New life and a New year

At 9:30 am yesterday we were notified of the birth of our first (my step) great grandson. Cute little dude! Checked him out today at the hospital where he and his mother are stuck for New Year's Eve. In my day we loved having those extra days in the hospital to rest especially when it was a second child. Only rest you were going to get for many years so you took advantage of it. Now they usually throw you out of there before you have time to be sure the placenta is out. Apparently the food wasn't to her liking and she was out of her room in search of something more than what they called "lasagna" at lunch. We saved her with a big bag of goodies like milano cookies. If we had known we'd have taken a run through at the local fast food restaurant and really made her happy. While she chatted on the phone and nibble we (my daughter, granddaughter and me) took turns counting toes and fingers. Seems just like yesterday that I was doing that with the mother. The concensus is that he's a very acceptable new member to our rather crazy family. We were a little short on males so that makes it extra special.

I was to have an end of the year settlement late this afternoon. When I called the Buyers (my clients) I found out that the wife had decided to leave yesterday and go to Michigan to visit her Uncle. She was under a warped illusion that she could fax signatures back and forth. I informed the husband that she needed to get her fanny back to PA by Wednesday since getting her back by 5:00 was out of the question. I told him we needed to get this deal done. The Sellers have been very patient waiting for all the Buyers needs. I then called the mortgage rep and informed him of our missing client. He laughed until he realized that this wasn't an end of year joke. He then called the husband making the same threats I had made. Unbelievable that after all this time and effort that it came to this. Each settlement seems to get stranger and stranger.

No big plans tonight for the celebration of the end of 2007. A couple snacks and watching the ball drop in New York (on tv, of course). Happy New Year all!

Out of the fog

I'm recovered from the flu but it gave me time to finish "The Alexandria Link" by Steve Berry. He's a cross between Robert Ludlum and Dan Brown in his writing style. There's treason by a couple of high ranking US officials and a mysterious society in Europe. Also, the spin on delving into history to determine what we know is really not true. Berry uses the same characters throughout his novels so it's probably best to start with his first book and work your way through but it isn't necessary to the story. A few comments are made about previous events the characters have been through together. The main character is Cotton Malone who retired as a member of an elite US government agency to become a bookseller in Denmark. He finds himself continually pulled back into his former line of work. This time by his son's kidnapping. He searches for the missing Library of Alexandria which is supposed to hold ancient books and scrolls of the earliest civilizations and the "truth." Neither Israel or Palestine want him to find the library and are on his tail to end his mission. I might take a break from him but I have a couple more of his early books to read.

A boring night on television has helped the reading time, also. Nothing but football or reruns. The Penn State game would have been nice but that's only on cable and we don't have that. Supposedly a big historical game between the Patriots and the Giants. 16 wins hasn't happened since 1972, so go Patriots!

The tree is still up. No one showed up to help take it out of here and with the flu running through the household there was no one able to do it. The oldest son offered but he was struck down by the sickly three year old along with the rest of us.

All I wanted for Christmas!

My three year old step great granddaughter was with us on Christmas and the little darling was complaining of a sore belly. After emptying that belly on my kitchen/dining room floor she apparently felt much better. Grammy jumped in there to clean up the mess and now I have the flu. Hit me full force about 1:30 last night and didn't stop. Finally managed some sleep around 7:00 till 11:00 this morning. Those kind of presents I can do without. Wonder how many others will fall from "Typhoid Gabby's" exposure. Hopefully it will be just me. Her mother was in the line of fire and that's a concern since she's almost 9 months pregnant. Believe me, after a night like I had she'll be having the new little fellow in a hurry.

I had many plans for today. Several returns and a trip to the post office. Don't think that will be happening. Can't stray far from home. There was going to be a settlement this morning but that was put on hold yesterday and I'm still waiting to see if it will happen tomorrow or Monday. That settlement will wrap up my work for my former real estate company.

Still reading Steve Berry's "The Alexandria Link."

It's Over!

After a very long day we wrapped Christmas up about 11:30 last night. The family left by 9:00 and the rest of the time was used to clean up a bit and put away or through away the leftover food. Two loads in the dishwaster and several garbage bags of trash took care of the the worst of it. All that is needed now is some vacuuming and wiping up the floor. With every muscle and bone in our bodies feeling the effects of a day of festivities it might be a while till that task is done. Lots of goodies were received and much appreciated. I need to be an electronics wizard to figure out how to operate some of the items. There's the digital picture frame that holds 2000 pictures, the new GPS system, and the wireless weather forecaster. How did we survive before? A couple of gift cards to Borders and Amazon.com will feed the addiction!

I'm reading another Steve Berry book but still have a little bit to go. Some good authors have books coming out soon so I need to read some of the ones I have to get ready for those. So little time; so many books!

It was the night before the night before Christmas

I hit the grocery store one more time today. Surprisingly it was not as hectic as I thought it would be. The aisles were crowded but the check out lines were small. I took a list and still managed to forget a couple of key items so those things have fallen off the Christmas menu. The tally at the check out counter was mind boggling especially since I'd already bought a lot of stuff. If the prices keep going up it will be gifts or food for the holiday but not both. Once again it's warmed up outside and I can't use the "cold" garage for food storage. I'm going to have to get a used refrigerator to keep in the basement for holidays. Can't count on Mother Nature anymore.

It's a time to reflect on past holidays and those of the family that aren't with us any longer. Even though the crowd seems to be the same size there are new additions that have replaced the lost loved ones. Sixteen years since Mom is gone and this will be the 2nd Christmas without Dad. Even though they could drive you crazy they'll be missed. The missing family members are a disappointment for us, also. My brother sitting alone in Florida and the two children and daughter-in-law that won't be here. They leave holes in our hearts!

Have a glorious Christmas and treasure those memories!

