Take A Leap!

Happy Birthday to all those who are lucky enough to be born on a day when you only turn an age older every 4 years.  If only that were the case.  We all age when we're lucky enough to survive another trip around the sun.  Yesterday was my day to age.  It sure does beat the alternative.  Many times I'm asked if I  just missed being a leap year baby.  Actually I missed it by a whole year.  1953 is not a leap year.  I was very blessed with happy birthday wishes from family and friends.  Being in my golden years sometimes is lacking in the gold part!  But I'm very happy to be healthy, strong, loved, and enjoying life.  Being older has it's perks besides cheaper prices or belonging to AARP.   Many things just don't bother me any more.  I think I'm more patient while driving...even if I still have a lead foot!  I enjoy working when I want and not on anybody else's schedule.  Work drama makes me sit back, observe, and smile.  I went through all that in my younger working days and now realize some things never change.  Looking back over the years I realize most things turn out the way they are suppose to.  I'm more apt to ask for help with a problem, decision, vacation plans, recipes, or using techie things.  It's better to laugh than to stress out.  So having an extra day every 4 years is an opportunity to take a leap.  Maybe a leap of faith, a leap of caring more, a leap of relaxing more or a leap to start a blog.   I started my blog on February 29, 2008.  The books I have made at the end of every blog year tell of an ordinary life that to me has become extraordinary.  The aging of my children and birth of Grandbabies.  The passing of  loved ones who will never be forgotten but made more precious with the memories.  I hope everyone enjoys this extra day.   On my birthday yesterday Jack and I traveled to Columbus and spent the morning in the Temple.   It's a good time to leave the outside world outside and feel the Spirit and peace the Temple brings.  We had a nice Chinese lunch and a quick stop at Sam's on the way home.  The weather was kind of nasty but getting home safe and sound to a warm home and Annabelle was great.  So I'll share a few pics I remembered to take:

Many bloggers are great at showing delish food very pretty on a plate.  Not me this time!  This was a quick dinner picked up at Sam's Club and the aftermath! Ha!  It was very good.

For my birthday cake we got individual cheesecakes from Sam's.  I was the only one what ate one.  It was great but the rest will end up at work tomorrow to be shared.  (notice the giant bag of chocolate chips!  Gotta love Sam's!)   One tradition I do on occasion...when I remember..is share a pic of me.  How vain is that!?  Just to see the aging process. 

Young me

Today me....Where has the time gone?  Well, around the sun I guess!  Have a lovely freebie day this year.  Take a LEAP!!  Today is the youngest you'll ever be!

The End Is Near

 Don't panic! It's just the end of the month is near.  We've had some really nice weather with cold and surprise snow thrown in for good measure.  Today was sunshine galore and 62de.  Makes me want to get out and dig in the dirt as my sister would say.  I just sat in the sun for a bit instead though!  I have plenty of time for digging in the dirt.  Tomorrow is warmish again but thunderstorms will be there too.  Some folks really like those but I prefer gentle rain and no lightning.   I worked 3 days last week and one was a 10hr day with no lunch or breaks. (we do run to the necessary room if needed!)  I write that so when I look back at my blog in the future I can say I actually did that and lived to tell the tale!  Not bad for a 70yr old gal!  When I think of the end being near I wish it was about the end of high prices of everything.  When I saw the price of eggs last week I was shocked.  I guess there was a bird flu outbreak again.  I'm sure after Easter and the necessity for eggs has lessened, the flu will be gone and the prices will go down.  Gas goes up and down as usual.  I took Annabelle to the Vet twice this month for shots.  As always it's a budget buster!  Throw in insurance time, property tax time and most important....hair appointment time...I need to do a few more 10hr days!  Oh well, you can't take it with you as they say.  So this short post is going to lead into my final post of the month on the 29th.  An extra day for us this year!  Plus it will be year 16 for my blog.  I did my first post on February 29th, 2008.  Seems like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away! I'm going to end this with the only photo I have to share:

I made real honest to goodness popcorn the other day.  Blog worthy? It's all I got..the end is here!

Loveuary Brings Valentine's Day!

 I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day yesterday.   I had to work and missed our traditional lunch with friends but Jack went and enjoyed seeing everyone.  We meet every 3 months but I didn't know..or maybe forgot..that we were getting together yesterday.  However, work went well as I was training a new girl at the Endoscopy unit.  Not my favorite thing to do but she did well and we had a light schedule and I was home by 2pm.  Last week on Friday it was 4:30pm and no lunch or break...killer!  But we got it done and I'm just glad I can do those kinds of days and still be alive to tell the tale!  I'm enjoying the lighter morning commute.  I only live about 10min, away from work but I love seeing the early morning sunrise.

Break Room with a view.  I start at 7am so this was taken closer to 7:30.   Sometimes at work we're blessed with free lunches from salesmen/women.   Usually we don't have enough staff for us in the scope room to get lunch until we're done and the food is cold but since our schedule was light yesterday we had food that was actually warmish!

The chicken on the plate was left over from last Friday so it was cold..and  thankfully  the salad cold...and the pop.  The soup was fresh but also not very hot so only a little of everything got eaten.  Except my zero Pepsi.  It was downed quickly!  Don't you just love people who take pics of their food?  When I got home Jack had gotten me a lovely flower arrangement for Valentine's Day.

He always finds the cutest flowers.  He knows I love fresh flowers.  I have all the vases to prove it too! Thanks Babe!  You're my forever Valentine!  On Monday I made some heart cookies.

