Life according to CP

2004-05-15T19:47:00.000-04:00

Please stop by again soon

With new year and new season means new background. So I hope to be around more to share my 'Deep Thoughts' with all of you. Thank you for coming!

2004-05-15T19:16:00.000-04:00

Hello Stanger

What can I say? I've gone through 2 seasons now without a word. I know. And I'm sorry. Not that I haven't had any blog-worthy things to say. I've just been out of practice.

For those who don't know what's going on in my life other than what is said here, I'm still in Indiana. Doing the daily grind of corporate life. Full time health insurance confusion. Tom is without employment still. Living on my income, two weeks left of unemployment, a little savings and really big prayers!

God has taken very good care of us during this time of uncertainty. It's scary. But it's ok. I know it will be.

The fibro is the same. **ow**..... I'm so thankful for pain medication! Gives me the opportunity to live a semi-ordinary life outside of my oh-so-comfortable bed.

Speaking of bed.....it's calling me. I must retire to it now. But I'll be back soon......I promise!

2003-09-21T12:19:00.000-04:00

The Day before

I'm entering the workforce tomorrow. With a myriad of emotions following me wherever I go. Exctiment, fear, anticpation, anger. Positive and negative. It's all new and yet all too familiar. I haven't worked outside the home for almost two years now. Except for Sunday mornings, I never had to worry about things like what to wear or bad hair days. Petty? Perhaps. The end of the world as I know it? If my hair doesn't turn out or I get a run in my stocking it will.

Today is a beautiful, almost fall kind of day. A slight chill to the air that's still warm and inviting. A harbinger of what's to come. Cool, crisp and refreshing. Goodbye heat, humidity and mosquitoes. Hello clean air, golden color and fireplaces. The firewood is waiting. Ready to burn. Apple cider and pumpkins. And of course, I almost forgot (not really) my birthday. Followed closely by Anne's and Kristin's. Fall is a time to celebrate!

Even if I am stuck working.

2003-09-01T16:05:00.000-04:00

Goodbye summer

August is over and today is Labor Day. Summer is winding down and everyone is back to school. Nothing is happening with our house right now...which isn't a bad thing because I like it here. Still looking for jobs right now but no leads as of yet. Just praying and hoping.

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. It's not like I didn't have any blog-worthy things to say. No, quite the opposite. I could probably write a novel on this past month alone. But I'll keep it down to a few words and sentences instead.

On Saturday we spent the afternoon at Eagle Creek Park, which is like Indianapolis' version of Presque Isle without Lake Erie. Just Eagle Creek Resorvior which reminds me of a small Chatauqua Lake. We brought Jake along and went for a stroll through the woods. You could hear the faint sound of highway traffic but it was overpowered by locust buzzing and birdsong. We all collected wildflowers along the way to make an arrangement. I put them in water the moment we got home although they look half-dead now. I just love wildflowers and their beautiful colors. I don't look at them as weeds, more like God's beautiful handiwork. I feel His presence all around in the midst of nature. A time for mindfulness and family time. What a great way to spend the afternoon.

After another great service at church (I just love it there!) we pretty much stayed indoors yesterday. Rain, rain and more rain. Flood watch. Flood warning. Oh no! The dreaded Flash flood warning! This is one of those moments I'm thankful to not have a basement!

So all the Labor Day festivities are off. I didn't have plans anyway. Alyssa baked some chocolate chip cookies and I'll make some kind of comfort-food dinner tonight. Something to make a yucky day better.

Anyone want to come over?

2003-08-09T15:25:00.000-04:00

The next journey

It's time to pack up and go....or not. I really don't know. Tom lost his job on July 25th. The For Sale sign is on the front lawn. I hope he finds a job and we stay here.

They say change is good. I like things that are good, but change isn't one of them. It hurts. I'm angry. I want to stay put. God has a different plan. A new journey down a different path. I trust Him. It will be ok.

By the grace of God, it will be ok.

2003-07-25T15:24:00.000-04:00

Accentuating the positive

So the song goes.....

I don't want to think that having a chronic illness will make me eternally sad. Only a slight setback, an inconvenience of sorts. I'm not terminally ill.

So with that in mind, I'd like to share some blog-worthy things that remind me that life is good anyway:

I fixed the dishwasher yesterday, no need for a repairman.
It's time for my semi-annual date with Tom.
5 months til Christmas.
It's not storming today.
Alyssa bought a hamster with her hard-earned babysitting money.
My house is clean....well almost.
The flooding rains made my grass look like Ireland.
I feel good today.
I went on a picnic with my friends last week.
The girls and I played pirates in the park.
Mom called me yesterday.
I still have gas in my tank.
The central air works very well.
My hair turned out the way I wanted it to.
Low humidity.
My children love playing with the old super nes.
All the neighborhood kids like to play at our house.

and the last one:
I am still cool!

2003-07-21T18:38:00.000-04:00

Here I am

Seeing its been almost a month since my last post, I didn't want anyone to think I died or something. Nope, not yet.

This past month has been a real rollercoaster ride although I've been stuck at the lower end of the ride lately. A couple hills here and there but mainly in the valleys. Meaning: I haven't been well. It's been a frustrating battle of not knowing what's wrong and thinking am I crazy? That battle finally ended almost two weeks ago .

The diagnosis? Fibromyalgia.

So I'm not crazy. What a relief. Wait a minute! What do you mean there's no cure??!

Come, let's take a ride down my new road. I hear it's a rough one but the scenery is beautiful. Let's wait and see.

2003-06-23T20:01:00.000-04:00

The pool is now open

And just in time. Spring is gone. Green is being replaced by shades of yellow and brown. Tomorrow's heat index should be somewhere between 95 and 100. Nozone alerts again--no driving in the afternoon.

The pool is up. The tradition of being the neighborhood pool hub has begun.

Hooray for summer!!

2003-06-18T01:13:00.000-04:00

Tuesday night..oh wait..it's Wednesday now!

Days go by so quickly anymore. Like sands through the hourglass.....blah blah blah.....

I think summer has arrived. Alyssa and her friends had a lemonade stand complete with pink and standard yellow lemonade. She certainly has an eye for business. Not everyone likes pink lemonade. Nor the yellow. So.....now there's a choice. And with that she made a profit of 50 cents. That's right! Hooray for Alyssa! 50 cents richer. Richer than me. Stock options available soon. Lemonade stock. She's on her way up!

