The Sun Was Shinning

Well the sun came back out today so I was able to get back in the pool for exercise class and boy did

it feel good. It really is a great way to start the day. I hung out for awhile and soaked up some sun.

Didn't do much else today. Washed the floors and cleaned the kitchen and did some laundry. Really boring but it had to be done. Other than that I did not do much. I was having a hard time getting motivated after all that housework.

These layouts were from last nights Creative Cafe meeting. What a great time just hanging out with friends and being creative. Thanks Karen for a great class.

Looking forward to Mama Mia tomorrow. Jim loved this play. We saw it several years ago with the original cast in Chicago. I know he's dancing to Dancing Queen right now.

Livin In The Tropics

Now that it has been raining for the past week it seems that when the sun does come out that the ground just steams and oh it is awful. When you step out of the house it is like a steam bath. You immediately start to sweat. Not ladylike but man like. November can't come soon enough for me.

The top two layouts are from our trip to Georgia. The third one is of Heather playing with both dogs. Misty looks a little jealous. Scrap and dash from yesterday was beachie so I used photos from last year that I had not scrapped yet. These layouts were such fun to make.

Today was chore day. Did some laundry and a little house cleaning. Only found 2 jobs to send resumes in on. I don't know what I am going to do with this job business. Does anyone know of a job out there. I'll work hard and be a great employee.

Nothing happened today on the house repair. Hopefully tomorrow something will get going. I don't think it is supposed to rain tomorrow.

Bathroom construction

This is really an ugly mess to have going on right now. It has been raining solid for 3 days and work has now come to a standstill. The siding can not come off the house until the rain stops and we do not know when that will be. The mold and rot has gone all the way through the floor and you can actually see outside. We are going to have to go under the cabinet and maybe into the dining room.

The worst part is that the insurance company says that work has to be done by Friday or they will cancel my policy. They do not understand the rain constraints we are under and frankly they don't care. Big insurance companies against the people. And there is nothing I can do about this. But we will keep working at it and go from there.

Mostly kept working with the contractor and looking for a job in the afternoon. This is wearing me down but I am not going to let it. Went to Scrap and Dash to get away from it all. I'll show you the results tomorrow.

Been doing a little scrappin

I've been doing a little scrapping over the past week. The two 4th of July layouts were last week's S%D and they turned out great. I love scrapping by 3 wonderful grandchildren. They are such good subjects and they love to look at their albums. It is so wonderful for them to see where they have been and to remember such good times. I hope someday they will treasure them as much as I have loved making them for them to enjoy.

It is so rare to get a nice smiling face out of my nephew Rick. He is always making his funny faces and guess what we got a normal face. You just have to love it.

Did a little water aerobics this morning. It is such a great way to start the day. Once I was home it was back in job hunting mode. I found several that fit my qualifications so I spent most of the day revising my resume for each job. You have to get these key words in.

Tonight was game night at the pool. Everyone brings a sack dinner and just hangs out on the veranda around the pool. I spent some time in the pool and hot tub. Jackie was playing cards and mom was playing domino's. What a great way to spend a few hours on Monday night. When Jim and I decided to buy here we knew we were buying a lifestyle and this is what it is all about. It is great for me because I get out and enjoy people instead of staying in and watching TV. I am perfectly content to do that but I do not want to get caught in that rut. Jim wanted this for us and now I don't have him and it is just hard. It is hard to get motivated and hard to face my life without him. We did everything together and I miss him so.

I guess I'm feeling a little sad tonight. Sorry, tomorrow will be better.

Living with construction

Well they started ripping up my bathroom this weekend. What a mess. Friday they brought in mold machines and sealed the bathroom. They actually put plastic over the bathroom door and to get in you have to unzip and step through. The machines make the room about 150 degrees. On Saturday Tim tore out the wall and carted away the molded materials. I picked out new flooring and paint. Tomorrow they take off the siding. That is if it does not rain. I'll take pictures tomorrow of the mess.

This layout is of my little curious Luke. He was having such fun investigating the deck of my friend Adrienne's. He was so happy and proud of himself. I miss my three little grandchildren so much. Jack, Josh and Luke I love you all so much. Just know that grandma is sending you great big grandma hugs.

