I Quit!

It was a pretty special day...

January 31, 2005...

The day I stopped smoking.

 

I quit!

(read a blog post about my second anniversary here)

 

Yes, 4749 days...

or 6,837,120 minutes...

or, another way of saying it:

678 weeks, 2 days

ago, I stopped smoking!

 

what that means is that I DID NOT smoke 284,940 cigarettes...

that's 14,247 packs!

 

I don't even want to think of the money I didn't spend

(where did it go?)

 

Another thing to think about...

I remember reading that each cigarette you smoke shortens your life by about 10 minutes.

 

Let's try that in reverse.

 

I didn't smoke 284,940  cigarettes

which gave me 2,849,400 extra minutes of life...

that's 47,490 hours

or

1978.75 days

which roughly translates to another 5.42 YEARS of life!

 

Whew...overwhelming!

 

 

A bit of this...a bit of that....

First off, Mom is doing well.

 

When I reported in last time, they weren't sure what to do with her.

 

I walked in the door of her hospital room and my phone rang.

 

It was her surgeon.  He said he had just been in to talk to her and they decided to do surgery that day.

 

It went quickly and smoothly, two hours from start to finish.

 

They found adhesions blocking her small intestines and removed them.

 

Of course, with mom, nothing is that easy...

 

This time they kept her in ICU a few days because of low heart rate and low blood pressure.

 

It involved transfusions and other things, but she is home and doing well.

 

Whew!

 

Like I've said before, it's not easy raising parents!

 

So, since I'm frazzled and dazzled, how about a little of this and a little of that...

just whatever is sitting on my desk top this morning.

 

First of all Tony and Mindy went on an adventure of a lifetime with friends...

Eight adults and Annabell, who is only a year old!

A week in California which included...

Four Penguin Games

 

 

Where Miss Annabelle got the puck!

 

 

And made the Penguins' Instagram page!

 

Alcatraz Island

 

 

The Price is Right

 

 

Disney

 

 

 

 

And wow, so much more.

 

In January, 2017, Mindy and her family went tubing...

 

 

This year, since they had the old people along

(Yes, me and Mr K)

We went bowling instead!

 

 

Locklan loved using the ramp.

 

Getting the ball there was half the battle!

 

 

 

 

Uncle Tony showed him how to bowl...

 

Aunt Mindy was much more fun.  She let him swing on the ramp!

 

 

Grandma? She was just good for hugs...

 

 

Even the most accomplished athletes get tired.

 

By the end of the second game, he was content to watch a video and rest...

 

 

He was asleep halfway home!

 

My desk thermometer says it's 16 degrees,

it snowed last night!

 

Stay warm!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's all her fault!

Honestly...

I have been trying to be a good blogger,

Keeping things in order...

 

I really wanted my next blog post to be about the wedding ceremony...

 

And the reception!  Oh what a great celebration (with one hitch)...

I have photos of the honeymoon (yes, Ron and I went too!),

and even Christmas with the Red Sock Family...

 

But first, do you remember this exciting little episode with my mother?

 

That's when she had major surgery and was out of commission for a month...

 

What I didn't tell you, and I don't want to go into much detail here is that

she was escorted out of the wedding reception via EMS

and by 1:00 AM, was in surgery to repair a twisted intestine!

 

That recovery was short in comparison to the last one...

We made it through Christmas, New Year and even a few weeks into the new year...

 

On Sunday, Mr K and I were getting ready to go out when I got a call...

 

It was a nurse from the local hospital with an update on my mom...

 

Update?

MY mom?

Seems she was back in the hospital,

admitted on Saturday night!

 

When we got there on Sunday, she was really sick and in tremendous pain.

 

I spent yesterday with her and am getting ready to go down there again today...

 

They aren't sure what is going on...there is much poking and prodding going on...

 

Looks like there might be more surgery in the next day or so.

 

Keep mom in your prayers?

She's 86 and until a few days before her 86th birthday, had been doing well!

 

So...if you were waiting for the wedding photos, blame her...

