Thursday, July 26, 2007

Blog notes

My birthday was last week and I received many wonderful notes and cards. Check out what my fellow blogger Denise did here. Very creative, party on. Thanks to all!

I update this blog and forget about it. Then friends catch me offguard. Such as ... it is kind of freaky when I meet people now that I haven’t seen for awhile and their first words are: “You hit a bear?!”

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Busy Weekend for One

This weekend was wonderfully quiet and busy. It started out with Carolyn's birthday party - about 15 kids were here on Friday night. Then, with Don & Bryan in Quebec for the weekend and Carolyn on her usual sleep-in-then-go-out-with-friends routine, I had the house to myself.

I used the time to carry "kitchen" boxes up from the basement and to get the new kitchen organized again. I also got caught up on some much needed gardening, which I love to do. And of course, I picked up our reserved copy of Harry Potter.

I often have the house to myself but then I'm usually working. That is about to change. Tomorrow I embark on a new adventure - a job where I work in an office as opposed to the past many, many years where I have worked steadily from my home office (or wah - work at home - as we say).


My new job is in marketing working three days per week. My contract at my previous job was renewed but for the "absolute last time." When this new opportunity came up - a part time job with substance - I leapt at it. I haven't had a first day in an office in many years! I've got an audio book all ready to go for the drive to/from work. Wish me luck! Bring it on.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Close Encounter with the Queen

Recently I was mentioning for some reason that we saw the Queen when we were in London in 2005. After waiting outside Buckingham Palace in record hot temps for a couple of hours, she whizzed by in her open carriage. If she weren't wearing a colorful outfit, we'd never have spotted her. I was standing with a family of women representing 3 or 4 generations, who said they come into London to line up along the Mall to see her all the time. One had seen the Queen 17 times. They love her.

This weekend was the 60th anniversary of VE Day and veterans had been invited to London to have tea with the Queen and participate in other events. This was also just 2 days after the July 7th subway bombings.

So here we are with our up close and personal encounter with the Queen. Still, it was exciting!

Monday, July 16, 2007

A Weekend with Sue

Sue and her two beautiful daughters were our first visitors this summer and our first visitors since our renovation began. Joe, the plumber, had our sink and dishwasher working by about 4 pm on Friday afternoon, and Sue arrived about an hour later. Perfect timing!

Sue is a friend from good ole Applewood Heights Secondary School. Having last seen each other in 2003, and before that in 1985 or so, we got along as if we were still back in high school (without the zits). As Sue pointed out, this was fun to be meeting again with our own kids who are now in high school, and now we're our moms! (She IS a lot like I remember June, her mom!) Actually Sue and I first met in grade 5.

Here are a few pics from our great weekend together, spent mostly in NYC, ending each day back in NJ:






Thursday, July 12, 2007

Day 49 - Backsplashes & Smiles

I'm smiling the most, behind my camera, as I admire my new kitchen. We're really loving it.

Ate dinner at the island tonight and admired our view out the windows. I've added some basic things to cabinets (aka cupboards) but not too much because still some finishing touches required.

Pictured here are the granite guy, Kevin, from Kennedy Tile & Marble in Jersey City - scared me at first (!) but a very nice guy who does great work with his two assistants - and Anthony who has done the lion's share of our kitchen bump-out, and installation, and coordinated the other trades. His assistant, Jose, has been excellent too.

Not pictured are the two Joes that do plumbing and electric (maybe I can snap a pic of them tomorrow when they connect our sink and cooktop) and the master designer Ron from GPS in Morris Plains.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Day 48 - Countertops

We have countertops! And I like them! They are not in completely because of a slight delay with the backsplashes, which we will have tomorrow between 10 and 11. A few things were dismantled in order to make room for the granite so you'll see some moldings are down, and cardboard is on floor. That cardboard cut-out on the window sill is a template for the exhaust fan over the cooktop.

The dishwasher, microwave and bev fridge went in today too. We just need the plumber to come along tomorrow or Friday to hook up sink and dishwasher and then we're just down to smaller finishes. Yahoo!


We're going to be ready for you Sue!
(Sue, a friend from high school, arrives at 4pm on Friday with her girls for the weekend - looking forward to it!)

Saturday, July 7, 2007

15 Candles Today

Carolyn is 15 today, a very auspicious day - 07/07/07.
We think we've lived a charmed life ever since she arrived 15 years ago!
We love you Carolyn!!!

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Dragonfly closeup

This big dragonfly guy decided to join me with my morning coffee a few weeks ago. My camera is not great at closeups but I thought this was pretty good.

We are all discombobulated around here today with July 4th being a mid-week day off. Weather has been cooler than usual for this time of year. The fireworks display at the beach was beautiful once again, but this year we were wrapped in blankets.

Other news: We are still without a working kitchen. My contract was renewed for another 5 weeks. My brother and his family are in Thailand and Hong Kong on vacation. My daughter turns 15 on Saturday.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Happy Canada Day

A couple of Canadian images -


Niagara Falls, Ontario

Our national pasttime - hanging out at Tim's