Slowing down a little

I'm having trouble with some of my software. One problem came when I did what the message said and clicked on the fix. Now my scrapbook program is gone. Luckily I had an older boxed version of it so I've been using it for a couple of days until I get the new boxed version I just had to reorder...

All of the Christmas parties are over and the kids still have another week of vacation left. Good thing they all got some neat things to play with or some of the mothers will be going crazy with "I don't have anything to do" ringing in their ears.

We've had biting cold winds up here in the high desert but no snow. At least no snow until maybe this morning or this afternoon. I can hope but I'm not holding my breath. There is a large dark cloud hanging over my area of the world but I can't tell if has snow or not. I'm not a scientist, I just wait till it starts and then I say "Look it's snowing".

Not many new scrapbook pages but I did make some neat Christmas cards with a pkg from Studio Manu that included premade cards that all I had to do was pop in a picture, and print them out. I've sent them to all my best friends. I'm slipping them into the latest calendar from the "Cold War Patriots". I happen to be Ms September. I entered the contest to send a favorite family recipe and I got picked to be featured in Sept. and I picked the picture they used. It's from 1984 when I was the "XO" of the local Sea Cadet Unit. One boy couldn't hit the bulls eye so he just ran up and hit it so I'c get dunked.

Cold War Patriots is an organization to help former Nuclear Workers get the resources they need to take care of the health problems associated with working in a hostile Nuclear environment. One of the bldgs. I was housed in for two years has a 15 page list of the previous chemicals used in this "former chem lab". It was hosed down, painted and some office furniture moved in and then they moved us in there. It's no wonder I have asbestos in my lungs along with other nasty stuff and I'm on Oxygen pretty much 24/7.

Now here's some of my latest creations.

The cookie exchange at the Senior center. Olivia & Marv enjoyed some cookies together.

A montage of all three of our pets. Mrs. Beasley is mine, while the two dogs are Charlie's.

Charlie and her new boyfriend Kelin.

Charlie's latest card.

Olivia in one of my 'Red Hats' and poor Chazz suffering with the reindeer antlers on her head.

Junior found the pile of my bears and thought it a cushy place to nap.

Junior's Christmas card. Kit is from Tooty Pup Designs.

I had to pick this one for my two 'little people'. As elves they don't work much but they enjoy the cookies.

Marv is one of my best buddies. He has the same problems with the lungs as I do only a lot worse.

A lovely lady with her first Grandchild. Moe and Margaret (aka Maggie).

Phil's newest grandchild and the older brother. Now Moe has more babies to hug on and spoil.

My Christmas card with my Patriotic Bear and a monkey in a santa hat.

Waiting for Snow but I don't think we're going to have any at all this year.

Time to fix some breakfast. Have a nice day and God Bless you all with a special Blessing on the Men/Women in Uniform and in harms way! Keep them Safe and bring them home soon.!

A Birthday Party & a Surprise on Sunday

Saturday was the birthday party for our Olivia. Since the family adults (at least most of them) work we had the party on Saturday at the apartment complex clubhouse where Bridgit & Olivia live. It's a really nice club house with a pool/ping pong room, an entertaining room and a small kitchenette with openings into both areas.  Naturally the big boys went into the pool room to play pool and some of the kids gave the ping pong table a whirl. Not saying they did any good, they were so noisy I stayed in the other room with a buffer in between.

The Birthday Girl sees herself as a 'Nerd' and requested a Star Wars party.  So both Bridgit and I went on the internet.  We found loads of stuff and I even found a blog by a "home school" teacher/mom where she uses the items for the kids she's teaching numbers, game skills, team play and whatever else it is they aren't teaching in the public schools. I printed out 14 'Jedi' completion certificates and after the kids at our party had done the obstical course of crawling on the floor between floating baloons (Helium of course) and some sparing (I think) with the light sabers we found at the $ store they got a certificate with their name on it signed by Obi One himself (tic). They are the latest members of the force of Jedi.

