Winter wonderland or PITA nor'easter?

A little of both I think? Sean's school was cancelled and it didn't start really snowing until late morning. Brian came home a bit early, but said the worst roads were around here.We don't know what's happening tomorrow, but with all the back roads we have, I doubt he'll go in again. It was like a blizzard tonight.

I am really pooped from yesterday. It was a nice day and so good to do and see something different. Today Sean vacuumed for me and I made him apple streusel muffins and beef stew. We had stopped at a specialty food store last night so I could get some dinner food. Their beef was definitely better. I have been adding parsnips and turnips and the stew is so tasty.

Before grabbing the food, we had grabbed some dinner (we had to wait) at Ruby's Diner a new place in the same shopping center. It's mostly a burger place, but it has the decor of an old diner and the waitresses are dressed in cute red striped uniforms and the little hats. I had a turkey club on a French style roll with fat slices of turkey, bacon and avocado. Sean had shrimp tacos and Brian had a burger.

I watched the Oscar's last night, mainly to see if Jamie Foxx would win for 'Ray' and he did! His speech was excellent. JF trivia-his real name is Eric Bishop.
Beyonce (has the same maiden name as me) Knowles was beautiful both in voice and dress and looks! Very nice that she sang three songs, but what about the Spanish one that won? I was pulling for 'I Believe'. Frank Bielec said that celebrities are so 'not real' with their thin bodies, expensive jewels and gowns that they don't own and I tend to agree. We need more real people like Hillary Swank who remembers about her struggle as a young teen in a trailer park.

So I watched the end of 'The Bachelorette' and Jen didn't pick anyone! I wasn't really surprised as she had such a hard time picking out the ring and dress and bawling her head off to her friends. Why did she do this show so soon after her breakup with Andrew Firestone? I think she is pining for him or doesn't want to get hurt again. I liked Jerry, he looked like a guy I liked in high school-hey Michael B!!! Hope Jen finds love. If she couldn't find it in 26 men, she may be a hopeless case. Sorry to say that.

Dianne with Frank from Trading Spaces

Meeting Frank from Trading Spaces

I don't know if you watch 'Trading Spaces' on 'The Learning Channel'. I love all the shows on that channel and today Frank Bielec, the senior decorator on TS was at the Fort Washington Expo center (about an hour away). It was the last day for the Suburban Home and Garden Show (very nice)! We decided to give the van a whirl and go up. What a nice 67 yr old man he is! So personable (was a 1st grade teacher at one time). We got there a bit late (the place was mobbed) and only saw about 15 minutes of his first talk (we stayed for the second). We happen to be standing stage left near the table where he would eventually sign autographs. Lucky us, we were about 4th in line! And as a treat, my mom was along too. I took one of my TS books and Frank not only signed it, he drew a picture of himself too. He got up and posed for a picture with both me and mom. : ) He said to my mom that 'your daughter must be good at what she does.' Not sure what he meant, I only mentioned his wife's cross stitch company and asked where he got ideas for the designs. He said 'Look around you'. (It was in 1989 that he finally combined his arts and crafts talents with his business acumen and co-founded the business "Mosey 'n Me" with wife Judy, specializing in designing cross-stitch patterns). I told him I have a Learning Channel tribe too.
Sean came along and enjoyed it too! We will conquer that PA turnpike yet! (we didn't get lost).

A garden 'bedpost' (there's one on the other side of this garden) as reflected in our recent snow

Look at me!

My own Gloovie!

