Jim – thereisnosanityclause

“My Guys”

Twenty two years ago, my Dad passed away.

It’s funny, because I was realizing the amount of years and stopped to remember…Dad’s passing brought me Jim.

I had moved back home to help take care of Dad when he was in end stage liver failure. It was during this time I first started talking to Jim…who knew?🤔

Here we are, just about 18 years ago, all cleaned up with Our Zushie 💜🐕

This is why it has been my experience that, indeed, things happen for a reason. I will love my Dad forever, and miss him every day. He brought me that final gift, though- the gift of my Jim. How fortunate have I been to have two marvelous men in my life.

Nurse Rachet, Line One….

So we figured we pulled out the Greg visit and got up here sage and sound, right?

Until this morning, when Jim started the day with a fever that is climbing: I managed to get some aspirin into him and get him to force some fluids, but what else is new? As Jim would say, whenever we plan something, well, how does that old chestnut go? ” Man plans, and God laughs.”

We were going up to an 80th birthday party in Pennsylvania tomorrow, which, of course now is out of the question. I called Jim’s sister up to share the lousy news with her. We were really looking forward to it.

I am glad Greg is here to keep me company, as Jim has been sleeping most of the day. I made a pot of chicken corn soup, with a tip of the hat to my buddy Juls for the recipe, as it was tasty and kept up warm. Now it’s waiting to get warmed up for when Jim has an appetite again.

We both got flu shots this year, so we are trying to figure out where this came from.

Hold a good thought for us, ok? This is getting to be a hell pf a weekend.

Good Memories

When my nephews were younger, my brother would take them to Ocean City, New Jersey to spend their vacation.It was a new experience for me, as I had always been a Stone Harbor/Angelsea/Cape May type of girl.

We would do bikes on the boardwalk, later on rides and the beach, breakfasts and bakeries with donuts and sticky buns, but one thing haunts me to this day.

Jim and I were coming back from the doctor’s office in Somers’Point, and decided to go to Ocean City. OK,when someone says that,I think,”Johnson’s Popcorn”.

I am sure everywhere on the Eastern seaboard is a popcorn stand that professes to have the best popcorn of all varieties.Johnson’s has been around since 1945.I absolutely adore their caramel corn.The biggest rub is that my local grocery story, where I worked last spring for a brief interlude, carries their popcorn and actually, it was fifty cents cheaper.

When you go to Mecca, er, the Ocean City boardwalk stores where they make this, you show up with your $12 for a FRESH,large tub of the caramel corn, say you need a bag, and to leave the lid off.The excess popcorn that gathers in the bottom of your bag is at least two dollars more, and, in our case today, we nibbled on it as we were headed down the Garden State Parkway to get home to the fur girls.

Even after the delicious memory is gone, I recycle the container to either use the next time we go up there, or, in the meantime, to make Christmas cookies I want to hide in.

Thanks, Matt and Greg! #GOODTIMES

The Garden

The above picture shows the fruits of Jim’s labor.

The frustrating thing is that he really was wanting to get some snow peas, but we can’t seem to grow them: the wind seems to snap the fine stems.Outside of that, we have cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes, with a harvest of cucumbers and zucchini so far. We are waiting for “our”Jersey tomatoes to ripen up.

One nice thing about being down here is the ability and the land to grow your own veggies.

Escape from Oz

We have to leave our little Shangri-la for a trip back to the big city tomorrow morning. It is going to be traumatic for me because I am leaving my girls at home.

Our old neighbor passed away on the 17th and we are going up for his funeral.Jim was a close buddy with his son who lived with him. If I had my way, I would have just gone up for the viewing and funeral, and then come back. Mike, Jim’s friend,and Jim both said that if we are going all the way up there, we might as well stay for the luncheon.Oh well. It’ll be good to have Jim socialize and be happy.

My “sister” down here, who lives, down the street,is going to come in to let the girls out a few times through the day and give them their medicine at 3:30. I can’t be leaving them in better hands, but still, I will be missing my kids.

Check-Up!

Zush and I went to the vet with Jim and Kasia today.

Zush was diagnosed with lyme disease back in October.The vet had given us a prescription for the antibiotic she needed, and thankfully, with my buddy Ryan’s help, he got them for us so we were able to get her started.It was not fun.It was a job to think of ways for me to get the pill into her.Hopefully now, we have this under control and, as usual, I just have to keep my eye on her.

We take Kasia with is to the vet to get her used to coming in.It’s not too much fun, because she gets terrified. The staff suggested we get her used to coming in so when she actually has an appointment for her,well, hopefully it will go a little smoother than before.

Thanks,God! Signing off tonight with a sigh of relief.

Almost December

Jim and I went over to Cape May tonight to see the preparations for Christmas and see if any of the decorations are up.

It was surreal to walk through a seaside town and realize November is almost done and the temperature today is 51 degrees.We walked through town with sweatshirts.

We walked through the shopping mall/street and people were doing their black Friday shopping while eating ice cream. I think last year black Friday was snowing here:just goes to show you that climate changes is a reality.

We parked by the ocean and walked through Congress Hall, which was completely decked out for Christmas with the exception of it’s Christmas tree being lit.They are doing that a week from tonight.

They have their carousel up and candy canes and lights on the shrubs.The doormen are dressed as if they are toy soldiers.There are garlands of evergreens all through the building.It looks as if it is Christmas.I guess they will do it soon enough,

Pancakes

Down here, we occasionally take in the local civic association meeting and jokingly sit in the back and talk about “Amity”, as in Jaws.

Part of the group of buddies that we made here work with us every third month on the third Saturday at the fund-raising pancake breakfast.The civic association uses it as a fund-raiser and I actually missed working our turn at it when I was working at the ferry.We had been coming to the pancake breakfast since we first came down here, and as we became more involved, we met more neighbors and networked with more folks to learn the “lay of the land”, if you will. It is amazing what a local social event will turn up and what you can learn just from being there and listening.

Of course, I’ll have to get up early and get the girls out for their walk and medicine, so they are good, empty, and tired out. Jim usually gets down there first and I get down there around 7:30 so we set up the coffee and get ready for the first customers.Like many things in this life that you really don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,with apologies to Joni Mitchell,I am glad I have a chance to get it back.

Joauquin by Northwest

The hurricane that is coming, fading, or whatever, Joaquin, is second fiddle down here right now.

The coin of the realm here is the Nor’easter.

It was bad enough that the ferry “consolidated” boats due to lack of folks wanting to go on a Disney-esque boat ride that would probably have turned the most galvanized stomach green. I, the hourly purveyor of what my three weather apps on my phone say, well, each time I thought I was going out in drizzle, well, I forgot one thing. The formula is you have to take drizzle and multiply it by a 25 knot wind and then you have one saturated self, not to mention puppies. I went out at my lunch half hour today to try to get steps in, and the first 1.5 miles were rough. I am, although thanks to fit bit zip a bit smaller, but I am a big Polish girl and that wind was fighting me. Needless to say, the last 1.5 miles was a literal breeze, as the wind was at my back giving me a little help.

To counter all of this storm, though, Jim and I are going for our flu shots tomorrow morning, and after we take care of the health of our bodies, I will act on the health oh Zush and Kasia and my soul, when we take our girls to our parish church, when they will be celebrating the feast of St.Francis of Assisi with the traditional blessing of the animals.

Did I mention I’ll be working on a crock pot of chicken soup to boot?

A good day to take care of the entire family.

Dreary

Well, we finally had a rainy night last night, and, might I add, it is long overdue.

Of course the summer was long and dry,perfect:the reason was because I was working ALL summer and didn’t have a chance to ENJOY it.Well, I did when I got the chance to get out with the girls and Jim and went for a ride or a hike. Still, the summer went flying by.

Here it is, the first week of autumn, and my first”weekend” off, and of course it is really dreary.I am getting the girls out, and most particularly,Zush and I are taking second walks so I can get a urine sample from her for tomorrow’s vet visit. She is meeting her new vet, and getting her second blood work drawn.

Please work a prayer or send some healthy puppy vibes up for the Zusher tomorrow-she sure can use it!

Healthy is as healthy doesn’t….

I was off this morning so I had a chance to sleep in a little which was great.

Jim made a fresh vegetable and fruit juice which we had with poached eggs and rye toast, or at least I had the eggs and toast.

We went on the road and took the girls with us for a good hike back at Ponderlodge, the walking/nature area by us, and then went to our annual trek to buy mums. It was a great afternoon except for one thing…we got hungry.We had a coupon from McDonald’s for a free medium soda and fries when you buy a new buttermilk chicken sandwich.

Yup.

We got junk for lunch….

There is always room for a healthy dinner.

Optimism

It is incredible what the flip of a calendar page brings.

September is here and my heart is wide open to all new experiences coming down the pike. Change is in the wind, be it good, bad or indifferent…the key element here is change. Change is movement-at least you aren’t wallowing and stagnant!

It is a blessing to get up in the morning and get my two feet on the ground. It’s a blessing to see Jim ok and the furgirls ok. When I take them out in the morning, I say my prayers and talk to family in heaven. I get to walk in a natural area surrounded by beauty. When times are rough, all I have to do is remember that.

If only all were as fortunate as I am.

Zipping away

There was trauma in Fit Bit Zip land the other day…I actually lost it!

We were at our friend Max and his mom Norina, and I was sitting outside talking to her with the dogs. I knew I had it on all day at work, but was astonished-this never happened to me before.

We searched at home, and I texted Max as it was really the only place we were at. Well, Saint Anthony and Max to the rescue! He found it! It really was a frustrating loss, albeit temporarily, because I had 17,000+ steps on it.

The problem with the Fit Bit Zip is the back. They have two small pieces of plastic that keep sliding off:Jim glued them once for me, but it seems once you have crossed over to wear on the device, or at least my type of wear,this can be a common malady.

I will be getting back to Fit Bit on this. They always have had decent customer service. I am counting on them!

Thirteen

Jim and I were married August 31,and tomorrow is our 13th anniversary.

We were younger, but now we are wiser. We have changed:weight gained, lost, hair changes,friends and family no longer with us,retirement,work,new houses,…life goes on. Zush has hung in with us, and Kasia joined us half way in.

Like any other couple, we have good and bad times, but we are here and the love is stronger than ever.

Happy Anniversary,Baby.

State Bug of New Jersey and Wisconsin and…

..of course I am talking bout the mosquito.

Jim always seems to get chewed up.They seem to get him no matter what, and even though his best of intentions to wear long pants and long sleeves, he ends up scratching.

I have accepted the fact that mosquitos are here no matter what.I try to be wise about it and use homeopathic ways to prevent the bites and/or later treat them. I mea after 3+ cancers, how much poison do I need to throw on my body?

Unfortunately, the fact that I am writing this post means that, all of a sudden, the bugs have caught up to me and I am witch hazel-ing my bites to pieces.I have clear store versions of Caladryl and I am not beyond taking a Benadryl if I am really itchy.

Another reason why I can’t wait for October!

Hahaha who’s got the last laugh now?

Gentle reader, if you remember in a prior post I lamented about the death of my MacBook Pro.

Well, this evening, I called apple knowing I was out of warranty, but they were going to try to help resurrect my Mac.In the meantime, here in Jim’s office, I had three dogs under my feet and the desk.Jim wasn’t very happy with that, and was literally dragging my heart, my Zush, out of the office and as he did, the power cord fell down and we reconnected it.

Guess what?

Not only did the computer come on, but also it is charging.

I feel as though I have gotten wind back in my sails thanks to Zush and Jim’s short fuse. Otherwise, we would have been lamenting a potential trip to the Apple store. Instead, all we need is a new mac power cord!

Go figure!

Seriously?

My Mac Book Pro died.

Maybe I should say I am watching it in ICU right now, as it is plugged in and yet it won’t start-up. The power cord is lit, and there is a faint flicker of green light on the charging cord.

**sigh**

My Apple is my right arm, but considering the recent encounters with my iPhone 6, well, Jim had mentioned that I wasn’t really on the best of terms with Apple. I just really wasn’t needing to go through this right now, you know. I do understand that things happen when you least expect it.To add insult to injury, it’s my Friday night and I am so tired now I can hardly see straight..