Happy Hump Day

Mid week already and I think I have been going non-stop. I had my water aerobics class this morning. They were working on the big pool today so we had to move to the little pool. This pool is not heated so there were some early morning groans as we got into the pool. The rain keeps the temperature down. Then it was back to the computer and job hunting mode. Groan.

Tonight I went to Scrap and dash and the layouts were wonderful. I have to get my July 4th photos printed so I can add the photos.

Rick I told you I would use this photo of you and your grandmother. You have been making these faces for me your entire life. One of these days I am going to make a layout just of your funny faces. This is mom on the 4th and our picnic.

The peaches I picked up in Georgia are absolutely wonderful. I hope to make a cobbler on Friday for Scraptherapy.

We seem to have the mold somewhat under control in the bathroom. Construction starts Friday I hope because this mold has got to go. Tomorrow I have to go pick out the new tile and paint color. I think I am going to stay with green but a lighter shade of the green in the hallway. I hope to find a neutral color for the floor. Then I have to take down the flower border so when they paint they can do both walls.

Fort Gordon Fireworks

Augusta is right next to Fort Gordon and we took advantage of being able to go to the military fireworks the night before the 4th. The Army always does it up big. The Army band was playing, the cannons were going off and the fireworks filled the sky. I had been reading up on how to take firework shots with my digital camera and I must say I did really well. I took about 100 photos and got some really nice shots. Here are two of my favorites. The photo of my family is a little blurred. It's hard to keep them still especially when you are using available light and not a flash.

Today I spent most of the day job hunting. What a drag this is getting to be. Why can't I find a job. Who would have thought this would be so hard. I found some really good opportunities today so I hope they will pan out.

Bingo tonight. All three of us won. Jackie was the big winner at $60. I won only $15 and mom won $6. She had to split.

A Happy 4th of July in Augusta

Jackie, Mom, our friend Barbara and Misty and myself traveled to Augusta for the 4th of July. Rick and Heather were having a big family open house weekend for their new home. I call the first picture, Three Old Broads with wimpy sparklers bought by men. The sparklers were huge but they barely sparkled. The other photo shows Rick and I in our red, white and blue.

We had a really good time. We left Wednesday mid afternoon and arrived well after midnight. Thursday was hanging out at the new house and out to dinner that night. Friday the fourth was very typical picnic fare. A Barbecue, hanging out in the back yard, and water hose fun. Misty had the time of her life. There were 3 other dogs there and she loved the freedom of the back yard.

Saturday we did a little shopping and another back yard barbecue. My nephew Rick made the best chicken you have ever tasted. It was not burned, it was cooked completely, and it was juicy. I loved it.

More on our trip over the next couple of days. Just wanted everyone to know that I haven't fallen off the earth. Just went to Georgia for a few days. I did not touch a telephone or a computer for 6 whole days. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!

Job Hunting S.............

Job hunting is really getting to be a drag. Where did all the jobs go and why can't I get one. The market is totally new now. You can no longer go into a business and apply for a job. All job applications are taken via the web. Then then are scanned by a machine and the machine picks who gets an interview. I'm surprised a machine doesn't do the interviews. You have to have key words or the scanner won't pick it up. So this means that every resume you send out has to practically be an original to that particular job because you have to include key words to that specific company. So yes I am continuing my search with new resumes going out every day.

Aren't these cute photos of Josh. He was having so much fun on the airplane. Love the layout and it is digital.

Just an ordinary Wednesday. Water aerobics in the morning, job hunting, scrap and dash, some grocery shopping and watching TV at night. Misty and I just got back from her run so it's time for bed. Have a great Thursday.

Moved Furniture around today

The first two layouts are from last week's Creative Cafe monthly class. We meet the third Thursday of every month. Fun to get out and get the creative juices flowing. The second two are layouts I did over the past week. Jack, Josh and Luke, Grandma loves you and misses you so much. Hope you are having a wonderful summer and getting to play outside. I love making scrapbook pages for you. Can't wait to show them to you. Love you guys.

Jackie and I moved my living room furniture around today. What a lot of work but it is really well worth the effort. My living room looks so much bigger. The hardest part was the TV. There are so many cords what with the Dish TV and the home theater system with six speakers. We were even able to hide most of the cords. I still have to tack down several of the cords. I washed the floor every time we cleared a wall so the floor is nice and clean now. The dining room is a mess because we put all the extra stuff there. Tomorrow I'll finish the clean sweep and take some pictures for the blog.

