Big Night for Mike

When Mike turned 25 last month I was stumped for ideas for a birthday present. Ironically it was about 2 days before his birthday that the tickets went on sale for the Harlem Globetrotters visit to Toledo's new arena. We took Mike to see the Globetrotters 6 or 7 years ago and he really enjoyed it, but we were in the upper upper seats in Toledo's city center. Tuesday night, December 29th was perfect because Mike had the week between Christmas and New Years off work. Steve and I had been anxious to see the new arena so it would be a perfect gift. I was able to secure court side seats for the three of us. When he opened the tickets on his birthday even Mike thought it was a great gift.

Flash forward to December 28th. Steve is suffering from the flu (we think). He has a temperature in the triple digits and he says there is no way he will be (or should be) attending the game Tuesday night. So we called the cousins to fill in. Tim and Andrew took Mike to the game. It was even more fun for Mike to be with Tim and Andrew than the parents. The neat part of it was that they even became part of the show as often happens to those sitting court side. Mike bought a souvenir Globetrotter Basketball. He was able to get it signed by Cobra Coley, the player he is pictured with. Cobra is also the player making the dunk over the referee. Tim got some great shots to remember the evening with. It was our gift to see Mike have such a good time. Thanks Tim and Andrew.

Remembering John December 26,1980

Happy Birthday John. I can't think of a better way to remember you than to post some pictures from our holiday season. Smiles and laughter show the good times we enjoyed this season. We miss you and we think of you everyday.

May we all live the toast from Jim Chandler at our Christmas dinner this year

" Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often"

Merry Christmas

Hope everyone is having a great day.

Let the Festivities Begin

Jessica arrived this early AM from LA. Looking at the schedule for the next week it is pretty full. We are off to see AJ this afternoon. Shopping is on the list of activities for all of us. And I would like to schedule in some exercise too. The supply of food around has been phenomenal. And it all tastes so good. I am already beginning to look forward to January with no partying and diet meals.

I have a really cute web site for anyone with small kids or grandkids. This will help you produce a video Christmas visit with Santa from the north pole. It takes a minute but is really cute when finished. Thanks for sharing it with me Hilary.


http://portablenorthpole.tv/home


This is the link. Hope it works for you.

Yes it is Monday

I saw this and thought it applied!

Monday and the furnace install is complete

We had heat for the weekend but there were a few details to finish up this morning. Hopefully now we can enjoy our home, family, and friends for the holidays and not have any more repairs, changes or painting.

Steve and I decorated the Christmas tree this weekend. As usual it is a perfect tree once it got all of the lights and ornaments on it. I hate all of the work of a live tree but the smell of pine makes it all worth while. Mike was going to help but his weekend was filled with the Special Olympic regional swim meet. He called last night and his results were a 2nd place finish in the relay, a fourth place finish in the 50free style, and a fifth in the 100 free. He did not place as well as he did in the area meet but I am sure there was more competition this weekend. Next weekend he goes to Ohio State University for the State Swim Meet. He likes the social aspects of this weekend adventure more than the swimming. There is usually a dance and some time for Christmas shopping.

Jessica comes home on Friday morning. She is taking the red eye from LA on Thursday night and arrives in the wee hours in Detroit Friday. Not sure if we will have the snow she wants but it looks like it will be cold enough. It will be a busy time from now until New Years.

Coldest of the season

As you may remember last year in December we put new windows in the sun room. It was a cold and snowy day but at least the sun room could be closed off from the rest of the house and it was a fairly quick installation process. Now the coldest weather has arrived and guess what! No heat on Thursday morning. The blower on the 25 year old furnace had died overnight. So the money pit of living in a house continues. Of course the blower was a unique model (i.e. big $$$) and then there was the issue of the secondary condensers being corroded with an estimated life of 1-2 years. So heaters were brought in and a new furnace installation began today. The heaters maintained a temperature around 60 inside yesterday and snuggling in bed was delightful last night. I am baking today while the work progresses and there is the promise of heat sometime today. Thought my Christmas present was just going to be my new kitchen so I must have been very good this year to get a new furnace too. Thank you Santa!