I finished the Steve Berry book "The Venetial Betrayal" tonight. A bout of insomnia has kept me from getting to sleep so what better way to spend those restless hours than by reading. I've read a few of his books and to me they are similar to the style of Dan Brown ("DiVinci Code") only Berry keeps the same characters running through his novels. You get intrigue, murder, history, and suspense enough to keep you interested. I've got another of his books waiting so I think I'll start that tonight until sleep finally takes over.

Oh Boy!

To an avid reader like myself; I have a few pet peeves. One I encountered when I started reading Adriana Trigiani's "Home to Big Stone Gap." I was 40 some pages into the book when I became pretty convinced that there seemed to be gaps in the story. Things that the author assumed I knew and didn't. What happened to the 4 years son that died. Why their daughter married right out of high school. The mention of Italy and many trips there. Apparently this is a sequel book. I picked it up because it looked interesting. No where in the description on the book did it mention previous books or that it was the 3rd in a trilogy. I had to go on-line to Amazon and check out her other books to discover the truth. Now my dilema! Do I just get rid of this book; read it out of sequence and see if I like the author; order the other two books so that I can read them in series. I've placed them in my "cart" at Amazon but haven't decided yet. Maybe she'll write others and I'll have to wait 12 years like I had to with the Jean M. Auel's series (Clan of the Cave Bear). Who remembers everything about a book when years go by between publishing? It's like Harry Potter! I'm not 10 so I have trouble remembering everything that happened in book one when I'm reading book seven. Sure my 11 year old grandson can do that but he doesn't devour books the way I do. Plus his brain is fresh and relatively new! Mine's cluttered with years of useless facts and information. Not to mention the movies thrown in there that fall somewhere in the middle of the series so that if you've read book seven and the movie is about book five then you supposedly remember exactly what's going to happen.

Anyway, I've put aside the Trigiani book for now and have started Steve Berry's "The Venetian Betrayal." He's one of the authors that popped up after "Divinci Code." This one, so far, is jumping around from 350 BCE (remember when it was just BC?) and Alexander the Great to modern day events in Asia, Denmark, and Venice. Hope I can keep all the characters and time lines in place. I have that "old brain" problem.

From now on, I need to check the list of books written by a new author that I find. They're usually listed in the front of the book and if the titles are similar then it's a pretty good indicator that it's a sequel. (Bourne Identity, etc.)

So it's a buffet for Christmas! No time pressure to have the taties on the table at exactly a set time. No taties! I'm buying what I need for apple-tizers and horse's ovaries (appetizers and hors d'oeuvres) cause they like the munchies! The gang can come when they want and they'll be food for whenever.

Cowboys and Indians

Throw in an illegal Mexican and a couple of bad guys from California and you've got Robert James Waller's ("Bridges of Madison County" fame) latest book, "The Long Night of Winchell Dear." It's a classic tale of greed, corruption and long-lost dreams. A master poker player in his day, Winchell Dear is settling into his ranch house for a long, sleepless night. Over the ridge, a lonely American Indian lives in a cave, dreaming of things as they once were, before law and progress changed the land. In an adobe house behind Winchell's cabin, a Mexican woman harbors an illegal visitor as she dreams of a future far away from the Texas ranch. All three lives will be interrupted when a man and his partner, after a long trek across the desert highway, show up on the ranch just before dawn, expecting to find everyone asleep. I wasn't sure if I'd like the book since I've read other's of his that weren't as good as the original. This turned out to be a very good read.

My long trek was yesterday when I drove from home through town to the otherside where our Border's bookstore is located. What a nightmare trip! Bumper to bumper and then the search for a parking spot just to find my last purchases for the big holiday. Shopping carts are needed in that store so your arms don't stretch to ape like proportions while you're shopping and holding all your potential purchases. That's bad enough, but then you have to stand in a very long checkout line and even though it moves pretty quick, it's still seems like forever when your arms are being pulled from their sockets. I knew I wouldn't get out of there without finding a couple of "must haves" for myself. My shopping is officially done except for some food items that are still needed. I did get some with a not so quick jaunt over to the local Sam's Club. At least the lines there weren't so long and they provide the shopping cart that I so needed for my last endeavor. Then it was home again through even worse traffic since it was now rush hour. I even managed to wrap a few items and with a little luck will finish that chore today (if the US Post Office and UPS manage to get everything else delivered).

Christmas Countdown

I finished "Fox's Earth" by Anne Rivers Siddons late last night. She is a wonderful author. The centerpiece of the novel was a mansion named "Fox's Earth" and was founded by the Fox family in the 1800's. A beautiful Southern mansion in a university town. A small girl from the "mill town" nearby was paraded by this mansion in the early 1900's by her crazed preacher father who beat his wife and family on a regular basis. He preached about the excesses of the wealthy and unknowingly instilled in his daughter the desire to become a resident of that very mansion he preached against. The current resident of the Fox mansion was a benevolent woman having but one son and wanting to fulfill two missions. Have another child and help someone in need. She took the wayward daughter into her home and unknowingly put a monster into their quiet environment. The quest of this character was to remain in Fox's Earth forever and to keep it in the ownership of her daughter, granddaughter, and great granddaughter. She married the Fox's son and plotted her rise from a cotton mill daughter to local fame. Her servant from early on was the only one who was aware of the total insanity that lay beneath her mistress' cool exterior. The truth wasn't discovered until almost 80 years later.

A week till Christmas! The guest room is filled with things to be wrapped and packages are arriving daily by UPS and regular mail. A trip to Borders should wrap things up. Of course, a trip to Borders will be dangerous. Like releasing an alcoholic in a liquor store. I'm deciding on whether to do a buffet or sit down meal. I'm leaning toward a buffet since I never know when everyone will wander in. A plate of cheese and crackers will keep them busy!

We have, for some weird reason, a tradition of a wrapping paper fight after the packages are all opened. It seems to be fun for all except me, who ends up having to retrieve and find all these rolled up balls for sometimes months after the holiday. I could fool everyone this year by putting all the gifts in gift bags which might stop them or at least limit them. Of course there's that tissue paper that you have to stuff in the bags to make them beautiful. There's no solution! I guess I should be grateful that there aren't more family members.

