Jenster's Musings

Friday, April 30, 2010

Not A Kid Anymore

Somewhere around 9:00 AM Central this morning, Taylor turned 18. Technically, according to the law, he's now an adult. He can vote, he can join the military, he can go to an X-rated movie, he can buy cigars... all because he's 18.

Well Law, I hate to break it to you, but he's still my little boy. Always will be. Makes no never mind that he's taller and stronger than I am.

So Happy Birthday, my handsome little man. I love you.

*Addendum - Taylor did, in fact, buy a cigar this evening and was not happy the clerk didn't card him. He went out back to smoke it and I followed with my camera. We sat in the Adirondack chairs and he gave me a hit of the stogie. Yup. Me and my boy sharing a cigar. Strange...

Labels: birthdays, love

Mused by Jenster :: 3:36 PM :: 8 People musing:

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Thursday, April 30, 2009

17 Again

Actually 17 for the first time. Taylor is 17 today. Where have the years gone? I seriously don't know. I do know this, though. Todd and I have shared 17 years of nearly all good with him. And the not so good? Not so bad. We have been truly blessed. I wish I could say it's because we're such great parents. The truth of the matter, however, is that we still don't really know what we're doing. Especially with him, our firstborn. He's the guinea pig. So the logical conclusion is it's only by the grace of God that he's gotten to the ripe old age of 17 with such little trouble. My sister told me that about her boys several years ago when Taylor was still very young and it all makes perfect sense to me now.

So Taylor - you are cherished by your parents who love you very much. Happy Birthday!

Labels: birthdays, blessings, kids

Mused by Jenster :: 7:46 AM :: 10 People musing:

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Sunday, January 25, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!!

Today is my dad's birthday. Oh how I wish I could take my motley crew and impose upon my folks to help celebrate another milestone. Instead I'm just gonna talk about him (in past tense just because I'm thinking back to when I was a kid) a little bit.

I've always seen my dad as a quiet, unassuming man and also one of the smartest people I've ever known. He could carry on a conversation with a brilliant scholar or an uneducated dockworker - no one was above or beneath him. Everybody, no matter their education, station, race, whatever, received the same respect. He never flaunted his intelligence and I think there were probably a lot of people who never had any idea just how smart he really was.

He loved classical music and dixieland jazz and I would say he gave my sisters and me an appreciation for all different forms of music. I can remember him sitting in the big, plaid chair in the living room, enjoying a drink while Rossini's William Tell Overture played on the stereo, my sisters and I galloping around the house like the Lone Ranger. Or secretly loving (though I acted embarrassed) watching him dance around with a cigar in his hand as we stood in line at the French Market Restaurant in Disneyland as the jazz band played away.

Mom and Dad were known for their ability to cut a mean rug, too. Every wedding reception where Glenn Miller's In The Mood was played found them doing their thing on the dance floor. Embarrassing to a stupid teenager, but impressive to everyone else.

Dad taught us girls how to read a map and gave us each a pretty good sense of direction. He also taught me to fish and pee in the woods. He never managed to get me to hang over the side of a boat and pee, much to his frustration. I made him take the boat into the dock just as the fish started biting. Of course by the time we got back out to the same spot the fish had moved on.

I love the memories I have of a regular Saturday at home. He would mow and trim and do all the yard work, take a shower and clean up, and then grill in the backyard while he smoked his stogie. The smell of fresh-cut lawn, grilling meat and a cigar equal such happiness to me. Once when I was about 14 or so, I begged him to let me try his cigar. "No, no, no", he kept saying, but I pestered and pestered. So he handed me the cigar and I took a puff, only to turn green and nearly upchuck in the flower beds. As I recall he got a big kick out of that. And I never had a desire to smoke a cigar after that!

Both my parents have always be great examples of serving others. Long before I came along they were active at church, helping in whatever way they needed to. I never thought a whole lot about it - it's just what they did - until I got much older. Now I realize how much of their lives they've given to help others. Even now they work at their church and once a month at a local food pantry. Because it's just what they do.

