Marching On

 Well, this month certainly flew by. It's just a couple of days before April is here and with it I hope Spring temps and some sunny days along with those April showers.  Easter is also in April but late in the month.  That's OK since it will give me time to get the yard cleared of winter dead things and probably lawn mowing too.  I just wanted to finish the final Chicago trip pics and adventures.  My sister's party was  on Wednesday night and I think I mentioned the bad weather with tornados and storms that day.  Then there was the 3 inches of snow on Thursday that was a bit of surprise.  Thankfully we had warm clothes with us! But it melted very quickly with rising temps and we had some nice shopping time.  I posted about Annabelle's stroller we got for just this kind of occasion.  We plopped her in there and not one person mentioned a thing about it.  But I'm sure many thought there goes a crazy dog person!  Well, when we had to bring her it really did work out well.  Plus she doesn't even bark so she sat quietly and we let her out to walk whenever we could.  In the outdoor mall by Midge's they have an area for dogs and kiddos to play.

It was a nice big area and the day turned out very sunny but just a bit chilly.  Lots of kids around and a few dogs.  

Jack giving Annabelle a few snacks for being such a trooper!  After the mall we went to an event that my niece, Katie, was in charge of .  A polar plunge that was a fund raiser for special Olympics. It was really well attended with 500 crazy people willing to jump in an ice cold pond for charity! They raised over $100,000!

This is Katie's group. Every team had a theme and they chose ninja turtles..hence the green! That's Katie in yellow getting everyone lined up and ready.

Splash! Brrrr! There were volunteer firemen in wet suits just in case there was a problem in the water. Plus only 10 people were allowed to jump at a time so it was pretty safe.

My great niece, Ella coming out all wet ready to hug her Grandma!

The police station's dog, Bandit, made his appearance also.  Such a pretty and well behaved pup!  We managed to get a stop at a resale shop we always enjoy and I found a few things I couldn't pass up. After spending a few more hours with Midge we took off on Sunday for home.  I know we'll be seeing each other in June for a family reunion, but saying goodbye always brings a few tears.  So good bye March.  I think you'll be going out like you came in...like an angry lamb!  Cold after the warm days we've enjoyed and perhaps rainy but that's OK.  Spring has sprung and soon I'm sure we'll be complaining about the heat.  I hope it's been a good weekend for everyone.  See you in April!

She's not tip toeing through tulips but sitting by the many daffodils that have bloomed.

70 Is Heavenly!

 I saw the meme that said it was more fun being 20 in the 70's than 70 in the 20's.  That's a true statement! But we still try and have some fun even if we're 70 in this day and age.  My sister, Midge, just turned 70 last week so Jack and I took a quick trip to Chicago to surprise her.  Her kids concocted a surprise party for her.  She isn't fond of surprises.  Especially surprises that put her in the spotlight.  But we did it anyway!  Hey, she threw a few surprises on me so she owes me one for her!  We  hadn't seen each other since last October when she was here for the annual Halloween gathering.  Usually we get together in December for a family Christmas but it was cancelled.  So seeing each other this past week was great even if it made her cry when we showed up at the shindig!   Her daughter told her that she and her family were taking her out to a Greek restaurant for her birthday and when they arrived at the Greek Isles she was greeted by 25 people that included friends and family that shouted a large: SURPRISE!  Then Jack and I appeared with a giant poster/card that I made and we hid behind when we walked in.  We lowered the card and had our own SURPISE for her.  Yes, she cried and it was put on Facebook.  We stayed the rest of the week until yesterday.  It was a nice visit and fun to see my nieces, nephew, their families and just hang out with Midge.  So here's a few pics of the party:

The cake wasn't just pretty it was delicious too! 

Here's the poster card I made.  Full of candy, lottery tickets, and love!

Midge's sweet kiddos...Bill, Amy, and Katie.  They really out did themselves with this bash.  The food was amazing and everyone had a really nice time celebrating my sister who's been through so much with her health. We didn't even know if getting to 70 was in the cards for her.  But she surprised everyone with her determination to live a full and, hopefully, long life as much as possible.

The Greek food just kept coming! Greek salad, spanikopita, potatoes, lamb, dolmatas, bread, pastisio, rice with spicy sauce on it, flaming cheese, lots of pastries...oh my, it was crazy good!

These folks are friends but just look at the table of food...like I said, there was tons of it! Ha!

Sisters....She's the best!  Happy birthday Midge!  Can't wait to get together again, but no surprises, I promise!

Putting Up With Noise

 Hello March madness, and I'm not talking about basketball.  I don't know how March approached your neck of the woods, but I like to say it arrived here last week like an angry lamb.  Not quite as harsh as a lion but not quite as mild as a lamb.  We've gone up and down with temps and that seems to be the pattern for this month as it "marches" on.  How have you been putting up with the noise of the political scene?  I don't do politics on my blog but I must say the noise from both parties and the junk on social media has my ears ringing.  So, I keep my opinions to myself, scroll on by, and try to find fun and uplifting things to look at or read.   As you all know, I went back to work a few years ago...3 years, I think.  It's been good so far.  I don't do big stuff in surgery at the hospital anymore and I work only if needed.  Mostly I'm working 2-3 days a week.  I work in an endoscopy lab that is located at a different location than our hospital.  I work with a great group of people.  It's small, quiet, and I can park near the door! Ha! If you're working at the hospital the employees have to park 1/4 mile from there and hike over.  Anyway, due to some remodeling being done to upgrade our scope cleaning process they have moved us to the hospital for, probably, 6 weeks or so.  My first day being back in the hospital surgery area was yesterday.  It was an eye opener as I had forgotten how noisy, busy, crazy, and tense it can be there.  The beeps, the overhead paging, the music from the ORs, the constant flow of staff out and about is different from our quiet area at the Mifflin location.   Maybe my age is showing here but I will be happy to get back to what I now consider my home work place.  I'm thankful Jack has volunteered to drive me to work at the hospital and drop me at the door so I don't have to truck across 2 parking lots, a busy street corner, and sidewalks not always maintained the best during snow and ice time. When I leave work, it's nice to come home to peace and quiet here at the Pines.  Jack and I lead a pretty boring life here!  Even our dog, Annabelle, is quiet.  Since we've had her for 3 years now, she's never barked.  Not sure why but for a Westie she's not noisy!  She's a good little pup and even puts up with my ideas....like getting her a doggy stroller.

Doesn't she look thrilled to be there?  I thought when we travel with her if she's in a stroller we could take her inside a store or shop if needed.  I saw a friend do that on Facebook so I thought I'd give it a try.  We're planning on a trip to Maine this summer and will take her with us.  I just need to practice giving her rides I guess.  Poor thing.  One final quiet bit of info.  I don't know if you're a chili fan or if you've ever had Wendy's chili.  It's not my go to for carry out but Jack loves their chili.  The other day our son said he got Wendy's chili at Walmart.  Really?  Well, we were at Sam's club the other day and on a stroll down the aisle that has chili, low and behold:

There it was!  We snatched up a pack and after trying it out, Jack declared it really good! (Not as good as my homemade, right babe?)  So, I hope your last days of the first week of March go quietly, not too cold or snowy, and don't forget to "Spring Forward" this weekend!