Alive and well in Upstate, NY

What is it about not being able to get back in the swing of things after a long absence? As evidenced by my last post, I've been pretty busy. Well, I had been pretty busy up until Independence Day weekend. Since then, my life has slowed down and is pretty much back to normal.

So, I should have plenty of time to post to my blog, right? And I do. I'm taking life much more slowly now that Vacation Bible School is over. Somehow, though, I just can't seem to talk myself into getting back into blogging.

I love my blog. I love all of my followers. Being connected to all of you is a real joy to me....but I just haven't had much to talk about and no inspiration.

So here I am. My camera is giving me fits. I had some great flower pictures that I wanted to share and they are stuck in the internal memory of my camera, unwilling or unable to be copied to the memory card.

Then there are the really fun pictures that Sarah, our VBS photographer emailed me today. I had a plan to make a VBS collage to share here and on Facebook. Great idea, but NO, my computer says it can't find the file or program or some such thing to transfer the pictures. I'm just plain frustrated. If it's not Blogger giving me grief, it's my camera or computer.

It's really, really hot here. They are saying we are breaking records set in the 1800's. Can you imagine? I look out the window and everything is so beautiful, but I walk out the door and want to turn around and run back to the air conditioning. Honestly, we have been spending most of our time in the house these past five or six days.

We did have a wonderful and relaxing 4th of July weekend. We had a get together with friends at Bruce and Shelly's house. The food was fabulous and the company even better. Bruce is doing really well. It looks like we will be going to the Adirondacks with them next week to help them get settled in their summer home. He walked 100 feet with a cane today. Real progress.

With the pressure of VBS over, I have had time to catch up here at home. Just a lot of little things that I had let go in the past month while preparing for VBS. I feel really great about these accomplishments.

We are getting up really early and walking before it gets so beastly hot. I have also been faithfully going to Curves....it's air conditioned there too. We also saw the movie The A Team yesterday. It was hokey, but fun and brought back lots of memories. The girls really liked that show when they were younger.

Speaking of the girls, it's just three weeks until Gretchen and Brian come for a visit. We are really excited and have lots of plans. The excitement is a little blurred by the fact that Paige can't come too. We would so love to have all our family together for a few days. That happens so rarely.

I feel better now. I've made a step in the right direction by posting tonight. Maybe this will inspire me to post more regularly. I think part of my malaise is that more and more of my bloggie friends are posting less and less. I think FB has had an effect on blogging and it makes me sad.

Okay enough of me for tonight. I hope everyone sleeps well in this heat and wakes up with a joyful spirit tomorrow.

~Hippo Hugs~

P.S. Sorry if this sounds like a downer. I really am quite delighted with life.
~hh~

Oh What a Week!

And what a week it was! Even though almost everything I did this week was fun, fun, fun, I am hoping that I don't have a week as busy as this for a long, long time.

Monday: I started out my day with a 6:30 A.M. walk with Jim. It was a beautiful morning and the walk was great. I followed the walk with a trip to Curves and more exercise. I knew then what kind of week I was going to have and wanted to get as much exercise in as possible.

From Curves I went to my friend, Joy's, to finish my calendar stamping project. I am so excited about the 2011 calendars and happy as a clam to have them almost finished. These calendars are such fun and make cool little gifts for my friends and family come Christmas time.

It was a day of great accomplishment, but at dinner time when I looked at my calendar, I found that I had forgotten a dinner date with our friend, Ken. I called him, apologized and he was more than gracious. I'm still feeling guilty.

Tuesday: I had really good intentions about getting up at 6:30 to walk, but when push came to shove, I just couldn't do it. It was dark and rainy and I just wanted to stay in my bed for awhile. Seeing how my morning held my yearly mammogram appointment, maybe you can understand my reluctance to jump out of bed and get started.

The plan was to visit Florence, go to my appointment, have lunch and take in a movie, even though I knew I really shouldn't indulge myself in a movie with my busy week. Well, you know the saying about the best laid plans....Here's what really happened. When we got to Florence's, she was sound asleep. I sat with her for twenty minutes or so, but she just couldn't wake up, so I left there early....which got me to my radiology appointment early. They took me right in and....I left there early. Way too early for lunch. We went to several places. We were hungry enough for lunch, but no luck.

