Playing With A Partner

Last Saturday night I played Pinochle with friends. There were only four of us so we played with a partner. My partner and I won both of the games. I like playing with a partner better than playing for myself. I think it's easier to take in tricks. This coming Friday morning, my partner and I will be playing with G. She's going to join our Saturday night group but wants to "brush up" on her game before she plays "For Real". With the addition of G. we will be able to play with a partner each time we play. I'm looking forward to that.
My house guest has gone home. I am alone with Sandy and Coco. Sandy is getting a little bit braver and is showing up now and then. He always runs away again when he sees Coco. The baby kitten is brave. She went up to him where he was hiding. He hissed at her and she ran away. I brought her home to keep him company when I am away. Several people told me that Sandy probably gets lonely when I'm not here. I wish he'd get over being afraid of his "sister", Coco.

A Lazy Friday

Sandy graced us with his presence this morning while Coco was in the living room. They sat staring at each other for several minutes. Finally, Coco went off to play and Sandy headed for the bedroom to spend the rest of the day.
I didn't accomplish much today. Straightened up a bit and played with Coco. Dinner was leftovers from yesterday which made that easy. We had a little technical trouble with the tv and the telephone, but that has been corrected. There is no need for a service call from the company, thank goodness. Tonight will be spent watching the tube, I guess. It rained a kind of misty rain today. It is going to rain tomorrow. Hopefully, I can get Mom home on Sunday.

An Entertaining Day

E. came over this afternoon. We had a nice visit. I made Wine baked Chicken breasts for dinner and served it with rice and a salad. That is a favorite with E. and Mom. We were entertained by Coco for most of the day. She did take several naps which gave us a rest. As a matter of fact, during one of her naps we napped too. Sandy stayed in the bedroom all day except for the early morning hours when Coco was still locked in the bathroom. At this moment he is out in the living area investigation her scent. Coco is inside the BR for the night. I wish he'd get brave and come out when Coco is out. I'd like them to bond before I leave them alone. He is so big and she is so small. It's amazing that he's afraid of her and not vice versa.

More Coco

We spent the whole day playing with and watching Coco. I think she's bonded with me finally. Sandy still hides in the bedroom. Coco is very playful and has shown that she'll use the litter box. I got very little else accomplished today except that I did take Mom's car for an oil change this morning. My sister may come over tomorrow. Maybe she'll have a secret for getting Sandy out of the bedroom. We're expecting rain tomorrow. I'm hoping that it holds off until the afternoon. There are a couple of errands I'd like to do. I have to return library books and pick up dry cleaning. I'd like to get more litter for Sandy's box and maybe go to the quilt shop to pick up my quilt which is now finished. Rain would put the visit to get the quilt on hold. I'm anxious to see it. I'd also like to buy a disposable camera so I can take a picture of the quilt for my Quilt Journal and also start taking pictures of Coco. No one would believe how tiny she is. I'll stand her next to a mug and it'll be obvious to any viewer.

Perfect Day For Golf

We played 18 holes of golf today. I did much better than the last time I played. I need to go to the driving range and work on my swing. The driver is still a challenge for me. The other clubs I used today were helpful. I used the #5 wood from the fairway, the #4 hybrid, the #1 and #2 wedges for getting out of the sand traps and of course the putter. I had more success getting out of the sand today than previously. I got out with 1 shot each time. Putting was pretty good, but not good enough. The wonderful thing is that I play with gals who are not fanatics about the game. Another gal and I don't even keep score yet. That would be depressing. C. kept score but she's been playing longer than we have. I can't wait to get out there and do the 18 hole course again. The course we played on today would be good for summer play because there were a lot of trees and therefore, ample shade which would provide relief from the sun. It's a great sport. I like to play when there is NO ONE behind us. When that happens we actually have time for conversation while we make our way around the course.

Coco

Well, I finally did it. I brought a "little sister" home for Sandy. She is so cute! Coco is a long haired, charcoal colored kitten. She has a white underneath and white paws. She also has a white blaze on her pink nose. She's been very playful all day. My scaredy cat, Sandy, is hiding in the hall and has been there since Coco came into the house. Hopefully, he'll bond with Coco and they can be good company for each other when I am not at home.
We've shown Coco the litter box several times today. I hope she will be a good girl and use it when needed. She's already had a little bit to eat and a drink of water. I'm wondering how the wee hours of the morning will go when I'm in bed for the night. Hopefully, it will be a peaceful night.

