What Are You Doing For Excitement Today?

[larryJ]

My daughter and son-in-law decided not to attend the boat parade opting to do some Christmas shopping.  We did take the girls though.  We arrived at the American Legion Post a little early and checked in.  My son and family came about an hour later.  My son and I were somewhat confused about what was going on with the dinner.  When I made the reservations, it was $10 per person and $5 for the dinner.  The confusion was that on their website, the Legion was saying that dinner was $20.95.  Finally, we found out that the more expensive dinner was inside the hall with wait service and they were having Angus Beef and/or Romano Chicken and were allowed to view the boat parade only from the windows facing the bay.  Our $5 dinner consisted of two cups of soup, one minestrone and one chicken noodle, a hot dog, a brownie and a drink (non-alcoholic).  It was chilly, but we had front row seats as our table was next to the fence above the boat landing.  Both soups had noodles in them which I am not supposed to eat, which could cause me to have stomach problems.  But I was cold and I was hungry and so I ate them.  No ill effects.  I gave my brownie and my hot dog to the girls to split and drank about a gallon of coffee. 

The boat parade was spectacular.  There were over 200 hundred decorated boats  which sailed up the bay across from us, made a u-turn and came back our side of the bay.  Everything from kayaks to big ocean going boats.  The best was probably (for the kids anyhow) a boat that had a 40' mast and had been decorated with yellow lights in a big square looking like Spongebob Squarepants.  There were boats with giant Santa's and giant polar bears.  There was a kayak covered in green lights with an attachment on the front that looked like an alligator head and the jaws opened and closed.  It was really beautiful.  I haven't checked it out closely, but you can get an idea of what it looks like by typing Newport Beach Boat Parade in your search window.  I don't know if this years entries are posted yet though.

The three year old zonked out the minute she was strapped in the car seat and the seven year old made it about half way home before crashing.  All in all a good experience.  I did ask my daughter-in-law if this was visible from the sidewalk a half block from where they lived.  She said it was.  We could have just gone to her house and had a better dinner and watched from there.  Oh, well.
But then, we wouldn't have had all the people and music and drinks at the Legion hall.

Back to making beef jerky and fudge.

Larryj

[larryJ]

Last night was the junk food night at my son's in Newport.  I thought we would be late (the party was supposed to start at 5:30) but we were actually the first ones there at around 5:45.  My daughter-in-law was still setting out chips, cookies, etc., and I had brought the jerky and the fudge.  Another friend of theirs, a young lady, brought a dozen gluten free cupcakes from OMG Cupcakes.  The OMG does not stand for "Oh, my God," but "Only Missing Gluten."  They were delicious.  There were about 14 adults and 6 children enjoying all the things you are not supposed to overindulge in.  As the evening went on, I noticed my wife, her cousin and another older couple had migrated to the back patio where they could smoke.  The younger crowd went out to the front patio and sat around a table with a table top heater I brought down for my son.  That left me and one other adult (she brought 3 of the little darlings) still in the room.  The kids, hyped up on sugar, became very loud and rambunctious.  At the end, one granddaughter running through the room managed to stomp on my foot.  At that point, I decided that it was time to go.  I walked to the back and gave my wife that "let's go" look, knowing it would take about 30 to 45 minutes for her to stop talking and actually get in the car.  I went to the front patio and onto the sidewalk and listened to the younger ones talk.  My son and daughter-in-law were also out there.  The last person left in the room came to the realization she was alone with 6 kids and also came out.....................with the 6 kids.  True to form, after about 45 minutes my wife and her cousin came out and said their goodbyes.  I got my usual and thrilling hug and kiss from my DIL (She's so sweet), found out I was babysitting next Thursday, and then we left. 

Why am I babysitting?  DIL mentioned that it would be nice if I could come down that night so she and my son could go have a quiet dinner.  She will be leaving, with the baby, the next day for Shanghai to visit with friends and family and then a week in Hong Kong to attend a wedding.  As my daughter has the week off we will not have the other granddaughters and my wife will be going down to help me babysit. 

Yesterday, I assembled a stroller thing that grows with the child (9 Months to 4 years.)  Today I will assemble a bicycle with training wheels for GD#2.  This grandpa thing keeps me way too occupied!

