Birthday Party

Saturday was Vickie's birthday so they joined us for a Birthday dinner. Vickie choose build your own shush kabobs. It was a great idea and delicious. We also had Dairy Queen ice cream cake, (this is the first time we have had ice cream in the house since Jeff and I started our "lifestyle" change in January). What a great treat. Vickie is doing well and the kids are great. She doesn't look any older to me. Josh was working at the Pizza join so we didn't see him. We will today because we are going to Punch Pizza on Grand for dinner. We are also hoping to be joined by Joshes cousin and family. They have a little boy too. These toddlers are so much fun to be around it makes me giggle.

Uncle Bill also joined us for dinner and cake. Always nice to have family around to celebrate (or just hang out). This was the first time Bill met Haley.

Haley likes the swing, and slept most of the time they were here. Ridley is doing very well. It is remarkable that within a few days it seems that they have grown! Haley is now 10 weeks old. She is a little dolly.

Ridley like the game show 'Wipe out' and pretends he is running the course with the sofa cushions on the floor to serve as the water to brake his fall when he wipes out off the sofa. It's a fun game, trust me.

Jeff is still doing a good business with the piano business. The spring things slow down and he has a bit more free time to ride the motorcycle and do the volunteer work with the MS society. Works out to his advantage. Of course I am sort of locked down during the gardening season. I've met the folks he rides with for the MS society and they are a great bunch of people and fun to be around as well as kind and generous. How could he not have a great time helping out with this gang.

Now the fellow from the VTX group? That's a different story..... No, they are a great group also, responsible and good down to earth people that like to ride there motorcycles. A lot.

Won't be long now and we will be spending most of our time out doors. I should be back in the garden by April 4th. Hard to believe when I look out the window right now and see the yard covered in icy snow. There are only a few inches and when it starts to go again it will go fast. Spring is around the corner.

St. Patrick Day and Little Sisters

Happy St. Patrick Day Everyone.

It is official, I have spring fever. It's 50 degrees and the is braking through the light clouds cover. The Robins are in the yard singing loud and clear with the Cardinals right beside them.

I'm really quite amazed at how much snow has melted today alone. Tomorrow the forecast is for more of the same. We'll have to keep our eyes on the rising river this week.

I received a picture text while I was talking to my little sister, but I'm not tek smart enough to check my text and talk at the same time, so when I got off the phone this is what I found. Hope I'm not in trouble for sharing this without permission from either of these sisters but this is a great picture with Kelly Lou who is walking for her big sister Lori. You ROCK girl.

I spent some time with Ridley and Haley while Mom and Dad went to see King Tut stuff and dinner to celebrate an up coming birthday.

Haley was amused with Nana and her brother doing jumping jacks around the living room clapping our hands in the air and saying 'Hooray'. I swore she giggled at us. She sure had some very big smiles and a few spit bubbles.

Isn't it amazing what these little creature do to us grown ups? They're great kids. I will be spending a couple days with them until I start working in the gardens again. It's hard to think that I will be back to work in less than three weeks.

And speaking of thing to see outside ones window; while I was hanging with the kids we saw 6 deer walking between the rows of town houses. They didn't care that they were being watched and they pushed at the bird feeders to knock the seed out and lick it off the ground. This isn't deep in the 'inner city' by any means, but it is quite populated and a lot of traffic.

They look pretty well fed and not afraid of much anything. There is more wildlife hanging out in the shrubs than we think there is.

Guess they need somewhere to live too, and it is a pretty nice neighborhood.

I hope that everyone is starting to feel the spring 'hope' again. I try to fight off spring fever as long as possible because I hate disappointment, but there's no avoiding it any more. Happy spring I think.

A Rare Orchid

A few days ago Vickie sent me a link to an article in ABC News about a rare orchid in bloom and being on display for one week only at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum about 60 miles west. http://http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/02/12/rare-orchid-blooming-at-minn-landscape-arboretum/
The weather has been beautiful the past few days and it was a good reason to take the Vue for a ride. I had my friend Rose join me for the morning trip. This is a privet collection that is being shared with the public. It was a good destination.


Orchids that look like Hummingbirds.



The same plant and the flowers all look slightly different. One has freckles and the other not!

The large white flowers remind me of mouths.

This yellow and red bloom repeated hundreds of times on a cluster of stems. Outstanding!

And this is the rare orchid that we went there to see.

I photoed the discription so I wouldn't have to write it.

Quite a big deal.

They were all very breath taking in their own way.

While we were there we wondered around the buildings. We came across the library and the "Tea Room". This is a part of the property I hadn't explored in the past but I promised myself that I will be there more ofter this year to enjoy the gardens and explore. They just started renting snow shoes and there are trails around the Arboretum grounds. Think that would be pretty cool, I may want to try that one day before the winter is over. It's sort of good to see some of the plants during the winter and check out the bird area perhaps.

After spending the warm sunny spring like morning out were I know the total focus is upon gardens and plants; I am burning with the fever. I hope I'm not in for a big disappointment.... of course I am, it's February. Oh well, it's not too much longer.