I will keep you posted as to the heartbeat of my Apple…..if you see tears on my blog, you’ll know what happened.

Day # 2 of – iPhone6

**sigh**

So here my phone is sitting in the ziplock bag of rice.

I am fortunate enough that Jim and I and able to step backward, as it were, to resume our old phones, until this gets figured out, one way or another.

Today, My BFF Kate and I took the ferry over to Lewes, Delaware, and of course I took some pictures.Nowhere as nice as my iPhone 6 would have taken, but I took the pictures nonetheless.I know that I didn’t have this happen on purpose, but the fact is it did happen.I KNOW it is something that will always haunt me.

Right now I am feeling pretty low: some things happen that just seem to kick you in the butt and land you on the ground, and then other things seem to be the foot holding your butt down on the ground and is stopping you from getting up again.

I am going to keep praying on this to hope I get out of this lousy slump.I know the grass is always greener on the other side but this has gotten past that point.I have always been a fighter and hope to muster myself up and ready to get out there and fight another day.

3rd of July Lockdown

Yup, that is what it is.

Dogs sedated, walked early, shades drawn, television loud. Welcome to fireworks in my world.

Evidently we aren’t worth the actual Fourth of July fireworks, as the bigger shore towns that are oceanfront evidently have dibs on that honor.Well, I can be honest with you, right?

Even before Kasia and Zush came into my life, I could make do with fireworks, say, every ten years.They don’t rock my world.Don’t get me wrong.Yes, they are brilliant and spectacular.One of my earliest memories is being with my family at local fireworks and sitting on the ground with my fingers in my ears.I was never a big fan of noise.

Yet, in the line of ” Man plans, and God laughs.”, here I am trying to make enough white noise so the dogs won’t here the bang of these fireworks. Jim and his Mom are at our friends’ house by the bay to see the sunset and fireworks, and hopefully they’ll enjoy themselves.

The girls and I? Hopefully we’ll be sound asleep.

One Day Weekend

I have off tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Yeah, I know, you feel bad for me.

I am trying to look at this as a teacher would working through the winter aiming for summer vacation.You take day after day after day and then finally it’s time for vacation.

In my past posts I have made no secret about how I feel about my adopted hometown in the still of late and off-season.It stands to reason that I would be working through the summer to enjoy my time later on.My only frown is trying to keep up quality time with the girls and catching up with Jim’s schedule once in a while.

It is good to be in a job where my mind has to be sharp.My old work buddies would laugh their butts off at me wearing a Time-Life operator’s headset, when I thought I was done with that.

What goes around comes around.

Yard Sale

Went with my buddy today to a local charity’s “mega-family’ yard sale.

I have learned the glory and pain of yard sales over the years and also the angst of buyer’s regret or should-have.

There was a ceramic nut or candy dish that someone made.On top of it was my favorite from childhood; a squirrel. I went back three times looking at this dish. All I could think about was how much I wanted it, but it would be put up in the attic and I’d have to get Jim to get it for me and I really didn’t need more hassle in my life. I really wish I had gotten it though, as if you have been a frequent reader of these posts, you’d remember I had a love of squirrels from childhood.

I had wanted a summer handbag. Not a Vera Bradley, like I have, but a woven and burgundy colored one.This was something dating back to when I started working and splurged on a John Romain handbag and spent nice money on it. I wore that handbag every summer for many years and it killed me when it literally died. I found a Relic brand leather and woven handbag for $2. It’s a tight squeeze for my wallet but for summer, it’ll rock. I can’t believe that there was leather all over it! I also scored a 100% silk blouse for .50. I hand-washed it and it came up really well.I even got a new air of khakis for me for work for the princely sum of .50.

I regret that I bought ANYTHING for Jim, because he is**expletive deleted** when it comes time to buying or trying on clothes. I picked up a men’s 34 waist Banana Republic khaki short for him for .50. A brand new Izod polo shirt, tags and stickers still on it, retailing for $40 went for $5. Both wait for him here on the chair next to me.” I can’t try them on now:I’m working.”

**Watch me holding my breath waiting for him to try them on.”

Not bad, overall, and off in a little while to go swimming at a friend’s in ground pool.

Day three of three days off is going ok, so far…here’s hoping the rest of the day is uneventful!

Heat is back..

I have been off since yesterday and taking advantage of the arrival of heat, albeit again.

The girls and I have been taking a slow walk in the morning down to the bay and the three of us have been in the bay, trying to stay cool.Weather is constantly amazing to me, as one day we actually get a breeze, and today you can cut the hot air with a knife.Fortunately, the girls and I have been working around the heat, and I pretty much have the shady routes down pat for us to walk back on.

Jim, when he is out of his office, goes out in the heat to get some work done and it seems to make him happy.I guess he handles the heat better than I do, going back to his bakery days.I still get worried, but he claims he knows what he is doing.

Me?

I’m waiting for October.

The Heat

For something “different’, Jim and I were looking for a movie to watch.

I tend to like good movies that you can sink your teeth into,

Jim is just to the point where he is trying to get into movies.

I watched “Delivery Man” with Vince Vaughn and it just really for me: I sat through Wedding Crashers and The internship and Couples retreat and enjoyed them.”Delivery Man” left me flat.

When I found “The Heat”, it was a newer movie neither of us had seen.Melissa McCarthy I knew from “Bridesmaids”,Sandra Bullock I liked since ” While You Were Sleeping.”

This movie is supposed to be good, and a friend of mine said it was funny.

The verdict is out from me, as for now.

June

June 1st.

Half-time.

I have completed a half-year of retirement, well, maybe four months if you discount my bakery time.Six months since I was in Center City.Six months since I had to use a finger ID to clock in.Six months since I was within striking range of a coffee shop on every corner and vendor carts.

Do I miss that part of my life?

Some of the people, yes. The daily routine? No way in hell.

Thirty years are thirty years, no matter how you slice it. I was blessed to hold a job steadily for that length of time, but when it’s time, it is time.It was a good run, but it’s over. The new chapter in my life has started, and at six months, my feet are indeed wet. You know what? I take one day at a time and enjoy every day I have got, especially with Jim and Zush and Kasia. It’s a precious life.

Hahahaha…A day off.

Since I have resumed a part-time life in the work world,I was looking forward to today and tomorrow, as they were my days off.

I cashed out my till last night and was informed that I graduated cashier training.Great, I thought, since I was hired to work in the BAKERY, not register.The next question asked to me was if I was willing to work tomorrow from either 11-5 or 2-8…**sigh**…so I took what I perceived to be the lesser of the two evils, 11-5, and have resigned my self to sucking back my day off,aka, TODAY.

It’s a beautiful day here and the girls and I have been enjoying the cool breeze.Jim actually got a break from the computer and went out and did the lawn, since it is a nice day.We went down and saw our friend Georgine and the girls adored laying on the soft green grass in the shade.I only wish I could bottle this breeze for August.

Here are some shots of the girls enjoying the shade.Thanks for reading.

Dropping in

So today was Mother’s day.

We went to the city to spend time with Jim’s 96-year-old Mom. She is wonderful and was really in great spirits while we were there.

Then we went to see my Mom and Babcis.

This gravestone marker always served as our guide where my Mom’s Mom, or my Babci was buried nearby. My parents are buried by my Dad’s Mom, or my other Babci. There is something surreal as you get older and have no one left to see: everyone has left you behind.Sure, I get exercise getting to the graves, and since we travel a while to get there, I walk the girls on the road so we can get some steps in.But still, you become enveloped in loss. Not only do you realize your immediate family is gone but you recognize names on the gravestones around you. If you don’t realize that you ARE the adult now and the circle of life.

It was still something of a comfort to be at my Mom’s grave, and not just talking and praying for her from a distance. I believe she is always with me.

Company for Two

Jim’s oldest sister and her husband are down to stay with us overnight before they leave for home tomorrow afternoon.

We have been on the go since they have been here. We went out for a nice dinner to celebrate Earl’s 80th and Jim’s 61st birthdays.We came back for birthday cake and a wild card game and are now watching cable and having a great time.

It’s odd having company here. We are so used to quiet that it is kind of nice to have a break in the action.I guess this is a precursor of what the summer will bring.I’ll be up tomorrow morning to set the table for breakfast.

It’s nice to see how the other half lives.

War of the Roses

I remember when I first saw War of the Roses, I thought it was a black comedy that was a little bizarre.

I wasn’t married then.

It is being rerun on cable tonight, back to back as a matter of fact.Jim usually catches part of it with me, and we laugh about the part where Michael Douglas says that he has more square footage in regard to splitting up the house.

Now, from a married persons’ perspective, I find this movie sad.I can see what happens. When you first meet someone one picture is sunny.Then , if you are combining egos, one partner tends to bulldoze the other one.It isn’t always an even run during the marriage.

I am thankful that my marriage is pretty good and I can still watch this movie and not worry about it hitting close to home for me.Still, it’s sad to think that someone actually lives with this kind of fear.

Thank God I am not one of them.

Planting time

I started seeds indoors this year and Jim started veggie seeds indoor too.

I start mine in egg containers,with dirt in the cups and seeds.Then I moistened the dirt and put the whole container in a clear plastic bag,the type you get when you buy produce.You breathe into it, and your breath provides the gas to turn the sealed up bag into a green house for the plants.Jim used a commercial seed starting kit, which comes with a clear plastic top to it.The veggies he has in there are ready to go in the ground. Mine are close to that point.I might make an attempt to put them in tomorrow. I planted white marigolds, coneflower, coleus and snapdragon.

Once they are in and established, I’ll keep you posted along the way to let you see what makes it through the summer.

Nothing left to give.

The antithesis of a holiday weekend is the day after.

The day after ham, sweet potatoes, carrots, string beans, deviled eggs, cole slaw, and so on and so on…Even though I managed to crack 10,000 steps today and I just feel like a Mack truck ran over me. I made 15,618 steps and why legs are fine.My head is feeling the weekend. I proudly can announce I had no alcohol,due to medication I am taking,and yet, I am afraid I am going to collapse in the Jim column of ” its gotta be the pollen”.My head is exploding.

We have this week to kick back a little before we gear up for upcoming events. In two weekends, we go up to the big city and celebrate the 50th anniversary of my cousin and her husband.Two weeks after we have company coming down here.

The season is gearing up..no excuses..gotta get ready.

Equal Time

I did a post the other day about the reason my heart keeps beating…my Zush.

In all fairness, I have to post about the other reason it ticks, and that is my Kasia.

Kasia is a golden retriever and chow mix.This spring she turns six.Since we adopted her, she has put a little spring back in Zush’s step.The chow in her has made life with her crazy: we never had a dog that barks until we had Kasia come to live with us.She was hard to walk out with people, but the chow in her made her very protective.When it is just me and Jim and Zush alone in the house, she is nothing but a love muffin.The picture inserted above is one of Kasia, as I typed this, she came up on my leg to get her belly rub.Mind you, she still barks at folks going by, but as she gets older,she becomes a little more sedate.

She’s still my Kasia and she is a Sweetie!

Holiday away

It’s hard this year.

I pulled out my Mom’s ceramic Easter egg and a small crocheted easter egg she had. I couldn’t handle too much more out, because it’s the first Easter at the new home.We won’t be here for dinner, per se, because we’ll be with Jim’s Mom and family.

When Mom was around,we had Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving every year at our home, and did what a lot of couples do: go to the other spouse’s family so everyone gets even time and you try not to slight anyone.

Mom is gone three years.

I haven’t had a Polish Easter in 3 years and for some reason, I am a little sad about it. I miss the traditions, although having the Polish parish in Manayunk get shut down by the Archdiocese doesn’t help either.I miss my brother and his family, I miss my Aunt and cousin: I am missing a lot.

My memory is still ok though, so I will have to share Easter with them in my prayers and in my mind and heart.

I am thankful that God still will let me do that.

Introducing…

…PAVERMAN!

If you loved following the epic saga of Jim dealing with his case of the shingles, or Jim starting up our compost, you will love Jim as Paverman.