Larryj

[Wilma]

I went out to take some mail to the mailbox and there it was.  A little bright spot close to the ground, braving the cool wind we have today.  Daughter had told me that the croci were budding, but she didn't tell me that it had bloomed.  Then on the other side of the walk I caught a glimpse of white that looked like something that I don't remember planting.  Being out there in the cold wind without wraps of any kind, I didn't take the time to identify it.  I am sure it will still be there when I am braver and tomorrow might be warmer.

[Ms Bear]

It was nice and warm here today, the ground is still pretty wet from all the rain we have had.  I did do some trimming of dead limbs and wanted to cut back the roses but think I am too late this year.  Lots of new growth on the roses bushes already.  My daffodils are up but no buds yet, went to Wal-Mart and they have them in bloom and they smell so good.

Wednesday I will mow the weeds if we don't get anymore rain, it is so nice to be able to look out and see green instead of the brown that we had all last summer and fall.

I have a place where I had the propane tank removed and want to plant something there to hide the butane tank gauges and trying to decide if I want a dwarf holly or a hydrangea.  Both grow low to the ground which is what I need.

[painted]

wow,  from Dallas to baytown it gets more green and wet. wish I could take the water home with me. Dad has blooming fruit trees!  The lawn even needs mowed.

[Wilma]

Spring must definitely be on the way.  If it is green in Texas, it won't be long.

The little white flower is a snow drop and there were two of them this morning.  I still don't remember planting them, but this isn't the first time that I have surprised myself.

We are supposed to get some snow tonight and the birds seemed to be expecting something.  They kept the feeders busy all afternoon.

[Wilma]

I have been noticing a drop off in the posting on this forum.  I wonder why this is.  I was mentally listing the members that have become somewhat delinquent in their contributions and found that I was among them.  Now how can I blame anyone else for a failure to communicate when I have almost ceased to do so myself?  So here goes.

You will remember that some time ago one of our members was painting her kitchen and we all became interested in what she was doing and the result.  That was a pleasant time.  So let me tell you what I am doing.  I decided to redo a closet to make it easier to find whatever I was looking for.  This is a walk-in closet into which I could not walk.  The floor was so full that there was no place to place a foot.  So out came the contents, all boxes of different handwork and craft material.  The only shelf was above the rod on which hung nothing.  I decided that converting the closet to all shelves would facilitate the identifying of the particular box I wanted. 

So off to Lowe's I went.  I came home with some wire shelving, plus the standards and brackets for installing them.  I soon found that I did not have enough.  So back to Lowe's.  Home again with enough material to finish the project.  Wrong.  Wrong brackets for the shelves I had selected.  No way could we get them installed in the manner that was intended.  It has been three weeks now with most of my yarn and other craft materials stacked here in the living room.  Not that I mind.  I like looking at my yarn and my unfinished projects, some of which are more than twenty years old. 

Tomorrow it is off to Lowe's again.  This time to try to get home with the right brackets.  If this project is successful in it's purpose, I have another closet that needs the same kind of organization.   

[Diane Amberg]

We have robins all over the place and daffodils, crocus and snow drops galore. Much too soon ! I'm afraid by the time the real season for them comes they'll be finished.
  Don't be surprised if some little bulbs show up in places you where you know you didn't plant any. Ants carry the seed around and some get dropped. They work their way down and slowly grow until they are blooming size and then, surprise, there they are.I have snow drops right smack in the middle of my front yard that the ants planted from a group that were up near the house.
  Unfortunately, I lost two very close friends on Monday and Tuesday, so  Friday and Sunday will be funeral time again.
Right now I'm making a big kettle of Lima bean soup. I soaked the beans last night, so now it's starting to smell good as it burbles along.

[Ms Bear]

Diane, I am sorry about your loss.  We are getting older and need all the friends we have. Those Lima Beans sound really good, are you making corn bread to go with them?

Wilma, I hope you get your closet project finished.  The shelves will probably give you a lot more storage area and easier access.  Do you knit, crochet or both?  I can't knit and have done very little crocheting but appreciate what others do.

I did get to mow my weeds today, it was a little cool on the riding mower but the yard looks better.  Have decided to plant the Holly and enjoy the birds it will attract.

[Wilma]

Ms Bear, I mostly crochet.  I have knitted, but I don't have a vast fondness for it.  I can be so much more creative with a hook.  The one thing that I have not been able to learn is tatting.  My mother used to do a lovely job of it, but it doesn't make sense to me.  I can do the same thing with a crochet hook.  The thing I do most, now that my hands won't let me crochet like I used to, is plastic canvas.  It is fun if it doesn't drive  you batty.