tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59554455040175467932024-02-18T21:06:07.069-05:00SONYASPHERE~ DAYS IN THE LIFE OF SONYA ~SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-64610490774399595122010-04-03T20:22:00.000-04:002010-04-03T20:22:11.729-04:00CHECK OUT WANDA'S BLOG - Mini Mozartkugeln...at last!!!<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/179/85D474BF1C9B67FAD0FEB69624222DE7.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></a>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-29663776910459373462010-03-10T03:01:00.002-05:002010-03-10T03:12:24.307-05:00THE BROCHURE IS READY & THE WEBSITE IS UPDATED<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5M8XxPWY6YeSdCYsu5cw4-fhhFo_ws5erjOBx5oqtQV3dHuSg7fKIU-HdMJGnXo0MICMi30zaU2MoWXdvM8B40PP5aU6WKBduSd4CamvuyUIfi3jaQ3OPUG4GOn_EXiHob8eg1Kg7TBvx/s1600-h/052+(Small)+(2)+(WinCE).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5M8XxPWY6YeSdCYsu5cw4-fhhFo_ws5erjOBx5oqtQV3dHuSg7fKIU-HdMJGnXo0MICMi30zaU2MoWXdvM8B40PP5aU6WKBduSd4CamvuyUIfi3jaQ3OPUG4GOn_EXiHob8eg1Kg7TBvx/s320/052+(Small)+(2)+(WinCE).jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm still in the office!! I have to make a few revisions, but for the most part all the new CSA Summer Program information is updated and on-line. I'm so happy! Brochures are at the printers and I should have them any day now. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">LuLu has been helping me....but she is ready to go home!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/179/85D474BF1C9B67FAD0FEB69624222DE7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-40391138970405642712010-03-04T23:19:00.006-05:002010-03-05T00:24:49.627-05:00I SAW A ROBIN TODAY...IS SPRING REALLY AROUND THE CORNER?<div>It's still cold and miserable out there....I'm freezing....I'm sick of wearing tights everyday, I'm tired of bundling up! My skin is dry, my hair is horrible. My boots are trashed. My gloves, well, they are great (got new leather gloves for Christmas and I'm loving them). What keeps me going? I keep reminding myself that in July I will be listening to music like this.....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lhysOFB2VJVAMGXrcRJfquDj4FNflRNxFtWnHwWOh0NXuh4F3sodaCFruOCXtRUtU5NXcPjp6ztTTbVS6tSMZAojlBV8eT9LOB9owVAR7EcD1Rlsl9jx69qcacSeXTFkCWq2FbheZqBh/s1600-h/IMG_1898.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445003308687597890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lhysOFB2VJVAMGXrcRJfquDj4FNflRNxFtWnHwWOh0NXuh4F3sodaCFruOCXtRUtU5NXcPjp6ztTTbVS6tSMZAojlBV8eT9LOB9owVAR7EcD1Rlsl9jx69qcacSeXTFkCWq2FbheZqBh/s200/IMG_1898.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hDqk1liTXwB1yUZXcLPBW5U1LN0GAVJaBOVet6QCNiJecd9QNHDRTNOxC7CFo5hx72v8SpNMapUWYqxY5SPtEcKbZ-6qGMYp-b5WsN6647UxmJruMWX7hWCEYDv-9sAPTuufZ7K9LLP4/s1600-h/IMG_2288.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br />
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</div><div>With my great friends like this....</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hDqk1liTXwB1yUZXcLPBW5U1LN0GAVJaBOVet6QCNiJecd9QNHDRTNOxC7CFo5hx72v8SpNMapUWYqxY5SPtEcKbZ-6qGMYp-b5WsN6647UxmJruMWX7hWCEYDv-9sAPTuufZ7K9LLP4/s1600-h/IMG_2288.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445003307765217650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hDqk1liTXwB1yUZXcLPBW5U1LN0GAVJaBOVet6QCNiJecd9QNHDRTNOxC7CFo5hx72v8SpNMapUWYqxY5SPtEcKbZ-6qGMYp-b5WsN6647UxmJruMWX7hWCEYDv-9sAPTuufZ7K9LLP4/s200/IMG_2288.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hDqk1liTXwB1yUZXcLPBW5U1LN0GAVJaBOVet6QCNiJecd9QNHDRTNOxC7CFo5hx72v8SpNMapUWYqxY5SPtEcKbZ-6qGMYp-b5WsN6647UxmJruMWX7hWCEYDv-9sAPTuufZ7K9LLP4/s1600-h/IMG_2288.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br />
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</div><div>And eating meals like this....<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYV7dQ-M27FSrSQ8ixiZzi3vfv8DFBCiufGIAm0MAO6k-4LfFCJ8sOVozY2HsVzL0FKcahHN71lEpAcYhw_oSYwisu9Y8Rhak6MX-YRwD5e1DRPVGFaAD7L92lmWaascHCJWm0fjmChPl/s1600-h/lfrest5.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445003299503131154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYV7dQ-M27FSrSQ8ixiZzi3vfv8DFBCiufGIAm0MAO6k-4LfFCJ8sOVozY2HsVzL0FKcahHN71lEpAcYhw_oSYwisu9Y8Rhak6MX-YRwD5e1DRPVGFaAD7L92lmWaascHCJWm0fjmChPl/s200/lfrest5.gif" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYV7dQ-M27FSrSQ8ixiZzi3vfv8DFBCiufGIAm0MAO6k-4LfFCJ8sOVozY2HsVzL0FKcahHN71lEpAcYhw_oSYwisu9Y8Rhak6MX-YRwD5e1DRPVGFaAD7L92lmWaascHCJWm0fjmChPl/s1600-h/lfrest5.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br />
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</div><div>With no worries because I can work them off by doing things like this...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJP5UKnTXDcrP28w9WTWkLWpq21OwV7Xyv9WqoPacC4hthAR4G-CCaFhzBtWzIlKdnQZXILfBNhRm53Omi1_kmOn_b5mtQpWl_hhMue0LmFCWi_TUF7Ayq_uiWhs_xOYHyJmWTz9xF8e2-/s1600-h/a_bicyclists_cow_anto.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445003294997801922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJP5UKnTXDcrP28w9WTWkLWpq21OwV7Xyv9WqoPacC4hthAR4G-CCaFhzBtWzIlKdnQZXILfBNhRm53Omi1_kmOn_b5mtQpWl_hhMue0LmFCWi_TUF7Ayq_uiWhs_xOYHyJmWTz9xF8e2-/s200/a_bicyclists_cow_anto.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 140px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI24Ow4DWuUtB0LdenKqrPGYNJs3_AQyFvbd-5bpIOqSO5OPna6H5MOEqJm3lughqXeX2Uvd9Zvk44pwKSmmszo9y87kh6udycsqulxBxf9bDBE-NIFz5XJJELMqAkTH3eUYCZsjnOSQr4/s1600-h/Photo_020510_012.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></div><div><br />
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</div><div>And you can join me by checking out this.... <a href="http://www.csatours.com/">CSA's European Summer Study Program in Salzburg, Austria July 6 - 29, 2010</a></div><div><br />
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<div>Well, the snow is finally melting. On February 5th we got about 15 or more inches of snow here in downtown Slippery Rock...it started at 4:30pm and stopped the next morning....it poured snow!! It was crazy!! This photo was taken from my front porch.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>As for the office, well, here are some photos of it... summer vs winter comparisons....</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Behind our office....</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3stAFg-TTDj8BHIWbPLw-FV6niezaWFrzHuffgyCZyJBp50I7LNhv-eTsdkVpEhEWEYWMQZbuIkTUp3VpQM9tMbDV6jQ5TSp2Jad73AVCkullJhv9WPVGQREFngMVbAPez_Za89oTudyp/s1600-h/Photo_012109_004.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445000328781073106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3stAFg-TTDj8BHIWbPLw-FV6niezaWFrzHuffgyCZyJBp50I7LNhv-eTsdkVpEhEWEYWMQZbuIkTUp3VpQM9tMbDV6jQ5TSp2Jad73AVCkullJhv9WPVGQREFngMVbAPez_Za89oTudyp/s200/Photo_012109_004.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OF1XsUC4L7mvlWS2-mS7Nr6mesyennninsE21jO1Jy_pyEsYZqPL3jaKBGBSA6UYNcorH_sXPmrD0BqJQqNRTRjjR5gPJa0zlbZMrWAp2myRI2zelzn5vk-2gJZzgiM7408R3TFa8cSh/s1600-h/Photo_100207_020.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445000325760367938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OF1XsUC4L7mvlWS2-mS7Nr6mesyennninsE21jO1Jy_pyEsYZqPL3jaKBGBSA6UYNcorH_sXPmrD0BqJQqNRTRjjR5gPJa0zlbZMrWAp2myRI2zelzn5vk-2gJZzgiM7408R3TFa8cSh/s200/Photo_100207_020.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a>This is the side alley way....</div><div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VZNB8uq7yLNu15jzeiEtEXzIsRbLuZsk8jyPs6wymK5jl2QwaBF3cOjjZ9cxOo-1CfE1_IMCFhvV_a73x9QrVoHtu04Y0g5i99018QDnBZkrLM0lwBkufdqAiTUgsAHtBToSXUcU1Zkr/s1600-h/Photo_012109_005.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445000320353833122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VZNB8uq7yLNu15jzeiEtEXzIsRbLuZsk8jyPs6wymK5jl2QwaBF3cOjjZ9cxOo-1CfE1_IMCFhvV_a73x9QrVoHtu04Y0g5i99018QDnBZkrLM0lwBkufdqAiTUgsAHtBToSXUcU1Zkr/s200/Photo_012109_005.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wsJYLEgVPuFSFMDnj5HAhzEWf_GfLCgcOGJoQ7_HA2u-3XMOYXYFWKeIOmY5B9PhAtlFxepfdECKG_uKkm0h572a9iysSWHPiDuN_loIQA3FpnPFN8aFbEv_Jh9k1pKxpyr0tpIw19c-/s1600-h/Photo_100207_022.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445000310715754418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wsJYLEgVPuFSFMDnj5HAhzEWf_GfLCgcOGJoQ7_HA2u-3XMOYXYFWKeIOmY5B9PhAtlFxepfdECKG_uKkm0h572a9iysSWHPiDuN_loIQA3FpnPFN8aFbEv_Jh9k1pKxpyr0tpIw19c-/s200/Photo_100207_022.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
This is part of the Airport Orbit fleet...under what was just the beginning of that snow storm!! But Saturday morning you couldn't see tires!!!<br />
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</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKMRkRQ4Ess5e86Kp2rwoenBpysjz9SviViTUto8C7HZKx8u2AHaBse1tqrsyT2lYRC7hvJ4INTaJZUF_hlMZpdSL0sBx5u5tqjM-l7mZpEkXL0elMaiKxPzoKgE-ZdEDPqRYfQwDdOX4/s1600-h/Photo_020510_007.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445000304095287490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKMRkRQ4Ess5e86Kp2rwoenBpysjz9SviViTUto8C7HZKx8u2AHaBse1tqrsyT2lYRC7hvJ4INTaJZUF_hlMZpdSL0sBx5u5tqjM-l7mZpEkXL0elMaiKxPzoKgE-ZdEDPqRYfQwDdOX4/s200/Photo_020510_007.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; width: 200px;" /></a></div><div>We've had our share of snow this season, but we are fine, and grateful to be so. Nice evenings snuggled up by the fireplace make living in Western Pennsylvania warm and cozy....meanwhile, I'm dreaming of summertime..in Salzburg, Austria. Wanna come???</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/179/85D474BF1C9B67FAD0FEB69624222DE7.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a></div></div></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-68851886013741647242010-02-26T03:31:00.003-05:002010-02-26T03:37:53.558-05:00VIDEO: HISTORY OF THE OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgas_jkZWu7UCs0-0VfOms2tcIdNxrLU-3NVNVYxCUUMZwjrfAu5p5nsuR9rvNDrdrlQiV9e5gt3JVnSDv6RHXQ1SLNQZA-IwsodVIhqDn8KKPg9FlJ-noVHnwLsIA5A0wrQWv36HwqmNRa/s1600-h/1fortbild1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgas_jkZWu7UCs0-0VfOms2tcIdNxrLU-3NVNVYxCUUMZwjrfAu5p5nsuR9rvNDrdrlQiV9e5gt3JVnSDv6RHXQ1SLNQZA-IwsodVIhqDn8KKPg9FlJ-noVHnwLsIA5A0wrQWv36HwqmNRa/s200/1fortbild1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442468554347106658" /></a><br /><div><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzJXwO10r0DJ75_nP9bb8j14E2dWfrtD-9XhysuyHTPr4ifaQGXPBt_tYbcf4xzYFRvoa0KTbv7XHDvJcH11w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-25445388139510846042009-05-20T14:38:00.013-04:002010-02-26T03:20:34.853-05:00A SLICE OF HEAVEN TOUR FEATURING THE OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jKLkkR8MHQjSSin_DsuMH1nV2UFTbRzCfzmFaJSy0YvtiZ_2GuluKqu-jJB0HNL7nbzrhOamXaMN3nqCjF1QGW4WKlg5gmqPwF72kozQHGxMuz1Diak1ab4fGs1stttn5_zQXEkuMXMr/s1600-h/frauenkirche_thumb.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNze3ivAsedFupCMo2MHpDtLidCp4y4dg35sPLVZ8kBeeysS7JvoFAZg1W58ZFacnJLHsChq7CJA332dM-XNsWaQfOQ_9ayF0qdJg3D6faEzB_TXcD4VnSE9d5nNZ4IOrO3xeT71fV3-T/s1600-h/scene_17.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 169px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNze3ivAsedFupCMo2MHpDtLidCp4y4dg35sPLVZ8kBeeysS7JvoFAZg1W58ZFacnJLHsChq7CJA332dM-XNsWaQfOQ_9ayF0qdJg3D6faEzB_TXcD4VnSE9d5nNZ4IOrO3xeT71fV3-T/s200/scene_17.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442460607696493378" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family:Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><h2 style="text-align: justify;line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Photo: The Crucifixion Passion Play Oberammergau 2010</span></span></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: justify;line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#330033;">Hello friends...I'm finally trying to get back to my blog and I'm happy to have you checking out my lastest entry (I promise I won't wait so long to make another)...and hey, since it has been so long, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! </span></span></span></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: justify;line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#330033;">I'm pleased today to write and tell you all about one of CSA's tours this summer (the other is, of course, our annual European Summer Study Program in Salzburg, Austria). It is called A SLICE OF HEAVEN and will feature going to the world famous Oberammergau Passion Play! What is that? Well, I have video posted at the end of this entry which will inform you all about it. Now here is the information on the tour...I have a few spaces still available, so if you want them, CALL IMMEDIATELY TO MY OFFICE (1-800-443-8687). The play only takes place every 10 years...space is filling up fast and this is a once in a lifetime experience. Join me in Bavaria this summer!</span></span></span></span></h2><h2 style="line-height: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(33, 101, 151); margin-top: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0.2em; font-size:15px;">A <span class="caps">SLICE</span> OF <span class="caps">HEAVEN TOUR FEATURING THE OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY</span></h2><p style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; font-size:13px;"><br /></p><p style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; font-size:13px;">A delightful, spiritual, first-class tour planned to the last detail of Germany’s Bavaria & Austria's Salzkammergut Lake Region, focusing on getting closer to Nature, the Heavens and God. The history of the Oberammergau Passion Play begins in 1633. During the Thirty Years' War, after much suffering and also many deaths caused by plague, the surviving population of the small Bavarian village of Oberammergau vowed that they would perform the play of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ every ten years, if they were spared from extinction. They kept their promise for the first time in 1634! As early as the middle of the 18th century, spectators came to Oberammergau attracted by the great power and mystique of the play. In 2010 Oberammergau, home to skilled wood carvers since the 12th century and known for beautiful scenes from the scriptures and fairy tales painted on the walls of its traditional buildings, will perform the play for the 41st time, maintaining the continuity of this unique world-famous event.<span class="caps">CSA </span>has escorted tours to see the Oberammergau Passion Play six times, in 1960, '70, '80, '84 (the 350th year anniversary), '90, 2000<span class="caps">AND </span>will go again in 2010 to this beautiful land at the foot of the Alps, the cross roads between East, West, North and South, which offer traditional Hospitality, Peaceful Ambiance & an Enchanting, spiritual way of life. Come join us....</p><p style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; font-size:13px;"><strong>July 20-29, 2010</strong>.</p><p size="13px" style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; ">The A <span class="caps">SLICE</span> OF <span class="caps">HEAVEN TOUR </span>includes...</span></p><ul style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; font-size:13px;"><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Roundtrip International Airfare via Lufthansa German Airlines in/out Boston, MA or Newark, NJ</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Ground Transfers via private Mercedes Benz five-star motorcoach (equipped with A/C, <span class="caps">WC, </span>and beverage service) and area-wide city bus passes in Oberammergau & Salzburg</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">First Class Hotel Accommodations for 8 nights & European Buffet Breakfasts (2 in downtown Oberammergau, in the Hotel Alte Post with its frescoed facade or the chalet-style Parkhotel Sonnenhof; and 6 in the splendid Hotel Untersberg = all delightful 4 Star Superior hotels featuring Satellite-TV, mini-bar & other special in-room amenities).</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Delicious Meals: 4 lunches, 5 dinners, daily full breakfast buffets / featuring full-course, local renown cuisine that reflects the culture (also selected meals on flights)</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Comprehensive Sightseeing City Walking Tours of Munich, Oberammergau, Innsbruck, and Salzburg</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Day Excursion Tours & Entrance Fees to attractions as mentioned in the itinerary: Oberammergau Museum, Neuschwanstein Castle, Swarovski Crystal Works, Kehlsteinhaus, Dokumentation Museum, Königsee Boat Ride, Hallstadt Bone Chapel, Maria Gern and Maria Plain Pilgrimage Churches and the Salzkammergut Region</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Ticket to Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 in Category 1 Seating & Official Passion Play 2010 Program Book</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Concert in Salzburg's Schloss Mirabell Palace</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Austrian Folk Dance & Music Program</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Invitation to the <span class="caps">CSA</span> Summer Study Program’s Finale Performance Program (music & entertainment)</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; "><span class="caps">CSA</span> Escort, Bill Schneberger throughout tour.</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">All Tourist US & German & Austrian Departure and <span class="caps">VAT</span>taxes, all custom fees, all tips and service charges at hotels (except for individually requested personal services, such as room service, mini-bar usage, laundry, etc.)</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">All road/Autobahn/bridge service charges, taxes & tolls and all border crossing fees.</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Portage of 1 suitcase per person in/out of all hotels.</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Automatic $100,000 Flight Insurance Coverage.</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Travel Documents, <span class="caps">CSA</span> Luggage Tags, and Informative Pre-Departure & Return <span class="caps">CSA</span> News Letters.</li></ul><p style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; font-size:13px;"><span class="caps">NOT INCLUDED</span>: Passport fees, Visa fees (there are no Visa requirements for passengers traveling on a <span class="caps">U.S. </span>or Canadian Passport), Accident, baggage & trip cancellation/interruption insurance and/or insurance of any kind (highly recommended – travel insurance forms sent in advance of departure, costs range from $164+ depending on age of participant), Connecting flights/transportation to/from gateway city (arranged on request), 4 lunches & 3 dinners, beverages during meals (standard beverages always included for all breakfasts), items of a personal nature (such as but not limited to room service, valet costs, use of in-room mini-bar contents, telephone, fax, internet, laundry charges, beverages, fees), single room supplements, room upgrades, rooms other than noted, etc.). Although very rare, the price of the tour does not cover any cost or expense associated with your return home, should you leave the tour for any reason, including, but not limited to illness or as a result of official action by the government of any country visited.</p><h2 style="line-height: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(33, 101, 151); margin-top: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0.2em; font-size:15px;">A <span class="caps">SLICE</span> OF <span class="caps">HEAVEN TOUR ITINERARY</span></h2><ul style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; font-size:13px;"><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Day 1 - Tuesday - July 20 Our Tour departures are from Boston's Logan & Newark’s Liberty International Airports, where we board the comfortable and convenient Lufthansa direct flights to Munich, Germany. Meals are served during flights. Beverages, Music and Movies are provided for our enjoyment. D/B</li></ul><ul size="13px" style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Day 2 - Wednesday - July 21 <strong>Welcome to Bavaria!</strong> After our morning arrival, we board our private motorcoach along with our <span class="caps">CSA</span> Escort, Bill Schneberger, to start our very own Slice of Heaven Tour. We travel nearby to downtown Munich for a leisurely city walking tour of the downtown area (schedule to depend on punctual arrival of flights) with a visit to the gothic Frauenkirche (Cathedral of our Blessed Lady): a major city landmark with its Twin Towers; then the old parish Church of St. Peter; and Marienplatz, the heart of the city, to see the neo-Gothic Rathaus with its world famous Carillon (Glockenspiel). We enjoy a traditional Munich lunch of Rostbratwurst with Sauerkraut and herbed-potatoes in the Ratskeller (concealed in the basement of the Rathaus, a true Bavarian Beer-Cellar restaurant complete with beamed, vaulted & frescoed ceilings, medieval lanterns and Fräulein waitresses in costume!). Time after lunch to visit the Viktualeinmarkt, then we ride through the beautiful Bavarian countryside to the festival town of Oberammergau. En route we make a stop at the Benedictine Monastery Ettal, founded in 1330 by Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian. Upon arrival we make our hotel check-in then enjoy relaxed dinner in hotel and overnight. Sweet dreams! B/L/D</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Day 3 - Thursday - July 22 After a good nights rest and delightful breakfast, we enjoy a walking tour of the picturesque and quaint Oberammergau with a local guide, make stops at the Museum and several famous wood-carving shops; with plenty of opportunities for shopping and photos in this amazing village. Every inch of this place oozes Charm and History. Return to hotel for lunch, then spend the afternoon and evening in the magnificent Passion Play Theater viewing the spectacularly moving Passion Play production depicting the life and death of Jesus Christ. During the two hour intermission our dinner is served at the hotel. Return to hotel for overnight. B/L/D</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Day 4 - Friday - July 23 We begin our magical day by traveling nearby to the 700-year-old town of Fussen, situated at the southern end of the Romanic Road; set before the impressive backdrop of the Alps and the Zugspitze (Germany’s highest mountain). We enjoy an almost Royal horse-drawn Carriage Ride up to King Ludwig II’s Neuschwanstein to take a guided tour and an intimate look at this Fairy-Tale Fantasy castle. Next we meander on via the scenic, snow-capped mountain road en route to Innsbruck, Austria for a city walking tour with time provided for lunch and shopping on our own. Once on our way to Salzburg we make a stop in Wattens at the Swarovski Crystal Works to tour the international showroom, museum, gardens and factory shop and see the world through Crystal Eyes, a fascinating experience. Arrive in the evening at Salzburg’s perfectly located Hotel Untersberg, nestled at the very foot of Austria’s magnificent Untersberg (mountain). Hotel check-in, dinner in the hotel’s locally celebrated restaurant, overnight. B/D</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Day 5 - Saturday - July 24 After some peaceful rest and perhaps a morning glimpse of seeing the neighboring cable car climb up into the clouds, we go into the simply wonderful downtown Salzburg, where our comprehensive walking tour includes: the Dom Cathedral (774 AD), 13th century St. Peter’s Church and Cemetery, & the world famous pedestrian shopping street – the Getridegasse – with Mozart’s Birthhouse, the Residence Square and grandiose fountain, the Festspielehaus (International Festival Hall) and uber-manicured Mirabell Gardens. Afternoon free for touring and sightseeing on own, return to hotel to dress for our delicious Feinschmecher (gourmet) ‘Dinner & Concert’ in Schloß Mirabell (the Mirabell Palace, a Baroque masterpiece built under the reign of Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau in 1606). The Salzburger Schlosskonzerte, held in the most resplendent of concert halls, the Marmorsaal (Marble Hall), belongs to one of the world’s largest concert series. Needless to say, the hills are alive with the sound of music. Private bus transport return to hotel, overnight. B/D</li><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; ">Day 6 - Sunday - July 25 This calm and serene Sunday morning we go into the city to attend Church. You may remain in one Church for an entire service or 'church hop' with your tour escort, providing an opportunity to see and hear several incredible Masses... in the Dom Cathedral, opulent St. Peter's and the stately, ecclesiastical Franziskanerkirche… truly a Glorious Morning. Afternoon free; touring and sightseeing on own (tour the Hohensalzburg Fortress, Schloß Hellbrunn, Residence State rooms; enjoy a performance at the Marionnetten Theater or the 5 o'clock concert at St. Peter's; rent a bike for the afternoon; tour the Stiegl Beer Brewery; visit the Haydn/Baroque/Modern Art or Toy museums or just spend the day in the city strolling along the Salzach river and roaming the city.) We are Salzburg specialists at <span class="caps">CSA</span>! Ask and Ye Shall Receive recommendations aplenty on what to See & Do!! Return on own to hotel, overnight. B<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "></span></li></ul><ul size="13px" style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; ">Day 7 - Monday - July 26 We take an exhilarating excursion to Berchtesgaden and Königsee, Germany today. First we drive (via private motor-coach) a stunning route through lush Alpine meadows, craggy mountain peaks, and green forests into the charming town of Berchtesgaden to visit the educational Dokumentation Obersalzberg, a museum and gallery which offers a thorough examination of the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Then we take private buses up the Kehlstein (mountain) enjoying truly spectacular panoramic views to the Kehlsteinhaus (Hitler’s holiday retreat, The Eagle’s Nest). Next we venture through a tunnel lined with panels of natural rock, continuing on to ride Hitler’s grandiose brass-plated elevator up into the nest! Upon our descent, we progress once again up into the mountains as far as the roads will permit, to behold the discrete & divine pilgrimage church, Maria Gern, which offers a wealth of breathtaking scenery. Every glance around the hills will make you want to yodel! Next, our lunch stop just minutes away is at the marvelous mountain guest house, Gasthof Duerrlehen, where we feast on the local delicacy, Baurenschmauß (Farmer’s Delight), fresh local sauerkraut, home made Semmelknödel (bread dumpling), Kochwurst, smoked pork loin & roasted pork shank, followed by Hausgebacht Topfenstrudel (homemade sweet cottage cheese strudel) for dessert. Perhaps wash it all down with locally brewed Wheat beer…or Farmer’s Schnapps to experience true Gemütlichkeit!? After this sumptuous meal, we continue our journey to the crystal-clear glacial Lake Königssee (King’s Lake) dwarfed by Mount Watzmann and situated in the heart of the Berchtesgaden National Park. There we take a tranquil electric motor boat ride on the shimmering emerald-green waters to the architectural jewel, St. Barthololomä (patron saint of alpine herdsmen & milkmaids), a Catholic pilgrimage chapel on the Hirschau peninsula dating back to the 12th century which features two Onion domes, a red domed roof and beautiful stucco-work. Neighboring the chapel stands the former hunting lodge of Berchtesgaden's Prince-Provosts and Bavaria's Kings. This haven of peace and quiet is truly Heaven on earth. Return in evening, dinner on own, overnight. B/L</span></li><ul size="13px" style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "></ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; ">Day 8 - Tuesday - July 27 Our adventure leads us today to the breathtaking Salzkammergut region (Estate of the Salt Chamber) stretching from Salzburg to the Dachstein, a magical world of fresh air, unspoilt nature, evergreen forests, deep lakes and landscapes full of joie de vivre! Our first stop is at the hilltop shrine Maria Plain pilgrimage church, home to a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary which was crowned in 1751 (for which Mozart composed his Coronation Mass Krönungsmesse). Then on to nearby Mondsee (Moon Lake), a small picturesque village on the northern tip of a crescent-shaped lake, to promenade along the picturesque market square lined with colorful buildings to the parish of Pfarrkirche St. Michael, formerly a monastery church of Benedictine monks (also the wedding church used for the filming The Sound of Music). Next, to the ancient town St. Wolfgang along one of Austria’s most romantic lakes, Wolfgangsee to see the famous polyptych by Michael Pacher; the intricate and masterfully carved altarpiece in the Pfarrkirche St. Wolfgang…a site to behold. We enjoy lunch by the lake at the Gasthof Pension Falkenstein, where the Hödlmoser Familie will prepare a menu full of culinary delights from the region: Frittatensuppe (crepe soup), Mostbratel (beef filet cooked in cider casserole), gemischter Salat (mixed salad) and Upper Austria’s specialty dessert, Hausgemachter Linzertorte (yum!). After lunch we continue to one of Austria’s World Cultural Heritage sites, Hallstatt, squeezed into a narrow tract of land between the cliffs and alluring Lake Hallstättersee. This quaint town is considered to be Salzkammergut’s “Cradle of Civilization” and captures the hearts of all who see it! Here we stroll the compressed passageways lined with charming shops and cafes. Our purpose here is to visit the “Beinhaus” (bone house), part of the Catholic parish church since 1720 and created because cremation was not allowed in former days. We see in person why this town is truly a World Heritage site. A day well spent in this treasury of heavenly life. Return in early evening, dinner on own, overnight. B/L</span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span><ul style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; font-size:13px;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; ">Day 9 - Wednesday - July 28 This morning, attend <span class="caps">CSA</span> 2010 Summer Study Program's student performance Concert in the nearby Grödiger Hauptschule or enjoy this last day on your own, exploring the enticing and numerous offerings abound! This evening, we celebrate with a Farewell party complete with traditional Austrian food, music and folk dancing in the popular Ceremonial Hall of the enchanting Gasthof Schorn, owned and operated by the Familie Ziegler since 1880. Return to hotel (across the street), overnight. B/D</span></li></ul><ul style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; font-size:13px;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px; ">Day 10 - Thursday - July 29 After an early morning breakfast, we board our motorcoach (alas!) and travel to the Munich International Airport for our return to <span class="caps">USA, </span>where we arrive stateside on the same day with lifelong memories of our own personal Slice of Heaven.<strong>Danke schön und Auf Wiedersehen! God Bless and Enjoy Your Slice!</strong></span></li></ul><ul size="13px" style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><li style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "></span></li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 62px; "><p size="13px" style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(33, 101, 151); line-height: 19px; font-size:15px;">A <span class="caps">SLICE</span> OF <span class="caps">HEAVEN TOUR ESCORT</span>:</span></strong>. William ‘Bill’ Schneberger, Art History Professor at Bergen Community College and recently retired Fine Arts/Art History teacher at Northern Valley Regional High School, has taught Fine Arts and Art History for over twenty years at both the high school and college levels. Bill holds <span class="caps">B.A. </span>and <span class="caps">M.A. </span>degrees and studied in a doctoral program at Columbia University. He is a Fulbright scholar (Belgium/Netherlands), a Bard Fellowship Recipient and has studied in Italy as a National Endowment for the Humanities Scholar. Bill is also a recipient of the <span class="caps">R.I.S.D.</span> Honors Program for Excellence in Art Education Award, the Baltimore Institute College of Art Teaching Award, the New Jersey Governor's Teaching Award, and has been named ‘Northern Valley Teacher of the Year’ and ‘Bergen County Teacher of the Year Award.’ He has also been honored at the White House as Advisor to the Northern Valley Academic Decathlon Team. Bill has a passion for travel and foreign study and has many years of leadership experience in European travel. Bill has been a Staff Member of <span class="caps">CSA</span>’s European Summer Study Program in Salzburg, Austria and associated with <span class="caps">CSA </span>since 1991. Bill’s affable nature, commitment to learning and zest for life virtually ensures all participants of a quality travel experience filled with enjoyment & lasting memories.</p><h2 style="line-height: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(33, 101, 151); margin-top: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0.2em; font-size:15px;"><span class="caps">TOUR COST</span>:</h2><p style="line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; ">$4995 per person adult/double<br />$4795 per person child (11 years or under on 7/20/10 with accompanied adult)<br />$500 Single Room Supplement (limited & offered on a 1st request/receive basis)<br />$200 Optional Flight Deviation Fee (depart earlier or stay longer, call <span class="caps">CSA </span>for details).<br />[$500 per person deposit due with all reservations - Payment in full due 5/1/10]</p><h2 style="line-height: 1.3em; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(33, 101, 151); margin-top: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0.2em; font-size:15px;"><span class="caps">RESERVATIONS</span>:</h2><p style="line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; ">To reserve space on this tour, complete the reservation form & mail it to the address indicated with a $500 deposit to “CSA Tours”. Deposits and payments can be paid by check, money order or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover). Since the tour is limited in size, interested persons should apply as soon as possible to begin processing and confirm availability.<strong>Reservations are accepted as long as vacancies remain.</strong><em>For immediate reservations via credit card, call 1-800-443-8687.</em><strong>The deadline for accepting reservations is March 26, 2010.</strong>All reservations will be acknowledged in writing.</p></span></li></span></ul></span><p></p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxlKIfYQFwxA-HPFcmao0BKIZpxX6Wt8-xxRs9A0WP_-q0cXe_-utkXRRrmDTD3wiKZLMQwaAsKo9MN4GJzJA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-37237422468315416712009-03-18T14:32:00.013-04:002009-03-18T19:45:49.512-04:00WHAT IS THE BASIC IDEA OF THIS BLOG ANYWAY?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, I've sort of started semi-promoting <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">SONYASHPERE</span> on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Facebook</span>...and therefore thinking perhaps I need to return to the basic idea of it and stop posting photos of adorable baby animals just in case people (other than </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://wandalenz.blogspot.com/">Wanda</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">) actually start reading it!!! </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />What is the basic idea of this blog?</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Well, at first, it was to post the day-to-day activities of </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.csatours.