Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Just popping in to wish all of you who celebrate a Happy Thanksgiving, and those who don't have a great day! I've got two birds in the oven, gotta finish cleaning and then start peeling spuds. Thirteen adults and two babies coming. Yay!!!

Touchdown, MSU!!!!

New Year. New Coach. New WINNNING season! I was at the game. Penn State v Michigan State, two venerable old land-grant colleges. Always a great game, always cool to see old JoePa pacing the sidelines. Penn State has great fans, fun fans, and one year, the dude ahead of us was funny and looked like Mel Gibson. (My nephew doesn't remember that, but I shirley do.) We were down for most of the game, but came back in the end to win it.

Look out next year Big 10!

I am hoarse today.

And so, the seasons change

Julie's phone is having more fun that I am!

Good Saturday Morning!

Okay, a few years back Susan-on-the-other-side-of-the-world had told us about Australian burgers. They have things like beets and eggs and stuff on them. Julie found a picture.

And speaking of Julie, I did my Thursday 13 on paper, but forgot to post. So here we go:

Thirteen things I like that begin with T:

1. Toddlers
2. Tigers
3. Truth
4. Talent
5. Tongues
6. Turkey
7. Trees
8. Today, tomorrow
9. Thursday
10. Three
11. Thistle
12. Tapioca
13. Telephones!

Susan, you are such a wonderful Grandma! Phoenix is one lucky little boy!

And Kathryn is back home with her treasure, Claire.

I think the hummingbirds have gone.

Second Win!

Happy Labor Day

It's Labor Day here in the states, and so, I labored! Saturday I went to Lake Michigan . . . perfect day. Yesterday family picnic . . . perfect day. This morning I painted the two back porch steps I hadn't painted, finished painting the south garage door, and painted the north garage door . . . perfect day.

Now I'm reporting in, and then I'll get left-overs from yesterday's picnic. This afternoon I'll visit Aunt N, who lives at the senior center about six miles up the road. She's progressing quite well. Most of the time she knows me. Then I'll visit Mom. She couldn't come to the picnic yesterday. She's recovering from pneumonia, and she doesn't have a lot of gumption yet. Plus, she has allergies, and while I've removed most of the ragweed from the near backyard, I've got way too much of it out here for her to be comfortable.

And how is your day going?

Contented Sigh

In May of 2006 I embarked upon a great personal adventure. After years of living in a tiny student apartment I moved to the country, to live in an old farmhouse that had been in the family for 98-years. My mom had had renters, but it was hard to find the right person, and after a particularly bad renter, her manager had kind of pulled back. I got up the gumption to ask: what would you think about me renting it? (It has always been my favorite place in the world, but I tend to keep secrets, I guess. Plus, I thought, a single woman in the country? But then I began to think of all the women who did live out this way, and with the addition of an alarm system, I've always felt incredibly safe here.) And so the adventure began.

The experience has been incredibly positive, other than the horrendous heating bills in winter. My life has expanded in so many ways. I tend my gardens and my projects around home (most of them half finished, but hey) and . . . I have company! I have drop-ins, and I have people I invite. This is way beyond what I was accustomed to, and it has been so great! Tonight twelve folks from work came for an impromptu shuffleboard tournament. I'm probably the goofiest hostess most of them have encountered, but everyone is so kind and I think everyone had a good time.

I can't believe the risks I've been taking and you know, I have to lay a lot of it to blogging. Reading about how others deal with life, how they pick themselves up and keep going, trying new things, has been very inspirational. Life handed me a few knocks in my twenties that I didn't adapt to very well. But it is great to know that even in the 50's, life can change and be changed for the good.

And thank you all for your inspiration!