A Snap in Time: A Photo Blog

2006-07-14T17:56:00.000-04:00

Well, quite an afternoon for this family yesterday!

Our backyard is overrun by woodchucks, but usually safely outside the dogpen and out of Holly's reach.

We had no idea how it started, but we found Holly in a tussle with a woodchuck INSIDE the dogpen. It was sooo nasty! We tried to separate Holly from the woodchuck by using a waterhose on them, but Holly's hold on the woodchuck was very, very firm. At one point, she almost took the animal into the house but we got them separated. I pulled Holly into the sunroom so the woodchuck could escape.

But the woodchuck appeared to be in shock and it moved slowly. But then both dogs started barking and it was startled into climbing up the fence.

But once it got on the top, it wouldn't budge. It was breathing very hard. After about 15 minutes, it balanced itself on the pole and closed its eyes.

We called the county for animal control. Know what? It doesn't exist! But we did find some private agencies in the phone book. When we called one of them, they told us it would cost us $200 to take care of the woodchuck. It wouldn't give us any advice about what to do on our own. Out of desperation, we called one of our neighbors and luckily, she said she was a "farm girl" and knew exactly what to do. She came over with a stick and she gave a gentle whack on the woodchuck's butt. Off went the woodchuck into the woods...very fast! Poor animal! I hope it wasn't too injured...it was so cute.

From now on, Holly has to wear this bell on her collar. (We call it a "cowbell"). It used to belong to Chief, another Dalmatian we owned back in the 1990's and it worked very, very well. So well, he never killed another animal again. Let's hope it'll work for Holly!

My Girlz

2006-05-14T16:02:00.000-04:00

Something very historic: photo taken after they met face to face for the first time since adopting Belle back in the fall.

"Why is Mommy way over there?"

Lounging in the sunroom.

Sisterly love.

Staying close to each other because they're afraid of the lawnmower mowing their precious dogpen.

Life is good!

It's been a long, long winter...

2006-03-21T19:04:00.000-05:00

Holly and her "blankies"...

She's decided that the welcome mat is warmer than her usual blankies.

She took our master bedroom bedspread from the laundry room.

Happy Spring!!!

Lost and found

2005-10-09T17:47:00.000-04:00

Belle ran away on Monday. :-( I was walking her over to the backyard when I tripped over a stepping stone and dropped her leash, startling her into zooming off deep into the woods. Volunteers came to help look for her. There were several sightings but Belle kept evading capture. She was especially challenging because prior to us adopting her, she'd been outside all her life and already knew how to survive in the woods. We were frantic for her safety and missing our little baby so much.

Despite about 10 volunteers from the rescue working very, very hard to bring her home safely, Belle came home on her own! It was around 4:30 AM when I woke up and spotted her outside on the front stairs, waiting for us. We knew her homecoming was pending because she'd been eating the food and using the bed we left out for her in case she found her way back home. I woke N#wby up and he grabbed Belle into his arms. We were delirious with joy and relief at having our little girl back home safe!

Belle, after spay surgery. She's now doing great!

Before and After #4

2005-10-05T16:01:00.000-04:00

We had both bow windows changed yesterday.

Family Room - Before

Living Room - Before

Family Room - After

Living Room - After

Holly enjoying this very wide window sill.

Sleeping Beauty

2005-09-24T15:48:00.000-04:00

I love how Holly curls her paws under her.

Married 16 years ago today

2005-09-23T15:45:00.000-04:00

Photos!

2005-09-17T15:40:00.000-04:00

Before weatherproofing our house. The crawl space gets really wet after rainstorms. And the dogpen becomes a literal mud field as well. We pray and hope that the french drain (being put under the ground as I type this entry) will stop saturating our house! The chainlink fencing has been taken down so the tractor can get into the backyard. We're back to walking the doggies several times again, ugh! It'll probably be only for a week or two.

Holly and a neighbor's poodle just before the fencing was taken down. That poodle is *STRONG*...he kept tipping Holly into the ground, hahahaha!

Belle on the videophone thinking about who to call to, ha! When someone answers, a second window pops up at the top left.

Our Asian-/Oriential-/Indian-inspired fireplace. As you can see, the stones are a bit dirty, so chimney/fireplace people are coming to treat it next month.

The wallshelf in my office. The watercolor sitting on the left side is the drawing of our old house. I still dream about it from time to time. Yep, I haven't read those books yet! :-D

Obligatory Photos of the Cats and Dogs

2005-09-15T15:26:00.000-04:00

Tabitha in her favorite cocoon bed. As she's over 17 years old, she's ALWAYS in there. :-/ No, she never plays with the hanging pom...that's for babies.

Varinia. She just got back from the groomer's, which is why she's looking slightly crabby.

Tiger snoozing in his favorite spot. These beds belonged to Cleo, but I didn't have the heart to throw them out after she passed away last January.

Moushole in my office. She loves those wide window sills! She usually can be found sitting at the window around 5:15 PM waiting for "Daddy" to drive into the driveway after work.