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">CSA's</span> European Summer Study Program</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> so that the participant's friends &</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> family back home in the good ole' USA could see what we were up to, where we were, check out adventures along with us, and feel like there were there with us. I did fairly well with it, although I have to admit that towards the end of the summer I just posted photos and stopped writing details...I just didn't <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">hav</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e enough time in the day to keep the blog going full scale (and besides, I was in Europe, free time was better spent out and about, not in some smoke filled Internet cafe!). Later, when the group returned to the States, I wanted to keep my readers informed about myself, my life and my work going-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ons</span>...but again, it's not easy keeping a blog every day. I found that my main p</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">roblem</span> is knowing what to write about, and my second problem is finding the time to write!</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> So, I have decided to keep it simple, without going the Twitter route...I mean I just don't think there is an audience out there needing and anxiously waiting to know my activities on an hourly up-to-date basis...and if there is, well, in the famous words of the dear and darling (not!) Sarah <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Palin</span>, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks, but no thanks</span>." So, it's decided, I'm going to write about and/or post photos of things that are happening or have happened to me that YOU, my readers, may find interesting because I do or did! Don't like it? Find another blog...there are thousands upon thousands out there!</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, on my mind right now...well, over the weekend I went to my </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">best friend, Sherri's daughter Kaitlynn's ice skating competition. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Katilynn</span> got interested in taking skating lessons after Sherri took Kaitlynn and her younger brother, Shane, to a skating rink a year or so ago, for an afternoon of fun. Kaitlynn took to it and asked if she could take lessons. She just loves it...and she is quite good. Now, as for the whole ice skating competition set up? It was of course new to me...I've never been to a skating competition, my exposure to skating overall was limited to watching the winter Olympics on television, shoveling off and skating on ice covered ponds in the Pocono Mountains as a child </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">(a great family <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ev</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ent</span> with wonderful memories....all four of us <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Lenz</span> girls had our very own pairs of beautiful, bright, white skates and I thought I was a Princess when I wore them!) and the occasional pay-to-skate-type rink excursion...last one I went to was maybe 10 years ago when all my nieces and nephews were young children and we went to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Oglebay</span> resort in West Virginia for a family gathering (it was great fun then too...oh what a time we had!!!). </span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1azXKQ8mKg1lQ7V50EbydWi6SOTnyEj0pu7Wi109Hhft31sHhI0dTBuoTLOKS4nf6GRafP0Wd9aCwrxsUMACcFsGXLDrQtayJBsBxBLqHcHdPZgssP85nXeufFuIzEoxiKQKUifKdu3XO/s1600-h/RMCskate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1azXKQ8mKg1lQ7V50EbydWi6SOTnyEj0pu7Wi109Hhft31sHhI0dTBuoTLOKS4nf6GRafP0Wd9aCwrxsUMACcFsGXLDrQtayJBsBxBLqHcHdPZgssP85nXeufFuIzEoxiKQKUifKdu3XO/s200/RMCskate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314611185101529090" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, the entire set up for this competition was impressive, it was held in the <a href="http://www.rmucolonials.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13900&KEY=&ATCLID=826356">Robert Morris College's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Clearview</span> Arena in Moon Township</a> skating facility (along the Ohio River), the building that we we were in has two rinks in it and both had students competing on them at all times. The lobby area, of course, has a massive food concession stand...a racket that any youth sporting event is bound to have, and why not? People are there for hours...and everyone knows that good <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Pittsburghers</span> are always going to need to be near nacho chips covered with fluorescent orange c</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">heese</span>-goop in order to make it through the day! Vending machines were also well at hand, M&M's, Skittles and Snickers were quite plentiful. Of course the skating related concessions were set up too....who knew there were so many things to buy? I had an idea because Monique's kids and my nephews and niece are involved in sports...so I am well aware that things like uniforms, the 'cool' shoes, the knee pads, the 'this' and the 'that' will all need to be purchased in order to be a player (and the players will of course all be selling crappy, cheaply made junk items to raise funds...things that I will of course buy and pile up in my basement for future use or more likely future donation-give-a-ways!) But I had no idea of the range of skate related concessions....from designer skate carry bags with wheels - not just any wheels, but wheels that light up when in motion...upgradable to a designer skate c</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">arry</span> bags with lighted wheels and a built in seat (probably because the metal benches in skating rinks get really, really COLD)....from not just $350+ skating costumes and the variety of tights (over the skate, under the skate, in the skate) that go with them but to the many types of hair ornaments, hair pieces, hair attachments, hair bows, hair combs, and ribbons!!! It was fascinating!<br /><br />It's a world of skating.....a world I don't know and a world Sherri (and her pocketbook, I'm sure) are getting to know very well. How can she not, Kaitlynn is adorable and her only daughter. Kaitlynn's Grandparents and Aunt were there too...I am sure they can't resist buying h</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">er anything she may want or need! The program guide was too involved to even glance through, Sherri tried to explain the various levels, their meanings and descriptions....I ended up just watching the show - that was good for me! The little ones did routines in outfits with props (made by their mothers), we watched one dressed up as a chimney sweep skating to the song "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Chim</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Chim</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Cheree</span>" (by Dick Van Dyke) from Mary Poppins (yes, I sang along!)...so creative and adorable! The older more advanced routines must be skated to songs with no lyrics, there are evidently quite a few major rules, which makes sense. There was even one level of students that skated to NO MUSIC, it was sort of strange to watch, but again made sense, they were evaluated on their skills and techniques, not on how they kept to the music.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I really enjoyed being there and learned so much and so did Nicole (my niece and spunky side-kick who joined me for the day)....we were very impressed with the whole thing! Kaitlynn won two gold metals and one silver! Wonderful! Afterward, we decided to go and have lunch...we thought we would just drive down the road and find some restaurant but just a few blocks away we realized that the Neville Island area only really has that huge skating complex....and dumpy old local dive bars...not exactly the place to go with two young girls (or alone for that matter) so we jumped on I-79 and headed to Robinson Town Center area...and found an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Applebee's</span> (funny, the last time I had been to one was with Sherri and her kids, years ago, when she lived on the other side of the city!)....Nicole</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> had ribs, Kaitlynn had Mac & Cheese and Sherri and I split an assorted appetizer plate (not bad!)...and the four of us ordered two <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">delicous</span> fudge covered brownie desserts with ice cream (with four spoons!)...we laughed and told stories of the old days...great fun!<br /><br />I was also happy to keep the deal...by this I mean the "St. Patrick's Day Oath" that Sherri and I made to each other back in 1984! My parents were out of town and we had a party at my house (sorry Mom, I swear we behaved!)...we were seniors in high school, my sister Erica was "in charge" and didn't care what we did, so we had a party and we bought green food coloring so that anyone who wanted to enter the house had to let us squirt it on their tongues (and all over the inside of their mouths!!! it was a total mess!)...we had a great time that night and the next morning made an oath to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">each other</span> that no matter where we were in the world when we got older that we would try and g</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">et</span> together for St. Patrick's Day! We haven't kept it every year...I lived in South Korea and Houston for most of the 90's and she was busy raising three kids, but in recent years, now that we live closer to each other, we are doing pretty good with it. It wasn't actually the 17<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">th</span> of March on Saturday, but it was close enough...and we were together, that's what friendship is all about!!!<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgP1v9QGTMiYr01clerouCeksVyDDytHeS8kZkB8FOpdyMufQHp9ohsPGjRTqI6PfI6h3blIT7ZyNePvbzYr0d0U7Tu7r0RVc2LImdrvLjcW_EXFQrEg4MuEqTDW2uyKikY3aZ8KIrHlyv/s1600-h/Photo_031409_002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgP1v9QGTMiYr01clerouCeksVyDDytHeS8kZkB8FOpdyMufQHp9ohsPGjRTqI6PfI6h3blIT7ZyNePvbzYr0d0U7Tu7r0RVc2LImdrvLjcW_EXFQrEg4MuEqTDW2uyKikY3aZ8KIrHlyv/s200/Photo_031409_002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314676891715983858" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After lunch we went our separate ways...Nicole and I headed for Cranberry to do a bit of shopping...first stop <a href="http://www.michaels.com/">Michael's</a> the craft store, because I wanted to find some nice Spring t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">ype</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">faux</span> flowers for the office and well, because I love to walk around and check everything out in that store! We had so much fun, trying on stuff, touching everything, being a bit silly, it was great! Next stop, Costco, I needed water and a few things, they were closing and we just got inside the doors! We ran down the aisles, grabbed our goods and were out! It was a great day...and the weather grew warmer throughout...SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!! Can't wait to start wearing open-toed shoes!<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /></span></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-50043190963094746682009-03-04T16:42:00.003-05:002009-03-04T16:48:30.230-05:00MORE BABY ANIMALS<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmh282OeXHpApilSKUXPpvrDTp_NPd3NzXCtoLaS33xNGAKj22LalJVD9q2wZrhlh5ENOM1gCl8bRmhyeaW38P4K25NK4C0En4fl6FdZCjLFucVnFMcvJ6KYjcIqk-gkdztsk1gLYoOrSu/s1600-h/yorkie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmh282OeXHpApilSKUXPpvrDTp_NPd3NzXCtoLaS33xNGAKj22LalJVD9q2wZrhlh5ENOM1gCl8bRmhyeaW38P4K25NK4C0En4fl6FdZCjLFucVnFMcvJ6KYjcIqk-gkdztsk1gLYoOrSu/s200/yorkie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309451788901189442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Well, Wanda (my sister) said that she is going to go searching for more baby animal photos...and so i just had to beat her to the punch....I'm starting off with "ADORABLE" see the baby Yorkie (not LuLu, by the way) photo above....and working DOWN to this next sweet little pup....</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDuH19wG9zAkf_5D2w2TimoQxl6APwXAQkEjidfSo2hImHkxjy-lCXHXzu572JB79589SlZDKbj4heQBxezpmOC4i5_ilGPyZl0lkU3e55aoPx7459TwQilPmoPKwa2ICmgLguyK46o8w/s1600-h/images-5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDuH19wG9zAkf_5D2w2TimoQxl6APwXAQkEjidfSo2hImHkxjy-lCXHXzu572JB79589SlZDKbj4heQBxezpmOC4i5_ilGPyZl0lkU3e55aoPx7459TwQilPmoPKwa2ICmgLguyK46o8w/s200/images-5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309451787609228562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Continuing on down to this sweet, but I'm sure not so sweet baby skunk.....</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1Ig25bzoXiolW3SVFiR6JXou0YI46isj0Fvh6VDsVAfk2xI_05oc4TvPEn6OEKFtWJa2TKXhrFXVY9wwpH65folC_ALmBaVYrUDMwOJh4BCLtoCjfEAWngj-VfiTKdm7IZwHTauL7Flj/s1600-h/baby+snunk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 86px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1Ig25bzoXiolW3SVFiR6JXou0YI46isj0Fvh6VDsVAfk2xI_05oc4TvPEn6OEKFtWJa2TKXhrFXVY9wwpH65folC_ALmBaVYrUDMwOJh4BCLtoCjfEAWngj-VfiTKdm7IZwHTauL7Flj/s200/baby+snunk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309451785579619346" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">OK...you THINK I've hit bottom with this baby bird...but wait.....</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQz9G8NWEeRWn49u1FrCkyoac5Xgj2J29XVVNRzL9VDUbWbW1z9i8X2AwEtGNxVpzmHjaGrZqvwSYSWIuX_1MojU6BhaxFZLl0xnM9NeF7CD0rj88zguh26qdNu-zV0fqlokwvA3xNykTL/s1600-h/baby+bird.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQz9G8NWEeRWn49u1FrCkyoac5Xgj2J29XVVNRzL9VDUbWbW1z9i8X2AwEtGNxVpzmHjaGrZqvwSYSWIuX_1MojU6BhaxFZLl0xnM9NeF7CD0rj88zguh26qdNu-zV0fqlokwvA3xNykTL/s200/baby+bird.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309451783904195346" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">THIS is a baby porcupine...is it cute or horrible? YOU decide!!!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwUuGi4ztQ7_Lfr3krahgrYmx1gTa9FfIzlQp9_B_yDdueY06bvHrlyReIRTjGJBc9rP5BNQWlgGQq01K9al14whcNxW7OKa1py6zXP4jT-ckC4IvK1NywEwtWkhobpWjNtACmqlvMKkN/s1600-h/050428_babyporcupine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwUuGi4ztQ7_Lfr3krahgrYmx1gTa9FfIzlQp9_B_yDdueY06bvHrlyReIRTjGJBc9rP5BNQWlgGQq01K9al14whcNxW7OKa1py6zXP4jT-ckC4IvK1NywEwtWkhobpWjNtACmqlvMKkN/s200/050428_babyporcupine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309451779665940242" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Sorry, it's a busy day in the office...no time to blog more!!!</span>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-56148836656220025112009-03-03T12:05:00.004-05:002009-03-03T12:18:53.787-05:00THE DINGMAN BOYS<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I just wanted to share some photos of my sister Susan's (and her husband Steve's) boys..my nephews, Mathias and Alex Dingman. They are from Columbia, South Carolina, so I unfortunately did not get to see them growing up as often as I would have liked...and now they are all grown up! I actually still imagine them as younger boys...something I think all Aunts probably do with their nieces and nephews. I can still see Mathias in the yard playing catch, age about 4, and hearing his little voice call out </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">"I like that, that's wonderful!</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">"...always smiling and ready to try new things. Mathias is the oldest, he went to the Kirov Ballet School in Washington D.C. (from age 12 until is graduation)..and now he dances for the Birmingham Ballet Company.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn9Qk1_i2NF0jPgt3H86XDf-QuyTrHRXByXW82z2DgFMkzZztIIAtMOUg-UwNRCGdRau12mwbBDXVfiXV96q8KIo0fgIWytIP5ZaDkOfu2q86tH94kULoY1mXV1fSo9rS46pxtSlkXH_i/s1600-h/Mathias+Dingman,+Hunter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn9Qk1_i2NF0jPgt3H86XDf-QuyTrHRXByXW82z2DgFMkzZztIIAtMOUg-UwNRCGdRau12mwbBDXVfiXV96q8KIo0fgIWytIP5ZaDkOfu2q86tH94kULoY1mXV1fSo9rS46pxtSlkXH_i/s200/Mathias+Dingman,+Hunter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309009877108872946" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Mathias girlfriend, Laura-Jane, is also a dancer. They make a beautiful couple.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRWDrH-TkWz28tjEyVnTurreVi91ThNimdgwJHRrQb2dkEgmTtxtCVvXXMOcCgQ9-nmIgCTKGev0dTOFfwdy0VShokraW-Ndalmel8d6qk8_zH2sk0KwhWzlfeKwqtd-OJRyq3jAaGLFZ/s1600-h/Mathias+and+Laura-Jane,+dinner+at+an+Italian+restaurant.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRWDrH-TkWz28tjEyVnTurreVi91ThNimdgwJHRrQb2dkEgmTtxtCVvXXMOcCgQ9-nmIgCTKGev0dTOFfwdy0VShokraW-Ndalmel8d6qk8_zH2sk0KwhWzlfeKwqtd-OJRyq3jAaGLFZ/s200/Mathias+and+Laura-Jane,+dinner+at+an+Italian+restaurant.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309009022797366466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I can still imagine Alex as a young boy...he was so adorable...it was hard not to just constantly grab and hug him...he still is that way to me now, but of course he is a young man and it's totally un-cool to have Auntie Sonya hugging and squeezing him all the time!! Alex is an adventurer, I can see him climbing mountains and going on exotic travels in a few years...he has the world ahead of him!</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmktE9d2UVp89ht7qqFDg8OcHqGb_sJcnSGNgql2XxVcGtsuyDiAMZ6Qp0ROAitIZP_0VZurHLOqdGz4x17e2bef5boiyDMBscGg3RZ2vH9mvTDylAl5FEn33TVFW7uthAz07rnPb62Xc/s1600-h/Alex+and+his+long+board.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmktE9d2UVp89ht7qqFDg8OcHqGb_sJcnSGNgql2XxVcGtsuyDiAMZ6Qp0ROAitIZP_0VZurHLOqdGz4x17e2bef5boiyDMBscGg3RZ2vH9mvTDylAl5FEn33TVFW7uthAz07rnPb62Xc/s200/Alex+and+his+long+board.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309009020518933634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Here he is with his girlfriend, Erika. ..another beautiful couple! </span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNb3EX5XSI1qk9io7xgsE45C3eKEnU8tHKUhFDUxA0MeAbOF4TnZez9X_k9uSCjuvtdJn-xXwWk3RkxEXu2dZF6zojhS9VUkgZ-JexzFoCtTxBXedJWHLc4eKq54kgbfihZlkNHSumC4r/s1600-h/Alex+and+Erica.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNb3EX5XSI1qk9io7xgsE45C3eKEnU8tHKUhFDUxA0MeAbOF4TnZez9X_k9uSCjuvtdJn-xXwWk3RkxEXu2dZF6zojhS9VUkgZ-JexzFoCtTxBXedJWHLc4eKq54kgbfihZlkNHSumC4r/s200/Alex+and+Erica.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309009017848736210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The Dingman boys are all grown up...but they will always be my little sweeties!</span> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5r6UrqLebo-BC8rkIb-IuclXAvSY12J1AyVcMfXE9U_lYkDkiWD1Wmu73NTLAfrrvGfWwyGD1_qdHQZKFFkEuQ3H1Olh6ucDWUrrXWrT8xhhyphenhyphen-ysg8PMGwxeXk_1t4cwwUgZ_4MqLxLS5/s1600-h/A+Day+at+the+Beach,%2B6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5r6UrqLebo-BC8rkIb-IuclXAvSY12J1AyVcMfXE9U_lYkDkiWD1Wmu73NTLAfrrvGfWwyGD1_qdHQZKFFkEuQ3H1Olh6ucDWUrrXWrT8xhhyphenhyphen-ysg8PMGwxeXk_1t4cwwUgZ_4MqLxLS5/s200/A+Day+at+the+Beach,%2B6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309009018668486658" border="0" /></a>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-57152921955513936392009-02-27T14:17:00.003-05:002009-02-27T14:22:11.910-05:00BABY ANIMALS<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfBEkpuwO7Ypi3xQkMB-16yWruL3l7r2I04SpEtzvL8IR67VfVMQHqx0tJiGMThr1g0XERjnoh214i4jgZUpkvPCutXzCvu5T-uPpD2sgcXGD01jRGl_ojpOjeZChaMXOkUOYn5pCuW3t/s1600-h/capt.f2dad86c35a4429698a0f4378608a420.baby_aardvark_ny117.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfBEkpuwO7Ypi3xQkMB-16yWruL3l7r2I04SpEtzvL8IR67VfVMQHqx0tJiGMThr1g0XERjnoh214i4jgZUpkvPCutXzCvu5T-uPpD2sgcXGD01jRGl_ojpOjeZChaMXOkUOYn5pCuW3t/s200/capt.f2dad86c35a4429698a0f4378608a420.baby_aardvark_ny117.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307558747039718674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">A BABY AARDVARK</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vkpRoKWFCl5bZw_ltaRAvFGbFHFSD1Fwk9tMGcRtBgHX0KJ2OL29Vykj0c-pA4LxmZe_U0lluaev56jwJnEGkrGb7zCI6uEriz0kt4LBHpEGYkvs5lUKGPYj0v3QAdi_LHALAfS_8hrx/s1600-h/Baby+Panda.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vkpRoKWFCl5bZw_ltaRAvFGbFHFSD1Fwk9tMGcRtBgHX0KJ2OL29Vykj0c-pA4LxmZe_U0lluaev56jwJnEGkrGb7zCI6uEriz0kt4LBHpEGYkvs5lUKGPYj0v3QAdi_LHALAfS_8hrx/s200/Baby+Panda.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307558747492557282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">A BABY PANDA</span><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">OK, I know, I obviously love animals....and of course BABY animals are even better...but check out these two...have you ever seen such sweeties?!?! Would you even have been able to tell what animal the baby panda was??? Just had to share them with you.</span><br /></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-44614055483423490752009-02-24T15:48:00.010-05:002009-02-24T18:45:51.687-05:00HEDGEHOGS!!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEfxTOForl3hh23JQ_kDSwvBVRs1EXKU-_gwakOnknLDWk-ZEELjeYNDaL_HQdoXmTBu74KMWXKt5zTLhs-8oD2ZddtPqxbYuOVWbhvZhbc-d1nuH6umDgA3r79M1__7UjhjSDKT3hWMl/s1600-h/Tenzing+Day+36+02+small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEfxTOForl3hh23JQ_kDSwvBVRs1EXKU-_gwakOnknLDWk-ZEELjeYNDaL_HQdoXmTBu74KMWXKt5zTLhs-8oD2ZddtPqxbYuOVWbhvZhbc-d1nuH6umDgA3r79M1__7UjhjSDKT3hWMl/s200/Tenzing+Day+36+02+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306514035574616274" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Could this be my new office assistant??</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOihLU0NhjbMrTXRAzjIAz78d94Xk6Z-BetVtzGtzux9_taulNfJ9eeinNH4iBPBL1hVMfPR11xskEObYC7o3pqGjH-dmYqWdywb82id59eS0UYoUu7F237fwMk-t8hyphenhyphen08NSzeALqQfSK/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOihLU0NhjbMrTXRAzjIAz78d94Xk6Z-BetVtzGtzux9_taulNfJ9eeinNH4iBPBL1hVMfPR11xskEObYC7o3pqGjH-dmYqWdywb82id59eS0UYoUu7F237fwMk-t8hyphenhyphen08NSzeALqQfSK/s200/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306478315608674802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Yes...this is a little baby HEDGEHOG on an apple!</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCH8nfB34rUZ47q0viS9HhoMOVIlMoCIUr5lJ98tjV26CR-QbDCfoPtm_6vmeeCEEOoaBhtYuWxeIFl1B_f8H7JgWl73pOCtZS1CpEP1mBpNtkTvZniy2nAjRl7b5Bo0mia-IwClz7Dje/s1600-h/porcupine+babies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCH8nfB34rUZ47q0viS9HhoMOVIlMoCIUr5lJ98tjV26CR-QbDCfoPtm_6vmeeCEEOoaBhtYuWxeIFl1B_f8H7JgWl73pOCtZS1CpEP1mBpNtkTvZniy2nAjRl7b5Bo0mia-IwClz7Dje/s200/porcupine+babies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306476698344585906" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, a new craze is to have a hedgehog as a pet! I wouldn't have thought of it, they are more to me like a wild garden animal (something you see digging around under bushes)...they very popular in Austria as little knick-knack statues and to be seen depicted on aprons and on kitchen things...considered good-luck! But hedgehogs as pets?!?! Well, of course... just go to </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.hedgies.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Hedgies.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> and you can learn all about them...where to get them, how to raise them, what to feed them, how to care for them...everything!!! Now...why would someone want a hedgehog as a pet? Just look how adorable they are! </span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO72c82vg9HCm95y6kQltRGhnNoyPkvyNNhNngGS4VHzSQ4QDs6GYgD1AElA092-S8ZW1euJTwGH8zDntXcFQvCR38RV5_ZA6QrtYwDUEkXuNryWte4kAsxOCNi2YoNJIPYCRAUAWCcr0v/s1600-h/hedgehog6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 103px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO72c82vg9HCm95y6kQltRGhnNoyPkvyNNhNngGS4VHzSQ4QDs6GYgD1AElA092-S8ZW1euJTwGH8zDntXcFQvCR38RV5_ZA6QrtYwDUEkXuNryWte4kAsxOCNi2YoNJIPYCRAUAWCcr0v/s200/hedgehog6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306479192065581234" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I WANT A HED</span></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">GEH</span></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">OG!!<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Okay, please understand that as much as I do want one, I will NOT be getting one....LuLu would NOT feel good about it at all...she would NOT share the love!!</span></span><br /></div></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9K5ikaRxKBb7fmx586HU3HchrqfJUwSvQvns-o9k1ogivArgCVQbEaf1wJQjEoAMwRAwuZIZhmIQaUmRp7nOX-Oa_9N1eB717E0yT3Hr1Q5WTqKISBBFjQkq6zfo8wKVn1JF0K2ZjPDp/s1600-h/hegehog+4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 98px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9K5ikaRxKBb7fmx586HU3HchrqfJUwSvQvns-o9k1ogivArgCVQbEaf1wJQjEoAMwRAwuZIZhmIQaUmRp7nOX-Oa_9N1eB717E0yT3Hr1Q5WTqKISBBFjQkq6zfo8wKVn1JF0K2ZjPDp/s200/hegehog+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306473363505614754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqk3njbhXnfw7y9U7r34GzsJKiA9KLyyaQ8dlrTWqemCXx_lHsnQbaIuo53H95YQly_DJi5Nuk0OG-cRATBTLEJtE_ZloTrbnzGW2iH4eq_z-3BVZAij27yuNya4dtMM8yyObI5UPbQB3v/s1600-h/hedgehog3.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 98px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqk3njbhXnfw7y9U7r34GzsJKiA9KLyyaQ8dlrTWqemCXx_lHsnQbaIuo53H95YQly_DJi5Nuk0OG-cRATBTLEJtE_ZloTrbnzGW2iH4eq_z-3BVZAij27yuNya4dtMM8yyObI5UPbQB3v/s200/hedgehog3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306473164338148834" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpUji4v_1aFRWt_DeN-itO9EqjxCta7bqJ8aA8ZqdTE7FQniNUP_E3_n6ljPg3l1G5tqXyfUlkoYHgjOVjM58FVhzNtlME_TFdAZIIqo24ipnHFfB-4aaDEyZ3ZMAKEYfdRk9w8pVhU2C/s1600-h/hedgehog5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 67px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpUji4v_1aFRWt_DeN-itO9EqjxCta7bqJ8aA8ZqdTE7FQniNUP_E3_n6ljPg3l1G5tqXyfUlkoYHgjOVjM58FVhzNtlME_TFdAZIIqo24ipnHFfB-4aaDEyZ3ZMAKEYfdRk9w8pVhU2C/s200/hedgehog5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306473168544599282" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIgYANsjZGXqf4wgLZPvyQIAWQQaEygKESemKvAhYSdcprG-czVOZE0zvUR_8d7YuimX0_lgV-xQJ2bGXpaXrJbh_EEWwwUxvdZC7DJevy0FyuokbVM4C6q8FzHW-Xqmvte994ok-NclP/s1600-h/hedgehog2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIgYANsjZGXqf4wgLZPvyQIAWQQaEygKESemKvAhYSdcprG-czVOZE0zvUR_8d7YuimX0_lgV-xQJ2bGXpaXrJbh_EEWwwUxvdZC7DJevy0FyuokbVM4C6q8FzHW-Xqmvte994ok-NclP/s200/hedgehog2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306473166095907186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakZAGKUWJb6dYEOsPoo2FFW3DVC-B5CzbVvqpqidLdFXbYyePjKeKQCFBBs3I2y_WEJNALW9y5RGnAR4yi9lFeF89YNRjTAcHYqVBxbOYhjn_OWmezttOFePipUN25aLXmyR43nxuQ0WN/s1600-h/hedgehog1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakZAGKUWJb6dYEOsPoo2FFW3DVC-B5CzbVvqpqidLdFXbYyePjKeKQCFBBs3I2y_WEJNALW9y5RGnAR4yi9lFeF89YNRjTAcHYqVBxbOYhjn_OWmezttOFePipUN25aLXmyR43nxuQ0WN/s200/hedgehog1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306473164290978066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >THIS ONE IS TOO ADORABLE...look at that litt</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >le tongue!!!</span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwmEvNOSj1uq4KjK12rnHRrBNtXc9EuxfKKbqoDOnbPvCF-ZLjdqp1pfb8YKbHNQMrB9QfR5ztw64qat0bY5tBHqapXGgvABPkl4ZqUUv3USGJ5j-TFPvQp3ijzSZXqw1k8cTGXstE2kV/s1600-h/hegehog+7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 86px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwmEvNOSj1uq4KjK12rnHRrBNtXc9EuxfKKbqoDOnbPvCF-ZLjdqp1pfb8YKbHNQMrB9QfR5ztw64qat0bY5tBHqapXGgvABPkl4ZqUUv3USGJ5j-TFPvQp3ijzSZXqw1k8cTGXstE2kV/s200/hegehog+7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306473163663276354" border="0" /></a> <span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />HERE IS A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM...so sweet!</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH0p-FRxKs25oX6xIGoDXr694QsrGve4dym506sgFbSxNGnzpoIU1GAYOervZ0k1KGc-ju8lC0uvknRRY46rC1DeQlTvB7xBB8CVV3Xss-t6e5dK-rAZWrol-4XOTS1KFnV3DgBtM-5o6/s1600-h/albino-hedgehog-small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH0p-FRxKs25oX6xIGoDXr694QsrGve4dym506sgFbSxNGnzpoIU1GAYOervZ0k1KGc-ju8lC0uvknRRY46rC1DeQlTvB7xBB8CVV3Xss-t6e5dK-rAZWrol-4XOTS1KFnV3DgBtM-5o6/s200/albino-hedgehog-small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306479189678906114" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">HERE IS AN ALBINO ONE...so pretty!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Have a great day!</span></span><br /></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-14247481751244802692009-02-19T15:56:00.007-05:002009-02-19T17:09:46.618-05:00WINTER WORK DAYS AT THE ROCK<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I love to travel...see what's out there in the world.......and my small town of Slippery Rock (<span style="font-style: italic;">The Rock</span>) is a great place to come home to. It's cute, cozy and quaint, safe, quiet and really a bit of a lazy town (<span style="font-style: italic;">especially during the summers when the college is out of session</span>). Most people know each other...I can walk down the street and say "Hello" to people..and I know their names (<span style="font-style: italic;">and </span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">they all know mine</span>)!! It's small town America in a good way...good because it is a college town, so we do have many different types of people, international students, foreign visitors, speakers and performers that come to town, as well as the locals here. We have two Chinese restaurants (<span style="font-style: italic;">thank goodness!</span>) and we have a micro-brewery! Everyone offers something, some things are new, some things are old, some things you want to be exposed to, others maybe not so much, but all in all it's harmless and again, it's safe.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Our office is located in one of the original buildings of Slippery Rock. It's red brick and has a typical (<span style="font-style: italic;">for this area</span>) barn stone foundation. It was built in the late 1800's</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. It used to be the town hardware store...it was owned and named after the owner, Mr. Gibson...and interestingly enough the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Gibsons</span> owned and worked in this building and owned and lived in the house that I live in now! So it's been many, many, many years that a person has made tracks back and forth to/from 140 South Main Street to/from 211 Franklin Street. <br /><br />Well, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Vipin</span> and I own our office building as well the building next door (<span style="font-style: italic;">which has an apartment upstairs and The Hair Studio salon on the street level...this building was in the 1800's the local bank and in its basement is still the original old bank vault</span>). In our building we have two apartments on the 2</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">nd</span> floor (<span style="font-style: italic;">with </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">SRU</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> student tenants</span>), we rent the main street level office to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ReMax</span> Realty, and our offices are in the lower level. The entrance to our office is in the back left corner just under a bright blue awning (<span style="font-style: italic;">which has my business names</span> Airport Orbit <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>The Cultural Studies Academy <span style="font-style: italic;">on it</span>). Here are summer and winter photos....as you can see...winter work days require lots of snow shoveling...we are in Western Pennsylvania <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">after all</span>!</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2pVmnHMekBFShq1X4sN1J0kBatv_09JMqyAP4-aZGCeU5Q3FbBBQ33A6OzYcKZZVCkl2jhprWMduOzEYpFxZ79eweo-WgdQnG8w3PiZp6-pO5u0z_sQjehM4vEqkIA8ilEMShRWExgAV/s1600-h/Photo_100207_021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2pVmnHMekBFShq1X4sN1J0kBatv_09JMqyAP4-aZGCeU5Q3FbBBQ33A6OzYcKZZVCkl2jhprWMduOzEYpFxZ79eweo-WgdQnG8w3PiZp6-pO5u0z_sQjehM4vEqkIA8ilEMShRWExgAV/s200/Photo_100207_021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304618754773200642" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3NYCqqUbLNSKEyc_e8698mmAq1SRG7rjksGfD2DIzrvHM_FWw2Jj7jklHU7YMCk4o9M3mYRTk8iMsnZ88osESR8To5_r4o4XoiT1PFUKM_Hmw-BwV19u0_AkbmR5wVXERdbsrA80OqwF/s1600-h/Photo_012109_001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3NYCqqUbLNSKEyc_e8698mmAq1SRG7rjksGfD2DIzrvHM_FWw2Jj7jklHU7YMCk4o9M3mYRTk8iMsnZ88osESR8To5_r4o4XoiT1PFUKM_Hmw-BwV19u0_AkbmR5wVXERdbsrA80OqwF/s200/Photo_012109_001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304618753227881762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">On the other side of our office building is a small pedestrian alley way...this used to be used for the coal carts back in the 1800's...now it is used to go from the town's public parking lot to/from Main Street (a<span style="font-style: italic;">nd directly across the street from our office is the local brewery, North Country Brewing Company...so it's an alley that is used as a walk-thru all the time!</span>). The building on the other side of the alley way has two apartments upstairs and the local jewelry store, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Taggart's</span> Jewelry. Barb <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Trouterman</span> is the owner and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">operator</span>, like me, she took over her family's business...this town is full of good, honest, hard working business WOMEN!! And most of us go out in the winter and shovel our own walks every morning! GIRL POWER!!!</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41RGFv0h9-9bduWmy3Fg4FSPyqMytAaTthWR2xfMTNnA4DyTWdIv7O1-4zw8chAnJA8VYPAGxZTzHcADHzpgjavrOY8S5-KuGJtpmR5SCQzEOh5OUclBECcLwNQAhaUK-qJXfWInuHbJR/s1600-h/Photo_100207_022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41RGFv0h9-9bduWmy3Fg4FSPyqMytAaTthWR2xfMTNnA4DyTWdIv7O1-4zw8chAnJA8VYPAGxZTzHcADHzpgjavrOY8S5-KuGJtpmR5SCQzEOh5OUclBECcLwNQAhaUK-qJXfWInuHbJR/s200/Photo_100207_022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304618762455188402" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkderHULNTFLXmFnAOcwW5zHA9nKFpPy3N9IXeeWmigbLeN7U1HYUb0NsfShsHeApTZk-QXqD4pi49gRZjWOwFNLFllnUoPxjp7Yo6326pmSnAwjFL1nZPgB0MnRybYNtCAjV4HDzyFCmH/s1600-h/Photo_012109_005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkderHULNTFLXmFnAOcwW5zHA9nKFpPy3N9IXeeWmigbLeN7U1HYUb0NsfShsHeApTZk-QXqD4pi49gRZjWOwFNLFllnUoPxjp7Yo6326pmSnAwjFL1nZPgB0MnRybYNtCAjV4HDzyFCmH/s200/Photo_012109_005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304617438527965746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Our town has grown quite a bit over the years...I am v</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ery</span> pr</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">oud</span> of it and of how far it has come. Here is look (<span style="font-style: italic;">summer and winter</span>) from just outside my office door...you can see the town parking lot and our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">gazebo</span> off to the right (<span style="font-style: italic;">I'm so glad we have one</span>)...and ALL THE SNOW!!! It's been a hard, cold, icy winter!! I'm quite ready for Spring and beautiful flowers!! It's just around the corner.......</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOeirEYZhM5dXTVmAni3XUKmaSJWfIo4QE1X6IKD2BpM3_XEODAtR6nCkY6WsvVD8CCs-fV2AVKtKWV5djf0HeOecIog82k5HWJMBPzstu20v-OMFoYkyi0MR7SmbSyxQgK1VID5LM3uS/s1600-h/Photo_100207_020.