Today's mail brought a wonderful invitation for Logito. He has been invited to travel and study in Australia summer 2010 with High School students from the Miami area with People to People, an educational exploration program founded by Pres. Eisenhower. He was identified as eligible by his participation in College Board Student Search Service (SAT/PSAT). Unknown to us, three letters of recommendation were sent as well. It sounds like a wonderful program that gives scholarships too. I guess mid-October we'll have a meeting to find out more about all this, per the letter. I've never heard of this Student Ambassador program and I'm happy he was invited/picked to participate. More on this later folks.
I guess a student can also fill out an application for review to be accepted, if they were interested. Glad he was picked out because I'd have never known! It sounds like the jump he needs for his senior year and future.
Moreover.... I hope he is interested!!!!!!!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
End of August
There is some news from the Krew. Mr. Bill has his appointment for cornea transplant on Sept 17th. He is so ready for this. We'll be in Miami for two days due to the follow up the next morning to make sure all is well immediately. Miss P wants to go with us and and taken the two days off to do so.
Miss P has bigger news though. She just received her raise at Margaritaville, but also found out that her insurance will cover an ankle replacement. So she has been busy getting the proper scans/xrays that will be needed to evaluate her ankle. On October 2nd or 3rd she has an appointment with the doctor in Miami to do the meet and greet. She has been told over the phone already that the youngest candidate that has received what she will need is 36 and doing great. The office also told her that a 17 yr old from Canada has an appointment for the surgery next month though (I do not know the girls circumstances). She was told that her age is a major factor for rejection unless she is INactive, and also that she must not be too overweight or forget it, it will not last even if inactive. She is so excited she is peeing her pants. She will diet as much as possible without the starving diet to have a chance that way. Inactive is the problem I see. Keep Miss P down? Doubt it, but she will get all the poop on this in her meeting. These are just a few of the questions. Her ankle was crushed, that may be the biggest problem.
Anyway, we are all positive and excited for her. The doctor she is talking with is in Miami and works at Baptist/Doctors Hospital so that is a huge plus. His office thought she, as most of the patients that come to him are, was from out of the country. Coming from KW was a plus for her, so arrangements can be made more easily. Please everyone keep a positive outlook for her, anything negative will crush her spirit. I've never heard her so excited!!!!
So, moving on.... I'll be seeing the New England Krew next weekend. I guess I have to come up to do some witchy stuff to keep that weather from getting any worse!!! What the heck is going on up there. We've had fabulous weather this year, better than any I remember these past 30 yrs - KNOCK ON WOOD.
I'll be there Sat the 5th and leave the 12th. So, I'm excited as well. The next 30 days are jam packed.
Mr. L has been in school and all good. Mr. R comes and does his music stuff then off he goes again.
Miss P has bigger news though. She just received her raise at Margaritaville, but also found out that her insurance will cover an ankle replacement. So she has been busy getting the proper scans/xrays that will be needed to evaluate her ankle. On October 2nd or 3rd she has an appointment with the doctor in Miami to do the meet and greet. She has been told over the phone already that the youngest candidate that has received what she will need is 36 and doing great. The office also told her that a 17 yr old from Canada has an appointment for the surgery next month though (I do not know the girls circumstances). She was told that her age is a major factor for rejection unless she is INactive, and also that she must not be too overweight or forget it, it will not last even if inactive. She is so excited she is peeing her pants. She will diet as much as possible without the starving diet to have a chance that way. Inactive is the problem I see. Keep Miss P down? Doubt it, but she will get all the poop on this in her meeting. These are just a few of the questions. Her ankle was crushed, that may be the biggest problem.
Anyway, we are all positive and excited for her. The doctor she is talking with is in Miami and works at Baptist/Doctors Hospital so that is a huge plus. His office thought she, as most of the patients that come to him are, was from out of the country. Coming from KW was a plus for her, so arrangements can be made more easily. Please everyone keep a positive outlook for her, anything negative will crush her spirit. I've never heard her so excited!!!!
So, moving on.... I'll be seeing the New England Krew next weekend. I guess I have to come up to do some witchy stuff to keep that weather from getting any worse!!! What the heck is going on up there. We've had fabulous weather this year, better than any I remember these past 30 yrs - KNOCK ON WOOD.
I'll be there Sat the 5th and leave the 12th. So, I'm excited as well. The next 30 days are jam packed.
Mr. L has been in school and all good. Mr. R comes and does his music stuff then off he goes again.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
C Howard's Violet Mints
They really do taste like violets. SOOOO yummy!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Free tunes
Instead of making a new thread everyday on Free MP3s, i'll make one big thread with daily updates. Some MP3 are only free for a limited time.
