'Announcement from Westonka School District'

'Announcement from Westonka School District'

Kate Smith Sings God Bless America, 1930s

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

  FAN NIGHT @ the Zoo   http://www.pittsburghzoo.org/fbfaq

VACATION

Having a wonderful vacation!  We have been picking mushrooms ( the elusive morel ), finding not as many as we would like.  Reading, sitting at Starbuck's, visiting The Phipps Conservatory, shopping, watching tv...a great way to relax.  We also had a fabulous dinner with Martin, Suzanne & Ale on Mother's Day! 
Suzanne & Ale joined us for shrooming on Wednesday and although we did not find many, we did have an awsome time and Suzanne took lots of pictures of us in the woods.  Today, I am going to my own secret place to look for morels.  If I find any, I will let you know.
Dinner last evening was at The Pines in Gibsonia PA.  I had a scrumptous veal meatloaf stuffed with ricotta cheese, spinach & pine nuts!  If you ever find yourself down that way...http://www.thepinestavern.com/

More later...with some pictures!

I bit the bullet today and set up my page for the LIGHT THE NIGHT WALK at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on October 7 2010.   I set up an account for Joe also.  I figured it was about time he helped out on the fundraising end of this deal and then he will get to go to the walk and participate with TEAM CHELSEA & LUKE.  You can access the team page by clicking on... http://pages.lightthenight.org/wpa/Pttsbrgh10/TEAMCHELSEALUKE

At the bottom of the team page you can click on my page or Joe's page.  You can make a donation on the team page or my page or Joe's page or on all pages!!!  You can also sign up to walk with TEAM CHELSEA & LUKE in October if you want to participate.  It is a lot of fun and if you raise $100.00 you get a t-shirt, a baloon, and food at the walk!

Way to go Pens!

THE DIVIDED STEELER NATION

"Authentic Roethlisberger jerseys are piling up in the mailroom at the Steelers’ South Side headquarters. Frustrated fans, as a protest of what they think is boorish behavior, are sending back their #7 jerseys in droves. The Steelers are also getting hundreds of letters, emails and phone calls, and it will only get worse. That’s why the decision is so difficult for Art the Deuce. Does he trade away the team’s best chance of winning for an image? Here’s an easy way to look at a possible answer to his problem. What would be better for the Steelers…to keep Ben and win a Super Bowl or to trade him and miss the playoffs for the next five years? In my opinion, the Steelers can always find a way to win again (even if it takes 10 years), but if the Steelers decide not to trade Roethlisberger, then they’ll never be able to go get back their reputation as a team with a “higher standard.” Never. Once that standard is compromised, the Steelers will never have it again. Trading Ben might hurt the Steelers’ chances of winning games, but it would do wonders for maintaining, and even bolstering, the reputation and image of the most respected franchise in sports. So what’s the better choice? I think you know." ---from Alby Oxenreiter

I can't stand it!  Please trade Ben Roethlisberger, Mr Rooney.  And, if you won't trade him,  please bench him for the rest of his career.  Someone who treats women with such disregard is not worthy of wearing the Steeler colors.  I have always been a Steeler Fan and I will continue to be a Steeler Fan.  I just won't watch if PIG PEN plays.  I will be embarassed for the rest of the players and coaches that they have to be associated with someone who displays such behavior.

Oh, my...Didn't think it had been so long since I last posted!  Time just slips away...

Joe & I spent two Saturdays ago with his sister, Maryann & her friend (ours too) Trudie,  in Pittsburgh.  We had not been to Trudie's home before so we went there early on Saturday morning.  What a pleasant & nice place she has just off McKnight Road! 

Breakfast was next on the adgenda at Valliant's Diner on Babcock Blvd.  http://site.valliantsdiner.com/  Cute little place with great diner food!  After filling our tummies with goodies, we drove to Shadyside to look at The Mansion on Fifth that friends of Trudie's are renovating.  http://www.mansionson5th.com/ It is lovely and I can't wait to check in!

The Phipps Conservatory was next on our travels.  I renewed our membership so we could all get in that day using the membership & Joe & I can use it for the next year.  The family membership got Joe & I each a card and we each got a pass for a guest.  (And, if they screw up when they send our membership package in the mail, we may get 2 more guest passes!)  The flowers were lovely and the day was warm & sunny so we had a very enjoyable visit to the as always beautiful Phipps.

Shopping on Walnut in Shadyside filled the afternoon.  We meandered in & out of most of the shops, working our way down one side of the street & up the other side.  Joe got a little bored with the "girlie" things we were interested in so he sat on a bench in the sun and patiently waited.  He didn't complain, but I think that was because we were in the company of others!!!  I found a pair of white slippers that I really wanted until I saw the price...$75.00!!!  For slippers...

The four of us dined at GIRASOLE http://www.733copeland.com/menu.html when we got tired of shopping.  The food was fabulous and the ambiance was devine.  We shared a bruschetta appetizer and wonderful Italian bread & butter with a little wine.  Joe ordered a cup of mushroom soup that I tasted & will definitely order the next trip.  The house salad that came with the dinners was very large & tasty with crumbled gorgonzola.   I ate the potato gnocchi in maranara sauce;  Joe ordered a broiled fish with sauted vegetables.  (I have forgotten what Trudie & MA ate since it was two weeks ago.)
We shared a piece of decadent homemade cake for dessert.