One of my favorite things to do growing up was our family outings after church on Sundays. Sometimes we'd drive up Western to the Tide Pools and then stop at Arthur's Ice Cream on the way home. Or sometimes we'd take a change of clothes and a picnic lunch and go for a long ride over Mulholland or maybe up to Oak Glen for apples. When most teenagers abhorred hanging out with their folks, I loved to do these fun things with mine.

I was blessed with a very happy and secure childhood. I never doubted my parents loved me and I never doubted they loved each other. Of course Mom played a big part in this security, but today's post is about Dad. :o) To say Dad never got mad would be a falsehood, but he wasn't one to fly off the handle. Usually when my sisters or I were in trouble we deserved it. Of course, we may not have seen it that way at the time.

My dad and I danced to Daddy's Hands by Holly Dunn at my wedding. I can't hear that song twenty years later and not get choked up. I heard it in the grocery store as I was checking out a couple years ago and I could hardly hold it together. But the words couldn't have been any more perfect:

I remember Daddy´s hands, folded silently in prayer.
And reaching out to hold me, when I had a nightmare.
You could read quite a story, in the callouses and lines.
Years of work and worry had left their mark behind.
I remember Daddy´s hands, how they held my Mama tight,
And patted my back, for something done right.
There are things that I´ve forgotten, that I loved about the man,
But I´ll always remember the love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love in Daddy´s hands.

I remember Daddy´s hands, working 'til they bled.
Sacrificed unselfishly, just to keep us all fed.
If I could do things over, I´d live my life again.
And never take for granted the love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love .....
In Daddy´s hands.

OH MY GOSH! I'm blubbering again! Dangit! Anyway, my dad was an electrical engineer so I doubt his job ever caused his hands to bleed, but the chorus sums up my daddy's hands perfectly.

And speaking of his hands, I always loved them. They were always neat and clean except when he'd been working in the garage or in the yard and then he'd scrub them with Lava and they'd be clean again. I always thought of them as elegant hands and one of the first things I noticed about Todd was how he had hands like my dad's. Isn't it funny the things that make an impression on us?

I could go on and on and on, but I'll bring this to a close by talking a little bit about my other dad.

Because God is an ethereal being we tend to project our own experiences to create a God we can relate to. Some people see God as distant because they had a father who was distant. Some people see God as indifferent because their father was indifferent. Some people see God as totally absent because, well, you get the idea.

Myself? I've never had a problem seeing God as the perfect and wonderful God He is. Loving, kind, gentle, just, stern when needed, merciful, etc. Now I'm certainly not saying my dad IS God. Just ask my mom and she'll tell you he hasn't walked on water. But what I am saying is that he has always been a great example of a kind and loving Father. Just like my Heavenly Father.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!

Labels: birthdays, blessings, God, nostalgia

Mused by Jenster :: 1:42 PM :: 8 People musing:

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Here's What's Going On

The first week of my new job has gone pretty well. I have so much to learn, but once I can work for more than 15 minutes without having to ask a question it's going to be great. For all concerned.

Yesterday I spoke for a MOPS group in Bechtelsville (how fun is that to say?). I tried to get a good night's sleep because the bags under my eyes scream TIRED at the slightest bit of fatigue. Sookie had other ideas, though. Todd was out of town and she decided to start barking about 4:00 in the morning. If you will recall - I am NOT a morning person. Thankfully she went outside to do her thing, came right back in, went in her crate and that was it. But then I had a hard time getting back to sleep because I kept waiting for her to start barking again. Anyway, I did get a tad bit more sleep and the adrenaline coursing through my veins before I spoke went a long way in keeping me focused. They were a great bunch of ladies and they gifted me with a poinsettia and a Wawa gift card with a note saying I can use it for either gas or coffee (which is kind of the same thing). They also provided a delicious breakfast! Now I'm really looking forward to my next speaking gig!

Speaking of food (which I kind of was, but not really) Katie has some mad baking skillz. She seriously makes the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had - a talent she learned from her Oma (my mom). She needs to stop. My derriere is getting larger and larger and I don't think the church would like it if I showed up to work in either jammies or old sweats. And the way I'm going that's all I'm going to have left.

