Cleaning Tornado

I was a cleaning tornado today... moving furniture, mopping floors, sweeping, dusting, rearranging....I moved so fast and furious that I tired myself out! It started with the new piece of furniture I bought (see it in the picture above, the little black drawered chest under the shelf.) Well of course I had to move the couch, chair, ottomans, etc to accommadate it. That led to more rearranging and moving and then of course there was the kitchen to get back in shape. I don't know where I found the energy after traveling over eleven hours yesterday from Tennessee. I guess it's the new diet. I'm doing Slim Fast and it seems to give me energy. I know when I eat the wrong things I get sluggish. so maybe this is the answer. Don't eat. Just drink. We'll see. The next pic shows the lantern that I got at the Pottery. Just like the one a Pottery Barn only with a lower price. I really like it.

IS THERE ANYTHING SWEETER?

Who knew?

Who knew that Ryan would be such a great chef? Last night he fixed a pasta dish for us which was as tasty as any that I have ever eaten. He got the idea from a place he ate at when he was in Texas on business. There was a pasta place he ate at where the chef had burners in front of him and was cooking to order. He had small frying pans in which he placed ingredients according to the customer. Then he would add the pasta of choice, meat and sauce then serve. Ryan calls it "fried pasta".
Here is Ryan's version:
Have ready cooked bow tie pasta and cubes of a little undercooked chicken
In a small frying pan put some olive oil, pesto, and a can of chunky tomatoes which have been flavored already with herbs. Saute that and then add mushrooms and chicken. Cook for a minute or two.
Add the pasta and then some alfredo sauce and heat.
This is a simple dish but delicious!!

It's amazing what sunshine will do!

It's sunny and 68 degrees out there in Tennessee. It's liked I walked into summer today despite the fact that it snowed two days ago. It's amazing that the sunshine makes you feel soooo good! I walked around without a coat or a sweater in Knoxville where I went on a shopping expedition. knoxville is only a half hour away from Ryan's house so I ventured to the big city by myself. With good directions from Jenny my first stop was Hobby Lobby, one of my favorite stores. The first thing I saw when I went in was the furniture. I've been on the lookout for an end table to replace the home made drop table that dad had built for me. This one is beautiful. It's black with hand rubbed reddish highlights. It has four drawers in the front which will give me extra storage in that room. It's big enough to hold some things on the top too. I love it! Thank goodness for the van. It was very easy to get in! My next stop was the large West end Mall with anchor stores and a Coldwater Creek. I spent my free gift card for a great 3/4 length sleeve peach top. Even lunch was great there. The food court had many different types of restaurants that you don't see up north...mexican grills, oriental, and the one that I used. fruttala. I got a 1/2 a chicken salad sandwich that I thought was the best I had ever eaten. It was on whole wheat bread with onions and sprouts! Also I got a Ceaser salad with it. That fortified me for more shopping so I went to Home Goods. What fun it was running around in the nice weather enjoying the variety of stores. In hobby Lobby I bought a great black frame and picked up my pictures. I put a 5x7 black and white picture of Jenny and Sean in the fram and gave it to Jenny. She loved it!
We were planning on coming back tomorrow, but ryan and Jenny both begged us to stay longer, so we'll be back on Wednesday. I'm not looking forward to coming back to the snow.

The House I grew up in

We always referred to it as the "green house" because of the paint color and the address was 659 W. Washington St., Bradford , Pennsylvania. It was here that I spent most of my childhood years which were idyllic. Those were the days of Sally, Dick and Jane and our neighborhood and family life were just like those readers. The green house had two floors. There was a big kitchen in the back and the washer and dryer were in the kitchen too. I remember the tall cupboards and the black dial phone on the wall. Underneath the small back porch we played in the dirt hidden by the lattice. We made dolls from the hollyhocks that mom grew there. In the small living room in the front we listened to the radio until later when we got a television. Up the stairs were three bedrooms. I had the one over the garage all to myself while Diane had the smaller one. I had rheumatic fever when i was 10 and mom and dad moved me into their big bedroom. I had to be on bedrest for 6 weeks. I was upstairs all by myself for a lot of the time and I remember writing poetry about my furry kitten stuffed animals and my small dolls with the large crocheted dresses. when I was sick somone kept sending me cards signed "Your secret Pal"> I thought it was a friendly woman who worked in the pharmacy with dad, but it was really my mom. The house had pine trees in the front and a small lot in the back. Dad worked with a landscape architect and planted a number of beautiful trees and flowers there. The neighborhood was so friendly that we felt at home in the homes of our neighbors. All the kids played together without battling and we loved being outside from the time we got home from school until bedtime There are so many good memories associated with that house.

baby photos

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

GReat news!

Such a beautiful boy!

Sean Douglas Karrasch

The crib looks soooo huge! Sean at 3 days old.



Proud grandpa holding Sean.

It's a boy!

Sean Douglas Karrasch came into the work this afternoon weighing 8 pounds 2 oz and 21 inches long. Tomorrow I'm on my way to see him. More pics to follow

Baby Sean is coming!

I am so excited I can hardly type! Ryan called and Jenny will have a C section this afternoon in Knoxville, Tennessee. I was so hoping to be at the baby's birth, but the dr. said that she should have the section today. I quickly packed and we'll be leaving tomorrow for Ryan's house. I'll be away from my blog for awhile, unless I can post some pics from Ryan's computer. I'm going to be a grandmother again!! Yeah!