The yard tends to get a little wet when it rains and when you have two dogs and want to save a floor, you try to get pavers to make a path for the back yard. We went to Lowe’s today to get bricks to accent the pavers and pavers themselves.Jim started the project when we got back and if he feels up to it,and the aches aren’t too bad,he might go back tomorrow to it.It is a hard job, and I do feel sorry when I watch him do it, but his sense of accomplishment when it looks good is overwhelming.

Slowly but surely, Undisclosed Deux is taking shape.

Hole-y Sinking Sand!

The girls and I had a rare treat today.
Jim finished work early and we celebrated by taking a 3 mile walk on the Cove beach at Cape May.

We had a rough time for a little,though.

Where we were walking, which would normally have been the sand right around the tide line, when you stepped on, when Zush stepped on it, it sunk! I mean, you would put your foot down and your foot would go down a bit and then, eventually, you hit another layer of sand.It scared me, and Zush and Jim, when it happened to each of us: eventually we moved away from the tide line.

We love the Cove, as do a ton of folks, because it allows you a southward view of the ocean and beach and the lighthouse at Cape May State Park.

We took our time walking,picking up seashells as we went along.There is a bunker that was built for World War II that still was on the beach, and for some reason,we couldn’t make it out from the distance. It gave us incentive to keep on walking.Well, we decided when we would make it to the bunker, we’d touch it and then turn back.

Here’s a shot of Jim and Zush when we made it down to the ruins of the bunker. Kasia was walking with me.I took this shot of the lighthouse and considered it my reward for the effort and to make 15,000 for my fit bit zip today.

It was a wonderful family outing…I am hoping we have more of them in the future.

Movie Rut

As I type this, “The Fugitive”, starring Harrison Ford is playing on cable. I think this move was in the early 1990’s. Earlier, Jim and I watched “In The Line Of Fire”, which starred Clint Eastwood. It, too, was from the early 1990’s.

Did you ever get into a rut where the movies that you watch were like a comfort food of sorts? I mean, we watch the films because we like them, or something in the movie strikes a message to us.Then, in the next breath, I find myself lamenting the fact that there are no movies that we currently like around.

At least when the Phillies were good, Jim and I had something to sit and watch together at night.Now,it is a different time.We watch things here but as folks with cable find out, there are a ton of stations with not many things worth watching.

Radio, anyone?

Greetings from Undisclosed

It’s been a while since I wrote an Undisclosed update.

I think I wrote more about Undisclosed, I think, before I retired, but since I have been down here full-time, I haven’t really thought about it as” Undisclosed”, although it is still that.It’s weird,because it’s home to boot.

We are adjusting to full-time life here, and we are happy.The girls really are happy because, for now, I am here full-time, that is, not working, so they get a ton of attention.Jim likes to tease me about being a happy homemaker,but after 30 years of waiting on cold street corners and windy train platforms to go to town,there are plenty things to keep me happy.

We both are trying to figure out about working.It is weird,because it is something we know that can’t be full-time, because there basically NO full-time positions here.We’ll decide, somewhere along the way, if there is something we can do.As the weather gets warmer, it’s less of a thought because there are things to get done around here, and when it is nice out, who wants to be outside.

Life is good.

“Weather or Not”

As a lot of folks have experienced,the weather has gotten a little bit warmer.There were no 10 degree minutes today;in fact I think the weather was in the mid to high 30’s.

People were asking me and checking in with me about my stepping with my Fit Bit Zip.

When it was really bitter cold, I managed my 10,000 steps a day, if not a hair over.Jim was vital in this some days, especially when the wind chill factor was low,he would take me to a store where I could take a chunk of my daily steps.His support in this has been vital.

Yesterday, the first day of the defrosting weather,I actually got over 17,000 steps in.Today, as of this writing I am 90 steps short of 15,000.

I’m ba-a-ck!

” Self Praise Stinks.”my Mom always said…

..except the subject of my last post, the band ALL TUNED UP, actually pulled my post and put it on their Facebook page.That really made my day, because I think that was the first time a subject did that for my post.

Diane and George started the band, and I owe George an apology for calling him Gary yesterday. There are five members all together and I can’t begin to tell you how amazed we were to see a band that actually played music.Sure, there are a lot of groups that play down here, but they usually have their background music on computer.They sound like they are a bigger band, but it is really the computer playing the music.

We laughed last night, because Jim and I normally wouldn’t have been a fan of the song” Uptown Funk”‘ because we really don’t pay much attention to new music, but the tune is so catchy, we had no choice but to really get into it, because the tune gets stuck in your head.Jim always likes It’s All About The Bass, because he felt Megan Trainor’s voice was different.I used to play the song all the time on You Tube because it got me through the workday.When we heard older standards played, we felt that this what a well-rounded group does.They cover the whole thing.

Anyway, this morning I was beat.I hadn’t danced that much in a long time and that was a good thing.We are looking forward to the next time they come on down and play.

Busy Saturday

We have had a busy Saturday so far.

You know it’s kind of busy when, by 5:45PM, I have 11,000+ steps on the Fit Bit and synched it early due to our “date night”.The girls and I have been out for a few miles walking today. Jim joined us for one of the walks, so that was nice, as usually it’s just me and the girls.We managed to get a quick stop in at CVS and stopped to see my buddy Linda and her family. It was good because we haven’t seen Duch in a while and I got to meet her youngest granddaughter, Emily.

Now we are back in, trying to woof down some dinner,and get ready for our Diana Krall concert in Atlantic City tonight.The girls are walked, we’re almost ready to go…

Stay warm, friends!

It’s been that kind of week.

I am writing this at 8:59PM because I am getting ready for bed, and figured now is as good as a time as any to blog. I just had a hot shower and washed my hair.

The big deal about this?

Uh, our pipes froze last night.

Fortunately our neighbor Tom from down the street loaned us a heater and a kick-butt industrial extension cord and along with my hair dryer, water is back here in Undisclosed.This explains, if you here with me now, why you hear the end of the dishwasher cycle and the dryer on and washer.I mean, seriously? My bathtub is filled so we can flush toilets, water jugs filled for the dogs and us, Keurig reservoir is filled…wow! It’s incredible that 16 hours without water makes you feel like the prehistoric age.A gentle reminder from above to appreciate what you have.

Jim is out giving the girls their last walk of the night, and I can’t help wonder about the amount of women who, once the temperatures are constant again around 36-40, will be joining me in the store to get a new hair dryer…who’s with me?

Like everyone else

The Siberian cold sucks.

Poor Jim is in our crawl space checking pipes out, as are a whole ton of people tonight.Worrying about a home is something they never teach you in grade school.People who know me know what I always say: if they taught you about how life is going to be, no one would want to leave fifth grade.The responsibility is really daunting at times. It really doesn’t help that the climate has decided to turn the area that you live at into Antartica.I have to put a disclaimer in here though-thank God I am not living in the Northeast with all that snow on the ground.

Don’t get me wrong.

I am a December baby.I love change of seasons.I even like snow.I never have been 55 before, though,with the corresponding aches that accompany that.This long stretch of frigid weather is a challenge, to say the least.I am hoping that Jim comes back in soon,that he is all right, and there is no trouble down below.

Prayers tonight out to everyone sharing this cold.

The Object of my Obsession

Yeah, well,it’s not necessarily an obsession but that magic number 10,000 from the Fit Bit Zip haunts me. Really. I know that if I didn’t think about it, I’d probably make the 10,000 with no problem.

The weekend threw me for a loop. I struggled to make my 10,000,but I did.I have seen various articles that sing the praises of house-walking.Ok, no problem.When the weather got single digit, I figured no problem.Somewhere, around the 100th time I walked around my kitchen island, I thought to myself I was losing my mind.House walking is fine when you have a big house.In a house with 1350 square feet, it gets kind of tough.Sure,I make a route so I don’t make myself dizzy.My girls look at me like, “Please don’t step on me, Mom,” and I don’t.Jim encourages me because I am down 22 pounds since Halloween and I am still eating.

Maybe I have to rearrange my furniture to make a house-walking route…hmmmm…we’ll see if that’s do-able…film at 11.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Argh!

Got up early this morning and got the show on the road.Dogs up and they got their medicine, then their walk. Breakfast done.Off to get my hair done.

Damn!

Walked a mile and a half with NO FIT BIT.I couldn’t believe it. Five months with a fit bit zip on every freaking day and I forgot to put it on.Boy, was I really ticked off.Fortunately,Jim came to the rescue to help me make up the difference by taking me out to a warm store to get some steps in. It is always good to know he is in my corner.

Will this happen again?

Not if I can help it!

Moonlight feels right, er, cold…

We are down here now, and I had walked the girls for a bit today.There were swaying trees in the wind that scared especially Kasia.I managed to do my 10,000 steps today on my fit bit zip despite that.

As I sat in the house today and heard the wind, I didn’t necessarily want to go back out.Jim took the girls out after dinner and I stayed in here and tried to stay warm.We went out tonight to pick up medicine from the drugstore, and the wind serenaded us all the way up.We got what we needed, came back home, and now are in tight for the night.

It’s a shame thought.The perk of being down the shore off-season is how quiet it is and very peaceful it is.When we were out tonight,I looked up in the sky and saw the beautiful moon and stars. You never had a chance to appreciate it in the city, but down here, it looks wonderful.
The only bad part? It’s so damn cold and windy!

In sickness and health

My friend Juls has been getting over a bug for the better part of the week.

Jim has joined her, albeit long distance.

It started earlier this week, when Jim first got sick and thought it was just passing.It is times like this that I miss the proximity of our doctor, because he really didn’t look too good to me, and I admit I was a little scared. His color got a little better but then today it seems like he rebounded into it again.

Hopefully this will run its’ course and he’ll be feeling better soon. It’s in time for the nor’easter that is due to hit this area tonight and tomorrow.Nothing like feeling miserable and having miserable weather to accompany it.

New day

My gut was a touch bit better this morning…not much, but enough to move around.

The girls and I had some significant walks today, as the weather cooperated so we took in what we could, keeping in mind not to tax out Zush and her stitches.Jim, unfortunately, had to work so we went without him.

When you go through a stretch of a weather as we have, with apologizes to my Wisconsin family and friends, you get to appreciate a 35+ degree day.The sun coming down on the bay actually gave the illusion that the bay could have had July sun on it rather than January.

It was good to be home.

Fit Bit Bug

I was hit with a GI bug around 2am this morning.Not much fun.

The sleep I lost caused me to sleep a little later and wave “buh-bye” to 15,000 steps today.I realized from the get go that it is more important for me to get rid of this bug than to kick over another 15,000 steps.

I am going out now to give the girls their last stroll of the night with me.Jim took the first walk this morning, well, by default.It’ll be interesting to see what the final number is, as I just want to come back in, take a hot shower, watch American Idol, and go to bed.

Stay tuned….

Comcast yet again.

Now that we are down here at the Undisclosed location, we are trying to unpack and set things up.

Jim had his computer up and running all last week and today. As of 4PM EST, all of his emails,and there were many, have disappeared from his computer.We did nothing on this end, so as he is on the phone with them ,I can only SMH at a business who does this on a weekly basis. I mean, really? Xfinity should stand for where there service is set at-Xfinity: they’ll ship your email, your signal, anything that we foolish have paid them for to a service far, far away.Now I hear the girl telling him he’s going to have to wait two days. I feel for his frustration for a lot of his emails for work are in there and now they are gone.I guess Comcast doesn’t care about lost files, lost spreadsheets, or anything people need for life.

Oh, I am wrong.

They just care about taking the money and running.

Hail, hail the gangs all here….

We got through the day and the family is back as a whole.

Zush made it through her surgery,thank God.

We got through the day in different ways. Jim tried to work through the day and did a few things through the house.Kasia went through the day having a hunger strike because she missed her sister: it was the first time in 5 1/2 years they were apart for a good part of the day.I kept going back and forth through the house, praying and puttering and waiting to hear the outcome from the vet.

We got the call and were relieved that she made it through the surgery, as she is 13 in February and at that age we take nothing for granted. We picked her up at 4PM and the weirdest part is the only walk we can do is a potty walk on a leash and then back in. It’s hard because she is a walker, and the colder weather is her trump card.Normally she would run back to the house after a walk, but it’s going to be rough.