Winter may be here

Last night we saw the first real accumulation of snow. Over night the snow changed to rain and by this morning most of the snow was gone. The temperature is warm now but the winds are strong. Prediction is for more snow tonight.

We are having a real "live" Christmas tree again this year and it seems the weather is always cold when we go out to pick it. Mike wants to help so I guess we won't be getting it until this weekend. It will probably be covered with snow and have to sit in the garage before it gets into the house.

My list of 4 major activities for the holiday is cards, christmas cookies, decorating and presents. I always feel good if I get three of the four done well. So far this year I have done a little of each but can not check anything as finished yet. That means I am still shopping so get your list to me.

I have a friend writing a Christmas childrens story on her blog this year. It is cute and fun to watch what the Christmas bears are up to in her house. I am attaching the link to her blog so check it out.

http://www.newsfromsuzanne.blogspot.com/

Christmas Party Pictures

We had a great party and danced the night away. The food was terrific. Pumpkin Blue Crab Bisque was not my first choice of soups but after tasting it I know why the chef recommended it.So much fun and now we are truly in the holiday mood. Get your lists to Santa.

The WSJ Crossword Puzzle

I spent time with AJ yesterday and we watched the Polar Express together. It was his first viewing of this movie and while parts of it are a little scary (the train ride over the ice) he really seemed to enjoy it. So much so in fact that he took the DVD home and I am sure Jesi and Beth will be watching it again and again with him. I will have to remember to get him a sleigh bell for Christmas.

Steve got some help working the crossword puzzle yesterday too. I think these pictures pretty well tell the story.











Tonight is the Belmont Christmas party...actually the "holiday party" but I like to think of it as the Christmas party. I am getting old enough that I do not have to be politically correct all of the time. The club is beautifully decorated and we are looking forward to a record turnout. The band is great and there will be lots of dancing tonight. As the co chair this year it has been trying at times to keep everyone happy and still put our own ideas into the party but we are ready tonight to have fun. Let the holidays roll in.

Happy Birthday Jessica

Happy Birthday to number one daughter Jessica today. She is 27. Yes TWENTY SEVEN!!! She even cringed a little when I spoke of the actual number with her. I think I have a few friends that will assure her she is not old. But she is definitely entering a new phase of her life. We like to think of her as an adult now. Have a wonderful birthday Jessica. It is great to hear you sounding so happy.

Love makes it easier when life gets hard

I saw this quote today and I liked it. Life is hard. There are no easy rides in this theme park and many of them are downright scary. But having love in your life really, really helps. And yes, entering into this holiday season has been hard again. John is so present in all of the Christmas decorations. So many memories of his December birth. The events are so clearly remembered from that first pregnancy leading up to his birth on December 26th. But we will keep plugging along and eventually the memories will be comforting. The memories are how we keep John alive now.

Happy Thanksgiving 2009

I opened the blog this morning and looked at the first entries. I started the blog in November of 2007 because I knew the future held information that would need to be disseminated quickly. John's health was a major concern. But the tone of the blog was positive. We had fun that Thanksgiving and holiday season. And that is how we will continue.

There have been many tears shed while posting to this blog. A few today while reading past entries and even posting today. But there are many happy moments that have been recorded too. Someday I will be able to read all of the entries with AJ and help him to know what a great Dad he had. And we will be able to laugh at all of the pictures I took of AJ that I got to share with my friends.

Our family has changed but I am still thankful. Thankful for my wonderful husband, my beautiful daughter, and my successful Mike! Thankful for daughter-in-law Jesi, who is a great mom. Thankful for my almost healthy parents who are leaving for Florida tomorrow. Thankful for my friends. Without them I never would have been able to keep this blog going. Knowing they check up on me by reading the blog is a comfort.

With that said my thought for today will be to just wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the friends and family that are with you. Live, laugh, and make memories for tomorrow.

Sunday

I have been neglect to my blog. Sorry faithful readers. A short update today before we spend time reflecting on the Thanksgiving week.

Mike did not get a roommate. The young man decided he wanted to try life entirely on his own and get a one bedroom apartment instead of living with Mike. So we are back to square one. Fortunately Mike continues to do well on his own. He celebrated his 25th birthday with us last weekend.