I had a few tough moments after the big change. Jim would have loved how the living room looks now. He would have had more room to lay on the floor and watch TV and oh how he loved that. I miss you honey.

Tonight was Bingo night. Mom and Jackie both were able to yell bingo but it was not in the cards for me. There was a huge lightening storm as we were driving home and Misty was going crazy. I was able to get her out before the rain started.

Laid Back Weekend

I had a very laid back weekend. Yesterday it rained most of the day so was in most of the day. In the morning Jackie and I went to breakfast and then to Habitat home improvement. This store has tons of used building parts. They have everything from nuts and bolts to windows and doors. Most of this stuff is used but they do have new things in boxes. I was looking for two cabinets for my scrapbook/craft room. I envision a Formica counter top sitting on two cabinets. Buying all of this stuff is expensive so I am looking for used. New cabinets cost $113 and up. I was able to find 2 really nice cabinets for $39. I will need to sand them and paint them. But in the end they will be perfect. Love that I can do this stuff myself and have it look great. At least that is what I am hoping for. Once I get the cabinets done I'll go back and look for a counter.

I made spaghetti last night for dinner and then we played Hands and Foot. Just a nice relaxing dinner. I made an orange cake with chocolate frosting to celebrate Jim's new home. This was his favorite. Honey I am always thinking about you.

Spent time at the pool today. What a glorious day it was after yesterday's rain. Then went to the early bird movie and saw Get Smart. Got to love the $5 movie. Have a great week. Wish me luck on my job search. There are a number of jobs in today's paper so I will follow up on these tomorrow.

Jim Is Home

Jim always told me, "Take me to Notre Dame." He loved this school. He cheered for the football team in good times and bad. It did not matter to him. He loved the girls basketball team and watched them on TV. He got the Blue and Gold every week and read it completely. I continued to read it to you in the hospital. This was home to him. He grew up in South Bend, Indiana, and for anyone that has ever been there you know that everyone in this town loves the big ND. Your ND things will always have a special place in our home.

I am so happy that he is home now and I know he is at peace. He has been taken very good care of by his sisters for the last two months. They tell him jokes and share their days with him. For this I am so grateful. I know he was happy with them because he loved them so much.

We all miss you so much Jim. My love, my dear husband, and my best friend. But I know you are happy now and this I share with you too. I will always love you. I'll dry my tears and wait for football season.

It's All About Josh Today.

I guess my layouts today are all about Josh. The top one is from Scrap and Dash tonight. I was able to do the facing page with some of my stash I had at home. I had been looking for just the right colors for these adorable photos. They were so bright and colorful. The second one I did a while ago but it got stuck between some other papers. I just love grandma time and the best is snuggling with my grandchildren. I stuck a note to Josh in the pocket of this layout. He'll get a kick out of this note someday.

Went to K2 for Scrap and Dash tonight and was also able to do the two page art bar project. They are a Fourth of July spread so I have to wait until the fourth to get some photos for these pages.

Did mundane things the rest of the day. Grocery shopping and taking Misty out for her to run. Have to go tend her now because it is thundering outside and she just hates that.

A Rare Rainy Morning

Today we had a very rare rainey morning. When I woke up I thought it wasn't morning because it was so dark. To my surprise it was 8:30 am and the sun was not out. Think never happens. It rained most of the morning but when the sun did come out we are talking sauna bath. The driveway was steaming. Yuk.

Not much happened today. Did some job hunting and some sorting of my office. I am buried under a lot of paper so I decided to see if there really was a desk under all that paper.

Everyone have a great week.

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day to all you dads and grandfathers out there. Hope you were able to spend the day with you children and grandchildren and had the best day ever.

I lost my father over 22 years ago and I still miss him very much. So much has happened in my life that I have not been able to share with him and I have to believe that he knows that we still think about him and that we love him. We make sure his grandchildren know all about him so that he never is forgotten.

