One day at a time

New Window Project - June 2009

2009-07-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I have an old house (built in 1926) and as you all can imagine, there is ALWAYS something that needs done, fixed, replaced, etc. Although its not easy on the wallet, I do enjoy fixing it up and making it better. Old houses have such history and if the walls could talk . . . what a story we'd hear :)

I have 21 windows and was able to get 9 of them replaced!!! I had Champion come and do it. They are probably more expensive than some others, but I love their windows!! They have some great features. Here are some before and afters.

These are three of the living room windows before the replacement. I would have to put that plastic wrap stuff on them in the winter or else sitting on the couch was unbearable!! The cold air aould go right through them and right down onto me!!!

These are the beautiful new ones :)

The finished windows with the new curtains and blinds! What a difference they make!!

This is the new dining room window!!

This is my bedroom window before and after! I couldn't even get any air before, but now I can open them anytime I want (imagine that!! :)

The new bathroom window with the bottom part frosted. I live pretty close to another house, so having the bottom window frosted lets me keep the light and have some privacy without having to put the blinds down the whole way!

So, I have ONLY 12 more to go. Maybe someday they will get done!! There are so many things that I want to do to this house, but all in all, its a pretty swell place to call my own :)

Niagara Falls - May 2009

2009-07-31T21:39:00.000-07:00

A quick trip to Niagara Falls was a great way to spend a weekend in May. We drove up on a Friday night and then spent all day Saturday walking around and enjoying the sights and the city. It was RuthAnn & I and then Becky, Jason and Declan & Liam. We had a blast!!

There was a gorgeous rainbow all afternoon!!

RuthAnn

The view from the Ferris Wheel

Liam was fine the whole time, but RuthAnn was just a wee bit nervous :)

Declan & Liam at the Ranforest Cafe

LOL

Isn't it crazy that they would have to post a sign like this?? How dumb are some people!!?

We didn't ride it this time, but the Maid of the Mist is an awesome experience!!!

Florida Vacation (Feb. & March 2009)

2009-03-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

I just love driving south this time of year!! Escaping from the frozen north and driving until its warm out is a very magical experience, and one that I look forward to immensely!!

These pictures are of the mountains on the way down I-77. Before you scold me for taking them while I was driving, I put the camera strap around my wrist and then just put my hand out the window and snap away!! :) I don't look until later. I would stop, but there really isn't a place to pull over (without getting run over by crazy truck drivers!!) Anyway, I love the drive and the freedom of the road. This time I didn't make any reservations anywhere. I just went. I figured I'd roam where and when I pleased :) So nice!!

This is downtown Jacksonville, Florida (again taken from the the car). I'm pretty happy with how well it came out!!

The bay downtown St. Augustine, FL. I love this town. Its small, but big enough to have all kinds of cool things to do. It has a very European feel to it. Kind of reminds me of what Spain would be like. I've never been there, but I can imagine can't I?

This is the old fort back from 1672!!! Its pretty amazing to think its been there that long!!

Beautiful palm tree near the fort.

Most of the streets in the old part of the city are for walking only or are very pedestrian friendly :) There are tons of shops, restaurants, coffee shops and art galleries everywhere you look. I could live here in a heartbeat!! :)

At the beach in St. Augustine, I got to watch some people fishing with a huge net! They caught a ton of fish. It was pretty neat!!

They also caught a stingray in the net! Of course I wanted a closer look. I got stung with a stingray or two in California a few years ago and am now always on the look for them when I'm swimming!!! Shuffle, Shuffle, Shuffle those feet!!! :)

Look at that HORRIBLE barb!! Trust me, you DO NOT want to come very close to that thing with your bare feet!!! Hurts like nothing I've ever felt!! Took 3 months to heal up the cuts from it too!!

He bent and then broke off the barb and then let the thing go. I'm sure it hurt the poor fella', but at least it won't sting any unlucky swimmer in the future!! :)

Don't they look evil? They are pretty neat creatures. Their eyes look like a dog's eyes and they actually look AT you when you are close to them!! Creepy!! I've held them and fed them in Grand Cayman and they are not hostile or anything, just don't step on them!!! :)

I love driving on the beach down here!! Its the most amazing stress reliever ever. I could drive for miles along the beach looking out at the sea. And, if I want to stop and explore, I just park and get out and there I am!! :) Very nice!

Happy feet!

St. Augustine Lighthouse

After being in St. Augustine for a couple days, I decided to drive over to the Gulf of Mexico and hang out over there for a while. I havn't explored that much over there, but did go to Sanibel and Captiva Islands a couple years ago and LOVED it!! So, I drove over to Fort Myers and got a hotel and then from there drove all over that area. The Ocean is so beautiful over there. Its much more like the Carribean and the water is so clear and blue!! Turned out it was 82 degrees and gorgeous and I loved every minute of it!!!

This is the path to the beach on Sanibel Island. It feels like the tropics on that island and I absolutely love it there!!!

A lot of the beaches there are so wide open and undeveloped! So beautiful!!

He was quite suspicious of me, but let me get really close! He kept his eye on me at all times though :)

Sunset on Sanibel Island is absolutely unreal! People drive out onto the island just to witness it in person. Truely worth the trouble to see one of God's better creations in action!

Sanibel Island Lighthouse. Not one of the most beautiful lighthouses I've ever seen, but interesting anyway.

The gorgeous clear blue water off Sanibel Island. Makes you want to jump in right?

That water is so beautiful!! I could sit and watch it for hours as it crashes onto the shore. Mmmm! So nice :)

Sanibel and Captiva are famous for the sea shells that are deposited on their shores. It is pretty amazing the shear amout of shells that you can find!!

There are some gorgeous house on the island!! These ones face out towards the ocean and are absolutely spectacular!!

This is what the people in the house above get to look out at!

On the way home last Sunday (March 1st, 2009), I ran into a crazy snowstorm in South Carolina! At first, I just thought it was a fluke and it was just going to be a few flurries. Obviously, I wasn't listening to the radio!! They were going to get hit with a BIG storm and I was right in the middle of it!!! This picture was of me still wearing my flip-flops getting out of the car to get gas. Needless to say, I had to ditch the flip-flops for some more appropriate footwear!! Oh, and a coat! :)

This was when I began to think that I may have to stop driving soon! It got so bad out that people were just driving wherever they could. You could no longer see the lines on the road and the people down there DO NOT know how to drive in that stuff!! :) So funny if it wasn't so scarey! :)

I finally stopped in Mooresville, NC at this awesome Holiday Inn Express that I love to stay at. I got a great night of sleep and then took off for home in the morning. What a trip right?