They turned out pretty good but I had to laugh at Jordan's reaction to them.  He took a bite and looked at me funny.  I said "What?"  He said:  "Are they lemon?"  Me:  "Lemon?  No!  Almond."  Jordan: "Almond? Is almond a flavor?  I thought it was a nut."  Me: "Yes it's a nut but it's a flavor too. There aren't any almonds in there but the flavoring is almond."  For some reason he found that funny and we just laughed over the whole goofy thing.  So I asked Jack to taste them.  He too looked at me funny.  Me: "What?  Don't they taste good?"  Jack: "I don't like sugar cookies."  We've been married almost 50yrs and I just found this out?  Jordan thought that was funny too.  So I took the cookies to work feeling a bit nervous.  I hadn't tried any myself so I just hoped they were OK.  Everyone at work loved them and yes they tasted almond flavor.  But then again, no matter what food is in the break room it always gets eaten!  So I hope you all had a nice Hallmark holiday in Loveuary.  Even Annabelle had a visit from her "friend" next door.

Cooper came with his Valentines scarf on that said " I woof you".

We woof you too Cooper!

A kiss goodbye and off Cooper went to his home!  Happy Valentine's Day...a day late...!

Hello

Howdy! It's been almost 2 weeks since I've blogged.  Not sure what to even blog about these days.  The weather?  Ok, it's been really warmish for February in Ohio.  Last week we had 50 and 60de days and even saw the sun! It was glorious!  Work?  Yes, I'm still at our Endoscopy lab diving into colons and stomachs.   I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but it does save lives.  Some days it's a 10hr no lunch or break day.  That was my Friday.  Sometimes we do get sales people to bring us a freebie lunch.  So at 4:30 in the afternoon the Chic Filet is nice and cold.  But again it's free so I'm not complaining.  Well, maybe just a little! Ha!  But all in all I still enjoy what I do and who I work with. Plus I can say yes or no to my work week.  Oh, and I do get paid.  Win Win!  My advice to everyone is get that colon checked once you're 45yrs old and older!  Ok what about Church.  I'm still going every week and with Jack we teach 11-13yr olds in Sunday School.  We have about 8 kiddos and they are great!  Last night we went to a Church social that was about family history.  Plus it was a potluck dinner.  Food was great and the folks who told family stories and shared photos and fun items made it pretty enjoyable.  How about our health?  Jack twisted his knee a week ago and will see the Ortho group tomorrow.  Let's hope no surgery is needed.  However, after working in surgery for 50yrs I'm betting it might.  Sorry Jack!  I'm all good for today, thankfully.  Annabelle is also dealing with a sore foot or leg.   She's been limping on and off.   No one is sure what the deal is and the jury is still out on her.  But she still enjoys running on 3 legs around the Pines.  Hopefully she won't need surgery either!  The family all seems good and I'm hoping to see my Sister in March.   So that about sums up my blog world for now.  No blog of mine is complete without pics.  

Those are daffodils peeping up through the ground and dead leaves.  The early birds of Spring! 

My 3 legged gimpy Annabelle just resting under a skinny apple tree.  That's all I've got so have a great Monday tomorrow!  Hugs from the Pines!

Hallmark Says It's Loveuary!

 Hello February.  We made it through the darker days of January and each day brings a little more light into our neck of the woods.  Today was a gift day.  No, I didn't receive any actual gift wrapped items but God gave us sunshine and blue skies!  We haven't had that in many weeks.

 I just had to snap a pic of the field across from our house when out on my walk with Annabelle.  The sun really felt warm on my face and the temps were 50de.  

Tomorrow is Ground Hog day but Annabelle could see her shadow today.  Could that mean 6 more weeks of winter?  Ummm, I think we'll have 6 more weeks of winter whether the groundhog sees it's shadow or not tomorrow. 

I wasn't the only one enjoying the sunshine.  Our neighbor's alpaca and their horse, Temp, were sunbathing this morning.

I think Temp needs a bath or some grooming! 

We continued our walk up into the Creepy Woods.  They don't look too creepy in the winter when it's all brown and open.

There was a little spig of green among the dry leaves.  I think this fern is a little ahead of schedule.

We took the path back to the house and after lunch I was able to get my car washed and I cleaned the inside too.  That's a good workout! Annabelle loves to be outdoors and enjoys her daily walks.  Jack noticed she was limping last night and then she was limping this afternoon.  I soaked her feet tonight incase there was salt in her paws or maybe it's the longer walks we've been taking.  I think some rest for her is a good idea.  She sees the Vet on Monday and she'll get checked out then.  She's just a delicate flower!  To close this post I had a funny idea hit my brain today.  When I was a kiddo, all of 11 years old, the Beatles were the big thing.  Oh how I loved them!  I had all their records and posters and even got to see them in person.  Highlight of my youth! I also had every teen magazine they were featured in.  I had stacks of them!  Well, you know what they say about "what goes around, comes around"?  I got another magazine yesterday that had one of the Beatles on the front.  Unfortunately, it was AARP..

Oh Ringo, you weren't my fav back then.  Paul had my love but a funny thing happened on the way to adulthood.  You and I grew up and older...you are 80 my friend and look really good.  I'm 70 and what's amazing to me is I married a young man 50 years ago this year who happens to have the same last name as you!  Yep, I'm finally related to a Beatle...Richard Starkey...Peace out Ringo and rock on!