Monday, October 31, 2011

Home Sweet Home

We are home. It was a very long drive yesterday. We had planned on two 7 hour days but the snowstorm blew that plan to pieces.

On Saturday we drove 150 miles in 4 hours so yesterday we had 950 to drive! It took 14 hours with short stops for gas, breakfast and dinner. It amazes me to think we were in Massachusetts yesterday!

It feels good to be home!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Beautiful Drive in Sunshine

We woke up to 2 feet of snow - a record for Lee, Massachusetts (the old record was one inch!)

What a nice day today has turned into - sunshine, blue skies, just a scattering of snow surrounding the fall colors still on the trees.

We are in Pennsylvania now - don't miss Massachusetts at all!

Should be home tonight.



Saturday, October 29, 2011

Snow, snow go away!

Yikes - we are trying to get to Albany which looks like it may not be snowing yet.




Memorial for Elise

I am so pleased we were able to attend the memorial for Elise. It was held at the Unitarian Church in Swampscott, MA. It was a beautiful service.

So many of her friends - colleagues, clients, and neighbors were there. Elise was a friend and mentor to all. I am sure, her husband, Roger felt surrounded by love.

Whether it was someone reading from her high school yearbook inscriptions or coworkers telling how she mentored them or clients telling how she was such a good friend - the theme was the same - Elise was loved by many and every single person felt loved by her.

A reading from Patricia Lynn Reilly was read that so encompassed how her friends saw Elise:

Imagine a woman who believes it is right and good she is a woman, a woman who honors her experience and tells her stories, one who refuses to carry the sins of others within her soul.

Imagine a woman who believes she is good, a woman who trusts and respects herself, who listens to her needs and desires, and meets them with tenderness and grace.

Imagine a woman who has acknowledged the past's influence on the present, a woman who has walked through her past who has healed into her present.

Imagine a woman who authors her own life, a woman who exerts, initiates, and moves on her own behalf, who refuses to surrender except to her truest self and to her wisest voice.

Imagine a woman who finds the Divine in herself, a woman who imagines the Divine in her image and likeness, who designs her own spirituality, and allows it to inform her life.

Elise was very humble and saw herself as a work in progress. Everyone I talked to after the service felt as if Elise cared very much about each and every one of them.

It was such a blessing to spend time with her friends remembering her life.

We are on our way home trying to outrun the winter storm predicting 6-8'' of wet heavy snow! Say prayers for a safe drive.


Friday, October 28, 2011

Revere MA

We are in MA now and there is a winter storm advisory, snow scattered on the ground and it is COLD! We are here to attend a memorial service for my cousin, Elise. Say a prayer the weather holds for the service and our trip home.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Only Kim!

Looking for Halloween ideas - would you be able to go down your basement and find a brand new tuxedo shirt and bow tie? Okay let's say you had one in your basement could you walk downstairs and know exactly where it was? Only Kim!




Making Aunt Kathy Rolls with my Grand Niece

We made dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls after school today - we had such fun. I love sharing my love of baking and cooking.

This trip has been so much fun - days filled with family, love, memories, stories, laughter and fun.

Being able to see the girls off to school and talking with them about their schoolday has been such a blessing to us.

Spending time with family is so wonderful.


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Great Serve!

We are having such a good time being Aunt ME and Uncle Pat. Today we got to see a tennis match.


Monday, October 24, 2011

Surprise!

They pulled it off! Our niece didn't have a clue that her husband and two daughters had been planning a surprise birthday party since July.

Her parents, Jim and Cindy, and Pat and I traveled to New Jersey to be a part of the surprise. It was such a nice party. They can be proud their daughters planned such a wonderful day. The cakes and decorations were spectacular. Their sweet friendly personalities made everyone feel so welcome - it was so nice to be here with them.

Now I don't know about you but how would you like to find four extra guests coming home with you after a party with no warning? In this family it was just another night to have fun. We all sat around talking and telling stories till well past my bedtime. Now we will enjoy their compay for a few days.







Sunday, October 23, 2011

This is amazing - my niece Kelly on the silks!


Having a chance to catch up with our niece, Kelly has been so nice. She has such a varied and interesting life. It was fun spending the day with her and sitting all evening on the couch chatting with her and Kim remembering their childhood stories from different perspectives - it reminded me of Joanna and Caroline and my brothers and sisters doing the same thing!

Goodwill Fun

Cindy and I made a new friend at Goodwill - Brother Dear stayed at the hotel - Pat drove us and took pictures!


Saturday, October 22, 2011

Trip Out East

We are on our way to a memorial service in Massachusetts for my cousin, Elise.

These pictures do not show the Allegehny Mountains as we are seeing them - it is a cloudy day but the colors are beautiful.




Thursday, October 20, 2011

New Show!

I am so happy to announce that I will be at the Saginaw Arts and Enrichment Commission's Holly Day Fair held at Andersen Enrichment Center on Wednesday, December 7th from 10-4 pm.

I was asked last year but I had a conflict with another show - this year I am available on that day and will be present to sell my hostess sets of dishes and knives.