We are blessed that we are all together.

Making our way

So keeping in line with my fit-bit walking, Kasia and I went for a long walk today while Zush was home with Jim to rest her leg. Her scheduled surgery is this Thursday so any prayers or good mojo you can through our way we would appreciate it.

We walked and walked and because it was just the two of us, we went onto the beach. As Kasia was leashed, we walked slowly and appreciated the stillness and solitude of the beach. It really served to soothe my soul and even Kasia was good in her beach exploration.Below are a few shots I took, or rather, one selfie of us and one of her ready to play

Going back to Jim and Zush in the house, I really felt at peace. It is good to feel blessed!

Chrusciki , revisited

I went with Jim to see Cioci Frannie today.

Cioci is my Mom’s remaining sister and I wanted to pay a visit to her for New Year’s day.She just had a little plumbing issue, and Jim tried to help her out and it seemed to be of some help.

After we were done with the plumbing, I sat with Cioci and Jim and she offered us some Chrusciki.If you are a regular reader of this post, you’ll remember this time last year, as I posted about chrusciki when reminiscing about Christmases past.Today, as we sat at her kitchen table, the chrusciki were so bittersweet, as she wished us lots of luck in our retirement.

Funny how something so tasty has so many memories tied to it, and today, I made some more.

Tomorrow I end 30 years in my position.End of an era. I am packed up again with Jim and the girls and we are headed off to a new chapter of our lives.

I’ll have to make sure that I have a chrusciki recipe in my future.

Should old…you know the rest…

I am home tonight with my girls, as Jim took an entire SUV full of our belongings down to Undisclosed. I tried to talk him into staying down there for tonight, as I know tonight is amateur hour, and I am worried about his safety on the road.He is determined to come back tonight though…

The girls and I just got back in from our last walk of 2014, taking in some neon Christmas lights.

I wish you all a happy and healthy 2015!

Laying low….

I have about 2,000 more steps to do today and I’d hit 15,000…I probably will get that under my belt before the night is over.

The one thing I have noticed is my legs are really “tired” and “achy” by the time I get done for the day. I need to remember to put the good shoes on when I am walking. Poor judgement when I am in a hurry in the morning and throw my feet in my loafers.

Jim is out at our neighbors, and in a little while, after the current load of way is done, the girls and I will go out one more time for the night. It’s a little harried, as we have to leave for the city tomorrow lunchtime, in order to get up for the Deli’s Christmas party.

Not too much longer, though, and our Sunday night/ Monday morning travel will be over once and for all!

**Whew**

What is that thing called sleep?

Sure I am walking a median of 12,000 steps a day, and I am still on a job and worried about things and taking care of Jim and my girls, but,damn, I am always tired.

It seems especially so while this last month is going on and I seriously am dealing with moving matters but I am looking forward to the day when it would;’t be a stretch to stay up until 10 PM and I would feel like my get up and go wouldn’t get up and go.

I cozy up under the blanket and it is my sanctuary,. The warmth cocoons me and I truly hate to leave it in the morning. Fortunately, the girls need to go for a walk.

Can’t wait to sign up for that advanced sleep class!

Happy Visit

We went over to see my mother-in-law tonight.

She is going to be 96 this Saturday and we’ll be at Undisclosed, while she’ll be down the casino.The family intends to celebrate her birthday on Thanksgiving, but we brought her a small cake and along with Jim’s sister Kathy, we sang a happy birthday to her.Zosia and Kasia were on their best behavior, and we had a good visit.

It made for a long day though, so it’s off to bed for us all.

Here’s hoping you are warm and have a good weekend. Stay safe.

Perks of Undisclosed

Jim’s nephew, Tom, is forever announcing one thing to us.

We are so lucky in living so close to the Lobster House restaurant.He feels it is the best restaurant.

We went to dinner tonight and actually went to the coffee shop at the restaurant, and there was a daily special for $9.95, which was stuffed pork roast, mashed potatoes, gravy and vegetables. Not bad. Evidently they have a special every day of the week, and as the waitress was telling us, it was the same food coming out of the same restaurant that takes care of the actual restaurant. It’s something only the locals know about.

Ooops…now you know!

Another Saturday Night

..and we are off.

We are around the neighborhood tonight where our Property Owners Association is having a wine and cheese get together for us. They will supply the crackers…lol…

I made a nice tray of Asiago,Havarti,Colby,Feta,and some blue cheese.I am also bringing some spinach and artichoke dip and some hummus.We have some Scoops that we are bringing, along with some sesame crackers,too.**not having too much hope for the crackers they’ll have**

Jim worked hard with our friend to put up the metal handicapped ramp off the back deck, so now Zush and I have a way out back.I am sure that he is ready to kick back, and the fact that our friends are going to be there is very nice.We are quite comfortable with our neighbors, as we all are in the same boat, pretty much.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend. Stay well and safe.

Running by the seat of my pants….

I took off today to do the marketing study. I was back walking the dogs by noon.

Jim came back in from work shortly thereafter.

He asked, “Want to come down the shore?” We had a chance to fill up the car and start bringing things down to Undisclosed. I agreed it was a good idea and it was us definitely flying by the seat of our .

We had china that was my mother’s that we boxed up and brought down and some baskets, Christmas presents, Christmas decorations, and other things that left the big city for life in Undisclosed.

It looks as if we are going to be trying to stay over and come up in the morning. This, indeed, was a pleasant surprise.

A chill in the air

A nor’easter blew through the area, giving us a taste of the weather to come.We had to work our way through some damp, dreary rain.

I am home tonight.My workweek is done.Jim is out of the house.I am sitting down with a nice cup of hot chocolate.

Yes I know I have written a lot about coffee, but there is something about hot cocoa or chocolate when you are home, relaxing, or at least trying to relax, and have your flannels or sweats on. I have the Food Network on, and most of this early evening is mine.You find yourself channeling your mom, as you blow on the mug so you don’t burn your tongue.A little sip goes down your throat and it is delightful.

Now I am going to curl up with the Zusher and Kasia and it’ll be girls night,in front of the television.

As Martha Stewart would say…”It’s a good thing.”

Ending of meetings

…I hope!

Today at lunch time, my union had a speaker on retirement health and welfare benefits. It had been touched on numerous occasions before, but one more time wouldn’t hurt,

Whenever these meetings occur, I take notes,and tell Jim about it. He, Inevitably, says,”well what about q, w and x.” I swear up and down they covered it in the meeting, but not to Jim’s satisfaction.I tried something new this time-I taped the meeting on my phone.Hopefully, everything will be pretty good.

It’s a pleasure to be at this point of a career and look at final meetings. It is a day you never really expected to come about.

sigh

It’s been that kind of day.

To top it off, I came home and Zush is hurting again.The yelp is back, albeit it very sporadic.The Zusher needs to be monitored constantly. Unfortunately, I have to be at work and Jim is busy during the day.When I left her this morning there was no yelp. This afternoon, I cam through the door and it’s almost being back at square 3.She isn’t constantly yelping. I wish she wasn’t yelping, period.

Please hold a good thought or say a little prayer for the Zush, and hold a good thought for Mom, i.e.,me.It’s rough when you don’t know what’s wrong with the baby!

Subjected to Shark Tank

Jim watches CNBC a lot.If they had programming on 24 hours a day,infomercials not withstanding, he would be glued to the set.

I sit here most of the time when he has it on and listening to it, or even just ignoring it and using it as background noise, well, it gets to me after a while.One of the shows that just make me shake my head,is Shark Tank.The premise is five millionaires sit there as people with products or business ventures come in and try to get the millionaires to invest in them. Some of the people on the panel are really brusque.If anything, the show gets into my head and leaves me with this impression.Millionaires are people with feelings, but few of them remember HOW they got started.

Money buys everything. I would never want to deal with people like that.I want to go to bed and have my mind rest at ease.

Enough said. **stepping down from soapbox**

October Beach

Jim and I had gone out to breakfast and when we were coming back home, we came back on the road by the bay.

I have become accustomed to nature: I followed nature all my life and never was so aware of it until we came down to the bay.I saw something I had never seen before.

Dolphins.

Sure, I have seen one or two in the waters before but there was an actual school of dolphins-there had to be at least ten of them.As I stood there, awestruck, never seeing so many so close, I figured I have to get a shot or video of the dolphins.

They must have been reading my mind. They saw a “human” and then laughed amongst themselves and said ” let’s split.”

I stood there and Jim told me they are like Amish. They don’t like having their picture taken.

**sigh**

As I walked away, I thought, this is my new home.

Awesome!

The week that was…

It has been a really long week.

Zosia’s injury had worn really worried us both, but she is working her way toward getting herself better, and with a watchful eye, we’ll keep our girl around for a good long while.

Then there was the camping out on the Schuylkill expressway in the bus.

To end the workweek, I started dealing with having to go to a needed doctor’s appointment this coming Wednesday which opens up more insecurity.Am I approaching retirement with the right health carrier? Do I need someone else?Do we switch physicians?Fortunately, this is a four-day weekend for me, and I am scheduled for a seminar about my retirement benefits in two weeks. It doesn’t stop the worry though.

Jim is just struggling dealing with me and Zush and everything else.

It goes without saying that a restful weekend is hoped for.

Here’s hoping yours is the same.

Zosiacare

Too bad my girl doesn’t qualify for Obama care..lol

All of a sudden Zush was in such apparent pain she kept leaving little yelps of pain out to let us know something wasn’t right. My nephew Gregory was kind enough to get over to the vet yesterday and pick up her Tramadol for her arthritis.That, we thought, would have resolved the issue but it didn’t.

This morning was not a fun scene. Zush obviously in pain yelping, Kasia wondering what’s wrong and me crying because, yes, damn it, they’re my fur kids.Managed to get through the day to 1:30, when I could leave for the girl’s 2:30pm appointment.

She was in such pain Jim had trouble getting her out of the car, but she got down and into the vet we went. Evidently, Zush’s spine was out of whack and now, with a steroid shot, and slow bathroom only walks, we’ll have our Zush up to speed in new time.When you are talking about a fur baby that’s 12 years old, well we had a big sigh of relief for our girl.She is the rock of our lives!

Below is a shot of Jim’s arm as he carries our Zush out of the back of the car.

Quiet October Sunday

We can’t believe it’s the beginning of October already.

We are doing things around the house,working on landscaping,moving some things around but, OCTOBER.

Jim keeps asking me if I am nervous about leaving a job I have had for thirty years and I am not. I think he is nervous for the both of us,but we both agree it is time.We just can’t believe how quickly the time has flown.We talk about up coming holiday weekends,and it makes you take a step back to think you WON’T have a three-day weekend next year, because you may not be working, or if you are, it may not be a job giving you that day as a holiday.

Despite the reflection we are at peace.

Life is good.**for now**

Blessing of the Animals

We took the girls down to our church in Cape May today, among with our neighbor, Georgine.We were celebrating the feast of St.Francis of Assisi in the Catholic church.He is the patron saint of animals.

The Deacon had the service out on the front lawn of the church, and Georgine held Zush’s leash and Jim stepped in and held Kasia’s leash.We said some prayers and then the animals were sprinkled with holy water.I had taken Zush to get blessed back in 2004 in our home parish in Manayunk, and she actually came in church and sat by me, went up with me when it was time for Holy Communion, and in short, she was a perfect girl.We didn’t have Kasia at the time, so I teasingly had said we were taking Kasia today to get her exorcised from the devil, and for Zush to have a 10,000 mile holiness check-up.

I pray for my girls all the time and getting them blessed today was icing on the cake. I don’t know what I’d do without them.

Football

My “home team” is the Philadelphia Eagles, and as I am typing this, Jim is watching the game.

I watch the game and I wonder why would they abuse their bodies with all these hits to the body and cash the check.Do they worry what will happen to their lives even five years from now.I know they are getting large salaries, but if they keep getting body blows, well, do they even think about it?Don’t they say if you have your health, you have everything.

I remember reading about players from the sixties being diagnosed with dementia and other diseases from all these hits through the years. I know there is a concussion protocol that the NFL follows, but still.What do these players weigh? And they hit down on the field on the turf

I hope they save some of that money for their healthcare.