Winter Blues

2009-01-13T20:27:00.000-08:00

Well, I've got a case of the winter blues. You know when you are sooo ready for summer and sunshine and it just seems like so long until you'll see it? That's where I'm at right now.
I think that working nights doesn't help either. Its dark when I go into work, still kinda' dark when I get off and then dark again when I wake up. It feels like I'm in a dark, cold world that won't end for a couple of months yet. Maybe I'm just in a rut. I stay up all night, because that is what I'm used to doing. Then, I go to bed somewhere between 5am and 7am and sleep 'til between 12pm and 2pm. That's on my nights off. I may as well be working!! It seems like I spend so much of my free time recovering from working that I'm tired all the time.
We had 2 deaths the other night at work. One right after the other. There is sadness all around it seems. Its hard emotionally and physically to do what I do. And yet, I do like it. I have worked very hard to get to where I am. I'm good at what I do - and there are rewarding times in my job. Its awesome to run into someone in the store or at the mall that only a short while before had been broken and battered and lying a a coma. Its awesome to get a card sent to the unit saying how much they appreciate all we have done for them. There are some great things being done in that unit and I work with the best nurses around :) But it does have a way of making me feel drained of energy and longing to flee to the beach and lay in the sun and do NOTHING!! :)
Well, tonight I got up at 3pm and then finally made it out of the house by 6 and got a big load of firewood and then went to Chipotle for a nice big meal to go. I brought it home and built a fire and watched TV while eating my Fajita Burrito Bol and munched on chips until I stuffed! Its now almost midnight and I'm just really waking up. I think I should call my friends and see who wants to go shopping or do something fun, but I'm stuck in that night shift rut! Although I'm wide awake, no one else is!! Ughhh!!
Thanks for letting me rant - and if you don't like it - well, don't read it!! :)

ICU Christmas Party at my house (Dec. 14th, 2008)

2009-01-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

I hosted the ICU Christmas Party at my house again this year. I live so close to the hospital, so its kind of convenient for people to stop over - even after work.

I snapped some pictures before the gang arrived :)

Tracey, Todd & Todd's wife, Pam.

Michelle :) Good friend!

Mary, Brian & Tracey :)

Michelle & I. She moved back to California now! :( Can't believe it!

Sherry & Karen :) So funny!!! They said that my camera flashed so much they felt like they were getting their mug shots done!! Ha, Ha!! :)

Dana & Val. Two of my all-time best friends!! I have worked with them for like 14 years now! Love them :)

The group shot. Uhhhh . . . A little fuzzy, but there's my people :)

Val & Terri being silly

Val, all tuckered out at like 1am! :)

FAMILY CHRISTMAS 2008

2009-01-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

I had a great Christmas this year. I had to work on Christmas Eve, but we all just kind of worked around it and had a great time together anyway. We had a wonderful Christmas dinner with an absolutely wonderful glazed ham and twiced baked potatoes :) Yum!!

Liam & Declan had so much fun opening their gifts!! :) Half the fun of Christmas this year was watching them!!

RuthAnn let Nicky come up with her. He gets a little nervous with all the excitement and the ripping paper. He's pretty good though.

The little boys just love Dad (their Grampy). And he loves spoiling them :)

Mom & Dad's beautiful tree with the piles of gifts around it :) Such happy times.

Jason, Dad & Rob playing a game on Christmas Eve.

Mom & Dad and the light of their lives :)

Making Applebutter With My Family

2008-11-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

A bunch of us gathered at Ron & Sue Stearns' house to make applebutter. They had already done all the prep work (thank you!) and cut up about 15 bushels of apples and cored them and peeled them and strained them . . . but today we gathered to cook it and can it. We all brought food and had a great lunch together and had a great family day in the process.

Our family has beenmaking applebutter for longer than I have been alive. The big copper kettle had belonged to my Grandma & Grandpa Rummel and Mom remembers it from when she was a little girl. I have memories from as far back as I can remember of eating Grandma's homemade bread with her applebutter spilling off the edge. Yum!! Esther and Mom chatting while stirring the applebutter. Then Rachel took over for a while.

Liquid gold!! As the day went on, it boiled down and got darker and thicker. All in all, there was about 15 pounds of sugar added to the brew as it boiled down. The smell was incredible!!

RuthAnn taking a turn :)

They made a wonderful beef stew outside over coals. These really cool cast iron pots are made to put coals under them and on top of the lid to cook food. The stew was absolutely delicious!!

Mom and Becky taking a moment to enjoy the stew and the beautiful Fall day.

Liam & Declan enjoyed themselves on this fun day. They ran around and played outside all day!!

They sat on the cooler and wanted us to pull them around. My back hurts so bad from rough-housing with them!!! :(

Then the got on this wagon and Mark pulled them around the yard. They were collecting pine cones. Declan was NOT thrill with the pine pitch that he had on his hands!!

Me taking my turn stirring the brew.

A family affair

Aunt Sue made a bunch of homemade bread while we were stirring the applebutter and we were all thankful as she sent us all home with a loaf!! :)

We devoured 2 loaves of bread there on the spot with hot applebutter ladeled onto the bread straight from the kettle!! Yum!! Nothin' better than that!! :)

Liam and Declan loved it, but mostly wanted to lick the applebutter off the bread instead of eating the bread too!!

Esther and Rachel charing some bread.

Getting ready to can. We had to bring in the applebutter a bucketfull at a time. We each had our stations to get the applebutter canned.

Esther was the jar filler, Mom wiped the edges of the jars and passed them on to RuthAnn. I would put a lid on the jars and then RuthAnn would put the ring on and tighten them. From there we would pass them on to Dad or Ron and Sue to carry them to the shelf or put them in boxes.

Liquid gold!! :)

All in all, we got about 65 quarts of applebutter from the batch. Not bad!!

The old copper kettle. Lots of history in that old kettle. Its helped bring wonderful applebutter to our family for more than one generation now!!

Myrtle Beach & Charleston, SC

2008-11-02T13:18:00.001-08:00

On the way to Myrtle Beach, I passed a field that looked like freshly fallen snow. Turns out it was cotton!! I know I may be a total "yankee," but I had never seen a field of cotton before. I was a little taken with it and in fact did "take" some :) Just a couple little cotton balls :)

This place was really cool. Its called Barefoot Landing and has tons of little shops and restaurants that are on both sides of the lake. You can go back and forth on these bridges that connect the two sides.

This place had really awesome chocolate and candy!!

This Halloween display was awesome! As I walked by it, something hissed at me and the fog came shooting out of somewhere and scared me a little!

My hotel!! Its called the Sandcastle Resort in South Beach of Myrtle Beach. It was totally awesome :) I was up on the 6th floor and had an excellent oceanfront room with a terrific view :)

Me in front of the hotel

The hotel had really great pools and hot tubs!! They were heated very well and even though it was chilly outside sometimes, they were very comfortable to swim in!! :)

Another really cool place that I went was Broadway at the Beach and Celebrity and Celebrity Square. There are tons of shops, restaurants, theaters, etc. surrounding a lake. Again there are bridges connecting the two sides. A very cool place to visit!!

One of my most favorite things is to walk on the beach. I absolutely love it!! I found some shark teeth on this trip :) Very neat!!

A beautiful sunrise - taken from my balcony!

Pawley's Island, SC

Pawley's Island is a beautiful little island with gorgeous beaches and unbelievable beach houses!!

