brilliant red dianthus and pink daisies next to some parsley and other herbs. 

One of my newly planted pots which includes a coppery red coleus, purple salvia, yellow celosia and the petunia-like trailing burgundy flower. 

Funky Memorial Day

Ever have one of those days that just happen to be a 'holiday' and you don't feel like 'getting into at least part of the celebration? Sean did-in a way. He went up to the next town's parade and took some photos. I stuck some flags around. Brian char-cooked and ruined the meat we had for dinner. And it was the second time he had cooked this cut of meat that way. Like we didn't learn from the first time not to cook it on the grill. I actually wanted burgers but he had defrosted the meat and that was that. Before the grilling disaster, Sean and I ran down to the mall so he could get some dress pants. He needed a larger size then the ones he had and he picked out some nice navy blue ones. He is going to the Senior dinner dance on 6/3. We also had to get a battery for the cordless phone and my digital camera at good ol' Radio Shack. The phone battery was the wrong one, so I have to take it back. I checked out this one department store's outdoor plant area and nabbed some 4-packs of flowers for about 95¢ each. I needed some more portulaca (finally got that spelling correct) and I got some pretty salvia-a dark purple and burgundy. Sean used all my celosia, so I bought some more of that too.
On the way home we stopped in Walmart so Sean could apply for a job on their in store computer. He has no previous job experience so he just put in the volunteer work that he did for his graduation project. He had helped out at a nature center in Delaware last summer.
I really was in the mood to do some flower planting before it rained. It's been like this for the last three days. It's nice, it gets dark and cooler and then in the late afternoon it rains. I managed to repot my geraniums and pot up some planters for the front step. I used mainly fancy coleus, salvia and a few other trailing plants. The planters I used didn't have drainage last year and the potting soil got muddy. Brian poked some holes in them this year. I don't think the same thing will happen this year as they are planted very tightly with the new plants. I'll post a photo soon.
The cat pooed on me this evening as the last straw for such a weird day. He jumped on me, I was snuggling with him and felt 'wet' on my t-shirt. There were little brown spots on me and it wasn't vomit. Cossy was embarrassed. Tomorrow has just got to get better!

Seed planting

Just a little while ago, I finally got my first few packages of seeds in a circle garden that Brian dug up for me last night. It's where we use to have a satellite dish (yep, one of those huge ones) and there's a hunk of cement left there. I did the same thing last year and it looked pretty. I usually plant flower seeds every year anyway. I sprinkled some wildflower seeds in first followed by Cosmos, Zinnias (including lime green ones), and Marigolds. In the center is a raised up little container with colored glass and water. It got dirt in it from the rototiller, so I should have cleaned it out first before I planted anything.
I do have another circle garden for sunflowers. Last year the deer and probably groundhogs too ate almost everything in there. I'll try again. I just don't like breaking my back for wildlife who have acres and acres of vegetation behind my house to munch on.
I did a lot of running around today. I mailed off a few items, got a piece of posterboard (the store I went to doesn't sell uncut mat board), gas (the van was running on fumes), strawberries for a picnic tomorrow at a produce place and finally I hit the grocery store. I can't stop buying plants! I got some gorgeous geraniums-day glow pink, white with a pinkish center and dark burgundy. I got some coleus-some are similar to a few I saw on a fellow gardener's blog-reddish orange, but they are a mixture. I also got some feathery celosia. Not many places have the portuluca I want for my yucca bed. I may get Brian to go with me to the garden center tomorrow. He needs to plant tomatoes and green peppers as they are sick of being in their containers. First he should add peat moss and manure. Ah, the joys of country living!

What I do for love...

(Thanks Abby for this one)
The Keys to Your Heart
You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.
In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored.
You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.
You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please.
Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.
Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.
You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.
In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Sean's graduation is looming!

