Happy Birthday to Me!

Aunt Kaky called to wish me a Happy Birthday today, I didn't have the heart to tell her it was tomorrow. But she did suggest I go and get myself a nice cupcake, which I did. I went to the Fresh Market and got one, let me just say it was delicious. Tasted just like wedding cake! I figured I would have it today and then tomorrow (my birthday) I would start back on healthy living. It's never to late!

Men vs Women's Brains

This is so true! I always need to take it slow and take everything in, get my bearings, digest what is happening, figure out what to do next and how it will affect things.

My brain is always going, sometimes when I try to go to sleep I can't shut off my thoughts, then I look next to me and Jeff has fallen asleep in less than 2 minutes. When we get ready for a trip, Jeff is waiting in the car while I am shutting off lights, turning down the heat and taking care of last minute details (and going potty) and making sure I have everything. Then when we get where we are going it is inevitable that Jeff left something behind or can't find something. In his trip box, the only thing is getting from here to there and somewhere in between get the car washed. Men and women need each others brains or else there would be total chaos!

Fooling around

I should be doing a million other things but instead I am fooling around with my new Mac.  These pictures tell how I felt this morning.  I woke up with a headache, sore throat, stiff neck and stuffy nose.  It's so much fun fooling around with this thing!  I have a lot to learn. Ok, time to get to work.

For all the nose pickers out there

Quit picking your F#*+ing nose in public people!

I have been traveling quite a bit lately and I am amazed at the people that pick their nose and think that no one sees them and on top of it, they try to flick the booger off their finger nonchalantly thinking no one will realize what they are doing. GET REAL..........
This past weekend while waiting for my flight a women, dressed very nice and pretty, started picking her nose and daintily tried to flick it off her finger. Then the women traveling with her did the same thing. Our gate was right next to the restroom, why couldn't they get up off their asses and go use some tissue in the restroom.

On one recent flight I just happened to somehow get lucky and was upgraded to first class. I sat across from a clean cut gentleman, looked like mid forties and dressed preppy. He must of forgotten where he was because he was into reading his book and digging for gold and then rolling the booger around in his fingers trying to flick it off into the isle and it wouldn't flick off. He was flicking like crazy all the while reading his book. This is why you should always use a tissue even when your at home alone, then it won't be a bad habit that you do in public. Yuk! Think of all the times that you had some little speck of something dried on your pants, I will never again try to scratch it off with my fingernail.

My other pet peeves are coughing and not covering your mouth, sneezing without covering your nose and burping. Lord help us that some people are too lazy to have some good habits in public.

You'll never catch me doing it!

The Art of War

Take a look at the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. We are considering donating all of Grandpa's art & letters from the war to them. Unfortunately they want all the originals, so we have to decide what to do, grandma isn't sure she wants to, she would rather have them in the family.

http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/ex-war-artofwar.html

Here is another of Grandpa H's letters to his parent's. Enjoy!

We received some info on having all his artwork copyrighted with the suggestion we have it appraised. (so for now I won't be posting any art). I am trying to get tickets to the Antique Roadshow that will be in our area. I would love to bring all of my Dad's art and letters for an appraisal.

Wii Fit makes me laugh!

Not only do I get a work out with the Wii Fit, it was so funny to me that I laughed so hard I had a hard time finishing my run. As I was running along following my lead runner 2 large heads came up next to me and turned to look at me as they ran pass me, it was Jeffwii and Stevewii. It was so unexpected to have my husband and his friend run past me, I laughed my head off. Here I am getting ready to ski through the flag gates. Didn't do to well at that one or the soccer balls coming at my head, but I did do really well at the yoga portion. Anyway, my workout flew by and I look forward to trying again tomorrow.

A Heck of a Soldier

Hi Everyone,

Well the Holidays are over and I am back in Carolina with my long list of things to do. One of them is to scan all my dads letters that he wrote during the war to his parents and sister. It is quite interesting to read how grateful he was for all the army did for him. I wonder if soldiers now a days appreciate things like they did during WWII. Anyway, I hope you enjoy his 1st letter home.

I did it my way!

As Frank sang " I did it my way"! My friend Libby would make these delicious Italian cookies every year for Christmas and Easter. Every time she made them I would ask her for the recipe and she would always put it off and I never did get the recipe before we moved and so I no longer got my own plate of these wonderful treats that she would make up for me. So I found a recipe that is just as good (sorry Libby). The other night while I was making them I was saying to myself, "that little shit never did give me her recipe", when the phone rang and to my amazement it was my friend Libby. I know she would not agree with me that they are the same because, according to Libby they had to be oval and they had to have colored sprinkles. But hey, what do you expect from an Irish women! Miss ya Libby and every time I eat one I will think of you!

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Happy Birthday my little Christmas baby! I thought the name Nicole (St. Nick) was appropriate for you since you were our special Christmas package. We spent many nights up together with just the lights of the Christmas tree glowing as I tried to rock you to sleep.

I thought my Daughter-in-Law was crazy!

In Whitney's blog, "20 things you might not know about me" this one I thought was the weirdest:

7. I hate fish when cooked, but if it's raw, I could eat a hunk of fish like an apple.

Last night I made myself a nice piece of Salmon and when eating it I realized she is right! Although it was very good it was nothing like the dinner we had at Sasabune (See Ryan's Blog) in Santa Monica last week. I had never eaten so much raw fish in my life and needless to say it was the best and now I will always be searching for a Sushi restaurant like that.