Charleston, SC

St. Michael's Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston is gorgeous and I couldn't resist stopping there for a while.

Charleston is a beautiful city full of beautiful things and historic places. I'm glad I got to finally visit it!!

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

2008-10-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens is an amazing place. Its in Akron, but is surrounded by woods and very much feels like you are in the mountains and many miles from any city.

We went there for Ohio Mart - kind of a dumb name - but its actually a great Fall festival with crafts and food and fun stuff to do and see.

QUOTED FROM THE STAN HYWET HALL WEBSITE
"In 1898, F.A. Seiberling founded The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, naming it after Charles Goodyear, the inventor of the vulcanization process for rubber. It was the turn of the twentieth century and the Industrial Age was forming modern America where cities grew and industries flourished. Akron, Ohio was no exception – it built its foundation on the rubber industry to become the “Rubber Capital of the World.” Like many of his industrialist peers, F.A. Seiberling had architectural aspirations. Between 1912 and 1915, he and his wife, Gertrude, built their country estate and named it “Stan Hywet” (Old English for stone quarry) the property’s most prominent natural feature. While European country houses were based on generations of title and wealth, the American country estates were built by self-made financial giants. Vanderbilt’s Biltmore, Rockefeller’s Kykuit, and Hearst’s San Simeon, are well-known examples. The short-lived American Country Estate building boom began to decline in the 1920s, and by the 1960s many of the most elegant homes ever built in this country had been lost to the wrecking ball. Stan Hywet remains as one of the most important historic estates to endure from this bygone era. In 1957, the Seiberling family donated Stan Hywet to a non-profit organization so that the public could enjoy and experience a noteworthy chapter in American history. Above the Manor House entryway, the crest bearing the motto Non Nobis Solum (Not for Us Alone), welcomes guests as warmly today as it did a century ago. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is Akron’s only National Historic Landmark and Save America’s Treasures project. It is accredited by the American Association of Museums"

Yummy Gingerbread cookies!! :)

Pumpkin Roll!!

A BEAUTIFUL FALL DAY

2008-10-07T17:56:00.001-07:00

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is such an awesome place just about any time of year, but I love it in the Fall. The leaves are starting to turn colors and the air is crisp and clean. Great day for walking or riding your bike along the 30 plus miles of well-maintained trail.

This Blue Heron was very suspicious of me and was slowly edging to the other side of the canal!! Ha, Ha! It was kind of funny to watch :)

This is such a beautiful bridge and in such a great setting. I love to hang out here when I'm in the area.

YANKEE PEDDLER FESTIVAL

2008-09-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a while since I've written anything on here, but I thought it was time to start again. Its always fun to blog when you are on vacation and have exciting things to post, but then I got back home and it was back to the grindstone again. So, I didn't really have anything real fun going on.

I did go to Yankee Peddler Festival yesterday (9/20/08) and had a lot of fun. Its a festival that is set back in the 18th century and all the crafts are supposed to be from that period of time or at least could have been made during that period. There is no electricity allowed to the booths and most of the demenstrators are using foot-peddled jigsaws or lathes, or something like that. The food is cooked over the open fire in kettles or on grills. There are soldiers and mountain men living in teepees and tents here and there. Just a lot of fun!!

Its fun to go to these kind of festivals and really feel that you have stepped back in time where things were a little more simple. I'm sure life was very hard then, but still a little more slow paced and less complicated.

There are crafts, furniture, art, and every type of handmade thing you can imagine!!

Under this bridge there used to be someone dressed like a troll that would yell and jump out at you, then would give you a ring made from a square nail. As a kid, I was a little afraid of him, but its a good memory now looking back on it. He isn't there anymore, but there is still a sign on the bridge that says "Beware of the Troll!"

Monica J. Hardy is from Scotland and always interesting to talk to. She weaves beautiful wraps, scarves and blankets! Absolutely beautiful!!
Bosewell's Beanery is a great booth to stop by and sample all kinds of dips and barbeque sauces, pie and custard mixes, etc. Yummy stuff!

I love the grilled chicken sandwiches that they make here! :) They are just simple sandwiches, but there is just something about freshly grilled chicken at a festival like this! I have always headed straight to this booth to get a sandwich!! :) Then later, I go to their other booth and get another so they won't think I'm a piggy! :)

FAMILY REUNION & GRANDMA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

2008-08-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

8/9/08
Well, today we got together to celebrate Grandma's birthday. It was a family reunion of sorts too, because we havn't had one for a couple years. We are all so scattered around that its hard sometimes. Of course not everyone was able to come, but we had a good time anyway. Grandma turned 78 this year! Hard to believe! She is so loved by all of us and still very active.

Grandma giving one of her talks to Philip. You MUST pay attention when she gives you advice! Plus its usually very good advice! :)

A virtuous woman

We had a blast playing "hillbilly golf!"

Ron & Sue's dog wolf . He is HUGE!
Faith hangin' out and watching all the action.

LAST DAY IN SAN DIEGO :(

2008-08-07T17:40:00.000-07:00

8/6/08
Well, this is my last day in San Diego for the summer. I decided to get in some last minute fun stops before I head home. I went a little north to Solana Beach again and stopped at Cedros Avenue. I love it there. There all kinds of stores for remodeling your home, bathroom, kitchen, etc. There are stores that specialize in tile, stone, imported fixtures, outdoor furniture, etc. Pretty cool place. The entire street is lined with shops and little cafes. Two of my favorites are SOLO and The Leaping Lotus

This is the inside of SOLO. Its a pretty cool place and has different sections for the different vendors that have stuff in there. They have their own stock too, but allow a few select vendors to have a "booth" inside. Really cool stuff for the house.

This is The Leaping Lotus. It is two floors of the coolest stuff!! There are at least 100 different "booths" or sections that are rented out to different artisans. They are not there in the booths, but each item is tagged with their booth number so you just browse and purchase what you want at the front. Some very creative things in there!!

After Cedros, I went to Del Mar again. I love that little town. It is the perfect setting! Perched right on the edge of the Pacific Ocean with perfectly landscaped lawns, gardens and little shops everywhere.
This picture is the view from where I ate lunch. I stopped at the Pacific Breeze Cafe. They have the best sandwiches ever!! I like the Turkey, Bacon & Avocado club sandwich!! Yum!
The Pacific Breeze Cafe is up on top of the building with the arches covered in ivy. That building is full of shops and cafes. Kind of like a small shopping mall. Most of the upper part is restaurants with the ocean view.

Almost all the restaurants have outdoor seating like this. If you are hungry, just look for the little umbrellas along the street and there is sure to be good food to be had close by!!

This place has really good coffee!! I got a Coconut Dream there!! Its just like a latte, but had coconut flavoring! So good!!

With coffee in hand I headed down to the coast for a walk around Seagrove Park. It is absolutely beautiful!!! Of course its on Coast road!
The beach here is used for swimming, but is famous for its surfing. There are tons of surfers everywhere!!
Some of the local wildlife. The signs say they are squirrels, but I guess they are ground squirrels 'cause they burrow into the ground. Anyway, they are kinda' cute.