The Biltmore Lion

I thought I was soooo smart! My sister told me about a lion statue that was in the Walmart near her in Virginia. Knowing that our Walmart would probably never get anything like that I went on the website and ordered it. It could be sent to my Walmart store right here in Bradford with no shipping charges. How excited I was to get him. Then yesterday I walked into Walmart and what did I see? Not one, not two, but five lion statues! Oh well, mine came in today and I'll pick it up tomorrow. I have no idea where I will put him but I will find a place in my new landscape for him.

That's my story

My these days are quiet and I just love them! It is so nice to just stay home and do whatever I want. Last night I went to the movies to see Sleuth. our Bradford main STreet Moviehouse is featuring a series of films that wouldn't normally be brought to our town. They are art films, foreign films, or sometimes academy award films. They are every Monday at 5:15 and there is a loyal following for them. Sometimes they are great, other times intersting. That would sum up last night's film...interesting. Only two characters, Michael Cane and Jude Law. Althought the acting was good the story itself left a lot to be desired. I like a movie with a better ending.

Today I am trying to get my book A World Without End read. It's over 1000 pages and has very small print which is hard on my good eye when I read for any length of time.

Sometimes you need a weekend

I just stayed home all day Saturday and Sunday. I needed the time to regroup and take a time out from life. I really didn't do anything but read, watch tv and play on the computer. I don't usually have days where I just veg out. But this weekend I just needed it!

The name game

I came across this game on the blog world. It's the game where you list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name...so here goes.

L-love. Above all else in my life love is the most important thing. I have been blessed in my life to have had two parents who by their actions showed the grace of love and instilled strong values in my life. I have been married for 42 years to the most loving of hubands who daily shows in his caring how much he loves me. My two children and two grandchildren

O-old. I am 63 now. It sounds old when I write it or say it, but it just doesn't feel old in my mind. Sure the body is letting me down physically now and then, but the mind still feels the same as in my twenties, thirties and up. Mentally oldness gives you a calmer sense because you realize that all the things you used to worry about were far out of your control and the only one you can change is yourself and your perceptions about things.

U-Untidy I wouldn't say that I am a messy housekeeper but I am not fastidious. I can ignore messy areas of my house and not be upset in the least that there are clothes not put away, or boxes on the floor from unfinished projects. I never can seem to have the whole house picked up at the same time unless we are having company. Instead of housework being a priority I have many other interests that take up my time. But yet I constantly strive to be organized.

I-Interesting I thrive on finding interesting things to do. I am always the happiest when I am learning something new. Right now I am trying to learn Photoshop so I can manipualte my pictures.

S-Silly. It has been a long while since I have let myself feel silly. I need more laughter in my life and just to let go.

E-Expectations I have expectations from my husband, my friends, my family. Most of the time they all live up to those and fill my life with love and wonder. Some of the time I can be disappointed by them. It's not their fault, it's that I judge them by my standards instead of accepting them for who they are.

This has been very revealing, like a trip to a psychiatrist...hmmm.

Happy and Sad

What a surprise today when there was a knock on the door. Don answered and I heard, "You haven't even plowed your driveway yet. These are for Peggy." It was the florist making a delivery through the deep snow that we had last night. Don was just getting ready to go out and snowblow the driveway. When I opened the tissue there was a beautiful spring bouquet from "the other pea" by dear sister Linda. She knew I was really bummed about my visit to the eye doctor yesterday. For those that don't know I have had eye issues for over a year now. I was so hoping that yesterday the doctor could do a procedure so I could get sight back in my left eye instead of this distortion I've been living with despite two surgeries. But it couldn't happen. The doctor said more or less that it is something that I have to live with the rest of my life. It was devestating news of course and I did my share of crying and feeling down. I'll go for another opinion in a few months but right now my daughter-in-law and son will be having a baby soon and I need all the happiness right now. That spring bouquet really helped cheer me up. Then my friend Kay and her husband Tom came with a delightful bouquet of multicolored roses. They smelled so good and that blast of bright color made me feel happier. I am so lucky to have such a thoughtful sister and friend when I am in need.

Where is Spring?

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

This is the before

The dining room table decked out for spring.

Here is the kitchen stripped of the wallpaper. Now I have to decide on a color to paint. what a hard decision.

Another of my bright ideas!

I'm sure Don cringes when I get another of my brilliant ideas. When he got home today I was tearing the wallpaper off the kitchen. Come on, it was vines and fruit...well past it time. I want something a little more modern. I was looking for black and white wallpaper, but I'm settling for paint. I'm going to try a very dramatic color...burnt sienna, a rusty rich color. If I don't like it or it is too dark for the room I can always have Don paint it light green like the sunroom. I just want something contemporary. Today we completed stripping the walls and this weekend we'll paint.

This has been a very busy three days!

Still winter

Can you believe we are having another batch of bad weather? I know, it's Bradford..what can you expect? It's just that it gets so tiring and the weather keeps you indoors and off the roads. I don't mind it when you can still go, but when the roads are slippery like this morning it's not too fun. I couldn't even get my car up the driveway and had to park at the bottom.

I'm still in the cleaning mood and went up to the attic. I brought down the spring items and will try to put some nests and eggs about even thought it doesn't vaguely look like Easter yet.

I also got the rest of the craft things that I will carry to the basement and rearrange down there.

Don and I have had a few good days. On Sunday we ate at Appleby's and went to the movie to see Vantage Point. Yesterday we went to the casino and ate at the great Italian restaurant. After a delightful gourmet meal we spent the rest of the night gambling. I lost all my money quickly of course. Don played for awhile on their money (he had triple points last night). Then he hit it big after just sitting down at one machine and won $500. Yes, $500. Lucky us! Yeah!!