Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Snuggle Buddies - WW

Jaxon and Jethro are getting along very nicely.
All snuggled up in my bed

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Homemade Pasta

I LOVE my KitchenAid mixer.  I am playing with the attachments that came with it.  The other night I made pasta.

here it comes!

Waiting to be cooked

Boiling away...

Dinner!  Yum

Next time, I will try the smaller plate for the pasta or maybe the straight noodles...  So many choices!

Monday, February 24, 2014

MY Mechanic

Jakes Fixing my car

Jakes is really growing up.  He helped me out this weekend by changing the fog light on my car.


He also helped G-Pop work on his scooter lift.  Jakes is getting very mechanical.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Jaxon vs. The Vacuum

Jaxon doesn't like the vacuum. When I have it out, he avoids it like the plague and when its running, he's jumping from chair to sofa to chair and back again.

The other day, I heard him scratching at the floor, which he does when he's lost his ball and needs my help.  This is what I found.....


The vacuum stole his ball

Me being the good mom that I am, grabbed the camera instead of helping him........

I hope this thing doesn't turn on......

Just so I couldn't be called a bad mom, I was encouraging him to get the ball, that the vacuum was safe and wouldn't hurt him.

He finally got it!

What a brave doggie! He was one happy pup when I put the vacuum away.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Tuesday Tidbits

I had a wonderful weekend!  Babysat Oscar while the parents went away for Valentine's Day.  Oscar and Jaxon had a wonderful time playing together and chewing on soup bones.

Sunday after Oscar went home, I went bowling with friends.  Had a lovely time and lots of laughs.  Can't wait to do it again!

Monday, Niecy and I went shopping!  She put her car in the shop for maintenance so we had all day to run all over the place looking for fun things to spend tax money on.

I have plans to buy a washer and dryer but have a friend who thinks she might be able to get me a free set that's in good condition.  Waiting to see what happens there.  Fingers crossed!

Jakes and I finally settled on a name for the new kitty.  He's Jethro Gibbs.  yes, I love the show NCIS and I love "J" names.  Jaxon is named after Jackson Gibbs, who is Jethro's father on the show.  He was played by Ralph Waite who just passed away.

So my boys are Jakes, Jaxon and Jethro.

The kitty is settling in nicely.  He doesn't seem comfortable with Jaxon yet.  But Jaxon is just so full of energy and is jumpy and just wants to play with Jethro.  It will take some time for the boys to be comfortable with each other to play.


I've had ENOUGH snow.  When is spring?  Not only do I have to shovel myself out, but I usually have to check the parents out too. So sick of shoveling.


I want a job where I can be WRONG 98% of the time and still keep my job! What job is that you ask?  Weatherman.


Since I KNOW spring is coming, I need to figure out what herbs and veggies I'm going to grow.  I know I want basil, oregano, cilantro, peppers and tomatoes.  I'm also thinking I'd like scallions  What are some of your favorite herbs and veggies?

Thursday, February 13, 2014

I'm A Little Tea Pot



There are so many different ways to make iced tea.  There is the plain ole unsweetened tea. Black tea, green tea, and all kinds of different flavored teas.  There is the Suthern Sweet Tea that will put you into a diabetic coma, without being a diabetic.  There is the warm tea, without ice. Tea with lots of ice.  Vodka that tastes just like tea. (YUM!)

Then there is the tea my mom and grandmom used to make.  

Grandmom would make pitchers and pitchers all in one day and store them in the fridge downstairs. She would boil the tea on the stove, let it steep, then mix some sugar, a glug-glug of orange juice and a glug of lemon juice.  It was SO yummy!  My second stop at Grandmoms house was the kitchen for a glass, ice and her tea.

Mom's recipe was very similar but tasted different somehow.  I don't know if the type of tea bags made a difference, the length of steeping or the fact that Mom would make it one pitcher at a time. 


I tried to learn how Mom made it.  I remember her tea pot sitting on the stove with the tea steeping. I remember her pouring it into the pitcher, mixing in more water to fill the gallon, a couple scoops of sugar.  Then the "glug-glug" of OJ and lemon juice.  I watched her when she was making it, I tried making it with her watching.  But I never mastered it.  

Mom's Tea Pot

How much is a "glug" anyway?

Lately, I've been craving Mom's Iced Tea. I've taken my normally sweet tea and added a shot of OJ and a twist of lemon juice.  Still not Mom's but is close enough to satisfy my craving.

What is your favorite flavor of iced tea? Anyone like OJ and lemon juice in their sweet tea?

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

New Fur Baby

Here's the new fur baby.  he's coming out from under the bed, little by little.....

We still don't have a name for him yet..... He is answering to Vincent for me. Jakes probably won't be happy with that but when Fur Baby is with me most of the time, I'm going to call him what I want.
We haven't named him yet

Sneaking a reach for the toy

hmmm what's this?

Keeping an eye on Jaxon who's sniffing on the other side of the boxes.

I've let him stay under the bed and kept him confined to a small area of my room.  Today, I kicked Jaxon out of the bedroom and will let fur baby have the entire bedroom.  As he feels more comfortable with his new home, we will eventually do away with the gates and both animals will have free reign of the house.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Tuesday Tidbits

I know, I'm not around here much.  There just isn't much going on in my life.  I'm sitting home enjoying the cozy warmth of my new place.  Got all the boxes unpacked and pictures hung.  It looks and feels like home.


