McBlog

Evan's First Three Months

2009-02-21T17:19:00.001-06:00

This needs some fine tuning, but I couldn't wait to post it anyway.

A Visit To Noogan Town

2009-01-27T17:09:00.005-06:00

Mike and I just returned home from Noogan town to visit with Eric and Becky and Evan. We had lots of fun playing with Evan and watching him experience some new foods. This was a combination of carrots and sweet potatoes.

After dinner, Evan definitely needed a bath!

Then Evan and Grandpa needed to recover from a weekend full of fun!

BAH! HUMBUG!

2008-12-24T23:59:00.003-06:00

This was our first attempt to get a photo of Evan in the stocking. He was more interested in a bottle and a nap than a sock and a cap!

SleepSack

2008-12-05T13:53:00.002-06:00

Here is the sleep sack that I just finished. Stay tuned for the hat I'm working on.

Evan Visits P'cola

2008-11-29T13:52:00.014-06:00

Two weeks ago, Mike and I drove to Chattanooga and picked up Becky and Evan to bring them home for a visit. It seemed strange to have a baby in the house after thirty-one years, but it didn't take long to adjust to the 2:00 AM feedings. We had a lot of fun with him and now the house seems very quiet since he's gone back home. Here are some pix from the visit.

Evan with Grandma & Grandpa

Evan meets 'cousin' Laura

Evan meets Uncle Dan

Evan just being Evan

Evan's First Beach Visit

Three Generations

Rockin' Grandpa!

2008-09-07T19:58:00.006-05:00

A long time ago, Mike's mom rocked him in this chair.

It found its way into our attic and garage where it sat for many years until Becky announced that she was pregnant. Then Mike rebuilt it, and I refinished it and had it reupholstered.

Here is Mike rocking his first grandchild in the same chair that he was rocked in. Pretty Cool!

Here's Evan!

2008-08-17T22:28:00.007-05:00

Well, it's not been a quiet week in Noogan Town. Our sweet little Evan made his grand entrance six days early on Sunday August 10. He weighed 7 lbs and 5 oz and was 19" long. It's been quite hectic ever since. Becky had a long, but easy labor, and a long and not-so-easy delivery. She almost had to have a C-section. She and Evan came home Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday evening we had to rush to the emergency room. He was choking and turning PURPLE! They did a chest x-ray and told us he had fluid in his lungs (maybe from the difficult birth) They decided to admit him to do a swallow test in the AM to check for reflux. That meant that Becky couldn't feed him, so they inserted an IV into his tiny baby vein. It took about 4 nurses to finally get a vein, and the whole time poor baby Evan was screaming. Also his bilirubin had risen, so he was going to need phototherapy. The next morning they did a swallow test which came back fine, and a radiologist said that the X-ray was normal. No fluid in his lungs. In the meantime, this first time grandma was a basket case! But he still needed the phototherapy so they put little blinders on his baby eyes and put him under the lights. Late Wedesday night, he was released and they came home. I was hoping they would keep him another night because I was afaid of another choking incident. All's well that ends well and Mom and baby are doing fine, particularly since we discovered Mylicon drops! They are truly a miracle elixir sent from heaven!

PS. I've started him listening to Mozart, Chopin, and Beethoven! :-)

Another year!

2008-08-02T14:21:00.002-05:00

As you can see by the dates of my entries, I am not a real dedicated blogger. Not too much that is blog-worthy happens in my life. That will soon change when Becky gives birth to my first grandchild. I am leaving tomorrow for Noogan Town to await the blessed event. The next time you see my blogging face, you can call me Grandma...Gran-mama....or Grandmother Most Exalted! But I will not be Granny!

In the meantime, today marks another anniversary of the day my life changed forever! Mike is at work, but I may just have to go to McDonalds and celebrate by myself with a cheeseburger and an orange drink! :-)

Sisterhood Revisited

2008-05-28T14:08:00.006-05:00

Late last year, I created the Sisterhood of Grandma's Traveling Coat. The red coat made its way through five cities for pictures. Here is a quick slideshow of all the members of the Sisterhood to date. Maybe there will be a new sister in August!

He/She Looks Like Daddy!

2008-04-08T11:05:00.001-05:00

He/She has Eric's profile!

Shopping for the Munchkin!

2008-04-07T22:39:00.019-05:00

I went shopping today for some gender-neutral gowns for our little munchkin, and look what I found!
The caterpillar jumped into by buggy when I wasn't looking! He's 5'6" long!

Bek will be teaching the baby how to sign, so when I saw this book, I just had to have it.

PROOF!

