June 23 is racing here all of a sudden. Matt & Robin's wedding day. We girls took a shopping therapy day at Grove City, PA Prime Outlets yesterday. Paul let me take his new car. That was the beginning of many blessings. There are no words to express my gratitude for his kindness and generousity. Pamela bought him a carmel/chocolate apple in appreciation!
Grove City is half-way between Deena and I so she and her girls met us there. A day of bonding - sisters, cousins, aunts/nieces, mothers/daughters - including Robin. I became very much aware of the bond forming between Pamela and Robin. Their friendship seems so natural. So easy. Not forced. I am a very proud and thankful mom. I also got some grandkidlet luvin when we picked Pamela up - great way to start a therapy day!!! Thank you God for all my blessings - great and small.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Butterflies and May
This Saturday, May 5, would be my mom's birthday. She would be 82. Most that read this understand the relationship between my mom and butterflies. Well, there has been one fluttering around here for about 10 days or so. Whenever I'm outside, the butterfly visits. At first I thought it was a monarch, but it is smaller and and I've caught glimpses of red and blue as it flits from place to place. Yesterday, while pulling in the driveway after work, it was fluttering around the trees in my front yard. Pamela was here sewing and as I sat in the living room with Buckaroo and Baby Girl the butterfly was fluttering against the picture window. Later, when they were leaving it was out back fluttering around the deck. Here's the gist of this post . . . my mom loved her birthday and butterflies. I'm thinking she sent me a reminder in the form of this beautiful butterfly.
Honestly, how could I forget a birthday on May 5 - Cinco de Mayo!!!
Ciao
Honestly, how could I forget a birthday on May 5 - Cinco de Mayo!!!
Ciao
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thanksgiving weekend
I really need to be a little more faithful to this blog . . . time seems to fly by. Besides, each entry would be me gushing about my grandkidlets and who wants to read that, right?
It must be in the grandma hormones or something. I can't help myself. I am over the top madly, deeply in love with them. They fill my world, my very life, with so much joy.
A non-profit organization in town dedicates their time and talent to a holiday light display at Lake Shore Park. $5 a car load to drive through and it gets better each year. I was providing childcare for a couple of hours yesterday (BLACK FRIDAY) and made a plan in my head to take the kidlets to look at the lights. A friend drove us and it immediately became clear that the kidlets couldn't get the full effects of the lights while strapped in the 5 point harness of their carseats. I asked my friend to pull over and let others pass us. I turned in my seat and quickly released Buckaroo from the harness, lifted him onto my lap in the front seat then turned around to release Baby Girl and lift her onto my lap also. (shhh. Don't tell their parents) We drove ever so slowly,allowing them to see and take in all the displays. We weren't very far into the park when I heard Buckaoo say, "I love these lights". It gave me soooo much joy to hear that . . . and all of their expressions of awe and pleasure! Upon exiting the park, we immediately pulled over and buckled them back into their safety seats before heading to my house where jammies and a movie awaited us.
When the Mommy arrived, they excitedly shared the experience with her!
That was an evening I will never forget as long as I live. Hopefully it is a "Gramma" memory they will hold onto also.
Tomorrow is church. I love my church. I love my church family.
Ciao.
It must be in the grandma hormones or something. I can't help myself. I am over the top madly, deeply in love with them. They fill my world, my very life, with so much joy.
A non-profit organization in town dedicates their time and talent to a holiday light display at Lake Shore Park. $5 a car load to drive through and it gets better each year. I was providing childcare for a couple of hours yesterday (BLACK FRIDAY) and made a plan in my head to take the kidlets to look at the lights. A friend drove us and it immediately became clear that the kidlets couldn't get the full effects of the lights while strapped in the 5 point harness of their carseats. I asked my friend to pull over and let others pass us. I turned in my seat and quickly released Buckaroo from the harness, lifted him onto my lap in the front seat then turned around to release Baby Girl and lift her onto my lap also. (shhh. Don't tell their parents) We drove ever so slowly,allowing them to see and take in all the displays. We weren't very far into the park when I heard Buckaoo say, "I love these lights". It gave me soooo much joy to hear that . . . and all of their expressions of awe and pleasure! Upon exiting the park, we immediately pulled over and buckled them back into their safety seats before heading to my house where jammies and a movie awaited us.
When the Mommy arrived, they excitedly shared the experience with her!
That was an evening I will never forget as long as I live. Hopefully it is a "Gramma" memory they will hold onto also.
Tomorrow is church. I love my church. I love my church family.
Ciao.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Work on Saturday?
It's rare, but yes, that's what I did today. Only 3 hours. And it's cool, cloudy and dreary outside so I might as well work, right? Besides, it's the fisal year end. My boss thought yesteday's check run was my last for the fiscal year, but I begged him to allow me to do a small run, paying attorneys, security monitoring service, some retirement incentives - things I needed to get off the books by 6/30.
