I feel like I've been gone forever

I went to Texas to visit my mom last weekend. I try not post about travels until I'm done as I don't want people to know that I'm not home. Anyway - that was a segue wasn't it?

Well I went to Texas to just have a fun visit and meet all of mom's new friends. Well about a week before the visit that all changed - my mom called and told me that she had lung cancer (again). Quick history - right after September 11, 2001 my mom found out she had lung cancer - the summer of 2002 she found out she had throat cancer. Surgery was performed for the lung cancer and radiation for the throat cancer - and she has been clean until now.

When I got there on Thursday, my mom had been home from the hospital after having had a need biopsy that morning for an hour or so. The doctors told her before she went in that there was a 90% chance that her lung would collapse. They wanted her to go to another hospital and have a surgeon do the needle biopsy - she said no - she had waited long enough. My mom and her friend Patti asked if they could pray before they did the biopsy. The doctor overheard their prayers and thanked them for including him. Well - my mom came through without a collapsed lung, God is good.

We had a good visit - her friends in Texas are the most wonderful people that I have ever met. Giving, loving, caring and selfless. It's a beautiful thing. My mom is in good hands.

Here she is on a Harley - with a really neat man named Mike. Basically he was a stranger to her but willing to give her an adventure! Thanks Mike!

Oh - and about the Texas Rangers outfit - my brothers are both Yankees fans and my mom got that outfit to basically drive them both crazy - I think it worked and it helped the Rangers win at home and they are heading to the World Series!!!!

And one more thing - I've never seen my mom smile as much as she is in this picture and others that have been taken in Texas - she is really and truly happy!

The Porch: Old and New

It's been about 3 years since we painted the posts and sides of the porch - in the green and white. We needed to do the deck and the skirting but frankly I'm too much of a pain about that stuff and figured that I would drive myself crazy trying to make it perfect - it wasn't going to happen. So I hired "Uncle Rick" to do it for me and he went way above and beyond what I thought was needed - it's a good thing because he got rid of a lot of rotting wood and frankly it's just better all the way around.

This is looking from the stairs to the east - the gray paint is in horrid condition. It really needs this paint job!

This is just after he removed all of the old wood underneath - I had cut the wegalia's back so that he could get in there so it's a drastic change. Usually the wegalia's hide everything - hence the moisture damage in there I am sure.

This picture shows how awful the boards are on the deck - also if you can tell - it shows the black railing that has been newly painted and looks beautiful. I took this picture at 10 at night after I got home from second job.

Rb and I drove out to see his mom yesterday and when we got home - the porch was painted...RED! It's not what I had in mind - we (my mom and I) picked out what we thought was a deep burgundy color - LOL - nope - it's more a Chianti color and bordering on FireTruck Red. Ah well - I'm ready for Christmas now.

In this picture you get the full effect! - the sun is really sparking up the color. Well - you certainly can't miss my house - I can just say it's the house with the red porch and pretty soon everyone in Utica will know which one it is!

Roses from RB

My office is dark and the lighting isn't the best - but these are truly gorgeous roses. They are from Chesters Flowers and honestly they have the best arrangements.  Thanks honey!

Hydrangeas from RB

These are from RB's yard - they are beautiful and he brings some to me every now and then....I dry them so that I have them for longer than a few days....

Hello Blue Skies and Sunshine

The rain seems to have finally taken a leave of absence from Upstate NY. I don't usually mind the rain but for some reason it feels like it has been raining for days.  And of course you could probably read that in my last post - my almost unreasonable anger with messy shoppers. I've always been a pick up after myself kind of person and that part of me comes out like crazy when I'm tired or stressed or depressed for a better lack of a word. But hopefully I'm over that hump now...I need a break from it.

It's been a wonderful week in that my RB made my birthday a very special day. In so many ways.... roses sent to work - red, yellow, pink and white... dinner at a wonderful restaurant - The Willows. And a beautiful necklace with multiple ways of wearing it and a candle to remind me of camp. Wow! He was so thoughtful - and I mean that in that he thought about it a lot and with a lot of care. Boy am I lucky!!!

My 'Uncle Rick' is working on my front porch and doing a great job - in between the rain drops. I'll show before/during/after pics soon.

And I think that's it for now...I'll post some pics of the roses next.

To all you messy shoppers!

Normally I'm not negative about people - I think the best of people to a fault. Working at the department store has given me another perspective. I seriously thought that teenagers would be an issue but quickly learned that while they are the silliest walking through they generally are pretty well behaved. Nope - it's women who believe that it's their right to go through all the racks - take off a pile of clothes and then start scattering them throughout the store. Or the woman the other night - in her 60's with her hubby or man friend, who went through all the folded sweaters and shirts - It took me 3 hours to get those back to rights There are about 60 feet of shelving times 5 (five shelves per unit). This giggling silly woman would pick up every single shirt and say "oooooh what about this one honey?" in a sickening little girl voice and then toss it back. I had to go back through after this woman left and fix almost every item on the top level as she was very consistent in her destruction. And....drum roll please....they were there for at least 1.5 hours and she bought nothing. The man didn't look happy.

I went in yesterday at 11 and the store had only been open for 3 hours - you couldn't even tell that I had folded the night before. I'm not saying that you should refold everything that you look at but don't toss it like a salad for dinner! LOL

It also amazes me the food, gum and drink containers that are left on the folding tables or display areas - there is a garbage can at every single register and we are happy to throw it away for you. And there is a huge garbage can just as you walk out the the mall.

The Christmas rush has already started and with it crabby people - but so far so good. I smile and greet everyone as though we've been acquaintances or better yet friends for years - it usually takes the crabby out of people pretty fast. Some of my co-workers have the ability to attract the crabbies - but we all get through it.

So try to think about all that folding and don't toss the shirt back in like it's garbage!

Thank you for reading my rant!

My newest adventure

I'm crazy...but that's okay...I have lots of wonderful company! LOL!

My full time job is as a systems analyst with a small IT company, my second job is with a national department store and now I'm adding a third job/adventure and that is as a Tastefully Simple Consultant. I've been having parties for about 4 years now. Our consultant is Lisa Petrie and she has just been wonderful to the group of us. And since almost the first time we met she's been asking me to be a consultant - and of course I'm stubborn and kept putting her off - only now I've decided I'm going for it.

In case you are wondering what Tastefully Simple is - here is my site. http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/mmanning2 . The food is awesome - everything is meant to be made with 2 or less ingredients. It's an American company and was started in Alexandria, Minnesota in 1995.
Please message me if you are wondering about it. I will answer any and all questions.

Happy Eating and Drinking....