Inspiration Alley

25 years ...

It all started with a blind date.

25 years ago, I had been to a psychic, she said I needed a horseshoe ring for good luck, I went in search and ended up at a jewelry store in the Falls, that ordered the ring for me.  When I finally went to pick it up (after several weeks of dropping by to check on it), the store manager asked if I'd be interested in going on a blind date with his roommate and called his roommate so we could talk, while I was there in the store.

We set up the first date for the coming Saturday, which was Feb 7th.  The rest as they say is history.

He is my husband, my best friend, my greatest supporter, my confidant, my protector, my daily chauffer and well ... my soulmate.  Because we work at the same place, we are together almost 24/7 and it works.  I look forward to the next 25 years of our life together.

Schedules and Scheduling

Do you keep busy.

Do you have to keep track of your schedule, your husbands schedule, and maybe even some kids ?

Do you have a smart phone ?

If you do there is a very cool app called Cozi.

It's a Calendar/Schedule.  It's a To Do List.  It sorts by person.  It sends you message alerts.  You can keep your shopping list on it - in fact, several shopping lists.  You can work from your phone, or work online.  If you do FlyLady (it's a housecleaning thing), you can import your FlyLady Zone tasks and create daily lists.

I've been working with it for several months now.  I don't remember how I found it, I might of been playing around and downloading apps just because they sounded cool.  It doesn't really matter.  If you coordinate lots of appointments and schedules for yourself and or your family then check it out.  

Right now I've got the scrapbooking weekend crops for 2012 loaded (just the ones I'm pretty sure I can attend), plus birthdays, holidays, doctor appts, pretty much everything I need (although I haven't added daily work stuff yet).  I've always worked with a planner, so it's taken me some time to transition from paper to smartphone, but it's almost the same and now I don't have to carry my day planner with me.  

Check it out - the best part ...it's a free app.  (you can upgrade later if you want)

( for the record, I'm in no way getting paid for this - these are unsolicited comments - I like the product, it works for me, so for what it's worth, I pass the information on to my family and friends.)

Memories .... Holy Cow - check this out!

It was almost going to be a day without a blog post, but then I came across the following.

I was playing around doing some google searches and found this link to a newsletter for FIU Nursing and Health Sciences from 2009.  If you scroll down to the second to the last page, you'll see a picture of my mom in her cap and gown and a group shot of my entire family way back when.

My mom got her Bachelors Degree from FIU School of Nursing in 1973.  The photo is from her graduation at Hialeah Race Track.  If you can't figure it out ... here's the lineup from left to right. Marian, Sharon, Dawn (me), Carol (mom), Ed (dad), Edwin and Karen.

I think FIU was profiling nurses who attended the nursing program because this was from about the time (2009) they were working on the new CNHS (College of Nursing and Health Services) building.  I know my mom had made some donations, provided some pictures, and had attended the ribbon cutting ceremonies.

I miss you mom!

Christmas Past

I wanted to share a picture of my nephew at Christmas.  This is the race car that we got him.  He's just shy

of 18 months old and learning to maneuver around.  He was so excited when he saw it and it was difficult to get him off it when it was time to eat.  It took him only a short while to get the hang of using the wheel to turn the car in the direction you want it to go.  In keeping with the car theme we got him a car bowl ... it suction cups onto the table/highchair and every time you put the spoon in the bowl portion it goes Vroom.  He figured that one out right away as well -- spent more time putting the spoon in the bowl than eating.

Sunday Breakfast

My MIL does quite the job of making sure that we get together as a family.  Just about once a month we meet up for breakfast and it's one of the few times we get to see our nephew.  I don't think we'd get together as much if it wasn't for her setting everything up.

Sunday, we had breakfast at NY, NY a small local restaurant.  After breakfast we joined Jon and Fran at the park with Kevin, and since I had my camera with me, I was able to get a few pictures.  He is such a happy baby, and so active.  It's great we get to see them even if it's every once in awhile.

Next week, hubby's sister is coming into town from the UK.  She'll be staying a week so next weekend we'll do breakfast again and hubby's entire family will be there.  There is talk of visiting the zoo too, so I might get to do that with them.

Photo Shoot

This is my nephew Kevin (hubby's side of the family).

My BIL and SIL brought him over after breakfast and we were posing pictures with hubby's cars.

That face looks like he is deep in concentration.

Baby Kevin is Here

My new nephew Kevin has arrived into this world.

He was born yesterday at 4:43PM and is 7 lbs 12 ounces and 22 inches long.  Mom and baby are doing well.

Since all the nieces and nephews on my side of the family are now teens and young adults, it will be fun to have a baby around again.  I'm a little disappointed that I won't get to see him until I get back from Sebring (we work late tonight and I leave early tomorrow), but you can bet that Sunday I'll be looking for him. 

He will be spoiled I'm sure.  This is the first child of my BIL (husband's brother) and his wife.  The first grandchild for my SILs mother, and the first grandchild in the United States for my MIL.

I don't even have a picture to share yet.

Feeling Naked

without my horseshoe ring.

If you know me, you know I always wear a horseshoe ring.  The story goes like this ... I went to a psychic, who told me I needed a horseshoe ring to bring me good things.  I then went to a jewelry store and poured over catalogs until I found one I liked.  I ordered the ring and when it came in the store manager (who I had been talking to many times) said I'd be perfect for his roommate and would I go on a blind date.  I said yes, and we set up a date for Feb 7th.  That blind date is now my husband.  We've been together for over 20 years.

I wear the ring 24/7 but today I had to take it to the jewlers for repair.  The diamond chip has been missing for years (it has been replaced many times), and since I was already at the jewelry store getting a battery installed in my watch, I left the ring to have a new stone set.

Now I feel naked without it.  It will be off my finger for about 2 weeks, but it will be sporting a new diamond when I get it back.

Things you find with a Google search

I was bored.  So I started doing Google Searches on family and people I know.  (If you've never done it, try it, it's fun).  More and more things are being uploaded to cyberspace, so the chances of some interesting finds increases everyday.

Anyway ... I found a link to a photo of my father when he was in the Marines.  This is circa 1951.

My dad is in the back row - 5th person in.  This is the Marine Transport Squadron-252, 2dMAW

The image was found at the yellow foot prints website and forum

Well ... now that I'm thinking about it, it must have been a subconscious thing.  Today is his birthday.  He would have been 79.  He died 14 years ago but I still miss him and think about him often.

OK ... so now I've gone from Hey cool, look what I found, to tears.

Semper Fi Dad

Wonders Never Cease

To my surprise, my sister already turned around and gave me pictures from our weekend trip to Naples to see my cousin.  She created a hardbound booklet at the local CVS, which is cool.  I told her I still want to get a CD with the pictures so that I can print them out and scrap them, but I was amazed that I got a set of the pictures so quickly.

I'm just waiting now to see one other picture from the past - I'd say going back 30 years or more that we talked about in Naples.  Gotta love my sister - she keeps everything, and unlike me can immediately put her hands on it.  I got short changed on the organization genes.  Anyway the pictures were fantastic and the booklet is a nice rememberance of the weekend.