So much to do in less than two weeks. I am making a few things for Sean as gifts. One is the mortarboard cross stitched piece. That is finished and I need to sew the tassel on it. I have a lovely frame, but the mat is all wrong. I have to go to the office/art supply store and get an uncut mat. I managed to locate a mat cutter on eBay-not a real expensive one, but one that looks like I can use it. That shouldn't be that bad to finish up. I will have his announcement on one side and his mortarboard on the other.
I am also working on a memory storyboard. It's not a photo album, but an accordian pleated board he can close up after his graduation hoopla is over. I was going through photos yesterday for it, now I need to go through some of his papers. I want to add some quotes to the pages too. This is going to be a hard one to finish up as he is off for the next 4 days starting tomorrow. I have the poster board all taped together. After lunch I'll go through papers. It's just a fun thing so he can see what we have seen-our little boy growing up into a fine young man.
Speaking of graduation, Sean got his yearbook yesterday and his blue cap and gown the day before. It's a nice book, but the senior photos are really small-about 3" (or less) tall. I got misty-eyed when I read his blurb thanking his dad and me for helping him reach this milestone in his life. Wow, what a kid. : )

Lancaster man becomes All time Jeopardy champion

Congrats to Brad Rutter!
From AOL news:
"Ken Jennings,"Jeopardy!" brainiac met his match this week, losing a three-day tournament of champions from the game show and a $2 million (1.58 million) prize to Brad Rutter of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Rutter was hardly intimidated by Jennings' 74-game winning streak in the game show last year. He beat Jennings in all three individual games, and his final total of $62,000 (49,066) easily eclipsed Jennings' $34,599 (27,381)."

Man, that must feel good to beat someone like Jennings. He is hardly suffering from his lost. Before the tournament, I've seen him in a number of tv commercials.

Picture Meme

Do a Google search and find photos that match your name, your grandmom's name, your favorite food, your favorite drink, your favorite smell, your favorite shoe, your favorite song, where you grew up and where you live now. Save to your own computer then add here.

My favorite shoe-not necessarily these styles.

My favorite drink. 

My favorite food (next to chocolate). 

My favorite song. 

My favorite smell.

Where I grew up.


Near where I live now.

My grandmother's name. 

My name 

Twitchy eyelid

Anybody ever have this problem and it doesn't resolve itself in a few days? Mine's been twitching since Florida. I can actually make it twitch if I 'over' blink that eye(right). It's definitely just the upper lid twitching. Not sure if I rubbed my eye too hard or if it's just an annoying thing. I may call the eye doctor just to see. Forget about research on the internet, they scare you by saying it could be a 'neurological problem'. I actually thought it was a PMS thing. Not too sure about that. It seems like parts on the right side of my body tend to bother me the most and I am left-handed. Go figure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I told you about Sean's new car, but not that we found several ads quoting the exact car at a much lower price. Without taxes, about $360 less! Brian called the dealership and the manager said that all the ads were misprints. Even the one on the internet. He's full of you-know-what. So we were debating what to do. Mom mentioned Tracy Davidson, the Consumer Reporter for NBC1o here in Philly. I went to the Consumer complaint form and filled it out. I messed up some of the numbers, but the paperwork wasn't here in front of me. I forgot Brian had copied it for the insurance company and I went to write back to correct myself and Tracy had written back to confirm our problem. That's when I quoted her the correct prices. Crossing fingers!!!!
Update:Nothing new from Tracy. Wonder if me quoting the wrong prices messed that up for us?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Off to Penn State to talk to a lady in the Learning Center about Sean's classes. We still aren't sure what that is all about. I'll let you know.
Update: Sean is recommended to participate in an 30 hour 'seminar' to help improve mostly his math skills. He can to this from the end of June until August. He'll probaby go for 5 hour stretches for 6 times. I think they basically want to see if he can handle the math for his major. He was really annoyed at first because 'his summer would be interrupted'.

My toe, my hero!

This little piggie saved me from serious injury when I slipped in the tub due to a freaky thing happening (ok, the spray bottle with the shower spray stuff came apart and I slipped on it's contents). It looks better now-it's not broken. : )

Sean's new ride

Just purchased this past Saturday. It's a 1998 Ford Taurus LX. It has a roadster style roof. He just had a CD player installed yesterday. Watch out Penn State!