Udderly Smooth

When you find a product you like recommend it! I had gotten some of this up in 'cow country' (Lancaster County) and just found a big jar of it at Trader Joes. My cuticles and feet get really dry in the wintertime and this works nice, especially my tootsies. I think it's funny that something originally made for cow udders is now being pushed toward the human market.
Testamonials:
"I started using Udderly SMOOth® this winter. I used to get cracks in my fingers.. NO MORE!!!! I love it and threw out all my other hand cream."
-S. Gilbert
"My feet have been so dry at times that they've cracked and bled. Today my feet feel wonderful and are already getting soft and smooth I don't think I've ever been so impressed
with anything I've bought!"
- M. Birnbaum
"Thank you for your wonderful product Udderly Smooth®... I have splits and rough hands for many years and it is the only product I have ever used that has healed my hands.
Sunburn
Udderly Smooth® Udder Cream does not contain alcohol and can be used to moisturize sunburned skin without stinging. Apply generously to your sun-exposed skin and allow time for the Udderly Smooth® Udder Cream to disappear. For best results, apply daily after showering. Try chilling a tube of Udderly Smooth® in your refrigerator for optimum cooling action. You may notice even notice a reduction in flaking and peeling.
"I had a really bad sunburn on both my shoulders. . . . I tried Udderly Smooth® Udder Cream on my burn. In just a few days, it turned a nice tan color, and I think I haven't peeled. I have used countless other products in the past for my sunburns, but now I will use Udderly Smooth®." - R. Griffiths
Sports Usage
Udderly Smooth® Udder Cream contains moisturizers that are effective during challenging and often grueling conditions. We have heard from individuals who use Udderly Smooth® on their feet when hiking to minimize blisters. We've also heard from horseback riders and marathon bike riders who use our product to prevent saddle sores.
Hobbies
Many quilters, lacemakers, embroiderers and other needle workers use Udderly Smooth® while working on their projects. Our non-greasy formula will not leave a stain on their delicate needlework.

"I'm a professional counted cross stitch designer. With all the stitching I do professionally, I need a lotion that doesn't leave a residue on my fabric and threads. Udderly Smooth® is a wonderful
and perfect product for stitchers. I highly endorse and recommend it!!
-P. Kellogg
(I know who this designer is!)

Working Usage
Many people use our product as part of their daily activities. Office workers appreciate the greaseless stainless aspects of the product. Many users apply Udderly Smooth® Udder Cream frequently to minimize the skin drying effects of frequent hand washings, working with solvents, or dusty conditions. They are typically pleased with the resulting improvement in their skin and the ease of cleanup after using Udderly Smooth®.

"As a nurse, my hands get EXTREMELY chapped after multiple hand washings in any single day. Two days ago I came across your Udderly Smooth® Udder Cream and am greatly IMPRESSED.

Flea Circus

This is hysterical....The FLEACIRCUS...the show must go on. The 'acts' are in the gray pull down.