After Del Mar, I headed to Torrey Pines State Park to hike. I didn't do heavy-duty hiking, but I hiked nonetheless! The views are well worth it!!

I love this picture of the salt marsh and the Del Mar valley! I was able to catch the Coaster going along the track too! Great timing!!

You always have to be careful to stay on the trail!! You don't have to worry about me! I happen to not like rattlesnakes :)
The Torrey Pine!!

After my hike, I headed to La Jolla. I love it there so decided to visit it again!! The views here are incredible!!

Lazy Sea Lion napping on the rock :)

Typical sight in California! Off to the beach!

Yes, that's my shadow! I could not get to a place where I didn't show up in the picture :(

There were several seals and sea lions playing in the surf, but this little baby seal stuck out! So cute!!

I saw a wedding taking place along the edge of the water. I couldn't help but take a picture!

Then as it got on towards dusk, I headed to Belmont Park. Its another beautiful place. There is a small amusement park there and little beachy shops and cafes. Cool place to hang out. Its in Mission Beach.

This piece of pizza was absolutely huge!!! It was called a "Big Slice," but it was about the size of a third of a large pizza!! Yum!!!

This is a familiar site in San Diego!! Its near downtown in Mission Bay Park. I believe its inside Sea World. Anyway, Its always been there as long as I've been going to San Diego. At Christmas time they change the colors to red and green, but otherwise its kind of a landmark around there.

Now its time to go and get some stuff packed so I can get some sleep!!

Well, I'm working on this in the airport on my way home Thursday 8/7/08 at about 9:40pm. I have a long layover in Charlotte, so it gives me something to do. Can't wait to sleep in my own bed tonight!! Yeah!!

BALBOA PARK

2008-08-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

8/5/08
Today I started out by going to the beach again, but then I went to Balboa Park. It is truly beautiful there. Most of the buildings there were built for the Panama-California Exposition back in the early 1900's. They didn't intend for them to be permanent buildings, but because of their popularity, they were made permanent and still stand today. Good thing! As you can see, they are gorgeous! Most of them are now museums (Art, Science, Aeronautics, Photography, etc.). Some have theaters and restaurants in them as well. There are gardens throughout that will take your breath away! The building above is the botanical conservatory. Inside there are palm trees, waterfalls and every kind of tropical plant you can imagine!! It closed just as I got there, but I've been inside many times before.

There is a palm tree forest there that is spectacular!! Makes me feel like I'm in the jungle!!
The sculpture in the stone facing of these buildings is unbelievable!!

The rose gardens are just amazing! The work that goes into making these roses flourish like this! I can't imagine!!

These roses are coming from one plant!! Some even from the same stem, but are blooming in different colors! ??

Then we come to the cactus garden! I love that stuff too! I think its because they are so unusual. They have so many different varieties!

Some of the local wildlife! They can be seen skittering around as you walk. Usually I can't get my camera to shoot a picture fast enough to catch one, but this time I did OK :)

You can see the mountains in the background. The California landscape really appeals to me. It has its desert areas, mountains, and the ocean! Love it!!

This cactus is pretty cool. The picture below is of the top of one of them. Its the flower in bloom. It looks like something that you would see on the ocean floor - like one of those sea anemones. Pretty cool!!

ROUTE 101, LAGUNA BEACH & THE GASLAMP DISTRICT

2008-08-05T00:03:00.000-07:00

8/4/08

Well, today I planned to go up the coast all the way to Malibu as I have done many times in the past, but I just didn't feel like rushing and wanted to spend more time in Laguna Beach. So, I only went that far. On the way up I stopped in the little beach towns along the way. One of my favorite ones is Dana Point. From high up on the cliffs, you can look down on the marina. The view is breathtaking and everything looks so beautiful and perfect! I love it!!

This is the road that leads down to the harbor! Awesome!! Gotta' love those cliffs!

This is the coastline on the other side of the harbor and marina. Beautiful!!
There is an Ocean Institute there by the marina that teaches all sorts of stuff about the ocean and conservation. It was pretty cool. I didn't actually go on one of the tours/classes, but its a neat place. Great gift shop too :)

Another little beach community that I love is Oceanside. Its right by Camp Pendleton (the Marine base), so its really a big-time military town. It is just so quaint and beautiful! The pier is a big draw for tourists and locals alike. It is reeeeaallly long! People fish from it and walk and jog on it. There is a restaurant at the end of it too.

Ocean House is a beautiful restaurant that always catches my attention. I've never eaten there, but maybe someday.

A typical old-fashioned California car!
Usually they have the wooden sides and are carrying a surfboard or two on top. This one was bright red! I couldn't resist posting it in black & white though.

Oceanside Pier

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then on to Laguna Beach. And, yes, it really is as beautiful as everyone says! I love it there too. There are two major arts festivals that run all summer long that go on every year here. There are also just tons of art galleries and artist studios everywhere you look. The beach is absolutely gorgeous too!

I thought that these benches just sitting there by the sea looked so inviting! What a great backdrop!!

The beach here kind of reminds me of those pictures of Italy or the Greek isles somewhere. I think its because of the way the city and the houses are kind of built into the side of the cliffs like that.

I did get the chance to take a couple of photos of the coast from up among the houses on the cliffs. I drove up there for a little while to see some of the houses and some of the views from up there. I cannot imagine actually waking up to that every day! What must that be like?

I also snapped some pictures of some of the shops along the way. Lots of fun shopping! Being that I like nautical things and sea shells, etc. the shops around here are right up my alley!!

On the way back to San Diego, I went by way of I-5 instead of the smaller beach routes 'cause I was tired! I like to stop by at the scenic viewpoint by Camp Pendleton to snap some pictures. Its is so beautiful there - just wide open space. San Onofre State Beach is right out in front but most of the land around that whole area is Marine base.

Some of the local wildlife! There are tons of these
little gopher things that live in the cliffs!!

Well, When I got back to the hotel, I was pretty tired, but I hate to waste time on vacation! So . . . I headed downtown for the evening. I went to the Gaslamp District. Its a historic older section of downtown and a lot of it is still lit by real gas-burning street lamps. The main street there is 5th street and it is just lined on both sides with restaurants and shops. Its a great place to get something good to eat or shop. There are restaurants for every kind of food you can imagine and almost all of them have outdoor seating as well.

One of my first stops is usually the Ghirardelli Chocolate shop! They have the best stuff in there!! There is an ice cream shop in there as well! Too good!!! At least go in to get a free sample of the chocolate that they had out on the way in!! Yum!

I also stopped by Horton Plaza while I was there. Its a HUGE mall in the middle of downtown. There are at least 4 different levels to the mall with walkways and escalators running every which way! Its totally cool!! The walkways are open to the air due to the favorable weather here, so its a great place to hang out, shop AND enjoy the fresh air! Sorry my night photography is sooo bad! I have to read the manual for my camera when I get home!! (no I haven't read it yet!)