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOeirEYZhM5dXTVmAni3XUKmaSJWfIo4QE1X6IKD2BpM3_XEODAtR6nCkY6WsvVD8CCs-fV2AVKtKWV5djf0HeOecIog82k5HWJMBPzstu20v-OMFoYkyi0MR7SmbSyxQgK1VID5LM3uS/s200/Photo_100207_020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304629504430070514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVgObwfwOAH7KT1iSp_ERGnm0KW2MsDhNRaHosXQ6D7inu9mSxPmEq2P2_GtpGKvoa2wTr953GEhdytT1hKtkHyfhjPgk3n31Dz4qMyn29qr0MJH0y3b1VtIlPpdAwggvdq8f0byiu5CD/s1600-h/Photo_012109_004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVgObwfwOAH7KT1iSp_ERGnm0KW2MsDhNRaHosXQ6D7inu9mSxPmEq2P2_GtpGKvoa2wTr953GEhdytT1hKtkHyfhjPgk3n31Dz4qMyn29qr0MJH0y3b1VtIlPpdAwggvdq8f0byiu5CD/s200/Photo_012109_004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304617436661690386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Keep Warm!!!</span>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-57058421552429515092009-01-28T11:58:00.021-05:002009-02-19T15:55:27.039-05:00WEEKEND IN COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1jcBhFlg-ygJvJP15lSkwzww6G-226JCi1hkQGuj3AnphSLOeKgszrlqJXmLjHY91THLevoacoLDpKL8lCW2tHjJtoyeLf6OJv6BeZ556jbfK8kJ_yJNre9AUwSNtBTtFMBFyjTD5gD1/s1600-h/Flashnick,+Susan+Lenz+in+front+of+CYBER+FYBER+ATCs.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1jcBhFlg-ygJvJP15lSkwzww6G-226JCi1hkQGuj3AnphSLOeKgszrlqJXmLjHY91THLevoacoLDpKL8lCW2tHjJtoyeLf6OJv6BeZ556jbfK8kJ_yJNre9AUwSNtBTtFMBFyjTD5gD1/s200/Flashnick,+Susan+Lenz+in+front+of+CYBER+FYBER+ATCs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296397168423648786" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Fiber Artist, Susan Lenz</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pucpi2GUEiyphIcPH73eKcUHIHGUiHxTXZGOKnOQisP9tJ1YLs5wu3hE-61tNgGo_hub7dmBWp8FUGpOvsnh4sFa-lFqIyqK6KvfH1gS9gfZ1a1USDtD88OMVPDZ93SbVq_CL4FBlCFB/s1600-h/columbia+sky+line.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 81px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pucpi2GUEiyphIcPH73eKcUHIHGUiHxTXZGOKnOQisP9tJ1YLs5wu3hE-61tNgGo_hub7dmBWp8FUGpOvsnh4sFa-lFqIyqK6KvfH1gS9gfZ1a1USDtD88OMVPDZ93SbVq_CL4FBlCFB/s200/columbia+sky+line.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296412514959269106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Columbia, South Carolina</span></span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >January 9th was the opening of my sister and artist </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://artbysusanlenz.blogspot.com/">Susan Lenz</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >' ar</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >t sho</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >w. It was in her hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, held in her studio's gallery s</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >pace (</span><a href="http://www.gallery80808vistastudios.com/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Gallery 80808 Vista Studios</span></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >) located in the heart of the fantastic and completely revitalized <a href="http://www.vistaontheriver.com/">Vista District of </a></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><a href="http://www.vistaontheriver.com/">Columbi</a></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><a href="http://www.vistaontheriver.com/">a</a> (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">walkable, lovely, artsy, modern, boutique-y, stylish, simply grand...totally my type of place</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >). There are 13 artists that have their studios in this building and the gallery is in the middle (<a href="http://www.gallery80808vistastudios.com/chesley/bio.shtml">Stephen Chesley</a> and <a href="http://www.gallery80808vistastudios.com/Licata/bio.shtml">Sharon Licata</a>'s art work is particularly interesting to me...and t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">he artists </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">themselves are delightful people). It's a wonderful space. </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATFG1vDQV-vtbcXZR0uDxYC6gupZh_13QLnglqcuS4xmoFhMwxjU6yDD_3lYKgg7xMilO9dBfghlag5gyC2TB56OpNzO0WTZNOcGMXkN3CiqhPSuWiueJNE3mqZxNdavANSjdVKryFRXk/s1600-h/Postcards+at+Gallery+80808,+1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATFG1vDQV-vtbcXZR0uDxYC6gupZh_13QLnglqcuS4xmoFhMwxjU6yDD_3lYKgg7xMilO9dBfghlag5gyC2TB56OpNzO0WTZNOcGMXkN3CiqhPSuWiueJNE3mqZxNdavANSjdVKryFRXk/s200/Postcards+at+Gallery+80808,+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296397167138735106" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Susan has had her art shows there before, but this particular show, </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://cyberfyberexhibition.blogspot.com/">CYBER FYBER</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> is one that has been in the works for over a year. I'm not going to write all about the show itself because you can check out her Blog for all the incredible details, including feature story news articles on it, photos, videos, and her personal perspectives and comments about it (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">NOTE: I shot the video footage on the night of the ope</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">ning that she uploaded onto her blog.. it was fun to do!</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">). Needless to say, for <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> show and it's opening reception my Mom and I <span style="font-style: italic;">had to be there</span>!</span><br /></div><div face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnDAdMbKAWHlk3xflnxlCo1CwqFr60QCWFfgHZpxH8kZ08vwWETyI8qs2AZIxfROkEM07dGXULKzjTCT_DJyp6zqEMbz26KxkJOKKrRSrus6xxM61-SBy5-71lpXlnYWLLht0sr1kFIak/s1600-h/pitt+airport.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 86px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnDAdMbKAWHlk3xflnxlCo1CwqFr60QCWFfgHZpxH8kZ08vwWETyI8qs2AZIxfROkEM07dGXULKzjTCT_DJyp6zqEMbz26KxkJOKKrRSrus6xxM61-SBy5-71lpXlnYWLLht0sr1kFIak/s200/pitt+airport.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296437297949631186" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tORm62ACD0SxxjQAscdjJtkTPViBwWmzMDyMQLFvahiVDbn-sJb9ph8my2m066jYt5VWQWxhdiKl6Kv_22VM4bhmWjmRYlV0T4Wzaum2lBN_Ibnf5_BljPd6kg3F3HYmGV7kJF6Mhmmq/s1600-h/airport+security.jpg"> </a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Pittsburgh Airport </span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Mom and I flew down, Pittsburgh to Charlotte and then drove to Columbia on Friday the 9th. Of course we took shuttle with </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.airportorbit.com/">Airport Orbit</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> from Slippery Rock to the Pittsburgh International Airport. (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">What can I say, the drivers are great, the vans are clean and hey, I get a good deal!</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">) As for our flights, we went </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">via <a href="http://www.usairways.com/">USAir</a>.</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> I can report that the <a href="http://www.flypittsburgh.com/">Pittsburgh International Airport</a> is a pleasure..i</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">t is always clean and quite spacio</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">us, easy to get around in, well marked with directions, has a shopping mall area (<span style="font-style: italic;">always a plus for me!</span>), and the employees are relatively kind (<span style="font-style: italic;">7 out of 10</span>). As you know, I h</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">av</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">e traveled quite a bit, it is my profession and my passion. It is sad to me to accept the fact that </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">traveling, (<span style="font-style: italic;">well the physical part of getting from one place to another</span>) has become such a downer, in most cases is no longer and adventure, and is more so, just a pain.</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> Don't get me wrong..I still love to travel and no matter </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">what types of hassles I must endure to do it, I'm still going to travel. But, security issues are time consuming and make everyone nervous, flight delays are usually imminent, and the stress of the entire flying/airport situation just keeps getting worse... it's sad, and I really believe that it does not have to be this way!!<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I remember back in 1999 and of all the great dreams I had </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">for travel as a whole and how I imagined it would be in the new millennium...for me, professionally and </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">personally I had such great hopes for fantastic future journeys (<span style="font-style: italic;">well, I still do, but they now involve and consider in </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">much more time for completion</span>). Of course, I never factored in 9-11 or that travel would be how it is n</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">ow, I always imagined it wou</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">ld just become easier and allow more types of people to get up, get out and go! Let's face it, that just isn't how it is these days. I find that many people are too frightened</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> to think of going anywhere</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">, or just don't want to deal with it...again, it's sad. But for me, I'm going, there is too much out there that I have yet to experience, too many people I have yet to meet, too many delicious exotic foods I have yet to taste, too many bodies of water I have yet to dip my toes into, too many...we</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">ll, you get it. So, no matter where or how, I AM GOING TO GO, and so I always try to make it somewhat interesting and fun...even if I'm just going to the grocery </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">store..it's what I do, it's how I like to look at things, it's the approach in life take. I like to try and discover new things, even if it is just some new type of automatic toilet flushing system in the airport's</span><span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> public restroom or maybe some funky multi-functional travel-baby-carseat-stroller-crib thing that I will never have us</span></span><span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e for but am amazed that it has been invented. I want and strive to be the person that looks at thi</span></span><span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ngs through rose-colored glasses (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">even though I've had Lasik and can see just perfectly, thankyouverymuch!</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">). Every day is and can have new adventures....if you make it happen!</span><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tORm62ACD0SxxjQAscdjJtkTPViBwWmzMDyMQLFvahiVDbn-sJb9ph8my2m066jYt5VWQWxhdiKl6Kv_22VM4bhmWjmRYlV0T4Wzaum2lBN_Ibnf5_BljPd6kg3F3HYmGV7kJF6Mhmmq/s1600-h/airport+security.jpg"> </a><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tORm62ACD0SxxjQAscdjJtkTPViBwWmzMDyMQLFvahiVDbn-sJb9ph8my2m066jYt5VWQWxhdiKl6Kv_22VM4bhmWjmRYlV0T4Wzaum2lBN_Ibnf5_BljPd6kg3F3HYmGV7kJF6Mhmmq/s1600-h/airport+security.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 94px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tORm62ACD0SxxjQAscdjJtkTPViBwWmzMDyMQLFvahiVDbn-sJb9ph8my2m066jYt5VWQWxhdiKl6Kv_22VM4bhmWjmRYlV0T4Wzaum2lBN_Ibnf5_BljPd6kg3F3HYmGV7kJF6Mhmmq/s200/airport+security.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296437292754694674" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dBJywov_0HsUy58FsRElk9mJiJg2jwWZc-ZAPJBdB1X1Gxj7O08g1Rx-pUhmyhrOJyEy1k0sx4lPhdhxNBmYSZdbJ0og1TSZCTBFQI18LyKhRrl5905V_y6S1ApD5odpKZyBW788_XuR/s1600-h/288014777_c74337eccc.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dBJywov_0HsUy58FsRElk9mJiJg2jwWZc-ZAPJBdB1X1Gxj7O08g1Rx-pUhmyhrOJyEy1k0sx4lPhdhxNBmYSZdbJ0og1TSZCTBFQI18LyKhRrl5905V_y6S1ApD5odpKZyBW788_XuR/s1600-h/288014777_c74337eccc.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dBJywov_0HsUy58FsRElk9mJiJg2jwWZc-ZAPJBdB1X1Gxj7O08g1Rx-pUhmyhrOJyEy1k0sx4lPhdhxNBmYSZdbJ0og1TSZCTBFQI18LyKhRrl5905V_y6S1ApD5odpKZyBW788_XuR/s200/288014777_c74337eccc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296437296530766338" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Now, going through security takes time (<span style="font-style: italic;">and you need to have lots of patience</span>)...your boarding card and photo identification have to be out and in your hand - ready to present to the sec</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">urity personnel, before you can even proceed into the actual security screening area. Your coat must be taken off and put in a special plastic bin (<span style="font-style: italic;">it's winter, so of course everyone in Pittsburgh was wearing one</span>), your shoes must be taken off and put into a special plastic bin (<span style="font-style: italic;">I wore boots, of course, never easy, but they are so awesome!</span>), if you have a cellphone (<span style="font-style: italic;">and who doesn't these days</span>) it must be taken out of your luggage or purse and put in a special plastic bin, and then all the spe</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">cial pl</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">astic bins must be scooted over...next to your carry-on luggage and pushed on through the screening system's machine scanner.<br /><br />Now something about me.... extra time is always required for me beca</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">use I seem to be always be targeted when I go through security and because I always I wear a gorgeous gold bracelet on my right wrist. It was a gift to me from Vipin after we had been going out for about 6 m</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">onths, it is lovely, it is gold, it has flowers and little</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> spirals on it (<span style="font-style: italic;">I am totally into spirals</span>) and it took lots of soap to get it on (i<span style="font-style: italic;">t is rather small</span>), so I wear it all the time...I never take it off and probably can't (<span style="font-style: italic;">it's been on my wrist for over 20 years</span>). With this, I have the hazard of always setting off the alarms when I go through the security system's walk-through scanner. I am accustomed </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">to announcing </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">before I </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">even walk through the metal detector that "I will beep." and of course, I always do. </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I am used to it. The man always calls out "Female Assist"...and I have to stand over to the side on the special mat with the two indicated foot mark placements. This is for the personal radar detecting hand wand check and full body pat-down. The security woman must, by law, announce what she is going to d</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">o, where she is going to touch or feel or pat down prior to her doing it (<span style="font-style: italic;">and I am sure the men, when they do it to the male travelers have to announce it too</span>). There are certain positions I have to put my bod</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">y in - hands straight out to my sides, feet apart, then one foot out in front, then the other, etc. It's a routine, I know it, whatever, I'm used to it. I actually tell them now "I know the routine and my rights, do what you have t</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">o do" - it saves a few minutes and they don't have to keep telling me every little step they are going to take. </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I never feel unsafe during this process, this is a good</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> thing, it is always done very professionally (<span style="font-style: italic;">even though it is quite odd to be patted down in front of hundreds of </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">travelers..what can you do?</span>).<br /><br />So once through security (<span style="font-style: italic;">my Mom waited patiently for me j</span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">ust on the other side</span>) we went on to the underground tram (<span style="font-style: italic;">it was almost ready to go....but we ran for it and made it!</span>), which goes back and forth from the Arrivals to the Departures sides of the airport,.... then we went up two steep escalating staircases (<span style="font-style: italic;">between them is a huge dinosaur skeleton, it used to be i</span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">n the Carnegie Museum, and I always look forward to looking at it as I ride up the escalator</span>) and w</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">alked on to our wing (B) and down to our gate. Now, once the ticket counter personnel were ready to have us board the plane they began to call out pre-boarders (<span style="font-style: italic;">those that might require extra assistance, those traveling with children, the elderly, etc.</span>), then the first class and special card holders/VIPs etc., and finally the commoners...but only within order of their boarding number....which naturally my boarding category was last, and therefore </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">there was no space (<span style="font-style: italic;">none</span>) left in the overhead compartments for our c</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">arry-on bags, so Mom and I had to shove our bags under the seats in front of us (<span style="font-style: italic;">not as easy as it sounds</span>)...which</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> gave me littl</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">e leg space (<span style="font-style: italic;">squish squish re-a</span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">djust positi</span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">on every five minutes, et</span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">c</span>.) - but whatever (<span style="font-style: italic;">I don't feel like going on about my views on airplane seating space allotment)</span>, fortunately it is a short flight and such are the joys of air travel in these times....at least I got to enjoy leafing through the Sky M</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">all Catalog (<span style="font-style: italic;">always </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">interesting, although I have no i</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">dea why anyone would buy h</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">alf the stuff advertised in them</span>!!</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">).</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />So we arrived in Charlotte. The Charlotte airport has way too many Starbucks in it, otherwise it is clean and nice and easy to get around in! That's all I'm saying. We went down to the Baggage Claim area and to the Thrifty car rental counter...it took just a few minutes to get the paperwork done, we got the keys to the car and walked outside the door, across the street and the Thrifty service van was sitting right there (<span style="font-style: italic;">great!</span>). The car rental parking lots are just a few minutes drive away from the airport, the service driver stopped right in fro</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nt of our rental, </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">took our luggage, put everything in the trunk, opened the door to our rental and even started it up for us! (<span style="font-style: italic;">I was impressed with th</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">at...I have rented plenty of cars in my days but never had such service, it was quite a treat!)</span> The drive to Columbia was quick and easy, but our rental car, a Chrysler 300 was soooo stinky of cigarettes, it really put a damper on the drive (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">non smokers, like me, are ver</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">y fortunate thes</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">e days due to the new laws and rules,</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;"> we can actually avoid being around smoke in most cases, so when we are actually around smoke, i</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">n those infrequent but unfortunate circumstances, I think the smoke seems to be twice as noticeable,</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;"> horrific and disgust</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">ing!</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">)...luckily we were in the SOUTH and the weather was warm enough for us to roll down the back windows AND go without coats!! Such a relief from our morning...cold, snow, cold, snow, cold!! Otherwise the dr</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ive was rather uneventful.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeZMDqLel6ZdZ8hzd6EydEaRgkiJOcRMWdQruW48s6EehfV_dXdWSuD3vgFQu9GFRG4Q7CQHOAAVrH-PielghyBskUPcT56evAt_1DwAtOeDvnorqgj1e9nDDm_lopsS7B_Wfa7i4r2U8/s1600-h/better-logo2.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 76px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeZMDqLel6ZdZ8hzd6EydEaRgkiJOcRMWdQruW48s6EehfV_dXdWSuD3vgFQu9GFRG4Q7CQHOAAVrH-PielghyBskUPcT56evAt_1DwAtOeDvnorqgj1e9nDDm_lopsS7B_Wfa7i4r2U8/s200/better-logo2.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296413628950872994" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We stopped at a Chili's for lunch (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">I'm only mentioning this because I hate to admit it but I have never actually </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">been to a Chili's before and I really liked it, I'm not sure what I th</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">ought it would be, but I was pleased - a good place </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">for a fairly decent meal...don't get me wrong, I</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">'m still all for my exotic foods, noodle houses and sp</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">ecial secret delish eateries, but when you are on the road, you may n</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">ot always know where those types of places are.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">) The menu wasn't bad, and they had a great variety of things...we just had appetizers because we didn't want to fill up too much, but</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> it was nice, and the coffee was good too. I have to say that they were featuring these things called Sweet Shots, that are these cute little layered desserts with flavors like Key Lime Pie, Red Velvet C</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ake, Cinnamon Roll, etc. and they are in little shot glasses...adorable! I want to try and make them myself at home! I can'</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">t imagine that it would be difficult or too time consuming and they must be double-delish. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7HeMZ1TbiNW9wBbF4Ay7X_MjU3MKWJUn0WiDm_cZ6fwrilaGAeTJ5jVfrumKPyxOQJPh1C9homy1kxXE4KfZwidIZNpYBAw4rhy-M_SKL0XMGFGm3PuXrrf3237AaVOkwvxd-0JOiBhY/s1600-h/dessert_sweetshots_tiltleft.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 113px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7HeMZ1TbiNW9wBbF4Ay7X_MjU3MKWJUn0WiDm_cZ6fwrilaGAeTJ5jVfrumKPyxOQJPh1C9homy1kxXE4KfZwidIZNpYBAw4rhy-M_SKL0XMGFGm3PuXrrf3237AaVOkwvxd-0JOiBhY/s200/dessert_sweetshots_tiltleft.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296474999722678514" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So...we arrived at </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://mousehouseinc.blogspot.com/">The Mouse House</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, Susan's and her husband Steve's home and also place of business. Years ago they bought this beautiful plantation-style type home in</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> the dow</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ntown historical district of Columbia (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">which, by the way, is the State capital</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">). The house has tall white columns and a large front porch - very southern (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">with a somewhat Tara-type feel</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">). They put their business, <a href="http://mousehouseinc.blogspot.com/">The Mouse House</a>, a professional framing shop, on the first floor (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">street level</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">) and their home (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">complete with kitchen</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">) on the second floor. They have their special Christmas Tree in their l</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">iving room...but it is special, and I guess it really is not nor does not have to be an actual "Christmas" t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ree...because the tree is a work of art in itself...made of wrought iron, it was commissioned by Sue and Steve (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">along with their dining room chairs</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">) from a quite </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">talented wrought iron furniture maker that they know. The tree does come apart but why.... it holds the most amazing works of art on every limb...not all are Christmas ornaments, many are works of art that are small and hang-able...and so this lovely tree stands in their living room full of bright colors, sparkles and charms..</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.it is magical. The upstairs, where they live, has framed things (paintings, etchings, drawings, pastels, maps, photographs, shadow boxes, and more!) on every wall, floor to ceiling....even in the bathrooms! It's lovely. </span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmuE9ngTTfi1TqyafwgAZpseEfO8o3mWM3odw-D1uqnbCn72vP-5BkQLH1SremapdsY8MyoahX9INhSBaPgHIEGb_I2jvpkxTa8fGvZthS_oDerYH8MCOuCNAVdw1upZxnVLOt-ZS_lA7/s1600-h/Christmas,+2007.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmuE9ngTTfi1TqyafwgAZpseEfO8o3mWM3odw-D1uqnbCn72vP-5BkQLH1SremapdsY8MyoahX9INhSBaPgHIEGb_I2jvpkxTa8fGvZthS_oDerYH8MCOuCNAVdw1upZxnVLOt-ZS_lA7/s200/Christmas,+2007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296409014420897938" border="0" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">For many years The Mouse House was a very busy shop...with 10 employees coming and going, framing and working, but now, Susan and Steve officially closed their doors to framing and only actually do framing for their VIP clients and professional artists (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">which is still a very busy business</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">), while Susan works as a full-time artist. They put many years in to get to this point, and after spending the weekend with them, being at Susan's show, and seeing how much everyone loves and res</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">pects her art work (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">and her, and her framing abilities</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">), I know that they certainly can feel that all that h</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ard work has paid off...they are where they want to be. ..they've reached their goal. Steve holds op</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ening hou</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">rs for and handles the day-to-day going ons of the shop while Susan goes to her studio..it works, and it's great. When Mom and I arrived, Steve was there waiting for us...along with Shadow (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">their adorable and loving Persian cat...who I dressed up in pearls</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">).</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbB1lcwG6zorwxanJjWD4q31veus_yRj9fz1I9XDR8BPSJahBV33dE2tu4G_qedzs2Pbr5m9ICBuIsPNgI-NULEnSi4XoUoI89vZxNlHlR4vcQuyzw6lU5xvTbpRCFG7GgV3FTiXxLSUr/s1600-h/Photo_010909_002.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbB1lcwG6zorwxanJjWD4q31veus_yRj9fz1I9XDR8BPSJahBV33dE2tu4G_qedzs2Pbr5m9ICBuIsPNgI-NULEnSi4XoUoI89vZxNlHlR4vcQuyzw6lU5xvTbpRCFG7GgV3FTiXxLSUr/s200/Photo_010909_002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296395157350219042" border="0" /></a></div> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We had some time to freshen up, and then we went to the studio...I was anxious to get there, see Susan and see the show! We drove past the Governor's Mansion (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">just a few blocks from The Mouse House</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">) and then on down past the park.....and into the Vista district.....</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGK5mfWSy9xy5Q-Bz44yL246hyphenhyphenUxy-pPfP7MkGSbGRfvDIEa1Gfj1qsp8gTdi-aJRnvvcxRWup2MJ4E_K4OLIhrzyAOlaHiQ-l8nKH_3Cn7T6uw6c_9eeloDvcu5QyE6JKwhAIRcgGWpWT/s1600-h/govenersmansion.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 139px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGK5mfWSy9xy5Q-Bz44yL246hyphenhyphenUxy-pPfP7MkGSbGRfvDIEa1Gfj1qsp8gTdi-aJRnvvcxRWup2MJ4E_K4OLIhrzyAOlaHiQ-l8nKH_3Cn7T6uw6c_9eeloDvcu5QyE6JKwhAIRcgGWpWT/s200/govenersmansion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296412710295433970" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAFm5EHuAJl-jCeGCWygF8amtBJpydxteeAvAaii37yqZF9FGP815lbTp8O16qwsNK_KqopsKkuO8vu0BkjBArnNaw9JsmclN5N7s7eIBigbQz2tJTL3jaZ5301h2R_cZh-Z8uJhNfwtR/s1600-h/7826412a.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAFm5EHuAJl-jCeGCWygF8amtBJpydxteeAvAaii37yqZF9FGP815lbTp8O16qwsNK_KqopsKkuO8vu0BkjBArnNaw9JsmclN5N7s7eIBigbQz2tJTL3jaZ5301h2R_cZh-Z8uJhNfwtR/s1600-h/7826412a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAFm5EHuAJl-jCeGCWygF8amtBJpydxteeAvAaii37yqZF9FGP815lbTp8O16qwsNK_KqopsKkuO8vu0BkjBArnNaw9JsmclN5N7s7eIBigbQz2tJTL3jaZ5301h2R_cZh-Z8uJhNfwtR/s200/7826412a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296412501246359666" border="0" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">to the studio....Susan was ready and the set up was fantastic (again, visit her <a href="http://cyberfyberexhibition.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> for all the scoop).... </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhtHc67OLu1uVAef5OjOyZkNqxYDxQSw-_GowdYOZzvCOFXLOj9ydiaht194v1_aOv3-zphHnWz6aBfx8Dqkg7mJ_cC_hRX6tEA1XoxNuYsS70d9fzKhfs8aGPEUAQpxzbNpmSGt1MAAP/s1600-h/artist.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhtHc67OLu1uVAef5OjOyZkNqxYDxQSw-_GowdYOZzvCOFXLOj9ydiaht194v1_aOv3-zphHnWz6aBfx8Dqkg7mJ_cC_hRX6tEA1XoxNuYsS70d9fzKhfs8aGPEUAQpxzbNpmSGt1MAAP/s200/artist.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296390808653494322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84HYEs89aLjYeJntq7CYbNfZVz64ghFso5JbhymsRK-INxbBOYBAR_cVgSsBU-YqNEKxCLdmL72TVjTXzkLopsM74AYmcqaD09-7VNXUsr0jB_1_oIJHlKHBbxHMMeddzRClkZlYYiwaJ/s1600-h/CYBER+FYBER,+Steve+and+Sonya.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84HYEs89aLjYeJntq7CYbNfZVz64ghFso5JbhymsRK-INxbBOYBAR_cVgSsBU-YqNEKxCLdmL72TVjTXzkLopsM74AYmcqaD09-7VNXUsr0jB_1_oIJHlKHBbxHMMeddzRClkZlYYiwaJ/s200/CYBER+FYBER,+Steve+and+Sonya.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296409013168596338" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1dK0wKYqQs8mHSx9F2wadRzWBWfjQfDglcMjn6G1PCDliwc1QNmJsJT1jTBtqpSszhpAcAhO8fXni3nzSQq5tWun-4mDpT3RU792IqO07MC8V8vfQjmIVvNbbLodCvKMuWu730YlpiZr/s1600-h/Postcards+at+Gallery+80808,+3.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1dK0wKYqQs8mHSx9F2wadRzWBWfjQfDglcMjn6G1PCDliwc1QNmJsJT1jTBtqpSszhpAcAhO8fXni3nzSQq5tWun-4mDpT3RU792IqO07MC8V8vfQjmIVvNbbLodCvKMuWu730YlpiZr/s200/Postcards+at+Gallery+80808,+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296390822759851170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">PHOTOS: Susan, Steve & I, the Gallery</span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8V66kUPcV81JCvE49ggn7InuBYE-xcju7MxhDBZsfkEAuZJqKDHSGz34TXqhjUVW9TKDFPV36sU89JSWPuRmf5oArnzam_0709VHrEOrC8RG7RHuSFtesHIVLawUXfsAPFSYawtLe15i/s1600-h/Steve,+Susan,+and+Mom+at+the+buffet+table.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8V66kUPcV81JCvE49ggn7InuBYE-xcju7MxhDBZsfkEAuZJqKDHSGz34TXqhjUVW9TKDFPV36sU89JSWPuRmf5oArnzam_0709VHrEOrC8RG7RHuSFtesHIVLawUXfsAPFSYawtLe15i/s200/Steve,+Susan,+and+Mom+at+the+buffet+table.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296395169382365938" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdJpA5QmomiYtuceSVYTwfzxCRssgsz9dkEnkgOPzE8xsrIolv0f9atkEQzcw4pF6n8E14KWQgjM5NdYMV88bHUA3JwKqUnBgGqcjAEjN8oV5_fjcMvjgvamUtFAdzo-Yp75PHqt8vgV5/s1600-h/Jamie,+her+boyfriend,+and+Mom+in+the+gallery.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdJpA5QmomiYtuceSVYTwfzxCRssgsz9dkEnkgOPzE8xsrIolv0f9atkEQzcw4pF6n8E14KWQgjM5NdYMV88bHUA3JwKqUnBgGqcjAEjN8oV5_fjcMvjgvamUtFAdzo-Yp75PHqt8vgV5/s200/Jamie,+her+boyfriend,+and+Mom+in+the+gallery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296390811623058450" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBIRhEqhTclaFSAdTQIsHwlkPLlkxnmL9NdsY71eYx8t9p0xwi_SF6y6z8WwefWcsnIpuhbEhXmo2tdxZnOjQ9MDPrGnId9jzvTK-UUWbD45JRRHTyOrKw8dGp6GFuiDJDkLfMhp6z3R8/s1600-h/Alex+and+Erica.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBIRhEqhTclaFSAdTQIsHwlkPLlkxnmL9NdsY71eYx8t9p0xwi_SF6y6z8WwefWcsnIpuhbEhXmo2tdxZnOjQ9MDPrGnId9jzvTK-UUWbD45JRRHTyOrKw8dGp6GFuiDJDkLfMhp6z3R8/s1600-h/Alex+and+Erica.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBIRhEqhTclaFSAdTQIsHwlkPLlkxnmL9NdsY71eYx8t9p0xwi_SF6y6z8WwefWcsnIpuhbEhXmo2tdxZnOjQ9MDPrGnId9jzvTK-UUWbD45JRRHTyOrKw8dGp6GFuiDJDkLfMhp6z3R8/s200/Alex+and+Erica.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296390806895783330" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">PHOTOS: Steve/Sue/Mom by the food table (beautiful), The Gall</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">ery, Alex & Erica</span></span><br /><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EWGaCe3FT9JR0XS5zUBdakkhVx9G6CdM4f3cK2wSAQpfbH7GE-_NwFRimeB-DNA0nopy3vTBhy6lzbIZKW0pYQy6OKPj5jqwlj0ooFKMK-NUyD1ySikouKjqdPBCNUkP5PhQWN8IJTpG/s1600-h/Mom,+Jamie,+Steve,+Susan+and+Sonya.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EWGaCe3FT9JR0XS5zUBdakkhVx9G6CdM4f3cK2wSAQpfbH7GE-_NwFRimeB-DNA0nopy3vTBhy6lzbIZKW0pYQy6OKPj5jqwlj0ooFKMK-NUyD1ySikouKjqdPBCNUkP5PhQWN8IJTpG/s200/Mom,+Jamie,+Steve,+Susan+and+Sonya.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296390813069855602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_Dd_hPmFkoigyrtsGY9YdI-iK0QYTy1LN92_R7QUM0KoM-VKJuMsUlfLA3_3Y7bDUmRJK0D8wZ6-kr_W8ZZC8biBsxXmmLMKc1rp_rKmwlIgOnkiKDf8bxPTAOlVZ7oXLAkNm5oAGt5_/s1600-h/Sonya+learning+to+embellish,+2.jpg"> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:78%;" >Mom, Cousin Jamie, Steve, Sue & I</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The opening reception was great fun...and perfect in every way. The art was well received, the show was well attended, the food and drink stations were amazing...the night was right. I met so many interesting people (<span style="font-style: italic;">and enjoyed hearing those sweet Southern accents!!