Shopping Maniacs

Never believe a shopaholic when she says 'let's go to Walmart for 1/2 hour'. That's a lame line. And the so called shopaholic is a size 8 so there are tons of clothes for her on the sale rack. I did well myself-some nice pants, a suede like top in dark peach, some stretchy tops, Austrian crystal jewelry sets and a watch with interchangable leather bands-all for $1-$5. I try to be careful about what I buy, but these buys were so good. The damn watch was only $3. I had trouble interchanging the band this morning. I ended up digging into the holes with the end of my embroidery scissors where the little spring thingies have to fit. I was shaking my wrist and the watch flew off. It's actually ok now. The pants are a little tight around my tummy bulge-darn jelly belly, never looked the same after Sean tummy! Mom was blue today, she's always this way after seeing me, plus she asked her boarder to leave as he was holding back portions of his measly rent to her. She's put up with him for almost 4 yrs now. None of her kids want him there. He has the mentality of a 12 yr old (but very smart except for math), but he can't see beyond his own crooked glasses.
~~Snow galore! Over 8 inches we think. Sean had off and it didn't start to snow and stick until after 11am. He loves to sleep in. I have to get out and take some photos tomorrow.
~~~I had a weird dream this morning. I dreamed I was at a school or church function and helping with the food. When it was my time to eat, all the 'crappy' food was left and people were talking about me behind my back. I actually had a tear run down my face while I was lying in bed this morning. Now if I analyze this myself, it may be I am feeling self-conscious because of my 'roots' showing or that my brother told my mom that Brian and I looked fat. (Or hormones?)He said this to me 3 yrs ago when Mom, Sean and I went down to visit him. Nothing like saying something positive about a person. He is a jerk sometimes. He's looking for his third job in a year's time. He has a fat head.

Ray and Jamie

Now if you haven't seen Ray, run out now before the Oscars and rent the DVD. Jamie Foxx is so good, you'll forget it's him and think it's the real Ray Charles throughout the movie. People magazine is predicting a Best Actor win for Jamie. What's interesting too about Ray Charles is that he and my mom Jeanne were born on the exact day (sorry for divulging age mom)-September 23, 1930. And my mom has a trained soprano voice, so two musical babies were born that day. So as Ray's mom pushed down in Georgia, my grandmom Ruthie was busy up in Roslyn, PA welcoming her only daughter.
Sean went to Wally World (Walmart) over the past weekend and I asked him to either get the new Kenny Loggins cd or the Ray Charles cd (see sidebar) for me. No Kenny, so he got Ray. I've never bought a Ray Charles record in my life. I love his classics, but leaned toward folk rockers. There are lots of 'duets' with Ray that I like, especially James Taylor. Incidently both Ray and James fought heroin addictions in their lives. Ray sings with Norah Jones, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt and Michael McDonald- I like them too, with a few others like Diana Krall, Willy Nelson and Johnny Mathis. Sean sat and listened to the entire CD. You can hear Ray's age a bit (or the effects of illness), but for a 73 yr old, he was still doing it.

Update:
Got my van 'Winnie' back tonight (Windstar-stop laughing) and she sounds better! Ken worked his butt off fixing her and trying to figure out what's going on with the diffferent noises. We are taking her back in a few weeks for inspection and hopefully we will be able to drive her more.
More freakin' snow is coming tomorrow morning! We may get up to 8 inches. Lord have mercy.

Fun stuff

Your Hippie Chick Name is: Fiona

Get your own Hippie Chick Name

You Are 31 Years Old

31 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

You Are 90% Psychic

You are so very psychic. But you already predicted that, didn't you? You have "the gift" - and you use it daily to connect with others. You're very tapped into the world around you... Just make sure to use your powers for good!

Are You Psychic?

One of my favorite pictures from 'The Snowy Day'....snow angels of course! 

A snowy day....

...I loved that book as a child by Ezra Jack Keats. It was so nicely done and was a hallmark of the time having a little African American boy as the main character (1962 publication). The little boy was Peter who worn the red pointed hood and found amazement in the snow as all small children do.
So we had a little snow last night. It wasn't a big storm, but we got 1.5" or so. I have no transportation, so I decided to do a pot roast and make some banana bread to keep me busy. Sean was off and had to read and answer about 9 questions about cloning from articles. That took him about 3 hours (I helped him a bit).
I have a 'boo-boo' on my left pinkie finger (I am a lefty) and it is hard to type. I sliced it on my apple peeler that I was using to quickly peel potatoes (you crank it) and my hand slipped.
The banana bread came out nice, though the whole bottom stuck to the pan (I should have used Pam instead of margarine). I found the recipe in the Everyday Food Magazine. That's a nice little compact recipe magazine.