Would you like to buy a glass?? For here or to go? Would you like fries with that???

Methinks I ought to get some sleep now.

2003-06-10T02:11:00.000-04:00

On God's Holy Shores

Here I am. Almost 1am Indiana time and I had to write. Came back from vacation Saturday afternoon. Piles of laundry, no food, neverending dishes to be done. Meaning: back to everyday life. All the everyday things that still need to be done. So now is a good time to write. All is quiet now. I'm the only one awake.

And I remember. I remember the Gulf of Mexico. Such a wonderous body of water. Warm. Aqua-blue. Teaming with life. Seagulls laughing. Pelicans soaring low over the waves. Shells everywhere. A constant gulf breeze. So I took a morning walk. A quiet time like now but unlike now. Nothing quite so awe-inspiring as time alone with God at the Holy Shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Breathing in the warm, salty air. Taking in every sight and sound. This was our time. God and I. An unexpected rainstorm came but I knew He was there. I was ok. Soaking wet but ok. And as I looked out over the sea during the rain, I saw the most beautiful rainbow! And I felt His presence. We are standing.......on Holy Ground kept going through my mind. My shoes were off. Very profound moment indeed.

2003-05-26T15:36:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day weekend

Ok, so today is Memorial Day, not the weekend. But with holidays come busy weekends and no urge to write. That is, until now. It's a quiet, partly sunny and comfortable day. Lawnmowers and weed-whackers buzz away making sure that one person's yard is better-looking than the other. But here I am inside, enjoying all this from my bedroom window. Sometimes I prefer to watch instead of participate.

Yesterday I participated in watching. Watching the Indy 500.

Not in the comfort of my living room, no, but in Stand C, Section 11, Row GG, Seat 11. Ear plugs ready. National Anthem sung. Jim Nabors singing the traditon of Back Home Again in Indiana. Then the green flag waves and they're off! Those cars roar like nobody's business! T.V. doesn't do it any justice! Then a series af speed, crashes and yellow flags. No one was hurt, thank goodness, just sad. So was I. Losing Sarah Fisher and Micheal Andretti amongst others made me quite sad, at least momentarily. Then back to the excitement. Would Helio Castroneves win his 3rd straight race? Or someone else? At the waving of the checkered flag, Castroneves came in 2nd. Gil de Ferren won his first race. I was very happy for him and his family.

Then the real adventure came, namely the drive home.

Compared to the others who drove all the way from California to see the race, our ride wouldn't be so bad. The roads however were another story. It's like trying to fit the rush-hour traffic on the North Dallas Tollway onto the two-lane Bayfront highway in Erie. Movement is next to none and you're surrounded by angry, loud-mouthed drunk people. We keep the windows up, doors locked, and the radio turned up to drown out the less-than-appropriate language in front of the kids. Three hours later we arrive home safe and sound. I was exhausted.

Today is a day of rest. All is quiet. Except for the weed whackers.

2003-05-13T20:41:00.000-04:00

All is calm

Well, we survived a week-long tornadofest that I hope never returns. Nothing here like Oklahoma, Missouri and Tennessee but we had our fair share of scary moments. At least we only spent one afternoon in our neighbor's basement--not the entire week!

But now it's gone. Fair weather has returned. Skies are blue and the air is fresh!

It's good to be alive!

2003-05-11T19:51:00.000-04:00

A day at the Opera

In honor of Mother's Day I've been sorting out many different memories of Mom and me. One particularly stuck with me:the Opera.

I was 11 years old. It was my turn to go to Cleveland with Mom and see the opera(Peggy went the year before). I was very excited! Although not quite sure of how interesting an opera would be, I'd always think they were so boring, I was looking forward to a day alone with Mom. The opera we were going to see was The Magic Flute--sung in English(most are sung in Italian as far as I know--Mom's the expert on that!). At least I knew I would understand what they were singing. But what was the story about? Mom solved that one. She stopped by the library and borrowed the storybook of The Magic Flute and brought it home to read to me. That's my last recollection of mom reading to me. I was well capable of reading it by myself but I'm glad she read it to me. Mom reading to me was just as exciting to an 11-year old reading machine as it was to a 3-year old just starting out! Very special, and we didn't even go yet. Now that I knew what the story was about, I was actually looking forward to seeing the opera part.

Then the day came.

It was a Saturday morning in May and the sun wasn't quite up yet when we walked down to 18th and Cherry to catch the bus downtown to the Greyhound station. We didn't wait for long. Seeing it was only 6:30a.m. there wasn't any traffic. I swear the bus was doing about 50 across 18th street and then down State Street. What would normally take 15-20 minutes any other day only took 5. That was the most fun city bus ride I ever took! I don't recall waiting very long for the greyhound to pull in. Once we boarded, then it turned into the longest bus ride to Cleveland I ever took! We didn't take the interstate, I think we took Route 20. And we stopped in every small town on the way. Any slightly populated area that had a 4-way intersection qualified as a place to stop. It seemed like we stopped every 5 minutes. So what did we do to pass the time? We counted fire hydrants. I never realized how many there were until that day. Fire safety along Route 20 in the late 70's was at it's best. 4 1/2 hours and 500 fire-hydrants later, we arrived in Cleveland. Grandma and her friend Margaret were there to pick us up and take us to what I thought was the most luxurios hotel I've ever seen in downtown Cleveland. I think it was on or near Euclid Avenue. I felt so rich in my new pantsuit complete with horribly uncomfortable training-bra and new white shoes in an upscale hotel room. Then we ordered room service--pancakes, eggs and bacon--mmmm!! Finally it was off to the show!

The Cleveland Metropolitan Opera. The most beautiful theatre I ever went to! Definitely a formal occasion--ladies in ballgowns, men in their tuxedos and me in my pantsuit! I didn't care. I didn't worry about such things--except for the non-spandex bra strap digging into my shoulder! We finally took our seats in the top row on the right side. The view was spectacular! It was even better with mom's opera glasses. Then it began. I never cared much for opera. I never liked how they sang so opera! This was different though. I could understand them. I knew what the story was about. And the costumes were stunning! I was really enjoying it. But being the young girl I was, and starting the day off so early, I fell asleep on mom's shoulder. If it weren't for the heat up there, I would have slept soundly. Instead it was more like that fighting to stay awake while watching a good movie kind of sleep. Then it was over. We were hungry. I saw what looked like some fancy wedding reception kind of thing. I asked Mom if we could eat there. She said Oh no! It would cost us $100 a plate there! A little too steep for our pocketbooks. So we went to the cafeteria instead and ate well.