Oy. I feel another post coming on. A whiney post. Sorry. It's going to happen. Just consider yourselves forewarned.

Our weather has been mad crizazy!! Sunday and Monday were bitterly cold. Bitter! The kind of cold that just whips right through clothes and skin and settles into the bones. Yesterday we nearly got up to 60! Now today we won't make it to 40 and tomorrow morning we may even get snow. What the heck is up with that???

Last, but most definitely not anywhere near least, I have a message for my mom.

Labels: birthdays, food, job, speaking, weather, weight management

Mused by Jenster :: 7:27 AM :: 8 People musing:

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Thursday, November 20, 2008

Airports, Afghans and A Cake

I picked my folks up from the airport yesterday. What an ordeal that was. There was little to no traffic and I just zipped my way there. The parking deck, however, was full and they were directing the cars to economy parking in New Jersey. Or maybe Delaware. Oh, alright. It was still in Philly, but it seemed like miles from the airport.

Meanwhile Mom and Dad had collected their bags and were beginning to feel as though they'd been forgotten. Finally the parking lot bus let me out on the departures side of the terminal so I had to run up and over to the arrivals side and found the parents in baggage claim. All alone.

We eventually made it on the bus to take us back to the economy lot and then I wasn't exactly sure where I'd parked. I guessed right, however, and we didn't have too far to walk from where the bus let us out. Then we had to find our way out of the parking lot. That in itself was a challenge, but we finally made it out and on our way back home.

"Economy Parking" is misleading. If you're staying overnight it's $11.00 a day and very economical. If you're just picking up your parents and are parked for less than an hour it's still $11.00. I had no cash on me. Nothing says, "Welcome to Philly" like begging for enough money to get out of the lot.

Sadly, our trip home wasn't nearly as smooth as my trip to the airport. We hit traffic and our 45 minute ride turned into about two hours. We made it home, only for me to turn around and drive Taylor to church for Youth Leadership. I got home from there, honked from the driveway and drove Katie to her cake decorating class. Whew! What a night. Lucky for me Todd made it back from New Jersey in enough time to pick both kids up on his way home.

***

It's looking like I'll have to do my own dang ironing. Mom is working on afghans (the blankets, not the people) for both the kids and would like to finish them before she leaves in two weeks so she'll be crocheting instead of ironing. Why is it so difficult to get good help these days?

The kids picked out their yarns a few months ago and here's a little peak. This is Taylor's:

And this is Katie's:

Aren't they pretty??

***

Katie got to decorate a cake in her class last night which worked out nicely because it was my birthday. (Twenty-nine. Thanks for asking.) Look at the beautiful job she did! It made me just the teensiest ferklemped.

***

And that's all I've got. My blogging will be sporadic at best the next two weeks and my blog hopping will be practically nil. So I leave you with this topic.

Barney Frank and Mr. McGoo - the same person?

Talk amongst yourselves.

Labels: birthdays, family, traffic

Mused by Jenster :: 1:32 PM :: 12 People musing:

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Friday, October 24, 2008

Dear Katie,

Labels: birthdays

Mused by Jenster :: 12:58 PM :: 8 People musing:

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Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby...

Today my sweetheart celebrated his 44th birthday. It's been a long time since the first birthday I celebrated with him - his twentieth. Where have the years gone?

Todd chose to have stacked enchiladas tonight instead of going out dinner. So Katie and I made his favorite meal. I feel almost like I cheated because it's so dang easy to make! But he requested it so I suppose it still counts.

After clean up was the fun part. Gifts!! I've been dying for weeks to give him his presents. The first thing was something he'd asked for and I think he pretty much knew he was getting. It was fun to give him because he's wanted this for so long and he finally got it.

An official and personalized Flyers jersey with his lucky number "9" (because he was born on 9-9, weighed 9 pounds and lived in apartment 9) and a "C" for Captain on the front. Last Christmas he gave me a women's Flyers jersey with "Jenster" on the back and an "A" for Assistant on the front.

A few weeks ago while he was on a business trip I went to an antique store and bought this chair. I was so excited because it was exactly what I was looking for. I took it to a local park along with Todd's almost greatest love - his Martin guitar, Arwyn - and took pictures.