When I cut my finger, Brian and Sean got me a band-aid and the wound cleaner, but left me to finish dinner. Brian did come back and cut the meat and mash the potatoes later, but I had to clean up everything. I wish my family would be more thoughtful. Sean wouldn't even clean off the sidewalk with anything but the broom and Brian had to get the snow shovel to finish the job.

Just finished this Bassett Hound pup up a few nights ago. It's for a charity quilt and I know the child's grandmom. 

Waiting game

Not only are we waiting on a snow event scheduled to arrive tomorrow evening, we've been waiting on my van to get a gasket repair. I think I mentioned it in one of my first posts back in September. So a few weeks ago I called my mechanic brother at work and said "I want my van repaired.... I need peace of mind....I want to visit people over 20 miles away without worrying that the van will break down." We dropped it off last night. I had quite a list of things for him to check. Then today we waited...and waited. I was about to have a panic attack I waited so long! Finally around 4 my brother called and said it was really leaking anti-freeze and had a heater core problem. He thinks he fixed the 'hum' in the tire bearing or whatever. He said I needed to come get it because he was going to 'do it on the side' to save us money. I was bummed because I was ready to get it over with and not worry everytime I got behind the wheel. I was worried when Sean drove the van too. We went to church and got Chinese food for dinner and came home. The phone rang when we were eating and it was my brother, but he hates answering machines and wouldn't leave a message. I waited a bit and called him back. He said he had pulled the front off the van because he wanted to work on it. It's a big job, so I bet he won't have it finished anytime soon. He said tomorrow, but I think originally he said 2-3 days.
I guess he wants to please me or get me off his back. He doesn't get along well with our siblings because of car or money issues. I always tell him up front I will give him the money. We always give him extra too. I really love his kids a bunch. His little girl was upset over her loose tooth-'the wiggling is driving me crazy', she said. Went down in the play room where she was sitting alone and told her about when Sean pulled his tooth out while he was in kindergarten (she is too) and it flew out of his hand and went under the piano. He never retrieved it. My niece wanted to know if the tooth fairy came anyway. I said we wrote her a note to explain what happened. I told her to use some dental floss and twist it under the tooth. She contemplated the idea at least but I forgot to ask if she followed through with it..

Cosmo needs a girlfriend other than me!

Too freakin' late to post

Just wanted to praise Cynthia Nixon for her great performance on ER even though it scared the bejeebers out of me. I try not to watch that show, but heard she was on and wanted to see her in something other than Sex in the City. Her character had a stroke at age 35 from a blood clot in her brain that paralyzed her right side and she couldn't speak. Yikes. She was hustling around her apartment and just fell face forward. They were able to 'bust the clot' and she became unparalyzed. Interesting how she spoke in her head throughout the show. I do this to myself at night! Wish they had said why that may have happened to her.
Survivor is on again! It looks like a good season this time. They kicked off three people right away. Palau looks awesome.
We are looking for a vacation location for a grad present for Sean. We have probably narrowed it down to the Bahamas (I personally wanted to go last year for our 20th anniversary) or the Universal Studio area of Florida. Maybe Mexico, but I've been there and got sick from the water. We'll see.

In the news and this and that

Bill Cosby-are they kidding me? Hasn't this man been through enough in the last decade when his only son got killed? One of the women is a lawyer and 'something inappropriate' happened 30 years ago. Bill Cosby, come on, didn't he have a show where he asked little kids questions and did the Picture Pages to help them learn their colors and shapes? This one is so far-fetched, but I hope there isn't one smidgen of truth in it. Leave my fellow Philadelphian alone and let him have pleasant times in his golden years.
Update:2/17- the investigation was dropped because of insufficient evidence (the charges filed from the Canadian lady).
Charles and Camilla-Wow! I am so excited!!! NOT!! Why the hell didn't he marry her 30 yrs ago, the twit? At least she was somewhat better looking back then. Maybe Diana would still be around, though not famous, but maybe Andrew would have snagged her! Brian points out that in her time in the spotlight, she helped a lot of people, so not to complain about her marrying big ears. I found this interesting off of Yahoo:Her great-grandmother Alice Keppel had a love affair with King Edward VII, Charles' great-great-grandfather. The young Camilla is said to have brought that up after meeting the prince at a polo match in the early 1970s.
Read that one of the boxers, Najai Turpin from the new reality show The Contender hosted by Sugar Ray Leonard killed himself on the 14th in front of his girlfriend. He was only about 23. Wonder if he lost on the show and was so humiliated that he did this? It's gotta be pretty deep. Hope it wasn't drug related.