I thought a lot about Jim today and one moment tonight I just lost it. Last year there was a show on TV, Who wants to be Danny and Sandy. It was a reality show and the winners were going to get to star in the new Broadway Show Grease. Jim and I watched this show together because we love the show Grease. This was way before he was sick. At the finale when they announced the winners Jim turned to me and said I am going to take you to New York for our anniversary and we are going to see the play. At that moment in time we were so happy and we had so many plans. Jim was so excited about this trip and he was making these plans when he got sick. Tonight I was watching the Tony Awards and there was Grease. There was Danny and Sandy that we had watched. For me all I could remember was that moment in time that we were so happy.

Reject Letters

I hate reject letters. Got one today on a job I really wanted and I really thought I aced the interview. Oh well I just have to keep trying. At least I got an interview. What is that 2 interviews out of over 100 applications I've filled out. This is not a good job market.

Did some more cleaning today. Had to work on the bathroom cabinet where they are going to tear out the wall. This is not going to be a fun project but it does need to be done. Jackie thinks all my sneezing is from the mold in the wall. Could be.

I went to the pool today and took Misty for a good run tonight. Mom, Jackie, Barb and I went to dinner at Red Lobster and I had the honey/citrus marinated grilled shrimp and scallops. It was really good. We then came back to my house and played cards. A normal Saturday night for us.

Three of these layouts use up my design team kit from April. That kit went a really long way. You may wonder why I used the same picture twice. It is because each boy gets a scrapbook and this picture needs to be in each scrapbook. Scrapbooking is really a release for me. Between the great people and the sense of purpose, it gives me so much. Thank you scrapbook buddies for being there for me this past year. You are great.

Thank You For Friday's

When you are looking for a job it is almost a full time job. This week I have spent so much time on the computer looking for a job. No one takes walk ins anymore. They tell you to go to their website. So that is what I have been doing. I've applied for about 15 jobs that I think I am qualified for. So wish me luck and now I have two days off before it starts again.

I didn't leave the house today and after my job search I just took it easy. More thunderstorms and Misty was just a barking. Tonight I worked on some scrapbook layouts. Here's what I came up with. Enjoy.

My Turn to make Dinner

I made a really great pasta salad tonight. It had bow tie pasta, green, yellow and red peppers, onions, ham and salami, tomatoes and cheese. I topped it off with a strawberry wine vinaigrette. It tasted so good. In fact we're having it again tomorrow for lunch since it was so good and there is a lot left over.

We had some terrific thunderstorms today and it was all I could do to keep Misty calm. She does not like thunder. She was just trembling. I had to hold her the whole time and just try to calm her down. This has been a hard week for her with all of the storms. I don't know why they scare her so much but I keep working with her. I don't know what she'll do when I'm not home with her.

No luck on the job front so far. There was a tree climbing job in the paper today. I may be over qualified for that but it does sound like fun.

The first two layouts here are from my mother's quilt retreat last April. The red white and blue layout is for my June challenge page and the last page was a digital layout I did today. Still trying to sharpen my skills.

Happy Birthday Joshua

Happy Birthday Joshua!

Today is your birthday and Grandma just wanted to tell you how much she loves you. Since I live in Florida now I can't be with you on your birthday but just know I am sending you a great big grandma hug.

Have a really fantastic birthday.

Love Grandma

Just When You Get the House Clean

Got up this morning full of energy and got right to cleaning the house. The floors are sparkling and the kitchen is clean. The bathrooms are clean and maybe no so much the bedroom. All of the dust is gone from my bookcases, china hutch and curio cabinet. What a good feeling it is when the house is clean. But then . . .

My guest bathroom window has been leaking and it's now time to have it fixed along with the soft floor in the master bathroom. President Bush says spend the money so I am getting these two things fixed. The first thing the insurance adjuster and contractor did was pull down part of the wall in my guest bathroom. No more sparkling clean. There is tile, dust and splinter wood everywhere. This is what you get when you actually put your mind to cleaning. They told me they would get back to me in a couple of days with the verdict on getting this fixed. Luckily much of this will be covered by my homeowners insurance so my out of pocket won't be as bad as I thought. There's nothing I can do about it anyway because if I don't get it fixed it is only going to get worse.

Did a little job hunting this afternoon on the net and then went to Scrap and Dash. So it was a pretty busy day. The two orange layouts I did in April and were part of my guest designer packet. They have been hanging at K2 since April. The other two layouts I have been working on for several weeks. Enjoy.