Do men...OLD men ... see an invitation on my forehead to start chatting with me?? Wherever I go, men find me to talk to about their lives. On Saturday it was a guy from the vegetable store, a few years ago while looking at the BBQ sauces in Pathmark, a man struck up a conversation with me and it led into him telling me about his colonoscopy! Today, it was at Jones Beach!
School was canceled today because there wasn't any heat or electricity. I decided to go for a walk at the beach being that I haven't done that in a while. It was so cold and windy and I was definately not dressed appropriately. I got as far as Field 4, just at the spot where Trump has his baracades out for the restaurant, and I hit a warm spot. Those baracades were blocking the wind. I decided to sit on a bench and catch a few rays and just relax, taking in the warmth. I was totally enjoying myself, listening in to a conversation of 2 women talking about one of their husbands found cheating on her! All of a sudden a man started telling me that I shouldn't be sitting, I should be walking! I didn't want to end up walking in his direction so I lied and said that I already walked to the end and was on my way back. He started talking about Trump, how the beach has changed over the years etc and they he sat down! I have to admit, his conversations were pretty interesting. He was a ski instructer for the army and one day he came down a hill and passed the bar tow and saw that a girl's scarf was caught on the bar of the tow. It started dragging her towards the mechanics as it was tightening around her neck. He whipped off his skis, got out his pocket knife, and cut the scarf off of her neck. He moved her away from the tow and realized that she wasn't breathing. He said that he did 18 rounds of CPR when she finally started breathing. He brought her to her hotel room. The next day she asked if he could drive her home because the bus had already left, so he did. She invited him to a hockey game for the next day at MSG. She told him to wait by the ticket booth. He was standing there for over 1/2 hour when a big black car pulled over and a highly decorated military man got out of the car and approached him. He wanted to thank this man for saving his friend's daughter's life. He shook his hand. That man was Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
This man's family is from Norway and he would go a few times a year to visit them. An aunt died and left him a lot of land which he sold and made a lot of money from it. He's 83 years old! He wife died 9 years ago and he has been looking to find someone to have as a companion and hasn't found anyone that he felt comfortable talking with.... until yesterday! He asked if I was married and I said yes and very happily married! I said I have 4 kids too! He then asked if I had a twin because he'd want to marry her. I took this as a clue to get the heck out of there! I said it was nice chatting with him and that I had to go home and cook a turkey breast (GREAT recipe! It will be in my cooking blog!). I stood up and he went to shake my hand so I figured what the heck. I extended my hand and all of a sudden, he pulled me in to a big hug! OMG! THAT'S IT! I got so flustered that I turned and started walking and said have a nice day! WHY ME??? Chris said it's because I'm a good listener but I don't get what attracts them to me in the first place, without even opening up my mouth! Do I have a sign on my forehead???

March 22

Today PJ and I took the MGB out for a spin being that spring time has arrived. We ended up at Planting Fields Arboretum, one of our favorite places to walk around. It always brings back memories of our college years when we used to have to go there, walk around with our Woody Plants class and get tested on the trees. The professor would point to a tree in the dead of winter (no leaves or flowers) and you would have to identify it by the bark... not an easy task. We still try to ID as many of those trees as out old brains can remember!

This Camelia is flowering outside! In the Camilia House

They remind me of the Fibonacci Spiral!

We spent a lot of the time today in the Camelia house, orchid House and regular Green House. PJ wanted a cutting of a Devils Backbone because the one that we had for years that he took to work had died. It's a rare plant. He wanted to start a new one. We were walking around trying to go in for the kill when no one was looking but that didn't happen. A lady sitting right next to the Devils Backbone, spotted PJ's Plattsburgh sweatshirt. She started up a conversation because her daughter is an education teacher there. Oh well. We never got the cutting! PJ asking me if I'm FINALLY finished taking pictures!

On the way home we passed Youngs Farm on Hegemans Lane in Oyster Bay (even though the town address is Glen Head), our friend's farm. I love passing the farm. One of our friends owns it. The farm started in 1893 by Paula's Grandfather and it has been passed down through the generations. They grow a ton of veggies and sell them but also have a huge pie business at the farm. Some various pics of pretty flowers!!

Various Orchids

Agave

Bird of Paradise for Scott!