</span>). I also got to see my nephew Alex and his girl friend Erica and my cousin (<span style="font-style: italic;">actually my cousin's daughter</span>), Jamie (<span style="font-style: italic;">who </span><span style="font-style: italic;">is in her second year at the University of South Carolina</span>) and her boy friend Craig (a sweet guy)......it was a wonderful and very enjoyable evening. When we finally saw the last visitor to the door, locked up, cleaned up and got back to The Mouse House we were all exhausted. There was plenty of food leftovers from the reception so we changed into our Pjs and had a little feast..and then went to bed. I slept like a log!<br /><br />The next morning Susan had arranged for a workshop & demo in the gallery. The arrangement was through Creative Sewing, and basically was a day for visitors to enjoy learning and using various types of sewing machines and embellishing machines, see and participate in hands-on demonstrations, show work they have done and see the works of others. Steve bought boxes and boxes of donuts, there was coffee and most of the people that came made a full morning or afternoon of it. I was very interested in the embellishers, which I actually have to admit I never knew about prior to this event!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_Dd_hPmFkoigyrtsGY9YdI-iK0QYTy1LN92_R7QUM0KoM-VKJuMsUlfLA3_3Y7bDUmRJK0D8wZ6-kr_W8ZZC8biBsxXmmLMKc1rp_rKmwlIgOnkiKDf8bxPTAOlVZ7oXLAkNm5oAGt5_/s1600-h/Sonya+learning+to+embellish,+2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_Dd_hPmFkoigyrtsGY9YdI-iK0QYTy1LN92_R7QUM0KoM-VKJuMsUlfLA3_3Y7bDUmRJK0D8wZ6-kr_W8ZZC8biBsxXmmLMKc1rp_rKmwlIgOnkiKDf8bxPTAOlVZ7oXLAkNm5oAGt5_/s200/Sonya+learning+to+embellish,+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296395161728826066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBzF9WwCU8VLme4IjEXf8pJbqZjihiAAKHo_W0Uz5VWJ5wnwHACoNyFNfbm6q3dK0ilKbtSK7b_XNsNIirl9Ygq-rX8q0P0E7_g5cVXv7f82GgfeCtZE11ttP8pvEdrF6FrbRFygVnZys/s1600-h/Sonya+learning+to+embellish,+3.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gPNOjf_XFkCfdyDSpMN4WMnZamfL-qWwEdMNb1TO5uF0zXW1oOgR8RukdEq4D7DAd0MntJipZ1FOhwoe4Y_WpJKLna13z6yKbh0JdS795WheWIJiq13-z6Zsm7KbOxkP-0amULLlQPwn/s1600-h/Sonya+learning+to+embellish,+1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gPNOjf_XFkCfdyDSpMN4WMnZamfL-qWwEdMNb1TO5uF0zXW1oOgR8RukdEq4D7DAd0MntJipZ1FOhwoe4Y_WpJKLna13z6yKbh0JdS795WheWIJiq13-z6Zsm7KbOxkP-0amULLlQPwn/s200/Sonya+learning+to+embellish,+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296395159747621122" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBzF9WwCU8VLme4IjEXf8pJbqZjihiAAKHo_W0Uz5VWJ5wnwHACoNyFNfbm6q3dK0ilKbtSK7b_XNsNIirl9Ygq-rX8q0P0E7_g5cVXv7f82GgfeCtZE11ttP8pvEdrF6FrbRFygVnZys/s1600-h/Sonya+learning+to+embellish,+3.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBzF9WwCU8VLme4IjEXf8pJbqZjihiAAKHo_W0Uz5VWJ5wnwHACoNyFNfbm6q3dK0ilKbtSK7b_XNsNIirl9Ygq-rX8q0P0E7_g5cVXv7f82GgfeCtZE11ttP8pvEdrF6FrbRFygVnZys/s200/Sonya+learning+to+embellish,+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296412522802793522" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">They look like sewing machines, but when you look further you realize that there are 9 needles, none of which you are to thread. Instead, you place yarn, cotton, faux flowers, or material on top of your base material, press the foot pedal to make the needles go up and down, and the two things fuse together. It is called an embellishing machine because you are to literally embellishing things with it....attaching materials together without sewing. It's really cool! I had fun trying it out...and was also very ama</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">zed with the other sewing machines. I'm not much of a seamstress (<span style="font-style: italic;">much to Susan's friends and fans surprise</span>), I'm actually horrible at it. My Mom let me take private sewing classes when I was in high school (<span style="font-style: italic;">I think b</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">ecause my Grandma Lenz had passed away before she could teach me about sewing and needlework, like she had done with my older sisters</span>) and I made a sun dress, which turned out hideous (<span style="font-style: italic;">I nev</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">er wore it!</span>) and my sewing teacher (<span style="font-style: italic;">the sweet little local sewing lady, Mrs. Datt</span>) called my Mo</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">m and basically told her that I was done. No biggie, I know how to buy dresses! So needless to say, my only real experience with sewing was on my Mother's machine, a nice Singer with a basic design. Well, at this demonstration I saw machines so elaborate that you can actually </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">hook a laptop computer up to them! You don't really even have to sew...just thread them up (<span style="font-style: italic;">they hold many colors!</span>), install the material, press a button, and go have a cup of coffee! It was amazing. One of the machines was so expensive they actually had a man there just to guard it for the day! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We had a wonderful afternoon but were were literaly on our feet t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">he entire day...my Mom's feet were killing her and we were both exhausted so in the ea</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">rly aft</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ernoon we stepped out and went across the street to a sports bar to have a drink and sit down for a few min</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">utes. I forgot how good sweet tea is in the South...so refreshing! The bar was a nice place and there was some kind of youth gymnastics tournament going on nearby because we saw lots of little girls wearing darling costumes and ribbons in their hair. It was too adorable. </span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When Susan's workshop was over, we helped her pack up her studio and the gallery and went back to The Mouse House to change our clothes for dinner.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8l__F3FfX41q8SAY54ZAgkHeASVKa_Use4D835qD6mUGMPrg6J284XQ9Sv63GVUUB6yVZYb721462Yh22oDT8D6ofMUbhyqccViL8IfJokM75UF2pxDE0QL3VnHP2AgSvU2lw-7Q7O-f0/s1600-h/image.php.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8l__F3FfX41q8SAY54ZAgkHeASVKa_Use4D835qD6mUGMPrg6J284XQ9Sv63GVUUB6yVZYb721462Yh22oDT8D6ofMUbhyqccViL8IfJokM75UF2pxDE0QL3VnHP2AgSvU2lw-7Q7O-f0/s200/image.php.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304587018878076722" border="0" /></a></div> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">First we went to Jamie's apartment, she lives in <a href="http://www.theloftsatusc.com/">The Lofts</a>, which used to be an old cotton mill, but was converted into modern loft style apartments. It's an amazing building and Jamie's apartment is fantastic...with a huge window in the main room (kitchen/living room), well furnished, very girly and nice. I don't remember living like t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">hat</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> when I was in college! I had Grandma Lenz' old couch (<span style="font-style: italic;">which was well over 1</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">5 years old and plaid!</span>), Grandma Baker's old lamps, hand-me-down furniture from everyone, lots of thrift store stuff for decorations, one pot, one pan, a hodgepodge collection of glasses and kitchen things...don't get me wrong, I had what I needed and got alo</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ng fine, but well, college kids these days are much better off...everything matches, most things are new!!! I w</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">as q</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">uite impressed!<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCG5lSt9j_yAUzyZFvrqIwHnh-jbD6bNcql-IDxl-11H1QTNQJU60qrkpguoKFyXySBWT7lFoNU9YQ56qFgDVMS3fbwI1zKi7FcEMgCSuBQSASSJ_eayS0tfRSzGQItKl_A9dM5rpf8Uid/s1600-h/29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 355px; height: 103px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCG5lSt9j_yAUzyZFvrqIwHnh-jbD6bNcql-IDxl-11H1QTNQJU60qrkpguoKFyXySBWT7lFoNU9YQ56qFgDVMS3fbwI1zKi7FcEMgCSuBQSASSJ_eayS0tfRSzGQItKl_A9dM5rpf8Uid/s200/29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296412491135592338" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Anyway... Jamie gave us</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> the grand tour of her gorgeous home, and we loved it (<span style="font-style: italic;">they have a pool, a gym, many lounge areas, couches all over the common areas, a billiard</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">s area, everything</span>), and then we went on through the Sorority and Fraternity Rows of USC (a<span style="font-style: italic;">nother impressive place...the entire area used to be where old delapitated warehouses and mills stood...they were </span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">all torn down to erect these huge dorm-style houses</span>) to the Liberty Tap Room and Grill for a delicious dinner. It was a great night...my Mom told stories about her and Larry (<span style="font-style: italic;">my Uncle Larry, Jamie's </span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Grandpa</span>) when they were young kids and also when they were first married (<span style="font-style: italic;">fun and even some sad stories about them before they had children</span>)...we had a grand time. The Liberty Tap Room and Grill is a wonde</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">rful place with fantastic food (<span style="font-style: italic;">I had a salmon steak, of course, if there is ever a chance for a good salmon steak I am usually go to take it... and it was fantastic</span>)...but by the time we left it was a totally packed house and very loud...too loud...too many people....a popular place, but I would not want to have stayed there any longer. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Although I did enjoy watching t</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">he 'crazy table' full of Red Hat Society Women...they were a hoot!</span>) We drove Jamie home and then went back to The Mouse House. Mom went to bed soon after, I stayed up and watched the movie,<span style="font-style: italic;"> The River Wild</span> with Sue and Steve. Sue was still very UP from the entire weekend's events. I had never seen the movie</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> before (<span style="font-style: italic;">it's an older one, but it was good, with Meryl Streep in a film you can't really go wrong</span>)....Sue and Steve had seen it several times. It was fun just hanging out watching TV with them.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The next morning we had breakfast and lounged around and read the Sunday paper....something I enjoy doing every Sunday morning, but it is particularly interesting when you I have the opportunity to read another city's Sunday paper....new things, different placements of articles, interesting reads. I will say that their comics section is way better than ours in Pittsburgh...they get so m</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">any...and ones I had not seen in a long time. It was a lazy morning and fun...then we got ready to go, said G</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ood-bye to Steve and Shadow and took Susan to her gallery...said Good-bye to her and drove back to the Charlotte airport. <br /><br />Overall, a totally fab weekend...so glad I made the trip!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">QUICK FOLLOW-UP</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>: <br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I got a discount from Thrifty because the</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> car smelled of smoke...they were really nice about it too!</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When it was time for us to board the plane for the return flight they actually pre-boarded anyone with Steeler colors on or anyone wearing Steeler shirts or clothing! They got to board even prior to the First-Class passengers! It was great....of course I wasn't wearing black and gold, but whatever....we did get to board sooner than we did on the flight down and we actually were able to store our carry-on bags in the overhead compartments!!<br /></span></li><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Mom went and bought me an embellishing machine! It's too cool, although I have yet to</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> create an actual piece on it, more so just practicing....I set t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">he machine up on my desk in the office a</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nd Nicole has already </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">made several pieces...</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIbsjbqjzBd-9RMpfLaHQNWsM8GeAQ4JjQVbNZLQdEPHtTrHn7mBj5j8w-p4JvOaNRO0lEF2zKCZfAmkEsbmVAzjvdLa6QYcF4n8WOL5tRTtXUfuRcI99NRcm-OEKecREyrKJHYS_s63D/s1600-h/Photo_021009_002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIbsjbqjzBd-9RMpfLaHQNWsM8GeAQ4JjQVbNZLQdEPHtTrHn7mBj5j8w-p4JvOaNRO0lEF2zKCZfAmkEsbmVAzjvdLa6QYcF4n8WOL5tRTtXUfuRcI99NRcm-OEKecREyrKJHYS_s63D/s200/Photo_021009_002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304587161695517538" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWLT8UknBqIBX7JxXloXX_5UGJL_H_z5TFdBcZ_solw2GAUpp6LRENUjMEPLD3-Dlw41lbXzdVD5GDvOUMyqUe4WNVD_ZP2YIML_SjnMc517uoJ_OH7dQXhtcOvKcA3dPnFbs3wqTDLhc/s1600-h/Photo_021009_004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWLT8UknBqIBX7JxXloXX_5UGJL_H_z5TFdBcZ_solw2GAUpp6LRENUjMEPLD3-Dlw41lbXzdVD5GDvOUMyqUe4WNVD_ZP2YIML_SjnMc517uoJ_OH7dQXhtcOvKcA3dPnFbs3wqTDLhc/s200/Photo_021009_004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304587027508468322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySTS7jzWgr71c2dVeUel318dgC6Q38EwceJD2oqNX-J0nMQfWiSaS-1DllplaVNsktw6qH66VfF6HUpEwe-aeYqZ47N16dZBz4EHKk9rnwmbGVhBpZebDZDJnPoAk1aiMjiZcuXo5qww0/s1600-h/Photo_021009_001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySTS7jzWgr71c2dVeUel318dgC6Q38EwceJD2oqNX-J0nMQfWiSaS-1DllplaVNsktw6qH66VfF6HUpEwe-aeYqZ47N16dZBz4EHKk9rnwmbGVhBpZebDZDJnPoAk1aiMjiZcuXo5qww0/s200/Photo_021009_001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304587021940803250" border="0" /></a></li></ul></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-23385123389492619912009-01-20T12:37:00.012-05:002009-01-28T11:55:11.263-05:00PEANUT COMES FOR NEW YEARS<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaaaksxs1b3EJv50tw0AbGKufJ37Y-fmL1lpLNmToYrDM2lXo2RxSlEM5OUbVBWClGkQ0WBFY-24cbhTtI_ziAUBHQqjxT78Lf5U0UK-XJ4Ys6zxhnXq8XpR74V5JF9Wlcg9yHtIwiqug/s1600-h/IMG_2767.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaaaksxs1b3EJv50tw0AbGKufJ37Y-fmL1lpLNmToYrDM2lXo2RxSlEM5OUbVBWClGkQ0WBFY-24cbhTtI_ziAUBHQqjxT78Lf5U0UK-XJ4Ys6zxhnXq8XpR74V5JF9Wlcg9yHtIwiqug/s200/IMG_2767.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296371307497492178" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I wanted to share my photos with you from our Ne</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">w Year's Eve celebration. Our friends Stephanie (a<span style="font-style: italic;">.k.a. "Peanut"</span>...who was a student participant on our E<a href="http://www.csatours.com">uropean Summer Study Program in Salzburg, Austria </a>- back in 2004 --she has been going with us every year since and now teaches an English class to young Austrian girls while she is there with us) and her fiancee Russell flew down from Boston to stay with us for a few days and be with us to bring in the new year (<span style="font-style: italic;">they plan to marry t</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">his year in July</span>).</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZWTx98TMXqsr05FkryBpkR56iqo2PUnIIPSnqXKANQYden3A1BgUtzdbE2_F_uvHvuOaQl9M2aj8SHn-zSB4sGoGwgOZU_aVyJt1krdvv9fXfSp6OfIQa0-t-6d7z7-2tRWXCLkYpCYV/s1600-h/home.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZWTx98TMXqsr05FkryBpkR56iqo2PUnIIPSnqXKANQYden3A1BgUtzdbE2_F_uvHvuOaQl9M2aj8SHn-zSB4sGoGwgOZU_aVyJt1krdvv9fXfSp6OfIQa0-t-6d7z7-2tRWXCLkYpCYV/s200/home.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296372189826645330" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">T</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">heir fi</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">rst </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">night here we stayed in Sli</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">pp</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ery Rock and of course... took them to <a href="http://www.northcountrybrewing.com">North Co</a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.northcountrybrewing.com">untry Brewing Company</a>, our town's absolut</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ely fabulous eatery and local micro brewery (we are so proud of this cozy restaurant that features hand-carved booths, hand-thrown clay mugs, a warm atmosphere, live music most evenings, and a delightful and delicious menu....Slippery Rock was a dry town until it opened, back in I think 2001). It is a block and a half fr</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">om our house (and directly across the street from my office) and as the night was so bright, crisp and clear, we walked and enjoyed a leisurely stroll over to dinner... (my niece, Nicole joined us for the walking tour of downtow</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">n Slippery Rock...)</span><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlj5gdsbwj3EJXZxLrsYtFnF2xZS3cSUb320kK_k3ZbiKtrJ_5lVjzTcr83iAsA-cX7zLY3P1_OhEYaskfoshQt8eifp_xcU6cIGvEnV1bUkHjMn8C9HX6TTRk2PqSjgoKB_DkrZnAwljY/s1600-h/IMG_2769+%282%29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlj5gdsbwj3EJXZxLrsYtFnF2xZS3cSUb320kK_k3ZbiKtrJ_5lVjzTcr83iAsA-cX7zLY3P1_OhEYaskfoshQt8eifp_xcU6cIGvEnV1bUkHjMn8C9HX6TTRk2PqSjgoKB_DkrZnAwljY/s200/IMG_2769+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296371317780328082" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkYZ48XdveNIx_nKAMNP7BLGC5friIB_VaTkdajUsrW17DEU8hOGki9WCnQcCRsCydV_z4p4iXgTmGYJCH_8G77uYcwEz-5GOLqBmxmMiBcd1SsrtaCAUYxJJKnVs05Y75lgbTukeWvrc/s1600-h/IMG_2762.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkYZ48XdveNIx_nKAMNP7BLGC5friIB_VaTkdajUsrW17DEU8hOGki9WCnQcCRsCydV_z4p4iXgTmGYJCH_8G77uYcwEz-5GOLqBmxmMiBcd1SsrtaCAUYxJJKnVs05Y75lgbTukeWvrc/s1600-h/IMG_2762.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkYZ48XdveNIx_nKAMNP7BLGC5friIB_VaTkdajUsrW17DEU8hOGki9WCnQcCRsCydV_z4p4iXgTmGYJCH_8G77uYcwEz-5GOLqBmxmMiBcd1SsrtaCAUYxJJKnVs05Y75lgbTukeWvrc/s200/IMG_2762.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296371293320874146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uTismcBAb5s5Uwo2KMjdxOTAzDyn9-YSzdPyopKwNoIOaf0mjGOE7JAljrJEqMm2jWF9gkC8pbK0iVguzvD0pXV1gnqKOIC0DQFFXjFB9jK5g-bK_B-NA3Dw41iUK-yrEKjZ-JxCA0GG/s1600-h/IMG_2761.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9cnLnlO3pdCuDdrghwpDqn5sCj7UJIgBQv1r_DBPMs3xduELckEYHBvf0elzVGRdqXmaW6o6TEetbja7o_SRfBSfR43nR-LToch84xJF0Lpq509h2nhJheugYqE0ALmYO0hwqzW02Wkm/s1600-h/IMG_2766.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9cnLnlO3pdCuDdrghwpDqn5sCj7UJIgBQv1r_DBPMs3xduELckEYHBvf0elzVGRdqXmaW6o6TEetbja7o_SRfBSfR43nR-LToch84xJF0Lpq509h2nhJheugYqE0ALmYO0hwqzW02Wkm/s200/IMG_2766.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296372198736544898" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uTismcBAb5s5Uwo2KMjdxOTAzDyn9-YSzdPyopKwNoIOaf0mjGOE7JAljrJEqMm2jWF9gkC8pbK0iVguzvD0pXV1gnqKOIC0DQFFXjFB9jK5g-bK_B-NA3Dw41iUK-yrEKjZ-JxCA0GG/s1600-h/IMG_2761.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uTismcBAb5s5Uwo2KMjdxOTAzDyn9-YSzdPyopKwNoIOaf0mjGOE7JAljrJEqMm2jWF9gkC8pbK0iVguzvD0pXV1gnqKOIC0DQFFXjFB9jK5g-bK_B-NA3Dw41iUK-yrEKjZ-JxCA0GG/s200/IMG_2761.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296371286068812786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchgogEYvKAseCnxXqfrbDiLlCD2LxBeO0xqY2UPUehBJj2BDnSXNd9qbUrmH9HSImBpZGkPXp5Vv_sQTOQFhnLPVL6kvn9G7-48zqFSNg4QNMVrsLXuwjs_zrl4ur6TswwZCcBvbu52X-/s1600-h/IMG_2763.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchgogEYvKAseCnxXqfrbDiLlCD2LxBeO0xqY2UPUehBJj2BDnSXNd9qbUrmH9HSImBpZGkPXp5Vv_sQTOQFhnLPVL6kvn9G7-48zqFSNg4QNMVrsLXuwjs_zrl4ur6TswwZCcBvbu52X-/s200/IMG_2763.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296372191629594882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The next day we drove up to the Falls from Slippery Rock (<span style="font-style: italic;">us</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">u</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">ally only about a 4 hour drive - not bad as long as the roads are clear, and on this trip, they were just fine</span>) and stayed at the <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/iagnf-marriott-niagara-falls-fallsview-hotel-and-spa/">Mar</a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/iagnf-marriott-niagara-falls-fallsview-hotel-and-spa/">riott</a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/iagnf-marriott-niagara-falls-fallsview-hotel-and-spa/"> Falls View</a> (<span style="font-style: italic;">on the Canadian side of the falls</span>) so that we would have rooms with views...and what incredible views we had (our room was on the 18th floor...on the left side - perfect!)...</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMRcXIRrydwf6ujj3IJSaei9rCqBUEJcEkkbf7j7To-3olCmhNELLslGuD15U21xUi1poujqZzECRP4YaNOZ1b2PuSbbiLHUkj66999NwSmcDfkuEAikXKNCSio6tWIkBNXGGKl8WsMkF/s1600-h/IMG_2838.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMRcXIRrydwf6ujj3IJSaei9rCqBUEJcEkkbf7j7To-3olCmhNELLslGuD15U21xUi1poujqZzECRP4YaNOZ1b2PuSbbiLHUkj66999NwSmcDfkuEAikXKNCSio6tWIkBNXGGKl8WsMkF/s200/IMG_2838.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296376659310519906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17T1SpSJsHx7sEySxFJPWiwmvXV0IktctyOQ6oFiZG2cgD6mSPX1n3H_2dRsquf94jm6hHakos3F31d6Tj9QpkY7lAGxqorJoCLHL4E8EekH0JahQRUfhbMeXKq5pKAxAK5wThtahv2Hx/s1600-h/IMG_2816.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17T1SpSJsHx7sEySxFJPWiwmvXV0IktctyOQ6oFiZG2cgD6mSPX1n3H_2dRsquf94jm6hHakos3F31d6Tj9QpkY7lAGxqorJoCLHL4E8EekH0JahQRUfhbMeXKq5pKAxAK5wThtahv2Hx/s200/IMG_2816.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296376636627087490" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIbKyZlvJvNXyUmM3_Vn-Cci1Bu2FaqMZ_BA0oI7fhjysQ5bx4sn3owPOqOv-pYBO3cq4bwX9Fnm0DXwjG9PRVIxMZgLHTKCT1JAyQxO3aoCP87DeFqgBarREXVrT6XbAnMcWPC8FYmMB/s1600-h/Photo_010109_001.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIbKyZlvJvNXyUmM3_Vn-Cci1Bu2FaqMZ_BA0oI7fhjysQ5bx4sn3owPOqOv-pYBO3cq4bwX9Fnm0DXwjG9PRVIxMZgLHTKCT1JAyQxO3aoCP87DeFqgBarREXVrT6XbAnMcWPC8FYmMB/s200/Photo_010109_001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293433508978426882" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNIYkILc5etbXAMGC3OcK5x3CJdqwz7yHHBgEo0k3KthaXQBTrYcOUyqrE_LC5e0H8OIQYSXOZBDh0m9mu0-190TStdihS6netYIvbb3__TUcgSqKIcWnPjekTBJkQS5_B1j0yDGAC1vG/s1600-h/IMG_2818+%282%29.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5vRHu93vGHblgtM8Uy3sEfJfRqpymRN_u8MnI47KBVwgYV4zGnR3_lf-f2iJia-S-i8nvxz3QQSMPyIrC9Cp1wpT9YTJmqWJ_fqioAShyphenhyphen6_YEwWgKANMXef9Vxu2_5nN9Ka27gHj1xpB/s1600-h/IMG_2836.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5vRHu93vGHblgtM8Uy3sEfJfRqpymRN_u8MnI47KBVwgYV4zGnR3_lf-f2iJia-S-i8nvxz3QQSMPyIrC9Cp1wpT9YTJmqWJ_fqioAShyphenhyphen6_YEwWgKANMXef9Vxu2_5nN9Ka27gHj1xpB/s200/IMG_2836.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296376644423629986" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpaB0wElzoZV1jzxC4ocLc6twJBbY2gIIQPaP6mq3M546_9fkBh8irVIRbAuD3lfpffcUbVDkQ9blfrqLzH8u-ARxPYSSGnUtBE5pqrc6fAnhoKiISY6R6zMVBAkdGfYzvKl-daJ0sClj/s1600-h/IMG_2829.jpg"> </a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Did you notice the rain</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">bow in the photo to the right, abo</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ve??</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpaB0wElzoZV1jzxC4ocLc6twJBbY2gIIQPaP6mq3M546_9fkBh8irVIRbAuD3lfpffcUbVDkQ9blfrqLzH8u-ARxPYSSGnUtBE5pqrc6fAnhoKiISY6R6zMVBAkdGfYzvKl-daJ0sClj/s1600-h/IMG_2829.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpaB0wElzoZV1jzxC4ocLc6twJBbY2gIIQPaP6mq3M546_9fkBh8irVIRbAuD3lfpffcUbVDkQ9blfrqLzH8u-ARxPYSSGnUtBE5pqrc6fAnhoKiISY6R6zMVBAkdGfYzvKl-daJ0sClj/s200/IMG_2829.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296376648075237730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">You can see Stephanie here below, in front of our room window....fantastic</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">!</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNIYkILc5etbXAMGC3OcK5x3CJdqwz7yHHBgEo0k3KthaXQBTrYcOUyqrE_LC5e0H8OIQYSXOZBDh0m9mu0-190TStdihS6netYIvbb3__TUcgSqKIcWnPjekTBJkQS5_B1j0yDGAC1vG/s1600-h/IMG_2818+%282%29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNIYkILc5etbXAMGC3OcK5x3CJdqwz7yHHBgEo0k3KthaXQBTrYcOUyqrE_LC5e0H8OIQYSXOZBDh0m9mu0-190TStdihS6netYIvbb3__TUcgSqKIcWnPjekTBJkQS5_B1j0yDGAC1vG/s200/IMG_2818+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296376635999089506" border="0" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It was so amazingly gorgeous...the view just got better, and better as darkness took over the sky a</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nd all the city lights came on....there were also lights directed onto the falls..an</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">d they periodically changed colors. I </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">liked the view best when the lights were either on in <span style="font-style: italic;">all white</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">all light blue</span>...beauti</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ful, dreamy, strong and powerful. The rainbow colors were sort of cool, but after a while I could not get past the 70's vibe they seemed to give off. After a few margaritas (<span style="font-style: italic;">yes, I brought a blender with us, this was my first night off in 6 months, I was prepared to enjoy it!!</span>) we started naming th</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e co</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">lor</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">s....we named the green color "Bad Breath Green" and the purple, "</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Purple Haze"...etc. it was ridiculously fun (<span style="font-style: italic;">stupid * silly * fun!</span>). We spent the evening just looking out the huge window (<span style="font-style: italic;">hung out in Vipin's & my room</span>)...I never tired of the view...I packed cheese, crackers, mixed nuts, some beef sausage rolls, etc. (lots of goodies that I have received for the holidays in jam-packed gift baskets!!) and we brought mix for the margaritas, wine, tequila, and of course champagn</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e....so we were set for the night!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGbeh5TxrH-3yKRGTFwf6Fa5s16TyBgNgcTGINBO4VoJ9YolsKueDAAy-1zkMZgLsjcSSS2ga-VClbWdTCScncGYVwMmVQK_GPAIAljAEHwz9mfRsaqEi3Wm-pNc2vU2jbRMEPPYdJJHW/s1600-h/IMG_2785.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGbeh5TxrH-3yKRGTFwf6Fa5s16TyBgNgcTGINBO4VoJ9YolsKueDAAy-1zkMZgLsjcSSS2ga-VClbWdTCScncGYVwMmVQK_GPAIAljAEHwz9mfRsaqEi3Wm-pNc2vU2jbRMEPPYdJJHW/s200/IMG_2785.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296380886043998338" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqxxHTwhyphenhyphenTXaaHLVHdIkjcCt7SQM1WdyiRGLpnKs7oZxRDKK20N6bjsoqezTpRFGXkr2UBm137U27o4OifWqWg6ZxgpXDYSQkYMeuKhMbY9HDbPikn50ETUsl3PLSvYvLdCaBmmwoxRff/s1600-h/IMG_2788+%282%29.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqxxHTwhyphenhyphenTXaaHLVHdIkjcCt7SQM1WdyiRGLpnKs7oZxRDKK20N6bjsoqezTpRFGXkr2UBm137U27o4OifWqWg6ZxgpXDYSQkYMeuKhMbY9HDbPikn50ETUsl3PLSvYvLdCaBmmwoxRff/s200/IMG_2788+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296380881864687746" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SbA-FiyICDF5BVxsOBsCqoRFENJVfXnX888Bkg0aUfb9TqmcZOdc6q9MBnxJ62HE2XBxmAPgJl2_AKFyKXwKlHE8agdrpCIKTzp9g_Z1WNSsyf6CZ13_3wAZeXXfdnukLRZPoO1rLRpo/s1600-h/IMG_0070.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SbA-FiyICDF5BVxsOBsCqoRFENJVfXnX888Bkg0aUfb9TqmcZOdc6q9MBnxJ62HE2XBxmAPgJl2_AKFyKXwKlHE8agdrpCIKTzp9g_Z1WNSsyf6CZ13_3wAZeXXfdnukLRZPoO1rLRpo/s200/IMG_0070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293432449414618082" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEiGUIE1XaAFUbLIsrKpwzc6QCYykwFdwpeR_3i-556CpTRfc7uZix8UJk2jvvEfS_0orSShleGcnpWENRLp4pg4h30QMwBg09bKd9fjJOnNN3vAY4c-olUkwoVTATnNc3jiyf3pQPwhW/s1600-h/IMG_0065.JPG"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEiGUIE1XaAFUbLIsrKpwzc6QCYykwFdwpeR_3i-556CpTRfc7uZix8UJk2jvvEfS_0orSShleGcnpWENRLp4pg4h30QMwBg09bKd9fjJOnNN3vAY4c-olUkwoVTATnNc3jiyf3pQPwhW/s200/IMG_0065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293432444606744322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjh4Prn2sceU4be2umBxvQsviwpk64Mlml0Y4gPd_ehyphenhyphenilfak6czXTkm2co_Dfr_dw8EkZ0T1dD1jFE-y7sGUk0jM_OMMu4xWRN17Mw8Zx_o5s1lfL4-8BSL53cdCPI7SgUd6HvS6dcme/s1600-h/IMG_0068.JPG"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjh4Prn2sceU4be2umBxvQsviwpk64Mlml0Y4gPd_ehyphenhyphenilfak6czXTkm2co_Dfr_dw8EkZ0T1dD1jFE-y7sGUk0jM_OMMu4xWRN17Mw8Zx_o5s1lfL4-8BSL53cdCPI7SgUd6HvS6dcme/s200/IMG_0068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293432449120853714" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBw2qmTG_oQWx3-04AP87i2J0r5BH-qprdaFnKJZikM4xcNtlm5r9TDj2sBqspghcjyCuJ_5hyxjYLSuPCxhFMXG8Tx5IsNgi20kYywX3BI6oh2NbQe0Nrjhmq62avX818jh9o01mln_Xn/s1600-h/IMG_2794+%282%29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBw2qmTG_oQWx3-04AP87i2J0r5BH-qprdaFnKJZikM4xcNtlm5r9TDj2sBqspghcjyCuJ_5hyxjYLSuPCxhFMXG8Tx5IsNgi20kYywX3BI6oh2NbQe0Nrjhmq62avX818jh9o01mln_Xn/s200/IMG_2794+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296380874729680946" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It was perfect, and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> I highly </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >recommend going to Niagara Falls for New Year's Ev</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">e</span>. Know that the Canadian side has a much better view of the falls and things overall (<span style="font-style: italic;">day o</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">r night</span>). Also know that there are much better things to see and do in the way of entertainment places (<span style="font-style: italic;">including the casino, game places, things for families, game places, etc.</span>) and a better variety of restaurants on the Canadian side.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If</span> you go.... you don't have to stay in a hotel room with a view...it naturally costs more to do so, and there will be no discounts due to it being a holiday, but for us it was what we w</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">anted, and it was well worth it. We had our view - and this served as our entertainment for the evening (<span style="font-style: italic;">we could see people walking around down on the sidewalks and roads below, we could see the lights and</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> colors, we could see the falls, we could see the traffic, we could see the police patrolling the area, etc....lots to look at)</span>! We had music on in our room, we had the TV on (<span style="font-style: italic;">this year the channel was onto CNN with Kathy Griffin and Anderso</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">n Cooper..so funny...I'm a fan of Kathy's!</span>) and we were WARM and snug inside..with our food and drinks! If you decide to NOT get a hotel room with a vie</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">w, you can of</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> course walk around to the falls and stand there and enjoy things...but...IT IS AND WAS<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 204, 204);"> SOOOOO COOOLD</span>!! We did go outside for a bit (<span style="font-style: italic;">we just went across the street from the hotel</span>) around 11pm to the Quizno's to grab s</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ome munchies </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">and just venture out...but I'm glad we didn't need to go far...it was really too cold...and the sidewalks were not cleared very well (<span style="font-style: italic;">I was wear</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">ing high heeled boots and had to hold on to Vipin for dear life!</span>). Like many places on a holiday, there are less people working, so I think maybe the sidewal</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ks </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">would have been cleared better, and are usually cleared on a regular basis, just not so much on December 31st after 6pm!!<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Most incredible, there were fireworks at 9PM and again at Midnight...and that was quite a show! We just loved it!</span></span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1axWTMPFDpGrkh6m-6Vm8AS5zaT2H1sF3TZanFwoJpjBuFyFchqqpoD920fxTa3nSmn8gq8TSW3rZ1JBwZdZeMLGZOGp9rIcOvOQFr_mHlB5Q_3DXd-__q9YJiNit3r3joJvbeAuVKPnh/s1600-h/IMG_0085.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1axWTMPFDpGrkh6m-6Vm8AS5zaT2H1sF3TZanFwoJpjBuFyFchqqpoD920fxTa3nSmn8gq8TSW3rZ1JBwZdZeMLGZOGp9rIcOvOQFr_mHlB5Q_3DXd-__q9YJiNit3r3joJvbeAuVKPnh/s200/IMG_0085.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293433504550958274" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixl2jymJxtoLIBoNYcsQiScR22Jpf2zOuwCTX52FVw2kbTO-jBj935XpSGvZaAQQS47ClCLj85NZqspYpPXyOiQ0auv5re3DTvG_aalIW3g9Nwn8XZXYi-qEnq71aoDzuA2AHy7fX1BkZp/s1600-h/IMG_0072.JPG"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixl2jymJxtoLIBoNYcsQiScR22Jpf2zOuwCTX52FVw2kbTO-jBj935XpSGvZaAQQS47ClCLj85NZqspYpPXyOiQ0auv5re3DTvG_aalIW3g9Nwn8XZXYi-qEnq71aoDzuA2AHy7fX1BkZp/s200/IMG_0072.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293432452702741426" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Xo7oAiiwamYUCM9L5MiZrccG3ISUKf0V8IRb0Abmn7pGiGvWyTYeAU6whWQoifrh_vfa9vFOPBTXWy5qOhgrY6ENyuSZzE7rb5KGCnFocfVfu42__PZBMe1zBwHRE1LQ6sWV816f-S_o/s1600-h/IMG_0084.JPG"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Xo7oAiiwamYUCM9L5MiZrccG3ISUKf0V8IRb0Abmn7pGiGvWyTYeAU6whWQoifrh_vfa9vFOPBTXWy5qOhgrY6ENyuSZzE7rb5KGCnFocfVfu42__PZBMe1zBwHRE1LQ6sWV816f-S_o/s200/IMG_0084.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293433504576204834" border="0" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0J361qXHPXEkFo97S3ZaeC7g9ksfPuFhI9j0pFO_PTd5WIbaaK8hki4CqCaLFXyzMN9QtYbCJ_mPpJWp0IylW8K_4IRoCuCg4deD92rdOqMQ4paLDoxb4nG-FMjyu2mYyhy3FqrtVgDF6/s1600-h/IMG_0071.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0J361qXHPXEkFo97S3ZaeC7g9ksfPuFhI9j0pFO_PTd5WIbaaK8hki4CqCaLFXyzMN9QtYbCJ_mPpJWp0IylW8K_4IRoCuCg4deD92rdOqMQ4paLDoxb4nG-FMjyu2mYyhy3FqrtVgDF6/s200/IMG_0071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293432454798336194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The hotel is a spa hotel (</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >and has a Starbucks and huge gift shop in the lobby area, and also features several restaurants...it has everything!!</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">), so I think if I go again for New Year's Eve (</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >and I really want t</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >o and I really hope to!!