Got a surprise especially for you....

It's hubby's 50th birthday and boy do I have a surprise for him.



Can you guess?Yep, he's in Los Angeles working. So I've decided to fly out and surprise him. I've been planning and plotting for a few months now and FINALLY it's here! It's been so difficult trying to keep this all a big secret. I have to thank everyone who has helped me you plan this and those who encourage and reassured me when I got nervous and doubtful. Thanks to everybody who let me bounce ideas off you and thanks for listening.



Oh yeah, I did manage to work in a quick visit.........
Details when I get back! See ya real soon!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy 50th Birthday dear John, Happy Birthday to you!

Love you, Have a Great Birthday!

I found my thrill, on blueberry hill....

Yummy blueberries! I love blueberries and after 7 pounds of blueberries I'm happy that I don't need to pick again till next year. Don't get me wrong, they were delicious but we had blueberries, blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins, blueberries with cereal, blueberries with vanilla ice cream, blueberries in all sorts of ways. So here's to a fantastic blueberry crop!Did you know T0ny Stewart changed his number this year? I guess that is they way it works in NASCAR. So I had to design a new pattern for the new number and new colors. I like it. And I've already had one happy customer!

Please to meet you, nice to know me

I'm not much of a reader. I like to keep my hands busy with plastic canvas and if I'm sewing I can't hold a book. The last book I read was a Nora Roberts Sign of Seven Trilogy and I only did that because I was on vacation and needed a break from all the plastic after last years craft show.

Sweat shop worker Mom and Kimmy read a semi local author, Janet Evanovich. Well, she was born in New Jersey and writes about Chambersburg, which is all of about 5 minutes from where we live. In 1994 she released "One for the Money" and both mom and Kimmy were hooked. I myself not having any time to read, didn't understand what the big fuss was about. Until now.

With work having taken my streaming radio away and with reception kind of fuzzy I've started to rely heavily on my Sony Walkman. I listen to music to help me get threw my day and block out the noise. But listening to the same old stuff day after day get boring after awhile. I started wondering what else I could listen to to help pass the time. Books on CD. I mentioned this to mom and Kimmy and they said I should really start reading the Janet Evanovich books. So, I looked into it and to my pleasant surprise she has all most all of her books on CD. Hooray! So I got them from the library and started to listen. I started in order because One for the Money was just the beginning, she is now up to Finger Lickin Fifteen.

I was hooked. Not only are the stories interesting and well written, they are laugh out loud funny. They move really quick and hold your interest the entire time. At the end of the day I want to keep listening to see what is going to happen next. And I love CJ Gritt as narrator, she is wonderful with slight changes in her voice for different characters and gives great emotion to them as well.

As I said Janet Evanovich is up to number 15 in this series and we all hope she just keeps going and going with it because the books and so great. But Finger Lickin Fifteen was just released on June 23rd and Janet did a small book signing tour to celebrate and promote the release. And wouldn't you know it she came to Cherry Hill, New Jersey. So we went to get the book and have her sign it. Mom and I drove down right after work and got our book and ticket to hold our place in line. We got numbers 1234 and 1235, yea there were 1233 people ahead of us. But we waited anyway. It wasn't that bad. A lot of people were reading the book while they waited and everyone was so friendly and nice. Everyone had an opinion on who the main character Stephanie Plum should hook up with, Team Morelli or Team Ranger. Just go to her site and see for yourself. There was food samples in the parking lot and we got balloons.Some where around 11pm they announced for those people remaining to get in line, there were still about 100 of us or so. While in line we got the chance to talk to her daughter, Alex who was super nice. I thought it was really wonderful that she stayed until each of us got our signature and she took pictures with any and everyone who wanted one.
Mom was really happy to meet her and I thought it was pretty cool too. Now that I'm on book 7, Seven Up I understand more and more with each book why she is so well loved.

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

Happy Summer Solstice to all! It's been a nice week with hubby home for a visit between jobs. He got to play with his radios and even got one fixed. It sounded great! We were listening to a station in Romania. He cleaned it up and took it with him on the road so he'll have something to play with.No big projects like in Father's Day's past. Yes, for the last 4 years we have had some sort of demolition/beautification project.

2005
200620072008This year the weather didn't cooperate with us making it difficult for us to work. We were hoping to get the floor laid in the attic but we would have to move everything out of the garage and with the rain that is a no go. We did get a head start a few weeks ago by taking everything down from the attic and organizing it. It's organized in the crates but not so much in the garage.
Once the floor is down and secure we will put everything back up in the attic and hubby will have his garage back to work/play in.