Food was particularly interesting. I had made a recipe of cookies a friend had posted on FB called Italian Christmas cookies which I renamed and labeled "Wookie Cookies", the punch and the soda was renamed Yoda Soda, and the veggie tray was renamed Vader Veggies. Oh, and there was a couple of bowls of check mix promptly renamed Chewbacca chews. It was quite a festive party and all the kids had fun. I had found all these names as tags for the dishes and printed them out here at home, put them on the bowls, dishes & bottles with tape.

Here are the pictures from this party. The pictures I made of the Wookie Cookies just couldn't be made into a scrapbook page so they are just as is.

Olivia with her new soft blankets on her head and lap. Mom and cousin Kaddie are looking on.

All of the kids who were there.  Some related and some not.

Two star war figures on the table in front of the Wookie Cookies and the Space Puffs.

Blue & Green Helium filled balloons from the $ store.

Close up of the Wookie Cookies.

Wookie Cookies done in regulasr frosting when I ran out of the stuff made from the recipe.

Sweet little Kaddie crawling the obsticale course.

They had fun and that's all that matters. The adult head aches are just collateral damage.

I almost forgot to tell you what the surprise was. My daughter Charlie got 3 tickets from her friend Greg and she and Kelin took me to the Regal theater Sunday afternoon to see the BIG screen version of White Christmas. I took Olivia along since she had never seen it at all. I've seen it many times on TV but this was the first time I'd seen it on the big screen in VistaVision. WOWie. It was great, colorized and we wern't sitting too far back so it was really big.

Hugs from Grandma Sarge! And thanks to the ladies who made the kits I used and will continue to use. I've put the names at the bottom of the picture I made so you have to blow them up a bit to see which one I used.

Much 'ado' about Nothing

It's been strange these last few weeks. I've been to the 'clinic' and one changed one of my meds from Zocor to Lipitor so now I can jump around in everyone's face and say "I'm down with Lipitor are you"?  Deleted a med and replaced it with something else.  I guess they know what's right or they wouldn't be able to send out the big bills they do. One thinks I should apply for a "Military Disability"  for the asbestos that has shown up in my right lung. I know back in the early 60's I was housed in some pretty old barracks and then in the late 60's we lived in base housing which wasn't all that modern. Cinder block buildings and ancient piping wasn't leaking but it was old.  I have to talk to a few more people before I jump into that muddy puddle.

We have my Christmas decorations up and just minimal ones on the outside. My little choo choo train is on the front rock garden looking like it wants to go over the little 'oriental bridge.  My solar lights aren't very bright yet because we haven't had very much sun in the last two weeks. And it's overcast again today. No breeze but it's cold out there. Mornings bring some frost and sometimes you can see it falling to the ground. It's what I'd call 'substantial rain' meaning it isn't completly liquid nor is it solid enough to be snow. It's at the tween stage. Makes for some slick driving early in the mornings I'll bet (I wouldn't know, I'm up at 4:30am but I'm not out and about at 4:30am).

We had a sort of Christmas party on Thursday nite and it was almost the whole gang. A couple of families were missing but we had a great time anyway. I tried a recipe that had been posted on FB and it didn't turn out bad at all. People really liked "Cream cheese stuffed, Bacon wrapped, Chicken breasts". That's a big mouth full to say but it tasted really good. A couple of the younger set had birthdays. Thursday the 11th was my Olivia's 10th birthday, and the 13th was Jeweli's birthday so we had cupcakes and sang to embarass the young ladies. It was a really great evening so I'm going to post a couple of pictures made into scrapbook pages.

Charlie & Kelin hamming it up.

Marie & Charlie and I wa playing with some new kits from Tooty Pups Designs.

These just show you how many people you can really fit into the kitchen.

Kelin's mom Geri and I staying out of the way and watching it all happen.

See how crowded the kitchen was, and at one point I was trying to roll up chicken breasts in partially cooked bacon and stick them together with tooth picks right about where Charlie is standing now with the finished product.

This is almost everyone, minus Ann behind the camera, and Dave with his kids absent,  &Tiphoney off singing with a new choir.

Aren't we just a happy bunch of friendly folks. It was noisy but they all left about 8:30p,m, or should I say almost all left. 