Search for a better nights sleep

Shopping for a new mattress is not an exciting event by a long shot. I think I've found saleman that are worses than used car salesmen. Our mattress isn't really old but it is dented in two very pronounced areas and after watching Oprah's show some time ago about getting a new one every 8-10 years because of the creepy crawly things that lie in wait for you every night we figured it was time to check out new ones. One of the better known mattress stores has been advertising "buy one, get one free" for a week or more now so since my daughter and her family are in need of some new mattresses for the new house we decided to go together and reap the benefits of the savings. Well, of course, they only mattresses available for the "deal" were the ones that were low on the list of desirables. The higher end mattresses were discounted but not half price. There was Serta and Sealy and they felt good but you're lured to try the new Tempur-pedic because they're the only way your going to get the rest you need for your old achy body, plus they have a 90 day "try us out" offer so that if you don't like it you can return it with a restocking fee of $250. (Wonder who gets the used mattresses that people return????) We loaded into the van and drove to the next strip mall a few blocks away and checked out the Tempur-pedics and yes, they are wonderful. You sink in and it fills in all the places that a larger body doesn't conform to anymore. Then you look at the price and you're shell shocked! Our dream mattress would be the split king sized that has dual controls for sitting up or raising the legs. That was priced at $6500! No discounts on Tempur-pedic. The regular king sized (without the split) run over $4000. I'm liking my sagging mattress with bed bugs more and more. Heck with Oprah and her scare tactics. We came home and snuggled into our worn out bed and off to sleep we went. About 3:00 am I was awakened with hip pain and remembered why we wanted a new mattress. Sleep was over for the night so I went online to discover in my email an offer from Brookstone for last minute gifts. In the corner of the ad was a Tempur-pedic ad and I clicked on it to discover (with free shipping) all of the mattresses we had tried out last night at prices far below the store large markup. The split mattress was $4200 and the king size regular was as low as $2100. That's just slightly over the deal that was offered on the Sealy Posterpedic. I emailed the information to my daughter so she could see how we'd been lied to and now she has options when she goes back to see them. We'll think about it a while longer since Christmas probably isn't the best time to be shopping for something that expensive. There are so many other things on our list that it's hard to decide which to get. Paved driveway, insulated garage doors, new front door, storms doors, finished basement, etc.

Mind Candy

Once in a while I have to read a "mind candy" book. Not often, but now and then. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss is one of the best at writing them. From long ago and her "Wolf and the Dove" or "Ashes in the Wind" it was great. This time it's "Everlasting" and she did it again. Set in the 1100's (had me from there cause the longer ago, the better) in northern England the main character is the beautiful Abrielle and, of course, the love interest is the dashing Scot, Raven. I need say nothing more. History, mystery and romance. I was saddened to learn that Kathleen passed away this year. She was a best selling historical romance writing and on the New York Times Bestsellers list 12 times. She was only 68. She definitely knew how to write about helpless heroines and the heroes who rescued them. These aren't my usual reads but just happen to see her new one and picked it up.

I had dreams of a white Christmas. We had a lovely coating of snow from last week's storm but now it's gone with days of rain. The snow came before the leaves were off the trees so I hadn't done any leaf raking and on top the beautiful white I had a layer of dead leaves. Now we're getting ice, lots of ice! So buried under the ice is a thick layer of leaves that at this rate will be there next spring. Ever tried raking wet leaves. Bad enough doing it under dry conditions. Isn't going to happen. This is definitely a stay at home, in your jamies, kind of day.

The search for a Christmas tree ended two days ago when we found a blue spruce (with ball) at a nursery in a local town. My husband was looking at a larger tree and I was looking at a smaller tree. Seems I remember how hard it is to get a balled tree in the car, out of the car, into the house and into the tub. We settled on a mid sized tree even though I was worried. We had to purchase a new galvanized tub this year since our others had developed a leak and with hardwood floors that's something you don't want. We struggled to get the tree out of the van and onto the dolly for transport to the front door. What a video that would have made. We were muddy and sweating in the winter weather. Finally with help of a board for leverage we got the dolly up the three steps into our living room. Furniture was moved aside and needles were dropped all over. We got it to the corner where we decided to put it and then we had to figure out how to get it into the tub. We rolled it off the dolly and it ended up laying sideways in the tub. Till we maneuvered the tree upright our shiny new tub looked liked the one we through out last year. It's mangled! I'm just hoping it didn't develop a leak. A tree skirt will cover the damage. Once again I wished for a video to remind us that we're too old to keep trying to put up the "live" tree every year. Now we have to hope that it survives to be planted in our yard. I'm definitely looking at artificial trees at some point to avoid this back breaking process every year. The decorations were put on yesterday and it's just lovely and the pain of child birth (tree installation) is fading. HELP, please, when it's time to take the tree down and out!!! Not to mention digging the hole to plant it in after the holidays.

The UPS man asked me yesterday if my shopping was done and I responded that I would be as long as he kept showing up at my door! A few more deliveries and a trip to Borders will wrap it up. A night of wrapping and it will be just right. I've got my list and I've checked it more than twice. I got a really great gift for my daughter and if she doesn't like it, I'm keeping it. We've named it "Bubba." It was sad to have to send gifts to our son in Hawaii. We'll miss his face!

"Playing for Pizza"

Okay, I'm not a lover of sports like golf or football. Stupid games and make no sense to me. I'm a big fan of John Grisham and he wrote his latest novel based on an out of luck football player who ends up playing on a league in Italy where football American style is catching on. The story is great but if you aren't fond of the sport than you kind of need to grit your teeth and barrel through the actual descriptions of the games that are played on their way for the big prize. The story just re-inforces what I feel about the stupidity of the sport but the story was fun. A different kind of book than the usual Grisham novel.

