Wednesday, March 31, 2010

This is Pepper....he's an 8 week old toy Poodle. No, not ours. He belongs to Judy and Bob. Judy is the woman who does our massages once a month and her old dog died about 6 months ago. I got to hold Pepper this evening and I don't think he even weighs 1 pound. He's a little cutie, but I still don't think Lucy would like to live with a dog...

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

oooowwwwwww! That's all of us howling at the full moon....it's so beautiful. I can't tell whether it's the full moon or the top down on

the little red car that's making us so silly! Wait...is that hair growing on papa/gump's head?

Monday, March 29, 2010

It's Monday and you know what that means at our house (um, that would be when it's not NFL season)? Dancing With The Stars..and guess which star we're voting for...hey, maybe it is the NFL! That's right Mr. Chad Ochocinco (formerly the Bengal player known as Johnson). We used up all 11 of our votes tonight on Mr. 85! It really doesn't matter if he's the best, we just enjoy Chad doing something so far out of his comfort zone. It's a good lesson for all of us to stretch a little into that uncomfortable zone.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

It's Palm Sunday...the day we celebrate Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. At Trinity...we each received a long, and dangerously pointy, palm frond. The choir and flags and Rev. Nic all paraded around the church while we sang....it's one of my favorite music Sundays. The rest of the week, at least for us Episcopalians, will include a service Thursday night called Maundy Thursday, the night Jesus celebrated the Last Supper (Feast of Passover) with the disciples. Friday is the Good Friday service.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

This is what we did today. It's a big event in Northern Kentucky and we've been for the last two years. We have a table for four and friends go with us. We take fruit and cheese and ham sandwiches to snack on....the big race is the 9th race and all four of us won something on Dean's Kitten (the 9 horse). It was a beautiful day in Florence and we really enjoyed being able to walk outside to watch them saddle the horses. The winner of this race may be in the Derby, so we will watch the lineup for May 1 Derby with interest.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Hanging in the window for all the world to see. Kentucky Blue goes with any decor! We're ready for the Elite Eight game tomorrow with West Virginia....

Abby won her second Second Place Overall finish in her gymnastics meet tonight....way to go Abby! Christian and Chan have soccer games tomorrow and I'm guessing Andrew will be playing baseball. Chloe...keep up the You Tube...we love seeing you!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

We had friends over for dinner tonight. Since the UK game didn't start until 10:00, we thought we'd better do something to stay awake. Ron and Alla are UK fans and were glad to help us out. Joe and Gail are from New England and don't really get the March Madness thing! It's good to have friends, especially when you don't live close to your grandkids! It's half-time while I write this, so hopefully tomorrow I can report how happy we are to move on to the Elite Eight!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Banana, cheerios, sports section....must be breakfast. We have a pretty good routine in the morning and part of that is papa/gump's breakfast. Sometimes Lucy likes to join him on the table to check and make sure the milk in his cheerios is fresh or sit on the paper to see who won last night, but this morning she's no where to be found. Papa/gump and I argue about banana eating all the time. I tell him to leave the peel on and just pull down as he eats it...he likes to remove the peel...I think God put that peel there for a reason...to hold your banana without getting your hands gunky! What do you think?

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

It's "guess the caption" game. Here are the choices:

1. Abby go to your closet and don't come out until I say so

2. Spring brings tornados, so Abby decides to sleep in the closet "just in case"

3. It's quiet in here and I can guard my shoes

4. Abby built a fort in the family room and then needed to move it for the cleaning people. Looked like a good place to sleep

I know it's kinda hard to see what the picture is...but if you look carefully, Abby is sleeping on the floor in her sleeping bag...a closet sitter just like her Uncle David.

