Happy New Year

Yes, I have been MIA around here..... what can I say??? Guess I've just been a major slacker.... oh wait... it's not like I've been sitting around eating bonbons and watching soap operas (well, must confess to the bonbon part, but definitely NOT to sitting around).

Since I last chose to gift all my "devoted" readers (thank you whoever you may be) with my wit and charm, I've not stop working 40 hours a week (so we can continue to live indoors and eat on a regular basis), we sent the family of MGM's to Germany, had out of town company on several occasions, served as a so-so (read slacking off) Vice President of the Raleigh Miniature Guild-- which means planning the club projects, but having to miss several of the meetings due to meetings at work, had 75 people eating hot dogs in the back yard (in the pouring rain--some folks will do ANYTHING for free food) for Halloween, helped teach a miniature class to 9-12 year-olds with other mini club members, moved Mike's Mom from southern MD to Raleigh, "done" Thanksgiving, "done" Christmas--shopping, cooking, wrapping, baking, but not too much decorating thanks to my awesome m-i-l!  Yeah, guess I have managed to fill at least a FEW days with constructive activities.

We had 31 inflatable decorations in our yard this Christmas season and I managed to NOT get a single picture while they were up. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've had my camera out since the MGM's left for Germany- that my friend is MAJOR slacking!!!

Wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year to each of you!

Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Party

Yesterday was a family birthday party for both of the kids at Mary's folk's house in Greensboro--- their birthdays were in August while they were still in Korea.  The theme was based on the book The Hungry Caterpillar by Erik Carle (I think that's how his name is spelled).   It was a lot of fun and there were a lot of people there!

outside decoration

the birthday kids-- and Mav's "smash cake" (have to go to the other computer to get more pictures of this)

Mav's shirt

Mdx would not let me take a picture of her dress-- this was the closest I could get!

the cake

Tomorrow

This time tomorrow, we will have 2 jet-lagged kiddos and their parents here!! Yep, Marshall and Mary and the kids are on their way to NC for 5 weeks before they leave for Marshall's next assignment-- Ramstein AFB.  Looking forward to seeing them and hoping the jet lag will be short lived (haha).

Mason will also be coming in to visit with his brother and meet his nephew for the first time!

Not much else to say right now.....

Play Day!!!!!

So, Saturday morning I headed to High Point with two of my "miniature" friends.  (No, they are not little people, they like to play with dollhouse miniatures like I do). 

We had rain along the way, but the closer we got to High Point, the clearer(ish) the skies got.  We found the hotel where the miniature show was being held (without too much drama), we didn't even have to walk out of the parking garage to get in to the hotel lobby.  We shopped and visited with friends-- and believe it or not, all three of us won a door prize!! I got a jointed teddy bear!  I got a granny doll to go in my club project box from a year or so ago.  She will go in the box with the little girl doll that was made by my Mother and dressed by another club member. I also got a set of Bespaq china-- something I've lusted after for a long time, a couple of cakes from the English Kitchen-- Leslie is one talented lady!  I brought home a few other things, too.

After lunch at Char-grill -- gotta love those milkshakes, we went to the High Point History Museum.  Recently, a woman donated her miniature collection to the museum-- it was really a nice display.  There was more to see in each room than it was possible to take in in one trip-- we will definitely have to go back again! On the way back to Raleigh, we made the obligatory stop at Hobby Lobby-- picked up a couple of things.  My favorite purchase was a toy for Mav to play with on the trip to Germany.

Speaking of Mav and Germany, the Korean McIntyre's are packed up and have moved into TLF until next week.  Can't wait to see them all and hug and kiss the grands! 

It has been raining all evening-- some pretty impressive lightening earlier, too.  So, now in the last week we've had an earthquake, a hurricane, and a severe thunderstorm-- HMMM wonder what might be next?

That's it for now....

Good Night Irene

 

To everyone on the S Carolina, N Carolina and Virginia coasts---- be safe!!!! 

We are so thankful Marshall and Mary are "safe" in Korea and not still living in that little house in Hampton, VA. Here is a picture of the flooding they had just a few days after Marshall's return from Iraq-- and there was no hurricane at that time. The word from Myrtle Beach is that they have had some wind and rain, but Irene should make landfall further north.  Hopefully, they will be spared too much wind damage and flooding.

We are expecting rain and wind tomorrow, but the weather will be much worse to the east of I-95.  However, no stinkin' hurricane is gonna stop us from going to a miniature show tomorrow!!! That's right-- I'm getting in the car with a couple of my friends and we are heading to High Point for a miniature show, then to the High Point Museum to see an exhibit recently donated to the museum-- a collection of around 30-35 miniature room boxes.  On the way home we'll HAVE to stop at Hobby Lobby since we don't have one locally.  So, Irene, continue moving to the east and just leave us alone.

This has been quite a week--- there was an earthquake on Tuesday and now a hurricane on Saturday.  The earthquake was quite an experience.  I was sitting in my recliner (messing around on the computer, of course) and I thought one of the dogs was behind me scratching and bumping the chair.  Then I realized the floor was shaking too-- after a few seconds, everything in the kitchen cabinets started rattling and then the windows were rattling-- I thought, wow, the washer must really be off balance.  Then I remembered, the washer wasn't running and I thought, could that have been an earthquake?  So, I turned on the local news and sure enough, it had been.  So, now I can say I've experienced a tornado, a hurricane, a blizzard and an earthquake here in N Carolina--- AHHH, life in the south. 

More later, stay dry..... 

Nuthin' Special Goin' On

Not much going on around here-- working and sleeping, working and sleeping. 

Tomorrow is my favorite day of the year--- I get to go have a mammogram-- yeah me!!! (hope you are reading all the sarcasm I tried to include in that statement).

I think I'll go look for a picture or two to share---- see you in a bit.......

I'm back-- found a couple of snapshots from one of our Skype calls with Korea.....
   
                               
Yes, that is my beautiful granddaughter-- do I even want to know where she learned this????

Mav is pretty brave to mess with his sister's stuff!



Well, it's been a long week so far and there is more to come----got a play date tomorrow afternoon.  The UPS group meets on Saturday (wonder what kind of great tasting food we'll have?).  Then I'll be going in to work early Sunday morning (0300) for a system downtime and upgrade--- more later....

On the List and Other Stuff

Today, Mike took some additional paperwork to the complex his Mom would like to move in to .  The manager told him everything looked good and she is number 4 on the waiting list.  Now, we just have to wait for some openings and then we can get her moved down here and settled in.

Marc and Kris came this past weekend-- it was their last opportunity to come to Raleigh before the craziness that is their life starts again.  They are both working at the university (Coastal Carolina) and Marc will be starting a Master's program through Winthrop University.  The next two years will certainly be an adventure for them.

We are anxiously awaiting the "Korean McIntyres'" return to the states before they are off to their next adventure where they will be known as the "German McIntyres".

I'm sure Mason and Jennie are up to adventures of their own, but I think they both spend a lot of time working. Since they work opposite schedules, they don't get to see too much of one another.

We are doing our best to stay cool, hope you are too! More later......