National Coffee Day!

Today is National Coffee Day!

Many companies, including Dunkin Donuts are giving away free coffee.

I just went and picked up my free Medium Dunkin Dark Roast.

You gotta love September 29th for that!!!

Go get one for yourself!!   Enjoy!!

Steelers

I have to throw in my annual blogs about the Steelers.

Hubby and Company went to Pittsburgh for the weekend to see the game and it ended up being a bust....but they had a good time anyway!

And I had a nice relaxing weekend, too!

Osbornedale State Park

Sometimes the best adventures can be found in your own backyard.

We have a wonderful state park here in our town.  It takes up about 1/4 of the town, actually.  But do we ever go to it?  Hardly.

Yesterday, my two sisters, the trips (of course) and three of my nieces took a nature walk on the yellow dot and the red dot trail at the state park.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  The sun coming through the trees, the pathways, the rocks....everything.

We found blue jay feathers for my dad, prayed a little, conversed and had an awesome time enjoying Mother Nature....Who knew!???

Brody found an arrowhead (or something that looks like one), the kids climbed trees and rock formations, I got stung by a bee and we found a praying mantis.  But it was all wonderful.  Others were  on the trail also, so it was fun.  I should have put the flash on my iphone, but I didn't realize it was so dark.

Party

My good friend Eva had a birthday party for her mom.  She turned 75!

We were invited and had a great time.  They had an auction of all of her old things which sold for thousands of dollars (fake money) and I got to see so many people who I had not seen in years.  My mom really enjoyed herself also as she and Eva's mom go to bingo together each week!!

Happy Birthday, Vivian!  I am glad your whole family and extended family and extended, extended family got to help you celebrate!!!!  

Yarn Bomb

To those of you who do not know what yarn bombing is.....here is the definition:

Yarn bombing, yarnbombing, yarn storming, guerrilla knitting, urban knitting or graffiti knitting is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colourful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk. (taken from wikipedia)

I have no idea where it started, but I absolutely love the concept!  (even though the police officer in the family says it is still against the law!).  I think it started as a way to make something prettier.....park benches, old swing sets, telephone poles, light poles...etc.  It is done all over the world!

Here are some photos taken from the park up the street.  I think it totally beautifies the park....Another in the family says it is still a type of graffiti!!   

There are actually a few more trees at the park with other colorful displays of crocheted yarn. Every time I go by the park, I smile, thinking that some grandmother type person is getting up at 4:00 am and committing some sort of beautification (crime) in the park.  

The hashtag left behind by the yarn bomber is #yarnbombctvalley.......since I don't tweet or have a twitter, if anyone does.....tell this particular group that I said thank you!!!!   

One of the most famous yarn bombs was done in the city of PIttsburgh.  There is a statue of Mr. Rogers (from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood) and they yarn bombed a red sweater on him!   I love it....

PS - if any of you yarn bombers need some beautification tools, get in touch with me.  I have a lot of "stuff" (read: granny squares)  that you can use!!!

JOB update

I am still looking for a job.  I have had a lot of interviews, but nothing has happened yet.  I continue to apply for jobs daily.

I decided to register to be a substitute teacher and I have my first assignment on Thursday this week!  I will let you know how it goes.  It should be interesting.

I also have started teaching CCD again and have taken on two additional Zumba classes per week, so I am trying very hard to keep myself busy.

Onward!

The new addition

My dog, Cyrus, now has a brother.....at least that is what we are calling him.

My son, Dominic, just got an Olde English Bulldog.  (I have to put emphasis on OLDE).  I guess it is a particular breed!  The dog is considered to be Blue (even though he is gray) and is really quite adorable.  As a lot of you know, I do not touch dogs (I am not even a fan of dogs, even though we own one), so I didn't hold it or touch it, but it is so cute.  They drove to Buffalo, NY to pick it up over the weekend and we got to see it late last night.  They named him Blu!

Everything the dog has is blue...his bowls, his bed, his toys, his collar......He really is a cutie!  I will have to tell them to hide that cord (I just noticed it).  I don't want him biting on that! 