 

And they will come soon, I promise!

 

 

This is too cute!

I never had an imaginary friend, but my late sister, Carol, did.

 

Her friend was named Jeanie.  Jeanie appeared when I went to school,

disappeared about the time Carol went to first grade.

 

Locklan has an imaginary frog who lives on the top step in my house.

 

When you go  down the stairs, you have to be careful not to step on him.

 

When you go up the stairs, you have to stop to either tickle the frog or hug him...

there are days when Locklan expects you to kiss the frog.

 

Last week, Locklan had chapped lips.  Being the indulgent granny that I am,

I gave him his own chapstick.

 

He was very good about using it...although he used a half stick on his lips...

the other half on the top step...apparently the frog had chapped lips too!

 

~and no, I did not get a photo of that...was too busy cleaning the step~

 

The next day, after I explained that frogs did not really have lips, so there was no need for chapstick,

he was walking up the stairs in front of me...

 

He stopped and placed something on the stair.  I couldn't see what it was until he turned around...

 

 

 

I looked again...

He had taken the bottle cap from my Bai bottle, took a tiny scrap from my sewing room

 

and made a bed for his frog!

 

 

Isn't he just too stinkin' cute?

 

 

 

Hot Stuff

Hmmmm...in THIS blog post, just a few days ago, I was moaning because it was -14° out there...

 

Yesterday, I had a 'personal maintence' day (mani-pedi, bought new razors, looked for spring/summer clothes that did not display my 'winter acquired' lumps and bumps), but best of all, when I got in my car, this is what I saw...

 

 

Do you see that?

SIXTY FOUR DEGREES!

 

I have a rule...if the temp is above 60° and it's not raining...

 

The top on the VW comes down!

 

Absolutely...1/11/2018,

 

 

 

This crazy old grandma was driving around topless!

 

Topless, I tell you, all before all the Christmas decorations have made it up to the attic!

 

Truly hot stuff.

 

As I sit typing, my desk thermometer says it's 54° out there (5:22AM)

but I hear that we are expecting a snow and ice storm (4 to 8 inches of snow)

tomorrow into Sunday...

 

Go figure!?!

 

I think this one is a winner!

Do you remember when I bought this...

 

 

Click HERE to see the story behind these...

 

Occasionally, I buy really dumb things that seem like a great idea?!?

 

One of my (quickly broken) New Year Resolution was to stop doing that...

 

Then I saw this...

 

 

Now anyone who has been reading RSM for any amount of time knows that we're a real snow family!

 

I do take vacations in warm and balmy places,

but the highlight of my year is my annual solo 500 mile trip to

Clayton, NY, on the St. Lawrence Seaway, every February.  I love snow and winter!

 

Since Locklan came along, I am always on the lookout for snowy activities.

 

I Amazon primed these snowball makers in a flash!

 

We've been having record setting low temps and a bit of snow. 

 

They came and I headed out to the patio to try them...

 

Eek!  Total failure.  The (dry and powdery) snow was not what was needed.

 

Next Tony tried them, even spraying the snow with water before making them into snowballs.

 

Epic failure, such a failure we didn't even photograph it...

 

On Monday, we had a snow day.  Tons of wet, heavy snow!

 

The minute I heard that (of course the Weather Channel is on all day, we're old!)...

 

I put on my boots and headed  for the front porch with this...

 

 

 

and in seconds had this...

 

Amazing, perfect size and shape for ambushing your neighbors...

 

Sadly, it was too cold to wait on the front porch for the neighbors to come out

and way too cold for them to come out in the first place...

 

So the moral of the story is...

 

Guess there really isn't one...

 

Oh well!

 

 

Insanity is Hereditary...

Yes!  I said that...

 

And I have said it for years!

 

What I always added to that statement is,

 

"You get it from your kids!"

 

Here's proof:

 

Yesterday (Sunday) morning, I woke up to see -14° on my thermometer.

 

That's FOURTEEN DEGREES BELOW ZERO, FARENHEIT!