Back to the hotel room. Mom and I watched an episode of Star Trek(because no trip would be complete without it!) We took a walk on Euclid Avenue together before heading back to the Greyhound station. Not only was that the first time Mom and I had a day alone together but also with Grandma. A special mom-kind of day indeed! The bus ride only took 2 hours as we zipped back to Erie on I-90. No stops. No distractions. Only time to reflect on this most special of days.

What I learned? Opera was a lot cooler than I realized. I'm still not much into the singing style, but in a theatrical setting, it is just beautiful. Thank you Mom for taking that time with me. I would probably still dislike opera otherwise. Thank you for showing me another side of it.

Happy Mother's Day Mom! I Love You!!

2003-05-04T12:41:00.000-04:00

Sunday Morning

And I'm at home. Should be at Church but....

I overdid it yesterday and am paying dearly for it. But my yard looks beautiful. Perfect lawn. Big red tulips. Brand-new fountain grass. Just lovely. I just love to help God's Green Earth look that much more special. And the smell--glorious! Can't wait to do it again!

But every bone in my body hurts! The work was worth it but--ow! The pain!! Enough complaining.

This is still a beautiful day!

2003-04-26T19:58:00.000-04:00

Here

Yes I'm here. Here I am. And I'm ok. Words are clogged in the fog of my mind. So many things I want to say.

But the fog......

Many untold stories. Have patience. They will come.

2003-04-12T20:43:00.000-04:00

I know I know it's been a while

I just ran out of words after my last post. I will write a better one soon. Just not today. Just soon.

Today was filled with Easter egg hunts and lawn-mowing. Spaghetti and a glass of wine. No bike rides.

Tomorrow perhaps?

Maybe.

2003-04-03T12:14:00.000-05:00

Birthdays and a trip around the block

Happy birthday Elizabeth!! She's 6 already!! Riding around in her brand-new Schwinn bike, new helmet with knee and elbow pads.

I remember.

I remember my 6th birthday. New Schwinn bike complete with training wheels. No helmet or knee pads. One reflector on the back fender. Ready to go. My living room was a bicycle showroom. It was beautiful! I was ready to drive off the lot and explore the world around me. To discover a new frontier. Meaning: a trip around the block! By myself!! No mom to hold my hand. I was free! There was always something enchanting about the houses on Brown Avenue. Quite unlike our 21st Street side. They were much more majestic. We thought millionaires lived there. All rich people lived on Brown Ave. Ordinary folks like us lived on 21st St.

So with that in mind, I set forth on my maiden voyage around the block, new bike without helmet. Around to the other side. Riding by all those beautiful mansions. I wondered what they looked inside. It had to be breathtaking! The big white victorian home across the street and then....The biggest one of all! The big orange Agresti mansion at the end of the block. On the corner of Brown Ave. and Poplar Street. It was so huge! I thought the richest people in Erie had to live there! Oh how I wished to see what it looked like inside! An easy place for a 6-year old girl to get lost while exploring inside.

Then came the best part of the trip--the Poplar Street bike ramps!

Not an official place per se. It was made from overgrown tree roots lifting up the sidewalk. It was like a built-in bike park for us kids in the neighborhood! I would speed up as fast as I could to fly over the hills---and causing a few boo boo's along the way. Then it was back to 21st Street again--and home for some band-aids. But not for long. I was back riding around the block again and again.

Now for the story of when I was allowed to cross the street!

2003-04-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

April fool's

Another month out of the way. It seems when April rolls around it's so much more springy. It's windy, warm. High of 72 and sunny. Doesn't get much better than that! Girls are off on spring break. Elizabeth's birthday is Thursday. Ahh yes. Life is good today. Very good. I savor the good days. Much more now than I used to.

Thankful. Very thankful.

I open the windows and welcome April!

2003-03-28T16:20:00.000-05:00

Another weather-related blog entry....and my health

Watching The Weather Channel, then switching to LWS--our local weather station courtesy of WISH TV(CBS affiliate). After that I switch to Skytrak Weather, because we can never get enough of the weather around here! Then, I feel the urge to change to our regular channels that all read the same thing: Severe Thunderstorm Watch. As if any weather-type channel would misinform me into thinking bad weather is coming or vice-versa. Not like our 24 hour news stations on war coverage. But that's a different story.

Today, despite any weather confusion, I feel well. Too well as a matter-of-fact. Just a little info on what I may or may not have. No clear-cut diagnosis. Thankfully my doctor takes me seriously instead of relying on "normal" test results. So she's treating me as if I have lupus. Not to say that I do have it, but is a very distinct possibility. Very difficult to diagnose--go here to check out any info on this condition. If the link doesn't work go to WebMD.com and type in 'lupus'. It's not as scary as it sounds. It just sucks, that's all.

Makes me thankful for the good days. How beautiful they truly are!

2003-03-22T19:39:00.000-05:00

The many moods of Saturday

I woke up this morning with this amazing feeling of strength and health. Kissed my husband, took the dog out, and fed the girls. Came back upstairs, kissed my husband again, and took a shower. Ahhh...I felt good! Invigorated instead of tired. Had a lunch date with Rhonda and Gina at the Olive Garden. Today is Rhonda's birthday. We had a lot of laughs, good stories, and all-around girl talk. A blue-sky kind of afternoon.

Then....

The dark storm clouds started looming over the horizon. Not quite here, but I knew it was coming. Like when the crawl at the bottom of the tv screen reads Severe Thunderstorm Warning when the sun is still shining. But sure enough, it gets dark, the winds blow, and the thunder crashes so violently as it does in these midwestern states. And in my mental state.

I was thankful for that blue sky today. It's not very often that I see one. Mostly overcast and grey in my mind. A fog of sorts. So I rest. I hope that the storm will pass quickly. And the sun and blue skies return.

2003-03-19T19:34:00.000-05:00

30 minutes

7:30 pm. Our troops are lined up. A time in history. I made an ordinary "comfort food" meal of chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies and the all-important crescent rolls. What irony isn't it? My family gets to partake of a glorious meal while our fathers, brothers, sisters and mothers are out on the front lines, ready to strike. In 30 minutes. We have petty arguements at home while they could die at anytime. I pray for God's peace and comfort with them.

