World Series Champions

Congrats to the Philadelphia Phillies - 2008 World Series Champs!!!

The last time the Phillies won the World Series, it was 1980 and I was a college student at a state college in Pennsylvania (my home state). The campus went wild that night and the celebration was awesome.

This year, my son, a die hard Phillies fan, is in college and they won again. He had a feeling about the Phillies this year - I was in college when they won, he is in college when they are contenders; They won in '80, this year is '08. Okay, he's not superstitious, but he certainly thought the stars were in alignment and that the Phils would win. And they did. I called him after the last out and he was speechless and very emotional. I was glad they won, glad that he could experience the thrill of having the home team be the champs. And tonight, he will travel home and tomorrow he will join up with some of his high school friends and head to Philly to see the victory parade - something I didn't do in 1980.

Reality Check from Louis CK

Here's an interesting take on the world from comedian Louis CK:

Reality Check

It makes us realize just how good we have it and how we take conveniences for granted.

I am sew crazy

I have been doing some sewing lately. It's something that I don't do as often as I would like, because, while we live in a rather large house, I don't have a place that I can call my own as far as sewing - some place where I can set up and leave things in progress. I would like to set up an area in the basement, but not until the lighting - or lack thereof - gets addressed, it's not happening.

But two weeks ago, I broke out the machine and made a cape/coat for our friends' son who is going to be Obi Wan Kenobi for Halloween. And while the spirit was moving me, I thought I would make a coat for our pooch.

I had picked up the pattern last year for $1.00 when a sewing/crafts chain was going out of business. I found some cute polar fleece for the outside (black background with dog bones on it) and some camouflage thermal fabric for the lining. I carefully measured her for the jacket and based on her body length, I chose to make a large. Wrong choice. The jacket is partly done and it is obvious that it is going to be way too big.

So, I will finish the jacket and give it the aforementioned friends for their slightly larger dog and will start a new, smaller one for our Maxie.

Mono a mono

The boy has mono. He has been burning the candle at both ends between his course load, getting up at 5 am to row and student government. He rowed on Saturday and we were there to cheer him on. He looked terrible. I insisted that he stop at the health center at school. He did on Sunday morning before we met for breakfast. They suspected mono, but wanted him to come and see the nurse practitioner at noon. He did and she sent him for blood work this morning. By noon, the verdict was in and the winner was mono. No surprise to me, I suspected it yesterday.

So later today, he will see the doctor at school and see what is up for him. Thank God for my good friend Nurse N who made some phone calls (a medical practice she works for part-time is the same practice that staffs the school health center) and made certain that J will get the health care he needs away from home.

So later today we will find out if the fall rowing season is over for him - I feel certain that it is, but I will let the doctor make that determination.

Post Script: He saw the doctor at school today and will be out of commission on the rowing front for at least two weeks. He'll be re-evaluated and the final determination will be made. He got some meds to reduce the inflammation and hopefully will start feeling better soon.

Update on 10/16 - the boy is feeling better. He is home for the weekend and plans on resting. His appetite has not been affected - he ate dinner like he hadn't eaten in a month - well, at least not edible food.

A road trip with my neighbor

I took my neighbor, and good friend, C to the mum farm today. As I expected, it was a very eventful trip.

Let me begin by telling you a little about C, so you can appreciate this post. C is a firefighter in Trenton NJ. He is the social butterfly of the neighborhood who organizes picnics, Christmas parties and knows what's going on at all times. When I was upset by the news that my brother was moving 1500 miles away, he hugged me and told me that his family would be be my family close by. He is the guy that all the men in the neighborhood like and dislike at the same time. I'll explain:

Because he is a firefighter, he works a few days and has a few days off. So he has days off during the work week. When the guys in the neighborhood go off to work, C is home doing things around the house that the others can't get to until the weekend. They go to work, he builds a retaining wall around his front flower bed; they go to work, he paints the dining room; they go to work, he tiles the back splash in the kitchen. I think you get the idea. Any way, the wives (including me) nag our husbands and ask them why they can't be more like C. Of course we need to be reminded that they go to work while he is home doing these things. It is a major topic of conversation at our parties, with C being praised by the women and "hated" by the husbands. All in good fun of course.


So today, C and I headed off to the mum farm for him to get mums (this was my third trip this season). While we were out, he asked if we could do a few errands since we were near Trenton. So off we went to his chiropractor, to the farmer's market, to the Polish butcher shop, to his credit union where I met several of his fellow firefighters, then to the Italian bakery. Of course, no trip would be complete with out him taking me past the fire station where he works which is in one of the least desirable neighborhoods of the city, and then, to complete the day, he took me down one of the worst streets in the city where, on a normal day, the sidewalks would be filled with drug dealers - thank goodness, it must have been nap time since no one was out.

We've done these trips before - they are always filled with laughter. How truly lucky I am to have a wonderful neighbor like C!

Happy 58th Anniversary Mom and Dad

Last week we celebrated my husband's and father's birthdays. Today we celebrate my parents' 58 wedding anniversary. Now there's a number that takes my breath away. I keep thinking how cool it is that my husband and I celebrated our 20th anniversary last year. I can't even imagine being married for over 50 years. But I sure will have fun trying.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad - and I wish you many more years together! Love you lots!

Happy birthday to my husband and my dad

What are the chances that you meet a wonderful guy and he shares a birthday with your father? Pretty slim I'd say. But that's what I did.

Today my dad celebrates his 86th birthday. His is a wonderful father who lives for his children and his grandchildren. And his wife too. In fact, my parents will be married 58 years next week. I hope that my husband and I will be lucky enough to be together that long.

My husband is celebrating his birthday by going out to dinner with business associates. Not his preferred way to celebrate, but in this economy, you gotta do what you gotta do. So here I sit.


He finally catches up with me today. I am about nine months older than him. So I know what his parents were doing when my parents were having me. I know, TMI (too much information).

Happy Birthday Dad and Happy Birthday to the best husband on earth. I love you both.