ENJOYING THE SOME WHAT NICER DAYS. MORE SUN PLEASE!

One day two weeks ago, Bob was invited to go fishing but due to ice covered roads they left two hours later than planned.   He caught a nice trout and was very happy.  

NICE BROWN TROUT

This week, Bob and his buddies went fishing three days.  Bob caught another the first day, and then the bait didn't produce a nibble.  (For some unknown reason)  

ANOTHER BROWN

While he is off fishing, I head for my craft room.  I have a new sewing idea.  I'm making chicken pin cushions.  There not very big but they are cute.  Perhaps they can be sold to make funds for a charity.  Using up fabric where I can!

MINI CHICKEN PIN CUSHIONS

Bob has a request for one of the family traditional Easter baskets that he makes with wood.  At one time, he had said that he didn't want to make anymore.   He hunted all over for the pattern; garage attic, garage file cabinet, in the house to no avail.  Eventually deciding he must have taken it to the shed for storage last year.  

The shed doors were buried in a snow drift so he went about using the snow blower to make a path.  He worked so hard.  The next day he was going out again to work on it so I went along as I knew he wouldn't give up until he could open the doors.  The drift needed broken down or lowered to go into the blower.  We broke the door free but not before we were soaked in the wet snow that had started to fall.  

NOT FUN!

He went for the wood while I went grocery shopping last week and as soon as it was in the garage, he started cutting up the pattern pieces.  He needed a project.  

TOO BUSY TO COME TO SUPPER!

HE FOUND SARAH'S BASKET BUT THE PATTERN WASN'T IN IT.  HE HAD  TO TRACE SARAH'S.

BETSY DOES THE ART WORK.


One of the nice afternoon's, Bob started removing the ice from roof and the down sprout.  It was frozen solid!


IT DOESN'T LEAK IN
THE LAUNDRY ROOM ANYMORE

Let's hope Friday the 13th is a lucky one this year.  Grandson Alex and his wife, Erin signed the papers for their new home on the 13th.

We talked with them using Face Time on Saturday and Alex showed us the whole house.  It's bigger than ours.  It''s more than a starter home.  Erin's Mom and Dad were still there helping them move in.   Alex is now assigned to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita.  

Betsy, David and Donna, Debbie, Christianna and Lorenzo was here Saturday and we had a LUNCH MEAT PARTY.   Donna had a wood project for Bob so he and David worked on that while the ladies adored Lorenzo.

Donna is doing some new decorating and wanted this shelf.  David will finish it and put coat hooks on it.  

Lorenzo pulls himself up now.  

Betsy went to the cupboard to get toys for him.  We still had the foam blocks from when our grand kids were small.  Probably 22 years ago.  Lorenzo enjoyed them.  When Christianna saw that, she went for her phone, dialed up Amazon, and found the same thing to order to put in his Easter basket.  Amazing techie world!

He puts the blocks in his Easter basket.  

He is such a happy baby, we sure enjoyed the visit.

We are looking forward to more nice days.  THINK SPRING!

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a good one! 

GOLDEN GRAM

FEB 22

 Good-bye to February!  Winter continues whiping and winding all over the United states.  Our drifts in the back yard are growing; the snow looks like a piece of silk blowing in the wind.  Up, down and around.   Guess who complained of a green Christmas?

LOTS OF ANIMAL TRACKS OUT
BACK-HARD TIMES FOR THEM

I've done more than watch the birdies!

THIS WAS FOR MY VALENTINE!

I had a deep dish pie plate so I figured that I''d need two cans of filling to fill the shell.  Because of that, I thought I'd probably need to bake at a higher temp (per can instructions) and look how it burnt the edges.   It didn't matter; we enjoyed the whole thing.  Yumm!

Off on another kick, I made a pizza recipe out of my new Mediterranean Cookbook for Dummies.  I heard or read somewhere that the people from the Mediterranean have fewer heart attacks.  Since  Febrauary is National Heart month, I succumbed to the book purchase.   I have to be honest, I've been to the doctor's for my annual physical and I had the blood work done before the visit.  Talk about throwing the book at ya!  The first time ever in my life, my blood pressure was high by 27 points!!! I escaped going on meds by promising to take the fat off.  Hooa! Hooa!  And how can you do that with the depressing weather?   