Well, that's all for tonight. I'm gonna' some sleep so I can hit the beach early in the morning! Well, at least early for me (pro'ly 'round 10 or 11 o'clock) Ha, Ha!

SUNDAY IN RANCHO SANTA FE, SOLANA BEACH & SEAPORT VILLAGE

2008-08-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

8/3/08

Today is Sunday and yes, I did go to church. There is a church out here that I went to with Becky & RuthAnn when they were working as nannies. It is Horizon Christian Fellowship and is totally awesome!!

Pastor Bob Botsford spoke on "Putting on Christ." It was a really good message on how we are not humble, Holy, patient, or meek in and of ourselves, but that is why it is important to live as Christ and to put off ourselves and put Him on. It was really a good sermon. Their website is http://www.horizon.org/

As I walked in they were already singing. I recorded a snippet of video as discreetly as I could when I first walked in.

They have brunch in the courtyard, coffee, fellowship, and tables set up for the high school ministry, singles ministry, marriage retreats, men's ministries, and women's ministries. There is always something going on there. Mercy Me is going to be coming soon for a concert! Wish I could be there!!

After church, I went to the beach of course!! I decided to go to Fletcher Beach. This is where I was stung by the stingray, but I'm conquering my fears, remember? Anyway, I went swimming a little bit, but right in front of the lifeguards and there were lots of other people there too. I think all the noise and activity might have scared away the stingrays. That's what I kept telling myself!! :)

Since I was there last, they have totally redone the area!! The picture of the park-like setting is all new. It used to be just one big parking lot, but is now really beautiful. The only problem is, the parking lot now only holds about 20 cars! So . . . I had to park a little ways down the street.

Those condos up on the hill are part of Las Brisas condo development. RuthAnn got to live there for 3 months every summer when working as a nanny. I stayed there a few times with her when I was out here on vacation. It was absolutely beautiful!! The condo the nannies got was on the front side directly overlooking the cliff and with an unobstructed ocean view! Only $11,000/month to rent it. Good thing she didn't have to pay for it!! :)

http://www.vacationbeachhomes.com/site/Imagery/PropertyID__12123/page__3/8257/DesktopDefault.aspx?Imagery&PropertyID=12123&page=3&PageID=8257
I put the link for the condo rental on here, but I couldn't resist putting the pictures on here too! It is a beautiful place to stay and every time I was there, I didn't want to leave!!

I walked down the beach a little ways to get away from where all the swimmers were and also where the people were all camped out. I had to wade through the surf to get to where I was going, but it was well worth it!!

The cliffs are so beautiful! It feels like you are on a deserted island half the time because you are surrounded by cliffs and water and there is hardly anyone around! So nice!!

After I left the beach, I went back to my hotel room for a little while and got a nice hot shower so I didn't smell like ocean water and then headed downtown. I went back to Seaport Village for a little while. Its a beautiful place to watch the sunset, let alone all the other things going on there. Take a look at the pictures of the little shops and vendors there.

The Hyatt Regency Hotel! I love that place! So beautiful!!!

Nightfall along the bay

There were some people there with parrots, cockatoos, macaws and other birds. They wanted a donation for pictures and the ability to hold the birds. They were there from a local bird rescue shelter and animal hospital. I love parrots!! Of course I got my picture taken with a macaw! They are so beautiful!!

What a beautiful day!! The weather today was spectacular as usual also!

SURFERS, SHOPPING, & THE BEST CANDY STORE

2008-08-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

8/2/08

This is more video of the surfers in Pacific Beach. I really enjoy watching them especially from the pier where you are right out there with them as they catch the waves!

La Jolla is a truly one-of-a-kind place! I absolutely love it there! There are blocks and blocks of little shops, art galleries, cafes, bistros, restaurants, surf shops, and just about every other thing you can imagine!! At night it really comes alive with lights and crowds of people just having fun, laughing, meeting with friends and enjoying the ocean view.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Powell's Sweet Shoppe in La Jolla is AMAZING!! I could not believe all the obscure, old fashioned and forgotten candies and sodas that they had!! It was unreal!! They even have a few theatre seats in the back and have "Willy Wonka" playing on a TV screen!! I had a lot of fun looking at all the kinds of candy. I only bought a couple things, but could hurt myself in that place if I let me!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One other video that I wanted to add was of the road on the way to La Jolla. I was racing up "The 5" as it is called (The 8, The 805, The 163). Everyone refers to the interstates and highways as "The . . ." I can only imagine saying take "The 77" or "The 62" or "The 71" - Ha, Ha! Sounds funny with those numbers. Anyway, I love the highways out here. Many times there are 5-7 lanes going each way and the view is beautiful (or I think it is). Surrounded by mountains, hills or with views to the valley below or the coastline, you never get bored!!

Torrey Pines Beach, Pacific Beach & La Jolla

2008-08-03T00:12:00.000-07:00

8/2/08

Well, as usual, I went to the beach to start my day. I went to a couple of different beaches, but ended up at Torrey Pines State Beach. It is so beautiful and unspoiled there. Very peaceful!

After I left there, I went to Pacific Beach to walk around and browse the little shops along the boardwalk. There are all kinds of things to see along there. Every little thing you can imagine would be in a small beach community is there!

While there, I always have to walk out on Crystal Pier. Lots of people use it to fish off of, but there are little cottages that you can rent actually ON the pier. They are very expensive and there is a waiting list of about a year, but it would be so cool to actually have the ocean beneath you and imagine the soothing sound of the ocean as you slept!

I could watch these surfers forever! Its so fun to watch them from the pier because you can see everything from the time they catch the wave, until they ride it in to the shore. Its a neat perspective being above them and out where they are!!

SUN, SURF & FAVORITE PLACES!!

2008-08-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

8/1/08
Well, I started off the day going back to the beach again. I actually went swimming today (conquer your fears Dave!!). To those that don't know, I have terrible luck in the ocean even though I LOVE it!! I was stung by a sea urchin in Grand Cayman and about 4 years ago I was stung by a stingray on each foot while swimming in Solona Beach. Thank God my parents were with me and the lifeguards were close by because I could barely walk! Anyway, enough of that, I went swimming and really enjoyed it! After the initial *take your breath away* cold, it was so nice and refreshing! Its definitely not like Florida water in the summer. Its still COLD!!

Then I went down to Torrey Pines Beach to walk. It is so beautiful down there. I like to walk down the beach to Flat Rock and back. Its really good exercise and makes me feel so alive!

These beautiful cabanas were provided by The Lodge at Torrey Pines and the Spa there. I wanted to take up residence!! They were open to the public - not just guests of the hotel, but it turns out they cost $100/day! Guess I'll just stick with my beach towel & bottle of water for now! I did work really hard to resist the temptation to make off with the gift bag from the spa!! I wonder what was inside?