Happy Valentines Day

Shall we compare our hears to a garden-
With beautiful blooms, straggling weeds,
swooping birds and sunshine, rain-
and most importantly, seeds.

-Grey Livingston-



I am not very good with words. And sometimes I don't think the people I love and hold close and dear to my heart don't realize how much they mean to me.

Have a very happy and love filled Valentine's Day.

With All My Love.....

Burr it's cold outside

Oh my word; I am so sick of this cold! The sun is brightly shining and when I look at the thermometer it reads -4. I will stay in this morning and reconsider if I will even go out this afternoon. At this point in the season there isn't anything that important that I can't wait till the day warms up. Yesterday we had the furnace guy out because the fan was starting to make unfriendly noises and this is not the week we wanted the fan to stop at 3 AM. So at least we know the fan is in fine working order.

I am thinking about making a trip to "Trader Joe's", a grocery store that has it's own brand of very reasonable priced foods with a good quality products containing fewer thing that I can't say let along spell. For those of you who have been there you agree that it is a great excuse to take the Vue for a ride. I do like driving the Vue, but the millage isn't what I would like it to be. I still feel a bit piggish when I pull up to the gas pump and now with the price of gas up over $3.00 a gallon it hurts even more. Yes I know; 'you only drive 10,000 miles a year'.

As most of you have probable heard Jeff and I are trying to adopt a healthier way of living (I'm sure Paula will be happy to hear that) though better eating and exercise. For the eating part we are receiving assistance through Weight Watchers. We have made this a combined effort and we are headed in the right direction. Part of my goal is

to make this a 'habit' so when I go back to work in a

couple months we won't fall off the wagon.

We aren't going to be vegetarians, but we are reducing the amount we eat or the type of meat, and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. We are reading the labels of the product we eat more clearly and changing some of the little habits can make a big difference, like butter. We are both feeling well fed and not deprived as I have on some other diets. The recipes and cooking methods are quite good. Jeff made a humus the other night that was fabulous, (I won't be buying that at Trader Joe's anymore). We are losing weight, slowly but surely.

To assist us with our working out and to make it more amusing we are employing the Wii Fit. I am the one that said I wouldn't use a game counsel to work out, but yet here I am checking in every day. I will admit that my balance has improved and we all know that our health only improves with physical activity. Besides, in 7 weeks it's back on the job site. I am also riding a stationary bike as well as the Fit and Jeff goes to a sports arena in town to walks the playing field with many other folks from the area who don't want to walk outside. I think that it is a social thing as well. Folks walk together and visit then move on to do a few laps before the next group they walk and visit with.

Yesterday was the second therapy for my thumb since I had the cast off two weeks ago and she is very impressed with the progress I have made. Actually my thumb bends better hers did! I still have a small splint to wear on the thumb alone for about a moth as I feel I need it, and no push ups.

I don't know what Vickie finds time but I saw that she has updated her blog with new pictures of the kids. Her blog site is; www.thehollandbaby.blogspot.com in case you would like to see pictures of Ridley and Haley.

Gee I wonder who gave this shirt to Haley? Any guesses?

Well that's the scoop for now. Take care of yourself and stay warm.

AML

Nothing Brightens up a Winter Day Like...

a brand new baby.

Yes our biggest new news of course is the arrival of Josh and Vickie's little girl, Haley Clare. Ridley's little sister was born on January 16th. She is very healthy and beautiful, a perfect baby at 7 pounds 14 ounces and 20 1/4 inches.



Haley Clare Holland photo by Stef Janish

Nora and Robin with Haley

The timing was perfect for Robin and Nora to meet her before they headed back to St. Louis the next morning. Haley met a few other happy and excited family members too. Aunt Stacey and Grandma & Grandpa Holland as well as Grandpa and Nana Cutler. Vickie and Josh are doing great. Ridley seem so big next to her. He's a wonderful big brother.

It's a long and cold January as far as I'm concerned. Tomorrow the cast comes off my hand and I'll go to a splint for awhile during physical therapy for sure and probably awhile after that. I think it's healing; the pain is different, and more like an ache than a pain. Guess I'll know a little more tomorrow (I hope). On the up side of this; I haven't had to shovel any snow this winter. This is the most snow we've had here since I have moved to the area.

Moe is doing quite well and has settled into life at our house. He and Lora have become quite close; spending time playing, grooming and napping together. Moe has lost about 3 pounds and looking a little less bulbish. He's still a big boy, but he's happy.

Goldie

Goldie

May 5 1994 to January 1, 2011

We said good bye to Goldie on New Years Day. Charlene was also here to say fair well.

She was a fun loving little dog, smart, loyal and faithful; a true fur friend that never complained or judged.

Goldie enjoyed swimming, playing ball and digging in the snow. She liked entertaining with her singing, (when she could hear) as well as 'sitting pretty' and the 'nose trick'.

She looked forward to the two trip to the groomer, spring and fall, as she jumped and danced around like a puppy showing off how pretty she was.

Goldie was the original "Pretty Girl" I'll never forget when she walked down the isle at our wedding and sat beside me during the ceremony.
She was a once in a life time companion, she will be greatly missed. I was very fortunate to have her with me for such a long time.