It's scary as hell out there!

God Bless America!

2003-03-18T14:57:00.000-05:00

An in-between day

The day after St. Patrick's Day, the day before war. So I'll just sit back and enjoy today. Who knows what tomorrow may bring? Today is peaceful, warm and beautiful. It's business as usual. Warm breezes through my open windows. Endless arguments between my children. Cooking. Cleaning. Waiting for test results again. Keeping Jake out of the garbage. Sleeping whenever I can. Just ordinary stuff.

I'm content.

Whatever tomorrow may bring, I'm at peace. God gave me today. What more can I say?

2003-03-15T18:13:00.000-05:00

Spring cleaning

As I open the windows and let the warm, fresh air in, thoughts of spring cleaning go through my head. Well, not really. So here are some of my favorite quotes on spring cleaning, courtesy of Midwest Living magazine:

Spring-cleaning was a necessity a long time ago when log cabins were boarded up to keep out the winter cold. The arrival of spring presented the first opportunity to clean out all the soot and grime that had accumulated during the long winter months....Those of you living in log cabins may want to continue this practice, but for the rest of us, well, there are better things to do.
-Linda Cobb, The Queen of Clean

My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch on fire or block the refrigeratior door, let it be. No one cares. Why should you?
-Erma Bombeck

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.
-Phyllis Diller

With that in mind, I think I'll clean.

2003-03-14T15:51:00.000-05:00

It's been a while

The sun is shining warm on me today. Spring arrives sometime after 8pm next Thursday. It feels like it has already arrived. Winds blowing fresh from the south. I feel renewed. Refreshed. And all those other re words I can't think of.

Words are still stuck in my mental journal. There are so many.

Someday I'll write them. Just not today.

2003-03-08T12:25:00.000-05:00

Negative, captain

The tests came back negative. Which is good but not so good. I still don't know what's going on. So it's off to a specialist on St. Patricks Day. Ay! A rheumatologist named Dr. Cohen--just like my childhood doctor. What are the chances of that?

Now to enjoy this spring-like day! The sun is shining and warm. Time to go out and play!

Time to fire up the grill!!

2003-03-06T16:37:00.000-05:00

Still waiting...

I haven't heard from the doctor yet. I lost track of time and now the office is closed. So I'll wait.

I do feel a little better today. Enough that I only slept for a half-hour instead of three. That's an improvement! The dishes are clean and dinner's cooking! I'm so thankful that my energy is up. Tomorrow could be another story.

So I'll enjoy today for now.

2003-03-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

I can't think of a clever headline today

I've been under the weather lately. So please excuse the lack of entries. I'm still alive. Just not well.

I visited my doctor today to see what was wrong. Don't know yet.

At least the weather is nice. Sunny and warm, a spring-like day. My front-yard glacier is melting and the grass is showing. Woohoo!

I still enjoy life despite this "mystery" illness. I am thankful to be alive!

2003-02-27T10:22:00.000-05:00

This too, shall pass

Winter bears down hard still. And with it comes snowdays and sickness. Melancholy and tiredness. Glaciers in my front yard.

Hope.

Hope that the end is near. Hope that winter will pass and hope for spring's arrival.

2003-02-16T19:23:00.000-05:00

Darkness of winter

Here it is again. Another snowstorm! Round 76 of snow. When will it end?

Ok ok, enough whining about the weather. There's not much one can do about it.

Blah blah blah........

2003-02-11T17:24:00.000-05:00

Tuesday at 5, 4 central

It's sunny, but cold. The days are getting noticibly longer as the sun is still shining in my bedroom window as I write. Another round of snow tonight. Sunshine will return tomorrow. The birds will keep on singing.

Has spring fever set in? Perhaps.

2003-02-10T10:37:00.000-05:00

Alive and well

Busyness and sickness keep me from writing. Not because of lack of time. No. More like lack of words.

Kids are healthy again and Jake is settling in well.

Last Thursday I finally got to meet my friend Gina in person. She lives a few blocks from me. We sat down at the table, drinking tea and eating no-bake cookies(the ones I brought over, a welcoming gift of sorts) and having great conversation. Talking so much that I was almost late picking up Elizabeth from school. I was the last one there.

But it was worth it!

2003-02-03T20:37:00.000-05:00

Birdsong

A glimpse of spring today was. The snow has melted temporarily, revealing the green grass that has been well-insulated from the bitter cold. Snow will come tomorrow. But my focus is on today. A glorious day indeed! Warm, southeasterly winds. A gloriously grey day.

And in that greyness was the promising sound of birdsong.

Letting the world know that there is hope. The dark and dreary days of winter will pass. The cardinals were singing their sweet songs, reminding me of springtime of my childhood. The robins were calling, not singing yet, but promising. Another springy reminder! And I breathed it all in, knowing that these days are coming.

2003-01-26T11:32:00.000-05:00

Another deep freeze

The winds are howling. The siding is rattling as I write. And the snow continues to fall. I feel like I'm back in Erie, Pa. again during one of those neverending Lake Effect events. Except for one thing: no insulation! No Lake Erie to protect us. Oh no. Subzero temperatures again this evening! School delays are likely. The outcome is the same, we stay in.

That is, until Jake needs to go out. Seeing he's from Florida, he never had to deal with this frigid weather. He does not like it at all!

Welcome to Indiana, Jake!

2003-01-25T18:52:00.000-05:00

I would like to welcome.....

Jake, our newest member of the family! We picked him up at 1:30 this afternoon and he just made himself right at home. He's such an incredibly good dog that I can't believe he's only been here for a few hours!

Now to check up on him......

2003-01-24T21:58:00.000-05:00

Friday becomes me

Today hasn't been as cerebral as I thought it would be. Instead I kept busy. Cleaning. Laundry. In between jobs it was baking brownies while the girls anxiously awaited the bowl and spatula. Then it was off to making dinner. Oh, I did squeeze a few minutes of reading but I was in more of an I-need-to-get-this-done mode. I'll have to pick up my book later.

Dinner is finished now. Dishes are done. Now I can breathe a sigh of relief. Movie and popcorn are on the agenda this evening. And of course, the glass--er--glasses of wine to enjoy as well!

Then it's off to pick up our new dog Jake tomorrow. Yes, we're getting another greyhound. I think he'll work out this time.

I know he will!

