Fun at Grammys

Just so you really don't think it was all peeling potatoes for the kiddos here at Grammy's house, I got a couple pics of them over the past few days together. Brooklyn is 8, Chloe is 5, but they really did do so much together. Chloe just adores her cousin, and he is very understanding of that! (Girls can be annoying to 8 year old boys, but he just loves her back.) They enjoyed doing lots of things together, as you can see, including playing games, watching movies (exchanging choices), playing games where they have to destroy the Necromorphs (definitely a boy game), playing outside, and so much more...)





We treasure every second we have with these two...what a blessing!

Back to the Tamales...

I didn't get some photos posted of the tamale making process that I wrote about in my post "Yikes" below....so here are some photos of tamale makers...

Sammy Sighs

Merry After Christmas! It's me, Sammy.

I don't know about you humans, but we dogs are glad the holidays are over. It's a little bit too much commotion for us doggies. But, we did get to enjoy crumbs and snacks and lots of attention.


Howie the dog came for a few days. Here he is, I think he's all grown up now. Not too long ago he was just a baby. Look how he forgets to fix his ear. Silly Howie. He's Chloes dog and lives in North Platte.

When I got tired of the holiday business, I just went into my favorite place (the closet) and hid. I could even bark from there if a stranger came to our house.

Silly Sissy got really tired, I don't think she understood all the craziness of the holidays. Mom was busy doing things and Sissy just didn't think she was getting enough attention or something. Look how pathetic she looks here while mom was singing Christmas carols with other humans. I think she is just a big baby.

Love, Sammy

Working for a Livin'??

No, I didn't make the little ones work for their meal! But, when they wanted to help peel potaotes, how could I refuse?! Those were the best breakfast potatoes ever!

What Christmas is About...

Tradition and Awe...

Laughter...

Memories Shared...

Family...
(just for starters)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Yikes

Yikes, it must be that busy time of the year? I haven't blogged for a few days. We took a quick trip to Wyoming over the weekend, where we celebrates my mom's birthday. It was so wonderful spending time with family there. Happy Birthday to my mom....her birthday was Monday, but we celebrated with her on Saturday. Then, I got to go to church with her on Sunday morning, which I always enjoy. It was special sharing that with my daughter, Tina, as well.

On Sunday, we spent the day helping John's mom make tamales for Christmas. It is a big job, and there were a few of us there, spreading masa and filling tamales with meat. Then, they steamed for over two hours before we could taste them. Let me tell you, they were yummy. It's quite a chore, we made 296 of them!

It was fun sharing that with two of my sisters in law, some nieces, my daughter and my mom in law. Hubby helped too! It's quite an experience, and fun to share memories while we were busy.

This week has been spent getting ready for Christmas, final things like a little baking, a little cleaning, a little getting dinner ready in advance. We look forward to company today. It will be special having as many of our family here as can be. We will miss the others greatly.

Have a wonderful, blessed Merry Christmas!

Sammy Sighs

Mom is going to be busy baking cookies and candy, and hopefully dropping crumbs on the floor for me. So, I wanted to tell you how Tina humiliated me by trying to take my photo over Thanksgiving weekend. Look how I turn my head away, snubbing the camera...

Then, she thought she would get a cute Christmas pose with Silly Sissy and me. That girl has high aspirations in trying to get a photo opp....

Why are our eyes glowing? Yikes!

Brooklyn is a much better photo subject...

You all have a very Merry Christmas soon! I'll be hiding in the closet....talk to you next year....

Travelers, final comments and photos

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share this picture of the blankety blank gate we ran across the airport to in Minneapolis. The gate that was wrong. The gate that was way far from the gate we needed, where our plan had left us behind.

And, then this Barnes and Noble..isn't it awesome? Of course, I love Barnes and Noble anyway...


And, how about this final scene from Rochester? (Pretty...)

Travelers, Part IV-More Photos

These are a few more sites around the Mayo Clinic area downtown Rochester...

Christmas Trees

Brooklyn decorates one of my Christmas trees over Thanksgiving weekend...










Final Picture (taken by Brooklyn)....(before moving to corner, putting tree skirt, etc...)


Here is my office tree:










And, how about this pretty poinsetta tree that was in one of the buildings at Mayo Clinic???

Travelers Part III (Photos)

Here are some photos of the buildings/area around Mayo Clinic in Rochester...

More photos to follow...

Travelers Part II

After we arrived in Rochester, we did spend two nights there. I have some photos to share, but have to get them downloaded. My daughter had an appointment at Mayo Clinic on Wednesday morning. There, she got an answer to a medical problem that had been bothering her for quite some time, and it was a simple answer, so we felt so relieved. When you deal with something for a while, and cannot get any answers, keep getting referred on to someone else, you do worry, so it was a blessing to get an answer, and find that nothing horrible was wrong.

So, the rest of our time there was spent enjoying ourselves. We shopped (mostly SHE shopped...ha!) and watched, and walked and enjoyed things. The clinic itself is so amazing, just unbelievable. I had never been there, so I was in awe of it all. There are walkways between motels and clinic buildings, called subways, and you never even have to go outside, should you not want to. They even connect to shopping, eateries and such. There are also skywalks. It was really cold there, but we did go outside and enjoy some of the ambience of the area. I will try to download my photos soon. We did have to get up bright and early once again to come home! We got up at 4, I think.

