Company is Coming!

I got a wonderful phone call from my sister this afternoon.  She and her two kiddos are headed our way at the end of the week for a few days. Her husband has to work on Saturday so he won't be able to come down.   It's spring break at school and they picked our house to visit!  Yes!  She hasn't been here since November and that's just way too long.

She wants to sleep in every day, no problem!  Friday I have to work and B will just be coming home from his night shift, so it will be nice and quiet.  She is planning to visit her BFF from college and see her new baby.  New being the relative word, since I think he was born last fall!

Her other request is to have a low key weekend.  Um ok, but try not to be too tough on us!  If it rains we will go to the movies, of it doesn't we might play a little mini golf.  No matter what the weather, we will all hang out and enjoy each other's company.  B and my sister get along great.  Sometimes I think they get along better than he and I do!

I'm excited for the visit and the quality time with my sissy and the kids.  And a quiet weekend of them destroying the house sounds fabulous!

I had no idea

This morning I attended a memorial service for a work friend's husband. He was a quiet, unassuming man and I hadn't really known him that well.  A hello in the hallway at the office, a little chat about the weather.  And then my friend asked me to help proof his obituary and I discovered that this was no ordinary man.  He had been in the service, worked in education at some of the highest levels, and then ended his career as a director of a nonprofit agency.  He had been a police officer and a bartender.  He loved his family, fishing, and to help people.  He had served in the boards of numerous nonprofit agencies and even at the state and federal level.   At this mornings service, which was a breakfast - his favorite meal and he wanted everyone to be able to enjoy the rest of their day, hence a morning memorial - he was honored by those who spoke as a calm, caring and thoughtful person.  Someone who put the needs of others above himself.  Someone who listened, thought about it, and then spoke.

I wish I had done more than just said hi in the hallway.  I wish I had taken the time to know him better.  I'm glad that I can be here to help my friend through this time, and I'm hoping I can learn more about her husband as we talk.  

This has been a huge reminder to me that we should never judge a book by its cover.  I thought he was a nice man, but truth be told, he was a great man.

I am hoping to take this morning's lessons to heart.  Take the time to get to know those around you and do something for somebody every day.  Thank you, Gil for those lessons!

Bye Bye Snow!

I think the snow is finally going.  I can see brown grass, my faded out Santa garden flag is visible again and needs to be removed promptly!  Don't get me wrong, the pile of snow at the bottom of our driveway is still as tall as the car, but it used to be as tall as our SUV, so there has been progress!

The melting snow is revealing the ugly truth of what happened this winter during the ice storm.  We have a ton of branches on the ground and two trees that are going to be chopped up and hauled away hopefully soon.  It's going to be a lot of work to get it all cleaned up, but I'm ready to take it on.   Of course we have to wait for the ground to harden up just a little bit.  I would probably sink to my ankles if I stepped out on the lawn.

One of the other casualties of the winter is our mailbox.  It took a big hit from the plow and has bravely done it's duty for the last few months.  The door closes, if you put a little muscle into it.  But we have come home to very soggy mail a couple of times.  I guess we have a weak mail person!

We put away our winter boots and snowshoes and jackets last night.  I'm ready for hiking and walks and maybe even a little bit of biking this spring!

Our favorite show

B and I love the show the Voice.  We plan our Mondays and Tuesdays around it and make sure that it gets DVR'd just in case something makes us miss it and for the nights that B is working.  Of course, when he misses it for work, he has to watch it the next morning before he goes to sleep!

It's probably one of the few shows on TV that we both love.  Baseball season started today and he'll be holed up in his man cave most evenings watching games.  But when the Voice is on, we share the couch and watch together.

I found myself giving singing advice to one of my nieces this weekend.  And I wasn't even sure were the advice had come from.  B piped up from across the room, "you heard that on the Voice."  So, I guess this makes us super fans.  We plan our evenings around the show, quote it, DVR it.  Sad to say, neither of us can really carry a tune in a bucket, but we always have something to say about the contestants!

It's almost time for the tonight;s show and both of us have been rushing around trying to get everything done so we can just relax and enjoy!

Where is Spring?

Last week, on the first day of Spring, we shoveled snow.  Over a month ago, a great friend of mine and I planned a shopping trip to a local outlet mall.  It should have been in the 40's/50's because it normally is this time of year.  It wasn't.  Oh no, we had low 30's and snow and we went anyway, because this is the winter that isn't going to quit.  And I know it's not going to quit, because we are expecting...you guessed it...more snow this week! 

I'm trying everything I know to get myself in a Spring frame of mind.  I've put away every snowman or winter type of decoration.  I wore a mint green sweater today and tried to look springy.  I made my desktop background on my work computer a lovely photo of a warm tropical place.  I'm going to go eat an ice cream in a minute.

I don't think any one of these things is going to make a difference - in the weather  or my state of mind!  So old man winter, keep giving me what you got.  I can take it.  It will just make me appreciate those 2 weeks of summer we'll have in mid-July!

Sitting in the Dark

I'm sitting here in the dark, watching Survivor and listening to the freezing rain hit the windows.  Yes, it is another stormy night and I'm about done with this winter.  B is in Florida visiting with his mom and enjoying the sunshine and a few spring training baseball games.  He's heading back on Friday, just in time for the sleet, freezing rain, and snow to be done. 

We were sent home early today, so I used my time wisely and cleaned a bathroom, ha ha.  We were told to bring work home, so I'm hoping for a day of working in my pjs from the couch.  Whether I have to go in to work or not, at some point I'm going to have to go out and clean off the deck, steps and around my vehicle.  Not really looking forward to that part - but a girl's got to do, what a girl's got to do!

Hoping that this is the last snow of the season, but something tells me old man winter isn't done with us yet.  

Where did that come from?

So, I was just checking my stats for this blog and there were 130 hits yesterday.  What???  The most I've ever had is 20.  Who knows who you are or how you found this, but welcome and thanks for checking this little blog out. 

Writing on here helps me clear my head, it's like a road map of my life for the past few years.  Nothing too exciting, but it's my reality.  I'm a simple gal, not a lot of wants or needs (ok, B may not agree with that statement!).  Love my husband and the life we live.  Moved away from everything I'd known at the age of 40 and miss my mom and family every day.

Gotta go, Criminal Minds is on and I can't seem to stop watching!