I took some of these photos and a few others, framed them and wrapped them up.

And I was finally able to explain to him why I bought the old chair (which I happen to love in my entry way!)

After that was a family session on Rock Band, but we only got to play two songs because Sookie was unhappy. I guess because all the parts were taken and there was nothing for her to do.

Finally it was time for cake!! Katie loves to watch Ace of Cakes and other baking shows so she wanted to do the cake. She thought we should do tiers, but the closest we could do was a 9 inch round and an 8 inch round. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out quite how we both had imagined.

I looks a little bit like a fresh cow patty. But you can't judge a book by it's cover OR a cake by it's look. It had a yum factor of about 9.9.

And last, but most definitely not least, our neighbors gave him a super soft and snuggly Flyers blanket. I had already downloaded my photos so I don't have a picture of it.

All in all it was a good birthday celebration for him. Next year we'll have to do something big for him because his birthday will fall on 9/9/09 AND he'll be 45, which when you add the two numbers together makes 9!

Labels: birthdays, photography

Mused by Jenster :: 12:22 PM :: 19 People musing:

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

A Bunch of Good Stuff

So what's up? Nothin' much going on here. Just the usual. You know. Todd's at work - he's got major short timer's disease, but he's making a valiant effort; Katie's babysitting; Taylor's at CIY in Tennessee - kind of like church camp only much more intense. Katie's Little Homies are going camping this afternoon through Saturday morning so Todd and I get some just us time. I think I'm going to make reservations at that new Italian restaurant we were going to eat at for our anniversary, but they were booked. Yeah. That's a great idea.

***

We watched "Fools' Gold" last night and LOVED IT! The chemistry between Kate Hudson and Matthew McConnohotty is nearly palpable. It had everything I love in a movie. Adventure, romance, humor, an exotic location and even a bit of history. Well, made up history, but still.

The prude that I am was a little disappointed at a flash of anonymous boobies. It's PG-13, for cryin' out loud. It was a quick flash, but so very unnecessary. It reminded me of when I was in 8th grade and my AT group went into Hollywood to see Romeo and Juliet at Grauman's Chinese Theater. Really cool experience, but the boys in the group were thrilled when Olivia Hussey jumped out of bed, baring her chest. (But really, what do you expect with a name like Hussey?) The girls were just embarrassed. And a little envious. Or maybe that was just me.

***

OH! Have I told you we actually have a Sonic AND a real Starbucks with a drive through now? Maybe two miles from the house, if that. The only problem with the Sonic is it's such a novelty up here that they have to have traffic managers with walkie talkies directing cars who are waiting for the next available slot. It's totally insane. I mean, I love Sonic and all - you know I do - but it's not THAT great.

Last Sunday after Youth Group a bunch of the older kids went to Sonic. They parked in the lot and walked over to order and eat at the picnic tables out front. You order in the same kind of speaker box as if you'd pulled up to a slot, but you give them your name so when they come out they know where the order goes. So here's the conversation with the Sonic chick and my son:

SC: What's your name?

T: Taylor.

SC: What is it?

T: Taylor.

SC: Tyler?

T: Taylor.

SC: What was that?

T: Billy.

SC: Billy?

T: Yup.

***

This is the top of the swimsuit I bought for Hawaii the other day. I consider it was a good day because I didn't cry in the dressing room. Didn't even feel the urge. I certainly don't like the way I look in a swimsuit. Heck, I didn't like it when I was 40 pounds lighter. But it is what it is so there's no sense getting depressed about it. But what thrilled me was the fact it's just a normal top and it just happens to hide both my mastectomy scar (my left mastectomy scar is pretty high up) and my port scar. I also got two different bottoms - red regular bottoms and a coral SwimMini.

***

This morning I found a great deal on plane reservations for my parents to come up for Thanksgiving. So I called Mom and we booked those babies before they went away. Mom and Dad actually get in on my 43rd birthday. I think we'll celebrate with a chocolate cake and 29 candles. It's just been the four of us for the last two Thanksgivings so we're really looking forward to having some family to help us celebrate.