What’s for Dinner..

..is often an issue for me on Wednesday night when I have my Flip fitness class.

Sometimes I have to work until 5PM, and on other times, only 3:30.My Class starts at 6:15 and the last thing you really need is rushing a meal before the class. I have learned the hard way that it is not the thing to do.It’s hard when, especially like tonight, Jim was hungry, but willing to wait until I came home from class for dinner.

Since I have only the two of us to cook for, I consider myself luckier than a bunch of my buddies who have whole families to feed.Today, for me, was easy though.Jim has spaghetti and meatballs and I have a bowl of cereal.My Mother is probably turning over in her grave watching me eat cereal for dinner, but I have learned the bowl of cereal is light and I tend to sleep better when I am not fighting indigestion at 2 in the morning.

It’s a good solution, and it keeps me from picking on junk through the night. I am glad I finally figured it out!

Shorter days

One lament I have with autumn is the fact that sunsets come earlier and earlier.

I would watch the daily time for sunsets and watch it ebb lower and lower. You would love summer and being on the beach and walking in the sand and watching the sunset.In June that would be around 8:45PM. All of a sudden in September, you look up the sunset time and it, uh, 6:45PM.

SIX FORTY FIVE? Gee whiz, where does the time go?

I am happy when Jim gets to go out when we are down here on his bike.He tends to go out later in the day, but what I don’t like is when he is out and it is twilight.Not good. Has me worried, because he has no working light on his bike and I worry about him getting hit.

I pray every day when he goes out that he come back home in one piece.It’s not good to play against the odds like that. I normally enjoy the sunsets with Jim at my side: when he is out, I worry.

Hanging out together

We went out for a walk today, Mom, Dad, Zush, and Kasia.

The sky was the prettiest shade of blue and the clouds pretty neat. The weather was cool so we went for a nice two-mile walk on the beach. Jim went ahead with the girls and I kind of hung back: I kept flipping the phone to track how far we were walking and then to take some pretty beach shots.I was happy to meet a friend of Jim’s on the beach: her name was Fran.Evidently she would always be on that stretch of beach because she is from the area.She was there with her bulldog, Otis.

The sad part is we are going back up tonight.Here’s hoping the packing and last-minute chores can be relatively painless….lol.

Full Moon

I walked the girls tonight, as we have had a long day. I figured I would give Jim a break and take the girls out for their last walk of the day.

It was the kind of walk that as you walked, even with keeping eyes on the dogs, your mind kept reviewing the events of the day. I thought of my Mom, momentarily, and thanked God I can still remember the events of the day.

The weather has gotten September like, cool and crisp. I looked up and saw this wonderful picture in my eye. I knew the Designer’s masterpiece when I see it.

Hanging Out

Down at Undisclosed, we had a chance today to kick back with a few of our neighbors this afternoon at the Property Owners Association building.

They held a deck party for us today and we had over 50 folks show up.Jim and I are active in the property owners association and know a lot of the folks from working the pancake breakfast.We went with a few of our neighbors and friends for a dinner of either chicken or shrimp lo mein, and fresh pineapple and watermelon for dessert.

It is hard for us to leave, because going back to the city is really wearing on both of us and we would be happy to be down here now.We wrapped up the party and came back home.The girls got their last walk of the night, and now, well, we are hoping we are able to sleep so we can wind up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to head up to our work week.

Storms-a-comin’

Zush went swimming this afternoon.This followed a trip to our friend Max, and his Mom, Nora, and Dad Mario.It was a pleasant visit and the girls were good, so thanks to the humidity, we took them to the beach.Zush got in the water and cooled off and soothed her aching skin and sore joints. Kasia, Jim and I watched her from the beach…until we saw…

They are calling for thunder showers and boy did the sky show it. Being over by the water, it was truly reminiscent of “The Perfect Storm.”

Now we are all safe and sound in the house after a wonderful afternoon with friends and family.

Have a good weekend! Be safe!

End of the Summer Season

Yup, I know Fall doesn’t start until late September.

As I sit here and type this, I am looking out the window and looking at the late summer lawn and garden.Part of me is genuinely sad, as I am sitting in the room where both my parents passed away in 1998 and 2012.That thought and looking at the outside really makes me feel the passage of time.Part of me laments the fact that I used to go swimming in the summer with Zush, and the fact that we are both getting a little older, well, Zush goes in and I keep her company going up to my mid-calves.

I feel depressed.

The hope I have is for the future.

The hope to finish out my time here in the city and pray that the future is kind to us all.To actually live in a house with my husband that is ours and with our furniture and belongings and things that are ours is something that I am patiently waiting for. I hear Jim say about how is going to miss his job, and yet, I am leaving mine to move as is he, and this was the first time I heard him express that.Wow…something else to mull over in my mind,

I mull these things over in my head, and although I know I am more than ready to leave, I can only pray that we all survive the transition.

In the crispness of fall, hopefully, things will be comforting to us and we all will be alright.

Sigh

There is nothing like working a few hours extra in the day and coming home late.

I am not bragging,only lamenting the fact that my ridiculously early bedtime has to be pushed back a wee bit because I hadn’t eaten dinner yet.Truly, not a run-of-the-mill situation for me.It can never mimic how truly physical labor wears you out, but I am pretty beat.It makes me the appreciate the fact that this time next year this will hopefully**or not** be only a memory.I know that when my head hits the pillow tonight, it will be a great feeling.

Fortunately Jim stepped in and took care of the girls, but there was nothing but love for me coming through the door: nice to know they miss me.

Good to be tired, but even better to be home with my loves!

Here’s looking at you.

I have a few hours respite before I have to ointment up my eye to make sure no infection gets in it.

I took the patch off a little while ago, as it’s getting close to the time it was due to come off, but the humidity was making things just a little too much. It was really a culture shock, of sorts, to have the eye open up again. It was as if my left eye got a little stronger because it had to operate solo.Now the two are working together again, although I have to admit it still feels a little weird.

The next twist will be how this antibiotic ointment will be with my vision. They claim that the ointment will hinder the field of vision: I figure even if it does, I’ll still have one good eye going, so I should be ok.

Jeez, I’ll tell you one thing. I’ll be glad when this is all over.Jim has been a sweetie helping me out, and even the fur girls have been kind of good for me.

I just want it to be done.It makes you appreciate good health.

Sound of one eye clapping

It’s over.

It’s benign.

Now I am into hour 8 of 72 hours with a patch over my right eye.It has been an interesting time so far. It’s starting to get itching under the patch.I have learned that auto-correct is not all it’s cracked up to be.The words aren’t “dirty”, but they aren’t what I have wanted to write either.

The good part is Jim is, as I know, a great guy. He went and got up Italian wedding soup for dinner and it has hit the spot.I am listening to my body and napping when the spirit moves me or my good eye tires out.I managed to slowly get the girls out, but they are getting the idea that Mom is not up to stuff.

We’ll see how the rest of the weekend fares.

Stay tuned.

Happening in 3’s…

Yesterday, the news had the fact that Robin Williams had committed suicide at home in Northern California.Tonight, news broke that Lauren Bacall had passed away.

I was brought up with the old school.Things happen in threes. It was funny because when I read to Jim that Lauren Bacall had passed away, I thought it, but Jim said that number three is around the corner.

It’s amazing to stop for a moment and reflect about things like that. It was a different day when we were brought up.Do the kids today actually think or even know about stuff like that?I seriously doubt that, unless they have to research something like that for a paper for school, there is no way that they would come up with the old wisdom or sayings.

I guess we are just part of the old school that is dying off.

Compostman strikes again

If you remember in a previous post, the former Shingleman, Jim, now known as Compostman, has gotten into organic gardening. I, for one, am shocked at the degree that plants are coming up in the grow station where he planted them. Perhaps it is the compost,I don’t know. We have tomato plants, pepper plants, peas, beans, kale and other things planted there.

Today Compostman resurfaced, and decided to make a raised flower bed.This was due to the fact that we got another round of seeds.He decided to used materials left over by the builders when they were done here at Undisclosed. He worked for a few hours, amidst the mosquitoes, humidity and sun, and did exactly what he set out to do. We went out and got more soil so we could finish it off properly, and he planted carrots, cucumbers and winter squash.

I admire my Compostman. He has embraced the idea and to see things actually growing is quite rewarding.He’s a good guy.

Below is a shot of our new garden bed!

Blog #1,000

“I was twenty-one years when I wrote this song.
I’m twenty-two now but I won’t be for long
Time hurries on.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown….”

Paul Simon wrote these lyrics for a Simon and Garfunkel hit circa 1966 called ” Leaves that are Green”.I thought this was an appropriate start for the blog numbered 1,000.

I started this blog in 2011, when I was 51 years old. I was sharing care-giving duties for my Mom with Dementia with my brother.I was married for 9 years back then. I had crappy knees and was waiting to get knee replacements.And yes, I was thinner,

So on the occasion of this blog #1000, so much has changed.

Mom is gone, I am happily married, next month, for 12 years. I have new knees and a belly because emotion still gets the best of me.I am working on that, though, and trying to get things together.

Jim and I have a new home and we’ll be occupying full-time in a few months.I, knock wood, am on the road to retirement.My girls are still with me: Zush is 12 and Kasia is 5. Jim and I are trying to set up housekeeping and farming down here at Undisclosed.The emotions are mixed at folding up our tent and leaving the big city, but more times than not, we are more than ready to leave it behind.

This blog has been therapy for me to vent and also to keep the memories of what has happened, be it good, bad or indifferent. It also has been a way for me to share my stories and experiences with you, dear reader.Thanks for reading and being here for me. I appreciate the fact that you check in with me and the family. For that you have my thanks and a giant hug.

Thanks!

And to quote the tag line from the Beverly Hillbillies…”You all come back now, hear?”

Stick a fork in them…

Yes, the sound you heard at the beginning of the baseball season was yours truly falling off of the Philadelphia Phillie bandwagon.

I was on board since 1973,kept fingers crossed whenever they got close, and rejoiced when they won the world series in 1980 and 2008.Even I learned how who is being traded, what teams are in the cellar,watched the local station for the sports round-up.

But not this year.

Don’t get me wrong: the game is on in our house.Jim is watching it, not me.When we go out to our watering hole at Undisclosed, the game is on there, and I admit, I do glance up on occasion, but not like I used to.

The games are no longer fun, The motivation and movement of the players, well, some American Legion teams play better than what the Phillies have put on the field this season.It’s as though I am watching a team that doesn’t even care.They can phone the games in more times than not.

I am ready for football.

Sorry Phillies. Better luck next year.

Hiking the area

Jim and I took the girls to a hiking spot in the area today.

Ponderlodge, as it was called back in the day, was a golf course and conference center.It was located over a few acres in the area, and when business went bad, it went on the market.Evidently no offer met the sellers’ level, so the state stepped in and turned it into the Cox Hall Creek nature area.

There are three looping trails around Cox Hall creek,and the shadow of where the conference center was. In most of the area, as signs throughout the grounds state, nature was allowed to take its’ course.New pine trees, new cherry trees, new cedar trees-all trees local to the area are growing tall, along with brush for the various animals that now call it home.

It’s a great area for exercise and I am so glad we found it!

Keeping moving

Between physical therapy and my flip fitness class and getting to and from work, plus walking the girls, I try to keep moving.

Jim added a wee bit to that today.

He cleared out the cottage that we lived in every weekend for five months and actually set up my recumbent bicycle for me. I have been warming up in therapy on it for ten minutes before going on to my exercises so I actually used mine today.In therapy it is on slight tension, and I replicated it here, so hopefully I won’t be too sore tomorrow.

It feels good to have done the ten minutes today, and just as a thumb to nose gesture to myself,I did an extra thirty seconds, well, just because. Hopefully this is a step in reclaiming a home life that isn’t quite so depressing, a home life that will put us back in lockstep with the life we had at our old house that was pretty damn good.

**fingers crossed**

The Pause that refreshes…lol

…and I am not talking about Coca-cola or Pepsi.

I am taking about a night out with Jim at our local watering hall, down here at Undisclosed. It was complete with some dinner and music.