Belle's back at home after a few days at the foster home! She had to receive two injections for her heartworm on Monday and Tuesday so she's feeling sick, uncomfortable and miserable. She kept insisting on laying on the sofa in the living room so I covered the sofa with a mattress cover for her. Tiger and Mousie did not appreciate her presence because the sofa is in their territory. Pooh!

Holly in my "comfy chair". These days, we've had to fight for the prime spot in front of TV. If I don't give her the seat, she'll stand in front of me and look at me in the eye all day.

Unpacking

2005-09-03T15:24:00.000-04:00

Tiger and Mousehole "helping" with unpacking those boxes...

Before and After #3

2005-08-26T15:18:00.000-04:00

The backyard patio-before.

After. The awning should prevent the cement drain from flooding up into the laundry room during heavy rainstorms. The fence should prevent people from falling into the stairs since the entrance is right on ground level. The dogs use this entrance to get outside or inside. Very convenient, as they will not be in contact with the cats at all.

Little Belle

2005-08-25T15:20:00.000-04:00

I do so love this little girl.

Doggy photos!

2005-08-23T09:46:00.000-04:00

Belle is home! Being between 12-18 months, she should be active, playful and maybe pesty, but she's still quite sick from the heartworm treatment, poor thing!

Belle loves chairs and gets on every "comfy" chair she can find in this house!

Belle is emailing thank-you notes to everybody who left get-well notes for her.

Holly knows that there is another dog in the house so she's been like, "I know you're in there, so come on out and play with me!"

I think Holly is a little miffed by the presence of another dog in her house so we have to tell her "I love you" in sign over and over again.

A doggy weekend

2005-08-08T10:47:00.000-04:00

This is Belle. We drove over to her foster family's place to visit her. At a quick glance, she looks exactly like Cleo, but at a closer look, she has warm brown eyes! Just like Holly!

Belle is very shy and timid, all right. Like Cleo, she didn't like cameras. Her foster mom said she distrusts men, but she didn't shy away from Newby's hand, so that's good. We reallyreallyreally wanted to take her home with us right away and smother her with love and attention, but it will be quite a while before we can do that. She was tested positive for heartworm so she's starting treatment today. And as soon as she finishes treatment, she will need to be fixed.

Finally, after almost three months of bureaucracy (there are 4 water pipes in our backyard that belong to the water company!), the dogpen is finally up! Here, Holly and Pandora (a friend's hearing/sight dog staying with us for the weekend) test out the new fence.

Watching a chipmunk slink away under the fence.

Taken this morning. Pandora has left. A filthy Holly is passed out from two full days of hard playing at the dogpen.

Before and after #2

2005-07-30T10:43:00.000-04:00

Before painting. Stove pipe above microwave exposed. And those darn kitties love to get on top of the cabinets.

Before painting.

Voila, no more exposed stove pipe...soffit was added to cover the entire top of the cabinets. The kitties are not amused.

Kitchen painted in key lime color in honor of Newby's favorite dessert.

Photos!

2005-07-29T22:41:00.000-04:00

Our kitchen window. Pretty soon, there will be a 6" chainlink dogpen up, maybe obscuring the view...

Tiles for the bathrooms. The right is for our master bath, the left for our hall bath. Decorative tiles are so frightfully expensive, so I was really glad to see that Lowe's has some very nice tiles for only $3.50 per tile. These tiles are to be used for trim; the long ones go on the top of the tiled walls; the square ones will be at the bottom. There will be solid-colored tiles in between those tiles; just haven't decided on the colors yet.

Progress after two weeks.

Before and after #1

2005-07-25T22:39:00.000-04:00

This is the dining room, before painting. It's dark, dark green!

After painting. Two tones. It's really brightened up the room. I wanted to get rid of the chair rail, but the contractor said it was probably expensive, by the look of its quality. And suggested two tones.

I'll post the before and after photos of the kitchen later.

Mold people were here all day today to remove all mold/mildew from the attics (we have two) and the crawl space. We were stunned when they told us they found two live bee hives in one of the attics, right above our master bedroom. Thankfully, their duties included removing and getting rid of them for us. We'll have to hire a roofer to determine where the bees got in and then cover it up. Still, we're a little freaked by the news...what if one of the kitties accidentally got into the attic? Yikes.

Photos!

2005-07-15T19:04:00.000-04:00

Nothing at all like getting up in the morning for coffee and paper...bliss! Though, after reading Washington Post for 25+ years, it did take me some time before I got used to the different editing and style of Philadelphia Inquirer.

Almost, without fail, every time I pour my coffee cup, Mousie's on the mat screeching for her breakfast.

My temporary computer desk. Newby managed to wrangle a dedicated broadband for my laptop computer. But it needs to be next to his computer for it to work. Not too crazy about his dark office with wood walls though. It will be quite a while before I get broadband upstairs in my own office. Our favorite electrician is willing to come over to do the work for me but he's on vacation until Labor Day.

Today's haul from the library.

An update on our life...