We decided to give up and go home, but on the way Jim said he really wanted to have soup at UNO's, so we turned around and went back, arriving just as they opened at 11:30. The soup and sandwich were yummy. Just what we needed on a rainy day. Finishing lunch earlier than we had planned, we decided to have dessert and skip the movie.

Tuesday evening was rehearsal for our VBS skit.

Vacation Bible School being next week, we are having several rehearsals for the skit this week.

Wednesday: Well, Wednesdays always begin with Loser Housewife Breakfast and this week was no exception. Thursday being the last day of school, we lose Kathy for the summer so it was important that we all be together. I had a little surprise for everyone. I found these cool frames last winter in Nevada and had someone take our picture several weeks ago.



Seeing how we think we are so cute, I thought this frame was perfect for us.

The rest of the day was devoted to cleaning my house and car as we are having weekend company. Laverne and Cathy arrive tomorrow for a couple of days.

Thursday: I have been waiting excitedly for this day to arrive. It was the first day of play of the 2010 LPGA Championship. Although we have had the LPGA in Rochester for many years, this is the first time it has been a Major tournament. We spent the day at Locust Hill watching these talented and delightful women play golf.



I had to fit in another rehearsal last evening and then drop exhausted into bed so that we could...


Friday: Go back to Locust Hill and watch even more golf. While, yesterday, we spent most of the day at one spot watching the golfers tee off, today we decided to follow a specific golfer. We chose Christie Kerr, who turned out to be the leader, with a minus 10, at the end of the day. Unfortunately, my back began to give me trouble after three holes and I was forced to go back to the ninth green and find a seat. Jim, however, walked nine holes with Christie's group.


For a non-golfer, I sure enjoy watching professional golf. I just wish I could go back tomorrow, but alas, that won't be possible.


After I bake pies tomorrow morning it will be off to skit rehearsal one last time. Then my company comes and I am planning on relaxing and enjoying good food, good friends and lots of laughs until Monday when it starts all over again.


~Hippo Hugs~

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Father's Day

On this Father's Day, I want to send wishes to all the father's out there. I especially think of the special men in my life. I want to remember my uncles who gave me so much love and guidance in the years when I didn't have a father in my life. Special wishes and love go to my Uncle Bill who holds such a special place in my heart.

Then there is my Dad, Francis Huston, who never treated me as if were not his own daughter.

He was so nervous and so proud on my wedding day. He was pretty darn happy too, as he totally approved of the groom.

Of course I want to pay tribute to my wonderful husband who was, and is, an awesome father to our two daughters.

This is Jim, the proud Papa, on Paige's ordination day.

He wasn't nearly as nervous as my dad, but every bit as proud, He, too, was pleased with the man who would soon become his son-in-law.

As someone said in church this morning, "Where would any of us be without our fathers?"

Happy Father's Day.

~Hippo Hugs~

Craft Camp With Heather

Our friend Heather arrived last night to spend a few days with us. I have been looking forward to this with great excitement. You'd think this was a vacation or something. Oh wait, I am treating this like a vacation

We decided prior to her arrival that this would be a crafting visit. We invited our friend, Sandi, to join us to craft the day away.

Sandi made cards inviting her grandchildren to "Grandma Camp" later this month.

I spent most of the day working on invitations for Emily and Kwame's shower.

Heather, the master crafter, brought all kinds of goodies to share with us. I am particularly taken with her Big Shot and the dies that go with it. I made lots of things to have on hand for future stamping project

At noon, our friend, Linda picked us up and we went off to one of Heather's favorite restaurants for lunch.In the afternoon Sandi spent her time knitting on sweaters for her new granddaughter. I am so sorry I didn't take a picture of those sweet little things. I kept working on my invitations which, by the way, are nearly finished.

Heather made lots more things for her Etsy shop.

Jim grilled chicken for our dinner and then went off with the other husbands for dinner while we girls, including Linda, had a wonderful meal here. We had Jim's chicken, pasta salad, tossed salad and fruit salad. Heather said it looked like summer on a plate.

Coffee on the porch and a little more crafting ended our evening.

I am anxious to get to bed and sleep so I can wake up and start all over again.

~Hippo Hugs~

Terrific Weekend

Although I don't have one picture to show for it, we had an outstanding weekend. It started Friday morning....