I was feeling a little low, and it was magic. A good group called Twelve String, some vodka and cranberry cocktails with dinner, and I felt far better than I had all week.There is something about good music that is of your time frame, where you can sit with everyone else and join in on the songs.No stress,no pressure, just fun.

Just what the doctor ordered!

Malaise

A beautiful night we have tonight, and I took the girls out.

I am back sitting in my parent’s home.I am typing in the room where both of them left this world in. Granted, my mom had passed away in January, but this time of year always takes me to my Dads’ passing in August of the year. So many memories swirl in my head, and they are mine alone, since I was here when Dad passed. Jim and I weren’t married then.

I’d like to think Dad would be happy about the move to Undisclosed, especially since the former Navy man loved the water.You think back about so many things and how you wish they physically were there with you. Yes, I know, they are both here in spirit, but, how wonderful it would have been to see their reaction to things.

Then I stop and think of my Mom and thank God that I still have the memories, because, Mom didn’t.I try to savor every day and everything, and hopefully, I have the memory of happy times for a long, long time in the future.

Until then,it’ll be a daily struggle to cut through the fog of malaise. Clear skies can’t come soon enough.

Crash and Burn…the saga continues.

I gave two pints of blood yesterday during the blood drive at the office.

We had gone out to dinner and Jim had ordered himself pizza.

Not me…

There was a filet of sirloin on the menu and my dragging butt, looking for some iron to replace some red blood cells, jumped on it.So here I am, 5 hours later, just awake after a nap where I was sated in red meat.

Fortunately, I have some clothes that I had the foresight to put in the washer before I fell asleep. Now I just have to finish while they are in the drier,so tomorrow, there will be another day, another full schedule. but I will have a little wiggle room.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Road Show

For giving the gift of life, that is, giving blood, my employer offers 4 hours free time in appreciation.

Translation: it’s Friday, I’m in the office to give blood, and leave at 12:30, without losing comp or vacation time.It’s what I have to do to keep my streak of Friday time going, and if I have to give blood, well, so be it.

Hope you have a good weekend. Jim is left packing up the pups and car since I am in the office and once he comes in town to pick me up?

Let the roadshow commence!

Heatwave

There’s due to be a three-day over 90 degree heat wave here at Undisclosed.

I shudder to think what’s due for the big city.

I have been breaking in the washer and dryer down here and making sure my lighter stuff has made the pile of things that have to make its way back up to town.It goes without saying I’d prefer to be down here, but alas, bills still have to get paid.

Wrapping up the weekend with a plan for light meals in my head and hopefully, we’ll be spared, somewhat, on the weather front. I know Zush is with me saying that we were probably only the two people who miss the snow. Kasia is easy either way, and Jim, the former bagel baker, well…I think that heat is actually starting to catch up with him, not that he’d admit it.

Stay cool, folks!

Kicking it back

Jim is out on his bike taking in the crowds down here that are waiting for the fireworks that will start in about one and a half hours.

The girls and I are here, resting after a good hike this afternoon in an old golf course that the state has turned back to an Environmental area,that is,they are letting it turn back into a forest! There were new pine trees everywhere, and we saw a bunny but the Kasia girl was sniffing up a storm so the other animals are definitely there.

We had a nice visit with my friend, Duch, her daughter Joanne and her granddaughter, Rachel. Duch had never gotten a chance to see Undisclosed Deux completed and it was a joy to see my buddy and her family. It was even nicer to realize that once I leave work, Duch and I will only be a stone’s throw apart!

In all, a good day, and you can’t get better than that!

Sleepy Thursday

The girls and I just don’t want to get going today, but, because the 4th of July is a Friday, well…we must!Even the news said about it being the busiest travel day of the year!

Jim is working through the morning, so we are going to pack things up for a precious three-day weekend.I’ll be hanging with the girls Saturday night, because weather/Hurricane Arthur caused tonight’s fireworks to be moved to Saturday night.As much as I’d like to see them, well, I like the girls to be at ease too!

Here’s hoping you enjoy the holiday and have fun, but please,dear reader, be safe!

Bouncing Along

For those of you following the perils of Pauline, er, my blog, you know all about falling on my hip.

If you loved the story once, you’ll love it twice. Yes, I did it again.

Jim went out to unwind a little bit down at Undisclosed, and I was trying to get things together so I didn’t have to pack up from undisclosed right before we had to leave to come back up to the city. I have double doors on my laundry.The right door wasn’t closed all the way and as I turned away to walk with the clothes, my left foot caught the door, and bam! Doesn’t my right foot catch the door and I go down on my right hip yet again? I looked at the girls who ran over to look over their Mom on the floor and said to them, yup, Momma is on the floor yet again.

I was tired of this the FIRST time I fell. You can imagine that, as my hip throbs and I make sure my trusty bottle of Aleve is at my side, that the second really sucks.

Getting older is definitely NOT for sissies.

Busy Weekend

We have company this weekend.

Jim’s sister and brother-in-law are coming down to stay with us.She is due to have surgery soon, so we figured we’d clear the decks to give her the chance to come down and relax before going through the wringer.

Tomorrow we have the pancake breakfast that we volunteer for, so that makes for a long morning and we will be happy to kick back with them once we are done.

It is my parent’s 72nd anniversary, albeit in heaven, today.

Busy weekend!

Enjoy yours!

counting with the “Wild Woman”

So this is day four into my home attempt at using a gel polish on my nails from home.The polish was Revlon’s Dealer’s choice, and I only picked the color after seeing all the oceanic summer colors that are out there.I wanted to see how long I’d be using just the polish, with no extra bells and whistles.

I find it highly ironic that I had commented to Jim that, upon seeing someone with blue toe nail polish in a CVS,saying “what’s wrong with her nails?”, and then realizing there was polish that color. I have to hand it to my mother-in-law, who, for the 15 years I’ve known her, was never one to shy away from an unusual color.

We have a funeral at the end of the week and it’ll be a test if the color stays good, then maybe, just maybe this might be the road to go.

How old am I?

I am sitting with Jim and we are watching a rerun of the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I am suppressing the urge to pull my grey hair out. Peter Gabriel is being introduced by, I think, Chris Martin from Coldplay**not that I would know who the hell Coldplay is**.

Genesis.
Peter Gabriel
Phil Collins
….seen by me in my 20’s. I’m 54 now. Thirty years later.I never followed current music once I passed, maybe 35, watching this show is bringing me down memory lane to a simpler time in my life. I laugh because I remember going to see Genesis and my mother asking me who it was.I guess I have come full circle in music appreciation. It is truly a blessing to be able to look back be able to smile at good memories.

Iron Chef Mar

We’re having friends of ours over for dinner tonight. It was my idea, ever before the hip got lousy. So when I was wondering what to cook, I talked to my friend Kat in work.

Kat constantly cooks for her family and extended family.How she does it I’ll never know. I told her that I needed a pretty good recipe and that the amount of time on my feet would have to be minimal.Son of a gun, she gives me this recipe for ” Aunt Suzie’s chicken”. Sure hope it’s good.

The desserts were made last night and are chilling in the refrigerator.I have started a slow cook on parts of the dinner, and will put the entrée in the oven pretty soon.Jim was instrumental in getting the house ready.He’s out with the girls now, so we all can be ready for our company.

I don’t see myself as an Iron Chef anytime soon, but I am hoping the meal and the company will be memorable.By the way, the only picture I had handy was Jeff Mauro from the Food Network.

Don’t want to but I have to…

It seems that five minutes ago it was Friday.

It is Monday late afternoon-early evening.

I am home.

I have to go back to the city.I have bills to pay.**sigh**

The pace here is so peaceful,and so relaxing that I actually managed to get a nap in today, which is really saying something for me. Jim is off to ride his bike and then we slowly will get things together to head on back up.The weather has been gorgeous.

Retirement can’t be soon enough.

Needing a nap

It’s hell being a social butterfly.

That is, when you are used to doing your own thing, on your own time or your employer’s time, and, quite frankly, life is routine.

For two weekends we had Jim’s surprise party, Mother’s day, time with my mother-in-law at the casino,a breast cancer walk, Gregory’s college graduation from Temple and Matt and Kat’s wedding to wrap it up with. Oh yeah, top that off with a chaser of food shopping and three loads of laundry yesterday.

Friday we are back to Undisclosed. We wonder if it misses us, because we sure missed it.It’ll be nice, as great as all these life events are, to get back to schedule.

Weekend off

Thanks to the fine quality of service Comcast delivers, I couldn’t blog yesterday due to
“Circumstances beyond our control”…

Argh!

Jim’s surprise party went off without a hitch on Saturday and I think it was safe to say a good time was had by all.The food was fabulous, and I had gotten the party trays from Jim’s employer, T&F deli. The trays were really impressive.

Sunday morning I did a breast cancer walk and got a sunburnt nose to boot. You would think I would ALWAYS remember sunscreen after the last go round at the dermatologist!In the afternoon, we went with Jim’s sister Kathy and my mother-in-law to Harrah’s casino in Chester.It was cool to hang together-we don’t get a chance to do that enough.

Now, this week, I have my godson Greg’s college graduation on Wednesday night and my nephew Matthias’ wedding. I am looking forward to both events, as both of them have grown into such men and I am so proud of both of them.

But I’m not going to lie.

I want to go “home”…I am so looking forward to getting back down to Undisclosed Deux.

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend.

I miss my Mom.I miss her every day and this part of the year only accents the sadness of missing her.

My comfort is that I know she is in heaven.

I am celebrating this weekend with Jim,as my mother-in-law is 95 and we need to celebrate her.We are going to her house on Saturday so all the daughters who are grandmothers can spend Sunday with their kids. Jim’s sister, Kathy will join us on Sunday and we’ll take my mother-in-law to the casino.

I will be praying and remembering my Mom and Babcis this weekend, stopping at the cemetery.

To all of those celebrating, have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend.

Below is one of the last pictures I took of my Mom in 2011, while she was resting in her hospital bed.

And with a pause in the action…

Took advantage of our company and kept busy throwing a small birthday party for Jim and our brother-in-law on Sunday with our family at Undisclosed Deux.

Today, however, is the actual day.
My husband turns 60 today.
It’s surreal.

You are dating in your twenties and thirty seems old, and so on. You get married in your forties and, wait a second, you’re married long enough that your spouse is starting another decade.Well, it’s a good thing, as a birthday always is,and happily for me, we have been together for so long that I appreciate the fact that he has gotten there before me.Without his wisdom, I would have fallen by the wayside many times.Together we are a pretty well oiled machine and Jim is definitely the brains and brawn behind this machine of this marriage.We’ve had tons of ups and downs as I am sure, all married couples have, but we are in it for the long haul.

Happiest of birthdays, Jim.
Sto Lat!Kocham cię.

Rainy days and Wednesdays…

What’s that old chestnut?
“Be careful of what you wish for, for you shall surely get it.”

It’s raining.
correction…
It’s raining buckets.

I think the lawn at Undisclosed Deux will be sufficiently wet, so no mid-week road trip will be needed.On the flip side, I think we do have gas for the lawn mower and Jim will be busy!

We have one more day of getting through up here, then company for the weekend which should be big time fun-I, for one, am truly looking forward to it, as is Jim.

All I can think of is this is my last April on the job! YAY!

Not a creature was stirring..

I am sitting alone at our breakfast bar.

Jim is asleep on the sofa in front of the Phillies game,the girls are sprawled out on the floor and I am waiting for some wash to finish.

We have grass coming in, although right now it resembles a kind of peach fuzz.Thankfully it is raining right now:Jim was happy as he said it takes up a lot of time to water.I think the long stretch of the week mentally has caught up with us because we would probably be, dogs notwithstanding, cast for the cast of the Walking Dead- we would be pretty good zombies.

Hopefully, we’ll be snapping out of this.Between the juicing and moving around more, we’ll get there-I have faith.

My own combo

So Jim, aka Mr.Juice, wasn’t interested in one this morning,so I made mine last night.

This morning, I am enjoying the combo of kale, spinach,celery, strawberry, mango and blueberry, made with the press of my own little finger…lol. I can actually say I am enjoying it. Jim tends to be a little heavier on the greens than I am but I figure in order for me to drink it, well, it better be palatable.I think Jim gets a little annoyed, although he has been know to chuckle, when some of the juices he gives me make me turn toward him after first sip, and pronounce-needs vodka!