On a personal note, my 81 yr old uncle hasto have drastic measures taken with his bleeding bladder, he is having surgery to make his
bladder less caustic. If that doesn't work, he has to have it removed. We are so sad for him. You get to be that age and something like this happens. He did have prostate cancer and had radiation which caused the slow death of his bladder.
Update: They call my uncle and tell him they have no more of the caustic stuff left, so he goes in and gets his bladder (again) and prostate cauterized because they can tell where the bleeding is coming from. He lays on the table for 5 hours...waiting. The doctor still wants to do the caustic procedure on him later. He's home.

Happy Valentine's Day 2005 from the old married couple! 

Good and bad family roots

So today the priest was talking about Roots, the Alex Haley book about his 'family' (was said to be somewhat fictional if I recall)-a black family whose roots were traced back to a slave ship and Africa. Now my own roots are very diverse. I did know more about my mom's family then I did my dad's family. That was until my cousin out in Oregon was nice enough to send us (as a Christmas gift) this huge family photo book that included a family genealogy traced back to the 1600s which makes that side of my family one of the first families in America. My cousin had included some photos of 'us strangers' here on the east coast (she had made multiple copies for the whole family out west and gave us two copies of the book). She didn't have any photos of my younger brother at all. I had corresponded with her over the years, and she used mainly my photos. I sent her a present back. I made a little photo album with over 30 photos in it with my brothers and their families and newer ones of us. She didn't get back to me right away as she was sick with the flu, but she appreciated my gift. Here's my personal legacy-my father, who had fallen down and broken a bone in his upper right arm, was in the hospital and then nursing home, drying out. Nice, huh? Ann sent me the address and phone # like I was going to call or write to him. Hmmm... I knew this was happen. A man who abandoned his 4 kids and didn't care if we had food on the table needs some comfort as an old man. My hands are tied. To bother with him would be like putting a knife in my mom's back. She isn't well either. She was there for me, she gets my love and attention. I looked up at the stained glass window in church and prayed for my father asking for God's comfort because I could not give it to him.

Movie rentals

I asked Sean to get 'The Notebook' for me yesterday and we watched it today (he was off from school). We didn't watch it all at once, so even Brian got to see the last 40 minutes of it. I had read the book right after I lost my grandmom and the movie made me feel the same way-bawled my eyes out! It was good, I didn't care for the young actor who played Noah, he was a mumbler (but cute), but young Allie (she was the lead in the movie 'Mean Girls') was fine. What is cool about the DVD is the author Nicholas Sparks actually makes commentaries and such while the actual movie is going on if you want to watch it that way. We watched about half an hour on this portion. He has the greatest speaking voice and we enjoyed that part.If Brian talked like this, I'd be in dreamland! So mellow and caressing. Ah!
Sean also rented 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' which I had seen in the movies with my mom and commented positively about it back in October, 2004. He hated it. He didn't get it at all as he's never seen any of those old comic book style movies from the 40s and 50s. I thought it was really clever, the cinematography was really outstanding. Most kids of this era don't seem to have the imagination to enjoy this kind of production. I think it's important to see movies from every era they have been in existence to truly appreciate where movies come from. I did a report on Silent Movies as a high school junior, so I've always appreciated them myself. Find some old movies and sit down with your techobrain kids today. I need to do that with my own son.

Mean Wife Swap show

So I watch all these shows at night while I sit and cross stitch my charity quilt squares. I hardly watch any sitcoms now. These are real people and you can somewhat relate to them. They pulled a fast one on the families switching a conservative, Bible smacking, interracial married woman with a lesbian! The conservative woman was from Texas and married to a white man. They had 3 teens and lived in a mansion! Guess who did all the cleaning and yard care-the kids! The other woman lived with her girlfriend and her 8-yr old daughter in a ranch style house. The Texan lady was so bitchy and everything she said or did 'was the right way'. The other lady (from Arizona) switched the rules and let the kids have parties and friends over. She put a computer in the one boy's room and he was overjoyed. At the end of the show where the couples reunite, Mrs. Texas laid it out about how wrong the two women were and that 'they were shacking up'. Said she was 'scared' to have a woman like her around her daughter! She caused the woman who swapped with her to tearfully defend herself and her partner (which she didn't have to do). Not once did they mention about her being Black, and the way Mrs. Texas was talking, I would have used that just to get back at her. Guess she was more dignified than that. This almost brought me to tears it was so moving. My conservative Brian just sat there speechless.