2003-01-23T20:38:00.000-05:00

Just passing time

The temperature is 0 degrees with a wind chill of -20. Looks like I'm going to be here for while. School is delayed 2 hours again tomorrow and no kindergarten at all. I'm not going anywhere soon. So what do I do? I play old songs. Memories of my childhood. The carefree years. No worries. Those immortal years when nothing can get you down unless it's a bad hair day!

Don't get me wrong. I don't feel down. It's just times like these, homebound with a lot to think about, I have a tendancy to turn inward and reflect on everything. Good things. Not-so-good things. So I like to listen to my favorite music from the past. Takes me back to what I remember as simpler times. Having fun while using a round brush as a microphone. Nobody cared. Neither did I. As far as I was concerned, I became a rock star, actress, dancer.....in my own room! No worries. Just pure imagination.

Then I smile. Life is good!

2003-01-20T11:18:00.000-05:00

Day off

Yesterday was a day for football; staying up late watching the AFC playoffs. I had to put away the black-and-gold for the season and replace it with black-and-silver for the day. We cheered for the Raiders, hoping they would win(sorry Anne). And they did. But enough football talk.

Today is Martin Luther King Day which means only one thing: Day off! Staying up late the night before. Having a sisterly sleepover downstairs complete with movie and popcorn. Oh, and also the party supplies. Hats and glow-sticks. Confetti. And more confetti! A week's worth at least. Which means the girls had a great time!

Now the friends are over. The fun continues. No more confetti.

No day off for me. Business as usual. Blah Blah Blah........

2003-01-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

Winter storms

Snow again! 2-4 inches. Winter is not leaving anytime soon. That's ok. Gives me an excuse, no, a reason to read, reflect and write in my mental journal. Material that gets lost between my mind and keyboard. Minfulness season. With a little bit of mindlessness too. Watching T.V. Surfing the internet.

And then back to work again.

2003-01-15T10:25:00.000-05:00

Dreams

Sometimes I have the craziest of dreams. So real. Or totally senseless. Filled with beauty and wonder. And then there's the quick, in-between-snooze-alarms-type. So much can happen in those 9 minutes. That happened this morning. One of those that stay with you all day. Totally senseless at first. Then my mind goes over it again and again. So I'll describe it the best I can.

Here goes:
I was with a group of people entering a building, a hospital perhaps, helping them carry what was a wounded and unconscious lion inside. He then woke up. And he was very angry! We all were scared to death! People would pass in and out of the hospital, ignoring the fact that we were in danger. And the lion kept roaring! He was ready to pounce on a little girl when to my astonishment, he started getting smaller. In fact, it was a total transformation! He turned into a small animal, a rabbit I think. I was so relieved that we all were out of danger. However, everyone else was still terrified! In their eyes they were still looking at a hungry lion! And doing hysterical things to try to kill it. I kept trying to tell them that they were no longer in danger; for the lion they saw was just a harmless little rabbit. But nobody would listen. It was as if I were talking to myself!

Then the dream ended. Strange, huh.

So I replayed it over and over again in my mind; trying to figure out it's meaning. I think I know.

2003-01-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

Let us pray

My friend Rhonda's grandmother is not doing well. Very sick actually. She's in the hospital. What the outcome will be is in God's hands. So I pray. For her health to return. For miracles. And especially her family. Lord, give Rhonda and her family comfort and peace. And for her grandmother. For healing. Hold her in your arms, Dear Lord! Amen.

Keep praying everyone!

2003-01-13T10:22:00.000-05:00

Monday

Home from Nashville. The Steelers lost. I am still tired. Alyssa is sick. Tom's doctor appointment had to be re-scheduled at a cost of $50.00. My head hurts.

Life is still beautiful!

2003-01-10T07:28:00.000-05:00

Old friends

After being on a migraine headache hiatus, I am happy to say that I'm feeling much better now! It's early in the morning and I'm up checking my emails! But to my surprise, I received one from one of my old co-workers! It was Missy, from the bank in downtown Erie! Hello My Dear it said. So I, of course, emailed back with pictures of the girls and all! She's one of the few people I've really missed since leaving the bank. Leaving Erie too!

My day has started off good. It's been a rough week. I'm happy to see today is a very good day! And it's still dark!

Tomorrow, it's off to Nashville for me to visit Anne and Tom to go to the Steelers-Titans game.

Now it's time to get the girls off to school......

2003-01-04T21:10:00.000-05:00

Home movies

Today has been another family kind of day. Starting off with taking Alyssa to the salon and getting a new haircut. It looks great! She'll be the most happenin' girl at school come Monday. And I'll be getting some really cool highlights next month.

We had a fun afternoon together.

She then decided to play our old home movies. Mostly of newborn Alyssa of course, but it was like visiting everyone that I haven't seen in such a long time. Especially Dad. It was good to visit with him, so to speak, and listen to him talk. And talk! Laughing at how no one, I mean no one could get a word in edgewise! And I continued to laugh.

Then the tears came, as expected. I miss everyone.

Yet I am happy.

Re-visiting with family is good for my soul. I love you all so much!

2003-01-03T11:40:00.000-05:00

Family Ties

Yesterday was a good day for family. After relaxing for about 2 minutes, I decided to get back to what I was doing (whatever that was) and then picked up the phone. I called my dear sister, Peggy, and she was home! So we talked. Catching up on things. Discussing holiday happenings. Talking to Bobby and Alaina. And of course, having the cousins chat between themselves.

We were talking for at least an hour. It was good. Very good!

Later on.....the phone rings. Hey CP! the voice on the other end says. It was cousin Tom calling from Key West, Florida! We haven't talked in a long time. I like when we talk. I love the stories. Getting to get to know my grandparents all over again. Grandpa died before I was born, and Grandma passed when I was only 4. I still have some memories of her though. Anyway, I get a glimpse of what they were like. And I miss them. A lot! Dad and Tom were very close. More like brothers than uncle and nephew. We both miss Dad. We always will. It was a good conversation though. Lots of laughs. Plenty of those I-remember-when-you-were-a-baby...... stories. And I came back with I remember when you threw us up in the air and let us do your hair! ones. I especially enjoyed the dinner table stories. Grandpa. He was amazing. So much laughter at the table.

I wish I could have been there. Listening to the stories.

And laughing with them once again!

