Experiment with video

Last night was the end of the basketball season for Mike's team as they lost in the single elimination tournament. I did bring my camera and got some video that I am going to experiment with here on the blog. Hopefully it can be watched. The first video is of the introductions of Mike's team. Mike was introduced and then ran across the gym. We thought maybe he was leaving the building but actually he lead the Special Olympians Oath from the microphone on that side of the gym. Unfortunately I did not get video of that but I did get a picture. The second video clip is after Mike was fouled and had two free throws. There is a little fumbling with the camera between the shots but he was 2 for 2.

Mike leading in the saying of the Special Olympian Oath

High School was how long ago???

Tom aka Rocco stopped in for a short visit last night and it was great fun to see he and Steve together. If only our bodies would age at the same slow pace our minds do. Those two could have been 18 years old again if we could only hear and not see.


Remember the recipes that required you to get a starter from someone who was already making the recipe. I am a recipient of a starter for Amish Cinnamon Bread. My friend Trina brought it over on Sunday and we are following the directions to mush it in the baggie for the next couple of days before we add some additional ingredients and pass part of the batter on for others to enjoy. Here is our baggie of starter.

Taking pictures

I have been great on getting a picture taken everyday but I have not always posted them on the blog. I have a folder on the computer titled Picture of the day and so far they are all there. Hopefully I will be able to set up a monthly picture folder and have a link to that. Maybe the collection will be my coffee table book next year. "Pictures of my life. Day by Day". Unfortunately when you take a picture a day you find there are some days that are pretty mundane. For example today I could have taken a picture of the washing machine. I love it and it is a wonderful invention but somehow not quite what I want to remember about February 23, 2009. We are having dinner with friends tonight and I hope to remember my camera to take a photo. I have taken a mundane shot of the day too in case I forget. I wish everyday could be as exciting as when we are on vacation.

The winds on Saturday were so strong that the snow blew up against the trees. Sunday morning the trees across the pond looked as if someone had used a snow thrower and covered them with snow on one side. The picture doesn't do justice but you can see how white the trunks looked.

Saturday and snow again

It has been nice to see the green of the grass even if it is more of a yellow dormant color than growing green. Today the snow started about 10 AM and we just finished plowing now (5PM) and there was about 4 inches of the new white stuff. It appear the temperatures will stay below freezing for a couple of days so we will be in winter again. I will be curling up in a chair with a good book and trying to enjoy the fact that we are inside for another week or two.

California Jessica has us thinking Oscars again this year as she was telling me about LA Oscar parties this weekend. I have seen only one of the best picture nominees this year. Slumdog Millionaire is a Fox movie so that is the one we will be rooting for. As for the other categories, I loved the movie Doubt and the nominees from that movie will have my vote. Meryl Streep for best actress and Philip Hoffman for best actor and Amy Adams for best supporting actress. I did not see the Curious Case of Benjamin Button but I understand the nominees from that movie are great too. The real question is whether I will even be awake for the announcements. I will probably read about it in the Blade on Monday morning. It would be a great party occassion if you lived in LA though.

Friday picture is a pussy willow cutting that is being forced into bloom. Very simple but pretty.

Basketball season winding down

Mike, Joe, and Derrick

Last night Mike's Special Olympic basketball team played their last regular season game. They scored more points last night than in any other game but still lost 34- 24. Tuesday they start the elimination tournament and that will probably be the end of the season but as you can see they have fun win or lose.

Grass and Ice

It is an interesting picture looking out at the backyard today because the snow is all gone but the pond is frozen snow and ice. The appearance of the grass makes me think spring thoughts and wish for golf season. I know that we still have some winter in store for us during the months of February and March but clearly spring must be on its way.

Back to my picture of the day

Vacation is over and the schedule has settled into somewhat of the usual routine. Hopefully this will last for a couple of weeks then I hope to get to Florida for a visit with mom and dad. Friend Rosemary may need another shot of golf enthusiam too as I have not heard about any time spent on the driving range recently. While I looked back at the vacation photos I see that I was not capturing all of the beauty of the BVI. While we were sailing I was too busy to take pictures. Next sailing vacation will be much more relaxed and the camera will not have to be below deck so much of the time.


So yesterday I took a picture of my tote bags which I have been taking to the grocery store. Jessica and I have been making an effort this year to be a little greener. She has a day calendar with a green tip a day that she shares with me. Some of the ideas are easy to implement and others are more extreme. Bringing your own bags to the grocery is the easy one. I have been able to remember my bags most of the time and I actually like using them because you can fill them up. What used to take 6 or 7 plastic bags can easily be carried in one of my totes. So not only am I saving the earth I am saving trips back and forth to the car when I unload the groceries. Try it!