• Friday. I picked Linda V. up at 8:30 and off we went to our first Zumba Gold class. Zumba Gold is a slower paced, easier Zumba class for women over 50. Linda loved it and looked like she was keeping up and doing well. I, on the other hand, didn't do so well. I felt all the time like I had two left feet. I'm not sure Zumba is for me, but I am determined to try it again this coming Friday. More later...
• After class, we took a quick trip to the strawberry patch where we bought (not picked)some strawberries to make pies. The original plan was to go to Muddy Waters, a favorite restaurant for coffee and tea, but the wraps and salads look luscious and, after all, it was almost noon, so we had a lovely lunch. Then it was home to bake a strawberry pie for our dinner. My cousin and her husband joined us for a yummy dinner and delightful evening on our screen porch. They are just kids, Abby actually being my cousin's daughter, but we do so enjoy their company. Good food,good friends and lots of laughs.

• Saturday: Started out with window washing. It was hotter the than the hubs, with 110% humidity. The perspiration was dripping off both of us by the time we finished the upstairs windows, but we were euphoric to have that horrible job done.
• Four in the afternoon found us at a 5oth Wedding Anniversary party for a couple from our church. What a great time we all had.

• Sunday: Church is always spirited when the Praise Band plays. This was bittersweet because it is the last time this group will be together as the singers are all off to college in the fall.
• After church, Jim and I met our friends, Bruce and Shelly for brunch. This was the first time we have been out to a restaurant with Bruce since his accident. He came in his wheelchair, but is excited to be working on walking up the five steps to their summer home in the Adirondacks. His physical therapist says they can do it in the next six weeks. We are looking forward to helping them get settled.

• Monday: Today started with coffee and muffins at Wegman's with Jim. Then I was off to Curves while he stayed at Weg's and read. After groceries, we came on home and I...
• Walked with Linda. Of course, after all that exercise, we had to have a little lunch. Yummy
• At one o'clock, I was off to Joy's to stamp my Christmas Calendars. Talk about a crazy day.
• Home again, I made a macaroni salad for dinner and after dinner I am...
• Off to church to practice our VBS skit. Am I a little crazy or what?

In the midst of all this fun, we have some concerns on our hearts. My Aunt who is 81 years old and has been suffering from dementia for several years is being transferred, today, to a nursing home for Alzheimer patients. My uncle has done a fabulous job of caring for her these past years, but it has become just a little too much for him. We are asking for prayers for both of them, but especially for my uncle who is feeling bereft.

Also, a gentlemen who we know slightly is suffering from deep despair and depression. He so needs the hand of God right now. We would appreciate prayers for him too.

I hope this Monday finds all of my friends in blogland doing well. I think of you all often and hope you are enjoying your summer.

~Hippo Hugs~

Celebrating Kwame's Arrival

Some of my blogland buddies may remember my post about our friend, Emily, going to Africa to marry her beloved, Kwame. In December, 2009, Em went to Africa all alone and was married to Kwame.


They were married in a civil ceremony in Ghana and had a marriage blessing in Kwame's church. Shortly after their marriage, Emily came back to the U.S. to resume her teaching job and begin the process of getting a visa for Kwame.

Getting a visa is a arduous process. There was miles and miles of red tape, numerous meetings with officials both here and in Ghana. Poor Kwame spent hours and hours with officials in Ghana only to be sent away and told to "Come back in six weeks", all the while to be separated from his wife.

After much prayer and patience, Kwame was finally granted a visa last month and arrived her in the U.S. on Friday. What a wonderful time of rejoicing for Emily and Kwame, as well as their family and friends.

All the family together, finally. This family has been so supportive and loving to Emily and Kwame.

The Happy Couple.

Notice the flag plates and napkins? Emily's brother Carol (who was adopted from Romania) told Laurie she should buy these because, "You only come to America for the first time once." BTW, this cake was delicious.

This picture of me has no particular significance other than that I like it, and after all, this is my blog. LOL

I love this picture of Laurie's dad (Emily's grandfather) welcoming his new grandson-in-law.

Emily and Kwame came to church on Sunday morning. It was such a blessing to have Bob introduce his son-in-law. I can't remember when our congregation applauded any louder or longer. What a wonderful welcome.

Emily and Kwame will renew their wedding vows later this summer so that all of Em's friends and family can celebrate their marriage with them. But for now, this was a wonderful way for Kwame to start his life here in America.