I hope this show sets an example, esp for the bigots out there. There can be same sex families who can raise children just as well as a traditional husband/wife union and there can be interracial couples too. Right Mrs. Texas!?

Paul-one of the stars of his class!

A recap from an older post:
I am so pleased to have found out a few weeks ago that Paul DiMeo from the ABC show Extreme Makeover:Home Edition graduated from the same high school as me, but a year ahead in 1976. I have been trying to find the yearbook which I had purchased because I knew so many of the people in his class. Think I could remember Paul? No! So today I prayed to St Anthony and within 1/2 hour I found that book buried in a big plastic box in the basement. And Paul was a big cheese in his class. I went through the entire book tonight. He was the VP of his class, voted most talkative, was in the choir, chamber singers, district choir and drama club too (had leads in two shows)! And there are 13 photos of him in the yearbook! My brother told me that he remembered Paul and that he was buds with a guy Bob. Bob's sister Carol Sue was in my class. Don, my brother took Carol Sue to my prom. What a small world.
I really love EM:HE and said I'd love to do any job on that show, before I knew about my old classmate. This really blew me away. Little bits of Paul are coming back to me now, esp him in Finian's Rainbow.

Paul the leprechaun kissing Amber A my classmate from a scene in Finian's Rainbow.
 

Finally found the yearbook with Paul's photos in it! Seems he was quite the thespian in high school. He had the lead in his senior play 'Guys and Dolls' as Nicely Nicely Johnson. Also was in the choir, chamber singers (hard to get in to) and drama club where he played the leprechaun Og in Finian's Rainbow.

 

My blog as told by Snoop Dog...

Dianne Rambling on....
Thanks Abby, I needed a good laugh today!

It's so hard...

Dieting in the wintertime is for the birds. We all seek comfort foods while house bound. The ediets has some great ideas for meal plans, but the frozen entries I've been eating are made for birds! There's nothing there. I can see why they supplement them with salad. It's worse when you get one when the picture on the box looks so pretty and the food inside doesn't come close to what's displayed on the box. It's scary! I have been trying. Ok, yesterday was 'Fat Tuesday' so we got hoagies for dinner. I ate half and it was a roast beef with a piece of provolone and a teaspoon of coleslaw. Capriotti's hoagies are like homemade. Sean was smart, he got tuna and took half of his for lunch today. No meat on Ash Wednesday.
I think our downfall here is starches. Pasta, rice, noodles and bread. I was watching Food Network and the chef said to replace a starch with another veggie, so you have two large veggie servings.
My main goal is to try and get up to Curves. We have one less than a mile away. I am a private person who doesn't like to really exercise with others. But exercise has helped me tremendously in the past. It may help my achy joints. And their magazine is called 'diane'. Think it's an omen? Getting motivated here! Wish me luck.

Mixed up thoughts

I do lay in bed sometimes thinking about what I want to write on here. No, life isn't that boring, but writing an entry is important to me to just keep track of things.
Now last night the show 'Super Nanny' really annoyed the hell out of me. I mean, how can some kids be so awful? I majored in Early Childhood Education in college and was around dozens of kiddos and there were a few stand-outs along the way. After I got a job in a daycare center I really had to be the nanny of sorts. This one place operated totally off the rules in my opinion. I lasted there 3 weeks. They started leaving me alone for 3 or 4 hours with about sixteen 2-yr olds. Me, alone changing diapers of the ones who weren't potty trained. Alone again listening to this one girl scream as soon as her head went down on the cot for naptime. I will not forget Stephanie. The only child who when she did fall asleep, fell asleep with her eyes open. And my hand did go over her mouth once, couldn't help it-only for a few seconds then I felt terrible. I love kids so much, but can't spend hours at a time with so many of them. It was so hard.
So then this morning mom mentioned John. John, one of the nicest people I have ever met and will never forget after 15 yrs. of saying good-bye to him. Ok, we went to college together and then John worked with my mom (she was a receptionist/secretary) at a home for women. I believe he was a speech therapist there. I was married and had Sean when the two of them worked together. He had changed a bunch from college. He use to look like Tim Matheson in Animal House-but got a Doug Henning look. He told mom he would never marry, so we both knew what that meant. He comforted my mom when a fellow worker committed suicide. Held mom's hand throughout the service for her. So, maybe someday our paths will cross, but in the meantime, I will think of him lovingly. Not sure if he ever thinks about mom or me. But he left a lasting impression on me.

Personality quiz...

You Have A Type B+ Personality