Our trip home was mostly uneventful, no drama at the Minneapolis airport this time. I had checked my bag just in case..I was not about to drag it behind me running again! We made the flight connections fine, even had time to grab coffee and go to the restroom! My daughter in law picked us up at the airport, and we had lunch, and did a little more shopping in Denver before heading home. We got pretty tired, and about five miles out of town, while I was driving, the State Patrol pulled me over...he said I had crossed the center line, and more than once. After telling him I was just tired (I am sure he thought I had been drinking...) he did only give me a warning. He asked if there was anything suspicious in the car? I'm like, what? He said that they noticed a "brown paper bag" behind my seat...OMG! No, it wasn't alcohol, merely a food sack from our brief stop for a taco which we ate along the road. I was like, Um, we have cookies, present, I don't know....geez! Anyway, he asked if I was awake enough to drive home, and I said, ya, you have woke me right up! (with fear, of course!). Plus, I only had about five miles to go....! My daughter said we had to have some kind of "ending" memory to our trip. Guess so, but why me?

Case Closed

I just read that they have closed the case for the abduction/murder of Adam Walsh. It has been 27 years. I can't imagine the pain the family has been through, but I hope that closing the case will at least ease their minds in some way. Losing a child must be the worst thing a person could endure. I remember reading about this for years, and watching movies and following news about it myself.

COLD

Gee, the past two days were so cold...below zero. It sounds like it was cold nearly everywhere. Today it is supposed to be up in the 20's or so..that would be nice. This cold is not fun on the old arthritis!

Travelers, Part I

This week, Tina and I were on a trip. We left on Monday and left earlier than planned due to bad weather reports. We were glad we did, as we traveled in light snow off and on, and then when we got to Denver, we hit freezing rain which later turned to snow. It then snowed most of the night. We had to be at DIA by 5 AM! My son, who lives in Denver, drove us to the airport, and it was yukky on the roads! We loaded up and then we had to sit in the plane a while, so they could de-ice the plane. At our next stop, we were to have about just enough time to switch planes. However, we got in about 1/2 hour late due to having to de-ice the plane. Then, we asked where to go, and they sent us to the wrong gate. We were running through the airport. I hadn't checked my bag because I stupidly thought it would be easier to take a carry on than deal with checking baggage. So, here we are running through the airport back and forth about three times....across moving walkways and escalators and general walks. I am dragging my suitcase behind me. I am much older and my joints don't move as quickly as my daughters, so I am sure she thought I was going to get lost. But, I kept up pretty good. In fact, at one point, I told her to push the woman in front of us down who was walking slowly. Whoa, were did that "moving walkway" rage come from? Luckily, she did not push anyone down. Of course, the plane had left. They then rebooked us on a new flight and sent us in yet another direction. But, then THAT flight was cancelled due to maintenance. So, we, along with some other jolly travelers were taken on a bus to our next destination, and it was only a 90 minute ride, so not bad. I was tired, after the early morning and all that running and walking. However, when my head would jerk down from falling to sleep, I would wake up. I wanted to sleep but certainly didn't want to snore and drool on strangers. We made it fine, though.

Just a note, those of you who follow me, know what a clutz I am. I have trouble walking, let alone even getting on and off moving walkways, so it was really something for me to be running off and on them dragging my stuff. I did almost fall a couple times, but didn't! And, clunking on and off the escalators dragging stuff...wow, what a feat for me! Anyway, things are well. I am home now.

Stay tuned for Part II...

Sammy Sighs

Hi, it's me Sammy.

My mom was gone for a few days, and I was ever so lonesome. Dad was here with me, but me and mom, well, we are pals. I bet she missed me as much as I missed her.

Silly Sissy was pretty lonesome too. Sophie stayed with us, so we had someone extra to play with, and Dad did pay lots of attention to us, but I'm so glad that Mom came back last night. I love my mom.

Surprises

I was surprised on Monday when a former co-worker, and wonderful woman stopped here at my new digs at work with a Christmas stocking for me....her name is Joan as well as mine, but hers in pronounced Jo-ann, while mine is Joan with a long "o". She is such a wonderful, caring, dear person, and I just love her to pieces. I miss the banter and talks we had when we worked out of the same place, but think of her all the time...here is a photo my boss took of me and her together. Merry Christmas, dear friend!

Random Thoughts-Wrapping Presents

Do you like to wrap presents? I do. I used to enjoy making them all pretty and unique, but usually just wrap them and put tags on them now, because it seems like once they are stacked and piled places, the bows all get crushed or pushed off. And, do you find it hard to choose wrapping paper? Man, there are all kinds of pretty papers to choose. I like to use Frosty Snowman paper, but this year chose pretty burgundy and gold paper. I like it. Those are my random thoughts of the day.

Mama's Book Club

Lauren over at Mental Pause Chronicles is hosting a book club. The first book is Twilight. My 19 year old daughter started reading this and was totally enthralled with it. This was strange in that she HATES to read. But, I figured what the heck, and just listened to her go on and on about it. Later, her friends were reading it and telling me how great it was. So, curiosity got the best of me, and I started reading it. I couldn't put it down. I read all four books as quickly as I could. They just capture you. I believe Twilight is my favorite of the four books. I haven't seen the movie, but I will. I know it won't capture me like the book did, but I have to go see it.

Put your doubts aside, and give it a try! You will be surprised, as I was, that you enjoy it!

Oh, and by the way, to Lauren (Mama)...I too remember watching Barnabas Collins on Dark Shadows. I know it dates me as well, but hey, those younger just will never know what they missed!!!

Family Photos

I have uploaded photos to my albums from Thanksgiving, go take a look: Thanksgiving Photos 2008.

Here are a couple: