Vacationing in North Carolina

Here we are un beautiful western NC.....we have Stef's friend Emilio here with him and Bill's old boss Pete and hus wife Shelley were here Tuesday thru Friday. We were at the Biltmore Estate ahd Gatinburg Tennessee.....sliding rock in Pisgah Forrest. Somehow (I'm not 100% sure that Emilio got a case of poison ivy here or not) it popped right out on Tuesday afternoon and we didn't even get outside here until Tuesday morning....but whatever........we plan to go to Dollywood tomorrow, I believe the boys will go whitewater rafting on Tuesday.....we plan to head back to NJ on Friday early as Stef has soccer games at 11:30 & 3:30.....The weather here is just great sunny and warm during the day and crisp and cool at night! I can't beleive that this coming weekend is Labor Day already......

Vacation begins August 23, 2010

What a busy busy time it has been! Stefan is finishing up his final couple of days of day camp. He came back last Friday from Toronto Canada. This week has been good times for him also.....H2O waterpark on Monday, Tubing down the Delaware on Tuesday, Camping overnight at Jenny Jump State Park on Wednesday and Thursday! Tomorrow is his last day of camp....where did the summer go?
We had some sad news.... however good news for our family......my sister in California Eileen, had her mother-in-law living with them since Allie & Ryan's wedding back in May. She passed away last Saturday.....95 years old. God Bless her. They are coming back east for the funeral which will be a Friday night viewing and a Saturday morning funeral! Saturday is also Dad's 88th Birthday....so she will be home with her family for all. Her oldest daughter Christy is pregnant and due in January.....I have not seen her since her wedding three years ago....it will be good to be with family. Sad way to get everyone together but when you have a big family that's the way it goes! I did the funeral liturgy for them and made a program....hopefully it will be okay....hard to plan for someone else, but happy to be able to help them out! The family gets in late tonight.....so I feel as though I helped.
I've been busy using the peaches we picked on Sunday.....yummy peach pies, yummy peach cobblers.......busy using the summer squash from the garden.....made a huge batch of Squash soup....which will be yummy for the cooler weather in the fall! Made a butternut, sage and pasta recipe last night and it was so good! Leaving work shortly....off to shop, clean the house, get my nails done, water the plants, get Dippy's pills, stop the mail......oh yeah and a wake and funeral.......
I do think I'm going to need this vacation sooner than later!

Happy Wednesday

I noticed on my counter that I have over 1,000 reads on my blog....strange two followers and over 1,000 reads? If you are reading this enjoy.....it's meant to be read.
Stefan is half way through his trip to Toronto.....we have been busy getting ready for the Somerset County 4H fair in Bridgewater happening over the course of the next three days. On Sunday Bill & Stefan went to help with the set up of the stand as the Boy Scouts are selling cheese steaks, curly fries and water/soda. It is their biggest money making event of the year.....so if you live in NJ come on over and get some food....it's way too hot to cook anyway! Last night we went to Shop Rite to purchase and pick up all the soda & water. We are bound by 4H rules to only sell name brand soda & water.....so there's no money saving on the purchase of the items for resale. I managed to work out a deal with the owner of Shop Rite to allow us to purchase all the beverages at a sale price.....so it is all good. Picking up and lugging all the product to the fair grounds was a bit of a "challenge" to say the least! It is was too hot......humid....hoping this is not a hint of how bad our winter will be! Stefan gets home on Friday night at which time he will head over to the fair grounds to help disassemble the stand, once the fair closes. Bill & I are both working the food stand tonight form 7-10PM. Just what I want to do after working all day. All for the Scouts and of course my son.....so no use in complaining.
We will be celebrating Dad's 88th birthday next Saturday.....then kayaking with friends on Sunday and off to North Carolina on Monday morning....we are taking Dippy (our golden retriever) with us this time....it should be interesting traveling for 11 hours in the car with her....but considering she sleeps all day long.....she should just (hopefully) sleep in the car too.
On a very very happy note....Allie secured a (real) job as she put it! Yay.......she starts on September 7th, we are so happy for her and proud of her. She will be a great employee and an asset to any company she works for! She is a wonderful, kind, giving and hard working young lady.
Back to work..........

Slowly getting through

I ran into at WaWa today one of the Scout Dads' who spent the first part of the week up at camp with the boys....he said some were a little homesick and all were having a really good time! YAY I do miss Stef being around the house. Holding things together at work...whatever happened to when the cats away the mice will play??? Looking forward to seeing my brother Dave this weekend, he has some meetings in Maryland on Monday & Tuesday and will fly to NJ tomorrow spend the weekend here and then head to Maryland on Sunday night. Allie is hoping to meet up with him for dinner on Monday night and hopefully I'll be able to get Allie off a carebox with him...fingers crossed!
The weather here continues to be hazy....hot.....and you guessed it humid. No break in sight.....ugh! We had a wonderful time at my Aunt Lu & Uncle Bob's 5oth Anniversary on Saturday night and dinner with Bill's cousins on Sunday night. I keep looking at things around the house thinking about what we will be taking to NC next year and what we will be leaving behind.....I know you can't leave your memories and love behind they will always be with you.
I'm slowly adjusting to Allie being a married woman and someone's wife as is she! It's not easy letting go but as they say in my work let go and let God...so that is what I am doing....always here for both my kids but letting them live their own lives. I sure do miss having them around! There's nothing in the world as sweet as peeking into your child's room and watching them peacefully sleep and kissing their forehead ....just because you can!
No word on Mom's purse from NC so I guess it's gone for good....rat ass bastards that took it ...no good will come from what they did....I truly believe in Bad Karma or is it Catholic Guilt?????
Looking forward to going to NC at the end of the month when Stef finishes Day Camp, he gets home from Boy Scout Camp on Saturday morning/afternoon and then leaves with his Day Camp for Toronto on Monday...the summer is almost over and I feel cheated this year that I didn't have a summer with him! Looking forward to being able to spend time with Bill and Stef and to reconnect as a family....if only Allie & Ryan could join us it would be PERFECT! To wish......