Mom and I went to Philly on Saturday to Bleed for Prest0n & Steve. They are the Philly morning show guys I listen to. I got mom to start listening to them too! For the last 4 years Prest0n & Steve have hosted a blood donation day for the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Red Cross. After finding out that my blood pressure meds won't effect me donating I signed up and mom decided to join me. We went to the Philadelphia Navy yard. They had close to 2000 people sign up to donate. It was very well organized. I was able to donate but mom couldn't because she had gotten a vaccine shot. She had to wait 21 days before she could donate. Next time she should be good to go. It was a really nice, well spent morning. We got to meet the entire morning show crew and even got them to sign their new comic book. I plan on donating again next year. They said that with the start of summer the supply gets really low and each donation can help up to three people. You just never know when you might need to be one of those people and wish someone had donated to help you. It didn't take that long and there was plenty of people to talk to who all listen to the show. They even were giving away free samples of ice cream and they were small desserts rather than samples. The guys were super nice. Mom told Steve she was a new listener and he asked her how he was doing so far. And they thanked us for helping out and donating.

I've got the sweatshop still working on sports but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I see little football holders and cactus on the horizon.

I'd like to teach the world to sing, In perfect harmony, I'd like to by the world a Coke...

I came home the other night to ATTACK OF THE DIET COKE!!! What a mess! I had 4 cans explode and split up the side and another explode from the top. The force was so strong it blew the fridge door open.

Here is some of the carnage.....

*Sorry about the crappy cell phone photos but I just snapped a quick few before I cleaned up the Diet Coke before it leaked into my rug* No, I don't have poke-a-dot sheets and pillows....when the soda exploded and opened the door, it must have sprayed out all over the bed.

So now the question is, did they all explode at once like a suicide pack or was it a one can suicide and the others were just casualties of war?

"There's pride in every Americans heart and it's time we stand and say...

I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me, And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today, 'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A." - Lee Greenwood

What a great and powerful song. One in a long list of American pride songs. After 9/11 this song was put back into heavy rotation on a number of radio stations.

I feel myself to be patriotic. I have a strong love of history and a great respect for things in this country taken for granted like our Flag, our Veterans, our men and women serving in our Armed Forces and our National Anthem.

The US Code states:

TITLE 36–PATRIOTIC AND NATIONAL OBSERVANCES, CEREMONIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS
SUBTITLE I–PATRIOTIC AND NATIONAL OBSERVANCES AND CEREMONIES
PART A–OBSERVANCES AND CEREMONIES
CHAPTER 3–NATIONAL ANTHEM, MOTTO, FLORAL EMBLEM, AND MARCH
Section 301–National Anthem
Sec. 301. National anthem
(a) Designation.–The composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem.
(b) Conduct During Playing.–During a rendition of the national anthem–
(1) when the flag is displayed–(A) all present except those in uniform should stand attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart;(B) men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold the headdress at the left shoulder,the hand being over the heart; and(C) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note; and
(2) when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag

When I see a flag in a parade I stand. When I see a Veteran I say "Thank you for your service" and when I hear the National Anthem, I stop in place and stand until the last note. This is where this soap box rant is going.

Mom and I have been walking at night, getting some much needed exercise. We walk on the high school track because the track is easier on the joints and easier to keep count of how far you've gone. The last two nights the high school baseball team has had a game and at the beginning of the game they play the National Anthem. The first night mom and I were on the track, which sits next to the baseball field. We were pretty close to the dug out areas when we heard the announcer say, "Please rise for our National Anthem" Mom and I didn't even think twice and we stopped where we were and stood there until it was over. (Mom even had her hand over her heart) I was disgusted by others on the track who were running, jogging and walking also who kept on going. I know that may sound harsh to some, disgusted is a strong word and emotion but that is how I felt. Last, night we stood in the parking lot because you could hear it when you got out of the car and only when it was over did we walk over to the track.

What is wrong with people? I know the economy is in the toilet, we are still fighting wars for foreign lands and life is hard but come on, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I may not always agree with our government and I may not always understand why they do some of the things they do or the bills they pass and I may dislike some that are in office but our government is unique in that "we the people" decide who makes up the body of government we live by. However, I do support and have pride in our country. We do live in the best country in the world. I believe that so many other countries around the world dislike us because we are the best, the most free.

*stepping off my soap box* I just needed to vent, thank you for listening.