Monday, March 22, 2010

And the winner is.......Chandler! woohoo, we hear that Chan had a fabulous weekend of winning: the "hat game" (more about that later) and for the first time ever.....mexican train! Now that's what I call a weekend! See the hat on Chloe...here's the game as it was described to me...Chloe sits on a swing and swings...the participants stand back and try to land the hat on the swinging head...well, seems Chan was the big winner here...I've never played the hat game, but I'm sure it can be added to the list of family competitions this summer!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

So.....what is a Boilermaker? (not THAT kind of boilermaker Uncle Mark)

From the Purdue official website: "Fall of 1891, Purdue had acquired a working railroad engine to mount in a newly established locomotive laboratory. It was one more step in the development of Purdue as one of the world's leaders in engineering teaching and research. For athletic adversaries and their boosters, this specialty in engineering education - and the other concentration at the founding of the institution, agriculture - served as fodder for name-calling. Over the years, Purdue teams had been called grangers, pumpkin-shuckers, railsplitters, cornfield sailors, blacksmiths, foundry hands and, finally, boilermakers. That last one stuck.

And tonight they're "Going to the Sweet Sixteen". Thanks for beating Texas A&M Boilermakers....it was a game and a half to watch! Oh, and by the way, for the C's, this is where your Uncle Dave graduated from college....with a degree in engineering, of course!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

First day of Spring....woooohoooo! This is what you see in downtown Covington on a beautiful Spring Saturday evening. The horse and buggy are waiting to take the bride and groom for a ride and the flower girl is standing under the horses head....it was cute and we stood on the corner across the street and watched for a long time before finishing our walk. GO CATS!

Friday, March 19, 2010

You know it's Spring when the weiner wagon shows up at the corner of 6th and Vine. This is in front of my building and it's there cooking up hot-dogs, metts and brats (with mustard, catsup, onions and sometimes peppers). The weiner wagon man also sells chips and soft drinks in cans. The whole meal is pretty cheap, although I'm not allowed to eat that stuff! So we now know Spring is here 'cause the weiner wagon has been on the corner all week...wooohooo! This weekend brings a soccer game, baseball practice and MARCH MADNESS.....GO CATS!

Thursday, March 18, 2010 PartII

This is the evening of a very happy birthday to me. I had a wonderful day....lots of singing and e-mails and texts and birthday cards. We went to McCormick and Schmicks for dinner tonight. We walked over because it was so beautiful out ....and when we left, we walked back home 'cause it was still beautiful. The moon is in the 1st quarter and looks like a smile...just for me...The picture of us is taken at M&S in a booth called a "snug". It has curtains so it's very private and people think someone important is inside. It was so much fun. It's been a great day and I'm very thankful for all my family and friends who made it such a special day.

March 18, 2010

It's my birthday!!!! This picture was taken on my birthday 62 years ago...so how old was I when it was taken? It makes me laugh when I look at this picture...see how curly my hair was! Also, the locket I'm wearing is still in my jewelry box...it's a little beat up, but it's nice to still have it. I think this was the first professional picture my parents had taken of me and it was in Greeley, Colorado. I think having birthdays is great fun and it's good to look back over the year and smile about the good stuff and look forward to all the new things that will be coming! And for a final word, this picture was scanned on my new printer, copier, scanner thingy that your parents and Uncle Mark and Aunt Ann gave me for my birthday.....so thank them, we'll have fun scanning pictures for our blog.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Did you wear green today? When we were kids, if you didn't wear green on St. Patrick's Day someone would pinch you....if you did wear green...you got a kiss. I think the kiss part was when we were really little and it was our parents that would kiss us. The pinch came later in school! Papa/gump and I don't have any Irish in our blood, but I know for a fact the C's do...how 'bout you A's? I don't think so, but maybe...you should ask your Dad. One of the things they do in Cincinnati on St. Patrick's Day is drink green beer. It's kind of disgusting looking, as are the green mashed potatoes!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The important thing about going to the racetrack is studying...studying the racing form so you can make an educated guess about who is going to win the race. That's what papa/gump is trying to do here....but Lucy has other ideas. She thinks maybe she can pick the winning horse by sniffing the form....but first, she has to sit in the middle and absorb the info...don't you wish you could sit on your math book and absorb the info that way! In the end, I had to lift poor Lucy off the racing form so that very important and often incorrect pick could be made!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Today in History! This is the Ides of March, the day Julius Ceasar was killed at the Roman Forum in 44 BC. Long time ago, but papa/gump and I are going to be wandering around in that very same Forum in June when we go to Rome. It's hard to imagine being able to stand close to the place where Julius Ceasar once stood...history is a wonderful thing and being able to wander about in it is awesome. I have a friend that was born today, so it's always been an interesting day for me. And Abby, you'll get to this stuff in a couple of years!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