Jakes is spending almost every weekend with me.  I had to tell him to stay home the weekend of the plunge and he got mad at me.  But he was over this past weekend and we enjoyed spending time together.  Jakes earned his phone back at his dad's, the report card was VERY good this marking period!  So proud of him!


We got a new kitten!  He's still hiding under my bed so I don't have pictures to share yet.  In time, he will come out and play with us.  Jaxon is very anxious to have a playmate.  He's sniffing all around my bed to find the little guy.

Jakes and I haven't decided on a name yet.  We are going to wait for his personality to come out and see if we can pick one that fits him.  He's all black with beautiful golden eyes.  He's about 6 months old and is all taken care of with shots and reproduction stuff.


Going to start shopping for a new washer and dryer set.  I hate going to the laundry mat.  Such a hassle!  Not for much longer though.....

I have lots of other things on the wish list.  Its going to be like Christmas for me!!


I am so sick of the snow we keep getting.  I mean, really?  Every other day?  and Sunday's storm was supposed to be a dusting.  Well, I measured 3 inches on my deck.  They LIED again!  


On the up side of this winter, we spring ahead on March 2nd!  Less than a month away!  I always equate spring ahead with SPRING!  I am planning my veggies and I can't wait to get my herb garden defrosted again.  I miss my fresh herbs for cooking!


Dad is hanging in there with the chemo.  Not having too many side effects and such.  The cold is really getting him, though.  Not only has he lost weight that could be insulation, one of the side effects of the chemo is a susceptibility to the cold. Dr. said he's not supposed to have ice in his drinks or be outside in the cold.  He could get frost bite VERY easily.  He's being smart about things for the most part.  He stays inside when its VERY cold, he covers up when he has to go out and he doesn't stay out for long.

That's about all on my front.....

Monday, February 10, 2014

The Follow Up

Finally got the pictures us in the water.  Its so hard to get good pictures when we are in the water because there is over a thousand people all around you running for the water and then you have to run around they're support crew who's trying to get pictures at the same time.


Here's the video from the day (Neicy and I are NOT in this). This will give you an idea of the craziness of the day....



Anyway.... back to US!

we posed for pictures on the beach.  Still in the warm jammies


Heading in....screaming as the cold water meets your feet
Working our way out.  I was having trouble cause I lost my shoe.
At least it floated up to the top!

Neicy after the plunge!
There were over 3,200 bears who raised over $725,000 for the Special Olympics of Delaware!  Wonderful people working for a wonderful cause!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Just a Day at the Beach - In February....

Once again, BFF Neicy and I spent the day at the beach in February!  And it was SO warm and fun!  Warm, you say, in February??!?!  Really??  And even if it wasn't warm, we'd still be there for the Special Olympics of Delaware!

Yes, Really.  We got to the beach early and set up camp.  It was warm enough to walk on the sand in bare feet.
Check it out!  58 DEGREES!

Getting some sun before swimming

After claiming our spot on the beach and checking the water temperature (brrrr!), we headed back up the boardwalk to check out the sites.  There are lots of normal people there (like me!) and then there are the people who just wanna have fun......

KISS was there... wonder if their make-up ran in the water.


Getting their patriotic on.....


WaWa was a big sponsor of the Plunge
Yogi came out of hibernation for the event

Safety is of the utmost importance to everyone involved.  They held a safety meeting on the boardwalk.

Safety meeting with the coast guard and State Police
Safety divers getting into place, the boats were following close behind.

Once the safety people were in place, it was time for the count down to run into the water.  Let the fun begin!


I don't have any pictures of us IN the water yet.  Still waiting for a friend to email them over.  The water was refreshing! and COLD.  But that's the point, right?  To be a polar bear, you have to have cold.  If it wasn't cold on the beach, you have to have cold in the water.

So, more pictures later in the week.....




Monday, February 3, 2014

Crazy for Balls

Jaxon loves to play with a tennis ball. Sometimes more than one.  Just about everyday, I take him out and throw the ball for him to chase and bring back. Rinse, Lather, Repeat.  The little pup will run after that ball for HOURS!. 

Then we come into the house and he brings me the ball to throw in the house. Not as much fun as being outside but he still enjoys it.  When he's ready to quit, he will climb up on my lap with the ball. He usually holds the ball until he falls asleep.

This weekend, he stayed with the Gparents and had a BALL, literally.  They went shopping and brought home a bag of balls to keep in stock for both doggies.  The Gparents hid the bag away because there already were three or four balls out for the boys.

While they finished putting away everything else, Jaxon helped himself to the bag of balls.  He carried it out of the hiding place and proceeded to play.

How do you OPEN this?

When the GParents came into the living room and saw what he was doing, they being good GParents, encouraged him.  lol  He had so much fun trying to get into the bag and then finally getting IN the bag.

He rolled with them.

He shook them.

He just had a ...  well a BALL with them.  I when I got there to take him home, he started packing his bag.  He made sure at least ONE of those balls were going home with him.

Jaxon packed his bag

When we got home, I unpacked both of us and we snuggled on the couch.  After he brought the ball.  Love my little BallNut.