This is Flat Rock. You can hike down to it from Torry Pines State Reserve too. (up on top of the cliffs) Its kind of a landmark on this area of beach. Much further and you will find yourself on the "clothing optional" beach! Oh my! Its not really legal, but it is tolerated because of its position on the beach. You have to hike down the cliffs to it or walk a loooong way to get there, so . . . people do things that normally they wouldn't!

I felt bad a few years ago that they closed the trail down to the beach from up on the cliff trails. It had eroded so badly that it was unsafe. Well, I was glad to find that this year they have build a new trail down the cliffs. I will have to give that a try!! I climbed up some of the stairs and went up the trail a ways to get some good shots of the beach.

There are many places in the cliffs that are worn and tunneled by wind and water. I think the cliffs are beautiful!! Several of these places are like little caves that you could crawl back into (not that I would). OK, I have before, but that was dumb!

You can see the fenced in area on the edge of the cliff. That is Ragged Point. You can hike down from way up above that and Ragged Point is the end point of the trail. You can't see it, but the mountain actually goes quite a bit higher than the cliffs are. They just slope upwards instead of drop off, so you can't see the rest of it from the beach. Its quite a hike down to that point, let alone the beach trail which you take all the way down!! The problem is, you have to go all the way back up again! That's the killer!!

Well, time to get on with my day and leave the beach for a little while. I'll be back though!! :)

During the one video, this guy standing there was asking "Is that a video camera?" Uhhhh, Duh! I was moving it around and talking into it! Most people don't talk to their cameras unless they are recording a video! How dumb. When I didn't respond right away, he called to me and said "Hey FBI agent!" I waited until I was done shooting and then talked to him. You can hear him talking and saying that to me right at the end. Weirdo!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After I left the beach, I went to Rubio's! Its a "fresh Mexican grill" and their food is spectacular!! I got some food and headed back to my room for a shower and lunch and then headed back out again. I headed straight for Point Loma and the Cabrillo National Monument. From up there you can see the bay and the whole downtown area as well as out to sea! It is one of the best views I have ever seen!!

First though, the more sobering side of Point Loma. The National Cemetery. Its like Arlington Cemetery and is the final resting place for hundreds and hundreds of service men and women. Very sad but at the same time, makes me grateful to be an American when I think of their sacrifice for the freedoms that we all enjoy.

On both sides of the mountain the gravestones just go on and on as they slope down towards the sea. Its beautiful and sad at the same time.

After I left Point Loma, I decided to go to Old Town for a little while. There are so many things to do there from some very old historic buildings to great shops and restaurants! Always a fun place to be. I got there kinda' late, so I didn't intend to spend long. It was a little before 6pm and some of the shops where closed. Most were not and the restaurants were thriving with people. All of you that like to shop for little trinkets and Mexican art, pottery, nice household items, etc. would be thrilled to be there!! They have a shop for everything!

These are just some of the old buildings and houses that are in Old Town. Most of them are now open to the public as historic sites, but some are still used as Bed & Breakfasts or something. One of them is something my Mom would love - a tea house! :)

Old meets new as you look up on the cliffs surrounding Old Town. This house always catches my attention! I think its beautiful!!

This Video is specifically for Ruth Ann Glaser!! She will get the joke!! :)

After I left there, I decided to go over to Coronado Island! I love it over there. You can see it in the above video. It is just across the bay from downtown San Diego. The island itself is absolutely beautiful, but I always head for The Hotel Del Coronado. There is a lot of stuff there to do and see. This time, I decided to drive around a little more than usual and see some of the other parts of the island. I stopped at a little park near the base of the bridge to get some pictures.

This is the Hotel Del Coronado or as the locals call it "The Del." It has a storied history and has hosted presidents, European royalty, and the rich and famous for many, many years. Its a sight to behold!!

Inside the hotel its just breathtaking! There are beautiful carpets, woodwork that would make anyone stand in awe, and luxery at every turn!!

Below the hotel is a little mall of very exclusive shops. There are luxery clothiers and jewelery stores. There are also about three different restaurants facing the ocean on the lower level. There is also an ice cream shop that I just have to stop at every time I'm there. Yummy!!!

This is a picture of The Crown Room. Its a banquet room and is absolutely gorgeous!! I have seen inside before, but usually its closed from the inside unless you are part of the party that has rented it. The entire room is covered with beautiful woodwork and of course the crown-shaped chandeliers set it off just perfectly!

Out on the lawn, there was another private party. I asume it was some sort of wedding rehersal dinner or something. What a beautiful setting!! The sea in the distance and the hotel as a backdrop!!

I shot a couple of videos as I walked out around the hotel and down to the lower level. Enjoy!

Well, its time to leave The Del and go rest up for another fun-filled day! Its now about 8:30pm and I'm whooped!! I have crammed a lot into one day and I feel like blogging and then doing my other favorite activity - SLEEP!! (well, its not exactly an activity, now is it!!)

This video is of me taking the elevator up to the main lobby from the shops below and walking out the front door on my way to my car. I like taking the elevator there because its an old-fashioned one and has an elevator operator and everything!! So cool!!

Ok, so I don't know why this is sideways. Grrr! Its not sideways on my computer and I tried reloading it a couple of times, but its still sideways, so TILT YOUR HEAD TO THE LEFT PEOPLE!! HA, HA!!!

This is just to remind you that I am zoomin' around in a Mustang!! I love it!!!! :) Just had to rub it in!!

Video of La Jolla Sea Wall

2008-08-01T00:26:00.000-07:00

This is a short video of the La Jolla sea wall and the waves that hit it and sometimes wach up over it! A beautiful place to spend some time and watch the ocean!

CARDIFF, SHELTER ISLAND, & LA JOLLA

2008-07-31T22:55:00.000-07:00

7/31/08: Well, after I got my luggage this morning, I went back to bed! I was soooo tired from yesterday that I would not have enjoyed myself otherwise. Then I went to the beach. One of my favorite locations is Cardiff Beach. It is way less crowded than some of the other ones. As you can see, there is plenty of privacy and its nice and quiet!! Love it! I got some sun, then turned over and got some more. :) It was almost too good to be true! Finally, lying in the sun on a California beach! I've been waitin' all year for this!!!
This was my spot. I scouted it out and found it to be just about perfect for me!

Shelter Island is near Point Loma and sticks out into San Diego Bay. The view of the city is beautiful from there! The San Diego Yacht Club is on Shelter Island along with a bunch of other boat and ship yards. Its a pretty neat place to check out. There are some great restaurants and hotels along there too. Tonight there is a concert at one of the hotels there. Its Emmilou Harris!! :) Tomorrow night its Dollie Parton. Kinda' cool. Its a really small exclusive area.

After I left Shelter Island, I headed to La Jolla! Its an absolutely one-of-a-kind place! It was the world's best place to live a few years ago. Its also one of the most expensive :( Anyway, this panoramic is looking north up the coast.

One really neat thing in La Jolla is the "sea wall" for lack of a better term. It kind of protects this little beach that at one time was for people to swim on. Now it has been taken over by seals and sea lions and is off limits to people. The animal rights people have made it so that it is illegal to chase off the wildlife, so the sea lions can just claim a dock, a beach, whatever - and it becomes theirs! Oh well, they are entertaining to watch sometimes.

I like to walk out on the sea wall and watch the waves come in and try to dodge the spray!! About every 3rd or 4th wave is really big and will wash up over the wall in places. You just never know where! There are people out there (tourists) that will scream and run from one end to the other trying to avoid getting drenched! I was one of them today! I DID NOT choose where to stand very wisely and got soaked!!!

The water was a beautiful shade of turquoise & aqua green! I love watching the waves and am always just in awe of their power!

These poor little girls got totally SOAKED!! by the next wave that hit! That water is COLD!!! The lifeguard tower had posted that the water temp is 70 degrees, but it feels cold and its always a bit windy by the coast, so after getting soaked, you head for shelter (trust me, I know from experience!)

I took tons of pictures of the waves, but I'll try to narrow it down for ya' so you can see some of the beauty of this place.

LUGGAGE

2008-07-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got my luggage. It came sometime after 3am (6am Ohio time). I stayed up as long as I could. I wanted to take out my contacts soooo bad, but didn't dare because if my luggage didn't come by today, I would not be able to drive or anything!! I had no where to put my contacts without going out and buying new stuff. Anyway, I went down stairs to the lobby and found my bags just sitting by the back door where anyone could have just grabbed them!!! I was kinda' mad about it!! I asked when they were delivered and the Indian guy at the desk said "late in middle of night." Hmmmm. Nice United Airlines, real nice.

SAN DIEGO!!!

2008-07-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

7/30/08

Well, I finally made it to San Diego!! I got in around 2pm (5pm Ohio time). It always seems like a long flight accross the country, especially when you are jammed between two other people! :( Of course, put the chubby guy in the middle. My shoulders hurt from holding my arms in for 4 hours! Ughhh!

When I got to San Diego, it was sunny and beautiful!! I was so glad to finally be back! Its only been since the Fall of 2006, but it seems like forever! The only problem was when I went to get my baggage . . . it wasn't there!! The same thing happened last time I came out here! Grrrr! So, I filled out the report and they said it was stuck in Chicago and would be in on the next plane and arrive around 6pm. OK, so I grabbed a shuttle for AVIS and got my car! Better news this time!! They gave me a brand new Ford Mustang!!! Its white and goes ZOOM easily!! I love it!! I paid for a compact car and got that!! :) So I took off and went to the hotel and checked in and then headed for Del Mar for a *$'s and a sandwich and then headed for Torrey Pines State Beach to sit and eat, drink my coffee and just chill for a little bit! It was so nice to be back and smell the ocean and the scent of pine and sage in the air. It was a little overcast toward the West tonight, but beautiful nonetheless!

The Pine trees in this area are Torrey Pines. They only grow in a few areas in the world and are different from the pine trees on the east coast. This is a pic I took of one of the branches of a tree near where I parked.
Right over the edge of the cliff, you could see one of those "Dream Homes" of California! I could not imagine actually living there!! So beautiful!!

This is the road that leads down to the beach. That is where I parked the first time to take the picture of the house. I usually go on down the hill and park right by the beach, so I went on down there and sat on the big rocks overlooking the beach to eat and sip my coffee.

After that, I went downtown to Seaport Village. Its right on the waterfront and looks out towards Coronado Island. Behind it is the city's skyline. It has tons of little shops and restaurants. What a great place to be! I usually go there about every day when I'm out here. Sometimes, more than once a day to eat or something.

When I got there, I headed straight for Margarita's! Its a great place for authentic Mexican food! I was in the mood to grab a couple of fish tacos or a burrito or something, but this caught my attention! Its a chicken fajita plate. It came with a few fresh made corn tortillas to wrap all that goodness up in! Yum!!!

One of my other favorite places it the Upstart Crow! I love that bookstore! They have the most quirky things in there! Plus they have little seating areas all through it and even up on the next level! Their coffee is great too. I stop there just about every time I'm there.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that they were having a sailboat race going on in San Diego Bay right then!!! I got some great shots of the boats as they passed by. I can't include them all on here, but here are a few.

Below is the Coronado Bay Bridge. It links the Island with the downtown San Diego area more easily. You can take a water taxi across too or drive all the way down to the U.S./Tijuana border (only about 10-15 minutes) and drive up the Silver Strand which also connect to the "island" but is the loooong way around.

This tree is one of several at Seaport Village that are my favorite kind of tree out here. They remind me of the Swiss Family Robinson! I can imagine the fun I would have had as a young boy climbing and building tree houses in them!! Even now I'd probably climb them if no one was looking! Ha, Ha!

When I left Seaport Village, I was exhausted, but couldn't stand the thoughts of just going back to my room yet, so I headed back up I-5 and went back to Torrey Pines Beach. I watched the last bit of the sunset from there. Like I said, it was a bit overcast out toward the West, but I got what I could!! There was a guy out there beyond the breakers that was kayaking!! He came in to the beach just down from where I was standing. A beautiful way to end the day!!

Well, its 3am (Ohio time) and midnight here in Cali. I still don't have my luggage!! So much for 6pm (like they told me originally). Wish me luck! I'd really like to take my contacts out, but I have no contact case or glasses with me. Dumb!!! They are in my luggage!! Guess I learned my lesson right?

CHICAGO!!

2008-07-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

Chicago!!! Its one of the most unique cities that I've ever been to. I love the big city, riding the trains and the subways, shopping, walking by the lake, etc. There is so much to do there. One of my favorite places is Navy Pier! It is so beautiful there!! Michigan Avenue is great too and has the best shopping ever!! Going to Chinatown is a fun experience too!

Becky & I first went there a few years ago on a whim. I was visiting her when she still lived in Cincinnati and we just decided to go the next morning and then drive back that night! That was a crazy idea and very tiring, but it was so much fun!! Unforgettable!! I've been back a couple times since then, but this May we went there for Rob's graduation. He hot his Master's in Near-Eastern Archaeology and Ancient Languages (or something!!) from Trinity University.

These pics above are from the graduation. Top left clockwise: Rob and his wife Jessica, Rob with mom and dad, Me & Rob, Rob & Becky.

This is Union Station! It was so huge and beautiful!!

It was sooooo windy that we could barely walk around downtown! I don't know what on earth we thought the umbrellas were going to do for us! It certainly didn't stop the rain from getting us wet!! The wind totally turned the umbrellas inside out and we started laughing so hard that we could hardly breathe!!! So funny!

Train wheels! I don't know why, but I just HAD to take a picture of them. They were newly painted and looked so good I thought they were picture-worthy :)

Navy Pier!! I love it there! The Ferris Wheel is not to be missed! The view of the city is gorgeous from up there!!

Well, as you might have guessed, I didn't take the pics of the skyline above as I left my helicopter at home this trip!! :)
But, I had to put some in here to show just how beautiful the city is!!

RANDOM CRAZY STUFF!!!