2003-01-02T13:40:00.000-05:00

Afternoon

I'm having one of those I-don't-feel-like-doing-anything days. I suppose it's the recuperation of all the holiday festivities. More likely, it's just the time of day. Something about mid-afternoon makes me want to sit. Sometimes sleep. Or read.

Anything but what I should be doing.

Laundry is drying. Dishwasher washing. Kids playing in the snow!

HMMMM.....

Relaxation. For now.

2003-01-01T12:44:00.000-05:00

All is quiet (well, sort of)

New Year's Day. Anne has left for home. We're done toasting the New Year, at least with champagne. Pork and sauerkraut will be cooking shortly, and life will be normal once more!

2002-12-26T15:59:00.000-05:00

The Day After

Christmas is over. Toys everywhere! 100 different versions of Chopsticks being played on Alyssa's new keyboard. And the 5th screening of Lilo and Stitch.

Turkey will be served for the next week!

Relief has set in.

2002-12-23T21:09:00.000-05:00

A visit to St. Nick

We finally took the girls to see Santa yesterday! Now they can rest with ease. He knows exactly what they want now!

The Mall Santa. Real beard and everything. You can't beat that! He actually looked jolly!

What a magical day!

2002-12-19T14:56:00.000-05:00

So long pal

After being a greyhound owner for almost 2 weeks now, I am sad to say that she has to be returned to her foster home. Darla seems to have a terrible man fear. She attacked Tom twice now! She bit him on the head this past Monday!

Tom=Object of biting fun!

So she has to go. Maybe to a quiet home without men in it. I hope she finds a new home soon.

Goodbye my friend.

Hospital hangovers

What a night we had. We, meaning Kristin and I, got to take a trip to the Hendricks County Hospital. As I was blissfully Christmas shopping, the phone rang! It was Tom. Kristin fell face first into the bookcase and cut the bridge of her nose. And not a little scratch either. No, this was one mean little gash she got!

So I hurried home!

After consoling her with hugs and popsicles, we headed off to the ER. When the doctor finally checked her out, there was only one solution: stitches!

Oh No! Not stitches! Anything but that!

So setting all emotions aside, I made the decision to have it done. Fortunately, they were able to numb the area without using a needle. It just takes longer to take effect. Better than that painful injection.

Then the doctor arrived with his stitching kit. Turned on the bright light, covered Kristin's face except for the nose (to keep the light out and help her not to see!), then began his work. Only 2 were needed, but it felt like she was getting 200!

She cried for dear life! Out of fear, not pain! And then it was over. She got a sucker. We went home.

It was 12:45am.

Got home after 1. Went to bed at 2. Got up at 5. I didn't sleep much. I also felt like I had the worst hangover.

Still do.

Kristin, however, is still her bright, energetic self today.

And I am thankful for that!

2002-12-17T18:10:00.000-05:00

High Speed is good!

I feel like a new woman today! We just got our high-speed internet installed this afternoon. No more dial-up. I can blog and talk on the phone at the same time.

WooHoo!

Ain't life grand?

2002-12-15T13:31:00.000-05:00

Sun has returned

The skies are blue once again! The snow has disappeared. And it is warm.

December warm.

Melancholy has lifted. A joyous day indeed!

2002-12-13T13:19:00.000-05:00

Tears

I received an email today from my friend Gina that her father passed away. And I cried. No, not the outward kind. The inward, totally-to-myself kind. The Oh No! Not Dad! It can't be! kind where your reliving that painful moment all over again.

But no tears. Nope. None at all! Nothing to show the world how painful it still is. And although no one can tell by looking at me, it is still quite real.

And the tears come.

And I cry for Gina. Her pain so raw!

I grieve once more.

2002-12-12T16:04:00.000-05:00

Time for a change

I decided to make a change again! I felt I had enough of the Partridge Family bus look. It was time to move on. Time to rearrange the furniture. Or paint the walls.

All is fresh and new again.

For now....

2002-12-11T23:44:00.000-05:00

Alone at last!

With all the new things that come along with new dog ownership as well as running the family, this late night time is good! Everyone is asleep. That includes Darla.

Sleep. She does a lot of that! Those retired racers are so lazy! But sweet!

By the way, Darla is adjusting well for being here for 3 days. Although I'll need to give the carpet cleaners a call. ASAP!

Now it's almost midnight. It is quiet. All is well in my life.

And I am content.

2002-12-09T21:33:00.000-05:00

Oh my Darla...

Well it's official. We are now the proud owners of a retired racing greyhound! Her name is Darla and she is so sweet! Her picture is on the website, at least for now. Go see!

2002-12-07T23:55:00.000-05:00

11:55 Saturday Night

Here I am, Saturday night and all is quiet! It's almost Sunday. The day is over. Time to start a new and glorious day!

And all is right and beautiful again!

2002-12-06T20:37:00.000-05:00

Anne and Googlisms

I usually don't like to copy other people's work or entries but after reading Anne's entry today, I had to check out the Googlism website. Some of my favorites:
Cathy is great,
Cathy is going to her high school reunion,
Cathy is a female,
Cathy is recognized nationally for her publishing,
Cathy is perpetually single,
Cathy is friendly with Heathcliff,
Cathy is in fact pregnant and Edgar tries to nurse her to health,
Cathy is a member of the national cartoonists society,
Cathy is senior vice president of chick,
Cathy is founder and chairman of chick,
Cathy is there,
Cathy is resolved to make her district the best place to live in Missouri,
Cathy is hanging out on the moors one day,
Cathy is the past president and current director for the San Benito County association of realtors,
Cathy is on the left,
Cathy is not an attorney,
Cathy is the cover story of the Septmeber 2001 issue of the female musician,
Cathy is the hub of out family especially with her gourmet cooking skills,
Cathy is very old,
Cathy is also a keen chamber music player and is available for weddings and other functions,
Cathy is a popular speaker and teacher offering workshops and presentations on clairvoyance,
Cathy is obsessed with food,
Cathy is a monster on,
Cathy is now at eagles landing in stockbridge,
Cathy is not soliciting for your listing if you already have your home listed with another agent,
Cathy is so busy,
Cathy is rock 'n' roll by Tina Alverez,
Cathy is the oldest of eleven children and she is married with three children of her own,
Cathy is the director of the chemistry learning center at UW,
Cathy is able to offer horse lovers practical and intuitive insight into their relationship with their horses,
and finally my top 2:
Cathy is currently working on compiling her almost one hundred vietnamese poems into a collection dedicated to her family and friends,
Cathy is becomimg known as the "singing quilter".
Wow! What a revelation about myself!

