally clean out the fridge. I took everything out-tossed everything I didn't know the date of, washed keepable jars, took all the shelving out and washed everything! All in all it took me three hours!! Part of that time was trying to remember how to put all the shelving back in-guess I should have made diagrams and labeled everything as Mr McKay suggested. Finally got it completed-looks great. We all just keep opening the door and looking at how shiny and uncrammed it all is.

WOW! It's February 21 already.....

I can't believe how fast the time has been flying by.
We have had a beautiful weekend-mid 60s....early bloomers are opening up....birds are chirping...despite what many people have been thinking, there will be an end to the winter weather and spring will come soon enough. We do still have snow laying around on the north side of everything, but I expect it will be gone after this week.
What better way to celebrate the new birth of upcoming Spring than to celebrate the beginning of the Lenten season this week with a meaningful Ash Wednesday service. The leading up to Easter seems like a long time, but yet it really isn't. It is a time to contemplate all things spiritual with a renewed outlook and focus.
Another way we are celebrating the new birth of spring 2010 was by going to a baby shower for my niece Ginny yesterday. There is a new baby girl coming in March and we are excited to welcome her into our family-she will be the SIXTH birthday in March in our immediate family. There is just something about March!
My baby turns 20 March 14th! That in iteself is a milestone that I've been contemplating for several weeks now. He will be hitting the half way point through college in May.
My other baby is beginning the final "stretch" before college, college applications, deadlines, essays, deadlines, campus visits, decisions, scholarships, busy, busy, busy....
My family is approaching many crossroads in the next couple of years. While life is a series of crossroads, some seem more monumental than others.
Gee, I'm feeling profound today.......

10" They Say!

It has been snowing for almost 16 hours now-Big News here in NC! Actually for the past several hours, I think it has been sleet on top of the snow.
It was absolutely beautiful at sunrise as the snow had stuck to every little thing-now the wind has picked up just a bit so some of it is blowing around.
Ethan was going to come home this weekend but is staying in Raleigh-hope he and Ashley get out and go for a walk in Pullen Park-I know it will be beautiful over there. I believe Raleigh is getting several inches as well. No labor force to roll the giant snowballs to make another igloo-that may be a one of a kind for quite a while.
Some many possibilities of things to do on a snow day.....
Clean the house...yuk!
Clean out the refrigerator...yuk!
Work on taxes (which are already getting late for FAFSA)...yuk!
Bake cranberry nut bread (using the cranberries still in the frige from Christmas)...possibility..
Make homemade vegetable soup...a must...
Hit the jewelry table to make projects promised.....possibility...
Hit the jewelry table to create the ideas that are ALWAYS popping in and out of my head...possibility
Start the decorative birdhouse I want to donate to the Habitat for Humanity/Arts council silent auction " coming up in March....maybe tomorrow....
Clean my own beadroom...yuk!
Organize my craft "corner" in the basement....nah!....not today anyway...
Clean off the cabinet / junk collection location in the laundry room so it will be readly available for useful kitchen "overstock".....maybe tomorrow...
Watch a good movie....later!
Start a new book....possibility later....
Laundry... no brainer!
Create the valentine banner I want to make to hang along our mantle...possibility...
Thats enough for now!
Wow, I've been watching all the local birds hitting the feeder this morning, the sparrows, cardinals, titmouses, chickadees, then SUDDENLY a HUGE flock of blackbirds swarmed in and are intimidating all the other birds including the usual "big shots"-the bluejays! Bird patrol just got up (Randy) so he is tapping on the window, opening the door, and generally staying on top of allowing only the proper birds to eat at the feeder (ha,ha,ha).
Miss Rena just got up now and looked out and said "....hmmm, we got enough.."....
More to follow later today with what I ACUTUALLY accomplished today......

It fell yesterday.....
After slowly beginning to look like the St.Louis Arch without any fanfair,warning, or anyone hear to view the crash, it was down.
So sad to see it go-rain tomorrow so it's headed back to the North Pole...
I have great photos to post, but am having difficulty getting them in the order I want them....
Catach the video-if you haven't already!!! Love it!

Wishing for more snow....

The igloo is STILL standing but is very "airy" now. Chance of flurries here tonight-I've got my fingers crossed.
Started the "ok it's time, gotta get moving" workout routine. Have started parking just a little further away at my office and am hitting the treadmill after work. I seem to do well all day until I get home........My goal is to move more and drink twice as much H2O. So far so good!
Big E heads back to NCState Saturday. I know he's ready to go back, but I have really enjoyed him being home. Last year it took me about two weeks to get back in the grove that he was off at school again. He's pretty fun to have around. He even cooked us supper tonight-"Tomato,olive,penne pasta"-did a great job!
Think I play catch with my little medicine ball-gotta keep moving, gotta keep moving, gotta keep moving........