I'm going to eat breakfast now and then I'll make another blog with more pictures.

I forgot to post Kaddie's Birthday Party

We had a delightful time on the 15th for Kaddie's party. She turned 7th on the 15th and her Mom threw a party at the 'Atomic Bowl' and the kids loved it. I sat at the bar overlooking the two alleys they were using. They had the boys on one alley and the girls on the other one. It was a hoot watching those under 12 yr olds bowling. Ages 12 to about 4. Having one more boy than they did girls they just had the baby bowler take the 2nd ball his bigger brother threw.

I didn't get any pictures of the bowling but after they got through with that Kaddie's mom gave each one of them an in house card for the 'arkade' with some money on it and then turned them loose in the arkade. I did get a couple of pictures of them after they finished at the arkade and then sat down to have cupcakes. The cupcakes were great but way too much frosting. Pre teens with that much sugar is like giving the energy drink to the cartoon character that tears everything apart.

Here's the pictures from the party.

Grand daughter Bridgit and Kaddie's mom Lorene at the birthday party.

Kaddie loves her auntie Bridgit (even though they are really cousins).

Kaddie looking over the prizes at the arkade. I'm not sure what she got with her winnings.

Kaddie her birthday present (one of many)!

Put a couple of pictures together showing a happy little girl.

Gr-granddaughter Olivia with Kaddie's sister Mia, mugging for the camera.

Lovely Olivia wearing her many strings of tickets she won in the arkade which they turned into another card to be used in the arkade for prizes. Just like the prizes at the carnival. I think she looks good in Miriam's kit Denim & Lace

November's Artic Blast

I can hardly believe the temperatures I've been hearing this past week. But luckily we haven't had any snow in this "Hanford Bubble" we live in. There are mountains on two sides of us and the Columbia Gorge on the other two sides. Some how when the weather comes down from Canada it sort of sends the clouds higher and they just skim over us and into the Blue Mountains through Oregon and Idaho.

But it has been down right cold over here on the Eastern side of Washington's Cascade Mountains. For the last few nights it's been in the 'teens' and then it warms up into the low to mid 30's.  And the mobile home park I live in has been a little slow getting the sprinklers blown out for winter. For the last few mornings driving my gr-granddaughter to the school bus I've traversed through a frozen section of water and ice.  The really big trees at the park in the Park were still green last week and then Wednesday we had a really big wind come through and all the green leaves came down. It was a real chilling wind so it must have just snapped off the green leaves. Now there is about 4 inches or so of green leaves loosing their color all over the park. I guess the maintenance workers are waiting for them to change before they run the big machine over them that picks them up and bags them.  I can't say anything too much about leeaves on the ground since our yard has a ton of leaves and they need to be put into bags and placed out for the maintenance men to pick up. My new ramp out front for my wheel chair, when I use it or the walker has been given a nice layer of leaves.

Here are the last of the Halloween or October pages I've done.

Connie's party was on November 1st so this is Ann & Charlie. in a page made from 'Spooky Times' by Kyra @ RDH

This is Brian w-Mike his son and then Brian w-wifie Ann at Connie's party. The page was made using cluster by Arlene from Spooky Time by Ky

Hostess Connie and friend Jaimie in a QP from Hocus Pocus by Raspberry Roads

My two Great Grand daughters, Kaddie & Olivia on Halloween night.  Another QP from Hocus Pocus by Raspberry Roads.

And now it's time to start getting ready for Kaddie's birthday party. She's 7 today and a gathering at the bowling alley is on the blotter for today at noon-30. Olivia's birthday is in December and she'll be 10 this year.

Cold Weather on the way

Watching the weather last evening was really enlightening. They showed where the cold weather coming in from Alaska & Canada was going to dip all the way South into the Carolina's. And on the West Coast there was a little red area that the Jet Stream missed and we just happen to be on the edge of this thing but not going to get the cold temps like they are anticipating in Chicago & all parts East of there. Temps in the 30's and maybe warming up into the 50's during the day!!  Sounds like WINTER to me...especially since they expect snow with that cold snap!

I'm putting the last of my Halloween pics and then maybe tomorrow I'll start on the other fall pictures.