Reality finales...very predictable

I watch a bunch of these. I like watching 'real' people in predicaments and wondering how I would handle it if I was in their place. Here are the shows that have ended so far and one more I will make a prediction for.
No brainer winners:
Survivor-Tom was one of the best contestants that this show has ever had. He was like a beacon on that island from day one. How many people can kill a shark with a handmade spear? We all know that NY firemen are heroes anyway.
The Amazing Race-It looked like Rob and Amber had this win in the bag. They had gotten on a flight that would have given them an hour's lead over the other two teams who were left. Surprise, surprise, the pilot had the jetway reattached and let Uchenna and Joyce on. U&J found the next clue much faster than 'Ramber' so they won the million.
The Apprentice- Last week it was clear that Kendra, the young and single real estate big cheese out shone the Mary Kay mom was Iowa, Tana (I have never met another Tana). Heck, I'm just glad a woman won. The finale was really a waste of time and rather silly.
American Idol-Sean is more of a fan of this show. I like music a lot and the last couple of winners sounded too much like other famous singers. You know who I mean (Luther and Macey right?) I predict Bo Bice will win. I also see Bo and Carrie, the other finalist as a couple. Think I am a little psychic?

Could it be rain?

It hasn't rained in this area for almost 3 weeks. It was a pollen enhanced dust bowl around here to say the least. I tried to get my gardening done, but I just couldn't get the shovel that deep into the ground without it causing discomfort. Now I can get the weeding and planting finished in a few days.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My dear friend Karin just lost her beloved grandmother. I am so upset right now. The poor lady just had an operation which proved too much for her frail body. She got an infection and even the antibiotics didn't help. I lost my grandmom almost 5 yrs ago and it still hurts. Karin and I really thought of our grandmoms as 'second' moms.

Update:
My nephew does have Crohn's Disease and we are all upset over that. I hope the meds they try will help him.
Mom's bloodwork was good! She is waiting to hear about an x-ray of her ribs as she is hurting near her liver area. She is finally going to get her eyes checked too.
I used an ice pack off and on all day yesterday on my sore elbow and it helped! Something so simply and I didn't think to keep it in place with my ace bandage before.
Sean got his progress report and he has all 'A's and one 'B'. He had trouble with the class placement exam for Penn State and we are going to the Learning Center next week to talk to the lady about a 'tracking' program-whatever that is. It's not special classes, etc. I called the woman yesterday to let her know about how well Sean is doing in school, he's just a poor test taker, especially when he can't prepare for the test. She said kids have trouble moving from high school to college. I don't know why she said that, their test was designed for rocket scientists it was so difficult.

I think I have Medial epicondylitis

This is a fancy name for 'tennis elbow'. It's my right elbow that is sore. I have a 'Well Patch' and Ace bandage on it right now. Not sure if it's from using the computer mouse or banging my elbow a few times in the past that is causing the pain. It's not terrible, but I notice it more when I want to lay on my right side in bed. I was trying to stitch a little this morning and it was too uncomfortable. I am glad I didn't hurt my left hand when I took a spill off my little wheeled garden stool a few days ago. I don't use my right arm that much as it is-just when I'm on the computer. Brian thinks I hold my arm funny when I stitch too. I haven't been stitching a lot lately. I did lift a few heavy groceries and flower pots yesterday though.
I found a website with exercises, so I'll give them a try.

Stitching blogger question-I like to use 2 strands of floss when I stitch. Over 2 strands makes the piece look bulky to me. 2 seems to be popular with many designers.

Middle-age unfortunate fashion blunders...

Thanks to Vikki for this forward.
These just don't go together:
1. A nose ring and bifocals
2. Spiked hair and bald spots
3. A pierced tongue and dentures
4. Miniskirts and support hose
5. Ankle bracelets and corn pads
6. Speedo's and cellulite
7. A belly button ring and a gall bladder surgery scar
8. Unbuttoned disco shirts and a heart monitor
9. Midriff shirts and a midriff bulge
10. Bikinis and liver spots
11. Short shorts and varicose veins
12. Inline skates and a walker

And last, but not least . . . My personal favorite:


13. Thongs and Depends

I love being an aunt

This past Sunday Sean and I went down to visit my mom and take her out to a few places, plus dinner. We had some gifts from Florida for her and my niece and nephew. After dinner we pulled up on the street where my brother and his family live (they live around the corner from my mom) and my niece Tori just stopped dead in her tracks she was so shocked to see us coming. The first thing she did was show us how she could ride on her bike down the sidewalk. We gave them their little token gifts plus I had found a Twister (the game) beach towel as I knew they were going to the beach the next weekend. They loved it. They kept excusing themselves to 'toot' because of all the bending over they were doing.
We hadn't planned to stay that long but my nephew was really grabbing at our heartstrings. He said, "Are you staying for dinner?"
No Kenny, we ate already.
"I really want you to stay a while."
We have to get going, but next time we'll stay longer, I promise.
Sniff...yeah, they are my baby brother's babies and I love them like I love him.