Thank you Goldenchild!
Thank you Goldenchild!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Weekend in PA
The ride out to PA was leisurely and we ended up driving through rain again, but it tapered off and the weekend weather was fine, if humid. Cousin Charlie came with us this trip, which worked out very well.
On Friday, Queenee, Uncle Ed and I went to see cousin Regina's exhibit at the Darlington Arts Center. What a nice arts center - some young children were singing while we were there, and there are many different classes offered. It was worth the drive, Regina has some beautiful work up — drawings, watercolors and linoprints. Uncle Ed bought two watercolors and a drawing, and has a request in for three linoprints! We spent about 45 minutes at the DAC, then had a long drive home. DB arrived early evening and since we were all tired, we got a good night's sleep.
Saturday DB and I went to Lambertville. I was looking forward to going to Phoenix Books, a used bookstore I used to frequent, and was delighted to find them still in business. Klein's Art Supplies was no longer there, having been replaced by a music store and coffee shop. Oh well. Poor DB was stuck in the bookstore while I drooled over the art books, and I managed to escape with only about ten books. Believe me, I could have bought a lot more.
From Lambertville, we went to New Hope to see if Sharon might be home. Nobody was there but Ringo. Poor Molly was sick, so Sharon was with Laura and Erica had gone home. I'll try to get together with them in a couple months. I sure hope Molly is feeling better.
Finally we went to Uncle Max and Aunt Flo's, where Shirley and her family had gathered for a bit of bbq and conversation. Keith and Dawn have a mastiff!! I had a good talk with Jeanette and Shirley, at long last! Poor Shirley is always so busy and I haven't seen Jeanette since M&F's 50th anniversary party, back in 1991 or 1992. It just doesn't seem possible. I really need to make a better effort to stay in touch with folks (and that includes YOU, dear Anhaga), I have become a terrible correspondent.
Sunday morning Charlie came early to spend some time talking with Uncle Ed. Sometime in the wee early morning, Andrew had arrived. I'm sure he and DB were asleep about five minutes after we left! We got back from PA at about 4:30pm yesterday, having made great time coming home. It was another fun weekend in PA and I am reminded how much I miss living down there. Oh well. At least we can visit.
On Friday, Queenee, Uncle Ed and I went to see cousin Regina's exhibit at the Darlington Arts Center. What a nice arts center - some young children were singing while we were there, and there are many different classes offered. It was worth the drive, Regina has some beautiful work up — drawings, watercolors and linoprints. Uncle Ed bought two watercolors and a drawing, and has a request in for three linoprints! We spent about 45 minutes at the DAC, then had a long drive home. DB arrived early evening and since we were all tired, we got a good night's sleep.
Saturday DB and I went to Lambertville. I was looking forward to going to Phoenix Books, a used bookstore I used to frequent, and was delighted to find them still in business. Klein's Art Supplies was no longer there, having been replaced by a music store and coffee shop. Oh well. Poor DB was stuck in the bookstore while I drooled over the art books, and I managed to escape with only about ten books. Believe me, I could have bought a lot more.
From Lambertville, we went to New Hope to see if Sharon might be home. Nobody was there but Ringo. Poor Molly was sick, so Sharon was with Laura and Erica had gone home. I'll try to get together with them in a couple months. I sure hope Molly is feeling better.
Finally we went to Uncle Max and Aunt Flo's, where Shirley and her family had gathered for a bit of bbq and conversation. Keith and Dawn have a mastiff!! I had a good talk with Jeanette and Shirley, at long last! Poor Shirley is always so busy and I haven't seen Jeanette since M&F's 50th anniversary party, back in 1991 or 1992. It just doesn't seem possible. I really need to make a better effort to stay in touch with folks (and that includes YOU, dear Anhaga), I have become a terrible correspondent.
Sunday morning Charlie came early to spend some time talking with Uncle Ed. Sometime in the wee early morning, Andrew had arrived. I'm sure he and DB were asleep about five minutes after we left! We got back from PA at about 4:30pm yesterday, having made great time coming home. It was another fun weekend in PA and I am reminded how much I miss living down there. Oh well. At least we can visit.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Flight of an Eagle
This is beautiful, with the flutes playing, very soothing. The song playing is The Vanishing Breed, a Native Indian flute song. Just wanted to share.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Harry Potter VI
YP was good enough to accompany me to see the latest Harry Potter movie yesterday afternoon. We had planned to go into Boston to people-watch, but it was hot and humid and we were off to a late start, so we opted for air conditioning. She isn't into HP so much, but was very kind about agreeing to sit through it anyway.