B+ You're a pro at going with the flow. You love to kick back and take in everything life has to offer. A total joy to be around, people crave your stability. While you're totally laid back, you can have bouts of hyperactivity. Get into a project you love, and you won't stop until it's done. You're passionate - just selective about your passions.

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Sick Saturday

Not a long post here as we are all exhausted as Sean came down with a stomach virus around midnight. It's one of those ones where you even toss the tea and jello. He still feels weird, but he had a frozen fruit bar around 1:30 and that stayed down. I have given him two bowls of chipped ice. That saved me years ago when I was sick as a dog (could barely move off the sofa). My mom was about to take me to the ER and got out her trusty home remedy book and it said 'try chipped ice'. We had problems with Sean when he was about five. I think I gave him cough medicine that was too strong for him (on suggestion of our doctor) and he wouldn't stop vomiting after 12 hours. They looked him over and sent him home only for us to take him back again the next day. He was on intravenous for a few hours and that did the trick . After that he wanted a cheeseburger.
I am hoping that Bri and I don't get it, but we all share the same bathroom. I just had that stomach bug that sent me to the doctor less than 2 weeks ago. All I can do is cross fingers.
Footnote 2/6
Sean had a 24 hour bug. He was more like himself today. Of course we are major bummed about the Eagles, but at least they are 2nd best and only lost by three points. It would have been nice for them to win for Sean's senior year.

Biorhythms...watch out Jude Law!

So I followed a link to a tribe friend's blog and he had an entry explaining about how cool biorhythms are. Biorhythms are basically your body's ups and down through a number of days and you have a target day that you enter on this free site. There are primary and secondary rhythms which are explained nicely there. So I entered July 4, 2005 off the top of my head. My BR for that day will be high emotionally. Maybe because it's the 4th and also my older brother's birthday? My wisdom is suppose to be up that day too. And you can see how compatible you are with people. Brian and I will be 53% compatible on the 4th. Not terrible. So then there is a list of celebrities. I went right to Jude Law and we are 91% compatible that day! Most of the other male celebs I clicked on didn't come close! So where are you Jude? There's sparks flying from Penna for you on Independence day! LOL Thanks for sharing about BRs Aaron. : )

Footnote: Just for the heck of it I put in tomorrow's date. Then I checked Jude out again and it's still says 91% compatible, so all I can say is....DARN!!!!
I also put in all my family members birthdates and I am most compatible with my nephew Kenny at 91% (he's very smart and creative, so we have one thing in common-lol) and my f-in-l by 94% (we are complete opposites in our political views and many other things)!!! So maybe the higher you are is not necessarily a good thing.

Pump your blood

They didn't mention it on the Happy Days reunion show, but its the same song in the St. Joseph's aspirin commercial currently airing on tv and radio.

Title: Sing-a-long About Heart And Lungs
Media: Television
Country: USA
Region: NYC
Version: -
Duration: 030 seconds
Date: 24/5/2004
Story Line: Sing-a-long narrative about how the heart pumps blood and oxygen around the body.
End Line: America's Original. For the heart.

And Potsie, Anson Williams sings it like he did 30 yrs ago. Just thought it was fun to show the real lyrics....

Pump, pump, pumps your blood.
The right atrium's where the process
begins,
Where the C02 blood enters the heart
Through the tricuspid valve to the right
ventricle
The pulmonary artery and lungs.
Once inside the lungs it dumps its carbon
dioxide
And picks up its oxygen supply
Then it's back to the heart through the
pulmonary vein
Through the atrium and left ventricle."

ALL JOIN ON CHORUS.

ALL

(SING) "Pump, pump, pumps your blood.

POTSIE
(SING) "The aortic valvels where the
blood leaves the heart
Then it's channeled to the rest of the bod
The arteries, arterioles, and capillaries
too
Bring the oxygenated blood to the cells
The tissues and the cells trade off waste and CO2

Which is carried through the venules and the veins
Through the larger vena cava to the atrium and lungs
And we're back to where we started in the heart.

ALL JOIN ON CHORUS.

ALL

(SING) Pump, pump, pump, pumps your blood

Eaglemania

It's just crazy in these parts! I personally am counting the days and I sure hope the Eagles win! That would be so awesome. And it would be a highlight of Sean's senior year too. The guys are so excited. I think Sean has two championship shirts, Brian has one. Brian came home with a banner for Sean tonight. Think I should get myself a pink Eagle's hat? I have a pink Phillies one. The news sportscasters are all down in Jacksonville, FL. Heard the Eagles are practicing in a high school gym. My favorite version of the 'fight song' is when groups of kids take turns singing the lines.
Eagles Fight Song

Fly Eagles fly, on the road to victory.
Fight Eagles fight, score a touchdown 1-2-3.

Hit 'em low,
Hit 'em high,
And we'll watch our Eagles fly.

Fly Eagles fly on the road to victory.