New Hyde Park

Last Sunday, I took a bus trip up to New Hyde Park to see the Vanderbilt Mansion and the home and presidential library of Franklin D. Roosevelt.  What a lesson in history!

The Vanderbilt Mansion was just gorgeous.  It is situated on the Hudson River and looks as if it belongs in Newport, RI (other Vanderbilt Mansions are already there).  This was their spring and fall home and there are acres and acres of walking trails.  It is now owned by the US.  The opulence of the turn of the century was just over the top.  The bedrooms, the fireplaces, the ceilings....you can't even take it all in.

Then we went to lunch at restaurant called Shadows.  We sat outside on a beautiful covered patio overlooking a marina and the Hudson River.

Last was the tour of the Roosevelt home and presidential library.  Unfortunately, we did not have enough time here.  Two hours was not enough.  There is a visitor center, the library and then the house tour.  We watched a movie first about FDR and then proceeded to the home where dignitaries, kings and queens and others have stayed.  It was not a house like the Vanderbilt Mansion, but more like a home.  We saw the rose garden and the tomb of FDR and Eleanor.  This home is also on the Hudson, but over the past century, the trees have grown and there is no longer a view of the river.  Again, my pictures do no justice to seeing this historic and beautiful landmark.  

The collection of Madeline Allbright pins (the originals) was in the library as a special presentation.  I wanted to see each one of them, but time ran out.  

As with Punxsutawney, PA, I recommend this tour immensely.  I even got to drive by Marist College where my middle child attended before he switched to Uconn.  It brought back some nice memories!

Tag Sale

Last weekend, my sister's church had a HUGE tag sale in the basement of the church.  She had been collecting stuff (read: junk) for months and months from parishioners.  My pictures do no justice in showing the amount of articles for sale.  I was able to pick up some canning jars and a brand new tupperware bowl (extra large size) with a cover for a few dollars.

She made about $4,100.00 in 1-1/2 days for the church!   I am very proud of her and very happy for her, because she really worked hard!  

Pear Tree

I am picking pears from my tree!  On Thursday, I canned four quarts of pear sauce.  And on Friday, I canned three more!  It really does taste like apple sauce!  I gave away some pears to the neighbor, some to my sister, we are eating some of them and I probably have another bushel to pick and can.  I'll do a little bit each day!

Cheerleading and football

The trips are of age to be in the Pop Warner program of Tiny-mites.  Can I say they are.....

                                             Abso-freaking-lutely Adorable!!!

Brody and Bruno play flag football in this league and Cassidy is on the cheer squad and my sister coaches the cheer squad.....Too cute!   They had their first came this past weekend.  I only watched the second half.  Brody is the Center/nose guard and Bruno runs with the ball.  They seem to love it!!

Blueberries

My mom has a blueberry bush, that for over 20 years has produced beyond measure.  The blueberries are very sweet and she gets blueberries for about 3-4 weeks in July.

When I bought my house seven years ago, I ordered a blueberry bush and two raspberries bushes.  I wanted berries like my mom.  The raspberries have been good to me and continue to spread and produce.  Three years ago, I got a few blueberries on the bush.....two years ago, I got a few more blueberries on the bush.....last year, the birds ate all my blueberries....But, this year, my blueberry bush is a producer!!

To date, I have picked about eight cups of blueberries.  I keep freezing them and will make blueberry jam soon.  The taste is different than my mom's blueberries.  Not as sweet, but the berries are just a little bigger.  And I never got a blueberry in July like my mom does....mine all came in August and still now through September.  I have no idea what kind of bush I planted.  I only remember that the company that I bought it from said it would take three years to start producing, which it did.

Universal

Four weeks from today, my daughter and I will be on the Gringotts ride at Universal Studios in Orlando.  We have only been planning this trip for three years.......so, needless to say, we are both extremely excited!!

We are both Harry Potter crazy and we were there in 2010 for the soft opening of Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts castle - it was so much fun!  So when the plans for the opening of Diagon Alley were announced three years ago, we knew we would be there in 2014.  I wish we could have gotten there for grand opening in July, but the weather will be cooler in October and the crowds will be a little less (little!?).

Don't you just love Ukrainian Ironbellies....

I will do a full review after I return........

Happy Labor Day!