***

All this goodness leads me to today's verse.

If you, then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven give
good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:11

Labels: birthdays, blessings, family, fun, God, holidays, homies, humor, kids, laughter, movies, nostalgia, random, reconstruction, vacation, Verse of the Day

Mused by Jenster :: 9:41 AM :: 16 People musing:

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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Post Birthday... uh... Post

Thank you friends, both virtual and actual, for your birthday wishes. The day started out a little dreary (literally and figuratively) but cleared up nicely (only figuratively).

I have one of those very smart cars that tells you when something is wrong. Sunday my car warned me the pressure in two of the tires was low. So I rescheduled my dentist appointment for today and took my car to the dealer instead. It was nice to have 15 minutes of alone time to read in the waiting room.

After that I met my ~~therapist~~ friend, Cristie, at the Starbuck's in Barnes and Noble. Her birthday was the day before mine so we shared a celebratory piece of carrot cake cheesecake, drank our very own mochas and exchanged gifts.

She gave me this hysterical calendar, two adorable bead angels (I'm sharing one with Katie), a couple Starbuck's coupons (because she knows me so well) and a B&N gift card (again, because she knows me so well).

But better than these gifts was the time we spent together. I've been in a bit of a funk lately and I basically knew why, but she saw everything from a different perspective than I could and really helped me work through some of these issues. I love that woman!

On my way home I stopped off at my friend, Kris' house just to chat. She only lives around the corner, but it seems our schedules (mostly mine) never match up. She only had about 15 minutes before she had to leave which worked out very well for me. If she'd had all the time in the world my 15 minutes would have stretched into an hour and 15 minutes or so. Still, we managed to pack in a nice visit.

When I got home I jumped in the shower to get ready for my "birthday date" with Todd. We went to have a nice dinner at the new Outback. A crisp glass of Riesling, coconut shrimp appetizer, Alice Springs Chicken and nice conversation. Very, very pleasant.

We stopped at the grocery store on the way home to pick up a cake. I chose a deliciously decadent Boston Chocolate Silk cake. A layer of spongy chocolate cake, a thick layer of a fluffy chocolate whipped cream filling, another layer of spongy chocolate cake, topped by a chocolate butter cream frosting. Yum!

Then I got to open my presents. Kris gave me a bottle of Italian wine. Real Italian wine from Italy. Looks like we'll have to spare more than 15 minutes so we can enjoy a glass or two.

And then the gift from my family. Guitar Hero III!!! I so rock!!! It is so much fun! Next week when the kids go back to school I'm going to set aside four hours a day to practice so I can beat Taylor. Not really. Maybe an hour a day.

Since I didn't make it to the dentist yesterday I went in this morning. I'm getting a crown next Monday so today's appointment was to make the impression. I have a very sensitive gag reflex and impressions are the worst form of dental torture to me. The hygienist was great and I only sort of gagged one time. Whew!

Labels: birthdays, cars, family, food, friends, weather

Mused by Jenster :: 11:21 AM :: 15 People musing:

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Monday, November 19, 2007

Happy Birthday To Me

Guess what I got for my birthday. A crick in the neck of epic proportions. Which makes me want to call it a river in the neck. Because you know how some people call a creek a "crick" and a river is bigger than a creek? That came to me in the early hours of morning - when I do my most creative thinking. Like the other morning when my nose was freezing and I started thinking about creating nose warmers. I even considered talking to Tori at Radioactive Girl about knitting some.

And guess what I get to do for my birthday. I get to go to the dentist where they will cram my mouth with disgusting goo. I'll try to go to my happy place and pretend I don't want to gag.

I'm not sure what's going on for dinner tonight. All I know is I don't have to cook.

Friday night we're all going to a hockey game for my birthday. I love hockey. Not on TV, though. You have to be there in person. And I especially like it when there's a good fight. I'm not sure why that is, either, because I hate violence. But my favorite game ever was when both teams ended up in the penalty box and the ice was covered with gloves and helmets and sticks. Good stuff.

Geesh! Is it just me or does this post read like something Eeyore would write?? I will leave you with my post from last year's birthday.