My other go to is Stoneyfield’s organic fat-free chocolate yogurt.I put it in my freezer and as it defrosted, I eat it.Not a Hershey bar, but it does scratch the itch.

A Juicing we will go

Jim made us juices for dinner last night and there was enough left over that it is my breakfast this morning.

I also have fresh fruit with me and a banana and spring water.

Short of probably having to put my desk on rollers to the ladies room, it’ll prove to be interesting to see if this will add to keeping my legs on the smaller side.

They say it takes a scare to get you back on the right track. Sausage legs were indeed scary.

I’m back!

Changing of the guard….

Undisclosed Deux has just lost its peep-show status.

Our windows are now covered by Roman blinds, and we are so happy with them.The colors we chose work well with the house, so we are happy with that.It’s incredible how far we have come from the old house. I joking said to Jim this morning that we need to go out and look at house colors and roof colors…it doesn’t seem that long ago that we were doing that.

Time marches on!**Thank God!**

An Iphone Hiccup

I love my iPhone.
Really.

I think it was overtaken by Gremlins.

Now, all of a sudden, my i messaging between Jim and myself doesn’t work? I’ve been on one form or another of an iPhone for 4-5 years.It’s been a smooth marriage until now. I am on hold with Verizon and probably will retire by the time the representatives pick up.

Undisclosed II is probably the best spot for Verizon wireless, although I would happily move to Sprint and unlimited data in a hot minute.I hear the actual phone connections with Sprint at undisclosed sucks.

Why am I suddenly longing for two empty orange juice cans and a long piece of string?

**sigh**

Tuesday malaise

Everyone managed to get through last weekend with out me.

My furniture was delivered and lawn was worked on and, sad to say, I wasn’t there to see it. I
intend to make up for it this weekend because Jim and I both have friday off.It is quite a
dreary Tuesday and we are glad, as the new lawn certainly needs the rain. It would be nice to see
some ground cover when we make it down.

I have two new ferns, along with the hydrangea that I get to plant this weekend. I am itching to
start my brand new garden.The kitchen is calling me and I am ready to do some “relaxed” cooking.

Is it Thursday yet?

The golden years

HAH.

Oh yes, I know, if you take care of your body they will be golden.

There are certain things that are just things that sneak into there, that is. arthritis. I am sure in this age of technology that all the computer work doesn’t help it any, and then, when you want to retreat into a hobby, your hands are numb.

I have decided to make it my mission to go into natural pain reducers,and see if they might help turn the tide.Jim also gets on me for being glues to my Iphone so maybe a little
less time on there might quiet things down too.

I am looking forward to my Flip Fitness class tonight, as a good stretch in there gets things right.

Make it a good day for you!

Too Old for Late Nights

In my mid-50’s, I find it frustrating that I really miss my straight eight hours of sleep.

I know as you get older, they claim you need less sleep. Last night we got in and were in bed by eleven o’clock.The problem there is Jim is wired up worried about taxes getting done this week, and other things, so he came down to bed at 3a.m., which was the end of my sleep.I can drink coffee until the cows come home but cutting me off at the knees at three a.m.,well, I just killed a can of V8 because I am too apprehensive to do red bull**vision of heart palpitations **

Let’s face it:I need to master my sleeping hours a little better.

Penny Party Rain

It’s a rainy weekend here but it sure beats a rainy one back in the city.

My neighbor, Rita, is an officer in a senior citizen group here, and she told me and invited me to their” penny party” today that is being held in a local fire hall. Another friend of mine is going with me, so I am looking forward to an afternoon out with friends,

The rain is creating craters and lakes in the soon to be lawn that Jim has been trying to even out the past few weeks, so it’s off to Home Depot for add ons to the down spout gutters.

Stay dry!

Nobody here but us chickens

The office is running on 1/2 capacity today, as those who aren’t here quite as long as I am, along with the new hires, are out on training leave. I have to admit I do miss it, as the brotherhood of we who taxpayers hate**joking** is a large one, and when we would get together, boy, did we have stories to tell.

Instead I am here working until five and then running home so I can get out to my flip fitness class that I missed for the past two weeks.I think my body has gone through revolting, waiting for me to get it back there.It’ll be good to be back with my buddies, having a laugh and sweating in the process.
The local library is also having a program on tonight about juicing,I think, and organic farming. Jim and I will try to meet there when I am done and see if we could catch it.

Time for playing is long over;time to resume kicking butt is back!

Let it snow….

..again?

It was supposed to be a really bad storm, so much that Jim’s boss gave him off this morning because the bakeries weren’t going to make rolls due to weather. No rolls=no sandwiches=no deli=Jim off.

I had given up a day off and so we watched and waited…and waited…and the snow came to undisclosed around 5 am.I am sitting here at the kitchen counter, looking out the windows watching blowing snow here, while reading on Facebook the disappointment/relief of friends in the city who are looking at minimal snow.

Hopefully, but I know Jim, we are getting back to the city tonight because he thrives on extreme weather.

Stay tuned.

Beautiful Sunrise

As I sit here at the laptop and look at the window, the sun reflects off the fence and is absolutely radiant.

Fortunately I am inside: it is bitter cold outside, and Jim is on his way to work.It’s 9 degrees out,with an alleged high of 23 here in the city today.Undisclosed Deux is leading the pack with a blistering 14 degrees and an alleged 28 degree high.

I am lovingly waiting for a break in the weather where the girls and I can walk a little further and we all can get out in the fresh air.As Jim just mentioned when he left, he hopes the car starts in this cold.The few birds out are singing: how they are managing to do that is God’s wonder.

Someone remind me of this post when we have 25 days of 90 degree plus weather, ok?

Hello my old friend.

The weather has brought an old buddy back into my life: sinusitis.

The pressure in my head is overwhelming, so between last night’s sporadic( at best) sleep and the 25 pounds in my forehead, I am going to make this brief and then off to bed.

Jim and I went over to see his Mom tonight, something we should be doing more often as she’s 95 years old. We enjoyed her company and also hanging with his sister Kathy.

Now we are back, and off to bed!

Good night!

Free day depression

Talk about getting a free pass.

My employer has given everyone the day off due to weather.

**sigh**

In the meanwhile I am worrying about Jim making it out to work in the snow and sleet, have been channeling Saint Anthony for something important I seem to hopefully misplaced**God forbid,fear lost** and am just feeling pretty bad.

We are still waiting for the certificate of occupancy for Undisclosed Deux;the stress is still hanging over the two of us like a guillotine.I am looking out at the Blessed Mother statue in my Mom’s yard and the snow is up to her hands.**sigh**

If I didn’t have the fur girls, you can rest assured I would be back in bed…

Curling

God bless curling.

You see my Jim watches CNBC.It is his only channel of choice. So now, the Olympics are on, and guess what-no stock market! It’s a pleasure to see him enjoy the women’s curling especially.His mind is under so many things right now that hopefully this will provide a little respite for him.

Me? I go in and watch it, and come back out to the kitchen.I have always been a ski jump person, and of course, ice skating and dancing.

This is pretty good timing, as we are so shot that anything to get our mind off of things is awesome.

Any one left liking snow?

My Kasia is the only one I know, right now that is still in love with snow.

Every time we get out and there is fresh snow**which seems to be quite frequent of late**, she runs around and goes crazy and then makes doggie snow angels in the snow. Jim and I can only laugh, because it really is as if she is having the time of her life.

My Zosia, on the other hand, shows that she is a seasoned veteran of snow. Her forte’ is fresh white snow to eat for as long as she wishes.I guess it’s her equivalent of vodka on the rocks. To us in seems always incredible, in that Zush turns almost puppy like in the snow.

I come home from work, my body tense from fear of falling and hurting my knees,tight from walking on what crunchy snow there is, and just waiting to hit the front door.

My snow bunnies greet me.
It rocks!

Dysfunctional Weather

I wish, sometimes, weather would stay somewhat consistent for a bit.

We came down last week, and even, on this past Friday, the bay really resembled a polar icecap. You literally could see the chunks of ice floating in the bay. I should say, that’s’ if they floated: it was so cold that it looked more like a white boulder field at times.

When the girls and I went out this morning, we knew it snowed down here during the week and they both loved it.I enjoy to see how much Zush still thinks she is a young Eskimo sled dog in the snow, and Kasia has decided that doggie snow angels are her strong suit.

The story changed by mid-day, when the weather warmed up it time for us to start emptying the storage locker. Snow gave way to mud puddles, and there were a ton of them. Jim and I were carrying boxes and trying not to give anything a mud bath in the process.

We had gone out for dinner with our friend and sitting now, Jim had come back in with the girls and was soaking wet from rain.

Did I mention they were calling for snow here on Tuesday?

**sigh**

Happy Groundhogs’ Day!

Share and share alike

My husband’s phone was a disgrace.

He inherited my old iPhone 4,which was slightly worn when I gave it to him and I went to the iPhone 4s.In the meanwhile, in the midst of building Undisclosed Deux, he managed to give it a few good drops that ended up cracking the glass.

I mean, I worked him off of a flip phone, and the phone he turned into splinters, so what I did was get me an iPhone 5c and give him my 4s, because he is more comfortable with that format.Never mind that trying to transfer things, well…we won’t get into it tonight. Suffice it to say, we both have new phones.

Two Years

My Mom left me two years ago today.
There is not a day that goes by that I don’t miss her and/or think of her. Perhaps it’s because my Brother Bob and I took care of her for close to five years after she slipped into dementia.

There is so much I know she experiences from a higher vantage point: her children, her Philadelphia grandsons,her sister, her family,her church.I am sad because she never got down here with Jim and me,but am taking some comfort she’s up there,watching with my Dad.

My parents always said that we’d miss them when they left us.The only thing? They didn’t tell me how badly I’d miss them.

R.I.P. Mom.

Miss you guys every day.

Missing a lot

Being out of a home you lived in for eleven years and “squatting” for six+ months has been a rough gig.Sure,it’s great to have a roof over our heads.I am tired, though.

I admit I miss a second television.I have turned to this computer for entertainment for the mere sake of staying married.I really miss a full kitchen.I made broiled pork chops tonight in a toaster oven-not an easy feat and they managed to turn out good.I miss a good “stay in for 30 minutes” shower.

Jim reminds me that this will be over soon enough.

**sigh**

New House Syndrome

Of late, I have been telling anyone who asks me about the Undisclosed Location II and its’ construction that if they ever are thinking of building a new home, talk to me and I will talk them out of it.

Of course, I won’t, but the road has been a long one.

Jim is meeting with the builder now in the house and I am out in the cottage.The two of us reviewed what has to be brought to his attention: I am of the mindset that if the builder was on top of things, he shouldn’t need to have it brought to his attention.Jim agrees with that, but he has more finesse with the builder than I do.

One of the things that really is a hoot is we spent a couple of hours each day looking for new furniture and found stuff we liked,only to realize when we got back that it wouldn’t FIT into the new house.**sigh** So we have to go back this weekend and tweak our choices again.

Jim says we’ll look back at this and say we got through it one step at a time.

I, for one, will just be glad when it is finished.

Weather or not

It’s been a hell of a week weather wise.

I remember worrying g about the cold this time last week when we were headed down to Undisclosed Deux, but somehow we all fared well.Monday and Tuesday were no picnic either, with the office buildings in town turning streets into wind tunnels.

It is allegedly an icy mix now, rain and ice mixed.Tomorrow it is supposed to be sixty and raining.They always say Mother Nature is upset by what we do down here.I am starting to believe it.We’ll go back down today, but I’ll have to make sure to have plenty of towels to dry the girls up and plenty of dry clothes for Jim and myself.

January…it sure keeps me on my toes.

Ouch

We had a few bumpy days.

When the ice was dominant, we both had slips and falls that we are both feeling.The only way that we’d feel better is staying in a hot show for an hour or two.We keep trodding along, though,talking about our newest angst that the builder has stirred up for us.