</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">) I will schedule a massage or something for the next day, but this time we just slept in, enjoyed the wonderfully comfortable bed </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >(and the sheets, which were amazingly soft - not always the case in hotels, but with Marriott you can't go wrong!</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">) and the late 12 noon check-out. Then we drove around, went to the falls for a close up view (<span style="font-style: italic;">gorgeous...ice on the sides, sparkling... fantastic</span>) and continued home via the beautiful quite drive along the Niagara Parkway (</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >in Canada...where you drive along the riverside and can see many huge homes..there are also </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >many</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > places to pull off and enjoy the view</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">), crossed over the Peace Bridge and then over the boarder back into New York, USA. The traffic on the parkway was so easy...almost non-existent, and the c</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ross</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> over the boarder was not bad at all (</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >we maybe had to wait for 15 minutes or so - d</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >on't forget your Passports!!!).<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y6yytV8FTvOtp2OEvZGS3qE4jL93DyouBEl_AUiahF7cszyUf_7EB3dJDc-UhPKsGHB0XuTYH59fztrtuT1lcTsYzxuaGFUfPmYJ_E4OLVP-dN_IiP7djvXgrchA5DmzCn86F9pygWbf/s1600-h/IMG_2819.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y6yytV8FTvOtp2OEvZGS3qE4jL93DyouBEl_AUiahF7cszyUf_7EB3dJDc-UhPKsGHB0XuTYH59fztrtuT1lcTsYzxuaGFUfPmYJ_E4OLVP-dN_IiP7djvXgrchA5DmzCn86F9pygWbf/s200/IMG_2819.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296380893421819426" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5oycjp38U2VGi0otulK0X4qCQWhUcBl5gnjgy3ESUoA4JWWR-YnliNeV3wyB1bKtpwjDtHulE4q3AFd74iFMuIkfmiOQ-Nc5ZYXf3ijYKIOVnZ9W6-n-0fsxVAKXlvXFFy08UB0hQ5iN/s1600-h/Niagara+2009+at+the+Falls.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5oycjp38U2VGi0otulK0X4qCQWhUcBl5gnjgy3ESUoA4JWWR-YnliNeV3wyB1bKtpwjDtHulE4q3AFd74iFMuIkfmiOQ-Nc5ZYXf3ijYKIOVnZ9W6-n-0fsxVAKXlvXFFy08UB0hQ5iN/s200/Niagara+2009+at+the+Falls.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296380898901457730" border="0" /></a></div> </div><div style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;"><br />My parents watched/babysat LuLu for the night so we stopped at their house <span style="font-style: italic;">(they left earlier that morning to go down to West Virginia</span>) to pick her up, and my Mom had made a delicious pork and sauerkraut dish for us to take home (it's tradition to eat pork and kraut on New Years Day...at least in my family - and I always try and comply!)! We went home, got into our comfy clothes, watched the movie "300" and gobbled that meal down!! It was perfect. Good times.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" >HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiB5ZWn_qxb5Bdc3o6M66AWKsyAqBUrrC4SL7QxQWMVlfQOfC0h_rMTv6dZ1DEZUGrxvYm8q3-vjNM7yaaAhDm-tsIY5Sf8NcIePzbkX9r1cwtEHhRtpMI-h7qXo2dObjq1tBT75wQkX_/s1600-h/IMG_2839.jpg"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" > </span> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiB5ZWn_qxb5Bdc3o6M66AWKsyAqBUrrC4SL7QxQWMVlfQOfC0h_rMTv6dZ1DEZUGrxvYm8q3-vjNM7yaaAhDm-tsIY5Sf8NcIePzbkX9r1cwtEHhRtpMI-h7qXo2dObjq1tBT75wQkX_/s200/IMG_2839.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296382337807477378" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-45776317624490481602009-01-16T12:01:00.006-05:002009-01-28T10:29:24.929-05:00GRANDMA TURED 90!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilExrvxUQfQGy73_wjEydk-x3pYGXjaY-DRfrhENXjQkkT3HTLpmnKGFDJuw2hooB4AdJXssPwgUAV5I2ctB52xcVqYksUe_qrc8t9Zdx3J_hxB6_xOMwG4VlYw9js8MdHedsDCjHMdiLL/s1600-h/Grandma.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 105px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilExrvxUQfQGy73_wjEydk-x3pYGXjaY-DRfrhENXjQkkT3HTLpmnKGFDJuw2hooB4AdJXssPwgUAV5I2ctB52xcVqYksUe_qrc8t9Zdx3J_hxB6_xOMwG4VlYw9js8MdHedsDCjHMdiLL/s200/Grandma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296366903275350722" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJX9KOEoI31kQuejSguMpDvrL0CON9EaGENZ3VoTbGVYFkm-e6V3pn0YYK8SuZ4mBlkbHKjwwcHEwtR3uuqzBKevuZ6lYacvtERXcsWJWIL913zzs3oexWdAprzHyti9VM4kezLcIjU5nt/s1600-h/grandma.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaIeFMUjpJw1twOu_pvxlUaAJfw-SUud3PY56R1aFT_9mVrSjYuAjYdXWevJ96peBYKaZvccXmnAfwSESZj70i-PJWXiJjLbvMx5HCdeJzn2s1BWMnshZv86OcFm6RSrUC5KEH0HGSu67/s1600-h/Photo_121708_003.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaIeFMUjpJw1twOu_pvxlUaAJfw-SUud3PY56R1aFT_9mVrSjYuAjYdXWevJ96peBYKaZvccXmnAfwSESZj70i-PJWXiJjLbvMx5HCdeJzn2s1BWMnshZv86OcFm6RSrUC5KEH0HGSu67/s200/Photo_121708_003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291945876040056018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJX9KOEoI31kQuejSguMpDvrL0CON9EaGENZ3VoTbGVYFkm-e6V3pn0YYK8SuZ4mBlkbHKjwwcHEwtR3uuqzBKevuZ6lYacvtERXcsWJWIL913zzs3oexWdAprzHyti9VM4kezLcIjU5nt/s1600-h/grandma.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 131px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJX9KOEoI31kQuejSguMpDvrL0CON9EaGENZ3VoTbGVYFkm-e6V3pn0YYK8SuZ4mBlkbHKjwwcHEwtR3uuqzBKevuZ6lYacvtERXcsWJWIL913zzs3oexWdAprzHyti9VM4kezLcIjU5nt/s200/grandma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291945899623646402" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LoraDell Baker</span>, my Grandma on my Mother's side, turned 90 years old on December 18th (<span style="font-style: italic;">last month</span>). Which means she was born in 1918! It's quite an accomplishment...even though she would say "<span style="font-style: italic;">I didn't do anything"!</span> She now lives in an apartment building here in Slippery Rock. The apartment building is named Graystone Manor and houses other retired senior citizens, couples, singles, (<span style="font-style: italic;">all for and only for adults</span>), and several handicapped people </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">(<span style="font-style: italic;">in n</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >ice, fully equi</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">pped handicapped apartments</span>). I decorated her door the night before her birthday...she was sure surprised when she went out that morn</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ing to go and check her mail! </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHbhkezPxT3R31Nq_IlGrkGy4oLr7ZydU_ScY6YQ7VaJDsv4cWalhGArSPQ9eHwN2ZYyi3buVlo1nEbWxyvPZ4DRlWdGcT2dzzul4eMWFgPwmhC7G81WT1EI13knSPZ4J8VepTpsPXvxB/s1600-h/Photo_121708_001.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHbhkezPxT3R31Nq_IlGrkGy4oLr7ZydU_ScY6YQ7VaJDsv4cWalhGArSPQ9eHwN2ZYyi3buVlo1nEbWxyvPZ4DRlWdGcT2dzzul4eMWFgPwmhC7G81WT1EI13knSPZ4J8VepTpsPXvxB/s200/Photo_121708_001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291945888308340322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL-2Fd3RJcouxeSFKJpGngXet774QzYiqO4M134Uk0t1A9jtKB063nIFT-0c5b9Pl6192oKGaWKrUi2sjZTn3WpUqT6yvqlWZ5UTKFL6XYDJY0axoQ55-bdAOBBZ_4qVbJ5Mr4oGuNmnU/s1600-h/Photo_121708_002.JPG"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL-2Fd3RJcouxeSFKJpGngXet774QzYiqO4M134Uk0t1A9jtKB063nIFT-0c5b9Pl6192oKGaWKrUi2sjZTn3WpUqT6yvqlWZ5UTKFL6XYDJY0axoQ55-bdAOBBZ_4qVbJ5Mr4oGuNmnU/s200/Photo_121708_002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291945891711443778" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">She had lots of wonderful visitors who came to celebrate with her:<br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Uncle Larry and Aunt Gloria Baker (<span style="font-style: italic;">my Mom's brother and his wife</span>) came from Pisgah Forest, North Carolina,<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">David Baker (<span style="font-style: italic;">cousin</span>) came from </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Reynoldsburg, Ohio,</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Roger (<span style="font-style: italic;">cousin</span>) and his </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">youngest son Nick came from Columbus, Ohio</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Joann & Jim Schumacher (<span style="font-style: italic;">cousin & her hubby</span>) with their two kids Jamie (<span style="font-style: italic;">not a kid anymore, she is a sophomore in college and quite a fantastic young woman!</span>) and "little" Jason (<span style="font-style: italic;">who stands taller than me...even when I am wearing 4 inch heels!</span>) came from Glen Allen, Virginia</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">and of course all of us from around the Rock were here...and I know Susan & Steve, Wanda & Reinhard, and Lynette, Missy & Mike were all here in thought and spirit.<br /></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Later that evening the residents of Graystone Manor had their Christmas Party (<span style="font-style: italic;">they scheduled and planned it specifically to be on her birthday so they could do a combo-party celebration!</span>). Everyone had a great time.</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Grandma lived in the Poconos when I was a little girl. She and Grandpa (Connel Ashmore Baker) built a little house in the small town of Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania. Pocono Pines didn't have much in the way of a 'town' - it had a tiny po</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">st office with one counter, a general store, an old-timey-type Manor House Restaurant (<span style="font-style: italic;">where I remember we would go for 'fancy' meals and have shrimp cocktail appetizers</span>) etc. but it was a nature-lovers dream! I grew up (<span style="font-style: italic;">along with my sisters and cousins</span>) spending many Christmases, holidays and long weekends there. It was perfect for us...they had a boat with two wonderful l</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">akes nearby (<span style="font-style: italic;">the "BIG LAKE" and the "LITTLE LAKE" - fantastic for boating, fishing, swimming, ice skating in the winter, etc.</span>), lots of berry bushes to go and pick fresh berries from, a house in the woods that bordered the State Park with wonderful nature trails to go hiking on, a tree house that Grandpa built for us, all sorts of birds and wild forest animals running around, wonderful huge rocks to climb around on, etc. It was a child's paradise. Alright, so the bugs were bad at times, in the winter it would snow feet instead of inches, it would get really dark and creepy at night, there were strange animal sounds that came from the woods, Grandpa didn't like us to get too loud, there was no running in the house (<span style="font-style: italic;">as if there was space to run</span>!), their house was small (<span style="font-style: italic;">I still can't imagine how they fit my family of 6 and the Baker family of 5 and them in that two bedroom house...but of course I know how they did it...they stuck all 7 of us kids up in the attic to sleep in sleeping bags!! -- hey, we were kids, what did we know!?!</span>), we'd all get a bit restless and drive each other crazy (<span style="font-style: italic;">understatement!</span>), and it was in the middle of nowheres-ville, but hey, that's family!<br /><br />I just loved going to visit at Grandma and Grandpa's. I remember Grandpa was funny, not so much to me <span style="font-style: italic;">(I can remember laughing at jokes I didn't understand)</span> but I remember how the adults would always be in stitches when they were around him...he seemed to bring the best out of people. I loved watching him smile with love and pride at Grandma, sometimes I'd catch him just watching her and he'd wink at me. Grandpa was with me when I tied my shoe by myself for the very first time! He made me feel like he really cared, and was so proud of me, like it was such a big thing! I was the apple of his eye that day....I think I was more pleased that I pleased him than I was that I tied my own shoe! Grandma always made things special for us when we came to visit. We had our very own special towel sets...each of which she hand embroidered certain things onto for identification....mine were bright pink with little bees...because I was (<span style="font-style: italic;">and still am</span>) her little honey b</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ee! She also had little aprons for us to wear when we helped in the kitchen (<span style="font-style: italic;">which was always</span>)...we would set the table, help stir things on the stove-top, do whatever was asked of us basically... but most importantly, at exactly 5pm, we would help make the cocktails!! Our cocktails were of course Shirley Temples with red maraschino cherries (<span style="font-style: italic;">we would get two cherries if we had been good that day!</span>)...cranberry juice and 7-up (I still love cranberry juice to this day!). She had special glasses for them too (<span style="font-style: italic;">featuring Archie cartoon images...I think she got them free at the grocery store, or maybe they were special</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> promotional jelly jars - I don't know, but they were special for us!! and I loved them.....she still has them by the way!!</span>).<br /><br />After Grandpa passed away Grandma still lived out there in the woods for several years, but then it just became too much to handle (<span style="font-style: italic;">and she was getting older and tired of shooting guns up in the sky to scare the huge bears out of her back yard and away from her house!</span>) so she </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">moved to Columbus, Ohio, where my Uncle Larry had a duplexed house. Grandma lived in Columbus for many years. She was quite involved too. She was a member of the 1918 Club (<span style="font-style: italic;">all the members were born in 1918 and they used to go on trips..she went to New England, to Washington State, etc. it was great</span>), she was a member of the Women's Club, she golfed, she bowled, she played Bridge, she sewed and always had several craft projects going...and of course she had her beautiful plants and flowers that she cared for. She moved back to Pennsylvania, to Slippery Rock in, I think 2001 or 2. She had to have a knee replacement and after that it just became more difficult for her to get around so she moved here to be closer to my Mom.<br /><br />Grandma gets around in a wheelchair now...or I guess I should write that she gets around in a wonderful <a href="http://www.hoveround.com/">Hoveround</a>....but she still lives </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">alone and is able to manage on her own. At 90...well, that's pretty awesome!<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hypx1TWz3I4_k_b5KOBcT1GLXctXTz4aBOV6DeCq2eizTwCnHp7Hi7-P3wpw3YezQSoNJ8rjMge7HR1VMaQtuB6mH3JWOs3Exc6mXJp3sReDPgzK6LFqF_ObNOa3AU0dXq5RERfup8BF/s1600-h/Photo_102107_003+%283%29.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hypx1TWz3I4_k_b5KOBcT1GLXctXTz4aBOV6DeCq2eizTwCnHp7Hi7-P3wpw3YezQSoNJ8rjMge7HR1VMaQtuB6mH3JWOs3Exc6mXJp3sReDPgzK6LFqF_ObNOa3AU0dXq5RERfup8BF/s200/Photo_102107_003+%283%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291945872179199202" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA!<br />I LOVE YOU!</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-59136634542926053982009-01-16T11:21:00.005-05:002009-01-16T11:57:34.524-05:00LULU'S HANDMADE QUILT<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">LuLu</span>, our little Yorkie is beyond spoiled... but as rotten as she <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> be, she really is just a little ball of love. She is sweet and considerate and will follow us around everywhere we go (<span style="font-style: italic;">yes, she has a little mat in my bathroom and must go in there with me too!</span>). She just wants to be with us. She has a very calm <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">temperament</span> and never barks unless she needs to tell us something <span style="font-style: italic;">(like when she must have fresher, colder water in her water dish...this happens about five times a day!!, or that she needs some let's-run-around-the-house time</span>). She never chewed up things or destroyed any of our shoes (<span style="font-style: italic;">thank goodness!</span>). She is a really, really good <span style="font-style: italic;">(almost perfect in every way</span>) dog... as long as she has a #1st choice: LAP or #2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">nd</span> choice: COMFORTABLE NEST CLOSE TO US to lounge in, life is good for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">LuLu</span>...</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmMizwIl5CboyXausr6tYhIg49NS2IiDmE2fvaXcmohWk_nMaoUmc5pm3ggGGEOf_Xv32VVtg9mNd-KnvzQCoEUmljCGJVz7DpmywFT7Ui_iMWCSnChIjNpaOMY69aZho9mA2CehxuVVc/s1600-h/Photo_091107_001+%282%29.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmMizwIl5CboyXausr6tYhIg49NS2IiDmE2fvaXcmohWk_nMaoUmc5pm3ggGGEOf_Xv32VVtg9mNd-KnvzQCoEUmljCGJVz7DpmywFT7Ui_iMWCSnChIjNpaOMY69aZho9mA2CehxuVVc/s200/Photo_091107_001+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291930315803350530" border="0" /></a></div><div face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><br />Well, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">LuLu</span> usually goes to work with me. Not every day, but almost every day. I can't say that she actually walks to work<span style="font-style: italic;"> (my office is just two blocks from our house)</span>...a walk for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">LuLu</span> is about half a block, and then she just sits down and looks up with a cute little <span style="font-style: italic;">"I'm done, now carry me please"</span> sort of way. Of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">course</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">LuLu</span>, like me has several nice carry bags/purses, and she likes them, but she prefers to be hand held and adored (of course).<br /><br />Well, right now it is really <span style="font-weight: bold;">much too COLD</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(last night it was 24 BELOW zero with the windchill factor & all the schools in the area canceled classes for the day!!) </span>to bring little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">LuLu</span> into the office with me... but of course she wanted to try her new lounging quilt out in the office. So first we had to get her up from a deep sleep....<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ANnSEzpHliwWojoIWV5sW1qcwX631gkHGcrkUlINUUpCrZyukn6WZZWKR03AOr-HLc_aO02m2reVyg0_tk0Q7CFFe37hPXyF1Ebk1qMXYbMgsmHys-Wti3G2ID72AaudvkHWw8c2oQ_5/s1600-h/12-14-07_1221.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ANnSEzpHliwWojoIWV5sW1qcwX631gkHGcrkUlINUUpCrZyukn6WZZWKR03AOr-HLc_aO02m2reVyg0_tk0Q7CFFe37hPXyF1Ebk1qMXYbMgsmHys-Wti3G2ID72AaudvkHWw8c2oQ_5/s200/12-14-07_1221.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291930318303111234" border="0" /></a></div><br />Then she had to 'help' me get ready for the day <span style="font-style: italic;">(every morning she goes with me to my dressing room and lounges a.k.a. naps in my dresser drawer while I primp and prep - if I don't put her in the drawer she stands by my feet and whimpers)</span>...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cpHZaUbUKipZ0q2sW7suUQRaEh9yzDG6EobDOUW5LbZN3hFa6hsydbIrp7CVhdwnpHu2cK18p5EeCdZONSYguHL_OIifcqUu7B_ydptNy1wMqctMurvB1MDyvQkf36q29PJgGwiWVK54/s1600-h/Photo_010209_002.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cpHZaUbUKipZ0q2sW7suUQRaEh9yzDG6EobDOUW5LbZN3hFa6hsydbIrp7CVhdwnpHu2cK18p5EeCdZONSYguHL_OIifcqUu7B_ydptNy1wMqctMurvB1MDyvQkf36q29PJgGwiWVK54/s200/Photo_010209_002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291930328317616898" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsAePCOz2XTnE1qY2lsEwHrrXJUH86aLdBkgzi3yzylBfWHwGGDX6ys6lefREuJBCo5yi61Xd-X7PBk-G5Tyxt2QBx_vSItor6FzlGbTe6iAfN8fPTVpHJ6NG5rgDwkwZs0yo3aT3Pd8r/s1600-h/Photo_010209_001.JPG"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsAePCOz2XTnE1qY2lsEwHrrXJUH86aLdBkgzi3yzylBfWHwGGDX6ys6lefREuJBCo5yi61Xd-X7PBk-G5Tyxt2QBx_vSItor6FzlGbTe6iAfN8fPTVpHJ6NG5rgDwkwZs0yo3aT3Pd8r/s200/Photo_010209_001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291930323661241074" border="0" /></a></div><br />And then we bundled up and ventured out<span style="font-style: italic;"> (well, I carried her to the car and drove her)</span>....<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bvP9Krjf9YroZ0j8tKWhNxfHgr_KRUuZxJRt2tDF3xsuJ8w1OeF1kEL3soPeuJ2LaZzlYKUoXIbLG184HZszXfItHPu2BsisqweVu9pcbLh6NjxEevarfPK8vwr11X8bVU6WuUQKFZio/s1600-h/12-25-04_1240-15.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bvP9Krjf9YroZ0j8tKWhNxfHgr_KRUuZxJRt2tDF3xsuJ8w1OeF1kEL3soPeuJ2LaZzlYKUoXIbLG184HZszXfItHPu2BsisqweVu9pcbLh6NjxEevarfPK8vwr11X8bVU6WuUQKFZio/s200/12-25-04_1240-15.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291928114492455458" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Now... in the office, with the new <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">beautiful</span> handmade lounging quilt her <a href="http://wandalenz.blogspot.com/">Auntie Wanda</a> made specially for her!! It is perfect in every way!!! <span style="font-weight: bold;">She loves it!</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XbiOvCXrh5qhTs0QdH0ia1dqxiDMRbiRDu_jORH1wWjJh9L61mpaEsmfmimd8-Qs1RwBZU1CflCXoKApVNnQ5AuJ8X-dXpNm_RKIsSiA4kjyQBw1CHZdEMDCg6mF1niftPunXGwiDr7G/s1600-h/Photo_121608_001.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XbiOvCXrh5qhTs0QdH0ia1dqxiDMRbiRDu_jORH1wWjJh9L61mpaEsmfmimd8-Qs1RwBZU1CflCXoKApVNnQ5AuJ8X-dXpNm_RKIsSiA4kjyQBw1CHZdEMDCg6mF1niftPunXGwiDr7G/s200/Photo_121608_001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291928111440071666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEkfKveeKvfrMVqXUJYqAhF45ljF3MlVQdYk5VIB4EH9HwIuxzJPdxzJJNd6RJVmvTKsoaaYRs5BSlkvHBSa5dg2V4eHQXOysYmtlTo1UzTPkcis4C2rBWgcHSqES7B23uNhasP6vPLsS/s1600-h/Photo_121608_002.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEkfKveeKvfrMVqXUJYqAhF45ljF3MlVQdYk5VIB4EH9HwIuxzJPdxzJJNd6RJVmvTKsoaaYRs5BSlkvHBSa5dg2V4eHQXOysYmtlTo1UzTPkcis4C2rBWgcHSqES7B23uNhasP6vPLsS/s200/Photo_121608_002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291928112559666610" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnikO4XnRszbnFt3cGyjFI8cTKe_9A4w9_9Ug1owSZI0UJDcBN3ES5657gcWzMoDPSaiz1oX-m4RgWghbHgO8U7dkYydrBJ5GQa6zfGTJqu8N_YeL2IsXKMuAmiC2-Oq-yZUP6Kxj0cfG/s1600-h/4815888.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnikO4XnRszbnFt3cGyjFI8cTKe_9A4w9_9Ug1owSZI0UJDcBN3ES5657gcWzMoDPSaiz1oX-m4RgWghbHgO8U7dkYydrBJ5GQa6zfGTJqu8N_YeL2IsXKMuAmiC2-Oq-yZUP6Kxj0cfG/s200/4815888.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291930320136444770" border="0" /></a></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-19183492050835433352009-01-16T11:10:00.003-05:002009-01-16T12:01:38.622-05:00CHRISTMAS IN THE OFFICE<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I realize, of course that it is January, but I was so proud of how well Monique and Anna decorated the office this year that I wanted to post a few photos of how it looked....</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEcMZ7VkrqUUevYYkgwXcllC3K9KJURstmHwRNBj7fSDkmIGgg9RPzuSoPp-4SlYzbwV5ZZu8p8R0Of8on_GjTgCrCliFjaRj0ZCUX2qCrzQdT3LoSQoIU9GmtwSjRbxcDuYaFOujAE2D/s1600-h/Photo_122308_005.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEcMZ7VkrqUUevYYkgwXcllC3K9KJURstmHwRNBj7fSDkmIGgg9RPzuSoPp-4SlYzbwV5ZZu8p8R0Of8on_GjTgCrCliFjaRj0ZCUX2qCrzQdT3LoSQoIU9GmtwSjRbxcDuYaFOujAE2D/s200/Photo_122308_005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291925405026603714" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Here's a view of Monique's desk...the snowman on the right actually can play a song whenever someone walks by it but of course after 5 minutes it was driving us all crazy, so she turned the music feature off!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIe4Pet4fCwUBfeKw88fn4fjvOhtCrArxabU99CuLh-DjmMgPBgeSlbc-uTcuD7xR4PD7_Ej9sM3McrXpYs4pOzXl1i_rgZxaMOWayaiidaJeNJ0XsGrjrqr2NcI7RMel8fD5_reYniOl2/s1600-h/Photo_122308_008.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIe4Pet4fCwUBfeKw88fn4fjvOhtCrArxabU99CuLh-DjmMgPBgeSlbc-uTcuD7xR4PD7_Ej9sM3McrXpYs4pOzXl1i_rgZxaMOWayaiidaJeNJ0XsGrjrqr2NcI7RMel8fD5_reYniOl2/s200/Photo_122308_008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291925402512023826" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Here is a look into the main office room from inside my office.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfK2h_q8VFBZlS01lhEgeOWsGIJuGxwkCSDGKcT_znOhIwFpOBprwSxLavOv_F1YTdI0bl6XXDKl9lK7-d3_u1OXerpVIgENt5JBF3DD8GDjLknmkhA-QPlxS5DZP84Wv40VqU_2meAsIw/s1600-h/Photo_122308_003.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfK2h_q8VFBZlS01lhEgeOWsGIJuGxwkCSDGKcT_znOhIwFpOBprwSxLavOv_F1YTdI0bl6XXDKl9lK7-d3_u1OXerpVIgENt5JBF3DD8GDjLknmkhA-QPlxS5DZP84Wv40VqU_2meAsIw/s200/Photo_122308_003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291925400872218674" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Here is a look into my office (through the window..in the distance).</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjZWrc_F64s_CXT1IN7h7uhH4HmfZPmf2Hc1i96bosrQxWxkyefvoiwsHgAiHAHJyPWG9gQsY3v_CeP9DMxGR2u8VDzZCCbhqGM6qJ_EWTaDA0va_g6-tQmLMbZeZAH0oHs1s_RprP9RW/s1600-h/Photo_122308_002.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjZWrc_F64s_CXT1IN7h7uhH4HmfZPmf2Hc1i96bosrQxWxkyefvoiwsHgAiHAHJyPWG9gQsY3v_CeP9DMxGR2u8VDzZCCbhqGM6qJ_EWTaDA0va_g6-tQmLMbZeZAH0oHs1s_RprP9RW/s200/Photo_122308_002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291925399083666530" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This is our mailing and credit card processing station/area..and our cute mini Christmas tree in the corner.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxy2e51QZ_wC8yBkGOJFkuO03eq00vbIQYrIilVy1C5L-Y-KiKVmDXPXeR_3y-oD5X4HiQ4d6gg7pXp7ok_AxPVzya-IFd30A2Anj-eGvB909THeNGYUiWOio-0t-9lzcMAuk-6Ejsd7X/s1600-h/Photo_122308_001.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxy2e51QZ_wC8yBkGOJFkuO03eq00vbIQYrIilVy1C5L-Y-KiKVmDXPXeR_3y-oD5X4HiQ4d6gg7pXp7ok_AxPVzya-IFd30A2Anj-eGvB909THeNGYUiWOio-0t-9lzcMAuk-6Ejsd7X/s200/Photo_122308_001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291925393383498002" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We hung all our holiday cards on ribbon and put them across the wall...it dressed things up beautifully, and we received so many wonderful cards this year that we had to add a second ribbon!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >The office was so cozy and Christmas-y....I kind of miss it!</span>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-31698864199449215052009-01-15T18:48:00.004-05:002009-01-15T19:09:24.084-05:00VISITING THE PET STORE WITH NICOLE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dx2Wt4Js6GZkH2m-k9EEgPdnv3dqj55dy_ouXzDQL7e9ke12oFV1P1IQGqX_9EwKd2Emr4u1dHYueEFyVAutTnROlX2I6qKjcn1cWbIXRp9u2VeOVOWAt5QZoVxUvSFLVeJcKjzty7n7/s1600-h/Photo_121308_003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dx2Wt4Js6GZkH2m-k9EEgPdnv3dqj55dy_ouXzDQL7e9ke12oFV1P1IQGqX_9EwKd2Emr4u1dHYueEFyVAutTnROlX2I6qKjcn1cWbIXRp9u2VeOVOWAt5QZoVxUvSFLVeJcKjzty7n7/s200/Photo_121308_003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291673873196659330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrUPzcTGcMZ6XZVnAzD9bCx3cEQln-AcQV0edmzjbfincew1vBF6L6-pJqoMFD3Mw5AImgAeAg4MxYxZVhWSmn-J-2_yPKK1RUY4L4YxrTdFtGwranzCn3mMKfUf6yQUeG8NWgAQmNpsG/s1600-h/Photo_121308_002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrUPzcTGcMZ6XZVnAzD9bCx3cEQln-AcQV0edmzjbfincew1vBF6L6-pJqoMFD3Mw5AImgAeAg4MxYxZVhWSmn-J-2_yPKK1RUY4L4YxrTdFtGwranzCn3mMKfUf6yQUeG8NWgAQmNpsG/s200/Photo_121308_002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291673867286801842" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div face="trebuchet ms" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I'm so swamped! The New Year has taken me by storm...I have so much to write about, but since I promised Vipin I'd be home by seven, you'll have to settle for just these interesting photos. What are they all about? Well, last month my niece Nicole asked me to drive her to the movie theater (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">she already had a ride home)</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">...it was VERY IMPORTANT, because she was meeting two girlfriends...and TWO BOYFRIENDS (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">well, two boys, that are friends...but this is major...I know...I remember 7th grade!!!</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">) so of course I helped her out being the very understanding Aunt that I am...and well, let's face it, Nicole has me wrapped around her little finger!!! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">So, we left a bit early because I needed to run into </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Staples</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> (ok, I never really do a real "run in"...I totally love office supplies and yes, we did go up and down every aisle)....well, as it turned out we did have some extra time to kill...no worries, we knew we'd do it at the pet store (a regular stop when we are in that part of Butler)! There we stopped visited the adorable hamsters and bunnies...the not so adorable and rather gross lizards and the totally disgusting spiders (we have to look and then run away)!! We also checked out the tiny doggie sweaters (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">you never know LuLu might have 'needed' something!</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">) Then we went to the fish area...and what did we see swimming around but fish with HEARTS and the word LOVE on them!..as in on their bodies! I had no idea this was even done! I wouldn't believe it now, but I have the photos to prove it (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">you know, that's another reason why camera phones are so necessary!!</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">)....check it out! Yes, it is true!! These are REAL photos of REAL fish that REALLY have ink stained sides!!! (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">My fish loving friend Rachel is probably in tears!</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">According to the shop owner, they can not request sayings to be put on the fish... they can't even request the fish, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">"We always ask for them from our suppliers, but we don't always get them in every week....I already have three fish on order, already bought and</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;"> paid for when we get them!" </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Pretty wild..and well, somewhat (if not VERY) abusive!!! But interesting!!! Enjoy!!</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeQ3ng6kCTgg9InIczfYtzSiRodFMCNgy_iASAe3Dac-DAoYhKLqu3Txl1igirPILAKEY94fMFfPtLfe1B-PYEAzjf7T-2n7ZcjrIvWipkqm2riY0b8SNFxGTCIaeJwew_TwPipLjzADz/s1600-h/Photo_121308_001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeQ3ng6kCTgg9InIczfYtzSiRodFMCNgy_iASAe3Dac-DAoYhKLqu3Txl1igirPILAKEY94fMFfPtLfe1B-PYEAzjf7T-2n7ZcjrIvWipkqm2riY0b8SNFxGTCIaeJwew_TwPipLjzADz/s200/Photo_121308_001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291673866064178930" border="0" /></a></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-10748135490356723252008-12-29T16:45:00.003-05:002008-12-29T17:17:17.414-05:00MONDAY.....CHRISTMAS IS OVER!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Christmas was nice and actually quite relaxing (<span style="font-style: italic;">rather unusual for such a day, but I can say this year it wasn't too much running around for me and didn't require much preparation work - which was welcomed and pleasing</span>). We had a brunch at our house....French Toast with peaches and syrup, ham, hash browned potatos, eggs, orange-pineapple juice, espresso, etc. Delish! I received some very nice gifts....and thank you to everyone who spoiled me rotten!! hehe Our life is goo</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">d. </span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Because Christmas is also Vipin's birthday, we received many calls from across the globe and it was a special treat to hear from so many of our dear friends and relatives!! We received calls from India, Austria, Germany, France, Australia, and from all the time zones in the U.S.A.! Pretty cool! LuLu, of course enjoyed napping the day away on her Grandma's lap! Our dog's life is good too!<br /><br />Well, it's back to work (<span style="font-style: italic;">boo hoo</span>) and today was no picnic in the park! Monique had the day off and there were lots of shuttles to book and many calls coming in</span><span style="font-size:100%;">....mostly students thinking about arranging their trips back to school next month...they hate to think about it, but classes will resume in January! We service 6 counties with our <a href="http://www.airportorbit.com/">Airport Transportation</a> business and there are quite a few colleges in these counties....<a href="http://www.sru.edu/">Slippery Rock University</a>, <a href="http://www.gcc.edu/">Grove City College</a>, <a href="http://www.westminster.edu/">Westminster College</a>, <a href="http://www.thiel.edu/">Thiel College</a>, <a href="http://www.allegheny.edu/">Allegheny College</a>, Butler County Community College....so it's "Book Your Reservation Now" time!!! I'm fine with it...I prefer they book now rather than wait until the last minute...reservations are based on a first-come, first-served basis, so it is definately to their advantage to book now!<br /><br />I did laundry and cleaned the entire house yesterday in a BIG way....in a </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >"I'm having guests over"</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> way...the full treatment (the Windex and Pledge people are pl</span><span style="font-size:100%;">eased, I'm sure)...because </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Peanut and Russell are coming to visit!!!</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9snAEOJlD7B-cX_mW8KivA7hyphenhyphenSODI2sAbxgeKYu_p9qI2rYb4rS2PjMSGqCTB08kJQzsY3K7t-Yhlk9lGZfC9W-fWmVNFYCir1V9o6czDZeZqGTBr3QQEQ2KF4jfXDRp7C_KRj9HeQfiv/s1600-h/IMG_1969.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9snAEOJlD7B-cX_mW8KivA7hyphenhyphenSODI2sAbxgeKYu_p9qI2rYb4rS2PjMSGqCTB08kJQzsY3K7t-Yhlk9lGZfC9W-fWmVNFYCir1V9o6czDZeZqGTBr3QQEQ2KF4jfXDRp7C_KRj9HeQfiv/s200/IMG_1969.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285338464703441266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">They arrive tomorrow and</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> we will drive to Niagara Falls to bring in the New Year! We ha</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ve reservations at the Marriott Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel & Spa - and have rooms with views!! I can't wait. Peanut has never been there so it will be fun to experience it with her as she sees the beautiful and amazing falls for the first time! Because it will be New Year's Eve there will be an outdoor band (yes...OUTDOOR band - in the winter-time....should be interesting!) and fireworks over the falls! That I have never seen...so I am quite excited about it! Details later....and I'll also write more about PEANUT!