Every year part of my duties in June is to pay/reduce the encumbrances against general fund down to $200,00. A large carryover in general fund negatively impacts our cash carryover balance. I've been doing this for 20 years and for each of those 20 years my treasurer starts to panic around the middle of June - forgetting that I pay May invoices in June. Payment of May invoices lets the large general fund encumbered balance take care if itself for the most part. I then (what I did today) go over the open purchase order list to see which ones can be reduced and/or eliminated. 2 weeks ago the general fund balance was in excess of $600,000. I ran a report before I left which shows the final balance $256,000. There are probably some purchase orders that I could still delete or at least reduce. I put the report on his desk before I left today, so we'll see what he says Monday.
Since yesterday was payday, it's time now to pay my own bills and reduce my bank balance.
Ciao
Every year part of my duties in June is to pay/reduce the encumbrances against general fund down to $200,00. A large carryover in general fund negatively impacts our cash carryover balance. I've been doing this for 20 years and for each of those 20 years my treasurer starts to panic around the middle of June - forgetting that I pay May invoices in June. Payment of May invoices lets the large general fund encumbered balance take care if itself for the most part. I then (what I did today) go over the open purchase order list to see which ones can be reduced and/or eliminated. 2 weeks ago the general fund balance was in excess of $600,000. I ran a report before I left which shows the final balance $256,000. There are probably some purchase orders that I could still delete or at least reduce. I put the report on his desk before I left today, so we'll see what he says Monday.
Since yesterday was payday, it's time now to pay my own bills and reduce my bank balance.
Ciao
Friday, June 24, 2011
Summer Daze
My oh my! I haven't blogged since Christmas! It was a strange spring. I found I'm still growing. Still finding myself. Who knew I was so lost? It's been quite a jorney with a lot of bumps in the road.
I just glanced out and its raining again. It's been a horrible spring/summer for motorcycle riding. Chance of rain most days. That's what really prompted this blog entry . . . rain.
Yesterday Pam and the kidlets were here when I got home from work. She wanted to get groceries so I offered to keep them so she could get in and get out more quickly. They are going camping this weekend and she had lots of preparation. While she was gone it poured buckets of rain. Hard pounding rain. When we get a large amount of rain in a short time, the end of my driveway temporaryily puddles. Well, yesterday it was pretty much flooded! I was outside with Pamela & John when I got an idea. I asked the mommy of course, then ran inside and grabbed the kidlets and towels. We (the 2 kidlets and their Gamma) went splish splashing in the LARGE puddle. They were a little timid at first but Buckaroo was soon jumping and splashing, getting all 3 of us wet. We carried on, waving to the neighbors as they went by. I have a corner lot and there was a lot of rubber-necking whilst they turned the corner! Baby Girl soon started shivering, so John and I wrapped them both in towels while Pam headed to Vacation Bible School. John cleaned up Buckaroo's shoes, I dried the kidlets off and changed them into dry clothes. The only admonisment we got was the buckaroo should take his shoes off "next time he goes splashing in the rain and puddles with Grandma".
There is something freeing about playing in a sprinkling rain and jumping it the puddles! Not sure I'd do it without the kidlets . . . something about being admitted to the hospital's behaviorial unit for observation frightens me. It's kind of like making snow angels in the winter. Staying young at heart, I guess. All I know is I can't wait to do it again!
Ciao.
I just glanced out and its raining again. It's been a horrible spring/summer for motorcycle riding. Chance of rain most days. That's what really prompted this blog entry . . . rain.
Yesterday Pam and the kidlets were here when I got home from work. She wanted to get groceries so I offered to keep them so she could get in and get out more quickly. They are going camping this weekend and she had lots of preparation. While she was gone it poured buckets of rain. Hard pounding rain. When we get a large amount of rain in a short time, the end of my driveway temporaryily puddles. Well, yesterday it was pretty much flooded! I was outside with Pamela & John when I got an idea. I asked the mommy of course, then ran inside and grabbed the kidlets and towels. We (the 2 kidlets and their Gamma) went splish splashing in the LARGE puddle. They were a little timid at first but Buckaroo was soon jumping and splashing, getting all 3 of us wet. We carried on, waving to the neighbors as they went by. I have a corner lot and there was a lot of rubber-necking whilst they turned the corner! Baby Girl soon started shivering, so John and I wrapped them both in towels while Pam headed to Vacation Bible School. John cleaned up Buckaroo's shoes, I dried the kidlets off and changed them into dry clothes. The only admonisment we got was the buckaroo should take his shoes off "next time he goes splashing in the rain and puddles with Grandma".