My thirty-eleventh birthday is next week. It's not a landmark birthday and nothing to get excited about. In fact, if I wasn't so greedy as to want presents and a day of being spoiled, I'd just forget about it altogether.

But I don't think that's an option anyway. After the last year-and-a-half we've gone through, my birthday has become kind of a big deal. Instead of lamenting the fact that I'm middle aged, I need to be happy that I made it to middle age. Oh, I know that's all very dramatic and it's really not something I think of very often. Yes, I had breast cancer, but it was caught fairly early and my prognosis is excellent. There are so many worse things it could have been.

You may or may not know that I'm writing a book about my experience. It's not a self-help or an inspirational book. It's more of an Erma Bombeckesque look at what the past 18 months have been like for us. Don't get me wrong. Parts of it are very serious. But I was amazed at the humor and the silliness that was borne of some of my situations.

As much as I would love to see this book published, I'm not going to hold my breath. If I do ever manage to get it into some semblance of an organized thought process I will try publishing. But even if it never comes to anything that's okay. It's a type of therapy for me now and it will forever be a record of what our family endured and learned through all of this.

So here's a little excerpt from my story that has to do with my birthday:

In the spring of 2005 I had thick, curly hair that fell beneath my shoulders. I was also walking a few days a week with a friend. With the age of 40 closing in, I was in a desperate want to get into shape. You see, I had this plan.

For my 40th birthday I wanted long, curly, auburn tresses and a pair of red thigh high PVC stiletto boots. I wasn't sure what would go in between my locks and the heels, but suffice it to say it was going to be hot. Todd would have his very own vixen.

Instead, I had a very thin buzz cut, 30 extra pounds and only one boob. Thigh high boots would have been a waste of money (and they ARE expensive) because I probably couldn't have shimmied them past my knees. And whatever provocative little number would have accompanied the boots would have been too filled out in some spots, not filled out in others, decidedly dropping the sexy factor to somewhere around nil.

They say that 50 is the new 30, so does that make 40 the new 25? If so, what does that make 42? I'll be going through reconstruction at the age of 41, so 42 is the next birthday I have a shot at.

Emotionally it was a little difficult to reach the landmark age of 40 in the way I did. My hair had started coming in, albeit slowly and still thin. I was actually scheduled for my last chemo treatment the day before my birthday, but the doctor graciously postponed it for nearly a week so I could enjoy my celebratory weekend.

Todd booked the two of us in a romantic little cottage up in Eureka Springs that we had stayed in several years earlier. The cottage had guest journals and I flipped back through the archives until I found my entry from 1995. It was a poignant moment to see the words I had written in such a different time. We were a young, happy couple with a baby and toddler at home. We were there to celebrate our 8th anniversary and enjoyed the romantic interlude from our hectic lives.

It was a good time for us. There were no thoughts of cancer or chemotherapy or reconstruction or hot flashes or, well, the list goes on. I was saddened by the way our lives had changed so drastically. I was heartened by the good and joyful life we had shared.

But mostly I was grateful. Even in the midst of a life threatening disease and all the problems associated with treatment, even with our husband and father living 1200 miles away, I had joy. I had the most important things necessary to a good life.

I had a husband who loved me with everything, even though I couldn't wear thigh high stiletto boots and looked more like a GI than his wife. I had two children who were healthy and happy and who had stepped up to the plate when I was too tired or weak to do what needed doing. I had family and friends who loved me and lavished me with help and food. And I had a God who loved me and comforted me and promised me this, too, shall pass. I had everything I needed.

I am still shooting for the long, curly, auburn hair and thigh high stiletto boots for 42, by the way.

Dangit!! Looks like I'll have to aim for 43, now.

Labels: birthdays, breast cancer, whiney, writing

Mused by Jenster :: 8:55 AM :: 26 People musing:

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Thursday, October 25, 2007

A Week With My Folks

I dropped my parents off at the airport this morning. *sigh* It was a nice visit and it seemed to end much too soon. I'm already thinking about when the kids and I can make it down their way.