<br /></span></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-62075936533948601212008-12-24T17:30:00.003-05:002008-12-24T18:09:09.921-05:00IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvBeTXkMveHMcsJGiWbiuNWRnarV58QCnIL-lMBkksKlVvRXf3xxFDec1yWAphqKXSBVB1MiTDAB6rA94jtT_hVmigwq4OTj7oJqDqSn8sqhPbKPSjZtNmXNw-l57yezSuE-QXEjhzZ12/s1600-h/Aschau-Winter-Willk1.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 84px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvBeTXkMveHMcsJGiWbiuNWRnarV58QCnIL-lMBkksKlVvRXf3xxFDec1yWAphqKXSBVB1MiTDAB6rA94jtT_hVmigwq4OTj7oJqDqSn8sqhPbKPSjZtNmXNw-l57yezSuE-QXEjhzZ12/s200/Aschau-Winter-Willk1.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283489504843093250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11l4-LP8PxR6VbZiUU4ixIZVv80fBzYIxERb0DaFTMcEJ-HUb1YhrB4Nb6KYrYYQIvNFSat_Fa9lrOlJVDmqUVcKm6T8MaKTiXxnY6IhQ7dYF1EkMuqe4QIWpLJ6kbK07PrC-VzL3ZLSg/s1600-h/wintersalzburg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11l4-LP8PxR6VbZiUU4ixIZVv80fBzYIxERb0DaFTMcEJ-HUb1YhrB4Nb6KYrYYQIvNFSat_Fa9lrOlJVDmqUVcKm6T8MaKTiXxnY6IhQ7dYF1EkMuqe4QIWpLJ6kbK07PrC-VzL3ZLSg/s200/wintersalzburg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283489505308411202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbypBCIQ7YoZX48IpE_WIL8JHkjgUhK3CFhaAoHb0yI7VaxxWGvHTmXdvplVqMEvp1hea6JZHCzlhzMUgQhey7F4a9pXRqFh-b0eD7m59tNJl6xyTcqaAYNKK37cihP8EudJ1UtNIpztc/s1600-h/salzburg+in+winter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbypBCIQ7YoZX48IpE_WIL8JHkjgUhK3CFhaAoHb0yI7VaxxWGvHTmXdvplVqMEvp1hea6JZHCzlhzMUgQhey7F4a9pXRqFh-b0eD7m59tNJl6xyTcqaAYNKK37cihP8EudJ1UtNIpztc/s200/salzburg+in+winter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283489502636313234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCr-Z5WWl38q6r_44leunnezmQf8SM97_nB3xNgDexUYay7IXfZHVs6eeeUC1Gq2MtAjZqrEgf-9mSO6VRSblABQYiAXAsSQ_meqFnryHxg0E2hyphenhyphenL5klcGLHzfTdPw3ohIvvTX6Ruah692/s1600-h/austria_pictures_salzburg_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCr-Z5WWl38q6r_44leunnezmQf8SM97_nB3xNgDexUYay7IXfZHVs6eeeUC1Gq2MtAjZqrEgf-9mSO6VRSblABQYiAXAsSQ_meqFnryHxg0E2hyphenhyphenL5klcGLHzfTdPw3ohIvvTX6Ruah692/s200/austria_pictures_salzburg_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283489503619093954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdomvEqpkq5N9NoS0sKOYsQ9Zn7sSYlMlC2w4oC-Hk9wRppJMEscAFGuNsCVTR_vh13IN-lr-FVv7d1L3oIIBUkGdge3Xf-wNYaZ_7EjcAbzSojWFkipuUxFb2IO6kmCkpTZEh8Qkl5rb/s1600-h/Anif+im+Winter+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdomvEqpkq5N9NoS0sKOYsQ9Zn7sSYlMlC2w4oC-Hk9wRppJMEscAFGuNsCVTR_vh13IN-lr-FVv7d1L3oIIBUkGdge3Xf-wNYaZ_7EjcAbzSojWFkipuUxFb2IO6kmCkpTZEh8Qkl5rb/s200/Anif+im+Winter+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283489497269501858" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">I'm dreaming of an Austrian Christmas</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Just like the ones I used to know</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Where the wine is heated and I'm always greeted</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">With baked goods and lots and lots of snow</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">I'm dreaming of an Alpine Christmas</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Just like the one back in 1988</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Though my toes were frozen, my cheeks were rosen</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">I was young, skied well and felt so great</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">I'm dreaming of of white Christmas</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Better than all this wind and rain</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">It's dark and dreary, and sort of eerie</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">But hey, no shoveling, so I'm okay</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">I really don't need to dream of any Christmas</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Everyday for me is blessed</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">I have a man who loves me, a dog who adores me</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">And lots of love to keep me free of stress</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">I know, I'm going to have a sweet Christmas</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">I think I know just how it will go</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">I'll get home to my honey, he'll say something funny</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">To make me smile and laugh with lots of joy</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">And my dog is already my favorite toy</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">So...May all your days be merry and bright</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">And as peaceful as your nights.<br /><br /> </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-46338055982716081382008-12-19T16:14:00.004-05:002008-12-20T16:41:53.051-05:00MY BFFs<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, the new lingo these days, is at times, difficult (<span style="font-style: italic;">to say the least</span>) to keep up with from TTYL (<span style="font-style: italic;">Talk To You Later</span>) and OMG (<span style="font-style: italic;">Oh My God</span>) and all the sh</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ortened versions </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">of words</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> for mobile phone texting purposes to whatever words are spoken in the tween/te</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">n world of</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> MTV and Rappers. I must say I do feel somewhat unconnected (<span style="font-style: italic;">but more often than not, relieved of the f</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">act that I am</span>) however I can also say that I <span style="font-weight: bold;">DO</span> know that the ever popular BFF represents <span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Friend Forever</span> and I not only know what BFF stands for, but what it really MEANS! </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My BEST BFF in the world, of course is </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vipin</span>. He i</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">s the one. He truly is my very best friend in every way and I never knew I could or would ever share my</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> life and world, drea</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ms and hopes, fears and worries, wonders and thrills... and, well <span style="font-style: italic;">my everything</span> with any o</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ther person in such a wonderful and fulfilling way. I think most people g</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">o through</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> their whole lives</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> without such a strong bond and consider myself very fortunate to have one with Vipin. The fact that I happen to have this connection with my soul mate, my husband, my love and my life makes it all the greater! We have been together for over twenty years! We have passed the time frame where we have been with each o</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ther longer than we have been without each other.....and that's pretty fantastic!</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxE6IMaRl3-Ki3jvbRrgaAJEIYltfLINKgs3MBdJXCN0HkKDmqp_hq4gtw_x9USxhofZqW74AvfX_u0Mwq_qEuBl2DhPFvcjM3-eBEcTCH9RHZNN0iBd-KcdCqalpSKGDBwnsRMxes4pp/s1600-h/Sonya+%26+Vipin+2008+Austria.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxE6IMaRl3-Ki3jvbRrgaAJEIYltfLINKgs3MBdJXCN0HkKDmqp_hq4gtw_x9USxhofZqW74AvfX_u0Mwq_qEuBl2DhPFvcjM3-eBEcTCH9RHZNN0iBd-KcdCqalpSKGDBwnsRMxes4pp/s200/Sonya+%26+Vipin+2008+Austria.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277964026313233666" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">My LIFETIME BFF is my sister Wanda</span>, we are very close, and of course I have had her in my life all of my life. We are sisters to the fullest meaning of the word and have shared and fought over everything from desserts to make-up. I spent my youth trying to be like her and she spent those same days trying to get me away from her in a "my little sister is bugging the heck out of me" sort of way. Back then, if she walked a certain way, you can be sure I was close behind her imitating that walk. When she sang, I tried to sing (<span style="font-style: italic;">I never accomplished that attempt, by th</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >e wa</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">y</span>). When she played the guitar, I listened (<span style="font-style: italic;">thankfully I knew my limits!!</span>). When she listened to Pink Floyd, I listened to Pin</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">k Floyd. M</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ind you she is about five years older than me...at ten years old, Pink Floyd was hard to get into!<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When she went </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">aw</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ay to college I was devastated. One time I went an</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">d spent the weekend with her...I literally counted down the days and was so excited to sleep in a real college dorm and eat cafeteria food (<span style="font-style: italic;">don't ask, I'm certain it was all about the ice cream machine!</span>)...and she ma</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">d</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e it very special for me...she even went so far as to take down her poster of the Grateful Dead and put up the one I gave her of, yes, Jeff Conaway (<span style="font-style: italic;">hey, he was thin and popular at the time...remember him in Greese!!</span>). </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We were always the 'boys" in our family of four girls...we hel</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ped Dad with "boy work", we mowed the grass, we chopped the wood, we hung out in the garage</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> (<span style="font-style: italic;">I</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > really</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" > neve</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">r knew what to do in there and usually just played with little pieces of wood, but she was there, so I was there</span>). Later, when I was in college and she was working and managing the family travel agency, we shared an apartment together. We were always best friends...hanging out, renting and watching horror flicks, shopping, eating, etc.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">To this day and forever I can count on her to tell </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">me w</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">hen I have a huge piece of food in</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> between my teeth and she can cou</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nt on me to tell her when she has toilet paper stuck to her sho</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We don'</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">t take offense from each other and we tell it like it is to ea</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ch other. If we are mad, or sad,</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> or hyper we don't have to let out a warning because the other already knows and is doing whatever is necessary to adapt to that </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">particula</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">r mood. Our friendship, our sisterhood is str</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ong and is a bond that will never and can never be broken</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">...pas</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">t, present and future, I know she's got my b</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ack a</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nd she kno</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ws I've got hers...and in this world, that is quite a luxury. </span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3AuQfujX0e1K0qOF_IpsAisbb7tRrYjLMNz-DnFNv_NNy0e2QWT6CzMkPUVTvFWUSfmeRe0ghuwWFEhAj5-N9SMQrZL5j1FzOpN0CeqX0ApKYjZdPbo5FsSD6LwCBPJY01u0MIm8od8r/s1600-h/IMG_1866+%282%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3AuQfujX0e1K0qOF_IpsAisbb7tRrYjLMNz-DnFNv_NNy0e2QWT6CzMkPUVTvFWUSfmeRe0ghuwWFEhAj5-N9SMQrZL5j1FzOpN0CeqX0ApKYjZdPbo5FsSD6LwCBPJY01u0MIm8od8r/s200/IMG_1866+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277964018274113282" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >My </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">HIGH SCHOOL BFF is Sherri</span>...we actually met in the middle school, but we didn't actually form the bond of best friends until high school...in band camp...and well, after hearing her on the clarinet and me on the drums we knew we'd make the strangest and most hilariously fun</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> mu</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">sic together for the rest of our lives. Sherri and I were also in the h</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">igh school plays together...true Thespians and all the joys (<span style="font-style: italic;">and drama!</span>) that go with daily rehearsals, costumes, and nights on the stage! We lived about 6 miles from each other and whenever we could manage it (<span style="font-style: italic;">me in my Dad's old truck, her in her Mom's old car</span>), we kept quite inseparable throughout our teenage years. Sherri now, thankfully lives somewhat nearby in Upper Saint Clair (<span style="font-style: italic;">a very nice suburb of Pittsburgh</span>). She works in real estate and has three children, Dylan, Kaitlynn and Shane, so we obviously don't get to spend as much time together as we would like, but we still do see each other, hang out on occasion and of course have frequent and fun gab sessions on the phone (<span style="font-style: italic;">usually while she is in her soccer-mom van commuting to/from work or in between kid drop-offs or pick-ups</span>). Blogging about Sherri will have to take it's own indiv</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">idual, dedicated entry (<span style="font-style: italic;">and I'll need some time</span>) we have stories and then some (<span style="font-style: italic;">it was the 80s, we were in high school discovering boys & beer and all that goes with them...</span>)...here we are with her beautiful daughter Kaitlynn!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPN0sNI5gqUTlj9okYYjgjjFqHQZ6JFSRsktHvWiMLD54Fu2wAm4cqeckabL42CHRU9f3ds7mJ6E0BeApsOI9AhNG9bJ7rncJ3XLHGcYXUZf1BC_d60SUYO7n2_5Wo-n3iWQnEDFi9Uiqy/s1600-h/P1010346+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPN0sNI5gqUTlj9okYYjgjjFqHQZ6JFSRsktHvWiMLD54Fu2wAm4cqeckabL42CHRU9f3ds7mJ6E0BeApsOI9AhNG9bJ7rncJ3XLHGcYXUZf1BC_d60SUYO7n2_5Wo-n3iWQnEDFi9Uiqy/s200/P1010346+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277964031682596242" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">My COLLEGE BFF is Tracey</span>.....Freshman year, Kent State University.....we met in the second semester. We lived in Engleman Hall, a single rooms dorm (<span style="font-style: italic;">it is a very OLD dorm, we even had old fashioned sinks in our rooms</span>) ....in the first semester I had basically declared my Alpha position on 'my' wing and then found out that a new girl had moved into the one empty room on that wing at the beginning of the second semester. Well, I felt it my duty to go and tell her how things were on 'my wing'</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">! I went</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> over to her room, knocke</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">d, and told her some sort of BS about who I was and such, and she said <span style="font-style: italic;">"I just got kicked of the quiet floor a</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">nd I'm totally into hanging out with you guys down here because it was way too study-ish for me up there!"</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span> At th</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">at </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">moment I had to make a decision, s</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">hould I love her or hate her?? Would it be all out war or total friendshi</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">p? Tha</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nkfully I made the right decision and welcomed her to 'my world', we are still BFFs today.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">...and</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> wow, although my GPA was totally in the toilet that semester and I ended up transferring to SRU the nex</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> term, I must say Tracey and I had a "totally awesome" Spring in the year of 1985....we both had a fake IDs, her Mom lived nearby and baked cookies, we both loved alternative music, we were young, and wild and free.....life was good! </span><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIz_sHcek6AG3FpGBT6ZfkrNmvD7Cx1hsBNrtR4DxQHS4Ym1KzTxdyhMMEubXpVcyzclcQKCurnSfaalhzhOIrBlzHpugbZfbHse_vM-d2WQq6vcq6fShMda_Ez35n4Gb1WxItka1gPOxT/s1600-h/Photo_041307_006+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIz_sHcek6AG3FpGBT6ZfkrNmvD7Cx1hsBNrtR4DxQHS4Ym1KzTxdyhMMEubXpVcyzclcQKCurnSfaalhzhOIrBlzHpugbZfbHse_vM-d2WQq6vcq6fShMda_Ez35n4Gb1WxItka1gPOxT/s200/Photo_041307_006+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277964030692517506" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;">I'm so lucky to have such great friends. Since college, of course I have met and made friends with people from all over the world. We lived in South Korea and made so many friends, some Korean others from France, New Zealand, Hungary, England, Wales, the States. We lived in Houston, Texas and made great friends there (and learned to love chicken-fried steak and gumbo!) Now we are back in Pennsylvania and have made new friends from work, clubs (Slippery Rock Area Women's Club), golf, and of course still from all over the world thanks to our summer program in Austria (<a href="http://www.csatours.com/">CSA TOURS</a>)...still meeting and making great friends!!<br /><br />Life is good......friends are GREAT!<br /></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-90043608784871258562008-12-09T19:49:00.030-05:002008-12-20T16:42:51.294-05:00MY ANIMALS<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Because they always understood, because their love was always unconditional, because they never argued with me, never tried to convince me to grow up, never doubted me, never had a lesson to te</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ach me, never competed with me and always, always, always had unlimited and everlasting TIME for me....I write now about <span style="font-weight: bold;">my animals</span>. To this day I still frequently look back on, admire and cherish the precious memories I have of all my wonderful animals..........<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">BUFFY THE THREE LEGGED DOG AND HER WOLF CHILD</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOcOzko6KXJWQe1WhQ2u1_3HTvoSCCUdNtkTIQHKQQ58kvnV9K-b-7SW5tQPBmmqXM6i6g2GUgHwxrtWDie5AzjIT_bxKU3GByQigdjL9K9YJv7-NZC_8fogra0HdvaeH1fdTPdi7O5De/s1600-h/BFF+Buffy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOcOzko6KXJWQe1WhQ2u1_3HTvoSCCUdNtkTIQHKQQ58kvnV9K-b-7SW5tQPBmmqXM6i6g2GUgHwxrtWDie5AzjIT_bxKU3GByQigdjL9K9YJv7-NZC_8fogra0HdvaeH1fdTPdi7O5De/s200/BFF+Buffy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277964037135986562" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BUFFY</span> was our three-legged butterscotch colored collie (<span style="font-style: italic;">with probably some Labrador mixed in for good measure</span>) and the love of my child</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">h</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ood life! My parents got Buffy for the family a month before I was born and Buffy and I grew up together (<span style="font-style: italic;">we lost her in December, when I was twelve years old</span>). Growing up on Franklin Street (<span style="font-style: italic;">also Rout</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">e 108 </span>), a main thoroughfare, kept us kids in the back yard at most times because of the heavy (<span style="font-style: italic;">heavy for a small, college town and young girls anyway</span>) traffic. When Buffy was just a puppy, she somehow got out in the front yard, ran out into the street and was hit by a car. Thankfully the local vet, Dr. Paul Suorsa (w<span style="font-style: italic;">hose son, Danny, took over the business and is my current Vet...Danny and I are the same age, and have known each other since kindergarten</span>) w</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">as able to rescue Buffy, and though her leg was broken and beyond repair, was not amputated, rather put up close to her chest, in a folded and locked position, leaving Buffy with three operational legs and one that was permanently up. Because this happ</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ened when I was just a baby, I never knew a Buffy with four legs, she was always Buffy, the three-legged dog. She could out run all of us (<span style="font-style: italic;">including the McFeaters boys next door</span>) and her condition never was a problem for her, nor for us.<br /><br />I loved Buffy in a way that I can't explain, and to this day still do. Being the youngest of four girls, I frequently felt left behind because I was "the little one", younger and often unable to keep up or do certain things with the older girls. Because of this, Buffy became </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">by best friend... she was always there for me, she always wanted to be for there... she was totally fine with</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> being 'stuck' with me. We joke in my family now about how I was a 'wolf child'... I never really realized how true it was until I saw a photograph us four girls (<span style="font-style: italic;">along with my three cousins</span>) dressed up in our Christmas church clothes...all except for me, I was at the end of the line, in my underwear, howling like a wolf! I guess that I actually preferred being a wolf to being a little girl most of the time... and Buffy, of course was my companion, we were a pack. To elaborate on 'Sonya the Wolf Child".... I used to lap my cereal....crawl around on all fours... curl up on the floor like a dog (<span style="font-style: italic;">frequently against Buffy</span>), sniff things, eat dog food, dig in the ground, .... well, you can imagine how </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">proud my parents must have been! But thankfully, I </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">grew out of it (<span style="font-style: italic;">sort of..hehe</span>)...and my parents didn't fight me much on it (<span style="font-style: italic;">unless we were going to go out in public</span>) ...I guess they figured I was safe, with my best friend Buffy (w<span style="font-style: italic;">ho always kept me well protected - she even attacked a man one time when he walked through the yard while my mother was hanging out the laundry to dry</span>) and playing out in the back yard.<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOcOzko6KXJWQe1WhQ2u1_3HTvoSCCUdNtkTIQHKQQ58kvnV9K-b-7SW5tQPBmmqXM6i6g2GUgHwxrtWDie5AzjIT_bxKU3GByQigdjL9K9YJv7-NZC_8fogra0HdvaeH1fdTPdi7O5De/s1600-h/BFF+Buffy.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >HENRIETTA AND BARNEY....THE HAMSTERS</span></span> <div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7b3sUnHdl-TqBtYnphe2IFAn7DqgxcX62DrJmjlmcHRHiE3S9XhzU0oOrM-hHGHrcw9-bA4N_TrkgvUlKNMeI5bZ7i7X7d7F-ZgDZ2lAw_98lBCJEN3Z8SzIbzm6HwFsw6sZpZRC8f1Qm/s1600-h/barney+or+henrietta.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7b3sUnHdl-TqBtYnphe2IFAn7DqgxcX62DrJmjlmcHRHiE3S9XhzU0oOrM-hHGHrcw9-bA4N_TrkgvUlKNMeI5bZ7i7X7d7F-ZgDZ2lAw_98lBCJEN3Z8SzIbzm6HwFsw6sZpZRC8f1Qm/s200/barney+or+henrietta.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972283305043314" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When I grew a bit older, B</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">uffy was still of course my best friend, but I felt the need to have a hamster. Some of my friends</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> had gerbils or hermit crabs, but I didn't like them much (<span style="font-style: italic;">and was secretly a bit afraid of them...crabs? no way, never wanted one.... and gerbils with </span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">tails? no -they were too close to being rat-like</span>).. and it was the 70s... which meant the pet store retail world had just come out with the neatest things...<a href="http://www.habitrail.com/">HABITRAILS</a>!!! When I think back on it now,</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> and even though I really loved my hamsters, I actually believe that I wanted to have a Habitrail more than I wanted to have a hamster (<span style="font-style: italic;">sorry Mom!)</span>. Habitrails were so cool... made of pl</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">astic... and all the rage! Habitrails were snap-on compartment 'rooms' with orange bottoms and cool clear, yellow plastic tubing that you (<span style="font-style: italic;">meaning your parents</span>) could buy for your hamsters to build incredible habitats for them (<span style="font-style: italic;">they still exist, and now co</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">me in every color of the rainbow, and have even more awesome rooms and tubes...they've come a long way!</span>)! The tubes connected the rooms and you could re</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ally go wild with them...building up, to all sides, well, you've seen them I am sure, but at the time, they were NEW, NEW, NEW, much better than the usual 10 gallon fish tanks or wire compartments previously used for pet rodent housing, and of c</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ourse they were advertised during Saturday morning cartoo</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ns (s<span style="font-style: italic;">o naturally all children throughout the nation wanted one!!</span>)<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwa_C1R4nDenD8zw5fHUfa-lFHoIEkaPp6oX9crmmCB20LKRofbP_mr7EIpdt6ptm_iiijN_dib4cykntmuJvh3qFRYa5586tZULIwgUhIu0vFa776vv94PVOFTL3LYSDo5TIRj2OVktv/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwa_C1R4nDenD8zw5fHUfa-lFHoIEkaPp6oX9crmmCB20LKRofbP_mr7EIpdt6ptm_iiijN_dib4cykntmuJvh3qFRYa5586tZULIwgUhIu0vFa776vv94PVOFTL3LYSDo5TIRj2OVktv/s200/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278605906187896482" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, for my</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> birthday, I got a Habitrail...and a hamster...and</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> I named her <span style="font-weight: bold;">Henrietta</span> (after my hero, my Dad, Henry). All my friends had to come and see her...marvel the Habitrail, and envy me! Life was good. Buffy, by the way was</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> totally unimpressed with Henrietta, went over, smelled her, thought about it and walk</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ed away.....she never had anything to do with Henrietta after that...but she accepted her as my pet. </span><br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, time passed, and when winter came my family had our usual plan to go to Europe on our (as in <a href="http://www.csatours.com/">CSA Tours</a>) annual ski trip. So my parents arranged for our college student friend, <a href="http://www.unco.edu/NHS/ses/staff/stotlar.htm">Dave Stotlar</a> come to live in and take care of our house, water the plants, and feed Buffy and Henrietta. I wasn't concerned because I loved Dave (<span style="font-style: italic;">as in had a massive little girl crush on</span>), and I felt quite confident (a<span style="font-style: italic;">fter teaching him all the necessary chores of excellent hamster care</span>) that Henrietta would be just fine... and off we went to Austria. Now, back in those days, there was no e-mail and international telephone calls cost a fortune, so when Henrietta up and died on Dave, he did not make the emergency call to my parents, and though I sure what must have been a horrible time of worry, came up with the perfect plan on how to deal with this situation.... he went and bought a new hamster! Ta Da!! So when my family returned, he quickly pulled my parents asside to inform them of the plan and as I ran to see my Habitrail...I mean hamster, Dave went up to tell me the exciting news of what happened....... "<span style="font-style: italic;">You see, while you were away, Santa came to the house because he needed Heniretta to help him go down the chimneys and deliver Christmas presents... and because he knew you would miss Henrietta, he left a slightly smaller hamster, one yonnger than Henrietta and not strong enough to lift presents for the boys and girls, but one that you could have and take care of ..."</span> I named HIM, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Barney</span> (after the <a href="http://www.flintstonesbedrockcity.com/">Flinstone's</a> Barney Rubble).<br /><br />Well, as the story (<span style="font-style: italic;">that my Mother tells best</span>) continues....Dave was of course totally stressing over the whole thing, I mean who wouldn't be?? The poor guy is in charge of taking care of this little hamster (<span style="font-style: italic;">Dave is an extra-large sized, probably 6 foot 4 athlete</span>) for this little girl who thinks the world of him and the $(%#*# thing up and dies!!! Anyway... one day soon after our return from Austria, Dave was over (<span style="font-style: italic;">as many of my Dad's college students/friends/baby sitters/care takers/helpers would do........usually for a hot meal, some family-time, just to hang out, for advice on studies, etc.</span>) and I was showing Barney to my friend Shawna and she asked what happened to Henrietta and I replied <span style="font-style: italic;">"Oh, she died so Dave bought me a new one." </span> Poor Dave, all that time trying to come up with a good story that I would fall for, but I guess I just knew...hamsters can't really carry presents down chimneys!<br /><br />Now Barney was quite the super hamster! If cats have nine lives, hamsters must have ten! One time Barney got out of his Habitrail and was lost for over a week. We all spent hours upon hours searching our 5 floor, 22 room house for this little creature. Shortly thereafter we had problems with our furnace and while the furnace man was there to repair, he told my Mom "I think we have a rat in here!"....when I got home from school my Mom told me to reach into her apron pocket...I was totally thrilled! My little hamster, much smaller than before, was all washed (<span style="font-style: italic;">Mom said he was completely black and very dirty from the dust in the furnace pipes</span>) and wrapped up in a tea towel keeping warm. Another time Barney did not successfully get out of his Habitrail but did get stuck in it's door....his nose was stuck in one of the holes of the metal door...it took my Dad two pairs of pliers to cut Barney loose...blood was everywhere, but Barney survived...he was pretty ugly and scabbed up for a while, but fine. The final time Barney got out of the cage he was lost for only a couple of hours, and we found him in between the refrigerator and the kitchen cabinet....with a Halls menthol-lyptus cough suppressant stuck in the inside of his cheek (<span style="font-style: italic;">hamsters, like chipmunks and squirrels store food in their cheeks</span>)...the menthol was burning his cheek and he was having a horrible time...he went into shock...but somehow my sister Susan (<span style="font-style: italic;">with her ambidextrous fingers</span>) was able to dig the cough drop out. My Mom managed to keep him warm and moving with a hair drier.... he survived!</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">LUKE SKYWALKER...THE CAT</span></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHiBDBgd8Dov1NAU7L1ZJfRHSZSEl3i2somzsFs1c750prxVqeL8rYUse3xRW9KazlVEKacnqFvO40vGPWvlUPxaRkvb6FbAi5N1LPm7FqwuGInLKFN2g_Ceb4X-4cTnFMmohT8-cVL3Wg/s1600-h/luke+skywalker.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHiBDBgd8Dov1NAU7L1ZJfRHSZSEl3i2somzsFs1c750prxVqeL8rYUse3xRW9KazlVEKacnqFvO40vGPWvlUPxaRkvb6FbAi5N1LPm7FqwuGInLKFN2g_Ceb4X-4cTnFMmohT8-cVL3Wg/s200/luke+skywalker.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972626076240786" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, as you can imagine, time passed, Buffy and got older, a</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nd my parents knew her time was nearing. They also knew I would be devastated when that time came and were quite concerned. Th</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ough I was twelve and no longer a wolf crawling around on all fours, I was still obviously attached at all times to and with my dear Buffy. Luckily, around this same time Holly Kelly, one of my dear girlfriends who lived up the street had a cat (<span style="font-style: italic;">Jill</span>) that had just had kittens. I would go to Holly's house almost every day after school to play with the kittens, and of course I really, really, really wanted one. Mom and Dad s</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">aid yes (<span style="font-style: italic;">not really wanting a cat but hoping it would ease the pain when Buffy passed</span>), and as soon as he was old enough to leave the litter, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Luke Skywalker </span>came to live with us....and Buffy. Buffy, never having h</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ad pups of her own, adopted Luke and took him in... it was adorable. She would take him out into her dog run...surrounded by a chain-link fence, and show him the ropes to life as a dog....of course Buffy totally panicked when Luke poked her little head through the fence and then with her tiny little body walked right through it into the side alley! Thankfully, we were there to go and retrieve Luke and Buffy disciplined him well. Luke learned the boundaries of the yard...and the two of them would come inside and curl up together (<span style="font-style: italic;">ok, even though I was no longer I wolf child, I admit, I too curled up with them quite a bit!!</span>).<br /><br />Dad even taught us how to teach Luke to jump, we said the old "Ho Oh" (<span style="font-style: italic;">I don't know how to write the sound, but it was the same sound that Johnny Carson would make during the show's opening credits)</span> and he would jump through our arms....we practiced it all the time, at least five times a day, and before long Luke could jump from the ground, standing in front of us, straight up and over our arms that were held out and linked together by our hands (<span style="font-style: italic;">forming a ring......I'm sure we would have made Lettermen's Stupid Pet Tricks, that's all I'm saying!!