2002-12-06T12:39:00.000-05:00

Days go by

It's been a while, but I'm alive and well. Sitting here with my cup of Irish breakfast tea, even though it's noon, and putting my thoughts together. The words haven't been there. So I wait. They'll come.

2002-12-01T22:08:00.000-05:00

Sweet Home Indiana

The Thanksgiving holiday is over. And I'm home! Tired from a 10 hour drive that should have taken 7, we arrived home at 2am this morning.

Thank you Lake Effect!

Now I am here, in my room, so thankful for my own bed! No matter how comfortable the accomodations are, nothing comes close to your own!

Ahhhh....there's no place like home!

2002-11-26T22:43:00.000-05:00

Silence is golden

It's not too often that I get that wonderful opportunity to be alone in silence! Everyone is sound asleep, totally unaware of the quiet I am forever grateful for! Beautiful silence!

My mind is racing with so many thoughts that I can't keep up with them. So many words! I never thought I would appreciate the peace and quiet of the late evening. My father would always say, Can't you girls quiet down?? Stifle yourselves! I need some peace and quiet!!

I never could understand why!

Although I don't think I'll tell my girls to stifle, a common word used by both Dad and Archie Bunker, I know exactly where he's coming from. As a wife and mother there seems to be nowhere to escape the noise! So those late night moments I sit down in total silence is glorious!! It helps my mind and spirit beyond belief.

And I wake up ready to face my wonderful, noisy life again!

2002-11-26T13:53:00.000-05:00

And now your local forecast..

Snow. 1-3 inches. No snowbelt here! Just 1-3 inches.

Could we have a snow day tomorrow? Maybe.

I hope.

2002-11-25T14:41:00.000-05:00

I think I'm feeling better

After fighting a long battle against a cold for the last week, it's finally coming to an end. I've been couch-bound all weekend and after I finished sleeping there, I would go to bed! Ick!

Anyhow, I should be ok to make the Thanksgiving trip to Erie.

And also ok to dust off the boots, seeing they haven't been used since I lived there! Can you believe that I actually miss the whole Lake Effect thing? At least until I'm driving in it! You know, it takes 2 hours to get somewhere when it should only take 15 minutes! That would also qualify in the ick category as mentioned in paragraph one.

The time with family and friends will easily make up for the less-than-favorable weather conditions. I can't wait to see them.

I miss you all!

2002-11-22T23:13:00.000-05:00

Later on this evening...
I had to make a quick trip out so I drove down Main Street to admire the Christmas decorations. All lit up and beautiful, I slowly drove to the crooning of Bing and White Christmas, although all the white has long disappeared. All that was left were a few puddles on the sides of the roads.

And I continued to drive as slow as ever. I mean slow! My usual comfort zone as far as speed is concerned is at least 75 in a 55 zone (unless the kids are with me...then it's maybe 65), but tonight it was 25 in a 30 Indiana-slow kind of speed. Without a care in the world! Feeling like I was going down State Street as a child all bundled up with my family to make that long-awaited yearly visit with Santa at the Boston Store.

O sweet memories.....

2002-11-22T16:55:00.000-05:00

Snow

Ahhh....the snow has arrived, at least by Central Indiana standards. Read: a slight dusting.

What a wonderful sight to see the snow falling and not having to take the kids to school! Thank you parent-teacher-conferences-that-I-did-yesterday for your contribution to this close-to-perfect day!

Now that I have this newfound skill at lighting the fireplace, I think I'll light it this evening. WooHoo!

2002-11-20T20:45:00.000-05:00

Back in America

Tom has safely arrived home! And not a moment too soon. After all the fun he had in U.S. customs, he's glad to be home!

Tip: make sure you have a passport before going into Canada! Because it is not much fun trying to get back home!

Now it's time to go watch The Bachelor. I know I know, you can't believe a girl like me would watch a show like that! But I have to know. Will it be Brooke or Helene? What a heartbreaker for either girl.

I was rooting for Gwen personally.

2002-11-19T15:47:00.000-05:00

My house is still standing!

My house didn't burn down! As a matter of fact, the fire went over well last night! Too bad the firemen had to miss out.

2002-11-18T16:51:00.000-05:00

Business trips, red maple leaves and fireplaces

I got an early start this morning thanks to Tom's employer. He had to go to Washington D.C. today and then it's off to Montreal, Canada tomorrow. Geez! They keep him busy! So I'll be husbandless until Wednesday.

Otherwise, it's been another beautiful Indiana fall day! The leaves are pretty much gone for the season except for the maple tree in my front yard. Such a bright shade of red! Everyone else's trees are totally bare (as if they had anycontrol over it).

And now as the sun is about to set on this basically eventless day, I'm looking forward to maybe lighting the fireplace this evening. I've never done it before; always Tom's job! So we'll see what happens this evening.

Hopefully no Fire Deptartment visits unless to say, "Wow! Nice fire ya got there ma'am!"

I guess I'll find out....

2002-11-16T19:33:00.000-05:00

Saturday afternoon

My turkey quest has come to a close! I finally picked one up from the Kroger store. Whew! Glad that's over! Now it's whether we stay here or go to Erie for the holiday. Hmmm. Don't know yet.

Today I spent the rest of the day at home with the girls and their neighborhood friends. I couldn't leave them outside, playing in the cold you know. So it was an afternoon of music, movies, games and food. It is now official. My cookies are da bomb according to Alyssa's friend Kate. And she's right! Then it was good ol' Macaroni and Cheese for dinner and Barbie weddings afterward! Fun, fun, fun! I can't imagine having this much fun on a Saturday afternoon! Hope tomorrow will be just as fun.

And I won't have to buy a turkey.

2002-11-16T00:40:00.000-05:00

The North winds are a blowin'!

Back to reality. It's back to November weather, which is actually a good thing. After the scary tornado outbreak(which we were spared from the fury, thank you Lord!) it's good to be back to the cold, crappy weather of November.

I made a solo trip to our ever-so-popular-on-a-Friday-night Blockbuster store to return a couple of 2 Day rentals that I rented yesterday. God forbid if they were returned after 12:00 Noon on the so-called 2nd Day! Late charges out the arse!

Then it was off to Wal-Mart. I seem to be a regular there. Great Prices! the overweight woman in the commercial says. And she's right. But enough about overweight people in Wal-Mart ads. I needed to stock up on stuff, as a good wife and mother should do! Blah blah blah.......

