20100919 William's Fourth

William turned 4.
I think he was excited.
A little.

More to follow...I even have some "art" from this weekend! (I can sense Dan's excitement from here)

20100910 Anniversary

22 years.




Ok, we didn't know each other when those first ones were taken

20100906 Weeding and Red Door

My family is wonderful. They pick weeds for me when my back hurts. I did (eventually) sit and weed also, but they did most of the work.



And, as promised, the red door. Many coats of red. Many

20100907 Update

It's been too long since update. I felt good enough to finally finish painting the front door, cranberry-ish. Three coats it took. Ugh. Used a short nap roller for the rails, stiles and panels to minimize brush marks. But it still took 3 coats to cover the white primer. That is one well-covered door. I can still see blotchy primer peeking through, but if others are okay with it, I'm okay with it.

The fam helped pull all the purslane and spotted spurge from the enormous area around the volleyball court that goes dormant in the heat every year and allows the weeds to take over in August. Nasty stuff.

Double Ugh. Took the 3 of us 3 days. "What a fun way to spend the labor day weekend". I know you're all thinking it. I'm just sayin'.

I'll replace that silly weed pic with the girls when I get more energy.

20100706 Skaneateles

"Cottage" owner, Rick, takes people for tubing rides



Shaun the Sheep?

20100703 Skaneateles Day 1

20100618 Monica has friends over for a party

So this was Monica's "official" birthday party, with some friends over for volleyball, pool, snacks and a cake Monica made herself (I think it was the Xmas gift cake from Deavers)



I'm really doing lousy with keeping up the non-stop, paparazzi-style photographic journaling and took only this one picture of the whole shebang.

20100618 Katie briefly home and Monica mows

Katie flew in late Wed night; staying only until 3pm Father's Day


Monica loves the riding mower.


...and who wouldn't?

20100613 Someone's Birthday

A different way to play volleyball (Wii)



A 6 flags pass


A real volleyball and I'm glad to have a cathedral ceiling


Da cake.

20100612 Taryn's Wedding

Taryn gets married 12 June in Keene


I did not take many photos, it was a good time anyway :)


Doug's famous 3 tiered Baked Alaska

20100530 Work around the house

While I'm sidelined, Monica trims

And Connie mows (she's so "green" it's amazing--me, I likey my CO2-belching rider)

and with neighbor's help, sets up trampoline

They needed no Daddy help to figure the frame's puzzle out...

Stretching on the canvas with the spings

Apparently, it took a lot out of James...

20100523 Such Wonderful Family to have when I'm down

May 21-3, Fran Dan and the boys came over; I'm out of commission with my back, they mowed and Monica and Fran did the shrubs (sorry Fran, I never got a photo of that) and they all opened the pool so we could at least start the chlorine going as the weather heats up (it's Wed 5/26 and 96 degrees today-blech)

Rollin' rollin' rollin' keep them blades a-rollin

Even James from next door came to help Dan and Fran take off the cover (most assuredly the hardest part of the whole process)

Unfortunately I did not get photos of Dan have *WAY* too much fun using the pressure washer to clean off the cove before hanging to dry and folding.

And there was much feasting...

And Monica's mentor is a pastry chef

Proud parents and mentor. Monica's really holding me up. Really.

20100523 They're talking...about me?

So I have a bad back but I head to church for Confirmation Sunday anyway and those darned bell ringer type folks are talking and joking about something.

Without me.

I think about me.

What do you think?

20100512 What do you get when you...

What do you get when you dig 5 wheelbarrow fulls of dirt to "trim" the edge of a flower garden across the front and side of your house, when combined with moving 10 church pews 16' long weighing as if full of parishoners, when combined with moving the logs created when cutting down two 40' trees and one 70' tree?

In my case, you get:

"Involvement between L3-4 and L4-5"

And you are flat out for the count, making goo goo eyes at a jug of Percoset and Cyclobenzadrine

Spingtime