It can't be OK all of the time. While we were away our neighbor and friend committed suicide. He was 61 years old and it had been just short of one year ago that his wife died from a heart attack. He missed her dearly and that is what he said in the note he left. While many of those close to him said he had seemed to be doing OK his sister said much of it was just his public appearance and that in fact he was still struggling with his loss. I understand his pain. The pain of the death of someone you love is unlike anything anyone can describe. It doesn't go away. You just learn how to live with it. I appreciate that with the one year mark coming up I am feeling better. I still miss John. There is still a hole in my heart that will never be filled but life is going on. There are good times and laughs. There are many, many things to continue living for. I am sad for our friend that he could not endure the pain long enough to see that. I am thankful for those around me that continue to show me how much they care.

Some things you do because you have to. Today I will go to the visitation in the same funeral home we used for John. Tomorrow I will go to the funeral. I will do this because he was a friend and his sister is a friend. It will not be easy but I will appear OK because that is how life goes on. One day at a time. One step forward. Life is complicated.

One week ago I was sailing in the carribean with my brain fully engaged in learning something new. It was a great escape from reality.

Underwater Pictures

We dove at the wreck of the Rhone on Monday. I took the underwater camera and got several good shots. The large turtle was about 5 foot long.

Steve and Linda in front of part of the Rhone Ship

Large turtle

Part of the ship

Picture taken by Jules our boat captain

The divers everything is O K

Thursday and home again

Yesterday we travelled from Roadtown, Tortola back to Perrysburg. It was a long day of travel and both Steve and I struggled to get our land legs back. It was a great vacation and we are almost competent sailors of the 40 foot monohull sail boat. We have our own manual of instructions and with some of the pictures to help us remember we plan on continuing our nautical education.

Mike seemed to fare well without us and it was nice to come home to a clean house without the usual stack of papers and mail. I am finishing up my daily account of the trip and getting all of the photos posted.

Sailing

Obviously internet is not as available as I originally thought. We have been sailing everyday and it is a long and hard day. After dropping sails and having a cocktail sleep comes quickly. We are getting quite competent as helmsmen but there are so many lines. Main sail, main halyard, jib sail, furling line, reef lines. Then there is grabbing the mooring ball and securing the boat. The sailing is actually fun. Today we had high seas and wind at 20 knots. We reefed the sails and were travelling at between 6 and 7 knots. Heeling over has become a comfortable position. Lots more to write but it will have to wait.
I will get some pictures of me at the helm but the uploading time is hard on the battery here.

Vacation in the BVI

Left Detroit very early Tuesday morning and flew to Fort Lauderdale. Then on to St. Thomas where we caught a Ferry Boat over to Roadtown Tortola. Slept on the sailboat we will be sailing on all week.
February 4 Roadtown to Jost Van Dyke
Welcome to Educated Ice, the sail boat we will be on for a week. Not sure how the name came about but maybe we will learn that this week. Our captain Jules took us to the grocery to provision for the week and by 11:30 we were leaving the dock for a week of sailing the British Virgin Islands. We sailed out of the Roadtown Harbor then westward through the Sir Frances Drake Channel between St John and Tortola. Smooth sailing with the wind behind us with the mainsail and the head sail up. We turned around the western end of Tortola and sailed over to Jost Van Dyke. Had a little trouble catching the mooring buoy but it was a windy location. We tied up for the night and barbequed steaks on board. Practiced tying knots while getting to know our captain. Early to bed.
February 5 I woke up early this morning and I am sittling on deck. It is a quiet clear day. We are ready for sailing school day 2.

Running out of internet access and computer battery. Loving sailing but it is a workout. We are in Virgin Gorda today. Long sails lots of tacking. We are really learning alot.

Ground Hog Day

"Be the kind of woman that
when your feet hit the ground each morning
the devil says,
"OH CRAP, SHE'S UP"!
Thought this was a great quote. Hope to live up to it.

I finished the month of January with pictures everyday. The weather obviously played a major part in the months photography. Saturday and Sunday were spent getting ready for vacation. The scuba gear takes up a larger suitcase than the cloths for the week.



We did break away Sunday night for the Super Bowl with some friends and neighbors. I love the Steelers so I was happy. It is always nice to see a close game. There were a couple of good commercials but nothing really stands out as exceptional. We all laughed at some and thought others were just plane bad. Too many movie advertisements but I guess that has something to do with the economy too.



We leave early tomorrow so look for some pretty picture for the next week. And Mike will be home so if you hear the music you will know there is a karaoke party going on.