2008-04-01T11:51:00.004-05:00

Last year, my bluebirds tried several times to expand their family, but the eggs kept disappearing. I figured it was probably the 'harmless' water snake that I had seen on the porch. Now I have the proof. Two days ago there were two eggs in the nest. I just checked to see if more had been added and look what I found! My heart almost stopped! I'm still shaking, but summoned the courage to grab my camera to prove my snake egg-napper theory correct. Poor birdies! Guess I'll try greasing the pole with Vaseline to kept away the serpents!

YesterEaster

2008-03-22T17:49:00.009-05:00

Just some snaps of Easters Past. Dan, Beck, Eric! Plus some bonnets from years gone by!

Dan's New Car

2008-03-09T20:45:00.004-05:00

Dan is beaming in his brand new Bimmer, a BMW Z4!

Cradle Prototype

2008-02-25T13:12:00.004-06:00

I just finished the prototype for the cradle liner. I found this in my fabric stash and decided to use it before I cut into the dragonfly fabric. It's actually some leftover fabric that I used to make bedding for one of Becky's baby dolls many years ago.

AB Meets ST

2008-02-17T23:41:00.006-06:00

My grand-niece, Annabelle, is a huge Broadway musical fan. This weekend she got to see Sweeny Todd live in Louisville. She wore her Mrs. Lovett costume that she made for Halloween and met the actors at the stage door. They graciously agreed to sign her meat cleaver!

WOW!

2008-02-17T13:37:00.003-06:00

One of the best movies I've seen! Marion Cotillard has been nominated for an Oscar for best actress. It's in French with subtitles, but I will definitely watch a second time. You can see the trailer here: UPDATE! She won the Oscar. I watched the movie twice, and I may have to watch it again!

Back From Noogan Town

2008-02-10T21:02:00.000-06:00

Last week, Eric had to be out of town for several days, so I drove to Noogan town to mommy sit with Rebecca. Her 12 weeks of nausea are pretty much over, so she and I had great fun baby shopping. I’m afraid I was stricken with the FTNGSvirus. (FIRST TIME NEW GRANDMA SYNDROME) Fortunately, it’s not life threatening, but it sure can put a dent in the pocketbook. There have been so many renovations in baby and childcare since my last baby thirty years ago. I couldn’t resist a cute little green onesie with turtles on it, so it came home with us. It’s pretty much gender neutral, but I brought it home with me and will get some ‘girly’ trim to add to it just in case the munchkin is a girl. Next we went crib shopping. No one makes a plain ole fashioned crib anymore. They are engineering marvels like a transformer toy from the 70s. We finally found what Bek was looking for at Wal Mart, so of course, it came home with us too.
I also ordered the fabric for the nursery curtains and crib dust ruffle.

Looks like the old Singer is going to be busy!

Sarah?

2008-01-29T12:56:00.000-06:00

This is the first photo of my first grandchild.

Becky has always liked the name Sarah, so if it's a girl, that will probably be her name. They don't plan on finding out the sex of the munchkin until delivery, so all the planning and decorating must remain gender neutral. I am making a new liner for the Jenny Lind cradle that I got when Becky was born. This is the fabric I found on ebay. Not too girly, and not too boyish. It looks like we may have an ebaby!

With This Ring.....Forever!

2007-12-30T15:06:00.000-06:00

Today is our 40th wedding anniversary! I've condensed 40 years into less than three minutes in the new slideshow using some favorite photos of just Mike and me. Here is the first page of the ALL ABOUT US scrapbook that I've made using most of the same pics as the slideshow. It's each of us at 18, living on opposite sides of the continent, before we met. It proves that we really were young once!

(Music is "After All These Years" sung by Foster and Allen)

Sweeney Todd

2007-12-25T22:31:00.000-06:00

Normally I refuse to watch movies that are bloody, brutal, or violent, (give me a light, romantic comedy, or a rip-your-heart-out love story, or even an historical epic) but today I saw Sweeney Todd. Somehow Johnny Depp's good looks and amazing talent managed to make throat-slashing and jugular-gushing less offensive. I thought the movie was fantastic, and as usual, JD delivers a unique performance. And his singing was surprisingly not too bad. I'll probably watch it again when it's released on DVD so I can enable captions and not miss a word of bloody dialog!

OK, so I may not be Martha, but

2007-12-20T11:27:00.000-06:00

I bet she never drew her own house plans and then raised the walls, installed floors, did all the painting and hung all the wallpaper! I met and married Mike and gave birth to our first child in less time that it is taking to finish decorating the 'new' house! Here are my latest decorating efforts. This is the foyer with the pressed tin wainscoting. It will soon be time to start re-doing the original decorating from 2001.