It's all about Aunt Ann tonight. Tomorrow your Aunt Ann starts her new job in Oklahoma City. We all wish her a really good job and think the company that hired her is pretty smart! The problem is the animal shelter where she's been volunteering will really miss her. We can't wait to hear how she liked her first week....so, let's all give a shout out to Aunt Ann...WOOOOHOOOO!

Now on a not so happy note....the one and same Aunt Ann will not be cheering for UK this March Madness....for some reason Uncle Mark can't understand....Aunt Ann is a Kansas Jayhawk fan....go figure!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

FOG...you know you're in Kentucky when you have early morning fog. This is what the Roebling bridge looks like on a foggy morning. A long time ago, one of your parents (he knows who he is) used to tell me "fog-monster" stories when we rode the bus across the bridge. Everytime I walk across in the fog, I wonder if the fog-monster is going to grab at my ankle...makes me walk faster. March Madness has hit us...basketball and more basketball...however, one of you played baseball today and another one of you played soccer! Hope both games were good for you!

Friday, March 12, 2010

It's Friday night and Papa/Gump and I are at the Cincinnati Wine Festival. This is a charity event at the Convention Center. We took the bus over from home to Cincinnati...but it was raining so hard we were both very wet (even with umbrellas) when we got there. There are about 139 booths with wine and food that goes with wine (but nothing like Alberto's Olive Oil). We saw a few people from church, but mostly just a bunch of people walking around with wine glasses and happy looks on their faces. We enjoy this event each year 'cause we get to taste new wines without having to buy a whole bottle. It's a very adult event!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday to you, to you, to you, OLE! It's the C's dad and the A's Uncle David's birthday today. 41 years ago on a Tuesday night he blessed our family and especially his brother Mark's (instant playmate...well, a year or so later when he could walk)! This picture was taken on his 18th birthday...check out that hair! It's not the hair so much as the preppy khaki's and red sweater. You'll notice the cake is white with white icing...David's all time fav and I believe Jess is making one for him today. Happy Birthday David and a very happy year.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

All of you have used Google at least once...it's my search engine of choice. And you know how the Google banner celebrates an event by using designed letters...well, Chloe has created this Google banner design for a contest....I'm guessing it's about world peace...what do you think? It's a terrific drawing and we're really proud of Chloe. Good Luck Bug~

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Several days ago I wrote about the really great "early" birthday present from your parents and Uncle Mark & Aunt Ann....the scanner, printer, copier (doesn't do dishes, though) thingy. This afternoon when I was printing off an e-mail, Lucy decided she couldn't stand it anymore! There she is with her nose practically inside the printer, watching to see what comes out. At the end, when the piece of paper shot out, Lucy jumped about 3 inches in the air, hissed at it and took off down the hall. I don't think she will be such a "curious cat" in the future.

Monday, March 8, 2010

This is the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge looking from Cincinnati to Covington. Papa/gump and I walk this bridge as much as we can...I walk to work 1.25 miles there and back (unless it's raining. Papa/gump will walk over one side, down the stairs and up the stairs on the other side and then back home....when he feels like walking!

