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February 28, 2004
Shrubbery
The second son reports:
Nora and I arrived for Kieran's birthday early enough to hear talk about burning bushes. Fearing this might be some religious conversation surrounding Ash Wednesday, I decided to keep my mouth shut. When I heard my mother's name, however, I knew this was a secular event, and one involving actual flames.
Pop-pop Gary and Gramma Fran decided it would be best for Their children's landscapping if some of the dead brush was burned off. Of course, I'm sure this had nothing to do with Mom's need to set things aflame. Clearly, I needed further explanation than the chared remains of the last bush, so Mom happily tromped outside to set the remainder of the plants alight.
It's fun to notice in the video Demian standing by with a shovel-full of snow protectivly watching other flamable objects that could potentially get in the way, things like living plants, his home, or his family.
Posted by frani at 03:13 PM | Comments (5)
February 27, 2004
Where we are...
We drove down to CT yesterday..........I'm sorry, I've been busy playing with Miss Maura and Master Kieran and didn't even get online until this afternoon sometime! Believe it or not MY computer never even came out of the bag until then.
In the meantime...I suspect I will sleep well again tonight.
Posted by frani at 08:10 PM | Comments (1)
February 25, 2004
New Home.......
Settling into my new home
Posted by frani at 12:18 PM | Comments (13)
What Did She Say? (Feb 24)
Dear Sweet Young Salesclerk at Victoria's Secret....
I know I'm coming up on my 55th birthday and I remind you of your mother. I know you would rather not even contemplate my selecting or wearing thongs or anything that might be too form fitting in the lace department least some less than taut skin should escape. However, while my friend and I were merely checking out some cute cotton summer PJs, I really didn't think it was necessary to point out the great sale you were having on oversized terry cloth robes. Ok, maybe I didn't need to be quite so hauty when I asked if we looked the type to be interested in terry robes....hrumph! I really wasn't offended anyway; Liz was certainly entertained by the experience and remark and I know darn well that someday you will be standing in my shoes (so to speak) as I was once in yours (young, shapely and selling women's lingerie). I hope you remember every woman needs pretty lingerie from time to time regardless of age and shape. I think I'll be going downtown to a woman's lingerie store for my MOG dress undergarments...you know the one...where they sell things without the padding and push-ups....I won't be needing those.
Yours in womanhood.........
Posted by frani at 11:52 AM | Comments (1)
Out of the Woodwork (Feb 20)
It's been a slow week here, I guess. Not much to report. I finished a scarf for RRM but I can't say that I'm thrilled with it and haven't sent it yet either. sigh.
I discovered Swoops. York Peppermint Swoops are pretty darn good.
I read a trash book...nothing worth mentioning...
Oh yeah........I found a jewelry store that was moving and needed to unload some of their inventory. Liz and I did very well.....well geesh...what's not to like about a $67 ruby ring? This could have become a new obsession...ok it did but I'm over it...there is nothing else that I want there....well...maybe.
Sooo if one has a loose sapphire gem and wants to put it in a ring AND can get a ring with a setting that will hold the sapphire at a price 1/5th the price one spent for the last setting alone, then making the switch isn't really obssessing, is it? I didn't think so either....my big brother taught me well.
I feel a cooking/baking mood coming on just in time for a weekend...how fortuitous.
Poor Auntie Anna has her adventures on the farmette..........
The sun was out yesterday AND it was NOT 30 below zero...I do believe Spring is right around the corner. Ok Ok..maybe a couple of months off but there is hope....springs eternal, doesn't it?
Posted by frani at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)
From Snazzykat (Feb 15)
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Posted by frani at 11:49 AM | Comments (0)
View from the Couch ( Feb 13)
I had to put a board over the saggy springs on my loveseat...I can't say for sure that was the casue of my aching hip/leg/back whatever of the last 2 weeks, but I had been sitting there a lot while I crocheted.
Speaking of which...I'm still liking the cotton yarn and making dishcloths but I'm not finding my groove with some of the new yarn I'm using...slow going. Sorry about that Risa. I still think I need to learn to knit instead. Real knitting that is....I can still knit with the best of them in my family. (Speaking of the other knitting...my site is moving to bigger quarters...will let you know when that happens. I need to learn how to find it myself first.)