Oh back to the pizza.  The recipe was for the dough and filling.  Look how thick the dough is, I thought it must be for two pizza's so I checked and it wasn't.  It was like eating a loaf of bread with a spread on it.  It was delicious.  It had a little bite (hot) to it so next time I'd leave the hot pepper flakes out.   Maybe that's what is good for the heart.  Bob never complained.

So see these buggers!  They are causing a leak in our downstairs laundry room.  They have backed up under eves and found a hole to enter the house.  That was a big clean up mess.   I'm sure there is more to come with this problem.  

On days the wind is not to bad, Bob goes out to run the snow blower and he cleans up our drive like a "super highway!"  Our snow piles are growing but nothing like Boston area.  

I'm really moving slow on this project, because I'm disappointed in the color.   Colors are bright!    It's the Jelly Roll by Kona Fabric  that I had ordered.   The picture on line looked like it would match our living room.  NOT!  What can you tell from a roll of cut stripes?  

I had my first One on One lesson on the Apple laptop at the Apple store this week.  I was a nervous wreck worrying if I would remember the instructions.  I told Bob to come back now and then to check and see if I had a heart attack.  I kid you not!  I was worked up!   An hour goes by fast and still a lot was covered.   

I ended up with four notes that I couldn't decipher once at home.  So I sat myself down at the lap top and tried to do some things.  I went into preferences (under the Apple)  and moved the "Dock" line over to the left margin.  (It get's in my way when the cursor goes down there)  Bob notices.  I can see on his face the questions, OMG what did she do now that I'll have to fix.  I LOVE IT!  He'll be sorry he sent me to class.  The irony of it is, I tried so much that I did jam up the computer, nothing would work.  I had to eat crow.   Bob to the rescue again.  

While in the Apple store I recognized a voice near us, I turned to look and sure enough it was Danny Arth.  (our daughter in laws' brother)   Dan was getting some marketing tips for the children's  books that he and his wife, Cathy have written and published.   They have a new web site posted now.  Check it out.   WWW.ABCread2me.com 

DAN & CATHY ARTH
THE ARTH'S ARE AUTHORS

I watched the Oscars to see the dresses.   I haven't seen an attractive one yet.  Much less decent!  I'm not a fan of Lady GaGa but she did perform the Julie Andrews' songs beautifully.  


Last Saturday we were invited by Betsy to Chuck's house for lunch and to see all the remodeling they have been doing.   The weather for driving was cruddy going and returning.  And the cold prevailed!   Anyway, they have painted, tiled, put up a stone wall, additional kitchen cabinets, new furniture, drapes, decos and carpeting.  Really pretty.  Betsy had to be ecstatic to decorate.

DINNING ROOM

We closed the month down with a cocktail and hor d'oeuvres social event at Russell's Restaurant in Williamsville.   The event was in honor of our grandson Eric and his betrothed, Nikki.   

ERIC AND NIKKI
SAVE THE DATE
JULY 2, 2016

A TOAST TO THEIR FUTURE

BRIDES' ATTENDANTS AND GROOMS' MEN WERE INTRODUCED.

YOUNG ADULTS

THE BOSTONIANS
SARAH AND JOEY
Our first introduction to Sarah's beau!

LOOK WHO ELSE CAME TO THE PARTY- LORENZO 




AND HERE'S ANOTHER SUNDAY.   MARCH 1ST
Coming in like a Lamb which means out like a Lion?  Oh brother.

While cleaning house,  I ventured out on a limb to clean my pine cones.  My sister sent these to me when she was out West many a moons ago...they were full of dust.  My sister said to wash or swish them in a bucket of water.  I did Sis!  And believe it or not, they came clean.  Dust gone!  But then they started to close up the petals.  What to heck, they are so old I never thought they would activate.  A couple days later they were open and pretty again.  

THESE CONES ARE THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF CONES AROUND HERE.

I need another page to bring all the grand kid news up to date.  From our grandson in the AirForce...(Alex) He has been up in the "gas tank" and they refueled another plane.  Three times!  One trip in total darkness.  He was thrilled!   Their house closing will be on March 13th, so Erin's parents are preparing to help her drive out to Oklahoma for the closing and they will stay to help the kids move in. 

REFUELING


I finished the quilt mentioned with lots of mistakes but I 'm happy as I had all that entertainment.  I have already been looking at new tutorials.  

Bob is looking forward to a fishing trip on Wednesday when the temps should be higher.  Along with the cold, he has avoided going while the snow has been so deep as it's too hard to walk.  

Closing time...have a good week/month enjoying life!  Thanks for stopping by.

GOLDEN GRAM