Years ago at an estate sale, I bought lots of old sheet music and it's been sitting in the organ bench ever since. Recently I decided how to display them. Here is my wall of music. The small black plaque is St. Cecelia, patron saint of music and musicians. I'm still looking for just the right 'something' to hang with her.

Happy Birthday Dan!

2007-11-30T08:49:00.001-06:00

Sisterhood

2007-11-28T21:31:00.001-06:00

Many years ago Mother, who always liked bright colors, bought a new winter coat. It was brilliant red. She always loved that coat, and after her death, I couldn't bear to part with it. Her funeral was on a very cold and rainy day in January. In a strange way, I found comfort in wearing her bright red coat to her funeral to say my final good-bye.

Fast-forward six years. Becky goes consignment shopping and a red coat catches her eye. She tries it on. It fits, and it reminds her of her grandma, so nothing would do but for her to take it home.

When she was here at Thanksgiving we took pictures of each other wearing Grandma's red coat and commented how fun it would be if all of Mother's female descendants could have a picture made wearing her favorite red coat. Then my brother mentioned that he could take the coat with him when he visits our sister, and his daughters and granddaughters at Christmas. Next thing you know, I created the Sisterhood of Grandma's Traveling Coat and mailed out the following invitation.

You have been deemed worthy of membership in the prestigious society of the Sisterhood of Grandma's Traveling Coat, also known as The RedCoat Society. The sacred red coat will soon be in your city, and the only requirement for membership in the prestigious society of the Sisterhood of Grandma's Traveling Coat is that you have your picture made wearing said coat in the required pose of left arm extended in a friendly greeting. Next, you must e-mail said photo to this address to be published on the Sisterhood's blog. Enclosed is a photo of the founding mother of the Sisterhood and its charter members. For further information, you may reply to this email or phone 555-555-5555.

I will post photos of new members of Sisterhood of Grandma's Traveling Coat as they are mailed to me. Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Becky!

2007-09-15T10:39:00.001-05:00

Twenty-nine years ago today, Becky turned ONE!

What I do best

2007-09-04T14:35:00.000-05:00

is avoiding what really needs doing by getting involved in doing something else. When I discovered I had no beige thread to hem my slacks, I came to my computer to check a post at my SB forum. Next thing you know, I opened up iPhoto and started to play. Here are the results.
Now I guess I should tackle some of the chores that keep calling my name!

Highlight of my Day!

2007-08-31T19:08:00.000-05:00

Not lots to blog about. Too hot to blog. Here is one of the highlights of my day. I think the little guy saw my camera and posed for me!

Medford High Class of '62

2007-07-14T11:22:00.000-05:00

Medusa's Daughter

2007-05-12T13:52:00.000-05:00

My brother-in-law is publishing his second novel and anyone who is a pilot, has been a pilot, gone through training at NAS Pensacola, lived in Hawaii, or is interested in WW II and the attack at Pearl Harbor should find Medusa's Daughter a fun read. Also, if you venture into the mysterious world of past lives, and enjoy a romping whodunit, you will find following the adventures of Captain Holly MacLaren and her little girl, Skye, an entertaining experience.

It's available for purchase here: Michael Boyd

or here: Lulu

I've Been Published!

2007-05-12T13:33:00.000-05:00

Actually, my brother-in-law has published a fun ‘whodunit’ and he asked if I could design the dusk jacket. Always eager to stretch my Photoshop skills, I agreed. I started with this photo of Mike that I took in Hawaii in ’68 and with my digital magic skills, I rubbed him out of the photo to create the landscape.

Then I started playing with one of Becky’s drawings to
create the hair for Jenny who became Medusa.

Here is the finished product.

and I couldn't resist seeing what I might look like as a Gorgon!

One Year!

2007-04-29T08:21:00.000-05:00

Gators Do It Again!

2007-04-02T22:50:00.000-05:00

Moonrise Update

2007-03-25T15:18:00.000-05:00

I recently blogged about a most embarrassing moment at my city's historial theater. It is closing for another renovation and I found this photo on line. Here is the exact spot where the moon rose over the balcony. A spot that will live in infamy!

A Woman Obsessed!

2007-03-18T20:11:00.000-05:00

Today I learned a new trick in Photoshop and I'm afraid it's like eating potato chips. I couldn't stop at just one!

Happy Birthday Eric!

