Dear Friends

September 22, 2013

Dear Friends

It has been a long and busy day.  It all started around 7.  I got up showered and dressed and got the dogs out for their morning walk and made sure things were ready for Nancy and Patrick’s return this evening.  They were supposed to come home by 7 but unexpectedly returned by 4.  I had received a couple of text messages from them while I was out with Mrs S this afternoon.

I made it to 8:30 mass at ST Mary’s where we welcomed back DEacon John HOffman who had been living in Florida this past year until the unexpected death of Mrs. Hoffman.  I gave Mr. Hoffman a hug after church.  I then came home and waited for Mrs. S.

MRs. S came after 1.  We then headed to Woodruff Road and that’s where she did the door knocking for the next two and half three hours.  She spoke to many who wanted to really talk with her over many issues.  It gave me an opportunity to see a part of milford that I don’t see often.  The homes around there are beautiful.

When I got back to the house it was nearly 4.  I called and sent text messages to her and we finally connected and I wouldn’t have to go back this evening. She thanked me for everything.  I let her know that the dogs may need walking.

After the phone calls I started laundry and started washing the windows and hanging up the blinds that Mom was kind enough to do for me yesterday.  WE decided earlier today that it would be time to get new blinds for the room.

Around 6 I headed over to the cat.  It was the first time all day that I saw her.  She was glad to see me.  I replenished her dry kibble since threw it down the sink along with her water.  I gave her fresh water and another can of food.  I will see her tomorrow morning.

When I came back Mom was finishing up some ironing and I finished the last of the two windows and I started another blog.  

This blog I was going to start once I started back up with Pen paling once I was on my own.  However, I received my annual holiday cards from Ms Jeannette in California.  As usual I don’t think I set it up right but I can always change it later.

I got quite the surprise news this afternoon before I was going out.  Mom tells me that Jim had been in the hospital this weekend.  He had a UTI and it affected the prostate and kidney area.  Happily he called this afternoon and said he was heading home.  Mom had told him I was concerned and that if he wanted or needed I would go down and be with him.  He has declined.

Well I have to check a few emails and answer them.  I just deleted a whole bunch of “check in emails” for the Journal Writing list as well as others but I couldn’t find one that I was specifically looking for.

I hope you have a great night and see you in the morning.

A Lovely Afternoon

Spent a lovely afternoon at the Mercy Center to hear a friends poetry reading as well as music and art.  Each of them experienced life threatening events and learned how to deal with it through different aspects of art.  It really was a lovely way to spend a rainy afternoon.

The only downside was I had been sneezing and sniffling through the entire day and I just was beginning to feel miserable.  It all started before I left for bingo.  I am thinking that the pollen and the rain started it all for me.  

I left the house just after 8:30 my plans to attend an early mass went out the window and so I headed to Dunkin donuts for breakfast.  I went to the nursing home and had breakfast and then went in and hung around.  I was there before everyone came in.  AFter awhile people came in and so I spent time chatting.  Time sort of just got away from us and then we got ready for bingo.  We did start on time and finished on time.

I came directly home and Mom was multi-tasking.  She was starting to get our dinner ready for when we came home, and she was getting directions for the ride to Madison.  We also had lunch and then we took off.

As we got half way there Mom remembered she had turned the oven on (low) and left the food on the top of the stove.  We just continued to the Center.  When we got back after the program she put it in the oven and I went to the store.  We needed vegetables for the secondary dishes.

While the dinner was still cooking I took some cold medicine and slept for a while.  Unfortunately just before dinner was being served I got sick and so I had to clean everything in the bathroom. So Mom delayed dinner until I was done.

We had pot roast and it was quite delicious.  We had potatoes, and roasted vegetables and peas for dinner.  it was a great meal for a rainy afternoon.

The rest of the evening was spent watching TV including the season finale of Call the Midwife.  It had the feel of a season finale even though at the time I didn’t realize it was until I looked on the PBS site.  

I just have a few more emails to send out and drink some Chamomile tea and then I will be going to bed so that I can be up early to start the week again.

Turning into a lovely day

It is turning into a lovely day as promised.   According to  the weather page it is 51 degrees and heading up to mid 50’s.   it is cloudy right now but the sun will be out later.

Mom told me today that James has applied to and has been accepted to Blair Academy in NJ.  She was astounded at the tuition.   Mom also says that he is really happy about going.  I took a look at some pictures and they look like its an old school (but maintained well).  I just friend-ed the school (hope that doesn’t sound weird).  I plan on sending an email to him soon.

I can’t believe he is going into high school already.  It seems just yesterday he came into our lives and attached himself to my leg when he felt scared.  It took only a  few tries at first.    He is smart and funny and so at tentative to his Dad (and I imagine to his Mom too).

I have been doing some laundry  and will be finished with it soon-I hope.  I don’t want to be doing it all day as I would like to be relaxed and refreshed for tonight’s dance.

Hey I signed up for Google+ today and I hope I am not sorry for it.  I should probably find out what Google+ is and what it is suppose to do.  Does it share everything with your friends and acquaintances? 

Well enough watching TV  and watching for the laundry machines to finish for now I have things I need to do .   

The Creative Writing Contest Reception

The creative writing contest reception was held at the First Baptist Church in Milford tonight. I arrived a little after 6 and Telka and several of the girls from the girls club and Donna and Jolyn were there. I met Jolyn’s 82 year old Husband Judge and he was just so nice. I had the cream puffs and Donna put them in an aluminum tray. There were assortments of treats there. I avoided the chips and crackers but had plenty of sweets.

The winners and their families and friends started arriving after 6:30. Among them were Alberta Jagoe and her family. She even was greeted by Telka in her opening remarks. Alberta’s Granddaughter was one of the winners. There were at least 20 winners and they all brought up to seven people to watch them.

The whole ceremony lasted about an hour. There were pictures and chatting going on for brief time. We cleared out the place and then I left around 8 to go feed Junior. All in all we had a good time and turnout.

On the way home I stopped and fed Junior and played with her for about 15 or 20 minutes and caught some NCIS while I was there. I didn’t want Junior to feel neglected as I hadn’t been there last night (I did go this morning). I was home just before 9.

Mom was home from her meeting just before 8. She had gotten into her pajamas and was watching TV well actually the TV was watching her. She woke up when she heard me in the kitchen trying to find a vase for the carnation I got from Telka tonight. I told Mom how the reception went and that I saw the Jagoe Family.

I came upstairs and got changed and watched NCIS on USA and ION TV. The episodes on USA are from second season and the two on ION were from Season three.

Anyway, I could feel my legs and hands get stiff and sore so I took the plaquenil and hopefully they will stop the aches. If not I could always take the ibuprofen. I am going to give it some time before I do.

I had a good day at work. I got almost everything done but the lobby mail. I just ran out of time. I spent a lot of time on the readdress mail. That was only because the other mail was running late. Those piles are getting smaller. The things that are considered readdress are usually authorizations the Dr.’s need to see, seminars, conferences, and sometimes personal stuff. If they are medical reports I just send those off to Medical Records.

Mom and I had a visit from Claire D. She is an old friend who we have known for years. I first met her when she was a lunch room aide while I was in elementary school. Mom met her at the literary club. She would later teach Liz’s kids at Platt Tech. Her husband died in the last year or so. She has a reputation to be obnoxious and isn’t really liked. When I drove up to the house I didn’t recognize her. Mom had no idea she was hear (the stupid door bell was flaking again) Anyway she wanted to catch up with Mom and asked about Liz and the boys. I can’t believe how different she looked. I really didn’t recognize her until she spoke.
She didn’t stay long as Mom had to get ready for a meeting and had to be out of the house by 5:30. I had to get ready myself. It was very sad really.

Mom says the guy came and gave an estimate on the paint job and it will be rather expensive $36K. He will do all of downstairs and the hallways. He has convinced Mom to take the wall paper down. Mom didn’t show him my room because she wasn’t sure what they would fine. I am glad too. He isn’t going to start until June and it will take about a month to get it done. I am not sure if he is doing the bedrooms or if we are. Who ever does it I need to start getting rid of stuff that I am not looking at or looking through. I may have to record them in log (if it is pen pal stuff) and other stuff like that.

I will start that this weekend or so but for now I am going to bed.

January 21, 2008

I cant’ believe it. Monday night has arrived. Where did the time go? Yesterday was a lovely and enjoyable day. It was cold too. I fed the cat. Then I went to bingo. Bingo went well. I had twenty one players. Sam got a little feisty and said shut up and I just walked up to him and in his good ear said we are not using that word again.

After bingo I went to church. I was late so I slipped into the crying room next to the altar. I left right after communion. I went to the post office after that and then came home. Mom was already home.

Over the next few hours I did some laundry, worked on the pen pal files. However, I didn’t do what I was supposed to do. I haven’t done any writing in the journals I was supposed to be mailing out today. I am really upset. I have been procrastinating about it for the last two days.

I got a call late in the day from Dave. He had to make himself scarce so that Patrick could entertain a guest. So we were going to run some errands and then go to dinner.

He picked me up around 4:30 or so and we then headed to Mike and Roberta’s to feed Junior. After that we went to the post office and then to Barnes and Noble. I called Mom to let her know Dave and I were going to dinner later. She reminded me of my diet. Dave asked me if I was on a diet. I said to her “what diet?”

Anyway, we spent like two hours at Barnes and Noble. We had coffee and looked at books and by 6 I was starting to get hungry. Dave kept on going. We decided to go to the new restaurant the Bear & Grill Restaurant.