My mother is doing great. She and Dad think they will be leaving for Florida next week. Mom is still getting physical therapy but that will be available in Florida and the doctor has said it is fine for her to go. The elbow pain is a result of the fractured shoulder and has nothing to do with the artificial elbow.

Steve and I slipped out for 18 holes of golf today. It was a bit cool with a north wind but we are not complaining about playing golf in Ohio on November 22. We are up to picking out some art work for the kitchen. It has been an exciting project. We are glad to be finishing up in time to show it off with a wonderful meal on Thursday.

Projects

Okay the kitchen is finally getting close. Today the tile backsplash is being grouted and then the work that is left is just Steve and I. Steve is painting the woodwork and I am wallpapering. It has been an experience but the kitchen now looks very good.

An update on my mother is good too. She is home with my Dad now and getting around although slowly. The hip fractures are mending and she is able to do some walking. The shoulder is not a big problem but her arm with the elbow replacement is still giving her pain. She is seeing her elbow specialist today. Apparently an artificial elbow needs new bearings every so often and hers were about due anyway. That may be the prognosis from today's visit and surgery to replace them may have to be scheduled.

Mike is doing well. I saw him yesterday and we renewed his drivers licence. I have not heard from the potential roommate yet but hopefully we are still looking at a December 1 date.

Here are a few of the before pictures of the kitchen and the in process pictures.

Old stove and oven

The cupboard for the microwave has already been removed in this picture as well as the old appliance garage.

new quartz countertop and cut out for cook top

First major changes, new counter tops and drop in sink with new faucet. New cooktop and built in oven. The counter top on the island is expanded. Still have the old cupboard knobs, wall paper and no backsplash.

New microwave shelf.

new oven and cooktop

New knobs and drawer pulls!!

Backsplash in process, still need switch plates and cleanup.

Painting in progress

I have a life!

And that is all I can say about not posting more frequently. I have been busy. The kitchen project is progressing. No tile back splash yet...no new knobs yet... But the counter top is excellent and the gas stove is what I have been waiting 9 years for. The oven finally works...it sounded like a jet engine after the initial installation. Little steps they say. I am hesitant to post pictures. I want the before and the after to be significant not just stages but I may relent if the time line continues to be so slow. I will begin ripping wall paper off this week and painting the wood work. It is going to be a long process but so worth it when it is finished.
Steve and I spent much time outside today finishing the exterior painting. We did manage to play 9 holes of golf before the sun set. Still have to take advantage of the 60 degree temps.


My mom is doing well. She may get home next Friday. Lots of work for my Dad but hopefully it will all work out. Mike interviewed a roommate this weekend too. Hopefully by December 1 he will have a roommate.

Too bad about MSU Saturday. What an upset it would have been to beat Iowa. We may have to look to the basketball season for better winning statistics.

"Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost."

Have a great day.

Kitchen Project

It has been awhile since I posted because we have been busy with projects and family. The house painting is getting the finishing touches but the weather is not real co-operative. The kitchen update is progressing but anyone who has done any re model projects knows it is never done without delays. Then last week on Wednesday my mother took a fall and fractured her shoulder and pelvis. She is going to be recovering in a Rehab facility for several weeks but seems to be handling it well.

I am taking pictures of the kitchen to post as we change the look.

How about this global warming??? High this week so far hasn't reached 50.

Kiawah Pictures

Check out the new Kiawah slide show on the left of the blog. These are a couple of the other pictures from our week.

The Guys and Wives



The House we enjoyed for the week in Kiawah

Biking on the beach

Home from Kiawah

Finally arrived home again after a week in Kiawah, a visit to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and some work (for Steve) in Baltimore. Today is nothing like the HOT weather we had in Kiawah last week. I have long pants on for the first time since last May. I think the official date of fall occurring last week was an accurate calling of the end of summer weather in Northwest Ohio.

Our trip to Kiawah was a celebration of friendship. Five couples comprised of "the guys", friends from grade school and high school and the wives. It was an amazing time. We have done the decade birthdays together since 1979 when the guys turned 30. Not everyone every time but everyone has a good time. Steve and I missed the first in 1979 but have been at all of them since. We fear the conversations that might take place when we aren't there so it becomes a necessity to be in attendance or risk being the topic of the week. We rented a large house and cooked in this year and the result will be a best seller cookbook to be published here in the next couple of weeks. Remember to get those recipes to me. It was the perfect way to handle a group of 10 for dinner and also we found the cocktail hours to be much cheaper. Knowing we didn't have to drive home after dinner wasn't all bad either.