2005-07-06T13:42:00.000-04:00

Mousie (top) and Tiggy have taken over my "cross stitching chair". They're there the very second I vacate the chair.

Varinia is so obsessed with woodchucks that roam our backyard that she's always at the window looking for them. But thanks to our loud girl, Holly, we haven't seen a single woodchuck in the backyard in weeks.

That's our park-like backyard. It's so private that I can walk Holly in my pajamas early in the morning or at night if she needs to go quickly. We are anxiously awaiting the first bill from the lawnmowing company.

That's Tabitha, our 17-year-old Sealpoint Siamese. She's completely blind, deaf and arthritic, but still a very tough little lady. Here, she's enjoying a sniff of fresh air from the opened window.

Hi!

That's Holly....

2005-06-15T11:57:00.000-04:00

...watching me eat an ice cream cone...

All settled in the new house!

2005-05-25T13:03:00.000-04:00

Meet Miss Holly...

2005-04-21T10:20:00.000-04:00

(ed. note: there are quite a few photos coming up that were taken before this photo)

Tabitha

2004-10-28T16:22:00.000-04:00

Tabitha had a tumor removed yesterday. She's doing well and resting comfortably at home. Poor baby.

No more "jungle"!!

2004-10-25T16:33:00.000-04:00

We gave up on the weed-prone groundcover and had it removed and replaced with new grass sod.

Tooth-gaped

2004-10-23T16:36:00.000-04:00

We woke up to tree removal people taking out three towering trees from the neighbor's backyard.

The kitchen has become quite warm now that it's getting direct sun. I can't imagine how hot it'll be come summer.

Talk about upsetting! We can see the house from here, ugh!

Grr!!

Cross stitch progress

2004-10-20T16:01:00.000-04:00

That's how far I'm at my current cross stitching project. It's going into the "powder room" at our new house when I'm done...

The reluctant poser

2004-10-13T15:57:00.000-04:00

Mom!!

All decked up for Halloween

2004-10-04T15:54:00.000-04:00

This is the dining room, all decked up for Halloween for my "Ladies' Night Out" group on Saturday night. I won this jack-o-lantern tablecloth on eBay and I love it!

Waiting for Daddy to come home tonight...

2004-10-01T18:50:00.000-04:00

Autumn breeze

2004-09-21T11:19:00.000-04:00

Tabitha and Varinia enjoying fresh air from the open sliding door...

Happy Fall!

Done, finally.

2004-09-06T18:04:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure I like it...the blue valance seems to overpower the whole picture.

Salad Days

2004-08-23T11:28:00.000-04:00

Feline kewl

2004-08-03T15:28:00.000-04:00

On a hot and humid day like today, Varinia likes to cool off on our glass coffee table in the living room...

Just arrived in mail

2004-08-02T15:27:00.000-04:00

It contains the full DMC 472-skein floss set. It was a steal at only $110, rather than the $.55 per skein = $259.60 that the local needlework shop normally sells. And the priority shipping was free. I ordered the set in a hissy fit after finding a great chart, only to find out I was out two colors.

Meet Lia

2004-07-31T15:20:00.000-04:00

This is Lia, an adorable Tonkinese belonging to a vacationing couple we are friends with. So far, she's doing all the stuff that I've trained my own kitties not to do so. Sliding paws under the bedsheets in a playful way is the worst...apparently, Lia likes to "bury" her toys under the sheets. And, oh my gosh, but she PROWLS at night. She'll be with us until August 16th...so far, I've had nothing but sleepless nights and endless fetch games every night. Because Varinia and Mousehole, who are dominant types do not appreciate intruders, Lia has to stay in our bedroom behind a closed door. I do so love her hazel eyes though...

Back from the appointment at the vet's

2004-07-24T15:24:00.000-04:00

Tabitha's sounds (heart, lungs, etc.) are still normal. But the vet did point out that her left paw seems quite crooked from arthritis. Other than that, Tabitha is doing pretty good for her age...she's 16.

No nail appointment for this beauty

2004-07-23T09:42:00.000-04:00

Being declawed (he came to us like that), Tiger is excluded from the kitties' monthly visits to the vet's to have their claws clipped.

Happy birthday to me!

2004-07-21T15:22:00.000-04:00

A 3-D birthday card I got from my sister Kathy. It has the things I love...cats, books, crafts, etc. There are seven cats, which is what I have IRL. Too cute!

My early birthday present to myself

2004-07-17T23:47:00.000-04:00

My Dooney & Bourke purse and wallet. I'd been needing one for the spring and summer seasons because my LV purse is too big and too dark for my summer wardrobe.

One of the criterias was, of course, that I be able to fit a trade-size paperback or two into the purse...

Tree-trimmin' time yet again

2004-07-16T14:00:00.000-04:00

The back yard.

The front yard.

Being a "tree-hugger", this is always a very traumatic time for me.

However, being in a near-tropical climate, it's a necessity if we want to keep ants and other pests away from the house.