As promised, I have pictures!! Not the good ones I mentioned in my last post, but some pretty shots nonetheless. So let's recap the week, shall we??

WEDNESDAY

Pick Mom & Dad up at the airport.

THURSDAY

I worked in the morning and spent the rest of the day visiting with the folks.

FRIDAY

I kept Katie out of school and the four of us drove over to Strasburg for a train ride.

Does the water tower remind anyone else of "Petticoat Junction"?

It was nice to just sit and relax and watch the scenery outside the windows.

After the train ride we drove up to Intercourse (STOP LAUGHING!) to the cannery. I can't be within a 20 mile radius of that place without stopping in for some of their super-uber-delicious seedless black raspberry preserves. And once I'm there I find all kinds of other things I absolutely, positively, without question need. I should have given Mom & Dad a head start. I got my two jars of preserves and a bag of Kahlua & Cream coffee beans, paid for them and then walked around some more while Mom & Dad found what they wanted. Not surprisingly, Katie and I found some more necessities. After paying for those I practically ran to the door with my head down and my hand over my eyes, careening through the busload of tourists who had just come in.

On our way home we passed the aforementioned horse and buggy at the car wash. I will say the horse was awfully shiny and the buggy looked pretty clean, too. It was a rainy day, though, which made me wonder if a regular car wash would give them a rain check. I'm still so very sad I didn't get a picture. It was priceless.

SATURDAY

The whole family went to Gettysburg on Saturday. We did the auto tour and it was gorgeous, but I think I'd like to go back and spend more time there. Not just at the Civil Battlefield Park, but in the little town of Gettysburg.

I was so struck by the beauty of the area I ended up taking tons of pictures of barns (I have a weakness for barns), church spires and the scenery. I did manage to get some of the monuments, too.

This monument is the Eternal Peace Light Memorial and was dedicated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1938 as a symbol of peace in a united nation. From what I could find out the flame (which is very hard to see) has never gone out since that time. But what I find truly interesting is that this ceremony was the Last Reunion of the Blue and the Gray - a tradition that had been going on since 1913, 50 years after the battle. Soldiers from both sides would come to these reunions and when the last reunion was held there were very few soldiers left, most of them in their 90's.

I kept jumping out of the car to get good pictures. Todd followed me down the road just like a stalker.

We stopped in at the Appalachain Brewing Company for lunch. As usual, I forgot to take the picture of my food before I ate. The cup had been brimming with Brewer's Cheddar Ale Soup - A wonderful blend of premium cheddar cheese and our very own Water Gap Wheat accented with baked potatoes and topped with sour cream, cheddar-jack cheese and crumbled bacon. You can see why I didn't think about snapping a shot. The other picture is Flatbread Pomodoro - Four pieces of freshly toasted flatbread topped with a wonderful blend of Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, fresh mozzarella cheese and extra-virgin olive oil. Yes, it was as good as it sounds and looks.

Todd and Katie climbed this big tower and took the camera. Todd snapped a photo of this parachute toy stuck in a tree on their way up to the top. Then he got me and my head sticking through the sunroof of the stalker car.

Had to get a picture of the Arkansas monument, now, didn't I?

It seems this cool little castle-looking monument was a New York memorial, but I don't remember. I do know the stairs on the inside were S T E E P!

From left to right are the Irish Brigade Monument, the Pennsylvania Memorial and another New York monument in honor of the Native Americans that fought.

And we conclude the Gettysburg tour with this historic sign:

SUNDAY

Not much to tell that I haven't already. Taylor's girlfriend came over after the church picnic and we played a couple games, including Scrabble. She is a formidable opponent!

MONDAY

Laundry day. No pictures to share. Sorry.

TUESDAY

Mom and Dad and I drove up to the Daniel Boone homestead, about 30 minutes from the house. We didn't do the tour, but drove around a bit and looked at the sights. I'm not sure if I found the black sheep or the original house more interesting.

WEDNESDAY

I made a birthday cake for Katie that resembles something you'd see in a Dr. Suess book. I put polka-dotted candles in it in an effort to make it look like I meant to do that. I'm pretty sure no one bought it. Judging by the second picture, though, I don't think anyone cared.