Clearing the Land

 

On Saturday Mark’s long time friend and distant relative, John, came over to remove another tree. This was an Oak that they think was probably 60 years old. It was close to the house and over the years has grown to lean over the deck and tended to be very messy. As you can see Mark is making sure that John is doing a good job. Actually he was sitting there thinking about all the clean up he was going to have to do. Click for bigger views.

And yes, it is raining yet again today. At this rate we won’t be having a summer.

The Cheesecake Factory

Greg, myself, Emily, and Mark enjoyed a nice dinner with Sheila and Rich at The Cheesecake Factory restaurant at the North Shore Mall. Emily had been there with friends and really liked it. It was very nice inside.

Emily enjoyed the three cheese pasta.

 

 

 

 

Mark had the heart attach BBQ burger deluxe.        Greg enjoyed the Spicy Cashew Chicken.

And I enjoyed the Grilled Medallion Chicken. The portions were large so we get to enjoy everything another day.

And the sun did come out today. Hopefully our bad streak is ended.

Rainy Day Baking

Guess what, that’s right, it’s raining again. Today is suppose to be the last day. I’m looking forward to brighter days. Sheila and Rich are in the area vacationing. They came by last night. This morning I was thinking that I really don’t have a dessert in the house and both Mark and Emily are home so I took advantage of the extra help and made my favorite Whoopie Pie Cookies. They’re a bit time consuming but with the extra help things went smooth. These are a big favorite of mine so its good to have the extra people around to help eat them. (Click on the photos for a closer look).

Another Rainy Day

It’s really getting to be a broken record this rain. So we’re amusing ourselves by playing with our geriatric dog. Poor Abbey, there was a day when the kibble would hit the bowl she’d come a running. She’s pretty deaf now. This morning she was sound asleep on the living room couch. Greg saved a bite of poptart for her. It was awhile before the aroma finally woke her.

Garden Progress

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Every year I try to have a garden. This year is no different. I have six zucchini plants and a few tomatoes in containers on the deck. The pictures show that there has been some progress despite the cool temperatures and lack of sunshine. I’ve been doting upon them determined that this year I will have some yield. I’ll keep updating as the season progresses.

Greg came home safely much to all our delight. It’s nice to have the family together again. Derek has two gigs today. This morning he’s playing with one of the bands he’s in, The Goodhue Band, at a local middle school for a fundraiser. They are doing that pro bono. This evening his other band, Plum Crazy, is playing at an Elk’s Club. That is a paid gig. He’ll make $100 for a few hours work. Life is certainly fine when you can get paid for your passion. I hope he has a life full of that.

Probably all of you experienced bloggers already know about this gem but just in case. . . I was reading in a computer magazine about Microsoft Live Writer. A free download for blogging. Finally I’ve found what I’ve been looking for. It’s so much easier than using what BlogSpot provides. If you want to try it here’s the link: Microsoft Live Writer This was the first post in which I used pictures with Writer. Initially I had some issues publishing it but research and perseverance paid off. To view the photos click on View Full Album. Click on Slide Show just above the photos for best viewing.

Rain or Not, Its The Weekend

Yeah, its Friday. The week flew by. Greg left for Maryland on Monday to attend a class. He returns today. Its been yet another rainy day today and its suppose to rain well into next week. I’m thinking it may be ark building time. I’m looking forward to the weekend regardless because Greg will be home, I don’t have to work and Sunday is Father’s Day. We aren’t dramatic celebrating types. Greg said he would like to go see the movie Up. It sounds like a nice rainy activity. The downside to this weather is it doesn’t give me much in the way interesting to blog about.

I'm an Empty Nester

I'm finally an empty nester. I better be more specific. The kids are still here but our baby robins are gone. I went into work for 4 hours today to cover so one of the girls could go to an award ceremony for her daughter. When I got home I noticed one of the robins was perched on the outside of the tree. He let me get pretty close. I peaked in the nest and it was empty. He sat there probably for at least a half hour. When I checked again he was gone and that was it. Total care and investment on the part of the parents about one month. The observations that I made are to build your next small and when they're big enough stop bringing the food and surprisingly they move out. A lot to be learned from Mother Nature.

They Grow up Fast

I took this yesterday of our two babies. Originally there were three. I'm not sure if something happened to one of them or not but these two look very ready to take off. There is no room in the nest now.

When will it End?

Monday was the last nice day we had this week. It has rained on and off all week and been very gloomy. Last night the rain was very hard and continues this morning. My tomatoes are loving it and they are getting bigger. I don't know about other people but this weather tends to make me sleepy. I love the sound of the falling rain.

This was Emily's last full week of school. She has full days Monday-Wednesday then finals begin on Thursday. She'll get out at 11:15 on those days. Tuesday, the 23rd is her last day. My plan for her this summer is driver's ed. She really needs to be pushed to do this as she is a fearful driver. If left to her own devices she would probably never get her license . . .but she will not be left to her own devices.

Derek continues to divide his time between practicing at school and being home. He has his sights set on getting into the wind ensemble in the fall. It is a coveted position and very difficult to get into. He easily practices 7 hours per day.

Mark is in full landscape mode, except for rainy days like today. I think he enjoys the periodic break. He has been unable to find a truck that meets his wants so he has decided to put a hitch on his car and has purchased a trailer. The trailer is on back order and will need to be put together. Once all these things are done he will start looking for a 4-wheeler. He has his sights set on the trails in Maine.

Greg is off to Maryland on Monday for a training class until Friday. We'll be settling into a calmer, summer routine. My computer work has slowed. There are a few scattered projects over the summer but nothing like the month of May. I plan to use this time to hone my skills. I'm going to take an online class from our local community college to become more adept at Microsoft Access. I use it for various groups I do things for and would like to become more proficient.

We don't have any big summer plans. We tend to be very conservative with one in college and another in another year. I'm a home body and stay-cations work for me.

Hopefully over the weekend we can update you on our baby robins. I've checked during the week and they are growing. I don't like to upset the mother so I keep my distance.

Greg Gives Back

On Saturday Greg donated his day to help build a house for Habitat For Humanity. He's my hero and I'm sure a happy family's as well. Follow the link to the story: http://www.thedailyitemoflynn.com/articles/2009/06/08/news/news04.txt

Springtime Babies

We have a new family at our house. About a month ago we noticed a lot of activity in our hemlock tree out front. We have 3 baby robins probably 4-5 days old. The mother robin stands guard over her brood. We cautiously took the pictures with her screaming at us nearby. It's amazing how crowded the nest looks. Maybe that's why the babies move out so fast once their grown. Hmmm, perhaps we can take a lesson from mother nature. Click on the photos for a closer look.