Windowbox-purple petunias, ruffled burgundy petunias, burgundy double impatiens and dark red nicotiana. 

Peachy azaleas 

Pretty lime green clematis I purchased at Walmart. 

Getting in the swing of things...some day

I'm sitting here with a cat behind my back. I didn't want him on my lap as I am wearing shorts and he kneads me with his claws on bare skin. He is purring like crazy. By the way, I have a blog just for my cat because Cos is such a character. I think it's pretty funny what he is doing right now.
I have so much to do both inside and outside. The inside tends to get neglected when I garden. I have a storage problem on the main floor with the basement area bursting at the seams. My younger brother and his wife really work well together to keep their home in order. I wish Bri and Sean would help me more with our house. For instance, I misplaced a large box with a fairy birdbath in it that goes in my little garden. It's about 3 feet tall and I can't find it. So frustrating. I know it was probably moved when 'I' was cleaning up for the new dryer last fall.
We have spent quite a bit of flowers and veggies. I thought Brian would have given up on the tomatoes and green peppers as deer and groundhogs are getting in the garden and munching everything. I refuse to plant in the veggie garden as it's backbreaking work for nothing. So what if they eat a few flowers? I haven't had problems with that lately. Bunnies were seen eating flowers a few years back. So I need to get out and finish up the planting my annuals. I always love seeing flowers like Sweet William make an encore appearance the next year. I have a lot of them out in the various beds. Sean even planted marigolds in his garden. He's had one for many years. Originally I dug up a spot for herbs, but gave it to Sean when he showed an interest in planting things.
Mom is off to the doctor as she hasn't been there since January. She takes pain pills for her sciatica daily. I am hoping he tries something that isn't a narcotic. I told her to try some arch supports in her shoes. I bought them for our Florida trip and I believe they saved me in the long run. Yesterday I wore flip flops and my feet were hurting in the evening.
My 20 yr old nephew is getting tested for Crohn's Disease today. He is a tall 6'8" and we hope this isn't the beginning of medical problems for him.
I better go get busy doing something constructive. I can't go anywhere as Sean is taking the van two days a week until the end of the school year. It keeps his mind off getting a car for a few weeks at least.

Stitching Blogger question

Sorry, I've been a little lax with these. Here's the latest though:
Q. Given the option, would you rather buy a chart and get the material and floss together yourself, or buy a pre-packed kit?
I do both. I find that some kits and their directions are hard to follow. Sometimes the kits where you have to separate the floss are tricky too. I know most of my colors, so I usually do okay with separating them unless they are too close to call sometimes. I have this one kit that had the chart on one side and the symbols on the flip side of the chart. Are they that cheap that they couldn't give us stitchers two pieces of paper so we wouldn't lose our spot all the time? I gave up on that one. I need to go to the office supply store to get an oversized copy made one of these days.
I have so many charts and most of the floss colors, that I don't mind kitting up designs myself. I'd say that is the best as you can chose the fabric that most appeals to you.

Utterly shocked

A great lady who runs a charity website sent us an urgent email today. I couldn't believe what I read. I won't name the organization as this is a public blog. Someone took the bio and photo of one of the featured sick children of the month and made a fake website to get people to donate money in this sick eight yr old's name. They said they are up to to $19,000 or so! This little boy won't see any of the money at all. The webmistress with the real site has contacted the place that is accepting payments to tell them it's not a legit operation. I've been dealing with this site since August, 1998 and I don't believe anything like this has happened before. Too bad when you are trying to do good for people someone comes along and jeopardizes a great thing. Please, if you see any websites asking for money, do a search, especially if sick kids are involved.

Hey, let's fly over the White House!