I will be glad when things are over and we get settled in our new digs.We can only do so much here and it’s time that we actually had a real kitchen again.I am sure the dogs wouldn’t mind running in a year behind a fence to play.Jim and I wouldn’t mind relaxing on our deck. I can hardly wait.

**Hanging by the end of my fingers**

Pretty darn cold

..but to anyone in the mid-Atlantic states, New England and possibly the midwest, this is no shock. You, my friend, like me, are in the middle of it.

Waking up at 7am today had the temperature at ten, count them, TEN degrees.Fortunately it’s due to get up to the low thirties: I never thought I’d see the day where that constituted a heat wave. Jim is smart: he is in Undisclosed Location Deux, where the heat is actually installed, but it is his reward for going outside. Me? I am in here while the fur girls are curled up in their beds.

Hope you are around some hot coffee or cocoa this morning: stay warm.

No year like a new year.

I hope all of you had a safe and happy New Year’s Eve.I won’t go as far as the priest we had for Mass this morning who said something about anyone who needed ice packs…I think he was revealing too much of his age!

Jim had the girls out for a good walk this morning and is up playing his guitar.The girls are curled up peacefully sleeping and I have a pot of home-made applesauce on the stove. Our dinner today will be the traditional pork,sauerkraut,potatoes and applesauce.We need all the luck we can generate with our move this year.

Here’s to 2014-hope it’s a good one for us all.

Some people…..

just get on your last nerve. You tolerate them because they are part of the family.You know the kind of guy who just knows everything about everything and will let you know it.It is always the loudest voice in the room.

Yesterday he crossed the line with my Zush. Zush is getting older,sweet as can be, and this goober says to her,in front of me and Jim, “get lost-go play in the traffic.”I firmly told him that he is never to say that to my old girl again, and of course, ” I was just joking” was the reply.

It’ll be a cold day in hell before any invitations to Undisclosed get floated their way.

Party Pooper

That’s me…

We were invited out for Christmas eve. Jim and I both went. but he brought me home because I am beat.It’s really hard to throw yourself into a party and whoop it up, because of the month I just went through. People were drinking and singing along to You tube, but I was there in body but not in spirit.

Jim went back after dropping me at home, and with my blessing, as he truly needs to unwind.

Me? I’ll shower and go to be because that’s what works for me.

Good night!

Gotta be a holiday…

because I am up,congested to the top of my head, and Jim is sleeping.

Is there anything else worse than having your breathing impaired?Nothing in all my years with crappy sinuses have made me so physically uncomfortable. I don’t even want to think of how asthma and other sufferers of serious breathing diseases handle this on a daily basis, and with the thought of them, I know that I really can’t complain about being stopped up. Perhaps it is the 4:10am aspect of it-I am one who loves my sleep and know by being up now, it’s going to be a really long day.

In the old days, I’d be with all my family, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins as we would join together to celebrate the Polish Christmas eve custom of Wigilia, the Christmas Eve supper.Most of the family who were there now celebrate it in heaven:there are not too many of us left.The younger generation who have since come of age are spread throughout the country.So in my heart tonight I know I will go back and fondly remember how good it was back then and say a little prayer for those of my family partying in heaven.

Here’s hoping your Christmas eve fills your heart with happy memories and you have room to create even more!

Merry Christmas!

Rain, rain..

There is nothing like a weather front going through, especially when you have lousy sinuses.

Take that fact, multiply it that I stayed up late to watch the Eagles spank the Bears in their football game.

We got up early today, our bodies sore from putting things in the crawl space,Jim is taking the girls out for their walk and maybe, just maybe, despite the rain, we may not have to rush today.I have to admit,it might be nice: I wouldn’t know how to behave…lol.

Hope your week is good and your Christmas is spectacular.

A recap..

The birthday weekend was good!

Outside of Jim having to talk to our builder, we were laid back, had a lot of fun,hS few beers….life is good.

I tried to blog from Undisclosed, but Word Press has upped their sign on for security…

HUH?

You mean I have to write the number down? ….

After a day and a half of trying to backtrack,…

I’m ba-a-a-a-ack!

Birthday Weekend

Sunday I, God willing, turn 54.

I am at the age where I enjoy a birthday weekend. I mean who wants to have a birthday in the office? I love my office but hey, I’d sooner sleep in, have breakfast out…you know what I mean? I am going to an open house on Saturday night with Jim.

I’ll try to check in over the weekend, to let you how I am doing this weekend: here’s hoping you have a good weekend too!

Marathon

Every have a weekend where you know work will be quieter than your weekend?

This is that weekend.

We are going down the house to drop things over for workmen so they can install them while they are working.The weather is due to sour on Saturday, which is why we are coming up for Jim’s Christmas party from work Saturday night.Sunday finds us off to Lancaster.

**Whew**

Is it Monday yet?

Thursday..is it Friday yet?

As I sit here I can only laugh because I ended up taking tomorrow off.

I am tired of the stuff going on here and figure the time is better spent at home with Jim and the girls. We probably will go down to Undisclosed and give some stuff to the workmen so they can install it.Next to hanging out here, well,let’s just say that hanging out with Jim and the fur girls is always a treat.My age and waning intolerance for bull is making tomorrow off the thing to do.

Yay for old age! LOL

Gorgeous Morning…

..if you are an Eskimo.LOL

I am home today, as we are burying Sue so I am trying to store my warmth up for a little.
Jim was good enough to take the girls out this morning, so I could take my medicine and have some breakfast.

It really is pretty out, with the snowy trees glistening in the sun light. I am sure that as much as I appreciate winter, I’ll be happy to get back inside.

Stay warm!

Don’t believe everything you hear…

…regarding weather from our local news radio station.

Jim, the girls and I were bumper to bumper in yesterday’s storm, long enough to hear all of the Eagles game. When we had switched briefly to news radio, they said take one bridge home, and not the other.

HAH!

So we sat and we sat until Jim said,”This is ridiculous”, and managed to cross over to get to the lanes of the other bridge. From there, we got home in 30 minutes.Otherwise, if he never moved, we’d probably still be there.

News radio? Why do you lie?

Dreary…

It’s a rainy Friday and my bones are feeling it.

Arthritis is a really crappy thing. It cripples a lot of folks, and fortunately I am not one of their number yet.Yet it is really hard for me to complain knowing the pain I have seen this week.What I go through is nothing next to people who are so far gone that they are terminal.
Their bravery and emotion is astounding.

It’s enough to make me stop complaining and be thankful for the fact that I am up this morning, Jim is up, the girls are up and we have two feet and/or four paws on the ground.It goes without saying that I am feeling blessed to be here this morning, and know I can still sit on my own to type this when others are in bed, just waiting.

If you are of the praying mind, or even just the good thought mind, please think of Sue this weekend.She’d appreciate it as would I.

Thanks.

Long Night

We came up at midnight because, well,because Jim wanted to be home to watch the Eagles play today from the comfort of a room bigger by 10′ by 12′, where there is only a radio.

The fact is we did what we had to do, and although 2 electrical outlets were made functional yesterday,we get tired of listening to the generator, and we are sure our neighbors are too.It feels too odd to be up here on a Sunday, but I am hoping to just kick back and relax..that is, after I get my wash off the line.

Have a good week.

Go Eagles!

Tra-la-la-la -pbbbbt!**a gas and electric customer’s lament…

Our Undisclosed location got torn down in July.
JULY.

The Atlantic City Electric people NEVER came out with a utility pole so the workers could get stuff done: they had to resort to generators.

Now we are shoveling that under the rug because we are waiting and waiting for the electric service to get installed.Did I mention there is a Nor’Easter due today and tomorrow? And as far as the gas men go, well, we have a ton of flags on the site: if that means they’ve been there, sweet: if not, it’ll be time to play the waiting game yet again.

As Jim told the people at AC Electric…you’re making PECO look good.

Yes, We have no bananas…

We haven’t been feeling well.

Our pantry shows it.

It is funny how you manage to find things that you have purchased not
that long ago, and figure, ok, it’s for a rainy day.

Uh, surprise! That rainy day is here.

It is a question of what we can eat, because the G.I. bug has stuck us
hard.Fortunately we had staples in the house, helped by my last day out,
when I bought ginger ale and saltines.We tried Chinese(bland) last night,
and it worked for me, but not so much Jim.

I’ll be glad when we are better!

Le pauvre travailleur sans son téléphone portable

or, as I would say it: the poor worker without her cell phone.

Jim came down with too much raking,too damp weather, and as a man with a soon
to be 95-year-old Mom would call it….”grippe.”

You should take something, I say knowing downright what the answer will be.
However, even though I thought he should stay home today, he went to work.
As I came into work, I scoured all available sources for Lipton chicken
noodle in a red box-no such luck.

Stay tuned tomorrow and let’s hope Shingles don’t make a reappearance,

football

Well, it seems one excellent game makes my Jim actively go back and say…

I want to watch today’s game.

So off we go from undisclosed to the city.

Go Eagles!

Quiet Time

My girls gently woke me this morning: one with her pants, and the other with her paws.

I respect leaky plumbing…lol

As Jim is the one they normally would go to, I figured it was my turn to get them out.
It is a breezy late evening, with a wind blowing through the trees. I have a beautiful
Japanese Maple in the front of the house, and even in the darkness, the color of the
leaves are brilliant.I think it is one of the reasons my father liked this house.

When we get down to the new house we’ll have a front lawn to landscape.As we both are
lovers of trees, I am sure that they will a major part of the front lawn. We often
drive in the area and take in what we like and don’t care for in front of other
homes.Ideally, I hope to convey the same sense of quiet and color that I get on this
front lawn.

A piece of it will surely reflect my folks influence on my gardening tastes:of that,
you can be sure.

It’s Electric!

**taken from “The electric Slide”.

Well, after Jim went down and dealt with ACElectric, today is the day where the electric
gets cut in.Allegedly this is nothing to get my knickers in a twist, as this action only
lets us know that they can come out in 5-7 days to actually lay the lines. From Campground
in July, to something of a building in October,….let’s see if Edison will pay us a
visit and get the electrical power going

We have had the most benevolent neighbors who threw their power cord over the fence for
us plus our infamous generator…I’ll be happy as a clam in Pismo Beach if the electric gets
done soon.

Wired

Part of the current lagging in the new Undisclosed Location Deux are wires.

The builder went and threw up the electric lines right to the peak on the
front of the house, which had been looking attractive with all those scallops.
When we pulled up, we were ticked off.You couldn’t call and ask us what our
opinion was?

Long story short,we are in contract with Atlantic City Electric and Comcast,
thanks to Jim, to put our wires underground.Jim made a road trip yesterday
and met with a human at ACElectric, and away he went.

We’ll see how long this is going to take.

Stay tuned.

Work is never done…

Sunday morning at the ” Campground”,and we have plenty to do.

Jim is out taking the trash to the recycle yard. Once he comes back with
the rake, I get to go raking leaves, as we are fortunate enough to have
the township collect them curbside.We need a few walk-throughs in the
new house and walks with the girls.

It’ll be a busy Sunday. Enjoy yours!

November is here…

…and the weather outside, color on leaves not withstanding, is more reminiscent of
March.

Go figure!

A busy morning on tap for us gals, both my four=legged and me, so we can do our
household chores and go down to Undisclosed Location II with Jim.

Uh, let me rephrase that…

We’ll, no doubt, spend time in the tile store, major box hardware stores, in’
addition to trying to kick back and relax over the weekend. We’ll see how
far things have hopefully progressed and what decisions need to be finalized
and put to bed.Jim,from the beginning, has said, once we make the decision
on x, y, or z, we have made it and that’s that.I have to keep that in my
mind constantly because it has been a seemingly long process.

Enjoy your Friday!

Juicing

Jim made juice from the power bullet last night and we had them for
dinner..they actually were rather tasty and pleasant.

We had enough that I brought one into work today for breakfast and guess
what?The kale,cucumber,carrot and apples make a great combination and
I really even don’t have the urge to go to the Keurig and make a tea.

We need to get back to where we were before the move, when we were
actively juicing. It made me feel more energetic,calmer, and my stomach
handled it well.It is hard because when everything is rush and you
are stressed, it’s the last thing you are looking for.

All I have to say is that it’s worth it!

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