~~~ on a sad note, a junior at Sean's school was knifed and died in Mexico visiting family. Sean didn't know the boy, but he was clearly shook up by it. We have lots of Mexican immigrants in these parts and I guess they save up to visit grandparents in the old country. The school is raising money for the family.

How blog was created

Hey, I'm not going into details, it's in the 'Person of the Year' Time magazine (Dec 27-Jan 3). You know who the Person of the year is already. I found it interesting that John Hinderaker (what a surname!) starting blogging on Memorial Day weekend, 2002 at his kitchen table. The name of the blog was called Powerline. (I am not endorsing JH's political views, just showing you who he is and the first 'blog') The rest is blogistory! So I was going through the blog links in the article and wasn't impressed except by the guy who claims to make 5k a month on his blog through ads. It was just all click throughs when I went there. The icing on the cake was the Bill Clinton daily diary. They say it's a bunch of bull-totally fabricated (hmmm.. a paypal donation link is on the page?). What do you think?

~~~
Mom came over for a few hours. She had her overnight bag with her, but I discouraged her from staying (she didn't ask, but I did tell her it's an open invitiation to sleep over). It's the middle of the week, the guys have to get up at the crack of dawn and don't want to walk around on egg shells. She was bummed, but a little shopping brightened her up. She is better, but taking 1.5 pain pills a day instead of the 1/2 of pill she took at the end of the '04. Too bad the doc tried to switch her off. She showed me her little belly bulge to prove she isn't a bone any more. Funny mom!

Sean thinks he's rich...

You know those Coinstar machines in the supermarket? Well my son was itching to cash in a load of coins. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go tonight (procrastinator like his dad), but I told him to take my stash (he left me half) of coins and that he could put the money toward his Senior class trip to Williamsburg. So he went...came home with over $38! Counted the moola in front of me. Now he doesn't have to blow all his money on the final installment for the trip. He also made 'Distinguished honors' on his report card. His teacher for Economics gave him a lousy C-, but he got mostly 'A's and 'B's in his other classes. Millersville doesn't know what they are missing.
~~~~~~
I was a bit peeved because a message I wrote in a group discussion got deleted. They love to do this there, treat me like I don't know my butt from a hole in the ground! It was because I wrote the word 'copy'. Ok, I got these patterns off the web and they were complimentary. I never used them. Told the group, you can have my 'working copies' of these pattern-the post was like #10. We are allowed to have a working copy of any design of cross stitch. I had one copy of each pattern, never duplicated them or planned to. Was suggesting my copies for a charity quilt. Got chewed out in ever so nice a way. Like the cross stitch police are coming to get me. There are more important things to worry about in this rat race of a world. I love doing my charity work, but I am getting fed up with people like the above. I swear that I will never copy and send patterns to 100s of people! I respect the designers as I would love to design myself someday. John Stossel would say... 'Give me a break!'