A WIP Photo #3 ~ "Cat Friends in Window"

2004-07-14T11:41:00.000-04:00

I took out the bow that the orange tabby was wearing in the model. Why cross stitch designers always put those ridiculous bows on cats, I don't know, but they don't wear them in real life! Though the kit doesn't ask for much backstitching, you can tell from this photo that it badly needs it. I'm now working on the blue valance, so will post another photo as soon as I finish it.

Grand Dame Tabitha

2004-07-13T13:23:00.000-04:00

It's been five whole years since we lost Tabitha's sister, Sable...

Tabitha is sitting behind a needlepoint pillow. It was given to Newby in 1982 after his cat, Samantha was put to sleep. Like Tabitha and Sable, Samantha was a Sealpoint Siamese.

Except for the six years between Samantha's death in 1982 and our adoption of Tabitha and Sable in 1988, Newby has never been without a Sealpoint Siamese or two his whole life.

His grandmother was the one who instilled in Newby a love of these cats. She was in the habit of adopting cats in pairs. So Newby grew up with two pairs of Sealpoint Siameses.

The first pair was Lucifer and Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell was run over by a car at a very young age, and Lucifer lived to be about 25 years old. Though Lucifer has been gone since the 1960's, the family still talks about him.

The second was Samantha and Scarlet O'Hara, adopted in 1965. Scarlet O'Hara was put down at age 9 after she was bitten by some wildlife, and Samantha lived to be 17 years old...

Then the third pair is our beloveds, Tabitha and Sable...

What a silly husband

2004-07-11T11:20:00.000-04:00

A while ago I read in a cross stitching forum about needlecraft mystery paperbacks. I rarely read mysteries anymore, but I was very, very intrigued by them. So when Newby said he was heading to the library, I asked him to check out one of these books so I could see whether I'll like it or not.

Well, he brought home the ENTIRE series!! :-/ I have to admit they look really interesting.

Oh well, you know my plans for this week! :-) *adjusting and patting the cushioning on my deck lounge*

Miss Mousehole and her friend

2004-07-08T18:09:00.000-04:00

Taken at breakfast this morning. Always the very first in the kitchen at breakfast, I couldn't interest her with her dish for a while.

Our backyard has really been taken over by wildlife, providing fascinating entertainment for our furkids...

All the greenery in our backyard is all swollen and lush from the many torrential rains we've had lately this summer.

How to stay cool

2004-07-02T16:47:00.000-04:00

We're expecting a hot and humid 4th of July holiday weekend!

Stay in a cool and dark room.

Keep hydrated.

Turn on the air conditioning.

Stay away from the direct sun.

>^..^< A cool Tiger makes for a very happy Tiger. >^..^<

A WIP Photo #2 ~ "Cat Friends in Window"

2004-06-28T22:19:00.000-04:00

Next goal: finish the cats!

Packin' time!

2004-06-27T13:57:00.000-04:00

Miss Mousehole "helping" Daddy pack his stuff for his summer job...

Some snaps from our trip to Philly

2004-06-26T21:53:00.000-04:00

That's where Newby will be working this summer. It's really a very pretty campus.

All the buildings on the campus are stonehouses...it was the style back in early 1820's.

The campus tower.

We were called "de@f @nd dumb" back then.

Each graduating class installs a stone honoring them...what a nice tradition!

At Newby's aunt and uncle's house. Like Cleo, Cosic has her own sofa. Like Cleo, Cosic does not tolerate cameras very well.

The tallest horseman in the painting above the sofa is of Newby's father. Next are Newby's grandfather and uncles. They hosted foxhunting parties all through the early 1900's until Newby's grandfather passed away in 1948.

A new haul from a beloved institution

2004-06-22T01:25:00.000-04:00

Back from the library.

A motivational tool

2004-06-21T23:24:00.000-04:00

Every week, I'll post a WIP (work in progress) photo of my current cross stitch project. I need something to get me going...I go 3, 4, 5 days without touching it. THAT'S NOT GOOD! Finished the window sill and panes. Next goals: flowers, plants, doily and sideboards.

Here's the model:

Princess Cleo

2004-06-19T16:03:00.000-04:00

Cleo and I looooooooooove sitting in the new chaise lounge.

For a princess, Cleo can be incredibly filthy. With that in mind, when I'm not using the lounge, I flip the cusion over to the "wrong" side (translation: dirty and soiled from her past uses) to protect my "right" side (clean, of course!) from her use.

However, I left the lounge for a few seconds (just to grab a Diet Coke from the refrigerator) without flipping the cushion and when I returned, Cleo was already on it. Then I recalled that a few minutes earlier, she had been busy rubbing "stench" (ya know, from wild animals...) all over her fur on the grass.

Can we say, "EEEEWWWWWWWW!"

Now I gotta clean the cushion and dry it in the sun for a few hours. There goes my blissful afternoon of reading. Grr.

He did it for food, not for me!

2004-06-16T21:57:00.000-04:00

Well, Sparty was stuck under the bed AGAIN this morning.