2007-03-17T09:11:00.000-05:00

Celia

2007-02-15T10:58:00.000-06:00

Another fine feline friend has joined my Maggie and other loved pets on the other side of the rainbow. Farewell Celia 1990-2007

iPod Geeks

2007-01-26T20:16:00.000-06:00

Mike and I have spent the day importing ALL our music into iTunes so it can be imported into the new iPod. So far, in my library alone, I have enough music that it would take almost seven straight days to listen to all of it. And I have about three dozen more CDs to import. It's official! I am turning into a geek! It looks like we will have to be a two-iPod family to accomodate Mike's schedule and our different musical tastes.

I Was Wrong!

2007-01-09T16:21:00.000-06:00

For most of my life, I never understood, nor cared about, the game of football. Then Dan enrolled at UF and joined the Gator marching band. Of course, we traveled to Gainesville to see him on the field with his trumpet. I endured the blazing hot sun to get a glimpse of him in his uniform blasting out the strains of the fight song, and We Are The Boys of Old Florida. And guess what?!? I enjoyed the game! Since then I've become a huge Gator football fan, and when the whole country thought that my Gators didn't have a chance against Ohio State, I held firm that my blue and orange reptiles would win the BCS title. Only, I was wrong about the score. I predicted that it would be a very close game, and my Gators would be victorious by one or two points. Man, was I WRONG! UF totally trounced Ohio State! What a fun evening it was. Even though I was alone to watch the game, Mike and Dan and I kept the phone ringing through the evening. After major plays, I would wait for the phone to ring, or I would hit speed dial and connect with my fellow Gator family! Now we will all suffer gridiron withdrawal as we wait for the 2007 season to begin again in the fall.

GOOOOOOOOOO GATORS!

For Your Listening Pleasure

2007-01-06T18:06:00.000-06:00

If you enjoy the smooth tones of an acoustic guitar, and a mellow male voice, singing lyrics that you can actually understand, you might want to check out Danny Schneible's latest CD. I've just ordered mine!

UPDATE! My CD arrived last week and has been imported into my iTunes. It has certainly lived up to my expectations! There are a variety of tunes, but my favorites are the ones that take me back in time…Scotch and Soda…Don’t Think Twice…Words of Love. A newer tune, Fields of Gold, is equally enjoyable, and a hauntingly beautiful melody, Beautiful Things, is an original composition. Danny performs regularly in the northern Virginia area. Maybe some day I’ll make a trip to Loudon County, Virginia to visit the home site of my revolutionary war ancestor, Timothy Hixon, my G-G-G-G-Grandfather. If I get that close, I’ll be sure catch a live performance. In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for the CD and iTunes.

Love Under The Arches!-SlideShow!

2006-12-19T14:36:00.000-06:00

Thirty-nine years ago, I went to McDonald's to grab a cheeseburger on my way to the library to study for finals. Who knew that in addition to dining on some quick cuisine, I would meet my future husband?!? To celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary this month, I've gathered some of my favorite pics and created another slideshow. Who are those skinny, dark-haired people and where are they now? (music is Through the Years sung by Piolo Pascual)

I'll Be Comin' 'Round The Mountain!

2006-12-17T22:15:00.000-06:00

Here are some pics from Becky's and Eric's trip to Tennessee this weekend. I can hardly wait to visit when they move. For someone who doesn't enjoy the sun, sand, or the sea, how did I wind up in Florida? At least now I will have a place to escape the Florida flatlands. I must have been a hillbilly in a former life!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2006-12-11T15:15:00.000-06:00

This was in my mailbox today from my brother. I don't speak Polish, but I knew it was a Happy Birthday message. It translates:

Good luck, good cheer, may you live a hundred years.
Good luck, good cheer, may you live a hundred years.
Good luck, good cheer, may you live a hundred years.
One hundred years!

I'd swear I'm still in my twenties, but the creaking joints give me away!

That Girl Wannabe!

2006-12-11T14:29:00.000-06:00

While channel surfing over the weekend, I came across a THAT GIRL marathon on TVLAND. As a single girl four decades ago, that was one of my favorite shows. For your amusement, I’ve posted some pics from that era of an Ann Marie wannabe! Note the brooch on the bodice and the flipped coiffure. And no well-dressed, respectable ingénue would attend church with naked hands. It was fun to watch some of the old shows in color for the first time since we had only B/W TV in those days. It also brought back the days of typewriters and pay phone with cords!

CELEBRATE!

2006-11-30T08:26:00.000-06:00

Much to celebrate today! It is not only Dan's birthday, it is the last day of hurricane season! YIPPEE!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAN

I am Lizzy!

2006-11-13T15:23:00.000-06:00

You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and oftentimes find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of silliness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgement that serves you very ill indeed.