Weeping Hemlock

Witch Hazel flowering outside

The cool chimney's on the main Coe house

Clivia

March 21st

Happy 23rd Birthday to Alyssa!

March 20th

Today is my father's 81st birthday. Before work I made a Lemon Meringue pie for him. The crust shrunk into the pan a bit (don't know how that happened) but for once the Meringue worked and didn't slide off the filling!

Tonight was the St Williams crop. We had a lot of fun. HM drove down from CT for the occasion, Nancy and her niece came and our new friend Judy (that we met at the Northport crop) came with her niece too. As usual, we didn't get much done. We chat more than we scrap!

I won 2 baskets so that was the icing on the cake!

Our group...The crop...

March 19th

I decided to for Fridays crop, to save my scrapbooking until I go to the Simsbury Inn with Judy in April otherwise I won't have enough pictures to last the weekend. I switched to making cards instead. So I had to repack with all different items.

March 18th

What an awful day at work. We never opened a book, a ditto... NOTHING! We practiced walking from the classroom door, to their seats and sitting for 2 minutes quietly. With only 5 kids in the classroom you'd think this was easy...NOT! This is what we did ALL DAY! I came home and needed some comfort so i made Chicken Enchilada's with Tomatillo Sauce and a big nacho platter for dinner! Hopefully tomorrow will be better!

March 17th

I started going through my pictures today to plan for Friday's crop at St Williams on Friday. It will be the fundraiser event which is always our favorite crop at St Wills.

March 16th

Back to the old grind today. PJ's still not doing good with his vertigo but INSISTED on driving to work!!!

March 15th

I did a little food shopping today at our new favorite vegetable/meat store... Giunta's Meat Farms. I rarely get to buy anything from the deli section because there is always a long line. I don't want to wait an hour to get some cold cuts. They have a huge assortment of ethnic vegetables and the usual and always a great price. I always but my Tomitillos at Giunta's. They're always a great price and I crave Tomitillo sauce on occasion so you'll usually find some in the fridge! This is the store that we will take Scott to when he gets home from school. He always wanted to try pigs feet, oxtails, etc...all the weird meats. They have them here as well.

March 14th

It was a beautiful day today. I went outside and raked a little. My crocuses are almost finished blooming. The perrennials are starting to pop through the ground. In about 2 weeks, it will be my favorite time of the year. It's like new beginnings when I see the plants popping through the soil.

They're even growing in the grass!When I was watering the plants inside my house, I noticed that my Christmas cactus is budding. It always flowers at Christmas and NEVER this time of year. We're thinking it's because we keep the house cooler when the kids aren't home. Coolness sets the buds. But we can be wrong!!!

March 13th
Today wasn't such a good day from the moment I went to work till the time I went to bed! There were lots of problems in the classroom today. I think Spring Fever has hit these kids. When I got to my car after school, I turned on my cell phone. There was a message from PJ. He was taken to the doctor from work today because of dizziness that progressivly got worse throughout the day. He couldn't move his head in any direction without feeling like he would pass out or barf! Without even hearing the verdict, I knew what it was being that I had experienced the same thing a few years ago and still have bouts of it. It was Vertigo. Don drove him home from work. Boy did he look awful but leave it to PJ, he brought us some flowers from the greenhouse! He's always thinking of others!
He ate dinner in the bedroom with his back to the tv. He couldn't turn on his right side without being dizzy so he 'listened' to the tv instead of watching it! He's insisting that he's still going to work tomorrow no matter how he feels!

March 12th

I worked a lot today on my DAR documents. I'm so determined to get this DONE!
Alyssa took the train home because she doesn't have school tomorrow. She'll be home the whole weekend getting lesson plans done.

March 11th

I got to work a lot today on the bulletin board at school with the other NICE aide. It's tough trying to make a 'creative' board when your partner can't 'think out of the box'. The teacher wanted the letters to be crooked and bouncy looking to make it look like fun. This aide couldn't do that. She had a very hard time making something be crooked and not perfectly straight. She was getting very frustrated that she couldn't handle a simple thing like that. I was getting frustrated that she couldn't do it also!!! Bite your tongue Lynn!!!

March 10th

I met with a woman (R.P.)from the Jerusalem Chapter of DAR today. We're putting my paperwork together so that I can apply to be a member. I was missing a few papers which is now a problem!