I was so maaaddd! I'm aching all over from the strenous activity of dismantling the bed...the KING-SIZED one yesterday. I didn't sleep well last night because of the pain, so I decided that if there was going to be the dismantling again, Newby would, as soon as he came home from work. Sparty would be fine where he was...it wasn't that life-threatening. So there.

I showered and dressed, unloaded the dishwasher, popped in a load of wash, and straightened out the family room. And fed Tiger, Mousehole and the dog Cleo, and prepared three dishes with meds for the older kitties. When the dishes were ready, I let the older kitties in.

Guess who came in first? Sparty! He managed to unstuck himself all by himself. For food, not for me!

Me bad mommy :-(

2004-06-15T12:50:00.000-04:00

Sparty almost scared me to death this morning!

I realized he was missing at feed time this morning. Come to think of it, I didn't see him last night either when I went to bed!

I did not want to stress Newby out in case it was unnecessary (he had some important appointments today that he couldn't miss) so I waited until he left and then started looking for the darn cat. As a last resort, I started looking under all the beds though I knew he wouldn't fit under any of them because he is a big baby and weighs over 30 lbs.

I finally found him under one of the guest beds, totally stuck. I had to dismantle the bed so I could release him. Poor baby...he peed for a long time and then gulped down his food. He's doing fine now.

I'm such a bad mommy! :-(

My underarm deodorant is a drug!

2004-06-12T13:35:00.000-04:00

Darn. Who knew?

Untouched by history

2004-06-08T22:13:00.000-04:00

We opted to stay home and watch the funeral procession on TV rather than travel to DC and be "touched by history"...though we only live across the river from DC, we've learned from many years of experience that it's better to stay home if you want the "front-row view" of an occasion/event, so...

President Reagan was the one who had the greatest impact on where I am today...

I was RIF'ed (reduced in force) from my first Federal government job (1981), worked for the Peace Corps in the Philippines for two years (1982-1984), got a job offer to work at the Pentag0n (1985), but let go due to a "poor performance review" *long story* (1986), got another job under a "Schedu1e A" (disability) program (1987) and then lost it due to a conflict of interest *another long story* (1989).

Yet, I'm very, very grateful for this quirky direction that led to my present happiness.

Truly a snap in time

2004-06-07T21:21:00.000-04:00

Seeing those kitties like this warms my heart in a bittersweet way because I know this moment is so fleeting. Besides being elderly, between them they have arthritis, blindness, diabetes, heart murmur and obesity. My babies.

Another great photo meme...

2004-06-02T20:32:00.000-04:00

Phototime Tuesday

May 17's challenge: "Geometric Shapes"

Other photo memes:

Theme Thursday

Photo Friday

Birthday Girl and Boy

2004-06-01T12:13:00.000-04:00

Birthday Girl Varinia

Birthday Boy Spartacus

An uneasy truce

2004-05-30T21:20:00.000-04:00

Tiger and Mousehole love to lay on the ottoman, however, only one of them can be on it or there'll be a catfight.

But JUST FOR YOU, they grudgingly posed together for this picture. A second or two after I took this picture, claws suddenly came out and I had to chase them off the ottoman before any blood-letting started. Heh!

Going away for this Memorial Day weekend?

2004-05-29T21:17:00.000-04:00

:-/

How much is that kitty in the window?

2004-05-28T20:21:00.000-04:00

Photo-sizing using the "resize" button will not make the photo clear and sharp.

Photo-sizing using the "resample" button will make the photo clear and sharp. This is why this window screen is so funky.

Duh. This photo was taken about a year ago...

Holding my own over this holiday weekend.

My husband subs at a school for deaf/multi-handicapped students. There is an autistic boy, whose face lightens up every time Hubby enters the classroom.

My husband is 52 and teaching is his "second career". He quit his first career with the US Congress due to burnout and entered grad school to become a teacher.

However, since getting his teaching certificate, he's been questioning his decision to quit his old job with security.

But all that pensiveness went away as soon as he realized he had bonded with the student in a very significant way.

I'm so proud of my husband.

Poor dragonfly

2004-05-27T21:15:00.000-04:00

Cleo got it in her mouth as soon as I let her out. It was still alive and panting even after a few minutes after Cleo let it go. I didn't know what to do so I just put it out of the sun and in the ivy overgrowth. Poor dragonfly.

We have company coming this afternoon *PMS symptoms flaring up* so I have to get moving on and make sure this house is habitable.

I'm so not in the mood to deal with the holiday weekend busy-ness...*pulling blankie over head*

Done!

2004-05-26T21:12:00.000-04:00

A finished cross stitch kit. I started it last fall after receiving an order from a scrapbooker wanting a cover for her Halloween album. I was to finish it on December 1st, but I was sidelined by injury and holiday plans and wasn't able to finish it until now. Of course, the scrapbooker is no longer interested in it. I'll probably put it up for sale at eBay in the end, but for now, I just want to hold on to it and enjoy it. It was such a fun project.