There's nothing that's been this dumb happen for a while. And the poor idiots were from near here-Smoketown. What were they thinking? Didn't they heed the warning or didn't they even know where they were? (What's that big white pointy thingie down yonder?) They are lucky they didn't get their butts blown to smithereens! Guess they didn't make the airshow in North Carolina.

~~~~~~
I'm back to my night owl ways. I actually didn't mind getting up early the time we were down in Florida. You sure utilize more of the day, but I was flat on my back by 8pm. That's not me at all. Still got to see 'my tv shows' in the hotel at night. I really didn't miss the computer that much either. I was so glad to be doing something different. I think we need to travel this country more. I know, it cost money. We're not that old that I can at least see a few more states.

Costumes worn by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1997 movie 'Titanic'. 

Di and Bri in Italy 

Here we are at Disney's Epcot the next day. 

Sean and me posing at Universal near the Jaws ride. 

Orlando trip continued

So on to Monday. We were ready to leave by 10 am and found a McDonald's for breakfast. I mailed off my postcards at the hotel and put my questionnaire in with the speedy check-out card.
We headed down to see the Titanic exhibit. I have seen one down in Atlantic City about 6 yrs ago. The Philadelphia Art Museum had a exhibit going on for a few months and we missed it.
A nice young lady dressed in a 1912 outfit greeted us and lead part of the tour. She had handed out cards with 3 passengers names on them and we were asked to check out the names later in the exhibit. The cards pretty much matched us-my lady was 38, Sean's young man was 21 and Brian's was around 50. All 3 of our passengers perished. Not thrilled with that since we were about to get on the plane. I would say that all the cards they give out didn't have the people survive to make the exhibit more meaningful.
The replica of the Grand staircase was beautiful. There was a 'hunk' of iceberg in one room which was really cold. We also went through a door and it was like standing on the deck with all the stars in the sky and very cold similar to the night it happened. It wasn't in the 30s (I can tell from where we live), but it was chilly.
I loved seeing the items from the '97 movie. The costumes that both Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio worn and the diamond ring that Kate worn.
Even though those poor people died like that, they are still being remembered by so many people.
We drove around this area a little and Sean went into his favorite store 'Old Navy'. We didn't buy anything as our suitcases were jammed packed. We headed to Hertz about 1:30 or so. We just drove into a lane and got out and that was it! The bus took us to the airport quickly too. Everything was running smoothly until a teen in the line in front of us suddenly fell forward-I think he fainted. The metal pole holding the rope made a terrible noise, but his mom screaming scared the crap out of me! He was alert, but they did call an ambulance. Last we heard was that he did something to his hip-maybe it was out of the socket. Poor kid.
We had lunch and then picked out some magazines before heading through security. It wasn't as involved as it was in Philly. Sean had a mini Cranium game, so he and I played that until we were called to get on the plane. The flight was fine except for one boy who was about 2 fussed the entire 2 hours.
We were the first people to get our baggage and we called the parking lot bus to come get us. It took us about 2 hours to get home (we stopped for a quick roast beef sandwich at Arbys also).
Cosmo was glad to see us. He still had a lot of food left. I figured he slept a lot. He's been watching me like a hawk for two days. He must have been off and on my lap about 15 times yesterday.
We did have a great get-away. We really needed to see something different. I am planning another trip up to Martha's Vineyard someday so I can stay in Hugh Taylor's place (James Taylor's brother). I'd like to see Maine and New Hampshire too. Then the west coast and some states in between. Nothing is as good as home though.

The 500 plus room Hard Rock Hotel. 

The famous Universal globe. Down to the right is the largest Hard Rock Cafe, the NBA restaurant and Island of Adventure. Down to the left is City Walk. 

Sean happy to be in Orlando, posing near the 2.600 square foot pool. 

Happy, tired and crazy

We got home last night from Orlando. The trip went way too quickly. Here's a recap of the last few days:
Friday morning:
Sad-leaving my kitty down the basement-he had three beds, two litterboxes, two big bowls of water and we left the radio on.
Queasy-I was dressed for Florida weather, but it was like 40 or lower here. We found the off airport parking well, but being so cold gave me a coughing attack. The bus driver went about 80 to the airport and I had to sit down when we went through the doors there as I felt close to hurling.