March 9th

I spoke with Pops today. He's doing great and was very chatty! He's still hanging with the 'ladies' from the yacht club. At 88 years old, he has more 'girlfriends' than most teenagers!

March 8th

We had a lot of fun and laughs at D&F's house. F is VERY lucky that D has a sense of humor and puts up with his jokes. I feel like I'm in a Rodney Dangerfield movie when we're with him. D has 'granted' F a room in the house to call his own. He made a NY Yankee room. It's really nice. He doesn't have junky memorabilia. He has really nice, professional pieces.

March 7th

It's a beautiful day today and supposed to get up to 64 degrees!!! The snow is almost gone so PJ and I got out in the yard to FINALLY cut those Leyland Cypress's in half! They were probably 25+ feet tall. We only planted them about 6 years ago and they were only about 10 INCHES tall then! PJ needs to bring home the pole prunner from work so he can even out the top a bit. For now, they'll do!

Is anybody in there??
We're almost finished!

cut up and ready to put into bundles

March 6th
IT'S FRIDAY!!
Today was a fun day at school... I guess because i wasn't in the classroom much. I got to go to a state testing and help put up a new bulletin board... Will It Float or Will It Sink?We didn't finish it though.

March 5th

I'm so glad that Anoop was picked as #13 in the American Idol top 12 SURPRISE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot8QH_tMpvM&feature=related

March 4

I really seem to attract the weirdo's! There's a woman at work that seems to find me whereever I am. She knows my birthday and knew that PJ's was in August etc. She claims to have phsycic abilities. Now she stands with me while we wait for the busses, she told me today that she prays for me etc. She said she wants to walk with me since she say me walking at work last week during my lunch break. I'm just a magnet!!!

I took some pictures of the icicles that were melting on my holly. The sun caught them and from the window in the diningroom, they looked beautiful. I had to climb into the garden and lean over bushes to see what i saw from the inside but couldn't lean far enough to get a picture. So I just went on the stoop and stuck my hand into the holly and clicked the camera. The sun's reflection isn't evident in these.

March 3

Back to school today. We had fun conversations with the children about the snow. I thought it was very strange that not one of the kids in the class played in the snow yesterday. One said he doesn't know how to make a snowman! The things we take for granted.....

March 2

We got a big snowstorm today! So far we have about 10" and are expecting a little more later this morning! If it's going to be cold, it may as well snow!!

March 1

Today We FINALLY took down the shaker shingles that were on the wall going up the stairs. When we moved here (1985) we said they would come down right away. Then we realized what a great thing the were to have on a wall that kids dirty fingers touch all day long. It never showed an marks etc. It wasn't great looking but we're more go with the flow and not picky as to if it looks nice or not. If it means less work/cleaning, it stays! Now that they are 'all grown up', we're going to just paint the wall. The problem is that there's like 100 nail holes that PJ had to spackle. Hopefully when it's all done, it will look good.

Happy Birthday Ann!!!!

Feb 28

Being that PJ was working today, I decided to spend some time in the kitchen. PJ made a comment a few days ago that he loves homemade bread, especially when it's warm from the oven. I decided to make some bread...6 loaves in all! I found a recipe on http://www.allrecipes.com/ that got great reviews. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fabulous-Homemade-Bread/Detail.aspx

I decided to freeze 2 of the sections of dough and just bake 4 loaves, then freezing 2 of those. Well, I wasn't impressed and I don't think PJ was either! I think I should stick with herb or italian types of bread but I'm not giving up! It was fun.

Feb 27

Tonight we ended of chatting with ALL of the kids. That's never happened before! It was great to catch-up on everyone's doings!

Feb 26

This morning I put together all of the ingredients for our favorite Minestrone soup and had it cooking all day in the crockpot.

Minestrone Soup with Pasta, Beans and Vegetables

by Robin Miller Food Network

--
Cook
4 hr 0 min (***I cook mine on LOW so that I can have it cooking all day)

Ingredients
3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can white (cannellini or navy) beans, drained
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 bay leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups cooked ditalini pasta
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen spinach, defrosted
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Basil sprigs, garnish, optional

Directions
In a slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add ditalini, zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top. Garnish with basil, if desired.