The Quilt Guild

The Quilt Guild meeting was a long one today. It was the first meeting of the year. We got a lot of business done and then had show and tell. A brief presentation on the basics of quilting was given before we adjourned for coffee And...
I am going to do the block of the month for October. I took the pattern with directions and a small piece of material which will be used to make the block. After I left the meeting I went to the quilt shop and got 2 small pieces of coordinating fabrics so that I can finish the block. The colors are various shades of green and purple. I love the combination. I hope that I am one of the Lucky winners of the completed blocks during the drawing at the October meeting.

Plans

The MRC meeting tonight was short and sweet. I signed up to work at two of the flu clinics. One is in October, the other is in November. The two I picked are more local for me and they both start early in the afternoon.
Tomorrow I'll attend my first Quilt Guild meeting in a year. It starts at about 9:30 am and will end by noon. I have no plans for the afternoon at this time. I may just spend the afternoon reading my bookclub book. It's kind of "strange" but interesting.
I'm headed to the shore for the weekend on Saturday. My family will celebrate my sister's birthday which happens to be tomorrow. I hope she likes the gift I've chosen for her. I know she'll like the gift Mom is giving her. Maybe we'll all be able to visit the ocean and walk on the boards or just sit and take in the beauty of the sea and the waves crashing on the shore. I know I've said this before, but I love the shore in the Off season.

Who's In Charge?

Who's in charge? That's what I'd like to know. Nobody seems to know what to do about the current crisis on Wall Street. The President gave a short speech today. It didn't relieve the anxiety which people are experiencing about the situation. Does anyone in office know what to do to fix the problem? I still am wondering who I'll vote for in November. I feel like we should have a "Do Over", and start the process all over again. I don't have confidence in either candidate. I can't believe that John McCain made the choice he did for a Vice Presidential running mate. She's such a novice. I hope she's a fast learner and will get "on the job" training if need be. I don't like the other Presidential candidate because he talks of change but I'm still wondering what kind of change he is speaking of. Not all change is good. I like the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate because I think he is a "good " person and he has many years of experience in government. He may be a help to Obama, but I'd feel more comfortable with a president who doesn't need help or advice on everything. God help us. We need a wise person who has concrete ideas. Our forefathers are probably rolling over in their graves. In the fifties we were asked in parochial school to pray for the conversion or Russia. I think that the good old USA needs prayers now. Everything seems to be such a mess!! Our leaders need enlightenment. Please put us back on the correct path. I remember what John F. Kennedy said during his inauguration address. "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." Our country needs us now. If you don't know what to do for your country, I'd suggest that you simply Pray!

My Day

The Retiree breakfast was lively this morning. I won a door prize which was a box of candy. Last week I won a prize at the Red Hat outing. Wish I could win the lottery. It always feels good to win something no matter how small a prize it may be. During our conversation this morning, two of my friends and I made a date to play golf next week. I'm going to go hit balls at the driving range either tomorrow or Friday afternoon to practice my swing.
The gal who is quilting a quilt for me called today to say it'll be done by next week. When I get it back I'll put the binding on it and take a few pictures before I give it to my cousin. I keep a journal of all the quilts I've made since I usually give them away as gifts. That way I have a record of what I've made.
Need to find a half yard of a "holiday" fabric for the Quilt Guild meeting on Friday. I'll look through my stash and see what I can come up with. A friend asked that I bring a shamrock piece of fabric. Perhaps that'll be it. Life is getting busy again. I guess that things quiet down over the summer. Now that Fall is upon us, everything is in gear again. Before we know it the holidays will be here.

