Last night of Chanukah

Things sure are different without having kids at home. Chanukah just doesn't seem to be the same. Here is the menorah on the last night, tonight. It will be put away for another year. So sad.

New Kitchen?

Well, Ed had someone over yesterday to give us their idea on what we should do with our very small kitchen. I am very ambivalent about redoing the kitchen. In one way I really want to move to a 55 and over community, but in another way, I do love the layout of my house, just that there is not one project completed! There is always an obstacle, (usually called, ED) in my way. I would have finished the living room, but because HE isn't ready to get a new T.V., I need to wait until I look for a new wall unit or console. Right now we have a very large projection T.V., which works just fine, but I can't get a unit around it as I know that when it goes, we are going to get a flat screen. It is sooo frustrating. So right now, I guess we will just concentrate on the kitchen for now. It will always be a good renting or selling point in the future, and we can enjoy it now. when we decide what we are going to do, I will post a picture of what it looks like now, the plans, and when it is finished, the final look.

Please wish me well with this project, and that we don't "kill" each other!

Chanukah Dinner

Here is a pic of mom and dad, he's almost 84 and she is 80.

I know that I am a little bit late in publishing this, but between dinner on Saturday, cleaning up for almost 2 days and work, I just haven't found the time until tonight to upload my pictures from our "Chanukah dinner". Here is a picture of Ed and myself that night, and one of Aaron and Stefanie. I must say that dinner was wonderful. My son, Aaron and his fiance, Stefanie, got me a beautiful knife set. I have been working with the same dull knives for about 35 years now. I was a little annoyed with them, as they are living on loans. He is in medical school and she is in pastry school.

We had a great time and a lot of laughs. Dinner was great! the meat was so tender that you didn't even need a knife to cut it. My sister-in-law wants to know my secret for always having a perfect brisket. Do you think I should give her my family secret?

Stefanie made all of my cookies for the cookie exchange that I signed up for at work. I think she was in her glory, just baking all evening after dinner. I could go on, but I'
m sure that you don't want to hear all about the trivial stuff.

Latkes!

It's that time of year again when we get out the Menorah and dreidels and the start to cook and clean for the holiday of Chanukah
Today has been a very busy day. I started off food shopping for our Chanukah dinner tomorrow night. I know that it will be a day early, but my son and future wife insist on going to Tampa on Sunday for two weeks to visit her parents.

I have all ready cooked up the brisket and made the potato Latkes. Here is a picture of them cooking and ready to eat. I already have one oil burn on a finger from cooking.

I now have to finish cleaning so that the cleaning man can come and CLEAN! Crazy isn't it?

I just want to thank my friend, Carrie, from Oregon, for tagging this blog as one to read. A big thank you, Carrie. What a wonderful acknowledgment from an internet friend.

Well, better get back to preparations. Will get back soon.

Full Moon

Last night was the brightest and fullest moon we have had in 15 years. I went outside to take some pictures. Here is the one that I thought was the best out of the bunch. It was so bright that I thought that I had left the outside light on when I went to bed. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it was beautiful all the same.

Christmas ornaments

Here are two of the Christmas ornaments that I have made for my co workers for gifts for this year. The snowman is my only feeble attempt to hand draw an ornament. Last year I had only been there about 3 weeks and was not prepared to give anyone any gifts. I was very embarrassed when I started to received gifts from some of them. This year I am prepared with about 15 ornaments.










I have been fighting a cold for about a week now, Well, last Tuesday, it decided to rear its ugly head. I have been home sick now for two days. My head is so stuffy. Nothing seems to be working. I just feel so under pressure to get my holiday cards, shopping and mailing out of the way. Today, I did mail away some small gifts for my eldest son, Jason and daughter-in-law, Kim, and also my step daughter, Emilie. Never again. They can either get checks or I will shop through the internet. The boxing and mailing costs more than the little gifts did! I really like them to be able to open things up, but not at this cost.

Well, I'm just going to take a nap, maybe I'll write more tonight or catch you all up tomorrow.

100 things that I have done in my lifetime

I saw this in my friend, Ginni's blog. I thought that it would be a fun thing to do. The things that I have done are in bold letters. I guess that it is almost like a bucket list.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when youʼre not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangeloʼs David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job7
6. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someoneʼs life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day
So... what have you done? Please link me up so I can see yours too!!

altered mirror

Here are a few pictures of an altered mirror that I did.

Thanksgiving and after

Thanksgiving was a world wind. My parents and I flew up to New Jersey on Wednesday morning. My husband, Ed, had decided that he was no longer going to go up north anymore when it was cold. Oh, well, his loss. We had a blast. I saw all of my cousins that live in the area, along with my aunts and brother-in-laws family. There must have been about 20 bottles of wine consumed for thanksgiving, with only about 8 people drinking! I will post pictures later in the week.

I taught my nephew how to use my camera. He was having a ball just shooting pictures. I can now say that I was there!

We went to my nephew, Brian's hockey game. I managed to get a few good pictures of him skating during the game. It really is hard to get action shots thru Plexiglas. Again, pictures will be posted later.

Coming home was not as bad as I expected. We only had a 45 minute delay on the tarmac. My niece, Heather, had a 3 hour delay into Miami, so she was able to get on our flight to Fort Lauderdale. She was back in her apartment before here original flight was to take off!

I was so hesitant to so into work on Monday because of the incident on Tuesday. All went well without anything being said. It has now been three days, so I think that I am safe and secure with my job. That is a load off my shoulders. We have been so busy at work, but have had fun, too. I am just exhausted! I have been going to bed by 9 P.M. and falling asleep in minutes.

Here are a few pictures of our pre holiday dinner. The first one is my father and my second cousin, David. the other one is just a random picture of a few of us just sitting around eating.