Met with my cousins from Mom's side of the family today. Still have an Uncle surviving (well, really two, but we don't have anything to do with the one in Denver)so he joined us with his wife. The widow of another uncle was there, too. There are 10 first cousins that range in age from 53 to 63 and 7 of them were there today. One is in Texas, one in Florida, and one in Texas and they didn't make it. The one from Germany and the one from Kentucky came and joined the ones that are within a three county area of central PA. It was a combination of 4 generations. Several of our children and their children came and it made for a wonderful day. Unfortunately a restaurant isn't the greatest place to have a reunion but that's what we had to deal with. We'll see if it's best to continue this route or go back to meeting at each other's homes on a rotational basis. It was funny that when we did that we didn't have a big turnout but when we went to a restaurant more people came but the younger ones (that didn't come before) thought it would be good to have it at someone's home so it would be easier to visit. Can't please everyone! Just glad that we had such a good turn out.

Still haven't gotten the tree! Wishing I didn't have to but with everyone coming here for the big day, I need to do it. Hubby insists on having a live (ball) tree instead of a cut tree but it's gotten so difficult to get it in and out of the house because of the weight. It's such a struggle. I have a little 18 inch live tree already in a cute little pot but my oldest granddaughter says that's not big enough. Where is she when I'm trying to get the bigger tree in here and decorating it.

Good news is that I get to start a new book tonight. Still haven't decided which one.

Dean Koontz

I finished Dean Koontz's "The Darkest Evening of the Year." I have read every one of his novels and this is the first one that didn't keep me spellbound from page one. It did get better as the book went on but it was difficult to keep all the different story lines in place and remember all the characters. Koontz's love of Golden Retrievers was quite evident in this novel. He's done it before but this book was filled with them. They always seem to have special abilities. Maybe that's why they smile the way they do. If I didn't have some experience being around a Golden, I might fall for his way of thinking. I find all retrievers, spaniels and setters to be very highly strung. The book is really scary and full of murder and torture. It was hard to put the book down by the time I had reached the midway point.

The weathermen called for 1-3 inches of snow yesterday and I'm looking at well over six inches on my deck. It started early morning yesterday and didn't stop until last night. Where else can you earn a salary for being wrong 90 percent of the time? I was out at the new real estate office yesterday for a sales meeting and the trip home was terrible. I drive a Jeep Liberty and have always had trouble with it with wet roads. I changed to better tires but I had to put it in 4 wheel drive yesterday several times to make it home. Just missed colliding with a sign and was all over the road on several occasions. I'm positive, now, that it is the vehicle that is the problem. Won't have another Liberty! I had better luck driving my old 1970 Maverick in snow storms than with this SUV. I used to throw a couple of cement blocks in the trunk of the Maverick and go anywhere. Maybe I should throw a couple of cement blocks in the Liberty and push it over a cliff.

Wore my fingers to the bone yesterday doing Christmas shopping. Didn't leave the sofa all afternoon. Thank God for the internet! Made a nice dent in the process and I might do a little more today. Sounds like Malls are a really bad place to be if you have a crazed gunman on the loose. I avoid them just for the crowds! I will have to go out for a fews things, unfortunately! If the roads were clear I might go get Christmas cards and a tree but I don't think that's such a good idea for now. Not worth the effort.

New office

I finished up at my old real estate office today and other than coming back for a settlement later in the month, I won't be back. Turned the necessary paperwork into the new office and will be set for the market to change.

I've been reading Dean Koontz "The Darkest Evening of the Year" and am almost done. It's way scary!!!

The big cousin reunion is this Sunday. I've got 30 coming and I'm glad we're having it at a restaurant this year. The only bad thing is that it will be ackward visiting when you sitting in a crowded place with all the background noise. This reunion is my Mother's side of the family. So far this year I've attended about four reunions for family and one for high school graduation. Can there be more?

A fun read!

Clive Cussler has always been one of my favorite "fun" authors. He writes adventure books that usually involve such characters as "Dirk Pitt." He has three different series that always entail underwater challenges. They center around a government agency called NUMA (that is in fact not government but Cussler's own underwater research company with which he has discovered over 60 different historic sunken ships and subs). "The Chase" was totally different than his usual book. It involved a murderous bank robber from the early 1900's that is causing mayheim across the west. The "star" of the book was Isaac Bell who is a Van Dorn Detective in pursuit of the robber. The books starts in 1950 with an underwater search and ends with an underwater search but that's the only talk of water in the novel. It flashes back to the events of 1905 and stays there until the last chapter. Cussler usually has me waterlogged through his novels. This was a wonderful, fun read. Wouldn't mind him bringing this character back. Cussler hasn't let me down yet!

Started Dean Koontz's "The Darkest Evening of the Year" last night. Only got a chapter done before I had to "outen the lights" and hit the hay. Up early to get ready for a follow up interview with my former real estate company. I'm to get the formal proposal this morning. I've narrowed the field down to two companies. This one and the new company that is very small. Must make a decision this weekend so I know where I'm going to hang my hat and get things rolling. After the interview I'm headed south to Maryland with my granddaughter to spend the afternoon at a "craft party" at my daughter-in-law's. I've made some ornaments to sell and there are several other people bringing jewelry, and such, that they're selling. Nice to have the granddaughter to keep me company and then stay the night. Should be a fun day!

Got to read Follett!

I finished "World Without End" this morning! Absolutely great! It took me through the lives of a group of children that shared a fearful experience in the forest surrounding a fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. The time frame was the 1300's. It was the time of Edward II. The town of Kingsbridge was headed up by a group of monks at it's famous catherdral (built during the first novel; "The Pillars of the Earth"). One of the children shared a secret with a Knight(part of that experience in the forest). The Knight became a monk and the mystery continued through the story but wasn't revealed till the end. The lives of these characters were intermingled either because of family ties, friendship or area events. History abounds along with suspense and intrigue. Throw in a little plague and it makes for a great story. I remember that even though "Pillars" was over 900 pages I didn't want it to end and I felt the same after this even longer book. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't have to wait an additional 19 years to get the next novel. Definitely worth reading and owning! I'm thinking of re-reading the first one just to have it fresh in my memory.

