HAPPY EASTER!!!

 

Thank You's

A special thank you to everyone who has helped me while I'm down and out...

JIM...meals most every night.  Learning new dishes to prepare. I know you aren't exactly enjoying it, but I really do appreciate it. And, I have to admit, I kind of like having a Sous Chef.  Maybe this weekend we can add a new dish or two to your repertoire?  And thanks too for the runs to Martusciello's Bakery for their delicious bread to go with Mom's soups (see below).  And for the little shopping trip to Sam's and Michael's last week.  I know how much you love to shop.  And for calling me during the day to say hi and see how I'm doing.  And for working all evening on the new router and printer hook-up so I wouldn't keep losing my internet and email connection (a major past time).  I couldn't get by without you.

MOM...a whole box full of soups.  Chicken soup (no chicken) with escarole and little meat balls. Lentil. I get to have a bowl of delicious hot soup a few times a week.  This has been great since I also have a cold and nothing tastes better than soup when you have the sniffles.  And for the phone calls to check on me.  And thanks in advance for our trip to Hobby Lobby tomorrow. Oh boy, I'm being busted out for a few hours!

 COREY...for this delicious meal you and Nini prepared for me on a Friday night.  It was yummy. And there were leftovers for me to enjoy another night!   I also got to enjoy a few hours of your company too. Thanks!






 
MEGHAN...for a ride to my post-op appointment, on rather short notice.  And for coming over on Saturday to hang out with me, play Scrabble and let me win.  And for calling to check on me frequently.

SHANNON...for the very nice card you sent me.  And for the phone calls.  I know you've had a lot going on yourself.

DICK, MOM, MEGHAN AND ANDY...for the visit after your very filling meal at the Crab Shack (for Andy's birthday).  It's nice to have visitors, since I'm holed up alone all day.

SUE...for the phone calls to break the boredom of my day and keeping me posted on the usual office shenanigans.  I get to talk to a real person and you get to vent!

MARY...for the card and the pretty pajamas.  Something nice to wear without getting dressed in street clothes.

And to everyone else who sent me well wishes on Facebook and by email.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!  I appreciate it all.

Recuperation

 So what's a person to do when they're recuperating from surgery...foot surgery...where your foot is propped up, toes above the nose, on a pillow 24/7? 

Lucky for me I have plenty of hobbies to keep me busy while I'm immobilized.   Such as (and not necessarily in this order)...

TV: 

Cable TV, TIVO (which i'll have to watch again with Jim) and Netfilx Instant Queue.  A great past time when you really feel too lousy to do anything else. 

             


             Or movies and TV series from Netflix

BOOKS:

So far, I've read 4 books in 2 weeks time.  A record for me!  But no fear, I have plenty more to choose from.

KNITTING: 
 I have a lot of projects to choose from, but currently I'm working on a pair of half fingered gloves to keep my hands warm in the house...especially when working on my computer.  
 








  

GAMES:
 
This Sunday, Jim and I played a great game of Scrabble.  I was winning for most of the game, but then he caught up. My final letter was the "Q" so we were discussing the few words you can write without a "U".  

 

And there it was, hidden in plain sight..."aid".  I would have missed it if he hadn't pointed it out.  That would have been 10 points deducted from my score. Thanks Jim for the boost. 






CREATURE COMFORTS:

Kitty...who loves lying on my leg, covered with a blanket or not. 

Flowers from my co-workers.  Get well emails and phone calls from family, friends and co-workers.
Visits from my family.









Food...
from Mom...a selection of soups and greens and beans. 

from Corey...this dinner he and Nini prepared.

from Jim...who has made me dinner every other night. 

Thank you all!



ELECTRONICS:

I have my laptop and my IPOD Touch for all kinds of entertainment...email, blogging, facebook, picture organization and editing.  I've been watching how-to videos on craft ideas. The list is endless...

 So with at least 4 more weeks of being at home ahead of me, I'm hoping i'll accomplish most of the items on my to-do list...as long as i don't keep adding things to it.

(disclaimer...I've been working on this for a while and did not intend it to look like i copied Shannon's blog idea!!!)

California Dreamin'

 


 Ok, so this has been going on for 4 days now.  I suppose we could have gotten a whole lot more than the 12+ inches that have fallen so far.  But enough is enough.  It's only the beginning of December! And the forecast calls for another 4 days of the white stuff. 





Lucky Jim, he's basking in the sun in Mexico.  Missing the falling flakes.  His friend Pete left his car here.  And I had to put it on the lawn so the roofing guys could put the dumpster and trailer in the driveway.  (Yes, we're getting a new roof in the middle of the winter.)  Guess they'll have fun digging it out when they get home. (I can't deprive them of such fun!)

At least Jim bought the snow blower before he left for the sun and sand.  Thank you!

The reason Pete's car is buried in snow in the yard!  Yes, they brought it on Friday.  The dumpster comes tomorrow. Oh joy.  At least I'll only have half the driveway to clear now...

 You have to admit, though, the stuff is pretty.

And it makes the Christmas decorations sparkle.









 

bye, bye purple!

When we bought this house, most of the rooms were tastefully done...except the upstairs bathroom.  Sponge painted, purple on white!!!

We decided that it had to go, right away.  Well, two and a half years later, it's still purple...until this weekend.  The time has come.  Procrastinate no more. 

So all day Saturday and a few hours on Sunday, I took the room apart, taped, cut in and rolled.  And slowly it was transformed...from ghastly, to nice!

So, I'll give it 24 hours to cure, and then put the room back together (I'm saving a few things for Jim to do...running off to Mexico won't save him from this project). 

Stay tuned...

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

A few inches on Wednesday...Buffalo got enough to close the Thruway.

Teased with a nice day on Friday.

More snow on Saturday.

On Sunday, it's looking like a blizzard has hit.

At first it was just snowing a little.  So I decided to stay ahead of the game and shovel the driveway.  As soon as I got in the house, it really started coming down hard...big, fat flakes. 

The driveway is covered, you can hardly see across the street. 

We might get up to a foot by morning.

Yeah snow!
 



  

O Christmas Tree

lost glove or marked tree? 

field of weeds and trees

 A  new tradition built on an old one...
Cutting a fresh Christmas tree with Meghan and Andy. 
Walking the fields for an hour in search of the perfect tree.
Bundled up to stay warm. 
Looking at hundreds of trees and other more peculiar sights. 
Looking forward to hot chocolate and a fire afterward. 

this one or that one?

this one will be perfect

Well, not quite.  Meghan got cold. And the trees i liked were deep in the field across the street.  Luckily there were a few Austrian Pines already cut and i found my perfect tree there.

And, indeed, it's 

       perfect.        

I think it's beautiful.