John A. Roebling began construction on the bridge in 1856, however the bridge did'nt open for foot traffic until Dec. 1866, with its formal opening on Jan.1, 1867. John A.'s son John built the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

The construction cones are there because they are going to start painting the bridge later this month. It's quite a deal watching them get ready. So far they have put up the screen underneath to keep painters from falling in the water or maybe its to keep paint from falling in the river...anyway, there's screen under the bridge and all these crossbeam thingys all over the bridge. The sidewalk will be open while they're painting but not the driving part. Whew, I'm glad cause I LOVE to walk to work!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Senior Day...is there anything better in the Commonwealth of Kentucky on a sunny March day that a win on Senior Day! And what a game it was. This may have been the first game this season that papa/gump didn't stand up through the entire game...well, until the 10 point lead went to 4 anyway. Win 29. And now for March Madness.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

The Workstation...this is where the magic happens...or the Blog anyway. The screen is showing my collection of pictures. Most of them are of food and you won't see them, but the rest are ideas for blog pictures...we're willing to accept suggestions. It was a beautiful sunny day in Kentucky today. We went to the movie this evening to see "Crazy Heart" and really enjoyed it. We think Jeff Bridges should win the Oscar for his performance...very good! When we got home...happy surprise, the C's called us from Cali. So here's what we know from them. Chloe got straight A's on her report card. Woohoo! Chan has started soccer practice and is doing a lot of running...stamina baby! Christian had a "flyer" project for Humanities class and since it was finished, they were playing Wii Baseball....just in time for baseball season.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Panic has hit the streets of Cincinnati.....Apparently there's a shortage of Eggo waffles...the funny thing is when we were kids, we had to make waffles the old fashion way with a waffle iron. Since Kellogg came out with the Eggo waffle, I don't think anyone uses a waffle iron. The problem seems to be a flood at the waffle factory in Michigan...so, leggo my Eggo cause I'm going to put them on E-Bay.

Have a great weekend...50 here so maybe the top will come down on the little red car!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The house on the left has stones embedded in in the brick. They are called Brain Stones and no one seems to know the origin of them..but there are several houses in this neighborhood in Bellevue, KY that have Brain Stones....so, what do you think...should we Google Brain Stones? If you learn anything, let us know. BTW, this house is owned by the woman who gives us our monthly massasge (that we love).

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

What's that...you ask? Ah...well, that dear grandkids is a scanner. It's a VERY happy birthday gift to me from Mark, David, Liz and families (that's you). Now the fun begins. This weekend we're going down to the storage unit and bring up all the old pictures and see which ones might be fun to put on the blog. I'm guessing a picture of one of us in High School basketball uniform might be fun! I also have pictures of some of your ancestors that you will enoy seeing. This is going to be such fun and I can't think of a better birthday gift. It's the 1/2 month birthday since it's not really until the 18th. Check back later for the beginning of the scans.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

This is Ricky...he has to live on the floor since Lucy likes to push him off counter tops...Poor Ricky actually landed on the floor in our bedroom one night when we had dinner guests. This weekend I bought Ricky a light for his tank. It's kind of dark on the floor so I thought he would like a little light. Lucy isn't too sure about the light, so has continued to try to move Ricky around the room...the cord makes this much more difficult. We find watching Lucy and Ricky very entertaining. Sometimes Ricky will tease Lucy by swimming from one side of the tank to the other...Lucy tries to stop her with her paw...too funny.

March 1, 2010

When I was a kid on the first day of the month, the first person to see you in the morning would say "a pinch and a punch for the first of the month" but they had to add "and no returns" or you could say "a pinch and a kick for being too quick" (of course the words accompanied actions)! I don't believe you can go around pinching and punching and kicking family members anymore! Enough of that...The picture here is of my eggcup collection. I don't know if you knew I collected eggcups, but there they are...only most of them are in the storage unit. Some of them are really old and some are just pretty. I like them cause they're small and I used to eat soft boiled eggs out of one when I was a kid...with toast soldiers! Papa/gump wants to collect something new since he sold all his sports collectables! He's thinking about marbles...you should ask him about that!