Another interview tomorrow with a "not well known company." Apparently they are big in other states but just coming into our area. Might as well check it out and see what they have to offer. It's really going to be difficult to make a decision. I wish there were other options!

Follett



Latest books

Insomnia

Due to a bout of insomnia I reached page 836. I guess worrying about what career decisions to make has me tense. Or, maybe I was thinking about the plague of the 1340's that I've been reading about. Went to sleep around 12:30 and was awake by 1:30 and tried numerous times to go back to sleep. Last time I checked the clock it was nearing 6:00 and the alarm was set for 7:30. Hit my first interview this morning at 9:00. The couple who opened this office recently, have very little room and therefore there won't be many agents. I like that! I liked a lot of what they said but then I hit the bigger office scenario and the real pressure manager put the screws to me. Got to have all the bells and whistles that we offer or you're just not going to be able to compete in the market. Even said if I went with the smaller office that it would be a sign that I wasn't serious about my career. Guilt trip! Made me remember why I left that office. Decisions, decisions! Stopped by my current office and it's not a happy place! Fortunately I have a few days to make my choice. Eeny meeny miney moe...........

Looking for work!

I'm on page 659 of the 1013 page novel by Ken Follett. It's wonderful! Hard to put down now that I have a little more time to enjoy it.

Got the news this morning that our real estate office is closing by the end of the year. The owner just doesn't want to do residential sales anymore so he's going back to just commercial. He admitted that he didn't know enough about residential and basically bit off more than he could chew. He had built his agency up to 35 agents from just a couple when we joined him and now there are 35 agents faced with finding a new place to go just before the holidays and at the worst time to go shopping for a new office with the market the way it is. All the agencies are in trouble, I'm sure. I was lucky to get three calls today when the word got out about the closing. I can go back to the office I used to work in or go to another new company and see what they offer. I like small offices so we'll see what they have to say. Tomorrow will be interview day! I had been saying all along that if I left the current office it would be for some other kind of job but I'm trapped in the necessity to help out a former client sell her house and also, to get a new client through their purchase of a new home.

The hubby and I went south to Maryland at noon to meet some old cronies from our days in corporate America. It was a gathering of "his" old office workers and since I was in the same corporation and knew them all I got to tag along. It was a very enjoyable event. Felt like a family reunion! When I was hired I started in his office and that's where I met him. After not quite a year I transferred to another department but still knew the people he worked with. The gathering was in honor of his old boss (first and only female boss) who was visiting the area from Texas. She was wonderful when I was stricken with needing an emergency surgery almost 21 years ago and hubby was in Greece on business. She brought him home and went over to Greece in his place. Even though she wasn't prepared for what she faced there and needed his full support which kept him late at the office faxing her information, at least he was back home and not there. It was amazing how many people had passed away from the original group. Of course it was 16 years ago that we left the corporation. These were people who were there at the beginning of "our romance" and marriage. They couldn't believe that we're together now for 30 years.

Back to the book!!

August Rush

I just saw my most favorite movie of all time! When my daughter asked me to join her to see "August Rush" I didn't realize that it would be so wonderful. We had tissues in hand from the beginning. The young actor who plays August Rush (Freddie Highmore)is so endearing and talented that you believed whatever he did. I'm convinced he's a musical prodigy even if he isn't. Keri Russell as the "Mom" and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the "Dad" were perfectly cast. Robin Williams character "Wizzard" was award winning. A couple of other young actors were involved and noteworthy. The little girl with the pipes was unbelievable. The sound track for this movie is being ordered tonight. You can guess the ending but you don't care!! See it!

I didn't get the reading done that I was planning on doing today. I could start now and get a few chapters done before making dinner. I could have leftovers if we had any!

Thanksgiving!

The meals over; the pots and pans are scrubbed. The carcus is sitting in a roaster waiting for a burial fitting the mighty. The leftovers are few! They were packed up by some and taken home for future enjoyment or to become scientific experiments months from now when their discovered in the refrigerator. Things went smoothly. There was a small panic early when I worried that the turkey might not get done as quick as I thought but everything came together nicely. I got the 20 pounds of potatoes mashed just prior to the last latecomers' arrival. Feasting continued the whole afternoon and well into the night. The dishwasher is running for the third time! No more will be done tonight!

We found out we're to be great grandparents again. A little boy is due in early January. The family grows! Our 3 year old great granddaughter kept us entertained by running and jumping on the furniture. Not a good thing!

Just thrilled to know that Christmas is right around the corner and no preparations are in place. It's hard to get in the mood when the temps have been in the high 60's to low 70's. Cooling off now but not enough for snow and that's what's needed.

Great day with family and it was wonderful having them with us!!

Stocks are down!

Wow! the market's falling like it did back in the Clinton years. Oh that's right! I'm the only one who remembers that crash! Lost half my pension and it's never recovered. Everyone blames the current government but it started before this administration and it's not improving. Definitely not the time to be a realtor either. Buying market is down 13 percent.

The pies are made for tomorrow thanks to my darling granddaughter. Grampy is sampling one tonight to make sure it's okay. Everything is under control so far. I don't panic until everyone arrives and the potatoes have to be mashed while "all" are standing in the kitchen salivating. Tough to do what needs to be done at that point. My brother thinks I should put a menu board outside on the porch to indicate the food offered and the price per serving. There's a 25 lb. turkey plus extra legs, a ham, pork and sauerkraut, two kinds of stuffing and yet I can't find a thing to make for dinner tonight. Might be that I'm tired of cooking and don't want to even think about it. We could just skip it and have more room for tomorrow's feast. The average calorie intake for a Thanksgiving meal is 5000. Can't imagine! A bowl of cereal is sounding good!