Lots to do at home now but look for more Kiawah this week.

Thoughts and prayers out to Tom who ended the week off in Kiawah with a Monday morning appointment for a hip replacement. We understand the surgery was a success and now hope for a speedy rehab.

Alligator warning

We are on vacation in Kiawah SC this week and as they say you are never to old to learn something new. Steve and I were bike riding yesterday and as we rode past a pond we heard what sounded like a motorcycle starting. As we came nearer I expected to see a worker with a gasoline engine weed whacker. But neither of these expected pictures came into view. What the sound was surprised both Steve and I. It was a rather large alligator either attacking something or just growling. I never knew that alligators made such a loud unusual sound. We heard it again later sitting on the deck of the house we are renting. There are ponds throughout the island and many signs warning of gators. We are all being a little more conscience now but are glad to know about a potential audible warning there are gators in the immediate vicinity.

Blog or Facebook

Lately it seems I have not been posting to the blog as often as I had hoped. Part of the reason is that I have been using facebook. Many of my friends are members of facebook and it is a quick way to get bits of information. It isn't the diary of life that the blog has been but it is fun. There are also lots of applications to use (i. e. games to play) I have become a Farm Town farmer and a whiz at typing maniac. I promise the blog will not die and as the weather turns and the golf ends I am sure I will have more interesting information to post.

I have felt somewhat overwhelmed this summer with Mike moving out and then breaking up with Kristin, the kitchen project and the roof and house painting. The projects are progressing, Mike seems to be doing OK, and golf is winding down. Vacation next week is a real positive. It will be nice to get away and the time with friends will be priceless. Expect lots of pictures as I am anxious to spent time with the camera experimenting with different settings. With the crowd we are going to be with I am sure there are going to be many picture moments.

For today I continue to tick off the items to get done before vacation.

Monday Monday oops it is Tuesday

Hope everyone had a delightful Labor Day Weekend and is ready for the change of seasons. We golfed, golfed and golfed and enjoyed a near perfect weekend. The exception is that it rained on the 17th hole on Monday. We played with friends in Cleveland on Sunday and it is always nice to see how your game holds up on a different course. The Cleveland friends were classmates of Steve's from Ohio State so it seems this September may be a month to celebrate long standing friendships. We look forward to our vacation in Kiawah later this month with friends too. That trip will celebrate the 60th birthdays of friends, some of whose whose friendships date back to grade school.

We saw Mike this weekend and he continues to tinker in his duplex. He has been decorating and changing things to his own tastes. It was fun to have him around on Saturday while we had friends at the house. He enjoys being with our friends and it is nice that they include him. He liked having a holiday that he did not have to work and still received pay for. His great delight is not having to work the day after Thanksgiving. I did not realize it until he brought it up for like the 12th time but all of his previous jobs did not include the day after Thanksgiving as a holiday. A reminder to all of us not working in retail or low level factory jobs to enjoy our paid holidays.

September

Is summer over?? It certainly has seemed that way the last week. Cool temperatures in the daytime and almost cold at night. We have had to use the heater outside to eat on the deck this past weekend. Last night was too cool even for the heater. The grass is green and lush which is not a common sight for August in Ohio. Now the Farmers Almanac is predicting a COLD winter. Where is Al Gore in all of this. I think I may want to move to where the global warming is occurring. I always think of September as a great extension of summer. Warm weather with no bugs and cool nights for great sleeping with no air conditioning. If it continues like this we will be having to use the furnace to take the morning chill off of the house.

Mike continues to do OK. I have been calling him and stopping by on a much more frequent bases this past week and he is adjusting. He misses the company of another person in the house but otherwise is handling living alone. He becomes insurance eligible today. YEA!! The job is great and with time we will get him another girl and short term another roommate.