*************************************************************
Several years ago when Pride and Prejudice aired on TV, I taped the entire six hours for later veiwing. Then Mike and I watched it together and a Jane Austen fan was born. Mike has read and re-read Pride and Prejudice, along with all of Jane's other novels. He is fascinated with time period with its unique customs and social mores. I am convinced that if we had not been happily married for 30-plus years, he surely would have run off with Elizabeth Bennett. I was surprised when I took the
Jane Austin Heroine Quiz to discover that I am most like Lizzy, the object of Mike's literary affections. mmmmmmmm! I wonder what Dr. Freud would say.

Farewell Oliver!

2006-10-22T22:17:00.000-05:00

There is a new friend for Margaret over the Rainbow Bridge. His name is Oliver.

GOOOOOOOOOO GATORS!

2006-09-24T14:29:00.000-05:00

Grandma's House

2006-09-22T14:46:00.000-05:00

A dear friend recently became a grandmother for the first time. Unfortunately, the baby is is New England, hundreds of miles from Grandma. Here is a slide show that I made using the photos I took for Grandma to put in a photo album so the baby will be familiar with all the exciting new sites she will discover when she comes to visit.

My Afternoon Visitor

2006-09-20T17:09:00.000-05:00

This is the last thing you want to see when you're on your way to the Dr. for a blood pressure check! He was about five feet from my front door. I grabbed my camera and the little guy posed for me. Then I threw a box over him so I could deal with him when I got home. I certainly did not want to execute him if he were a harmless critter, so I sent the picture to Dan who replied...

"See the large round pupils and narrow head – harmless"

That's a good thing, because he escaped before I got home. I guess it's also a good thing that I let Dan have pet snakes when he was a kid!

2006-09-18T09:25:00.000-05:00

Florida 21 --- Tennessee 20

Happy Birthday Becky!

2006-09-15T01:18:00.000-05:00

In the early part of 1977, I discovered that I was expecting my second baby. Six years earlier, I had given birth to a beautiful baby boy and now I was slowly beginning to allow myself to THINK PINK! Boys are great, and Mike and I were thrilled to have a son, but now, I wanted a girl…a sweet-smelling, dainty, little darling. The morning sickness hit soon, and never really abated for nine months, but if I could have a delicate, pink bundle of joy, it would all be worth it. I even began to fantasize about petticoats and pigtails….ruffles and ribbons….and yes, even pink tights and tutus! After an easy delivery, even though the epidural didn’t work, I got my baby girl!

She was a delight and I had a grand time dressing my little darling in pink and lace and ruffles! That is until about the age of three. Then it became quite obvious that Rebecca and I had two very different and conflicting ideas about a little girl’s wardrobe and accessories. On countless occasions she began to voice her opinion…”I don’t like that…it has ruffles on it!…I don’t like that…the lace itches!….I don’t want those ribbons in my hair!”

OH MY! What happened to my dainty little bundle of femininity? Where was the ‘girly-girl’ daughter of my daydreams? She was a whirling dervish of activity… running and jumping and climbing…as much or more than any boy. I could not turn my back on her for two minutes unless I wanted to turn around and retrieve her from atop a fence or scaffolding. When she was six years old, she fell off a slide and broke her arm, the first of five more breaks. She wasn’t the least bit disappointed that she couldn’t continue ballet classes with her arm in a cast. So, fearing that I was surely depriving the world of the next Pavlova, I withdrew her from dance classes. Scooters and bikes and swings and monkey bars were preferred to baby dolls and Barbie dolls and tutus!

She was the total opposite of my stereotype image of a little girl. A dear family friend even dubbed her BUCKO because of her boundless energy. She became my ‘duckling’. Was she ever going to turn into a ‘swan’?

Around the age of fourteen, the swan slowly began to emerge. She has grown into a self-assured, beautiful young woman, with a kind spirit and a delightful, heart-warming smile.

She is her father’s daughter, with a keen sense of humor and quick wit. And she is the light of her mother’s life!

Mother

2006-09-05T10:51:00.000-05:00

I created this slideshow to commemorate what would have been Mother's 89th birthday this week. It's hard to believe that she's been gone almost five years. The musical selections are Seredeczna Matko (Beloved Mother) which was originally Boze, Cos Polske (God, Who Held Poland) a traditional Polish melody that at one time was sung as a national hymn in the period after the Uprising of 1830. Its singing was forbidden by the conquering powers and when the lyrics of Seredeczna Matko (Beloved Mother) were substituted and sung as a Catholic hymn it was still forbidden. The second melody is 'Improvisation on a Polish Air' performed by Tadeusz Majewski. Mother was always very proud of her Polish heritage. The original family name was Brodneowski before my grandfather shortened it to Broski when he entered the U.S. He was adamant that the 'ski' ending was preserved to reflect his Polish nationality.