We topped off our busy day with a trip to the Market District and back to Trudie's.  At the MD, she purchased a piece of brie covered with mascarpone mixed with brown sugar!  To die for...We gorged ourselves.

Last Saturday Eileen, Dad & I went to breakfast at the Golden Corral  to attend the Veterans monthly get together.  They meet the first Saturday of each month to keep up on the latest news & views & to socialize.
We were invited because my father is one of the  Veteran honorees at the Mercer Memorial Day 500 this year.  http://www.mercermemorialday500.homestead.com/    The Mercer Memorial Day 500 is also on facebook.
We are excited about this honor and hope to see all of you at the parade on Memorial Day.

It was also Stone's birthday party.  Stone is my friend Kathy's grandson and he was four.  I never saw so many presents.  The day was perfect with 80 degree temperatures although it was very windy. And, there was an Easter egg hunt after the opening of all the presents.

Last evening, I went to New Castle for a house warming party for my friends  Eleanor & Faith.  They bought the neatest  Craftsman style house on the north side of NC.  They received an abundance of nice gifts and a good time was had by all.  I am looking forward to visiting them again soon.

PS  Joe & I also went to a wine & cheese party at the UPMC Woman's Care Center in Hermitage on Tuesday evening to welcome Children's Hospital to Hermitage.  It has been a long time coming and now there is finally world class care right here in Hermitage for children.

I had a wonderful time at Levi's & Sandy's birthday party yesterday.  It was great to see old friends from the campground that I haven't seen in ages.  Eleanor threw a nice party and it truly was a surprise to her father.  Her mother thought she was just having a birthday party for her father so she was indeed surprised.  Thanks for inviting me, Eleanor.  I have missed you. 
Trey & I went to Boardman to Vintage Estates Wine & Beer.  He has a friend who has a beer store in Erie, so he is interested in checking out new beers that are available.  I had a small glass of Kentucky Burbon Ale that was aged in old oak burbon barrels.  It was very good,  coming from someone who doesn't like beer!
After drinking beer in Boardman we went to the Lemon Grove Cafe in downtown Youngstown.  I had a very luscious lime-ginger tea.  The artwork was limited but good and I found a picture I would like to own.  I especially liked the silk screened t-shirts hanging from the ceiling.  And, the bare bulb light strands from Youngstown Electric Supply are on my "to have soon" list.  We didn't stay long enough to see the band that was playing.  Maybe next time. 

My back and neck are feeling a little better each day.  Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  My massage therapist, Cheri, is to thank for a wonderful and relaxing massage on Thursday.

This past week has been very sunny but extremly cold for this time of the year.  So much for global warming!
Today is supposed to be sunny and in the 40's.   I was hoping for more like 60 this time of year...

Trey is here this weekend and Joe is making pizza today.  I have a surprise birthday party to attend this afternoon and then Trey & I are going to drive over to Vintage Estates Wine & Beer.  He works at a beer store in Erie and loves to visit other shops and see what they carry.  VE was rated the best beer retailer in the world and it is right here in our neck of the woods!  The owner just happens to be a customer of mine! http://www.vintage-estate.com/index.php  You should check it out here or on facebook.

Luke is playing in a tennis tournament in Fargo ND today.  Good luck, Luke.  Beat the pants off of all of them!!!    http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/draws/EventDraw.aspx?T=88829&E=2 

My father has been selected as one of three veterans to be honored at the Mercer Memorial Day 500 Event on Monday May 31, 2010!  He had been nominated by the Reynolds VFW Post 7599 & his good friend, David James of that Post.  (I also nominated him but I think the VFW was the clincher!)  This is a wonderful celebration held in Mercer PA each Memorial Day and they deserve your support.  http://www.mercermemorialday500.org/

I haven't been feeling up to par for the last 2 weeks since I had a couple x-rays taken of my neck to see if the graft is "taking".  The technition asked me to hold 2 sandbags so she could get the picture the doctor requested.  I said I should not hold anything heavy, but she insisted.  In hindsight, I now know I should have refused to hold the sandbags and probably would not have gotten the pictures taken.  Immediately after the x-rays, my neck & shoulders started to hurt and became very sore.  My neck felt like I was 2 weeks out of surgery again!  My eyes felt like they were going to pop right out of the sockets and the pain was intense.  I even felt dizzy and nauseous.  By the time Tuesday rolled around, the pain was worse so I called Dr Gerszten's office and left a message.  Art, the doctor's nurse, call me and said the doctor was away and would not see the x-rays until Friday.  He suggested I start on Ibuproben to help with the inmfamation and pain and to take Soma to relax the shoulder muscles.  I started an all out effort to take the Soma every 4 hours without missing and the same with the Ibuproben  (Which I am not supposed to be taking because the last scope I had showed 3 small holes in my stomach from drugs).   Whatchagoinado???
The combination every 4 hours has been helping and I am ready to gradually reduce the Ibuproben to get off of it. 
Dr Gerszten called this past week to say that he sees no damage from the sandbag incident and the graft looks like it is healing nicely.  Yea!!!  If I don't feel better in 4 weeks I am to call him and he will take another look without the sandbags.

