melissa

Happy Birthday to my little sister, Melissa. Here is college-age Lissa... excited about her birthday present.


A more grown-up Lissa.....but still so excited about opening her gift. Just look at at that expression, that sweet happy face. There is no doubt that this is the same girl in both pictures. I'm so happy that I'll be able to share your birthday with you in person this year. Love you.

barbara

Posing with grand daughter, Mandy

Happy Birhday to my mom! I have so few pictures of her. Probably because she runs when she sees a camera. I have to snap a bunch of her while I'm in Middletown visiting her for her birthday.


This is mom in the red and white striped top with most of her favorite ladies.

Happy Birthday Mom!! Love you!

the hatfields and the mccoys

We have lived in our present home for twenty years. This is the boundary that seperates us from our neighbors on the south side. The property line runs down the middle of all this ground cover and bushes. B has always cared for this little piece of paradise. When new neighbors moved in about five years ago, they approached B about renting a little bulldozer thing and clearing this area. B said no. The neighbor said it was too difficult to take care of it , but B said he had always cared for it and would continue to do so.



Last summer we received a "cease and desist from trespassing on my property" letter by certified mail from our neighbor. He didn't want B to stand on his driveway while B was watering or trimming.



This year our neighbor is caring for everything on his side of the property line himself.

A sidenote - B reported that he saw baby squirrel in the yard today. He said both of his back legs looked fairly useless and he was kind of dragging himself along. I'm wondering if maybe he was born that way. I'll have to keep a lookout for him now. B keeps the yard so beautiful that viewing it today took my breath away. It reminded me of the line in American Beauty. Sometimes there is so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it....like my heart is going to cave in.

donna

Carla Mona Donna

Happy Birthday to a longtime friend, Donna. Donna and I met at the public swimming pool where we took our nearly one year old sons for summer swimming lessons. We became close friends. When Jay was in first grade B and I moved away from our Chicago suburb to Buffalo. Years went by and Donna and I only saw one another a scant few times. Then three or four years ago Donna sent me a e-mail urging me to join her, her mom and sister on a trip to Las Vegas. I wasn't able to make that trip but a seed had been planted. We e-mailed back and forth saying we should get together. Two springs ago we finally met halfway at Cedar Point, Ohio...Donna, her sister Carla, me and my friend , Barb, who was taking this picture. We had a fantastic time....like slipping on a favorite pair of slippers...I felt so comfortable with these ladies. We decided to try another trip, so last summer I flew to New York City and met Donna, Carla and Carla's friend, Lorraine. We toured all of Manhattan on a double decker bus, went to Broadway shows, Statue of Liberty , Ellis Island, Top of the Rock, Ground Zero and shopping. It was so much fun that we decided to take a girl trip every summer. We tossed around some cities to visit and finally decided that this year I would go visit them in Chicago and then they would come to Buffalo to see the sights.
I'll be going to Chicago soon for my visit. Can't wait to see you, my good friend.

dollar sale

I had planned to go to the mall on Memorial Day and pick up some capris and/or shorts for summer. While I was eating breakfast I heard on the morning news that all Goodwills were having a Memorial Day sale. All clothing except shoes and leather coats was one dollar. I have been a good girl for several months keeping my promise to myself that I wouldn't haul anymore thrift store finds into the house. But I couldn't let this one go by. The store was packed, the check-out line long. I found 11 items. I love the sheer white ruffled blouse. I've seen news anchor ladies wearing a similar style recently.


The pink knit top still had the Steinmart tag on it.


Behind the knit top with polka dot collar is a sleeveless black lace blouse still with tag marked $78...$49...$29, a sleevless black knit top with shawl collar, a Michael Simon sweater with crocheted sleeves and a black silk evening dress for all those fancy functions that I go to. Ok, I know that I'll probably never wear the dress.


Navy skirt, black linen skirt with ruffled hem and a wool pea coat like the one Robin gave his daughter in The Wrestler.


As I was checking out I spotted this butter or cheese dish in the case behind the counter - $3 as is. The as is part is a couple small chips and some crazing. On the bottom it is stamped Green and Co Ltd Gresley England. A bit of research revealed this to be a pottery stamp from the 1930s.

happy ending

I'm hoping this was a happy ending. I don't really know for sure. I was gazing out the back window and chatting with Jay on the phone yesterday as evening was drawing near. We were chatting about chipmucks and baby wild animals...a topic dear to our hearts. Jay said that the chippys are nervous around Sara's dog Kayn. They run and hide and then peek their little heads back out. I was describing our most recent baby chip who was cavorting on the patio. Then I noticed movement out by one of our trees. I thought it was a baby bunny because we often see them in that same spot year after year. I ran out for a look and found this baby squirrel who had fallen out of the tree. His tail was much longer than his little body. It looked to me as though he might have hurt his back leg. His mother was clinging upside down to the tree, warning me to keep my distance. I retreated. But I returned again to take a picture of baby squirrel before I went indoors and checked on him from the window repeatedly.



Every year my heart is twisted by some baby animal abandoned in our yard. Last year I rescued three baby starlings whose nest was blown out of the tree during a windstorm. A lady from a wild animal shelter met me in Circuit City (before it went out of business) parking lot to take the babies from me. Later I called to find that one was dead when she got them, one died later, but one strong little birdie survived and flourished.



Another year I rescued momma duck and most of the 12 baby ducklings that she had hatched in our old BBQ pit. She had tried to cross our busy road with 12 babies in tow.

Back to baby squirrel... I saw momma come down the tree and she wrapped her little arms around baby. She looked like she was trying to pull baby along with her. But then she left and went back up the tree a ways. Then I had to go back to my movie that I was watching with B. The next time I looked...baby was gone. No sign of baby or momma. I looked again this morning. No sign of baby. I hope that I look out my window later this summer and see a squirrel with a slight limp. Then I will know that it was a happy ending.