Original lyrics:

God who held Poland for so many ages,
In Your protection, glory, and great power,
Who gave Your wisdom to her bards and sages,
And gave Your own shield as her rightful dower.

Bring back to Poland ancient might and splendor,
And fruitful blessings bring to fields and meadows;
Be once again our Father, just, yet tender,
Deliver us from out our dire shadows.

CHORUS:
Before Your altars,
we in supplication
Kneeling implore You
Free our land and nation.

New Video

2006-08-03T12:43:00.001-05:00

Here's the latest experiment with FotoMagico and my most recent H-5 photos. I'm finally making friends with the new software and the new camera. Background music is Chopin's Butterfly Etude.

Pardon me, Are you dining alone?

2006-08-02T08:45:00.000-05:00

Exactly thirty-nine years ago today, those were the first words that Mike ever said to me under the Golden Arches at McDonald’s. And the rest, as they say, is history! Who knew that a cheeseburger would change my life forever?!?

Spiders!

2006-07-30T14:21:00.000-05:00

Be sure to click on the picture.

More H-5 Photos

2006-07-30T14:15:00.000-05:00

Homecoming LIVE!

2006-07-26T14:28:00.000-05:00

On June 6, I posted a scrapbook page of the day Mike returned home from Viet Nam. Since then, I've recorded our old Super 8 movies onto digital tape, and while the dust bunnies and spider webs are busy procreating new and mutant life forms under the beds and in the closets, I've been glued to the computer reliving precious moments. Here is the same scrapbook page in action! It's less than two minutes from the entire movie, but it captures the happiness at the reunion of a young couple separated much too long by war.

Where Did The Time Go?

2006-07-24T18:10:00.000-05:00

I have always been the official picture taker in the family, so I don't often appear in the family photos. But here is one with Dan and me together....and another also with Dan and me. But today it dawned on me, that in the earlier photo, I am about the same age that Dan is now. How did that happen? Where did the time go?....on second thought, Dan is OLDER now than I was in that photo!

Moonrise at the Saenger.....

2006-07-24T13:27:00.000-05:00

or Revealing Hidden Assets!

I don’t remember the exact date other than it had been many, many years since I had last shopped the size five rack in the junior department.

However, the location and event are imprinted in my mind not unlike the memory of some tragic and/or traumatic event that I can recall with precise details as to exactly where I was and what I was doing when the shocking news was announced.

I was attending one of Dan’s many musical performances at the elegant, antique, hoity-toity Saenger Theater. I liked to sit in the front row of the balcony so I might be able to catch of glimpse of Dan performing if he were not completely hidden by the tympani or electronic equipment. This night I wasn’t able to nab a seat in the front row balcony, so I settled for third row. The performance was, as usual, outstanding. At the intermission, I made a quick trip to ladies room and then hurried back to the balcony so I would have time to get up close to the balcony railing to stand and drink in the beauty of the art deco and rococo designs that graced the grand old Saenger. I was also hoping see Dan in the pit.

I’m not sure how long I stood there, taking it all in, when I heard a lady's voice whisper quietly in my ear. “excuse me, but”……..(and I’m not totally certain exactly what I heard next, but I got the message loud and clear that the back my flowing tea-length skirt was tucked firmly in the waistband of my panty hose. I had chosen not to wear a slip because my skirt was not sheer and I hated the static cling that a nylon slip can create. So here I stood, exposing my hidden assets to the entire balcony audience.

I felt my face flush and for a few seconds I debated the best course of action. Should I quickly un-tuck my skirt as if nothing had happened and try to regain my dignity, or should I just reach down and pull the front of my skirt over my head and secure my anonymity? Or perhaps this would be an opportune time to simply jump over the balcony ala John Wilkes Booth and make a swift departure out an emergency exit. With as much grace as I could muster, I rearranged my skirt and tried to casually inch my way backward three rows to my seat so I would not have to turn around and face the folks whom I’m sure were enjoying a great snicker on my behalf.

The performance was, as usual, outstanding and I remained in my seat until I was fairly certain that the audience behind me had left the theater. Then I exited as quickly as I could trying to not make eye contact with anyone just in case they had witnessed the moonrise over the balcony.

Needless to say, I am forever vigilant about my exit from the ladies room no matter if I’m at Burger King, or an elegant music performance.

Danny's Christmas Bike

2006-07-23T13:16:00.000-05:00

OK, he's been DAN for over twenty years, but as a little boy, he was DANNY, and still is to his cousins. This is his first bicycle that Santa brought in 1976. It's difficult to tell who is having more fun....Mike or Dan?