Cicadas

2004-05-24T21:11:00.000-04:00

I have to sweep dead cicadas off the front porch every morning before I can sit and relax with my book. We're lucky we're not exactly swarmed with them this time because there has been so much development around here (new subdivision, new school, new hospital, new metro station, and new bypass) over the last 17 years.

Sleeping Beauty

2004-05-22T21:09:00.000-04:00

In case you can't figure out what the photo is about, that's Miss Mousehole covering her delicate nose with her dainty white mitten. She always sleeps in this way, for some reason.

Cleo today

2004-05-20T19:59:00.000-04:00

Cleo doesn't like going outside very much because she doesn't have any playmates anymore. They're mostly over at the Rainbow Bridge now...Chief (our second dog), Carmel, Negro, and Maxi. There's one more dog that's still alive, but she's too old and ailing to have any play date.

In other news:

I think the mom robin is gone. I miss her. I never did see her babies because the nest was too high.

Recipe - Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

2004-05-18T21:00:00.000-04:00

4 ounces medium noodles

2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (2 ounces)

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Paprika

-Preheat oven 350 degs.

-Cook noodles according to package directions.

-Drain well.

-Stir together noodles, chicken or turkey, broccoli, and green onions in a 2-quart casserole.

-Stir together soup, milk, cheese, basil, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl.

-Stir into noodle mixture.

-Bake casserole, covered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through.

-Sprinkle with paprika.

-Makes 6 servings.

While this casserole was very good, I won't be using the oven for the rest of the summer. I'd forgotten how hot the house can be when you've used the oven for 45 minutes, aaaccckkk.

Recipe - Easy Tex Mex Bake

2004-05-17T20:57:00.000-04:00

~Ingredients~

8 oz uncooked thin mostaccioli

1 pound ground turkey breast

2/3 cup salsa (mild, medium, or hot)

1 package (10 oz) frozen corn, thawed and drained

1 container (16 oz) cottage cheese

1 egg

1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

~Instructions~

-Preheat oven to 350F.

-Cook pasta.

-Drain and rinse well.

-In skillet, cook turkey until no longer pink.

-Stir in salsa and corn.

-Remove from heat.

-Combine cottage cheese, egg, cilantro, white pepper and cumin in small bowl.

-Spoon 1/2 of turkey mixture in bottom of 11x7 baking dish.

-Top with pasta.

-Spoon cottage cheese mixture over pasta.

-Top with remaining turkey mixture.

-Sprinkle Monterey Jack cheese over casserole.

-Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

We had this for dinner over the weekend and it was excellent. No, it's not low-carb. (Please don't let me get all worked up about the lastest fad!)

I have used so many recipes lately that we're losing track of our favorite ones. I figured I should use OD to hold my latest recipes after Hubby asked if we could have "that one from last week or was it two weeks ago?" and I had no idea which recipe he wanted.

Of course, if you'd like to try the recipe, just help yourself to it.

#4897

2004-05-15T21:08:00.000-04:00

I collect vintage Alfred Mainzer Dressed Animals postcards. I prefer the Belgium #4850-4998 series, which were printed in the 1940's and 1950's.

I first discovered these postcards while surfing on eBay back in January of 2001 and immediately fell in love with them.

By early last year, my collection of 148 postcards was complete...except for the postcard numbered #4897. For some reason, the Belgium postcard had never shown up on eBay, though the other series of the same postcard is not so rare.

So two weeks ago, I paid a visit to the Mainzer postcards page on eBay and my heart stopped when I realized the auction was from the Belgium series. To make sure, I emailed the seller to see if the postcard was really printed in Belgium and she assured me it was. I then won it via the last-second sniping.

It arrived in the mail over the weekend, and now my collection is officially complete.

Hello, sun

2004-05-10T21:06:00.000-04:00

My sweet little boy Tiger grabbing some early-morning rays in the kitchen...

...and then my darling little girls, Cleo and Mousehole enjoying the mid-morning sunburst between clouds.

A backyard find

2004-05-05T21:04:00.000-04:00

I found the figurine of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus in our backyard while mowing the lawn soon after we moved into our house back in 1988.

It was dirty after being half buried, and the top of her halo and her feet had been broken off, but I couldn't make myself toss it into the trash bin.

I also had no idea how to dispose of it properly, so I just stuck it in the silverware drawer.

After 16 years, it's still there.

Starstruck

2004-05-03T19:41:00.000-04:00

Varinia, my little movie buff

Sunset on tree

2004-05-01T21:00:00.000-04:00

Taken last Monday. It'd been raining all day, and as dusk was about to arrive, there was a sudden spurt of sun. It was so bright that one could see it reflected on those leaves.

I so do love this bird...

2004-04-26T19:38:00.000-04:00

She's such a good mother. I can't see the babies because it's way above my eye level, unfortunately.

I had to remove light bulbs from the ceiling light and the corner lamp next to the window because they keep scaring the robin off her nest every time I turn on the light at night. I keep forgetting not to touch the switchplates.