There is something freeing about playing in a sprinkling rain and jumping it the puddles! Not sure I'd do it without the kidlets . . . something about being admitted to the hospital's behaviorial unit for observation frightens me. It's kind of like making snow angels in the winter. Staying young at heart, I guess. All I know is I can't wait to do it again!
Ciao.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Christmas Vacation!!!
I haven't taken vacation time during the holidays in a long time. I decided it would be nice to not have the stress of work to take away from the peace and joy of the holidays. I LOVE Christmas, and I must say, this was the best Christmas I've had in a number of years. I think the biggest difference is that I've been worshipping regularly this past year . . . and in doing so, have found a fabulous faith community that I have officially joined - Jefferson United Methodist Church. I felt the love of God this Christmas that He meant for us to have - along with His gifts of peace and joy. I enjoyed worship Christmas Eve better than I have in years. A traditional candlelight communion service. This probably comes as a shock to those of you who know I attend a very non-traditional service every Sunday in a biker bar. All I can say is that we each need to worship where our spirit is fed. The service at the biker bar feeds my spirit weekly, but for Christmas Eve I need a more contemplative worship experience.
This Christmas Eve we went back to a "no gifting" policy. The gatherings on Christmas Eve of my childhood were all about the gift of fellowship - family and friends being together. Food and laughter in abundance, then attending a worship service (midnight mass in our family). Christmas day (and the following days) allowed for other kinds of gifts. I think this helped my Christmas be more Christ-centered too.
And of course my grandkidlets make any day special and fun - just watching them takes my breath away . . . I fall deeper in love with them each time I see them.
Ciao
This Christmas Eve we went back to a "no gifting" policy. The gatherings on Christmas Eve of my childhood were all about the gift of fellowship - family and friends being together. Food and laughter in abundance, then attending a worship service (midnight mass in our family). Christmas day (and the following days) allowed for other kinds of gifts. I think this helped my Christmas be more Christ-centered too.
And of course my grandkidlets make any day special and fun - just watching them takes my breath away . . . I fall deeper in love with them each time I see them.
Ciao
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
SNOW DAY!!!!
Well, well, well. We are having our first snow (calamity) day this school year. The state wisely (?) decided to reduce (across the board) the number of calamity days from 5 to 3. If a district closes for more than 3 days, the days will have to be made up someplace in the school year calendar - usually at the end of the year. It is my humble opinion that consideration should be given to the local climates. Districts in southern OH have entirely different winters than those of us up North, especially those of us on Lake Erie. One good snow (ice) storm and we could us up our 3 days. It doesn' matter to me because I work all year anyway, it just seems unfair.
I've mixed and baked a batch of cookies, made some yummy candy things out of pretzels/hershey kisses/m & m's - all before 8:00. I'm ready for a warm blanket and a short nap. I may go into the office and take care of some things while it's quiet there. Then again, I may not... I'd like to get the tree in from the garage and at least put it in the stand, maybe string the lights. We'll see. With Mom's passing this past April, I fear some of the emotion of some of my decorations . . stuff she gave me from my childhood. Good memories. Happy memories. But emotional nonetheless. We'll see.
I am amazed that some folks continue to whine about the cold and the snow. This is Northeast OHIO in December. It's supposed to be cold and snowy. If you don't like it . . . MOVE. Otherwise shut up and enjoy the beauty of the different seasons. God planned it this way for us to enjoy - the changing seasons help us to not get too comfortable in our life....just as we go through different changes in our faith journey to keep us from getting too comfortable and take our salvation for granted. We need change.
OK. enough ranting. Time for a short nap before I make some more cookies. Maybe I'll whip up a crock pot of Brunswick stew!
Ciao.
I've mixed and baked a batch of cookies, made some yummy candy things out of pretzels/hershey kisses/m & m's - all before 8:00. I'm ready for a warm blanket and a short nap. I may go into the office and take care of some things while it's quiet there. Then again, I may not... I'd like to get the tree in from the garage and at least put it in the stand, maybe string the lights. We'll see. With Mom's passing this past April, I fear some of the emotion of some of my decorations . . stuff she gave me from my childhood. Good memories. Happy memories. But emotional nonetheless. We'll see.
I am amazed that some folks continue to whine about the cold and the snow. This is Northeast OHIO in December. It's supposed to be cold and snowy. If you don't like it . . . MOVE. Otherwise shut up and enjoy the beauty of the different seasons. God planned it this way for us to enjoy - the changing seasons help us to not get too comfortable in our life....just as we go through different changes in our faith journey to keep us from getting too comfortable and take our salvation for granted. We need change.
OK. enough ranting. Time for a short nap before I make some more cookies. Maybe I'll whip up a crock pot of Brunswick stew!
Ciao.
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