Boogey Baby

2006-07-23T13:07:00.000-05:00

At Bek's wedding in April, she danced like there was no tomorrow. I had never seen a bride boogey like she did. Apparently, she started practicing early. This was filmed in the spring of '79

Another Wedding

2006-07-22T11:11:00.000-05:00

I have about three hours of video from Bek's wedding, but less than two minutes from my own. Here is a clip that should tickle your funny bone. Your speakers aren't broken, there is no sound. I deleted the whirring sound of the movie projector. Maybe one day after I make friends with iMovie, I'll add a sound track like they used in the old days of movie making before talkies. Hey, I suppose I could type in some text dialog too! That might be fun! BTW...who are those skinny, dark-haired people, and where did they go?!?

Fiddlin' Around in Photoshop

2006-07-19T22:10:00.000-05:00

Old Movies Make Me Cry

2006-07-19T12:51:00.000-05:00

.... actually the lyrics of a tune from the 60s are 'Sad Movies Always Make Me Cry', but yesterday when Mike and I transferred our old super 8 movies to digital video tape, I shed a tear or two. I saw babies that I'd not seen in over 30 years, and a young couple's joyful embrace after a 13 month long separation. I saw a slender, raven-haired girl and a handsome young Marine pilot cut the first piece of their wedding cake. I relived a little boy’s excitement after winning a foot race and learning to ride his first bike. And a toddler's swivel hips boogey was just a faint memory in my mind until I got to once again see her in action. Granted, there was no sound, and the images are discolored and grainy, and shaky, but that was high tech of the day, and I am so thankful for those precious images. I will be posting some video clips after I get them imported into iMovie, so stay tuned!

Men in Black

2006-07-09T13:57:00.000-05:00

This will probably get tweaked before I'm happy with the final copy.

Scrapping the Groom

2006-07-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

This is for the 8x8 digital album. Some scrappers use a lot of "embellishments" on their pages, but I'm more of a "less-is-more" scrapper. Whatcha think? Does it need something? EDIT! I've added a little something.

Time for a clean sweep?

2006-07-02T13:01:00.000-05:00

I really do try to keep my desktop clean, but before I know it, all good intentions have been left by the wayside, and this is how my desktop looks. Fortunately, the rest of my house isn't quite this bad, (OK...maybe the utility room!....and maybe my desk!) but I fight a never-ending battle of clutter. Does this reflect a jumbled mind? Or creative ideas just waiting for expression? Regardless, it makes Mike crazy when he sees it. His desktop is spotless!

Wedding Scrapbook

2006-07-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

I made my first scrapbook pages from the wedding photos. Here they are. The backgrounds were made from the bouquet.

Margaret RIP

2006-06-21T21:39:00.000-05:00

Still practicing the new camera. This is the St. Francis statue that marks Margaret's grave in the backyard.

More H-5 Ducks

2006-06-18T23:33:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist a little photoshopping on this one. After darkening the grass, I added the border by selecting colors from the ducks.

Some H5 Flowers

2006-06-12T17:42:00.000-05:00

My First Duck Hunt

2006-06-11T22:21:00.000-05:00

As you probably know, I am a gadget freak...particularly electronic gadgets. Last week I got a new toy, the Sony DSC-H5, and today I went on my first duck hunt so I could qualify as a card-carrying member of the Sony Duck Club

Here are the results of my first duck hunt!
and while I was duck hunting, this guy just had to get in on the action, and once he saw the flash go off, it was almost as if he posed for me! I think I heard him say "John Barrymore isn't the only guy with a great profile!"

Be sure to click on the image to see the bigger picture!
I just love my new toy!

My H-5 Gardenia

2006-06-08T23:23:00.000-05:00

I am still learning the ins and outs of my new toy, the Sony DSC-H5, and here is one of my first attempts using the Macro.

Happy Homecoming!

2006-06-06T09:17:00.000-05:00

June 6 is not only a very special day in our country's history, it is also the day that Mike returned home from thirteen months in Viet Nam! I made this digital scrapbook page to commemorate the event.

Only 180 days left...........

2006-06-01T10:13:00.000-05:00

in the 2006 hurricane season! Here we go again!

The Bride

2006-05-31T21:28:00.000-05:00

Grandmas

2006-05-30T00:57:00.000-05:00

Neither of Becky's grandmothers was at the wedding, so I put their bridal pictures in a silver locket and tied it into her bouquet. After several months of neglecting my digi-scrapping, this is my first attempt to scrap the wedding photos.

Bird Brain?