Party at Connie's house and these two are Ann DiAngelo and Charlie Corbin. Don't know the photo bomber in the back.

This is Brian Holmes with his son Mike, and then it's a pic of Brian with his lovely wife Ann. Same party.

This is the Hostess with the 'mostest' Miz Connie with a friend Jamie who happened to be dressed also as a pirate so he got in the picture.

Two cute little girls going out on Halloween to see how much candy they can come home with. It was a few pounds worth for each of them.

Halloween is gone Here comes the Turkey

Halloween is a great time for the kids and the young adults. The littler ones love to get the candy and bigger ones love to shock their peers. I've done quite a few pictures of them and I'm not finished yet.

Gr-grandson Aayden in his turtle costume. Papers from Raspberry Roads but the picture in the middle Aayden's mom did on her "Smart"phone.

Aayden's birthday Oct. 1st.  Now he's a 3 yr old and he's thinks he's the cream cheese now. Hodge podge of designers.

Granddaughter Bridgit and her BFF Ashley whom Bridgit is sharing her Nana (me) with. She says she doesn't have one. Two of Kyra's kits.

Four of the five Great grandchildren. These are Kadence, Olivia, Dominic, & Aayden in front. Another kit by Raspberry Roads.

My two crazy grandchildren, David and Bridgit. They are more like bro & sis than couzins. Kit is by Kyra.

Dabid won Best Costume at Alan's party. Kit by Manuela Zimmerman.

I'll finish off the rest of the pictures today and then I'll post another blog to scare every one.

Birthday and a lot more!

Had great day yesterday. Charlie invited friends and family over to help me celebrate my 75th birthday. Several didn't come because there is a tummy bug going around with all the nastiness associated with it. Olivia had it Sunday and a little bit yesterday. I had to run down to her school and pick her up just to be safe. Jopefully today she'll be in much better shape.

Sweet Megan brought a plate of cookies, and the neatest little appetizers around the plate.  circle of black olives with a slice of pepperoni filled with cream cheese in the middle. She called them torpedoes.  Mike and I ate most of them but I saved 4 of them for Bridgit for when she came home from work at 8 pm. It was a fun evening and I enjoyed it. I even forgot to open the presents that Olivia wrapped up for for me.

31 October 2014  Happy Halloween!!

I haven't stayed on the computer for vry much this week. Have just found out that the Lorazapan (Adivan) is causing me to have sleep and shouldn't have been subscribed Insominia. I immediately quite taking it and it has helped with me waking up feeling I was on a rocking boat! I may have been a sailor but rocking boats would make anyone fall down. At least that side effect has gone away. Now to figure out how to get a good night's sleep.

Today is a meeting of the "Cold War Patriots" and I have already met up with one of the ladies attending from Denver. She worked at Rocky Flats the same time as I did and was even in the same building but we never ran into each other.  I've been a member of tghis group for quite some time but this is the first meeting I've been to. I'm interested to hear the latest news from the government who is responsible for a lot of people with some pretty nasty ailments. I have Asbestos Pneumoconiosis which is to say my lungs don't work very well. That's why I'm on O2 most of the day and night.

Daughter Charlie as a 'Flapper' at one of the parties. Kit I used was 'Haounting Hour' by Kyra @ Russian Dutch Heart Designs.

This is "Moments like This" by Manuela Zimmerman. That's me with 4 of the 5 great grandchildren. Dominic, Aayden, Olivia & Kaddie with Charlie holding Aayden who was trying sleep...poor little guy didn't feel good.

This ia a Musician friend of ours with his lovely wife Pam on his left, and his sister on his right.

These two ladies have taken 'selfies' to a whole new level. The picture here is one I took for them so they could show off their Halloween costumes. That's Ashley on the left and Bridgit on the right. Kit was Yabba Dabba Boo by Lins creations.

Ooh Looky!! It's Ashley and Bridgit again. This time I used a couple of kits. Some part of Catch a Wave by mzimm, and a few parts but I found the gold frame on my hard drive and have no idea who made it for me. 

Time for some chores! Will talk again another day.