 

I decided to stay in and work around the house.

 

A few hours later, I got these photos from Andy...

 

Yes!  That's the Kiski River!

 

 

And the boat, parked in what Locklan calls the tunnel...

 

 

And the crazy pair, looking pretty happy that they are freezing!

 

 

With temperatures like that and wind chill even lower...

 

You gotta be crazy!

 

See...Told you, insanity is hereditary...

You get it from your kids.

 

It is much warmer today.  Up to 32°, but it's snowing...

 

 

-6°

I woke up about an hour ago and went to check the temperature outside...

 

 

It's six below zero?!?

 

No wonder I can't get my new printer to work...

 

I'm suffering from brain freeze!

 

(I know the time on the display is incorrect.  I can't remember how to set it...

Help?)

 

I just turned on my electric blanket.  Me and my Kindle are going to get warm.

 

Later!

 

 

 

 

 

It's a Hottie, to be sure!

I woke up this morning in a sweat...

 

It was 11° out there (according to the remote thermometer on my desk).  It was -5° out there yesterday, so it's a true heat wave!

 

Good thing...the dogs have spent the last few days wrapped up in cuddly blankets...

 

 

 

According to Mr K, it's a great day for grocery shopping.

 

I'm not sure why...

 

Just because if I don't, we'll be eating peanut butter and black bean sandwiches on hot dog buns for dinner?

 

Talk about picky. 

 

Yesterday, Locklan came to spend the day with me.

 

He's such a hoot.

 

I have a teddy bear that can repeat what you say.

 

Locklan gets in arguments with it. 

 

Locklan says the bear is his friend.

 

The bear says, "He's my friend."

 

Locklan gets all bent out of shape and says, even louder, "No! He's my friend!"

 

The bear repeats it.

 

It goes on and on until Mr K or I interrupt them!

 

Yesterday, I walked into the living room to see Locklan practicing diapering...

 

 

 

 

Isn't that adorable?

 

Guess they are friends now...

 

 

Okay, I have spent enough time playing here...

I'm off to the grocery store!

 

Catch up with you (and more wedding photos) as soon as I thaw!

 

 

Wedding day, part one!

Okay, I know you've been waiting forever for the wedding photos.

Me too, but I think I have finally gathered enough photos to tell the beautiful, sweet story...

We were busy!

Tony worked a half day.  I think he went into the office just to keep his brain occupied.

Mindy and her mom did girly things...

I did all those things the mother-of-the-groom did:

Manicure, hair washed and styled by Aimee, picked up my dress and shaved my legs...

Finally it was time to get dressed and head over to the church.

I left Mr K and my coat at home and headed out, thinking Mr K would ride with Andy and Ashley and bring my coat.

I got to the church...

 

 

Wendy, the wedding coordinator, sent me back to the room where Mindy was getting ready...

She was already dressed and ready to go!

 

 

 

Alivia, her niece, was the flower girl...

 

 

 

They are besties!

 

Mindy seemed calm, the rest of us?  Maybe not so much...

 

But her mom looked gorgeous!

 

 

They are so close...more besties!

 

 

I posed with Mindy for a few...

 

 

 

And then...

 

 

People were starting to come in...

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then Wendy sent me back to the pastor's office where Tony was getting ready...

Good thing!  He needed his mom, he had a problem...

 

He couldn't get his tie right.  When the front was long enough, the back was too long.

 

"Ma!  What should I do?"

 

 

"Hmmmmm...let me see..."

 

 

 

Suddenly, the door opened...in came Andy, Ashley and Locklan...

 

 

 

Didn't he look sweet?

 

 

 

Tony had a bright idea...

I couldn't believe it!

 

 

We fixed it!

 

 

 

Yep!  That tie didn't hang down too far anymore!

 

I got him dressed...

 

 

And I posed with my handsome sons!

 

 

And suddenly, it was time to get the show started...

 

You have to come back to see the ceremony...

 

I promise, it will be worth it!

 

I get all choked up just typing about it!