So I'm trying to watch TV. My reality is closer to Opie, Ozzie and Harriet and Donna Reed than it is to creepy crawlie disgusting things being eaten and lain in. I'm finding it hard to even watch the commercials these days without being amazed. The drug companies are amok...guess we Boomers are still the target audience. However, If I consulted my physician to see which of all these drugs are right for me, I'd need to make a triple appointment just to allot enough time! and oh yeah...I really don't care to hear about the relaxing moment turned right moment and the rare 4 hour penile erection for which one should consut their physcian either. Whatever happened to innuendo?
Innuendo is fine with me...I'm not a stupid person. I get it! I don't need to actually see sex, violence and blood and guts as part of my viewing pleasure in order to understand a plot. It's unfortunate that the industy seems to think the general audience IS that stupid. But then again...how else does one explain the popularity (and proliferation) of some of these shows.
Well Fans...as they say...my remote comes with an off button...;-D
Posted by frani at 11:48 AM | Comments (0)
Top dog (Feb 11)
So I was laying in bed channel surfing last night when I came upon the finals of the Westminster Best in Show event. Josh the Newfoundland was just then being shown so I had to watch. What a magnificent animal! Now our Calibear wasn't quite as big as Josh nor as well brushed, but I did recall that tell tale little drool Josh had going when he came out to accept his prize! Awesome dog!
(Photo by Gregory Bull, AP)
Posted by frani at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)
February 07, 2004
San Juan Revisited
If I still didn't have a bit of a sunburn, swollen lip and all, I would think our sun and surf filled days in San Juan were a distant memory already. Whoa, what a difference a few degrees in latitude make.
The photo below was taken on the beach in front of our hotel looking west toward Old San Juan and the harbor where all the ships come in. Apparently there was quite a stir the day before we got there because the Queen Mary was in port for a day.
San Juan is on the Atlantic side of Puerto Rico so it was pretty windy...I did my best to spend my days on the beach holding down the towels and turning the pages of my book only when I wanted them turned. Speaking of book; I highly recommend The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Granted, I almost gave up on it but Greg convinced me to persevere and I'm glad I did. I'll be shipping it off to the "southern" Johnstons, since I'm sure they will all like it. OK...who wants it first?
So as I was saying...I held down the beach everyday. However, on Thursday, I went on a day long sail/snorkel trip to Paradise Island. I love snorkeling; there were only 14 passengers on our 50'catamaran; the water was warm enough and the fishes and coral were pretty darn good. After spending time at a "secluded" beach area ( only 3 other catamarans were anchored in the area), we then moved on over to a reef not far from there where the Atlantic and Carribean Oceans meet. We were advised to stay on the Carribean side of the reef. Very cool. It always amazes me though to find someone on these adventures who doesn't swim at all and finds themselves in trouble drifting away and panicking....why do they get in the water? We basically motored our way to our destinations but sailed back to port...what a beautiful ride! I could do that all day everyday .... for at least a few days, anyway.
Puerto Rico in general and San Juan specifically was not terribly impressive. Maybe once we got our of the urban areas ( of San Juan) it would be more tolerable but even the hour drive to the port of Fajardo brought us through more crowded areas than I'd like. There's also something to be said for a place where all the windows have bars on them...albeit decorative. They are still bars and they aren't meant to protect one from hurricanses, ya know.
Sun and surf are great...home is pretty darn good too. Now where is that aloe....
Posted by frani at 09:29 AM | Comments (1)
February 05, 2004
Posted by frani at 06:19 AM | Comments (10)
February 01, 2004
A few things ....
......to make me go hhhmmm.......
****** HHHmmm****** so we really don't watch sports on TV but we are paying attention to the beginning of the Superbowl. Afterall, the New England Patriots are playing. There were some Hall of Famer Texas Native sons on hand for the coin toss. *I* was only familiar with one of them ...Y.A.Tittle, Man!, was he OLD looking...this is not a good thing in my opinion.
BTW...did I mention we are going out of town tomorrow morning??
Posted by frani at 06:31 PM | Comments (5)