Thank God nobody has to travel too far tomorrow. Except for Mr. Hawaii (and he's not coming) the rest are within an hour's drive. That doesn't mean they will be on time! There are a couple of kids who show up at the appointed time (bless them)but then we have those who still think it's okay to come late. They are shown the microwave since we wait for no one!

I'm not too far, yet, into "World Without End." I'm enjoying it but haven't been able to just sit and read a lot. Hopefully by Friday I'll be sitting with my feet up and enjoying a well earned day off. No shopping on Black Friday for this chick! Surprise, everybody, you're getting a gift card!

Sparks Rules

Nicholas Sparks has done it again! His latest is "The Choice." I don't know how a "guy" can write such romantic books. I know that's sexist but really, who would think it possible. This one is right up there with "The Notebook" only with a younger couple. Get out the tissues! It's inevitable.

Now the big decision. Start Ken Follet's latest or read John Grisham's latest. Since John's isn't an attorney based thriller I think I'll tackle the "MORE THAN A 1000 PAGES THAT KEN WROTE." I don't think this one will be a day read. Might even keep me busy for the week since I've got to do a little cooking in the middle of things.

My granddaughter is coming over tomorrow night and we're spending Wednesday cooking and making pies. She more interested in using the scrap dough to make "cinnamon thingies." I better make extra dough so she has enough. Just spread the rolled dough with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, roll it up in little circles and bake. To quote Rachael Ray, "YUMMO!"

Thank God for James Patterson

"Double Cross" is great! Kept me reading it even though with the short chapters that he writes (sometimes only a page) I felt the need to put the book down and do something constructive. His character Alex Cross is being pursued by two serial killers. Not enough drama in this man's life. He's on every wacko's "want to kill" list since he was birthed by Patterson. I'm sure the return of Kyle Craig's character will bring us "Triple Cross." That's the only predictable thing in this book. I was thoroughly entertained. Now I'll calm down by reading Nicholas Sparks' latest. "The Choice." I doubt there will be any serial killers in this one but always a great read. I did find Ken Follett wrote another book like his now famous (because Oprah said so) "The Pillars of the Earth". This one is "World Without End." Oprah's suggested the later for her book club readers. Where's she been! He wrote it in 1989! That's when I read it and loved it. She made a big deal about it being over 900 pages. My God, what will she do with the new one. It's over 1000! Guess she'll wait another 19 years to recommend it.

The Thanksgiving plans are in place. Turkey, ham and spuds galore will grace the table. Might even throw down a vegetable even though it's a waste of time and effort. Who wants veggies at Thanksgiving! There's a need for stuffing and maybe a sweet potato. I better get busy on those pumpkin pies, too! One more trip to the grocery store and another $100 should do it. I'm down $200 now. I can't imagine that a meal purchased at a restaurant could cost me much more than buying all the makings for this feast. I can't fit it all in the frig so it's sitting in coolers on the deck. Hope we don't have a heat wave before Thursday! The oldest stepdaughter won't be coming. She's decided to work that day. Sounds like Christmas is out for her, too. The life of a nurse! So we're down two stepchildren! Still planning on 14-17 to make it. Hope the Thanksgiving Fairy shows up to help in the clean up!

Made a teeny tiny dent in the "clean out the basement" project. Managed to drag 4 boxes up to the street for garbage pickup tomorrow. Plenty more could follow but that would involve opening and going through the items to place a value on whether to keep or not. Let's see; if I hated my kids then I'd just wait another 20 or 30 years and let them deal with it. They'll have enough on their hands just putting all the book jackets back on all my books sitting naked on the shelves. The cleaning project was suggested by my beloved husband and he started it recently. He found some old army information and some pictures of the kids and now they aren't in the basement but in a notebook compliments of his wife. There are plenty more boxes so we'll see what other treasures he comes up with. I must get another scrapbook so that I can put the newly found pictures in some kind of order.

New Author

I finished "Lost Lake" by Mark Slouka. Quick read! I think I would have liked it better if it wouldn't have seemed so disjointed. It was the combination of 12 imagined stories linked by character and setting. Covered 3 generations of men and women. The first part for me was the best since it was about youth and a lake where the fishing was wonderful. I could picture myself there!

I'm waiting patiently (well not so patiently) for my Amazon order to come. They're sending it in three parts. I have to be finished with whatever I'm reading in order to get the new James Patterson book coming out next week. He's finished an Alex Cross book and that's always a great read. According to the interview on the "Today Show", Patterson says this one will involve two serial killers. Sounds like they're looking at Jamie Fox to replace Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross in the upcoming movies since Morgan was way too old for the part to begin with. He played a good character but he definitely didn't fit the one for this guy. Like Matt Damon playing Bourne in Robert Ludlum's books. They've butchered those books so bad that Ludlum wouldn't recognize his own work if he'd lived to see the films. The movies were good but shouldn't state "based on Ludlum's novels" since the the only resemblance to Bourne is the loss of memory and being chased by his own countrymen. I understand that "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult is being made into a movie starring the Dakota sisters and Cameron Diaz. Way too young! All of them! I need to be a consultant on these matters.

Finished 8 Victorian ornaments for the big sale coming up. I figured I have about 2 -3 hours of work in each one and the material is running me about $4-5 on each so I'll probably sell them for a lot less than they cost me. Let's face it, my time isn't worth much.

I could report on all the real estate activity taking place but that would be "NOTHING!" I know we're all thinking about the holidays but wouldn't somebody like a new house to have those holidays in?

One of my favorites is hopeless

Very seldom does it take me a full week to read a book! I usually have polished off 3 or more by now. I struggled through the "Book of the Dead" by Patricia Cornwell and it was brutal. Never has she been more disjointed and confusing in her writing. Not only has she destroyed her characters but now she's finishing them off. She has a reason for it though...it will keep her readers curious as to what happened to one of the main characters at the end of this book. They'll by her next book just to find out. I was thoroughly confused through most of the book. I guess if I had just finished her last two or three books instead of reading them years ago, I would have remembered the Dr. Self character better. Suddenly she was a major player and I couldn't remember why. I hope this latest novel is like childbirth and I can forget the pain by the time she writes again.