</span>). It was a wonderful fall season... </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">we were all so happy, and then came December, and Buffy passed away. I will refrain from writing about it, but let me at least mention that both our cherished dogs (Buffy...and Gigi) died in my Mother's arms, and I am so happy that she was with them in their last moments (and totally love her even more for handling their passings)!<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >THE CAPTAIN OF ALL CATS!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgTfXKEe8_Fh8V3vtFx4vdyihssqWsaogona51VNkcf2KqCDJ-gQkjZNWbg8gg_Qgk8tpmt32z9SFVzpEdB1MuzqAeCN-8szCjC7UeMHoS__ZQJQL9C_VniZQZ4wTei4bGZejF6fUDYCK/s1600-h/Captian+Cat.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgTfXKEe8_Fh8V3vtFx4vdyihssqWsaogona51VNkcf2KqCDJ-gQkjZNWbg8gg_Qgk8tpmt32z9SFVzpEdB1MuzqAeCN-8szCjC7UeMHoS__ZQJQL9C_VniZQZ4wTei4bGZejF6fUDYCK/s200/Captian+Cat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972282763794834" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Luke was a dear cat, but not very good without Buffy and considering the fact that he thought he was a dog. Luke was used to sleeping outside in the doghouse with Buffy, and hanging out in the garage (<span style="font-style: italic;">we had a little doggie door that lead from the fenced-in dog run area into the garage</span>). After Buffy died, Luke was alone, and it was winter time, so he was cold without Buffy to snuggle up with. My Dad was against animals sleeping in the house over night, but sometimes he would let us keep Luke inside...but only when it was <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>cold outside!<br /><br />Well, with the dog gone, the doggie door to the garage wide open and cold weather blistering outside it was inevitable that another cat would discover the warmth and food in the garage. We became suspicious that there was a mighty cat coming and going by the larger than Luke's paw prints in the snow and by always finding empty bowls of cat food. After some time we finally saw him, and he was a sight to behold. Strong, huge and courageous.... but so quick.... he would run away as soon as we would open the door into the garage. Once in a while we'd catch him on the bench were we would leave the cat food and he would linger, for a minute or two...but then quickly dart out the doggie door. It was months before he finally let anyone pet him, and that anyone was Dad (<span style="font-style: italic;">probably because Dad spent more time than any of us kids out in the garage...piddling away, repairing things, and maybe just hanging out getting away from a house of females!</span>). Even then, Captain wouldn't stay around us for long. Dad named him <span style="font-weight: bold;">Captain</span>, because he was Captain of his own domain. After probably 6 weeks, we were able to finally get a hold of him long enough to take him to the vet for a full examination. Dr. Suorsa said that he was a very old cat and would probably not live much longer. He also assessed that Captain had probably been abused by someone (<span style="font-style: italic;">which explained why he would always move down to the ground run away when we would approach him</span>.) Dad decided that Captain had chosen to own us, and that we didn't own him...and prepared us in the fact that he probably would not stay with us very long. Captain lived with us for over 10 years.....one day he just wasn't there anymore, he left us as he came, on his own terms.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FRITZ...WHO KNEW HOW TO FAT CAT IT</span></span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Of course, in that time, Captain kept a tight ship! There was a family that accepted him, fed him, kept a roof over his head (<span style="font-style: italic;">the garage...a five car stall cinder block garage with a cement floor</span>), he had Luke to keep in charge of and grounds to protect. He taught Luke how to hunt...and we, for the first time ever, began to receive thank-you presents (<span style="font-style: italic;">sometimes headless, but it's the thought that counts, right!!</span>) by the back door. Luke stuck to what he could, chipmunks, mice, and the occasional huge bug. Captain graced us with everything from rabbits to, well, one time I saw him running across the yard holding a very upset, slithering, live snake in his mouth!!! But one day, Captain was acting strange, we could not figure it out until we discovered that another cat had moved into the garage! Thankfully for us, there was no cat fight to be had, rather a cat acceptance time period....Captain could definately have kicked this cat's butt...but it would have taken all day, and I guess he felt he needed another among his crew. Grandma Lenz named this one <span style="font-weight: bold;">Fritz</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">a good German name</span>), who was BIG, but not in an Arnold Schwarzenegger way, more so in a Dom DeLuise sort of way way!!! More to love! In the winter, Captain left huge paw prints in the snow all over the yard, Luke left regular sized cat paw prints in the snow around the house and garage and Fritz left a long tube that basically ran from the garage to a bush and to the house only!<br /><br />Now remember, the cats did not live inside the house (r<span style="font-style: italic;">ather inside the garage</span>), however, they were granted passage inside "the castle" (<span style="font-style: italic;">a beautiful 5 story white Victorian house, each of us had our own bedroom and there were plenty of other rooms to explore</span>) on occasion and some how they just knew how to get in (<span style="font-style: italic;">we think Buffy taught Luke, and Luke spread the word</span>)...they would go to the sliding glass doors (<span style="font-style: italic;">we had two upstairs off the deck and another downstairs leading to the pool room</span>) and sit....and sit......and sit........and sit....until someone noticed them and let them in....and before bedtime we would have to round them all up and put them back out (<span style="font-style: italic;">or when they were ready, they would just go back to the sliding glass doors and sit</span>). We used to make jokes about how our family must be like television to the cats, because they would sit out there and watch for hours!!<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONuaffwFlHDn4mp0H_Y0qSSeaiNxv4_bmh9ra1QyfgxqWKwYKvF2KyN1pKqChRTsGgyTOp27eUTJ9kYk0SGOeTMdhwewVmZzsRRK5I7eyUQ3135-uUkelHa_NeClyn9jw47gYOoVYb95l/s1600-h/Cats+watching+TV.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONuaffwFlHDn4mp0H_Y0qSSeaiNxv4_bmh9ra1QyfgxqWKwYKvF2KyN1pKqChRTsGgyTOp27eUTJ9kYk0SGOeTMdhwewVmZzsRRK5I7eyUQ3135-uUkelHa_NeClyn9jw47gYOoVYb95l/s200/Cats+watching+TV.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972293604047154" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dTO82Ra6Ew1rbIE7vMVSNHeQkApE2qIKAlevIYF-_l2KoI99idSGjDjGVVzOUOrUxTOJ7KWixWWVj08lOjlJ7AKfQXxAQqxnT9WO4lSLVsUBzC5_tTsc1EEpq1oX2UgyvzyWSwhgjfiM/s1600-h/cats+watching+tv+in+winter.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dTO82Ra6Ew1rbIE7vMVSNHeQkApE2qIKAlevIYF-_l2KoI99idSGjDjGVVzOUOrUxTOJ7KWixWWVj08lOjlJ7AKfQXxAQqxnT9WO4lSLVsUBzC5_tTsc1EEpq1oX2UgyvzyWSwhgjfiM/s200/cats+watching+tv+in+winter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972289320096994" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When times were good (<span style="font-style: italic;">or it was freezinging cold outside</span>), they g</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ot to stay inside for hours! Of course the family rule was NEVER on the beds...as you can see from the photos, I totally 'forgot' this rule most of the time (<span style="font-style: italic;">photo of Luke and Captain hanging out in my yellow with white polka-dots type wallpapered bedroom...and on my bed.......feel free to marvel my stuffed animal collection - including the fuzzy purple snake....and yes, that's me in my overalls with Fritz and Luke!!!</span>).</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUlSmWa3N09PMk6jIAprvB0sJdWMsPtWC0yCNaBo3ff_dX-HFfoj3utIJ1RqoT_ofHQXBy4neDkGSCOK_KjE4ZKMDDriM8k7eaL-9dMg-0SrJbL_64bmSdxsWYXj_RoeU3lMLhXfIJzx9/s1600-h/Luke+and+Cappy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUlSmWa3N09PMk6jIAprvB0sJdWMsPtWC0yCNaBo3ff_dX-HFfoj3utIJ1RqoT_ofHQXBy4neDkGSCOK_KjE4ZKMDDriM8k7eaL-9dMg-0SrJbL_64bmSdxsWYXj_RoeU3lMLhXfIJzx9/s200/Luke+and+Cappy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972871419529570" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpugavYrIxzsuPGANMU_uX4tmj9k2nGr2ACWeG5qx-epfhrEUnJ0TS5wKFnFbuBOwDrvlkyQCky0WylAp_QlDb5OFAmWAqJ9l9pcx5kpj-eNUh7telHMbXhFMGEUrC1hP4rdrYBTZz9ews/s1600-h/Cats+not+allowed+on+my+bed.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpugavYrIxzsuPGANMU_uX4tmj9k2nGr2ACWeG5qx-epfhrEUnJ0TS5wKFnFbuBOwDrvlkyQCky0WylAp_QlDb5OFAmWAqJ9l9pcx5kpj-eNUh7telHMbXhFMGEUrC1hP4rdrYBTZz9ews/s200/Cats+not+allowed+on+my+bed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972287062559282" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFs0zLNjIVWZRHcwruPZuiKQErZllKa1kqJ3zRYx4ls4Ai38OAX9yjZ8r6yTo-8SPDKEJrsrp94_oH8gUvkRyWnLFoQqM7TDSCxNXx_SXk8uR1RNBjwSGStDu5Lp9DG12djvThFA4nZdL/s1600-h/friends.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFs0zLNjIVWZRHcwruPZuiKQErZllKa1kqJ3zRYx4ls4Ai38OAX9yjZ8r6yTo-8SPDKEJrsrp94_oH8gUvkRyWnLFoQqM7TDSCxNXx_SXk8uR1RNBjwSGStDu5Lp9DG12djvThFA4nZdL/s200/friends.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972620342988434" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">G.G. = GRANDMA'S GIRL </span></span></span></span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSAoWzovjVGE6su4SH46WaJBvydgePHCLP9PsG_yVH7tCIHUQcCsh_FgulEblfdwGP2rNKpBs4h8IgUI3qHqaZGkp90zd8gM05w6DHK-LP6qcx62QiDl8rg7a2ISY14dlA50GtrGy49Ta/s1600-h/Gigi+dog.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSAoWzovjVGE6su4SH46WaJBvydgePHCLP9PsG_yVH7tCIHUQcCsh_FgulEblfdwGP2rNKpBs4h8IgUI3qHqaZGkp90zd8gM05w6DHK-LP6qcx62QiDl8rg7a2ISY14dlA50GtrGy49Ta/s200/Gigi+dog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972615107224498" border="0" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Life was good for these t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">hree musketeers....until we went to West Virginia for Easter one year, down to my Great Aunt Janet and Uncle Howard's farm. They raised beef cattle on their farm...and lived in a little house that my uncle built in the valley, next to a stream, in the middle of three mountains. They called it "The Funny Farm" and always had great stories of their dream retirement adventure life that they had made true for themselves after Uncle Howard retired from being a fireman. Aunt Janet was a West Virginia State flower arranging champion winner (<span style="font-style: italic;">for many years....and later became a state level flower arranging judge</span>)...and grew her own beautiful flowers all along the hill sides of their farm. She also won several cooking contests an</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">d made a strawberry shortcake so out of this world, when she made it, one portion was considered an entire meal (<span style="font-style: italic;">and I enjoyed many such meals in my childhood!!</span>).<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Aunt Janet had a flower trail, a walking path through the woods, up and down and all around that was amazing. When walking the trail with her, she would point out all the flowers, give us their names, and usually tell a story about each one...always an interesting, educational, entertaining and overall fantastic afternoon! Well, that year Aunt Janet took my Grandma Baker and my Mom with her on a trail walk while we stayed back on the farm....I was still quite young, so I probably was fine just digging around in the creek (<span style="font-style: italic;">tormenting the crawl fish and getting very muddy</span>), while Erica & Susan probably stayed inside and read (<span style="font-style: italic;">they always had allergies and always had a book in hand</span>), Wanda usually went for her own private walks (<span style="font-style: italic;">probably to sneak cigarettes</span>) and Dad and Uncle Howard were probably in the barn fixing something... that was a typical afternoon when we'd go down there. Anyway, when they returned from their walk us girls surrounded them, waiting to see what plants and flowers they brought back with them and Mom told Wanda to reach in her jac</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ket pocket and "<span style="font-style: italic;">get that th</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">ing out</span>". Well, the thing turned out to be a tiny little puppy...cute as could be!<br /><br />One thing AJ and UH unfortunately got lots of while living out there in the back roads of West Virginia, were abandond dogs and cats! While the three of them were walking on the trail my Mom heard animal cries and started following the sound. I think my Grandma saw where the sounds were coming from..way up on a hill side, wedged inbetween some rocks, a little puff a thing, (<span style="font-style: italic;">they knew by that time that it was a puppy from it's crie</span>s). Well, Aunt Janet would have kept walking if she were alone, I'm sure, and Grandma, although curious, was not about to care (<span style="font-style: italic;">she had always been horrified of all animals --and our cats were never allowed inside the house when she visited-- since she was locked up in a closet that had mice in it... a childhood, sibling prank gone </span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">bad</span>). But my Mother wouldn't have it, she scaled herself up the side of a rocky embankment, risking broken bones of her own, reached over and got the little lump of love...and then handed it to my Gra</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ndma - who was truly frightened, but knew if she didn't grab it out of my Mom's hands that my Mom would fall down the hill! The pup was most likely the runt of the litter and the Mama Dog (a pure bread beagle) probably decided that the best way to care for the others would be to shove the weaker runt out of her nest, sacrifice it, survival of the fittest!<br /><br />Well, this little pup now was the center of attention! Of course we all wanted to keep her (<span style="font-style: italic;">Mom too!</span>)...but Dad, how to convince Dad (<span style="font-style: italic;">usually not that difficult...with four girls he usually caved at the sound of one "Daddy?"</span>)?? Buffy was gone, and well, Dad loved </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">the cats and</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> they earned their keep! A dog???? Somehow, it was Wanda who came up with the best idea! Her friend Valerie had just had a birthday and Valerie's parents were going to get a dog for her but they could not find one...so we would take this one for her!!!! (<span style="font-style: italic;">Excellent plan by the way Wanda!!</span>) Of course by the time Easter vacation was over and our family of 6 plus 1 had driven all the way back home to Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, it was sure that even Dad fell in love and Valerie was NOT going to get a call upon our arrival home! But what to name this pup? The story said it all...and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gigi </span>or <span style="font-weight: bold;">G.G. </span>- short for Grandma's Girl became part of our family! Joy of joys to me!! I needed a canine best friend again! The cats were great, but I really missed my wolf days.....life was great! Happy Easter!<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Now, as for Gigi, I</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> must stay she was a softer than soft puppy, but when she grew bigger, her hair just became, well, a stringy mess. You could tell she was a beagle...sort of....but you knew there was more to her leagacy! My mother used to say that Gigi's mother was a beagle, and her father was a traveling salesman (<span style="font-style: italic;">everyone used to laugh, and I admit I didn't get it until years later</span>)!! She wasn't the cutest dog in the world, she certainly wasn't the smartest, she was usually a bit sninky and she always had horrible breath..... but boy she sure loved us.....and we sure loved her!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >THE STORIES</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Time passed, time passes, and I kept growing older (<span style="font-style: italic;">a curse of life</span>) and my animals came and went with the seasons. We also had the occasional salamander and Erica always had a goldfish or two. Stories of our pets, of everyone's pets, are always wonderful, funny, exciting, horrible and unfortunately usually end quite tragically. We had funerals, made processions.... I wrote promises and love poems. But I have no regrets, what I do have is a mind full of wonderful memories and childhood dreams come true. How lucky I am to have had parents with the means and patience to allow me and my sisters to have and care for these dear animals. I believe that having pets in your life teaches you so much about love (<span style="font-style: italic;">Buffy</span>), care (<span style="font-style: italic;">cleaning out Habitrials</span>), tollerance (<span style="font-style: italic;">Sit Gigi Sit</span>), patience (<span style="font-style: italic;">Ho Oh Luke</span>), and yourself... and to have those lessons in your younger years truly forms you in a better way as a person. I treasure each lesson as I treasure each friend.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">One time Luke ran away, I searched and searched and searched...I made lost cat signs (<span style="font-style: italic;">and you know, back then copies were not cheap and home computers weren't around yet, I made all those signs myself, on construction paper and with crayons and hung them myself all over town!!</span>)...we even put an ad in the paper...every day after school I'd go on my Luke searches...it was looking dim, I know my parents had pretty much given up, but were trying to remain hopefull for me. Then one night we got a call from a little old lady who lived all the way on the other side of town and up on a hill....Dad said he would go and that I wasn't allowed because it was dark outside (<span style="font-style: italic;">but now when I think about it, it really was beca</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">use he figured that the found cat couldn't have been Luke</span>)......of course I am sure the 10 minutes it took for him to go, get it, and bring it back seemed like hours to me........but in came Dad...with a dirty, hungry, scared, and very skinny Luke!!!! It was great! I had saved my babysitting money for the reward but the lady would not accept it (<span style="font-style: italic;">sweet</span>)...so I made her a cake! Ahh..small towns, gotta love them!<br /><br />One time Fritz came home after an unusual trip off the property and his tail was completely broken! It was intact, but it was broken, just hanging there, disgusting! After a trip to and a short stay with the vet, Fr</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">itz came home with just a little stub of a tail, and so we then had one cat, one very fat cat, with no tail.<br /><br />One time Captian fought off several cats...the cat fight was so loud that Dad ended up having to go outside and chase them all off by yelling and screaming. Captain ran off too, and we were so worried. The next morning we found him, under a bush and pretty beaten up, he had been bitten badly on the neck, and it was horrible to treat. The vet said that we were to clean out the wound daily with this stinky red medicine, and it wasn't easy, because Captain wanted to be free and wasn't always around from day to day. But we managed, Mom and Dad (<span style="font-style: italic;">it took two people!</span>) would try and hold him down (<span style="font-style: italic;">easier said than done</span>) and Wanda or Erica would put the medicine on with a Q-tip...I would </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">usually stay back and watch in horror...it was a long recovery.<br /><br />One time Gigi.......oh gosh, the Gigi stories, I guess this isn't a book (<span style="font-style: italic;">but maybe should be</span>), I'm going to refrain, but here are just a few highlights.......long stretching tounge licks to the bottoms of our clear, plastic Dairy Queen Peanut-Buster Parfait cups.......just standing around and then burping........running to the door when we would knock on the counter (<span style="font-style: italic;">psych, Gigi, it's just us</span>)......acting like she was choking and possibly may die as a beg for foo</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">d manuver.....trying for hours to readjust the bean bag chair into the most comfortable nest ("<span style="font-style: italic;">Gigi settle down!"</span>)......begging from everyone to the point of complete exhaustion at parties........being afraid of her own passed gas!.........digging in the garbage - what fun things she found!............taking the toilet paper off the roll and pulling it all around the house........."hiding" under the bed and then barking when we'd call her name.......barking to get in the house........barking to get in the house......barking to get in the house.......Gigi was a great dog. She was the daughter that didn't go away to college. She was with our family (<span style="font-style: italic;">well, with Mom and Dad</span>) until after I had graduated from college. She passed away, in my Mother's arms one winter (<span style="font-style: italic;">all our animals seem to have gone in that season</span>) when I was living in South Korea. It was a horrible call to have taken....and I did not handle it well, but I treasure my times with Gigi, she was a true friend.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYKy0DkZEbHsw50iN5vX-URYyJZiGM5xKWewqGMoomg1B8ZRBT5mF1F6O97Og-0Phx5OMIkbgKWOgH_R-CgR5qr3S0VyYQ4IMr3G0YS8QOP3d2O0AtTdV9UQgxxfz82oEp9_Ii359JgXs/s1600-h/Gigi+%282%29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYKy0DkZEbHsw50iN5vX-URYyJZiGM5xKWewqGMoomg1B8ZRBT5mF1F6O97Og-0Phx5OMIkbgKWOgH_R-CgR5qr3S0VyYQ4IMr3G0YS8QOP3d2O0AtTdV9UQgxxfz82oEp9_Ii359JgXs/s200/Gigi+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972615038100034" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ROLLIE AND SNAUSAGE....NOT OFFICIALLY OUR CATS!</span></span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When I returned to the States from South Korea, and before I moved down to Houston, Texas, my parents were only 'baby-sitting' Erica's two cats, two brothers, Rollie and Snausage, and they officially had no animals of their own. Rollie and Snausage really were Erica's cats, but when she moved to Florida after she graduated from college they stayed with my parents for a while and of course really loved it there. Erica later sent for them, (<span style="font-style: italic;">another animal adventure, sending two outdoor cats, in two separate cat carriers on a plane down to Florida</span>) and they did have an adventurous time when they lived in Florida (<span style="font-style: italic;">and chased lizards all day long</span>). But when Erica moved back to Slippery Rock, the cats moved back with her and Erica ended living in an ap</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">artment just a few blocks from my parent's house. Well, one day Erica phoned my parents crying that Rollie and Snausage had run away....but my Dad said no, "<span style="font-style: italic;">They're both in the garage, I just set the food back out"</span>.....the old garage that housed so many furry lives! And so it was going to be, they remained "Erica's cats", but lived their lives out at my parents house. Rollie was the Protector and Snausage was the Whimp...together they fought chipmunks and patrolled the land in Captian's honor (<span style="font-style: italic;">well, Rollie hunted, Snausage watched</span>). When Rollie was run over by a car (<span style="font-style: italic;">too many apartments were built behind the garage, the neighborhood was growing and more and more people drove their cars down the once very calm back alley - it was getting a bit dangerous, Buffy would have hated it!</span>) poor Snausage didn't know what to do......he spent his remaining years in a daze and never got over his brother's death. The chipmunks would run up to him and taunt him, it was so sad.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">ICKY THE TURTLE</span></span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, when I moved to Houston, Texas back in 1991 (<span style="font-style: italic;">Texas? Yes...for Vipin's graduate work</span>), I really wanted a pet, but we lived in an apartment complex that didn't permit them. Afte</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">r a couple of years we moved to a really neat 1920's style duplexed house (<span style="font-style: italic;">into the upstairs apartment</span>) in the Museum district.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">..and the two girls that lived downstairs had a cat...so the pet potential for us was there....but I really wanted a monkey! (<span style="font-style: italic;">That story is in another blog entry....</span>). Well, one day Vipin came back from an afternoon on the golf course and handed me a styrofoam coffee cup. I nagged, <span style="font-style: italic;">"Why are you giving me this, why don't you just throw it away, why did you even bring it inside the house?"</span> and he just said <span style="font-style: italic;">"It's for you."</span> and after I looked inside I saw a tiny little turtle, smaller than a quarter! I couldn't believe it! It was so little and cute. Green and yellow shell, yellow tummy (<span style="font-style: italic;">which I fo</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">und out after I finally got the courage to pick it up</span>). It was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eared_slider">a red-earred slider turtle</a>, and of course I was going to keep it! He discovered it while he was moving some leaves aside before making a p</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">utt! Vipin said he saw lots of these turtles on the golf course, many of them grew to be fairly big! </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1fIefENo9G3k4qk8-3JZ5hPfadLt0eC7V34VEs1kYYzWF6FaSVV3gAC5zAHbZ05zOBOxGPbc1hMCyR5lcHZHtiQ-WfhEBhhvohqgKp1vOmRhqM8BOii9ydEBrY77ehbQ6eKu9pEl9IqX/s1600-h/Icky.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1fIefENo9G3k4qk8-3JZ5hPfadLt0eC7V34VEs1kYYzWF6FaSVV3gAC5zAHbZ05zOBOxGPbc1hMCyR5lcHZHtiQ-WfhEBhhvohqgKp1vOmRhqM8BOii9ydEBrY77ehbQ6eKu9pEl9IqX/s200/Icky.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972621515043266" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, I am happy to re</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">port that we STILL have Icky the Turtle (named after <a href="http://www.golfersweb.com/golfhous/southwyc.htm">Southwyck Country Club</a> -as in ICK). Yes, </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Icky is alive and well, 15 years old and going stro</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ng! He has since moved out to my parent's lakehouse, Lenzelhof, where he can summer outside (<span style="font-style: italic;">in a closed & protected rabbit cage</span>) and enjoy nature in all its glory! He loves the sun and to lift his head up in the summer months to hear the birds and sounds of the wild. My parent's refer to him </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">as their "Grandturtle". Icky follows voices and will literally go on walks with us...as long as we keep calling out to him. He always pokes his head up and out to greet us when we when we say "Hello Icky". He is a very friendly turtle and does not mind it when he is stroked on his neck and under his chin.<br /><br />He was once a palm sized turtle and he is now a two handed turtle (a<span style="font-style: italic;">s in it takes two hands to pick him up</span>)! He mainly eats turtle food, but does enjoy worms (<span style="font-style: italic;">he never got them when I had him, but my Dad, is nice enough to go and dig them up</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> for him once in a while!!</span>), and usually three times a year we get him 12 little feeder goldfish. Now, with these goldfish he has a system. He will pro</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ceed to eat about 4 of them right away upon their first arrival (<span style="font-style: italic;">I think when they are first put into the cage they swim around a</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;">ll excited to meet their 'new friend'...and have no idea what their new friend will do to them....it is then that Icky proceeds to swallow them whole!</span>)......after that, the other 8 are onto Icky and know what their destiny is......so they immedately go and hide under the rock platform. Icky will then eat maybe two a day for the next few days...and then let the remaining fish live and grow. He will then eat a fish whenever I assume he gets bored and just wants to play. But.....HE ALWAYS LEAVES ONE FISH UNTOUCHED!! This has been going on for years! He will always leave one fish, and that fish is HIS pet!!! It grows and grows usually grows so much that we have to take it back to the pet store and trade it in for 12 new feeder fish (<span style="font-style: italic;">because it</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> gets so big that it can no longer swim up straight and is forced to swim at an angle to fit in the rabbit cage's height for water!!</span>).<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" > <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >LuLu....THE LAP NAP KISSING DOG<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpson-ZFquETtMu5d7d2_xh9pV8xjHQDVoDJhuD4rO8CKil06W880XA8Z6gReHjGH73xzzxbb0uzm8wDkcqPTqd8YZlFEMh8q3uVEks81XAaMHH53H6aqdCbRB_xqgJqbn066rYXn2bbvs/s1600-h/Christmas+dinner,%2B2+%283%29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpson-ZFquETtMu5d7d2_xh9pV8xjHQDVoDJhuD4rO8CKil06W880XA8Z6gReHjGH73xzzxbb0uzm8wDkcqPTqd8YZlFEMh8q3uVEks81XAaMHH53H6aqdCbRB_xqgJqbn066rYXn2bbvs/s200/Christmas+dinner,%2B2+%283%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277972873590668258" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, if you thought that my adult life was going to go </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">with just a turtle you are wrong. From previous entries, you may already know that I have a new little ball of love in my life and her name is LuLu. LuLu is a Yorkshire Terrier and well, the center of our world! Vipin knew Gigi...which means he knew me</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> with Gigi in my life, and I guess he knew there was some sort of void in me that he and Icky were never going to fill. Vipin knew I would want a dog eventually. We discussed it, but we decided it would have to be when we lived in a house and could properly care for a dog. Also, Vipin has allergies, so that was going to be an issue. But, then along came this wonderful thing called THE INTERNET! And as I began the wonders of surfing, I decided one day to look up dogs, types of dogs, etc. What a plethora of information I found.!! I started to narrow it down, a small d</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">og (because we still lived in an apartment at that time), a dog that does not bother people that have allergies, a cute dog (<span style="font-style: italic;">of course!</span>), intelligent, trainable, sturdy, healthy, something that I could carry, easy to care for, not yippy or possesive and ideally, a dog that would stay small and sweet and be like a permanent puppy......all my needs and desires for such a dog pointed to a Yorkie! I wanted a Yorkie! I needed a Yorkie! I got a Yorkie!<br /><br />I'll stop my entry now...because LuLu (<span style="font-style: italic;">as she sits here content on my lap, curled up in a ball, as I write this</span>) is with me now, in my life now, and I will have many new entries all about her I am sure. Just know that I have returned to the castle, I now live in the beautiful Victorian house that I grew up in and the doggie door to the garage has been closed for years. Three apartment buildings and all the cars and people that go along with them stand behind the back yard and fill what was once my open field and playground. To Captain's horror, I am sure, chipmunks have taken over all sides of the property and rule the land. A little rabbit lives under the bush where Fritz would sit for hours...and thick, dark, lush green ivy fill the ground where Gigi's dog house once stood. But every time I open the door to the garage I look to my left and expect to see the bench where so many happy creatures would gobble down meals and take their daily sips of water. I treasure all of my dear, warm, sweet, animals....Buffy, Henrietta, Barney, Luke, Captain, Fritz, Gigi, Rollie, and Snausage......and sometimes, when I am all alone out in the back yard, when the wind is still and the night is young, when the traffic is calm and time slows down.... I close my eyes and take a moment to breathe............I go back......I am young, I am wild, I am free....I am a wolf .....I can hear the water drip from the weathered crack in the gutter onto the old wood pile that used to lean up against the back of the garage, I can smell the beautiful blooming flowers that Grandma Lenz planted and no longer grow in the side garden, I can taste the big, brown Chinese chestnuts that grew on my beloved climbing tree which fell down years ago, I can feel my hair in a tight ponytail and twirl it around my fingers....... and.......I can see Captain scurrying off under the tall pine trees, Luke strolling closer for a scratch on his head, Fritz looking up and hoping I'll come to him so he doesn't have to get out of his comfy spot, Gigi running towards me ready to play "Chase me", and Buffy...my Buffy, strong, at my side, protecting me, guarding me, forever there, forever my companion.....this is my pack, this is my strength, these are my animals. </span><br /></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /></span></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-91955364558278292432008-12-02T19:10:00.007-05:002008-12-20T16:43:12.967-05:00DECORATING FOR THE HOLIDAYS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAG7rREqOdri0erQC9y7hH0CgSHvEXccjFr2UucFNXwGeB-Gz3V0y8EZsZrud_K9LY9keTft5TqTUZq1aUVzNk6iyQwQ2o4RspUWB2sKIGPwwV2gNtOKYvUpa2h8fsaGuRaBOmnhRfXVy/s1600-h/Photo_112608_001+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAG7rREqOdri0erQC9y7hH0CgSHvEXccjFr2UucFNXwGeB-Gz3V0y8EZsZrud_K9LY9keTft5TqTUZq1aUVzNk6iyQwQ2o4RspUWB2sKIGPwwV2gNtOKYvUpa2h8fsaGuRaBOmnhRfXVy/s200/Photo_112608_001+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275355269583632370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmutMUSpa-B0MZOVI6Y7dpVNQPemLVpv5kOPtyotBMoPlnI-b4Z9c7WNLY8xUtd26aytHbTppmhyQ7h5HisTp8CVLZ6Lxf0iJ8g5zZC_z21g8f9cJOb6EVYrTScBkAgmpTvFzt9msq6Nh8/s1600-h/Decoration+Committee.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmutMUSpa-B0MZOVI6Y7dpVNQPemLVpv5kOPtyotBMoPlnI-b4Z9c7WNLY8xUtd26aytHbTppmhyQ7h5HisTp8CVLZ6Lxf0iJ8g5zZC_z21g8f9cJOb6EVYrTScBkAgmpTvFzt9msq6Nh8/s200/Decoration+Committee.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275351024541401154" border="0" /> </a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;">The night before Thanksgiving Day I decided to round up the kids (nephews Vinnie and Tony along with their younger sister Nicole...and her friend Skylar) and decorate Mom and Dad's house for Christmas while they were still away in Florida. Since Dad's ankle is broken and Mom would be exhausted having driving all the way home, it was to be a win-win for all...<br /><ul><li> Mom and Dad get to have all the decorations up,<br /></li><li>the kids get a Pizza night & have something to give their Grandparents,<br /></li><li>and I get to spend time with the kids (and could not have done it alone, my original plan, considering all the decorations are stored up in the loft of the workshop...those stairs are way too steep for me to carry down such heavy boxes, thanks boys). </li></ul>Of course Vipin and LuLu were there to help too (LuLu was in heaven...so many boxes to run around and sniff!)