Funny-Seeing Brian and Sean being frisked at security. They had to take off their shoes, etc. I wish I had a video camera that day! Also saw local interest reporter Don Polec from ABC-6 at the Orlando airport and said hello. He was wearing a safari hat with a tag hanging off the back. BTW, Brian did great on the plane after not flying for 16 yrs. Sean felt a bit funny going down.
Awesome-the Orlando airport is beautiful-like a mall with air service. We got right on the bus to Hertz (after we found it) and got a '05 white Monte Carlo with a sun roof. We had to have help with directions but found the Hard Rock Hotel in no time. Check in took a while, but it was a cool place with one of the biggest pools I have ever seen. We saw outfits belonging to several musicians including Elvis and Jimmi Hendrix.
Stinky-obviously a dog had been in our room-we had a definite pee odor near the bed and one of the chairs. This is a 4 star hotel! We never changed rooms, but we complained about it on the questionnaire form. We were so tired and had already unpacked, so I used some strong perfume to try and mask the smell.
Fun-we walked to the City Walk free part of Universal after dinner at the hotel. Sean wasn't feeling too great. We took the ferry back and continued to use it the rest of our stay.
Saturday-
Coolness-We went to a breakfast buffet at the same in house restaurant where we ate dinner the night before and it was yummy! It was also cool to see Hulk Hogan and his family eating there too. He was doing something in the park.
Cattle herding-so it began-we already had paid for the tickets, but had to wait in line to get the tickets for about 45 minutes. I think they do this so they can get more money out of you to go to the other park 'Island Adventure'.
The best for first-we read that Men in Black was a must (and I was told this too). We put our stuff in a locker that was activated by a finger scan. We had an express pass because we were staying within Universal, so we could go in a shorter line. What a blast this ride was. I 'zapped' up to 74,000! Bri and Sean only had half that. At the locker, Brian couldn't get his finger to scan and someone at the park had to open it for us. Other rides we did: Back to the Future (not good for my tummy), Jaws, Twister and Shrek 4D. Missed a few here, but we got really tired before we headed to 'Island of Adventure'. This was not the best move to make. It was crowded with teens and most of the rides were closed down for the day or something. So we missed Jurassic Park, Spiderman and a few others.
Cute-Sean bought me a 'Puss n' Boots' from Shrek for a Mom's day gift. : )
We went to a restaurant called NBA Restaurant and had an appetizer and huge salads.
Sunday-Mother's Day.
The guys got me a muffin for breakfast and we decided to head to Epcot as we all had slept well. We had gorgeous weather the entire trip. We got to Epcot in no time, but had to wait again in line. Sean wanted to see the different countries rather than the other part. We happen to catch a flower show there and saw some gorgeous landscaping and florals.
We stopped in the Canada exhibit first and saw a presentation on a surround screen. Also saw a couple who couldn't keep their hands off each other. Geez.
We ate Japanese food for lunch which was fine inside a beautiful pagoda. We headed to 'The America Adventure' which is a neat show with audio animatronics (thx W) of Ben Franklin and Mark Twain among others. That was a must see on Sean's map. Also a must see was Norway and we went on a Viking ship ride there. The last thing we did was go up into the Epcot sphere ride. We were hustling to get to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe and Sean was paying for mine. I had NY strip steak which was great. The waitress liked us and took us up to see memorabilia from the late John Lennon's apartment in NY including his white piano. Each piano key was signed by different musicians. We saw a white suit of John's plus some drawing he had done. They use this room for special parties. We also went up stairs to see the stage. Dummy here went up to a higher seat section and tripped coming down and I hurt my ankle a little.
That night was a nightmare. I was so tired and achy and stuffed up I couldn't go to sleep all night. I ended up crying around 5 am and Brian finally rubbed my sore legs. I sure felt like I had the flu.
Monday tomorrow.

Historic Route One

I travel down Rt 1 everytime I go see my mom. A lot has changed in the 18 plus years that we have lived 20 miles down the road. For one thing, it sure feels like more than 23 miles now. There are more traffic lights, more shopping centers, etc. It use to take about 30-35 minutes when Sean was little. Now it takes 45 min to 1 hour.
It is a historic area. The first very old town I pass through is Kennett Square. My maternal great grandfather lived here in the late 1800s for a year. Even though his stay was brief, he always talked about how much he liked it around here. Great gf did buy some land in Delaware at one time in his life that included a farmhouse and a short drive to the beaches down there.