I've also been very busy making Christmas ornaments for the event at my daughter-in-law's house in December. It's to be a pre-shopping event with several people displaying their craft for sale. I was trying to do mostly stained glass but I just don't like the patterns I have and after about 15 pieces I gave up and picked up a crochet hook and am making Victorian ornaments. It won't matter that I spent 4 or 5 hours on each ornament. People will only want to pay a buck or two for them. That doesn't even cover the material. If you're reading this and are family or friend, expect an ornament for Christmas!

A week till Thanksgiving! Wow! I haven't done anything but order an 8 legged turkey! Never enough dark meat for my family so we have to improvise. There has to be a big run to the grocery store for potatoes. I usually need two carts to carry the amount I need. That's the main focus of the day. I could just serve that and I think they'd die happy. I talked to our son in Hawaii two nights ago and he was amazed that we were having the meal without him and wondered how it would taste if mailed to him by express mail. We've already discovered that overnight to Hawaii is impossible so I think everything would be rather green and fuzzy by the time it got there in 5 days or so. His loss! I'm trying to figure how many we'll be feeding this year. I think I'm still hanging in there with 18. Could be a few less but I never know.

I ordered a book from a company called "Books on Demand" which deals in old books. It was a family tree but unfortunately was not the family I was hoping for. I contacted them that I was returning the book and was given a pre-printed label to use which I printed out. Sent it insured to Georgia and got it back yesterday marked "vacant." I emailed and was ignored so I'm assuming that company has folded up and left the area. They were dealing through Alibris books online. Hope they practice what they preach and guarantee all books. They're going to lose some big money on this vendor. First I'm headed to the post office since the book came back with the packaging shredded and the pages of the book damaged from their inadequate handling. Good thing it was insured. Wonder how long it will take to get satisfaction.

Day Whatever

All the agents in our office were called in to discuss our "futures." Our benefits for being there are being drastically cut since the sales are so off they have to cut corner where they can. We were worried that the owner was going too far with his ideas. Later yesterday we heard that most of the staff have been laid off. Definitely not a good sign. I think we'll see a major cut in the amount of agents in the office by the end of the month. I need to get my resume updated.

I'm struggling to read "Book of the Dead" by Patricia Cornwell. It's so hard to believe that someone who wrote such wonderful books that I couldn't put down would end her career with such loser books. The last 3 or 4 have been just barely readable. I keep hoping she'll get better so I keep buying them since I'm rather addicted to her characters and want to see what happens to them. She's changed them, too. Poor Marino went from being a fat detective to a body building, head shaved, biker guy working for Scarpetta in the private sector! I think that was one of the problems. She took Scarpetta out of the coroner's office in VA where she was a big deal and put her in a different setting that just doesn't suit the character. I will finish this book even though I've said I don't waste time on bad books because of the characters but I don't know how much more her former fans will tolerate. Patricia knows that when she writes about something other than these characters that she doesn't sell so she's stuck with writing about them. How long can she keep the main characters interesting when they're pushing 60? Maybe she just can't compete with Kathy Reichs who is really what she writes about.

Trying, also, to fit in some stained glass projects for an upcoming holiday sale. I'm just doing ornaments since I've learned that people don't want to pay for the big items. You spend a fortune on glass and your time is valuable but people don't realize what is involved in making a piece. I spent $11 for just one sheet of red glass. I know I'm not going to make a living or even subsidize my income with these items so they will just be gifts or projects for family and friends.

The trip to Canada was postponed since I haven't heard from the family members who were going. It will be too late now to go since snow is already falling in that area. I hate to wait and hope all will still be well in the Spring. The Aunt we were going to visit is hitting her mid 80's. The family isn't known for longevity.

Day 4

It took a long time to finish the lastest book by Elizabeth Berg (What We Keep). Not that it wasn't good; just had a lot of interruptions. I just finished it and like it. Not quite as much as her others, but still good. Basically about a woman who flashes back from present day to her youth when she and her sister were in their pre and early teens and what their lives were like and how it all changed when their mother decided to "find herself" some where other than with them and their father. The estrangement was deep and left them adrift for 35 years before illness brought them together again to mend.

We've been celebrating my husband's birthday for a few days now. There was the actual birthday with a real estate showing scheduled to interrupt our evening but we made up for it by going out to dinner which wasn't planned. The next day we went to Baltimore to have lunch with my son and his wife at the Rusty Scuper on the Harbor. Hadn't been there in 20 years. Always fun being with them and having good conversation instead of just reading his "blog." Tonight we're having dinner with my daugther and her family and my oldest stepson who is joining us. One thing is for sure; no weight is lost this week!

Cannot believe it's time to start planning for Thanksgiving dinner and having to clean for the big event. Then to roll right into Christmas. I just want it over! When did it go from being fun to such a chore. You spend days cooking and baking and the meals over in minutes. Then you spend a ton of money and time getting ready for Christmas and it, too, is over in minutes. You can't even remember what you gave or got a month or so later. I'm starting to see the benefit of taking those vacations over the holidays and coming back with a hint of guilt for not being there! I can handle guilt!

Forgot to turn the clocks back last night. First time ever! Poor hubby got up an hour early for his part time job and then took a nap before he left. Hopefully it was beneficial. I didn't realize it until an hour after he was up and I looked at the "atomic" clock that had changed itself. Glad it wasn't the time of year you set it forward of he would have been in real trouble. Now I've been up for almost 4 hours and it's not even 9:00. Maybe I should consider a nap!