2008-07-28T23:08:00.001-07:00

WORK

2008-07-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures from work. Just thought I'd show you a glipse into the serious world of the ICU!! Ha, Ha! We have to take SOME time to have fun, right?

The pic on the left is Val and the one below is Dana. They are some of my closest friends. We have worked together for over 10 years now!!

Here we are toasting in the new year with diet ginger ale!! It was a good night! :)

Goofing around! Trying out for "SCRUBS" next season! Ha, Ha!!

Hellooooo?! Anyone there? Dana, Jeanne, & Mary (Love them)

Candy & Judy

Look out!! You might get a jolt!!

WHY I HATE HAIL STORMS!!

2008-07-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

So, you saw the pictures of my tropical plants that I have babied all winter for several YEARS now! Well, they aren't so pretty anymore! GRRRRRRrrrrr! The hail totally ripped right through some of the leaves and simply shredded some of the other ones. I really am not worried about the rubber plant. They live through about anything, but the Bird of Paradise I'm kind of worried about. They only sprout about 3 or 4 leaves a year and two of them got totally shredded in the storm.

Maybe I'm being silly, but when you take care of something, water it, feed it, make sure its in the right temperature, repot it, cart it from apartment to a new house, etc. - even if its just a plant, it is kind of hard to see it get destroyed!! How rude of that hail!!!

~~~~~~~~~******************~~~~~~~~~~

HAIL STORM!!

2008-07-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we had a brief, but severe storm yesterday around 5:30pm. It was crazy!! All of the sudden it started hailing! I thought someone was throwing stones at my house so I stepped outside to see who would DARE! At first it was just a few hailstones here and there. Then it all broke loose and just poured rain and hail like mad!! They were the size of a candy "fireball" and they HURT when they hit. I was kind of afraid they would break my windows, but they survived! Thank God for a garage and that my car was inside!! A lot of my friends at work had major damage done to their cars while they were parked in the lot at the hospital :(

The storm did a lot of damage to the trees and to my plants that I have outside. There are big round holes in a lot of the leaves of my tropical plants (see the post a couple back). They don't look so hot right now, but hopefully they will make it!

SUNDAY DINNER AT DAD & MOM'S HOUSE

2008-07-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

SUNDAY DINNER

In our day-to-day lives, we are so busy that it can be hard to keep in touch like we should. We all live pretty close to one another, but it can still be hard. Sunday dinner is one of those times that we can all come together and catch up with each other. We don't meet every Sunday, but we do about once or twice a month. I love those times of getting together and talking about everyone's week.

RuthAnn cleaning up after dinner. We all jump in and help out. It makes it go pretty fast! :)
I love walking in through those doors. Mom & Dad's house is always welcoming and is so well-kept. They are always working at updating the house and adding new flooring or new doors, etc. Beautiful!!

Mom is an excellent cook and makes the best Sunday dinner ever! We usually chip in and someone brings salad, another brings the bread, another brings desert, and another brings pop or something. It is something that we all enjoy!

Declan loves getting into this cabinet! All there is in there are dishclothes and towels, but he likes to rummage around in it anyway! :)

Declan will bang on his plate when he gets impatient. He hates to wait on his food! When he's hungry, he's hungry!!

FAMILY

2008-07-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

This picture is all of us from Memorial day last year (2007). It was a great day! We had a cookout and hung out at Dad & Mom's house all day. Above is Liam, Jason, Becky, Declan, Me, Jessica, Rob, Dad & Mom.

Dad is a preacher and pastored churches for many years. Right now he is kind of retired from pastoring but still keeps really busy preaching for other pastors when they are out of town.
He also has made and repairs violins since he was a teenager. He is really busy with his business too. His website is http://www.stearnsviolins.com/ On that site you can see pictures and find out more about his shop.

Last summer Mom & Dad took a trip to California and went to some of my favorite spots. This picture is of them at Lucia lodge near Big Sur, California. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been! I told them that while they were there, they HAD to go there!! They were glad they did!

This picture is of my mom and her sisters. I love them!! You couldn't ask for a better mom or better aunts. From the left is Sue Stearns, Ruth Dotson, Kathy Churchill, and my mom, Eunice Stearns. Sue is married to Rohn Stearns (my dad's brother). They pastor a church in southern Ohio. Ruth is married to Glen Dotson and they also pastor a church in Ohio. Kathy is married to Paul Churchill. He is a retired contractor/housebuilder, and has also been bery involved in church & Bible college boards. Great people!! They live in Easely, SC.

There's the whole group right there! Love them!

Above is Allen Walker (Kim's hubby) and then there is the whole group of the second generation cousins (all my cousin's kids).
To the left is the cousins that were able to be there. We were missing Lisa that day, but the rest of us were there.

Ben flew all the way from South Korea to be there. We were all gathered for Grandma Rummel's funeral, so it was kind of sad, but on ther other hand we were celebrating a great life and getting to see everyone was great!!

Kim Walker
(Love her!)

MY NEPHEWS

2008-07-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

Liam & Declan are my nephews and are the light of my life!! I don't know if I'll ever have kids of my own, but I deeply love my little nephews!! They call me "Uncle D" and I love to hear their little voices excitedly squeal "Uncle D" as they run towards me for a hug! Liam is about 3 1/2 and Declan is going to be 2 in November. They are very busy, very curious and keep you on your toes at all times.

................................Cheering little brother on! Come on Declan! You can do it!!...............................

Declan decided to climb up on my coffee table, so needless to say, EVERYTHING had to moved. My house isn't exactly "childproof!" I love having them here, but it does worry me that they will hurt themselves on something that I have lying around. I'll have to try harder to see through the eyes of a child and make sure its safe for them :)

Declan likes to "bang" on the piano. He will hit the keys in time with music that is playing. Who knows? He may end up being a musician??? Everyone thinks that! Ha, Ha! A kid can't go near a musical instrument lest their family think that they are destined to be a musician of some sort :)

MY FLOWER GARDENS

2008-07-25T20:22:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I've been pretty lucky. The people that lived here before me put in all kinds of perenials that come up from early spring until late in the summer! I barely have to plant anything! I do have a mild obsession with tropical plants and keep them in my house all winter and then take them outside during the summer. But as you can see, I have Lavender, Roses, Lilacs, Iris, Tulips, Lillies, etc. Too many to name!!

MY HOUSE

2008-07-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

I bought a house in Jan. 2006. It is a big undertaking, but I do love having a house!! I feel like I'm actually working towards and paying on something that is mine instead of throwing money away on rent. Tending my gardens and keeping my house looking nice is something I really enjoy!

My living room

These are pictures of my back yard and some of my flower beds. I love my Lilac bush in the corner of my yard! Its one of my favorite things in the spring!!

The pictures below are from around Christmas time. I absolutely love hanging out in my living room with a big fire burning in my fireplace! That is the best, coziest feeling in the world!!

I usually put up two Christmas trees. One in the living room and a really big one in the dining room. There's nothin' like Christmas time in an old house with a woodburning fireplace!! :)