GUTTERS & DOWN SPOUTS

Why do we put gutters & downspouts on our houses?  They just cause ice to build up and water then runs backwards into the eaves and under the roof shingles.  If gutters weren't there, the melted snow would run off the roof to the ground instead of into the house.  French drains around the perimiters of the houses would direct the water away from the foundations, thus eliminating any water damage.  Sounds simple enough to me with my simple mind. 

HA, HA, HA

It was not such a good idea to go to Costco in Robinson, nor Trader Joe's in East Liberty today.   And it was definitely not a great idea to go to the Market District back in Robinson tonight!  I totally forgot about all the people that had been trapped inside and without any way to get around for the past week.  Not to mention that they were starving!   Today just happened to be the first time they could get shopping anywhere.  I am not a patient person when it comes to having to wait in line to do anything....

I don't remember in my lifetime seeing trees broken by heavy snow except in pictures or movies and hearing about them in stories.  Well, I saw them today.  Lots of them.  Hundreds of them along the roads and streets and in yards.  And they are still covered by snow.  Lots of snow.  Snow in the streets, snow in the yards, snow on buildings, snow totally covering cars.  What looks like huge piles of snow along the streets turned out to be cars buried where they were parked nine days ago!  There are also huge piles of snow that are really snow and some piles are at least 10 feet tall.  And they are on the streets, not in parking lots like we see snow piled around the Valley. 
I am amazed that there is such a problem with snow removal in Pittsburgh.  I know that there are budget problems, etc.  but what is the matter with getting off your duff and shoveling some snow people?  The sidewalks aren't even cleaned yet!  This is when you help others. 
There is a 10% unemployment rate around here.  Put some of those able bodied people to work plowing and hauling and shoveling.  The Strip was closed for three days.  Why didn't they ban parking on Penn Ave and haul the snow the heck out of there?
It is not like there is NO snow in PA in the winter.  It is not like this is the first time it ever snowed in Pittsburgh.  It is a city like a lot of cities in this country with nowhere to push the snow, but other cities deal with snow removal in a more efficient and timely manner.

Up an at 'em early today!  I usually don't participate in winter, especially snow events, but I want to go somewhere, anywhere, today so I have to clean off my car.  Normally, I just let nature take it's course and the white stuff will melt, but today I am going to blow the darned crap off of my car with the leaf blower I use in the summer to clean the patio!  Just stepped out on the porch to try it and it works!  Well, not really great but it does blow it from the walk.  Soon I will be mobile again...

OUR BACKYARD
We got a little snow last evening, but nothing near our friends to the south in the Cranberry-Pittsburgh area. Considering I don't do winter very well, I just stayed in today and watched tv and played on the computer.

 Joe had to work at 3, so he made pizza to take to work and made us a great pepperoni pizza. Great diet of pizza and chocolate and cola today! Oh well, Monday is another day (since
the super bowl is tomorrow) and I will get back to eating clean then.

A FRIEND'S DECK IN THE CRANBERRY AREA

Joe & I went to see The Prairie Home Companion show that was broadcast live in HD from the Fitzgerald Theater in St Paul MN to movie theaters all over the country tonight. It was amazing. All my favorite cast of characters, bigger than life on the "big" screen. I think it was even better than seeing them in person at the Minnesoooota State Fair. The quality of the HD made them look so real standing there before us and I wanted to reach out and touch them. (Maybe next time it could be in 3D and they would touch me!) It was not at all like watching a movie even though we were in a movie theater.

Prior to the actual live theater performance, Garrison Keillor took us on a walk around St Paul. A lot of the places, we have visited with the grandsons who live in MN. There was a great candy store that we will have to go to on our next visit and another favorite, Mickey's Diner... a grungy, greasy, everyday diner where we have eaten many times and that has been in several movies. (There is even free parking for about 8 cars!)

At Tinseltown in Boardman, posters shouted the upcoming HD broadcasts that one could pay a hefty 20 bucks to see. Joe was especially taken with the fact that the Metropolitan Opera was coming next. Considering it costs $9.50, $6.25 for seniors, to go the the regular movies, I guess $20 is not bad for live HD.

Boardman, here we come!  Sister in law, Mary Ann & I are going to buy some Caribou Coffee for our Keurig coffee machines.  They are awsome machines.  Everyone should have one, or two.  We are also looking foreward to eating at the Flaming Ice Cube and having their delicious food.  Then we will hit Barnes & Noble to check out the latest books.  Can't wait!

I guess I should write something new since I posted the link to my blog.  The blog sometimes seems like a big chore that I detest doing!  That is why I don't post more often.  It is not that I don't have anything to say, quite the contrary.  I have been trying to figure out how to attach the Blog & facebook.  For some time, I have had the facebook connection on the blog.  Now, I think I have it!