Day 3

Spent yesterday in Lancaster doing the family research and didn't come up with too much. I had better luck today, online. I'm collecting a lot of local history books from my journeys and now it will be albums and books. The books had some bits of information but online I found that 11 generations back I had an ancestor who was a Baron. He fled from Switzerland with false accusations of treason and lost his title and wealth. He spent time in Alsace, France where he wed and had his first son. He was exonerated and could have returned and collected all he lost be he came to America instead and made a fortune here. Wonder how long that fortune lasted with all the kids he had. He arrived in 1696 in America and ended up in Lancaster County. I'm sure the fact that he was an Anabaptist didn't help his plight in Switzerland.

All this research is cutting into my novel reading time. I'm getting a lot of reading done but it's history which is my favorite. I did manage to fit in some time in the office and even had a settlement today.

Halloween and we didn't have a little scary creature show up at the door. It's been 20 years since that's happened. This house and the last one are too remote for trick or treat. Sad though! I miss the excitement of the evening. I don't even decorate for it anymore since no one sees it but us. I did drive through the country side and through some small towns where I saw lots of little ones trudging along with loaded bags. There was a small party at the office at lunch with a covered dish from all participants. I can't see doing that since I'd have to make a big dish of something just to get a plate of stuff in return. Not into socializing with the other realtors anyway. I slipped out the back door!

Tomorrow is my hubby's birthday!

Day 2

I finished the book "The Art of Mending" by Elizabeth Berg. Once again she did not disappoint me. So many authors can't stay consistant but so far this one has. I like that fact that so many of her characters are in their 50's during the storyline. I can so relate to so many things. I'm going to have to search for more of her books. This story covered the inconsistencies of a parent in the way she raises her children. The older two were treated differently than the younger and they never knew what the younger one went through until that child (now a grown woman) starts therapy and as part of her healing she has to disclose the truth about their mother. The revelations of what happened to her were doubted by her older siblings since they had never seen that treatment. The Mother had a psychological reason for what she did as far as she was concerned.

I attended my grandson's early morning football game. It rained buckets on those poor 10 year olds and what troupers they were. Unfortunately he didn't win and they were so close to the finals next weekend. Not being a big fan of football is difficult when you have one so young and enthused about the sport. Poor kid is probably still soaking the mud off of his puddle saturated body!

I've been researching family trees online to find missing connections to what I have. This search was for my children who are a product of my first marriage. There was a lot of information for me to add but I've run in to a dead end on some major points. I actually matched an ancestor from my "ex" to an ancestor on my side all the way back in Europe in the early 1700's. I don't think 20 generations will make us start counting toes and worry about IQ issues. My trip to Lancaster was postponed from Monday to Tuesday since a quick check online provided the information that the Lancaster Mennonite Historic Society is closed on Mondays. I was all ready for the trip. I've added almost 5000 names to my tree. There's so much more to find! All the books I ordered on family history came in today and so far all they've done is list names that came over by ship during the 1700's. I know which ship my ancestor came on but it's so confusing since they spelled the name how they heard it and it's not what it was. Makes me worry how many other names are being missed for the same reason. There were just too many first names that are the same: Christian, Hans, Jacob, Michael and Martin. You'd think those were the only names out there.

I'm new to blogging! I tried it on myspace but that's too busy with ads and nonsense. I like to talk about what I've read and how I've spent my day without going into too much detail about my work. Realtors have to be cautious! There would be nothing better than to spend hours telling about the horrors clients put you through in the pursuit of a simple livelihood.

I've got a great family! My husband's a wonderful guy and makes my world. The "children" are grown adults with full lives of their own. My daughter has provided me with grandkids. I have four stepchildren and more stepgrandchildren that complete my being. Fortunately they are all within an hour's drive except one who decided his life was in Hawaii. Too bad for us but good for him and his new wife.

I'm an reading fanatic. Can't read enough and am always finding another author to love and then I have to buy every book they've ever written just to be sure they are as good as the one I just finished. I don't go anywhere without a book so that if I find I'm forced into hanging out waiting for something to happen, I have a book to grab. I don't read more than one at a time but have learned that if it isn't good then I put it aside. I used to force myself to read it anyway but life is way too short and there are too many words to read to waste my time. I read some authors just because I always have even if their books aren't quite as good as they used to be such as Patricia Cornwell. If she strays from her main characters than she's doomed! Her last two novels weren't up to her usual standards but I'm hooked on the storyline and the characters so I'll get her new one due out now. Kathy Reichs is much better. My latest author is Elizabeth Berg. Every month I read James Patterson since he seems to write that many (even though he's got help now). My addicition is that I have to own the books I read. There are so many now that they are lining my walls and even the closets. They're like trophies! There's a list on the computer of what I've read and on the shelves the books are by author and title. When you read this much you tend to forget which ones you've read and it's best to carry a list. My list is now as thick as a book so I quite carrying it! Not to mention the fact that it changes a few times a week with additions. Amazon and Borders are my friends! Don't know why my kids have trouble finding gifts for me!

My other addiction (besides eating) is doing geneology searches. It stared with the death of my Dad and where to put all the pictures and memoriable that he had in addition to what I had. It's grown to 6 large looseleaf albums and is continually growing. I work with cousins on both sides of the family to do this research and it's wonderful. I'm headed to Lancaster next week to check out the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society to find any information they have on the ancestors that came from Europe in 1732. I've been lucky enough to trace some of the branches of the family back to 1530 in Switzerland and then on to Germany before coming here. They were Anabaptists on the run from persecution. The other side of the family comes from Ireland and we're in the process of DNA testing to determine if we can connect the dots to the 1200's. The albums will end with me as far as my input and then when my daughter inherits it she can add her family and hopefully a little on her brother. God bless the generations in the future who have to deal with all this information. Hopefully someone will care enough to hang onto it. I should buy a trunk with wheels and label it "Grammie's Family" for easier transport. At least I've noticed at family reunions that there is a renewed interest in keeping pictures and data. As Martha Stewart would say; "that's a good thing."