The Calendar For This Week

The book I started today is called, "The Time Traveler's Wife". It's caught my interest from the beginning. I haven't gotten very far into it because I'm also reading another book which I need to finish. I will finish it in a few days.
Tomorrow I may attend the Retiree breakfast if I'm not called to work. A friend is attending and wants to set up some golf dates so if I go, I'll be sure to bring my calendar. I like long range planning because then I can block out my calendar for days for which I have something planned. If my schedule is blocked out with non-work days, my employer will know when I am available without having to call to ask me.
Thursday night is a meeting night of the MRC. I am a volunteer and will most likely help with the flu clinics this year in my county. The meeting will address issues involving the clinics.
On Friday it's back to the Quilt Guild. I took a year off because I had too many commitments to keep. I've had a personal request to rejoin the group by our out going President. I was flattered by her comments and will start attending the meetings. I'll end my week by visiting the shore area and stopping in on Mom. We may be celebrating my sister and her husband's birthdays sometime this weekend also. Hope I don't forget their gift.

Back Home

The weekend is over and I'm back home. Sandy missed me so I spent some "quality" time with him. The usual chores are being done, like laundry for instance. Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment. The place will be cleaned from top to bottom again. If I don't get a call to work on Wednesday, I'll go to the retiree breakfast, the first of the year, and say "hello" to everyone I haven't seen since last spring. I have to buy a belated birthday card for my cousin. I couldn't go to her 50th surprise birthday party because it was the same day as my reunion. I'll get her a gift card from a bookstore chain which I know she frequents. The pictures I took last weekend will be taken to be developed. I'll send a copy to Pat. I'll enter the last entry into my journal and perhaps start another journal. Tomorrow, since it'll be cooler, I'll start my walking regimen. That's something which I'll have to do everyday. Hopefully, I'll get back into shape by Christmas.

A Pajama Party

The Red Hat Society went to a Pajama Party today. It was a little different than the traditional PJ party. We didn't stay over night. We met for dinner at one of the lady's homes. There was a jewelry demo. So we shopped for Christmas gifts. We played a few games. I won the first game and received a pretty silver pendant with a red stone. Only ten of our members attended. We had a chance to talk to everyone as we sat around the table. We were served wine, baked ziti with meatballs and sausage and peppers. Several gals brought a dessert. We said "goodbye" at about 9:00pm and headed for home. A good time was had by all.

A Fun Filled Week

My high school chum left for home at noon today. We went to the reunion Saturday and had a wonderful time despite the rainy weather. We managed to visit our hometown the day before the reunion. We drove down my block and we drove down her block and she took pictures of both houses. While taking a picture of her house, the garage door began to open and out stepped the owner of the house. She assured him she wasn't a stalker. As it turned out they were the same people who purchased the house from her father more than 40 years ago. Her former neighbors still lived next door and she was able to visit with them for about an hour before we drove about a half hour so she could visit an elderly aunt and uncle. While she visited them, I stopped in on my cousin who lives in the same town. My GPS system helped tremendously that day. P. named the GPS system "Hazel". She said it had to have a name. So P., Hazel and I had no trouble finding our way that day or the following days as we visited for our reunion, and found another of her aunts. On Monday we visited the shore area and walked on the boards for awhile. I got a bit of a burn, not much, because I didn't expect it to be such a summerlike day. We had lunch at a very nice restaurant where we had a view of the ocean and could see the waves breaking upon the shore. P. loved the setting. While we were down there, we stopped in on Mom so that P. could say "hello" after so many years. The next day we went into NYC and visited Ground Zero where we had a tour of the site by a woman who lost her husband on 9/11/01. The tour was great and we shed a few tears as she retold the story of that dreadful day. I'm very glad that P. suggested we do that visit to the city. We also went to Rockefeller center and had a late lunch in the city before catching the bus home at 5:15pm.
It was a great few days. I'm sorry that my friend lives so far away, but she invited me back to her home for a visit which I hope to do in the future.
Here's to old friends, they're like GOLD.

Fair Weather, Please

Hopefully, the hurricanes and storms will stay away for the next 2 weeks. I wouldn't want the air travel to be effected by them. That would mean that my guest would not arrive as scheduled.
I got tickets for the play Evita at the Bucks County Playhouse. The forecast says that it will be cloudy that day. I can deal with cloudy. It will rain the day of our reunion, but we'll have shelter so I can deal with that also. I'd like it to be sunny the day we visit the shore area. We can walk on the boards and view the ocean. We may even walk on the beach. We plan to visit NYC. I'd like another sunny, but not hot, day for that visit. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Mother Nature doesn't throw a monkey wrench into my plans.