My postings have been less frequent because I have become addicted to a game on facebook called FarmTown. (thank you very much Amanda) I hope to reach the last level sometime this month and then I will be done with it. I now understand a little better how so much time can be spent on stupid games on the computer. And I thought just surfing was bad enough. If you check it out it is my suggestion that you do NOT start playing. It is fun but truly becomes an addiction for those of us with compulsive personalities.

Golf planned for the holiday weekend and then house painting to go with our new roof. Also getting ready for the 60th birthday bash with the gang in Kiawah. Hopefully the highlight of September!

Keep smiling!

Tuesday News

We had a delightful visit with my mom and dad this weekend and it was nice for Mike to be around all of us. We showed off his new place of employment and his duplex to the grandparents on Sunday and he seems to be dealing with the breakup pretty well. Jesi threw a great party for AJ on Saturday with lots of friends and family. This year AJ knew what presents were and was anxiously awaiting the opportunity to rip into them. His real birthday is Friday so I am sure the excitement of turning 3 will last all week.

No wedding in Mike's immediate future

It was not a good week for Mike. Kristin has decided that she is not ready for independent living and is moving back to her parents home. She wanted a wedding, but maybe not a marriage. Living with Mike has not been her cup of tea even as just roommates, ( they have had separate bedrooms) so we can only imagine what it would have been like if they were married. This weekend she will be moving out and we are in the process of finding a new roommate for Mike. He is sad. He is disappointed. But he knows that things will be OK. He deserves to have someone care about him as much as he cares about them. This was just not the case with Kristin. She liked being with Mike and being his fiance and she really wanted to have a nice wedding but she was not prepared to be a partner in a marital relationship. She has not been as capable of adapting to independent living as Mike.
Mike is coming to our house for the weekend as we are entertaining my parents who will be here for AJ's 3rd birthday party Saturday. It will be a family weekend and Mike will have lots of support to continue in his goal of independent living. He does like the new job and living in Bowling Green. Perhaps it is better that this is happening sooner rather than later.

New Roof

Once again a long week. The big news is that we got a new roof on our house. It has been on the agenda for several years but since there were no major leaks and it was a MAJOR expense it was delayed. The issue became more pressing as the roof on the second story appeared to have a ripple to it. In our estimate the roofer quoted replacing the wood sheets as he felt that rotted wood was causing the ripple. But on day 3 as they tore off the shingles on this section of the roof they found not rotted wood but warped rafters that were not up to code for the length and slant of the roof. So ... bring in the carpenter and replace 24 rafters. Ouch! Of course this work was not in the original estimate. The only consolation in all of this is that the roof looks great and we will not have to worry about getting lots and lots of snow for the next 30 winters.

We did have a house inspection before we purchased the house and this defect should have been brought to our attention. The carpenter even thought the house should never have passed the original inspection because the rafters were not to code. Perhaps some building inspector got a little cash to overlook it. I was able to pull out the inspection that was done when we bought the house and we are considering what options we might have. All of this "fun" I got to handle by myself because Steve was out of town this week.

Update

I did not realize how busy I had been until I took the memory card out of the camera. I took pictures today of the Belmont Ladies Senior Golf Champion and I wanted to get the prints made up. When I saw all of the past pictures I realized what other blog entries I had failed to make.

So first here are a couple of the pictures from the surprise birthday party that Steve's sister Janet arranged. All of Steve's sibling got together on July 18th at Janet's for dinner and catching up. Steve was surprised and we had a great dinner. Thank you Jan and Janet. Later in the evening Andrew and Tim provided a fireworks display that they had been working on. A great evening.

A Buckeye Cake from Judy

Carol in the background (older) brother John and Steve

The five siblings

Then last weekend I was in Kalamazoo for my mother (Bunschoten) side of the family annual reunion. We have been having a picnic on the First Sunday of August since either 1969 or 1970. No one could quite remember which year it started but it is a real tradition. The little cousins all have big kids now and some of the aunts and uncles are great grandparents too. A wonderful way to keep in touch. My brother always updates everyones information and sends it to us all so we have the most current addresses and phone numbers as well as email addresses now. Another thank you for all involved in the work to make this come off every year. We have the ideal spot at my mom's sister's farm, complete with the pond.

Kids saw dust hunt for pennies

It has been great golf weather and I have been taking advantage of that.