... it was so much fun!<br /><br />I really enjoyed unpacking all of Mom and Dad's decorations. I have such found memories of evenings in the past when we were all young girls doing it as a family of 6. Our tree and house decorations always made me so proud! One year Dad cut little trees down so that each of us could have our very own mini-tree in our bedroom! Our house was featured in the local paper once, and our tree was often viewed by local clubs and organizations because it was an 'international tree' with hand-made decorations from all over the world. My parents often hosted Christmas parties because their house was always decorated so wonderfully for the holidays (and everyone loved it).<br /><br />As I unwrapped each ornament and handed them to the girls (because the boys had already stopped helping by this point and settled into the master bedroom to enjoy Mom's last year Christmas present from Dad - massage chair from Brookstone and watch TV...can't blame them, Star Wars was on)...I would tell them, '<span style="font-style: italic;">this one is carved out of wood and from the small German village of Oberammergau, this one is made from straw and is from Peru, this one is a type of mosaic from Spain, this one is made of lace and is from Venice, Italy, this one...</span>.." it was great and we only hung a few...there are still two more unopened boxes full of ornaments!!!<br /><br />I also got out the little church with the red windows, the one that used to be Grandma Lenz's...it still lights up and it is so delicate and sweet...very vintage, made of a sort of plastered-type paper....and the little wooden farm house with the fence and tiny animals (Nicole set it up on the piano)....and the little clip-on birds that wear the little hats, there were only two - a red one for Susan and a white one for Wanda (I was always envious of them because they clipped on the tree and were so easy to put up, but they were for Susan and Wanda to put up....well, the clips don't work anymore, but I got them on the tree!)...and of course, many little hand-made ornaments produced by 'the lovely little Lenz girls'... from little mice made out of walnut halves to wooden clothes pin deer to bottle cap thingy-s (I don't remember what they were supposed to be, but we loved them and made them with care!!) to the plastic beaded things we made with Mrs. Foote. They are all there, some without eyes, some in parts, I found a thing that I think is just a big Elmer's glue blob (the actual featured item is gone but the glue is holding strong!!).<br /><br />It was a great night! Good memories. Happy Holidays!<br /></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-45192903353537438142008-12-02T18:33:00.005-05:002008-12-20T16:43:42.443-05:00HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY LINDA & HENRYNovember 29th was my parent's 50th wedding anniversary!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREwDAqYIYt9O8TaoHdPmQ2kvpiw1LPGoTW_3I1HaXBf1Mxu6XApKaxCDDKjW_N9o05GaGDe0u3-QrCwnkbbNnshkjBGr0QwGWgGpQTwYMDGGIEx8uE53DfnErWzvlZsKHpEPqXB5NY-9m/s1600-h/P1010828.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREwDAqYIYt9O8TaoHdPmQ2kvpiw1LPGoTW_3I1HaXBf1Mxu6XApKaxCDDKjW_N9o05GaGDe0u3-QrCwnkbbNnshkjBGr0QwGWgGpQTwYMDGGIEx8uE53DfnErWzvlZsKHpEPqXB5NY-9m/s200/P1010828.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275340340293101538" border="0" /></a><br /></div>They came over to our house for dinner and first we had to have a champagne toast!<br /><br />Congratulations....still fighting after all these years!! hehe <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxFjVtSKKq4EdVJUWWl8f39RCDCHlN66SpvCSB1mf2lGe00d-TMIRagualVEUftYdQtZ1jrxa-onnj0wZx6xQ7jWN7ggvTAiSUT4TTv4J00u9SjPaceOsVLsE_f4g_BAFB3ZSJdkPLSZW/s1600-h/P1010829.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxFjVtSKKq4EdVJUWWl8f39RCDCHlN66SpvCSB1mf2lGe00d-TMIRagualVEUftYdQtZ1jrxa-onnj0wZx6xQ7jWN7ggvTAiSUT4TTv4J00u9SjPaceOsVLsE_f4g_BAFB3ZSJdkPLSZW/s200/P1010829.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275340343982341250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Before dinner we wanted to give them the present that we (Sister Susan & Bro-in-law Steve, Sister Wanda & Bro-in-law Reinhard and Vipin and I) got them. It's not so easy getting two people who have traveled the world and live in their dream house a present. But thankfully Vipin thought of and found what I think may have been the most perfect present for them...something they didn't already have....a beautiful copper weather vane...one with a heron (my Mom just loves her real Blue Heron that lives on their lake)!! Vipin had it set up and covered with a sheet so they could 'unwrap' it!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBcwGGnwicp8Vc-10cU8XaBoaRHy6LCryNhd4A9hsTfx_yX39EpQw0av-j2sOb9Xn-IjbLN_jCcbvKvrNWqhV7x-Df0BtLQ0RNP5b8LjIS70tAX_Iur8DdqD0bhF3cPDBKBcyQnr9A5lC/s1600-h/P1010832.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBcwGGnwicp8Vc-10cU8XaBoaRHy6LCryNhd4A9hsTfx_yX39EpQw0av-j2sOb9Xn-IjbLN_jCcbvKvrNWqhV7x-Df0BtLQ0RNP5b8LjIS70tAX_Iur8DdqD0bhF3cPDBKBcyQnr9A5lC/s200/P1010832.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275340629076341554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDWyphqtgBZ3JE-JZNjLXjVakcIgIUm6VWjr_eTDKw3_AlC36va7Vi7GIXDyWNFEQTZ8JzKV_2ZDXk0-AsBdMmiFNaUopStG8cjCrS1DMJRpby3xxn_0cLvQOJIf6vs1vPbAaMBvllfrO/s1600-h/P1010830.JPG"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDWyphqtgBZ3JE-JZNjLXjVakcIgIUm6VWjr_eTDKw3_AlC36va7Vi7GIXDyWNFEQTZ8JzKV_2ZDXk0-AsBdMmiFNaUopStG8cjCrS1DMJRpby3xxn_0cLvQOJIf6vs1vPbAaMBvllfrO/s200/P1010830.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275340345352861074" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzMWZJ1dbR7t4jqi3KVZKkFMbeJAo1kiismWVF5m4UApXQi-j_mzzACE3uYZhF9Cm1gjGBPKZ3hNhseyKHfeetbFBcmIj0q31XRGKAyRmSnkowa5F4UcVMKdIjOiXkUuhmKywCnfBqg2s/s1600-h/P1010831.JPG"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzMWZJ1dbR7t4jqi3KVZKkFMbeJAo1kiismWVF5m4UApXQi-j_mzzACE3uYZhF9Cm1gjGBPKZ3hNhseyKHfeetbFBcmIj0q31XRGKAyRmSnkowa5F4UcVMKdIjOiXkUuhmKywCnfBqg2s/s200/P1010831.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275340351657478610" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0bl6q46_sD-uZW_5pxpWsn2uuvYrZP8GFXA-hTKdtB7zIUrYHdkR8QADuo8bp71r5C2KswRA6onU4rz2zbRb4FyGzmezDv9yoRfMazI0rOmzbcv4JJDWJwTSrWn_xJYa0rtaeTcUhjHd/s1600-h/e5_1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0bl6q46_sD-uZW_5pxpWsn2uuvYrZP8GFXA-hTKdtB7zIUrYHdkR8QADuo8bp71r5C2KswRA6onU4rz2zbRb4FyGzmezDv9yoRfMazI0rOmzbcv4JJDWJwTSrWn_xJYa0rtaeTcUhjHd/s200/e5_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275340339030601810" border="0" /></a><br /></div>They love it! We'll have to wait until Spring to get it up on their roof (Waldi already said he would come and do it...yeah Waldi!!) and I think it is going to be so beautiful. They are so excited!<br /><br />After the unveiling, we went into the dining room for dinner....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9hyvg7rVtbm722NrHWzIYTb0gWE27WS8infKOVXZAExd0Sn1ek5auScmc41mHLkrAW_2ZMqOwYEJwA9FwrlKKKrSHTQUFRGP8Ij6UhqSjNQgjLotB49tKuZ66UjXm1McUoanS7r5jmtk/s1600-h/P1010835.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9hyvg7rVtbm722NrHWzIYTb0gWE27WS8infKOVXZAExd0Sn1ek5auScmc41mHLkrAW_2ZMqOwYEJwA9FwrlKKKrSHTQUFRGP8Ij6UhqSjNQgjLotB49tKuZ66UjXm1McUoanS7r5jmtk/s200/P1010835.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275340644408511698" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSzGG42nO7VLUwtoO1BBTTUpVdFMshierBo_SzVp6OOjaoRUbOMkBHZhFeujFgaeJiw2o-Frj-yISSkHGF4sSgCXLWkUM-qnM_K7BOXRiA2fFDnspjO8LtdRrRt_wCX_1VX7y3b3h34yx/s1600-h/P1010833.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSzGG42nO7VLUwtoO1BBTTUpVdFMshierBo_SzVp6OOjaoRUbOMkBHZhFeujFgaeJiw2o-Frj-yISSkHGF4sSgCXLWkUM-qnM_K7BOXRiA2fFDnspjO8LtdRrRt_wCX_1VX7y3b3h34yx/s200/P1010833.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275340633635580354" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNm3qOMI4UW-lTMBgXKD0DffRsiT5PDLmTG7EWOvJNzcrYQkvcgmhWb1WlWLb9yKl4j737WSqPPVHHkxIvPXraFXFtC0o7cx1cIkNxGZIiojrFTy-M5nE2V73cl_5__SYy5uunMoTUfMqU/s1600-h/P1010834.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNm3qOMI4UW-lTMBgXKD0DffRsiT5PDLmTG7EWOvJNzcrYQkvcgmhWb1WlWLb9yKl4j737WSqPPVHHkxIvPXraFXFtC0o7cx1cIkNxGZIiojrFTy-M5nE2V73cl_5__SYy5uunMoTUfMqU/s200/P1010834.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275340638292453474" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and they told Vipin and I about their wedding day.... a day, back in 1958 when there was a massive snow storm in Columbus. The day began with fine weather, but then, in the late morning it began to snow...and snow and snow. Soon after Mom was in a total panic because Dad (along with his parents) were on their way via car and still not there and it was minutes before the ceremony (<span style="font-style: italic;">gee..why didn't he just text her on his cell??</span>). Aunt Gloria tried to calm her down (while looking out the window in horror at the amount of accumulation!). The ceremony was to begin at 6:05PM. Dad said the roads were totally covered and all he could make out were the telephone poles on either side of the road, so he stayed in the middle of them, kept driving and hoped no other cars would come. They made it, of course, with no time to spare (Grandma and Grandpa Lenz had bought new clothes to wear but didn't have time to change into them)....after the wedding, there was a reception at Grandma and Grandpa Baker's house (Mom's parents) and it kept snowing and snowing....everyone ended up staying over (Grandma & Grandpa Lenz stayed in the Baker's bedroom room...took the mattress off the box spring, and Uncle Andy - with his two young girls-cousins Monica and Maryann- slept on the box spring while they stayed on the mattress.....Aunt Gloria stayed in spare room.......Uncle Larry stayed on the couch =which was 2 feet shorter than his 6'4" body would have liked--because they weren't married yet=....Grandma & Grandpa stayed in the basement somewhere)....but there was no place for Mom and Dad...so they had to leave!! Out in the storm!! Can you believe it?!?! As it turned out...after about 30 minutes in the storm they drove right out of it (not a flake on the ground!)...and continued on........ what an adventure..what a nice story...I really enjoyed listening to them reminisce about it (so sweet). Fifty years! What a milestone! Congratulations!SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-23440297750226495042008-11-25T18:15:00.007-05:002008-12-20T16:44:30.508-05:00MONKEYS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg98xko5-gluWetC1uMR103HvmYyU0vBvAlVXva0ceR9SZaIJsyKhw_R2HIgjZyHJNAck1SfYeWRxEiSAroibig5BDio8R0PJW0xAxAgEJWWwl_atMKKplhJApBd-w011XeicbztOHE6u/s1600-h/1299352_3126720a6e_m.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg98xko5-gluWetC1uMR103HvmYyU0vBvAlVXva0ceR9SZaIJsyKhw_R2HIgjZyHJNAck1SfYeWRxEiSAroibig5BDio8R0PJW0xAxAgEJWWwl_atMKKplhJApBd-w011XeicbztOHE6u/s200/1299352_3126720a6e_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272747232741070642" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIhQUfyfXSACqK_I6wr9SL1CUAWp_g7t07RTYHIbv0H7sWbBbbfp6G2TRJYTLR0dwlrwsUqafzyDukNdwnCtZmta9GGfYLVbEcfJVhDGF9tdW7GFJuecwt5wWHxb6iilimId4lnUyXhm-/s1600-h/28882ciku_w.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIhQUfyfXSACqK_I6wr9SL1CUAWp_g7t07RTYHIbv0H7sWbBbbfp6G2TRJYTLR0dwlrwsUqafzyDukNdwnCtZmta9GGfYLVbEcfJVhDGF9tdW7GFJuecwt5wWHxb6iilimId4lnUyXhm-/s200/28882ciku_w.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272747225491387106" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRZVso6hUdDxJOQqsfqjgTcJI9ip_Zwg6tns2TiS4LiXq_Es8Z8GCaGDlAsrhMh5uoTm0sRR0lsXfy3mAlJ9nt4Nh87yLy7rP3qVkZKCCosZxZHVPcz9gjgNW2UYfvza9_06D8FFt4BtD/s1600-h/monkeys.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 176px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRZVso6hUdDxJOQqsfqjgTcJI9ip_Zwg6tns2TiS4LiXq_Es8Z8GCaGDlAsrhMh5uoTm0sRR0lsXfy3mAlJ9nt4Nh87yLy7rP3qVkZKCCosZxZHVPcz9gjgNW2UYfvza9_06D8FFt4BtD/s200/monkeys.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272742731493120690" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wToaXgCQr5SyEw0Sp-mj51M9lqJfga1AUtFzpCn6YHQIbAZ9_ugtA7Br1XfrssVZrOaZ6HfDu5ruiCs42ytHApgkh4hptbobW6oEQ6gg4qIJIdhDRR0Rbc6N52agFEwl4a7h7SaDwxHT/s1600-h/monkey+baby.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wToaXgCQr5SyEw0Sp-mj51M9lqJfga1AUtFzpCn6YHQIbAZ9_ugtA7Br1XfrssVZrOaZ6HfDu5ruiCs42ytHApgkh4hptbobW6oEQ6gg4qIJIdhDRR0Rbc6N52agFEwl4a7h7SaDwxHT/s200/monkey+baby.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272742725991952002" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQLy0PhB7_Jna17YKoZ1j1viQV_9zgKq4hfDJbH-vQS0lXhT1Nflo7h7BF-EWvDXu78-k4ErQUvuHTxkXSDWlXRZNpvuU5GXiVmhxasiSgkQrT9LixCgA0pFVYhaEiNTu0jc2Ator-SOb/s1600-h/fingermonkey1.jpg"> </a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I have a thing for monkeys - they are the cutest! I went through a stage back when we lived in Houston (early 90's) when I really wanted to OWN one. A girl I knew there had smuggled one across the boarder (horrible story really - she bought it as baby, had it drugged by a 'local veterinarian' and kept it in a space inside her car door as she drove it across the Mexican boarder into Texas - her boyfriend "knew someone" and that's how she did it). Anyway, I got to hold her little baby monkey and it was wearing a little Harley-Davidson t-shirt and diaper made for a premature human baby (with a hole cut out for it's tail) and it was the BEST!!! It actually cried (tears came out) as I was holding it because it wanted to be back with her!! After holding that little monkey I can't stress enough how much I really wanted one. Finally, Vipin caved (or I guess I should write, got sick of my constant pestering) and said that we could get one...IF we could afford it and it was legal to have it. So I started my search..and spent days (okay, maybe weeks) reading the Pet Classified listings in the area newspapers. Obviously, as it turned out, the only one I could find that was in our budget was listed as </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;">"A Senior Monkey, retired from years of assisting an organ grinder and in need of delicate care."</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">...so we passed on that (I'm sure it would have been a nightmare!), and I finally gave up my search and got over the need (I'm sure Vipin was pleased). Oh, by the way, some neighbor of the girl that had the monkey called and turned her in to the animal rights people...I agree it was probably for the best, but I have to tell you she mourned the loss of her baby monkey as if it was her child, and I was so sad to see her in that state...I hope they found a nice home for that sweet little guy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">In my family, my sister Wanda (#2 daughter) is the 'official' monkey lover in our family, because she had a stuffed Monkey (incidentally named "Monkey") when we were young...I had a baby doll (named...yes, 'Baby")..but I still love monkeys....especially Pocket Monkeys...or Finger Monkeys...basically...really tiny ones. So today's entry (because I'm in a rush) is only of sweet little baby monkey photos...enjoy! </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZXPVBSEmpuRSPjNIsnLa0qo4uXA9hDzz2mtT1GERmufGc2oVp6sVn8lJ8cjAbzGud5BaECgl6cw1uUFMjlc9yzyKpAhm_tSAQQJETe82Ar4xz6TfK9sU1fMUZ8DvBpKy2p6ZSNt5TzFe/s1600-h/tiny+monkey.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZXPVBSEmpuRSPjNIsnLa0qo4uXA9hDzz2mtT1GERmufGc2oVp6sVn8lJ8cjAbzGud5BaECgl6cw1uUFMjlc9yzyKpAhm_tSAQQJETe82Ar4xz6TfK9sU1fMUZ8DvBpKy2p6ZSNt5TzFe/s200/tiny+monkey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272742723533207522" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUOrCdWxlI3IdGsfAFYGE9fv5sxFjg7pfUN6crHkpSXOHt5nnMLolhPfYmhoBy55zybYtqWiBKUOpLm-NoDG0PXBH6ar4CWQDzkP7wD6-WEW1HMq_yfukBUEZhOAJZJaLWSEMowPZDW2P/s1600-h/15632+%282%29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 141px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUOrCdWxlI3IdGsfAFYGE9fv5sxFjg7pfUN6crHkpSXOHt5nnMLolhPfYmhoBy55zybYtqWiBKUOpLm-NoDG0PXBH6ar4CWQDzkP7wD6-WEW1HMq_yfukBUEZhOAJZJaLWSEMowPZDW2P/s200/15632+%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272738591129338930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgiTIVL7_7CPtvKno1MrkHHGtAbavNLdYGYQMy9RAybleLLfO5KAGNLD0xR68-Apy8tCXMkY3LZ9Q_925gq2cHjy3fmxt1bhTCKfoZdU6Oh2piI_xTYXH_RgYm6qDJXuiM03efu-SEN8B/s1600-h/16636.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 101px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgiTIVL7_7CPtvKno1MrkHHGtAbavNLdYGYQMy9RAybleLLfO5KAGNLD0xR68-Apy8tCXMkY3LZ9Q_925gq2cHjy3fmxt1bhTCKfoZdU6Oh2piI_xTYXH_RgYm6qDJXuiM03efu-SEN8B/s200/16636.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272738592394072594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dxWTTi6y-KGCxPZpB8FtdXwKjnr4jQWlkH5u_DbnqyvadNyUVN_t46jFm1MsLvRQ8z08Z9Kdbn77o5h6mYbfZVzE9f-fL8x4w82lYL-dptTFGZFpztPtVS6uzGgenYmif6z3PiPgPSty/s1600-h/little2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 102px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dxWTTi6y-KGCxPZpB8FtdXwKjnr4jQWlkH5u_DbnqyvadNyUVN_t46jFm1MsLvRQ8z08Z9Kdbn77o5h6mYbfZVzE9f-fL8x4w82lYL-dptTFGZFpztPtVS6uzGgenYmif6z3PiPgPSty/s200/little2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272738599337908322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_s2j8CI4m7tz2tAHPmDqDmW14xGF2bHPD9lPN-0kRhDE-INa7k7C8Uc5bvi4whgc6BfbRzcGs4DpA5wv_VDaJ6S2B1mOpD6GzCxWFZfH5aUdWe6cKSs3r9DKc6wN4PYR8cg41_3KRriNT/s1600-h/baby_monkey_2400.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_s2j8CI4m7tz2tAHPmDqDmW14xGF2bHPD9lPN-0kRhDE-INa7k7C8Uc5bvi4whgc6BfbRzcGs4DpA5wv_VDaJ6S2B1mOpD6GzCxWFZfH5aUdWe6cKSs3r9DKc6wN4PYR8cg41_3KRriNT/s200/baby_monkey_2400.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272738593055448066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EBeYzur7WiJBqy70Hk0l25J3MbCGWGPOdKULEVPbRZHIZdJDQxXExE8ExmAriPflty-A2ITN7ZUN7y64vChq3RFHg2J_z4B-YbsufwB7f0q8NcOmu0QNenTCECy4_NxpxwyLBOyCJuwA/s1600-h/monkey+full+face.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EBeYzur7WiJBqy70Hk0l25J3MbCGWGPOdKULEVPbRZHIZdJDQxXExE8ExmAriPflty-A2ITN7ZUN7y64vChq3RFHg2J_z4B-YbsufwB7f0q8NcOmu0QNenTCECy4_NxpxwyLBOyCJuwA/s200/monkey+full+face.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272742730924518354" border="0" /></a></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955445504017546793.post-79236969137666100472008-11-14T14:40:00.016-05:002008-12-20T16:46:00.879-05:00THE OFFICE<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Well, it's been a while. I keep telling myself that I'm going to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >write in my blog</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >, but of course it never gets done...held off to another day, week, month. I still want to go back and write more about the days that I was in </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" >Salzburg</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> this summer (July) with the group...and give captions to all the posted photos, etc. Maybe during the holidays !?!? (yeah, right, as if there will be time then!!)</span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Meanwhile, the update of </span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" >Sonyasphere</span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >.... things are going well here at The Rock. I'm about finished with the </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;">new 2009 European Summer Study Program brochure. Just finalizing the course and workshop offerings... it's going to be another wonderful program JULY 7-30, 2009. I will have to update the website next... so many things to do... things in the office are always hectic and busy, although I must admit we are 'down' (a.k.a. slower) than we were this time last year. I blame it on the economy, and the times we are in right now... our clients are being cautious (and maybe smart considering the price of things right now) and just seem to prefer making ONE trip for the season rather than their usual two or three (going home for the holidays either at Thanksgiving time or Christmas time -- but not for BOTH).</span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK09CGQNhF1NqMbRqsqdTSkINLyTpPfy45-D7biBL-CrZCXQ7iikw3jHCImTYG2XZDWLvpZ8Hfmt9HPG5n6FJRAoozkUhG78S9rJxZv0EpBy61bWrwpg0h8xcUOKw5UNgz0-3Fn2D-49ke/s1600-h/DSC00002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK09CGQNhF1NqMbRqsqdTSkINLyTpPfy45-D7biBL-CrZCXQ7iikw3jHCImTYG2XZDWLvpZ8Hfmt9HPG5n6FJRAoozkUhG78S9rJxZv0EpBy61bWrwpg0h8xcUOKw5UNgz0-3Fn2D-49ke/s200/DSC00002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268616673643928738" border="0" /></a></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xvRBmRYGI6xAi8jaDw82izwBGBBb5nz09jOYscGICQSsQV8VOC29pdLI1-9bXd_6tZrt-xbum_Q8zPsZs8D-mxeIDbUSp1-rSSZRvsnXjtRyaPJUMOSyJrxiF98-08jS2inFy0xs-PXa/s1600-h/DSC00003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xvRBmRYGI6xAi8jaDw82izwBGBBb5nz09jOYscGICQSsQV8VOC29pdLI1-9bXd_6tZrt-xbum_Q8zPsZs8D-mxeIDbUSp1-rSSZRvsnXjtRyaPJUMOSyJrxiF98-08jS2inFy0xs-PXa/s200/DSC00003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268602612941307346" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >"The Office" is a combination of all my businesses in one... </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.airportorbit.com/">AIRPORT ORBIT, INC. </a></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >(a transportation service),</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.csatours.com/"> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">CSA</span> TOURS</a></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" > (an international tour company), </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.csatours.com/lenz-travel-services/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">LTS</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">LENZ</span> TRAVEL SERVICES</a></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" > (a private corporate travel agency), and also where I handle all my properties as a landlord. In this office there are three of us....well 3 and a half (the half being LuLu).</span></span><br /></div></div><ol style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:verdana;"><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Me</span><span style="font-size:100%;">,<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Anna <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Connell</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">, who has thankfully been with us since the mid 80's...a long time friend and loyal employee, I could not function properly without her (personally or professionally). She is married to Master Randy </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" style="font-size:100%;">Connell</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, and I say </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Master</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> because he holds a black belt (6</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" style="font-size:100%;">th</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Degree) and is the owner of the <a href="http://www.ata-k4k.com/butler2/index.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ATA</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Taekondo</span> Center</a> and school (there are three branches in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio). I went to high school with Anna, and have known her since, well, high school. She was a Senior when I was a Freshman and we were in the marching band together... she was in the Flag Corps, I was a drummer (more on that later!!). She grew up on a farm and had horses (I'm so envious), and though she is quite the businesswoman, she is also very much a homemaker, gardener, and a fantastic baker. Her mother was German, and so she learned how to bake delicious cakes and pastries with flare from "The Old Country". She has a passion for baking with blueberries (and has them growing behind her house)...and we here in the office get to reap the benefits of that passion! Anna and Randy do not have any children, but they do have two cats that keep them well, entertained. Randy's new hobby (which, as a work-a-</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" style="font-size:100%;">holic</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> himself, I'm happy to report he has actually taken some time away from his school to enjoy recently) is car racing, and they have been spending some weekends going to the races. Randy has even placed a few times, and won money! I enjoy hearing the details about the races, how the people that race go for an entire weekend, rent parking spaces and hang out in the lots - they cook-out and everything... many park RVs and spend the entire weekend there (Anna & Randy stay in a hotel). It's interesting, and obviously something I know nothing about. I still can't imagine watching my husband race... I'd be sick! Anna said, of course, it is nerve wracking.. but Randy enjoys it, and that's what it is all about.</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Monique <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Mostard</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">, who's been with us since the mid 90's, and another dear friend and loyal employee. When Monique started working here she was married and had two young children... she is now divorced and raising two teenagers! Time flies! I've really enjoyed watching, and of course more so hearing about her JD and Kaitlynn's times. JD is a senior at Mercer Area High School (they live about two towns over, north of Slippery Rock) and well, hasn't made life easy for Monique, even though I can happily write that he is a good kid and a real sweetheart.... but again, a teenager!! And all the joys and pleasures that seem to come along with it...Oh boy! He is a soccer player, a singer in the choir, plays baritone in the marching band, an actor in school theater productions, and now is playing on the basketball team...VERY active!! He also works on occasion (and when/if he ever has free time) for my parents, or well, my Dad - helping out with house work, chores, chopping wood, etc. It's been fun watching him grow, and grow... he stands taller than all of us now! A real cutie pie and knows it (his mama spoils him more than he deserves!!). Kaitlynn is really, well, I hope she does not read this, but perfect in almost every way! She is in the 8</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" style="font-size:100%;">th</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> grade and at the top of her class. She is also quite active, in Girl Scouts, band, a member of the Academic Games (which does very well in her school district for - quite the competitive young lady), plays soccer, was in cheer leading (but I think she is done with that). They both grew up reading and are still avid readers... Kaitlynn always has her nose in a book or is at least carrying one around with her at all times. She is kind hearted and sweet and... she is absolutely beautiful... but I don't think she realizes it yet (which makes her even cuter!). Monique, of course is active in everything they do, she is involved in all the clubs, bakes cookies for all the events, </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" style="font-size:100%;">chaperones</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> the trips to the football games (and every where they go), rides on the buses with all the students, hosts events, sells all the fundraising goodies, runs the concession stands - all of it. She of course also is very involved with their day to day activities, school dances, friends, and such - it is amazing. I don't know how she does it... and holiday season is just around the corner, that means practically every night she'll have some sort of event, performance, game, function, or banquet to attend! On top of that, Monique has a guy (a.k.a. 'man-friend') ...his name is Jim and he is really great.</span></li></ol><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Anna and Monique both book shuttles and flights... they basically run the travel end of the businesses, I handle all the financial things and everything that has to do with my properties. I've been trying (and I really stress TRYING) to let them handle more and more responsibilities. Of course the CAN do it, it's ME letting them that is the issue (yes, that is my way of saying I'm anal retentive and controlling). Everything I do is always too much for me to actually do in the course of the day or time frame that I have to do it....... from calling plumbers and electricians to handling tenant issues, to dealing with merchant credit card disputes, to writing brochures, to leasing empty rental units, to making advertising decisions and going to town business meetings.... it's a whirlwind! It never ends, it's my life! I deal with it and can only because of Anna and Monique. They are the ones that make sure the office is open and running each morning, they field the calls... they keep me sane. I'm a very lucky gal.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Now.. back to the OFFICE... the atmosphere in the office is good, we have a cozy space, and are now located in the lower level of the building...Austrians would refer to it as the KELLER. My office has always been down here, Anna and Monique used to be (as in 4 years ago) upstairs, but several years ago I moved them downstairs and decided to rent the upper level which currently is leased to the local ReMax office). We had so much unused space upstairs it was ridiculous, and the businesses were becoming more and more telephone based. In the 90's we used to have maybe 10 clients in a day...now, we get MAYBE 4 clients physically in our office a week - MAYBE! The move downstairs was difficult for us at first, only because they had been spoiled with large rooms, big picture windows, and high ceilings for so many years, and we were not used to sharing our daily space. But we adjusted quickly. I have my own office, but had a huge window put in the wall that divides me from the main office. I always keep my door open (it has a window too), so I can see and hear what is going on. I know when the drivers are coming in to get their paperwork and can see if their is a client waiting for service. Of course <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">LuLu</span> is here with us most of the time, and she loves having all of us to go to...for love and tummy rubs... she can easily stroll desk to desk and get her never ending amount of needed attention...here she is taking one of her many afternoon naps on my desk...you can see the main office through the huge glass window.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaSM-ncHx1KRfy59PKcQ-CKv0ID0oNJfxuEh6fymcHEU7CClLUYZCYafizUFqWd5Lal7E3u56Y7ZILkK1HAFvNr4sFd4aD04H_jyJCwwpyhrXg5dTb4FZDeHFeJd6I_Vg87x1j9xr0LjW/s1600-h/Photo_100407_001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaSM-ncHx1KRfy59PKcQ-CKv0ID0oNJfxuEh6fymcHEU7CClLUYZCYafizUFqWd5Lal7E3u56Y7ZILkK1HAFvNr4sFd4aD04H_jyJCwwpyhrXg5dTb4FZDeHFeJd6I_Vg87x1j9xr0LjW/s200/Photo_100407_001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268623009958183938" border="0" /></a></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Going-</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" >ons</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" > here in the office make up each day in my life... and of course, every day is new and interesting, every day has its surprises. Some days are stressful, other days we are falling asleep at our desks. Some days we have major gab sessions, other days we barely talk to each other. Some days we have eventful conversations with clients, other days they seem to bore us out of our minds. Some days the mailman (Tim) is late, other days he is early. Some days we get good local town scoop other days not so much...and although I may complain about having to go to work, I enjoy it and I enjoy the SPACE, I like the home I've made for us here in the office. We spend at least 8 hours a day here (me more than that) it should be comfortable! Recently I had the chairs re-upholstered in a nice </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" >tapestry</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" > material, with </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" >paisley</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" > type designs, to give it an even "homier" feel (less office-ish). Of course we have desks and computers... it IS an office </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" >after all</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >, but it is nice, and we like it... I like it!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >We decorate for holidays and seasons, right now it's all about fall leaves, dried flowers, cornucopia things, little pumpkins and the like. We did have our Halloween stuff up, but that's over now. After Thanksgiving we will get out the Christmas stuff... wreaths, a little tree, lights, and little holiday things for our desks. I even ordered poinsettias again. It's been a couple years since I've ordered them, I was just over them for a while, but the idea of them now seems nice, and JD is selling them for chorus, so I guess I was sort of obligated. We could choose between red, white, pink or marble - we made a group decision and are going with RED.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >TODAY....</span><br /></div><ul style="font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Anna vacuumed the little leaves have still been blowing in when someone opens the door.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Tony, one of my awesome and tatoo filled college student helpers (he mows, and rakes and does handy work for my properties) came in and took all our trash out...a usual Friday chore! Tony's German Shepherd (he has three grown black German Shepherds) had 10 puppies last week, so he showed us photos of them...ADORABLE.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Craig, another college student helper, came in and gave me the update on his projects (he put in a beautiful step made of bricks by the front door of one of my apartments)...barefoot (his usual way - even in the winter) and smiling, Craig is fantastic!<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Monique was kind enough to go out and pick up all the cigarette butts that fell off the railing of the upstairs apartment down onto and all over the ground by the back of the Hair Studio, next door (thankfully I have bright pink, rubber gloves at the ready in our basement storage area...meant just for such type jobs!).<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Nicole (my 12 year old niece...note, soon to be 13..as in just a few weeks away, of which I have been reminded frequently!!) stopped in for her usual "hello" and hang out.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">We have hard candy by the ride board (where we mark down all the booked shuttles for our transportation company) and the drivers have been dipping into it... but sadly, no other sweet treats are out (not that I'm complaining, Anna brought in fresh blueberry bread just last week). </span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">was Payday, so just about all of the drivers came in to pick up their checks, sign up for next week's runs, confirm their weekend trips and hang out. Eugene brought his wife Irene (and it was great to see her), Richard brought in his brother... everyone was happy, why not, it's Friday, and it's not snowing!</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >So yes, it's a family business, but even though I am officially the only FAMILY left here , we are ALL family here in THE OFFICE!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Have a great weekend!</span><br /><br /></div><br /></div>SONYASPHEREhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14673621986307945790noreply@blogger.com4