TGIF (big time)

Friday - here it is again. Tropical storm IDA (formerly a hurricane) has been sitting off the coast and is causing all sorts of problems on the western side of Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore (high tides made worse by winds etc. causing flooding). The beaches on the eastern shore are taking a beating to be sure from the waves and high winds. A great deal of the beach is expected to be gone when all is said and done - something Ocean City has dealt with many times. They had gotten almost 18 inches of rain as of last night and it was still coming down when I went to bed.

Raining here in Carroll County, but not all that hard. We are getting more wind than anything else. My wind chimes have been singing loudly the past couple of days (its a good thing they are pleasant sounding chimes).

I am going out to dinner with my Maryland sister-in-law tonight (UGH - this machine just deleted all that I had written). Bernie just started a new job as a bank teller and she is training at a branch close to my house. Her husband, my Paul's last remaining brother, died in May of this year after a very long battle with MS. They were married in June, 1986 and shortly thereafter Dave was diagnosed. Bernie stayed with Dave the entire time - she was all things to Dave (wife to nurse and everything in between) and it is only because of her that David lived as long as he did and as well as he did.

Well the time (as seen on my computer) says that it is time to find something to eat. Actually, my tum has been telling me that for the past hour or so, but I have been ignoring it. Can't anymore - it is really starting to talk.

Turkey Day Approaches

The approach of Thanksgiving is a sign that Christmas is not far behind. Where has the time gone. It seems like it was only yesterday that winter was ending and spring was springing. Now begins the arduous task of preparing for winter and Christmas, the best holiday from a child's point of view. From an adult's point of view - UGH! Time to think of that perfect gift that will put a smile on the faces of those closest to you.

But first things first - Thanksgiving. The day where we give thanks for all the things that have happened to us this year. Family, friends, and by the grace of God waking up each morning to live our lives with these people.

I am thankful for this blamed machine that I am using at the moment - for with it I have become closer to those that are important to me. I have renewed family ties, reunited with old friends and I have become acquainted with new friends. The age of technology is providing so much - it used to take hours to write letters, days for the letters to arrive and if I was lucky I got responses. Now all of that takes a matter minutes - seconds if you manage to get into a chat room at the same time.

Sometimes my communication consists of forwarding jokes, prayers and messages from others to people. Lazy I know, but everyone should know that when I do this I am thinking of them and letting them know that I am there for them if need be. So please do not be offended when I do that - I am sending you something to make you giggle or I am sending a prayer to keep you safe etc. I really try to limit myself to the best giggles and prayers, so that I don't inundate you all with nonsense.

Take care my lovelies, have a happy holiday and don't eat too much.

Halloween a dud in Maryland

Halloween was a dud in our area - it rained so there were no trick or treaters and we were left with all the candy that was bought to give out. Definitely did not need that. I eat it if it is around, otherwise I am a good girl and stay away from it. Eddie was a ninja and he did go trick or treating with the twins (they used to live next door to us and have maintained their friendship). I think they managed to beat the rain.

The local malls were the big draw this year. Kids hit the stores - not the same as far as I am concerned. Definitely takes something away from the atmosphere of the holiday. But the kids stayed dry, which is a good thing I guess.

My grand nieces and nephews all look swell in their costumes and I hope that they all had a good time. Some nice choices for costumes - I don't think that most kids would think of being a SWAT team member or a mexican-style wrestler (I suddenly drew a blank = old age creeping in one of the cracks I guess). Firemen, ballerina and fairy princesses are nice as well - especially if they reflect the interests of the kid wearing it.

Well, it is time for me to start my day. Breakfast is first (tummy growling) and then it is on to folding clothes and cleaning (those not so fun things that need to be done, but sometimes wait until the last minute to get done). I am a procrastinator and I come by it honestly - I inherited it from my father, along with two left feet and no sense of rythym (three claps in unison and then on to my own pace).

Party, Party, and Party some more

Friday night I attended a celebration of life so to speak. There were several people at my old job that celebrated their time on the job around the same time - most were celebrating 30 years on the job, but there was one 25 year and one 20 year celebration.

These are old school employees who take pride in their job and the "company" they work for. They are all looking forward to the day they can retire, but they are doing it with a tear in their eye. They will know when it is time to walk out the door and start the next phase of their life just like I knew. In the mean time - party on.

The setting was nice, the food was good, the program was very informative and it was nice to sit and talk with former co-workers. Best of all were the hugs that I collected along the way. I was not a hugger when I moved to Baltimore, but I have learned to be one and it is one of the nicest things that happened to me since moving here. It is nice to feel a warm heartfelt embrace from a friend or even from someone that you don't know all that well.

Anyway, congrats to all and may they live to retire and enjoy the next phase of what God has planned for them.

Ghastly Grey Days

It is another ghastly grey day - the harbinger of dark mornings and even darker evenings. Daylight savings time died for another year and I eagerly await its rebirth. My inner clock is whacked and will be for the next few days. Of the time changes this is the easiest to adjust to (gaining an extra hour of sleep is preferable to losing ong), but a pain none the less. I wish that they (whoever the powers that be are) would pick one and leave it alone - preferably Daylight Savings Time.

I could do with a little bit of blue to wake up to - I am running out of ways to describe the greyness of the morning hours. It is bad enough that winter is coming, it could at least be cheerful in its coming. That would make winter a little bit more appetizing.