A surprise outside our master bedroom window...

2004-04-23T19:34:00.000-04:00

The kitties have been going crazy under this very window for a while and I was wondering why until...

:-)

PS: Today's my Mom's birthday, so this entry's for her.

Haunted House WIP (Edited)

2004-04-20T19:32:00.000-04:00

a cross stitch project I'm currently working on.

Here's what it looked like a month ago:

As for "Family Plots", bah. "Six Feet Under" on HBO (coming back this summer, after this season's "The Sopranos" ends) is much better.

Updates:

As of May 1st

As of May 15th (before backstitches & final touches

Just snapped...

2004-04-19T19:29:00.000-04:00

Just a photo of my periwinkle frontlawn groundcover I took and emailed to a friend because she wanted it for her landscaper.

I'm melting. Today was the second day of 90-degree weather.

Potholes are becoming a huge, huge problem/issue all over the DC/VA/MD area.

A new reality TV show is on tonight...about a family who runs a funeral home. I think it's going to be a very tasteless and tacky show, but because the "train wreck" aspect sounds fascinating, I'm going to watch it anyway.

Self-portrait

2004-04-16T19:26:00.000-04:00

This week's Photo Friday: "Self-Portrait"

That's me in the shadow...

scratchscratchscratch

2004-04-15T19:24:00.000-04:00

Cleo sniffing around under the poison ivy... :-/

I'm having both Survivor and The Apprentice saved to my TiVo tonight. We are done with tax stuff, so we'll be going to the post office in about 30 minutes, woohoo!

grumblegrumble

2004-04-14T19:22:00.000-04:00

Nothing like getting up in the morning and finding my paper all soggy and unreadable...

*pms*

Good dog!

2004-04-13T19:19:00.000-04:00

Cleo getting a treat after her walk with her "daddy"...

My new desktop...

I'm off to bed and read...had dental work done this afternoon and I'm still feeling groggy.

Comfort food

2004-04-12T19:17:00.000-04:00

It's cold and dank out, the kind that gets to the bone, so it will be stew for dinner.

I love this slow cooker...I won it for only a few bucks on eBay last year. It was somebody's wedding gift back in the late 1970's...it was still in original packaging but I found a gift card slipped inside.

Tax day looms ahead...we *finally* got around to getting all the paperwork together, and nothing is missing, phew.

Happy Easter!

2004-04-11T14:43:00.000-04:00

Newby found this painted and hollowed egg while visiting Prague, the Czech Republic three years ago. It's so light and delicate that it was a surprise that the egg survived the trip back home as he's such a terrible packer. The egg is sitting on an eggholder shaped like a hen that belonged to his grandmother.

Easter flowers

2004-04-10T19:15:00.000-04:00

This is from one of the bushes I have on my front lawn. It may look fragile, but it's extremely hardy. It has survived through two drought seasons in the last 10 years since we had the trees planted. This is the pink version. Below is the purple version.

~*~

Yesterday we saw a subtitled foreign movie called Good bye, Lenin! and it was so funny! A great date movie...go see it!

Rain, rain, go away...

2004-04-08T19:01:00.000-04:00

It's chilly and rainy today. I spent most of the afternoon yesterday reading on my new deck lounge in a very balmy 79-deg weather.

Blah.

Transfixed

2004-04-07T18:58:00.000-04:00

Miss Mousehole.

Back from NYC!!!

2004-04-04T14:49:00.000-04:00

Our visit in NYC was, as usual, utterly exhilarating as well as utterly exhausting. It was also very productive...we had four appointments (with accountant, lawyer, etc.). It poured all the way to NYC and back...nothing new.

Here are some photos.

Overlooking Central Park in NYC. Taken in our hotel room on the 39th floor at Le Parker Meridien. Central Park looks drab right now, but it's usually breathtaking at the beginning of summer or at the peak of autumn.

But here's what it looked like when we checked into our room:

I'm totally addicted to the show...I'm rooting for Amy!

Fifth Avenue...a block or so from our hotel. It's my most favorite street in the world!

Our lawyer's office on Battery Park City has the fabulous view of Hudson River...that's the Statue of Liberty on the left, Ellis Island on the right, and the ferry harbor on the bottom. Obviously, we picked a bad time to visit the office...it's always breathtakingly beautiful when it's sunny out. His secretary's window faces what used to be the World Trade Center. His entire staff witnessed the terrorist attacks, so they have to live with the memories for as long as they work in this office.

Come on over...

2004-03-31T13:04:00.000-05:00

...and sit a spell...

It arrived a while ago and I ~love~love~love~ it! I'd relaxed on it at a bed
and breakfast inn where we stayed while vacationing in North Carolina last year
and I just had to have it. It's nice and sturdy and comfortable enough for
extended reading sessions...

We're off to NYC tomorrow for a long weekend, so I'll see you all next
Monday. :-)

Chair sitter

2004-03-29T13:02:00.000-05:00

Cleo, my chair sitter...yep, she thinks she's "people".