Then as I left the store, it was so damn windy(again as it is always here in the flatlands) and it started snowing. Not the have-a-snowball-fight kind. And definitely not Lake Effect either! Just the kind that seems to fall for hours and never sticks. Just reminding you of what's to come.

At least not 3 feet of that Lake Effect........seeing there is no lake to effect us. And so it goes.

2002-11-14T12:37:00.000-05:00

They're decorating Main St. and Thanksgiving turkeys

As I was headed back from my local Kroger store, I couldn't help notice that the Christmas decoration truck has arrived. Slowly driving down our narrow Main St., the glittery snowmen, Santas, trees, and wreaths make their annual appearance on the telephone poles of our humble little town. And it's not even Thanksgiving!

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I've been on a turkey quest for the last week now. And no success yet. Gone are the days of free turkey coupons from Giant Eagle or Wegman's, seeing those stores don't exist in Indiana. *Sigh* I'll try again on Saturday.

2002-11-11T13:33:00.000-05:00

Veterans Day

I wanted to take a moment to honor all the veterans out there. Thank you for all you have done!

I especially wanted to mention a few veterans in my life. My father, Robert H. McCarthy, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. And I have heard all the army stories:)! My Brother-in-law, Brian Walker, fought in the Vietnam War. I have another Brother-in-law, Keith Walker, who is still active in the Army Reserve. Thank you Brian and Keith for all you've done. As for Dad, what can I say. Thank you so much for what you've done and I miss you so much!

I Love you all!

2002-11-09T19:05:00.000-05:00

Indian Summer, Part 2

Another fine day! Although the skies looked threatening, it stayed windy and warm!

We decided to take a trip downtown to Circle Center Mall for some window shopping and to just leisurely stroll around. It's nice to not to be in a hurry!

After our afternoon out, it was time to break out the grill for some hamburgers and hotdogs. MMMMM! It was soooo good! Might as well enjoy it while we can, as this won't last much longer. Now all has quieted down. The girls are downstairs watching another episode of Jimmy Neutron and Tom is at Wal-Mart for an adventure that is almost as fun as mine was yesterday! Recepticle shopping at Wal-Mart is always exciting! Wish I were there. Well....not really.

I think I'll help myself to some cookies instead. And a bottle er..um...glass of Australian chardonnay.

2002-11-08T15:19:00.000-05:00

Indian Summer and "Trucky"

It's finally here! That time of year when the autumn leaves dance in the wind and the sun smiles once again on us before the arctic chill of winter falls upon us. I love indian summer. It is my favorite time of year, next to Christmas, and I can't help being so unmelancholy today.

After taking the girls to school this morning, Kristin and I embarked on an adventure to the local Wal-Mart Super Center. We listened to Christmas carols by Jump 5 along the way. "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow........" we sang, driving around with the windows halfway down. Seeing we were one of the EARLY customers, we were fortunate enough to get one of those fun shopping carts that look like a truck. "Trucky" carts! Nothing like driving endlessly up and down the aisles in "Trucky", steering ever so carefully. And that's not all! Then we get to drive really fast through the parking lot in "Trucky" amidst the stares of all the "more mature" customers. It's always fun!

After the Wal-Mart adventure we continued our Christmas caroling on the drive home. We, actually I, decided to take the Brownsburg beltway home instead of going via downtown(Brownsburg). It's a little more scenic that way, and the Post office is right there, too. More leaves were flying in the warm, gusty wind as a small hawk was sitting on top of a telephone pole, waiting to catch something. He reminded me of that little chicken hawk on "Bugs Bunny" that wanted to catch Foghorn Leghorn!

Now my adventure is over for now. I think I'll go outside and catch some warm weather while I can. And thank God for it!

2002-11-07T20:16:00.000-05:00

Thank you Anne!

It's now official. Thanks to my sweet sister Anne, now the rest of the world can get to know me!

Welcome! I hope you can stay awhile.

2002-11-07T12:37:00.000-05:00

New name, Dad, and a melancholy day

I seem to be changing my title and template as often as i change my haircolor(from varying shades of blond and brown).

That being said, i think this one will stick.

The CP stands for 'cathy pooh' affectionately given to me by my father as a baby. It will always be very special to me. He passed away 5 years ago on september 26 and that name took on so much more meaning after that fateful day. A day that has forever changed my life. Oh! how i miss him!

I am having one of those I-don't-feel-like-doing-anything, kind of melancholy days. Those are the days when the words start popping into my head. The problem is that they seem to disappear as quickly as they come when i sit down to write them. *sigh* Perhaps they'll come back later. In the meantime, i think i'll take a nap...er..um...do laundry.

2002-11-06T19:17:00.000-05:00

have you ever had a day where you feel completely uninspired while others you have so much inspiration? today falls a little in between. as my girls and husband are downstairs enjoying the premiere of 'the powerpuff girls movie' on dvd, i thought i would sneak away and enter in something. as for what i am entering, i'm not sure. the words are here, i just don't know how to write them. i seem to suffer a 'writing deficiency' in regards to how to express my thoughts into words. i guess that's why i started this blog in the first place(and again, to the urging of sister anne, i love you) oh, and a small glass of wine doesn't hurt either. so my ordinary day was, well, pretty ordinary. my daughter, alyssa has a new admirer in school and she told me about it. she felt so embarrassed that the boy told her so. wow! alyssa and boys! i knew the day was coming, but not this quickly! by the way her feelings are not reciprocated (poor kid!)

and my salt-free chicken dinner went over well this evening!

the movie is over so i should be bombarded with kids any second now. i better get some more wine!

2002-11-01T13:16:00.000-05:00

ahhh....the beginning of a new month. sweet november! halloween is over and the girls are enjoying their trick-or-treat candy lunch. oh the joys of living on candy after halloween! and the cider and donuts. mmmm!

today is a sunny day in indiana, finally, and i had to dust off my sunglasses. it was good to see the sun welcome the day instead of clouds, rain, and wind. well, the wind is still here. it ALWAYS is. and COLD! we'll have to light the fireplace and have some HOT apple cider--or tea. and a good movie! without the ice cream truck, unless the schwann's truck visits our next-door-neighbor-who-never-talks-to-us today.

anyway, all this is making me hungry. i think i'll grab some lunch, and sneak some candy too.