Checking In

Yeah, I know, it's been a while....Trying to get through a very cold winter here in the Boonies..We're still using that space heater and electric blankets and sweatpants and long sleeved everything to keep the heating bills down. It's still working..

Over the past year we've gotten a new pooch and a new grandchild!! And if I can remember how to do it, I will post pictures of both...

Petunia the bulldog is the new pooch..She's 15mos old. My daughter bought her and unfortunately, Petunia was born w/a dysplastic hip and at 4mos had to have the ball of her hip removed. The breeder gave my daughter a new pup and she thought that Petunia would have an easier life out here w/2 old people and a German Short-haired Pointer than w/her and her 2 kids and a German Shepherd, so.....Her name was originally Candy, but....she snorts, snores, waddles and farts, so we renamed her...She kinda reminded me of Porky Pig's girlfriend.....

Our son, Michael got married in June of 08. He was 34 at t

he time and it was his first marriage...He now has his first child! Riley Nicole Mann came into this world on July 6th of 2010!!

Still fighting the battle of the bulge....I'd lost 33lbs w/the first go-around starting out first w/low fat, then moving to low carb via recommendation from the doctor.... Gained 17lbs back, so, I did the New Years Resolution thang, and am now doing what I feel is the most sensible...I'm counting calories...I started the day after New Years and have lost 14 of those 17lbs. Hubby is doing the same thing. He started a little later and has lost 10lbs. I've got a nifty app called myfitnesspal and by entering in what I eat, it will count my calories for me. It has all kinds of foods programmed in w/their calorie counts and it's not been too hard to find what we are eating in it's data base.

I'm going to try to do better w/this blog..I promise! I'll let you know how the Battle of the Bulge is doing and will try to post more on our never-ending-excitement-all-the-time life here in the Boonies of Buckeye Lake........

Just Some Odds & Ends

I've not posted a blog for a while, so, I figured it was time.

We took a trip last week up to Millersberg, Ohio. It is the Amish area of Ohio. It's about 2hrs away from the Boonies. We went to a couple of antique shops and were disappointed at the prices...I think they kind of hike up the prices for us tourists..We did get some good Amish cooking and stopped at a cheese factory and brought some cheese home. I am always struck by the areas where the Amish live. Their homes & grounds are always immaculate. Houses painted, nothing in the yards that shouldn't be there...Just always so clean..Check out the picture of the farm...

Later on that same week my oldest grandson Patrick, came to visit for the weekend. He brought his friend Will with him. Will came from California to stay with Patrick's family for a while. He and Patrick became best friends when Patrick went to HS in California. As you can see, they took over our living room. They slept there, they played their video games there, they ate there and they wrestled like a couple of gradeschoolers there!! I thought for sure that they would watch the sun come up while they were here from staying up all night, but, I think they are both still on California time. They will come again this next weekend. Next, these next two pictures are for Kat from http://alabamakatgrandma.blogspot.com/. Just a couple of my hummingbird pictures from a couple of years ago.
Then, I was sitting outside on the front porch early one day last week. I heard a noise coming from the side yard. The next thing I knew, I saw what you see below bolt across my front yard and into the street. Luckily, I had my Blackberry outside with me and I was able to take this one picture before he went up the street and disappeared.





Finally, while my daughters have given up on their diets...I have not. It has been slow going, but to date, I have lost 17lbs.

My Favorite Time Of The Year

The dianthus is blooming (my favorite ground cover), the windows are open, grandpa is out doing his magic on the grill and the kids and grandkids are visiting more often. Two of the
grandkids are missing, though...

Patrick, our oldest grandchild, age 16, that good lookin feller on the left, in the white tee shirt, is going to high school in a suburb of Santa Barbara, California. It's a private HS and one of the best in the country. His Godfather is a teacher there, and was able to get Patrick in for free, since he is on the staff of the school. He celebrated his 16th birthday away from home and was not here for Mother's Day. School will be out soon and he will be home in a couple of weeks. I can't wait!! We miss him!!

Then, there is Aidan....poor little guy!! He tried to jump a makeshift bicycle ramp on someone elses bike, and fell from the top of the ramp on his HEAD!! Knocked him out cold! As you can see, he was pretty banged up and since his neck hurt, he had to wear a neck brace until he went to a neurosurgeon and was checked out. He spent Mother's Day in the hospital, and the next day, his mom took him and his little sister Dania to MickyDs for some nuggets!!

I'm looking forward now to the day when all 8 grandkids and all 3 kids and their spouses come out for a big cookout and bonfire...That is my goal for this summer!

Sun Is What We Need!

If we could just get a little more than 5 minutes of sun, the dogwoods would go into full bloom and we could leave the windows open for more than 1 day. It's been rainy and cool here all week with nighttime temps still in the high 40's.

But the hummingbirds are slowly but surely returning, the days are getting longer and the kids and grandkids are coming out more often.

Soon, the sun will stay out for more than 5 minutes at a time, the windows will be open for weeks at a time and the long sleeves will stay hung up until November. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get to have that bonfire!

Our New TV!!!

Our old 55in TV died a week ago today. We got our money's worth out of that old TV...We won it about 10 yrs ago at bingo. We spent $2 for 2 tickets. One was a number. That number came in and was put into a bowl with 19 other numbers and ours is the one that was pulled for the TV.

Today we spent $680. for the 37in TV you see above. Even though this TV is much smaller than the one we had, you can't notice any difference in the size. The picture is soooo much brighter and clearer, that the fact that it is smaller than the other makes no difference at all! I LOVE IT!!

Week 9

We all lost 1 lb apiece.....
Me - 13 lbs
Kelly - 11 lbs
Erin +1 lb

Erin had a bad week. She was still sick but, better now. Plus, she had a rather traumatic event w/her dog.
I haven't been active this past week at all. Except for cleaning and laundry, I have been pretty sedentary. No walking, because it rained most of last week.
Kelly is still renovating, but, I also think she's still doin the Dew.

Spring has officially sprung, and I hope to get out more and walk and I know the girls will do the same.

Spring Is Here!!

Yes it is!! The dogwoods are trying to bloom, the white more than the pink. The tulips are almost all in bloom. The grass has had it's first spring mowing and the front porch has been swept and straightened. The pair of redtailed hawks that built their nest in the big fur tree across the street are back and the golf carts are all washed, charged and on the go! And today, yes today finally, I'm opening up the windows and taking off the long sleeved top!