I cannot wait - I have always wanted to be in this show. So many of you have asked where my shows are for the rest of the season. Watch for updates listed on the right hand margin of this blog - here is what I have scheduled

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

November 12, 2011 9-3 pm
In His Presence Ministries, 4521 Monitor Rd, Bay City

November 12, 2011
Mt. Pleasant West Intermediate

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

December 2, 3 and 4, 2011
Grandy Farm - 25th Annual Show
8075 Gratiot

December 3 and 4, 2011
Clarkston High School

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

December 7th - Wednesday
Saginaw Arts and Enrichment Commission
Andersen Enrichment Center
10-4 pm

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Stuffed Zuccini

Yum! I made stuffed zuccini for dinner. I have to take a vegetable dish to a meeting at church tomorrow so I made everything this morning so I could figure out the cooking time.

I cut the zuccini in half and spooned out the vegetables and put the "boats" in a pan all lined up.

I cooked hot Italian turkey sausage, onions and the zuccini that I spooned out. Then let it cool. Then I mixed an egg into the cooled mixture and spooned it all back into each of the zuccini. I topped each with tomato sauce and provolone cheese. Then I refrigerated it and tonight baked it at 350 for an hour.

We really liked it.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Pumpkin Farm

We had such fun at the pumpkin farm. Jesse, Caroline, Javier,Ayva, Joanna, Sheala, Papa and I all spent the afternoon in the sun. Face paintings, horse rides, making ropes, taking pictures. It was a great time had by all!







Not as bad as I thought!

We went shopping for a new suit for Pat. Let's just say it only happence once a decade! We stopped at a few stores but ended up at JC Penney. A good sale made it semi okay according to him!

I think he looked really handsome!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

A Visit with Lillie and Anna

We had such fun going to Lillie's swim meet. It brought back memories of Joanna and Caroline in high school swimming meets. Mary's parents were there and it was nice to see them.

We had a good chance to chat with Anna, learning she chose to play the flute in band this year and today got to play a duet with her private music teacher. She has a Geography test tomorrow on countries.

After the meet we went to their house to have pizza. Lillie really had fun swimming and it was their last home swim meet. She also told us she is going to play her trumpet at Carnegie Hall in January with her band. I told her how few people get this opportunity and Mary asked Lillie how she was chosen and she said, "Hard work!" She also has a Geometry test tomorrow.

We missed Bruce because he had to work. But it was a fabulous evening. Hope they have good tests tomorrow!


Sunday, October 9, 2011

Traverse City

Pat says we took "a little ride in the neigjborhood" of course if you call the whole State of Michigan our neighborhood then he would be right.

It was such a beautiful ride filled with a few antique stops, sunshine, bright yellow, deep burgandy, orange, smells of fall, Traverse Bay, great music blaring from the radio with our windows rolled down. We are almost home!





Shimmering Beauty

We are driving on M115 on this gorgeous fall day. The warm wind is blowing and it is making the leaves on the trees shimmer and glisten. It is breathtaking.

We were going to go camping but decided to drive around and see the color all over the State on short daily trips.

I do love Michigan.

Dinner with Ayva and her Grandma Caroline

We had such fun playing with Ayva. She played "My name is Chubby" with us. I brought these long fingernails to put on her but she didn't like them.

She was cheering on Inge which made Caroline happy. She danced for us. She ate a good dinner.


Friday, October 7, 2011

Mushrooms? ? ?

Yes, I actually cooked dinner and it included mushrooms. I made my own version of Kevin's vegitarian paella and it was yummy.

Olive oil
1/2 large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
small container pine nuts
salt, pepper, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, paprika
green pepper, zuccini, yellow squash, mushrooms, basil
2 Tbs pesto
1 cup Aborio rice
Veg broth
4 oz white wine

bring wine and broth to boil
saute vegetables
add Aborio rice
add broth/wine by ladles full until the rice stops soaking up the broth

Put pan in 350 oven for 20 minutes

SATURDAY

I'll be at SVSU Ryder Center for the craft show this weekend. I finished wrapping - I have all the dishes we purchased in Florida last year - and I can't wait to see all of you!

Stop by and say HI!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Jean Marie and Dennis

Mmmmmm.... No pictures to share.... The Galaxy is acting up (on to Verizon this morning) and Carolina Moon Keeps Shining borrowed the camera for the Tiger Games last week......

But - we are SOOOOOO happy for Jean Marie and Dennis. The wedding was held during Mass - very beautiful - Jean Marie left her husband's side and came up to the choir to sing with us - what fun - we all loved being a part of this wedding - and appreciate that we had the chance to do that for our good good friends.

What a great wedding reception too. Jean Marie looked beautiful - Dennis was regal in his kilt - the nieces and nephews that we have seen grow up over the years were delightful - Singing the Saginaw Blessing - Her Mom whom I always love to see picked the perfect dress - his son got up to toast and said how happy his Dad was and how he noticed that Dennis and Jean Marie just never quit smiling - the pipers and drums playing - but MOST of all - when Jean Marie got up and sang to Dennis asking if he would dance with her and then they danced their first dance - I just have it say it was a spectacular reception.