Per your notes about the poison ivy, we don't plan to do anything with it.

It encompasses about 1/8 of our acre and they're way back in our backyard and
if we wanted to get rid of it, it would cost us $1,500 to hire a service to take
care of the poison ivy. However, we would rather spend that money on stuff more
important.

Besides, this is "fox country" around here. I get sick and tired of seeing
bloody animal parts scattered about when I go out for a walk every morning, so,
by leaving poison ivy alone, I like to think I'm providing a sanctuary for
little animals escaping from foxes.

Sopranos!

2004-03-28T16:45:00.000-05:00

To celebrate our favorite TV show, we have supper of lasagna, a bottle of Chianti wine and chocolate pudding pie. We usually save the dessert for when The Sopranos comes on.

Newby comforting a whiny Cleo...she wanted to go walking RIGHT NOW. But the dinner was starting in a few minutes. :-(

Photo Friday - "Neglect"

2004-03-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

This week's Photo Friday: "Neglect"

The tree's in our backyard. It's completely overrun with poison ivy.

Theme Thursday - "Television"

2004-03-26T11:58:00.000-05:00

This week's Theme Thursday: "Television"

I do my treadmill workouts in front of the TV several times a week in the
basement, but now that the weather is warmer, I'll be taking my exercise
outside...

Sleepy bookworm

2004-03-24T11:54:00.000-05:00

Spartacus, my sleepy bookworm...

We got on the waiting list at the library for the book, Da Vinci
Code, by Dan Brown, back in October as soon as we heard the raves about the
book.

A while ago, after realizing we still hadn't gotten the call from the library, we called to inquire after the availability of the book and were told we were the 166th on the list.

After losing patience with the library over the weekend, we decided to buy the book at Costco. My husband was going out of town soon and really wanted
this book on hand for the trip...

This morning, we got a call from the library saying that the book was ready
to be picked up!!

Marlena is the killer?

2004-03-22T16:42:00.000-05:00

Finally catching up on "Days of Our Lives" on TiVo.

Hello, Spring!

2004-03-21T16:24:00.000-05:00

Da bird! Da plane!

A dedicated squirrel watcher.

Cleo looks bug-eyed because she was in the middle of barking...

Pretty Tabitha sitting pretty.

Get that thing off my face!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2004-03-17T16:12:00.000-05:00

Shamrocks growing out of the mosquito lantern... :-P

LEMMEIN!!

It was warm enough to sit out on the front porch (with his wireless laptop) for a few hours.

Spring is here!!

2004-03-14T11:20:00.000-05:00

Cozy

2004-03-12T16:01:00.000-05:00

Spartacus (big boy) and Tabitha (little girl) cozying up in my "cross
stitching chair"

Lonesome doggy

2004-03-09T15:57:00.000-05:00

The kitties have been at the vet's since last night, getting their teeth clean, so it's very, very quiet around the house. Knowing that Cleo does not like it when she's all alone in the house, I bought a bunch of rawhides to keep her busy until the kitties come home.

My current desktop

2004-03-05T15:22:00.000-05:00

A Snap in Time: A Photo Blog

My Girlz

It's been a long, long winter...

Lost and found

Before and After #4

Sleeping Beauty

Married 16 years ago today

Photos!

Obligatory Photos of the Cats and Dogs

Unpacking

Before and After #3

Little Belle

Doggy photos!

A doggy weekend

Before and after #2

Photos!

Before and after #1

Photos!

An update on our life...

That's Holly....

All settled in the new house!

Meet Miss Holly...

Tabitha

No more "jungle"!!

Tooth-gaped

Cross stitch progress

The reluctant poser

All decked up for Halloween

Waiting for Daddy to come home tonight...

Autumn breeze

Done, finally.

Salad Days

Feline kewl

Just arrived in mail

Meet Lia

Back from the appointment at the vet's

No nail appointment for this beauty

Happy birthday to me!

My early birthday present to myself

Tree-trimmin' time yet again

A WIP Photo #3 ~ "Cat Friends in Window"

Grand Dame Tabitha

What a silly husband

Miss Mousehole and her friend

How to stay cool

A WIP Photo #2 ~ "Cat Friends in Window"

Packin' time!

Some snaps from our trip to Philly

A new haul from a beloved institution

A motivational tool

Princess Cleo

He did it for food, not for me!

Me bad mommy :-(

My underarm deodorant is a drug!

Untouched by history

Truly a snap in time

Another great photo meme...

Birthday Girl and Boy

An uneasy truce

Going away for this Memorial Day weekend?

How much is that kitty in the window?

Poor dragonfly

Done!

Cicadas

Sleeping Beauty

Cleo today

Recipe - Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Recipe - Easy Tex Mex Bake

#4897

Hello, sun

A backyard find

Starstruck

Sunset on tree

I so do love this bird...

A surprise outside our master bedroom window...

Haunted House WIP (Edited)

Just snapped...

Self-portrait

*scratchscratchscratch*

*grumblegrumble*

scratchscratchscratch

grumblegrumble