As you can see from the sticker above I Voted Today! This is the first time I have voted early and also the first time I ever had to fill in the ovals on the ballot. In all the states and precincts I have ever voted in, it was always done by machine behind a curtain for privacy. Here I was filling out my ballot with only a small partition between myself and the other voters next to me and voters walking behind me. I don't know if this is because it is essentially an absentee ballot. Anyway, I finished and went to turn in my ballot, which I then fed it into a machine when the lady behind me says "that was a good vote"! What! You weren't suppose to see! Then she offered to show me hers! Back in the day, you kept your political affiliations to yourself. With such a emotional election this year everyone is wearing there heart on there sleeve. Everyone but me!

You would think that there is a major thunderstorm in the area! There have been loud booms and the house has been rattling and shaking now for the last few days. The reason, we are within distance of Ft. Bragg, although not that close. They must be having maneuvers because for the last week you can literally feel the house rattle and the earth shake. The first time it happened after our move here, it scared the hell out of us. It was late and we actually thought someone was on the roof of the house and jumping on it!

Ft. Bragg is the Home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces!

And today there is a benefit golf tournament for the families of soldiers and I was hoping to see the Golden Eagles drop in. They were suppose to parachute in and around on the course but it is drizzling and overcast so I don't know if they will still be doing it. Would be nice to seem them come down in the yard.

Babies, babies everywhere!

It was good to see all my niece's, nephew's and all their kids. Spent the week in Michigan visiting family while Jeff was in China. The first pic is Jan and her grandchildren the 2nd is Grandma H's great grandchildren (missing Jackie O). The 3rd is Alex and his new truck with a plow so he can make some money this winter plowing peoples driveways. It was good to see everyone!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!!

Happy Birthday Ryan

It's that time of year! Apples, lots of apples and ever since I can remember (except for the Ghost buster cake) I had made Ryan a Swedish Apple Pie for his birthday. It's not just any old Apple pie either, it is a pie that makes it's own crust and wonderful warm out of the oven. Now that Ryan is married and living in sunny Calilfornia I no longer have to make it for him but I have had a craving for it. This is the time of year I love, cool crisp fall days and visits to the local cider mill. I would love to post the recipe but I don't have it here in Ohio. So Ryan if you could please post the recipe I would appreciate having it! The picture of Ryan under Grandpa Harrington's apple tree is one of my favorites. I think this was taken the first time Dad brought you over to my house to meet my parents and it was just before your first birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!

Love You,

Mom

Where am I?

We are back at our little home in Cleveland after spending a lot of time on the road. We were in Michigan for my Family reunion, Chicago to visit with Margy and the kids while they were there visiting Erin then to Florida for a business/pleasure trip in which we got to visit Nicole and Jeff's Mom, Dad, brother Greg and Jeff.

It was good to be home but I have to admit that I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and have to think of where I am. And when I sit down to watch TV, I can't remember what the major networks channels are, again I have to stop and think of where I am. Last week I had to give someone our Carolina phone number and I couldn't remember it! I can give you the phone number for the last 7 house but I couldn't remember our current number. We went to the mall recently and had to stop and think of what mall, and in what city we were in. Am I loosing it?

We are off again this weekend, Jeff to China and I am off to Michigan to visit family and friends. I'll update again soon...........

Oh, Hi Bob

Kids, Remember Bobby Gardner? Well he lives in Ohio and we met him about 1/2 way for dinner on Saturday night. We met his girlfriend Meg (very nice) and had a good time talking about old times. Bob and Dad reminisced about their days at Stanley Tools and old friends.
Bob's oldest daughter Abby will be a senior in HS and Gwen will enter the 8th grade. He is considering locating to Huntersville after Abby graduates next year. Asked about you all!

P.S. And I missed his giggle!

My 52nd Birthday Card

This is so not me!!!

Cleveland

Hey Everyone,
We made it into Cleveland last night around 10PM. I plan on staying through the summer unless the house sells, then I will go back. Looking forward to being able to visit family in Detoit. We are planning on going to Detoit tomorrow and then I will go again next week while Dad is gone on business. We had a great visit in Chicago last weekend, it was good the see Erin and Margy. Dad doesn't have any pics on this computer so I can't upload any images of our trip. But I will when he loads some on his computer.

I do have to tell you about this young gentleman that I sat next to on my flight to Chicago. He was working on his Master's in Psychology. We talked about all different things and what kind of research he wanted to work on. One was relationships. To make a long story short, he told me that he and most guys look for one thing in a women and it wasn't to be friends. He said if a chick says to him that they want to be friends and hang out he bolts! If he wants to hang out, he would hang out with his guy friends. This is what Jeff has been telling the girls for a long time.
I think that that all changes when they meet the right women, otherwise no guy would ever be married! Men and women can hang out together when they find the right one. I hope he meets someone that changes his mind.

Bacon- Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

One of my favorite blogs is the Pioneer Women. She has all sorts of great photo's and tutorials, stories and recipes. I found this recipe and decided to try it out on Jeff last night. All I can say is they are addictive, you can't stop eating them. The first one was not hot at all and the second had a little more heat but not too bad!
The recipe says to leave some pulp and seeds (the source of the heat) if you want lot's of heat. But, I was too chicken! I see now she baked them on a rack, I didn't and they didn't get too crispy on the bottom sitting in their own juices, next time I will put them on a rack. Click on the link to get a printable recipe and while your there look around at her interesting blog. Enjoy!

P.S. I found a little worm in one of the jalapenos, what kinda worm likes the fire of a jalapeno?

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/bacon-wrapped_j/