2006-05-29T14:58:00.000-05:00

Dan was home for a visit this weekend, and of course, Tahvi came with him. Around 9:00 in the evening, the bird decides that it is time to go to sleep and will squawk endlessly until he is moved into a dark room for some shut-eye. Last night while Dan was out, I was busy in the office working on the wedding photos when it was Tahvi's bedtime. The squawking began, and I tried to ignore it. But I could hardly believe my ears when I heard from the living room...."wanna go night-night"..."are you tired"! They say African greys have the I.Q. of a small child, so I must presume that he understood perfectly well what he was saying and that he wanted to get my attention so I would leave the office and put him to bed.....which, of course, I did!

PICTURES!

2006-05-29T11:32:00.000-05:00

The wedding photos have started coming in! Here is just a sample of what's to come. It looks like I'll be spending lots of hours at the computer!

Big Cat Rescue

2006-05-28T15:30:00.000-05:00

There must be a 'tender-heart' gene that runs deep in our family, for we are all a soft touch when it comes to critters. Becky is the ultimate turtle rescuer and Dan catches bugs for release outside. And, of course, there's Jeannie, the cat lady! On Dan's visit this weekend, he told us about the day his office had a private tour at the BIG CAT RESCUE center in Tampa. I will definitely be visiting there on my next trip down. And with my tender-heart gene, I'll probably even adopt a kitty.

Friday Flowers

2006-05-26T11:22:00.000-05:00

There has not been much to blog lately. I am still waiting for official wedding photos. Since I got my first instamatic Kodak when I was 10 years old, I've been an amateur photographer snapping pix of things that catch my fancy. These were made with my Sony 717 that will soon be replaced by a Sony DSC-H5.

Apologies to my web design teacher

2006-05-19T23:12:00.000-05:00

When I took a course in web design, I whined about the time she was wasting making us learn HTML. I wasn't a very good student. Just give me some WYSIWYG software and I'll be good to go! But that was before I got sidetracked with other projects and before I entered Blogdom. I picked this template because I liked the large space it allowed for text and images. But the colors were horrid, and the previous posts did not magically appear in the sidebar. SOOOOOOOOO.......I put my prysbyopic eyes to the test and dug into the code and altered it to my liking. GO ME!!!

Cold Feet?

2006-05-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

I've heard of grooms getting cold feet just before they walk down the aisle, but Becky's hands were like two blocks of ice as she waited for the ceremony to begin. Amy caught these pics of me trying to warm things up!

Baby Bonnet - Hanky

2006-05-13T13:07:00.000-05:00

The white blob in Becky's bouquet is the hanky that I made into a baby bonnet that she wore home from the hospital. I turned it back into a hanky and tucked it into her bouquet just in case she might need it during the ceremony.

Still Waiting for Wedding Pix......

2006-05-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

so in the meantime, here are a few links to some great music sites. I found the group SCYTHIAN one day while googling Celtic music. They are a high-energy group in the DC area that will definitely get your foot stomping and your toes tapping! They have a new CD coming out soon. Here are some musical samples.

It was quite a surprise to run into Danny Schneible on the internet since he is the son of an old beau from the 60s. He performs regularly in the northern Virginia area. Have a listen to his mellow voice! And here is a fun Irish ditty! As I recall, his dad had a real nice voice too. He taught me this quaint little tune .

Stay tuned for more musical gems. I found some terrific Celtic tunes while searching for music for the wedding!

The Veil

2006-05-11T18:08:00.000-05:00

Once Becky had her dress picked out, I started work on the veil. It was a labor of love and consumed the dining room table and the living room floor for days before it was completed. Then it sat on the disembodied head for several weeks until I traveled to Tampa.

Wedding Piper

2006-05-10T15:24:00.000-05:00

The newlyweds are serenaded by a piper in the bridal suite!

The Rehearsal

2006-05-09T22:25:00.000-05:00

We are still waiting for the official wedding photos. In the meantime, here are some pix that Mike took at the rehearsal.

Scottish Luckenbooth

2006-05-09T10:31:00.000-05:00

The Luckenbooth Brooch is a traditional Scottish wedding brooch given to the bride by the groom on their wedding day, and subsequently pinned to the shawl of the first baby to protect it from "evil spirits".
The Luckenbooth has figures very similar to the Claddagh Ring of Ireland, and a similar purpose of being a love token. The luckenbooth charm also continues the traditional theme of heart and crown. The earliest records of heart shaped brooches in Scotland date back to 1503. In the 18th Century, these brooches were often known as 'Luckenbooth' brooches because they were sold from locked booths in the jewelery quarter of St. Giles, Edinburgh.