Then I go past Longwood Gardens, founded by Pierre DuPont. The gardens are one of the most beautiful in this area. A few miles down, I drive through Chadds Ford where 'The Village' was just filmed a year and a half ago. Stop at the Chadds Ford Winery for a wine tasting. I go over the Brandywine River where the Brandywine River Museum is (I have the calendar shown on this webpage). A little ways down is the Brandywine Battlefield. We went there when I was little and my brother and I got yelled at for floating styrofoam coffee cups down a stream there. Sean's been there for a school trip plus all the other neat museums nearby like Winterthur, Hagley and the Delaware Museum of Natural History. (I've never been to Winterthur myself).
If you are ever near this area, definitely the above places are worth a visit. Even down the road in Delaware County more (we live in Chester County) you will see the Wawa diary building across the street from the Franklin Mint. A little before this is the Newlin Grist Mill. In the nearby park, my brother and his wife had their wedding photos taken.
For your amusement check out Banjo the fence sitting horse and the beautiful Brandywine Valley countryside.
A little Brandywine Valley trivia:
The origin of the name Brandywine is unclear. Some say it comes from a story recounting the wreck of a Dutch ship at the mouth of the stream carrying "brandywine" - a potent Dutch spirit. Most historians, however, believe it comes from an early settler, Andreas Brainwende (or Brantwyn), who established one of the first grain mills on the lower river.

May stitching goals

Thanks to Mindy for reminding me!
So I have to finish Sean's graduation present.
I am almost done the mortar board and need to make the tassel and do the lettering. I found a frame at the thrift shop, but was waiting to buy it as it was too expensive. I'll probably end up buying one at Michaels or AC Moore because it won't be there next time I go.
Love Quilts square- Robin Fledgings
Need to get the fabric out and put a few stitches in it though it's not due until September.
Walk in the Woods-
I am loving this. I've done about three of the fancy letters and am on my second motif.
Smaller projects-
PS Santa (taking on trip): Swan(fixed it and am working on it a little at a time); herb garden on linen-that is a bugger, but I am almost half way finished it.
My mom wanted to draw a picture of an English Sheepdog for a friend, but I happen to have a cross stitch pattern for a doggie tag and will start that and maybe she can finish it up.

Inkblots

I took a rather long test where I had to examine 'inkblots'.
Here are the results:
You are driven by a higher purpose than most people. You have a deeply-rooted desire to facilitate peacefulness in the world. Whether through subtle interactions with love ones, or through getting involved in social causes, it is important to you to influence the world.

You are driven by a desire to encourage others to think about the positive side of things instead of focusing on the negative. The reason your unconscious is consumed by this might stem from an innate fear of war and turmoil. Thus, to avoid that uncomfortable place for you, your unconscious seeks out the peace in your environment.

Usually, the thing that underlies this unconscious drive is a deep respect for humankind. You care about the future of the world, even beyond your own involvement in it. As a result, your personal integrity acts as a surrogate for your deeper drive toward peace and guides you in daily life towards decisions that are respectful toward yourself and others.

Though your unconscious mind is driven most strongly by Peace, there is much more to who you are at your core.
I have this in my email siggie:
To think bad thoughts is really the easiest thing in the world. If
you leave your mind to itself it will spiral down into ever
increasing unhappiness. To think good thoughts, however, requires
effort. This is one of the things that discipline - training - is
about.-- James Clavell, in his novel "Shogun"
And I had this in the signature before I took the test. Interesting.

Laura Leno Bush

So everyone is talking about how the first lady was the highlight of a dinner on Saturday night for the White House Correspondents' Association. She 'interrupted' the President and proceeded to charm the crowd. Her timing was great-telling how 'Mr Excitement' was in bed by 9pm so she watched 'Desperate Housewives'.
I like Laura a lot. She reminds me of the Donna Reed character Mary in 'What a Wonderful Life' who was also a librarian at one time. And did you know she comes from a family of Democrats? This is so interesting to me for some reason. I know I would never change my political views for anyone. Some women vote exactly the same way as their husbands do. I think deep down Laura is a 'leaner' toward 'the other party'.
Anyway here's another blurp from the article I was reading:
Mrs. Bush took another jab at the president as he announced a preservation award being given to Bolduc Historic Properties, which maintains three houses in a French Colonial settlement in St. Genevieve, Mo., along the Mississippi River.

"The restoration of the 18th Bolduc House has attracted visitors from around the country ..." Bush said.

"Eighteenth century," Mrs. Bush said, correcting the president.

"You've become a comedian and an editor," Bush deadpanned.