The Restaurant was huge. It had a large backroom with booths and tables. The murals and the walls were done in log cabin and picturesque scenery. The bar was in front and had one of the two most important football games of the 2007-2008 seasons.

We started off with bread and biscuits. I had tea and Dave had wine. We had salads with dressing and I had honey and apple baby back ribs with cole slaw and French fries. I didn’t have dessert. I couldn’t I was too full. While we ate we continued to talk about the holidays, Dave’s plan for the future would be. It was 9 when we left. We were home a short time later. We made plans to have dinner at “Patrick’s House” next weekend. Dave said he would give me his gift then. I gave him the gift card that’s been sitting here for the longest time.

When I got home I didn’t do very much. I watched some TV and did some pen pals stuff. I am still moving address books around. I have been updating my outlook express address book and it is taking time.

Today was fairly quiet as well. I fed the cat a couple of times did some laundry and continued to do some pen pal stuff. Again not everything because I still have three journals to be writing in and mailing out tomorrow. It just isn’t going to happen.




Well I can try a marathon writing session but I am now getting tired. I can’t sign up for these types of things in the future it’s just not right. It isn’t fair to the other people.

Tomorrow I work and feed kitty. I have to get my finances all together for Thursday’s meeting with TIAA Cref. It really shouldn’t take that long.

It is getting late now. I have been watching TV in between writing this because the computer seems slow tonight.

Oh I got an email from Missy Anderson from Linden Hall this weekend. It was to promote Alumnae Weekend coming up in the spring. I am supposed to be the class rep (the one who reminds the others in our graduating class about news and events such as fundraisers etc). I haven’t written anyone in months.

Endicott College is having their annual alumni fundraising phone-a-thon. I got a call from one of the students tonight asking for donations. The guy tried really hard to get me to pledge some donation but I kept saying I would love to but.

I attended Endicott right after I graduated from Linden Hall. Back then it was a 2 year woman’s college. I wanted to go into Early Childhood Education. I was not the best student and unfortunately switched majors by the end of the year. I went into communications something I enjoyed but still didn’t do well in. I made some friends but had a falling out with them during the semester then it was better. I had to make some changes because I wasn’t being the best. By the end of the year I was going to move to another dorm (the one I was in was not the greatest) by the end of the summer it was clear I wasn’t going back to Endicott.

Twelve years after I left Endicott College it became a coeducational school. The History is really very interesting. I have had some interesting things happen there. It was cool that two of my classmates from Linden Hall also attended the school.

Now I am going to go to sleep. I am a little achy tonight.

Not sure I got a lot done today

It is almost 7:30 Tuesday night. The clouds have moved in for rain and snow to come through over the next few days. I have been saying I don’t want snow. I guess I don’t have a choice. The day started out the same way its ending cloudy and chilly.

My day was pretty good. I got up early and got ready for work. When I left I headed to Jennie’s house to drop off her “friend list” from her myspace.com site. After I dropped it off I headed to work. I took some roads I wasn’t really familiar with but ended up near the center of West Haven. I headed to the Kimberly Avenue entrance of the highway and headed to the garage. I got my usual spot in the garage and made it to the office by 20 of 8.

I had the canoles from Saturday in my hand so I placed them on Shirley’s desk. I wanted to surprise her but she knew they were from me. She shared one with me and later on in the morning one with Gayle R. They were all gone by lunchtime.

I spent the day doing my work. Feeling I wasn’t going to catch up at all. There are only two days left of the week plus the daily work that comes in for me to do. I also had gotten a large amount of collection letters to fold.

By the end of the day the sun was fighting to stay out and it won for a short time. There was a chill in the air. As I was leaving I saw Bob and Heddie waiting for CC. I spent some time talking with Bob and getting doggie drool all over me...

When they left I headed to the car and drove home. I can’t remember what time I got home but Mom was in the back watching TV. She was watching the Budget hearings from the board of education meeting held in March. They cut a program out of the budget.

For the next few hours I watched a little TV, made a call two Jennie, and got online and then had dinner. I also did some laundry.

Some major stuff is happening in Milford. We got a new superintendent for the school system and already he is embroiled in a scandal. Actually he was involved with a scandal at his last job. Here is The New Britain Newspaper article. This coming off the whole coach problem that has been plaguing Milford for the past couple of years. The board of Education voted on Saturday to hire Mr. Polansky to be the superintendent. Here you can read about his credentials and his plans for the city. One of the first things I think he is going to have deal with is a former teacher at Jonathan Law having an affair with a student. The Connecticut Post reported when it actually happen and what is being done with it.

Right now though I think I am going to bed. My hip has been bothering me for most of the day. It was achy until I left and it started up since I have been home. The hands are starting to get sore too.