It was better than I expected. The special effects are very good, which is unsurprising, but some of the characters are a bit flat or underused. Professor McGonagall and Hagrid are barely in this movie, which is focused on the students. Lavender Brown is annoyingly good, and Luna Lovegood is a wonderful character. Draco finally gets fleshed out beyond just being an arrogant meanie, and Professor Snape is up to something on both sides of the wizarding world. Only Dumbledore seems to have a real handle on what's going on and what's coming up and he isn't sharing much...except perhaps with Snape.
There are things the film does well. The relationships between various students is made clear. We've suspected Hermione and Ron have mutual crushes, along with Harry and Ginny, and those ties are finally established. Draco turns out to be more than a bully and we see him focusing on learning how to use a Vanishing Cabinet, not always with success. Most importantly, as a lead-in to the two-part finale, we hear about horcruxes, what they are and why they are important. While the general overview of horcruxes is fine, without having read the books or seen the other movies, you would miss that flicker of doubt from Dumbledore, who wonders if Harry might be a horcrux.
Watching the first five movies, you could get away with knowing little about the background story. However, knowing the backstory is very helpful, almost necessary, for this film. There is no exposition about who Belatrix Lestrange is, or what happened to Draco's father, and in one scene, a bedraggled Lupin appears with Tonks. Without having read the books or seen the previous movies, you would have no idea who they were or what they were doing in the Weasleys' home. And the Room of Requirement, which is important here, is left unexplained.
Fans should see it. Non-fans should either invest the time in watching the previous movies, read a synopsis (which also relies on previous knowledge), or get someone to try to catch them up. I enjoyed it. Not sure about YP, but I hope it wasn't too boring for her.
We had dinner at Olive Garden, which is always good, and lucked out with a very charming waiter, who has two parrots and wouldn't mind being reincarnated as a koi. He was fun.
It was a good way to spend the afternoon! We'll shoot for our people-watching day again next week, and hope for lower humidity.
It was better than I expected. The special effects are very good, which is unsurprising, but some of the characters are a bit flat or underused. Professor McGonagall and Hagrid are barely in this movie, which is focused on the students. Lavender Brown is annoyingly good, and Luna Lovegood is a wonderful character. Draco finally gets fleshed out beyond just being an arrogant meanie, and Professor Snape is up to something on both sides of the wizarding world. Only Dumbledore seems to have a real handle on what's going on and what's coming up and he isn't sharing much...except perhaps with Snape.
There are things the film does well. The relationships between various students is made clear. We've suspected Hermione and Ron have mutual crushes, along with Harry and Ginny, and those ties are finally established. Draco turns out to be more than a bully and we see him focusing on learning how to use a Vanishing Cabinet, not always with success. Most importantly, as a lead-in to the two-part finale, we hear about horcruxes, what they are and why they are important. While the general overview of horcruxes is fine, without having read the books or seen the other movies, you would miss that flicker of doubt from Dumbledore, who wonders if Harry might be a horcrux.
Watching the first five movies, you could get away with knowing little about the background story. However, knowing the backstory is very helpful, almost necessary, for this film. There is no exposition about who Belatrix Lestrange is, or what happened to Draco's father, and in one scene, a bedraggled Lupin appears with Tonks. Without having read the books or seen the previous movies, you would have no idea who they were or what they were doing in the Weasleys' home. And the Room of Requirement, which is important here, is left unexplained.
Fans should see it. Non-fans should either invest the time in watching the previous movies, read a synopsis (which also relies on previous knowledge), or get someone to try to catch them up. I enjoyed it. Not sure about YP, but I hope it wasn't too boring for her.
We had dinner at Olive Garden, which is always good, and lucked out with a very charming waiter, who has two parrots and wouldn't mind being reincarnated as a koi. He was fun.
It was a good way to spend the afternoon! We'll shoot for our people-watching day again next week, and hope for lower humidity.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Happy Birthday Miss P!
Happy birthday, Miss P, I hope you have a great time today! I have a card for you...sadly, I still have it. Sorry.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Foxy fox
Our gray fox has decided it's better to arrive early rather than late. Perhaps she is competing with the skunk, but regardless, she has started arriving at about 7pm, an hour earlier than her aforementioned usual time.
I'm noticing some likes and dislikes. She likes spaghetti well enough, but only if it has some sort of sauce, preferable Alfredo. Plain pasta is left for the squirrels. Baked beans are also left behind, though any hot dogs or meat are carefully extracted. She'll eat tomato and onion, but not lettuce. She likes bread, cheese and graham crackers.
Tonight she is having a good maow on a small chicken carcass. There are a few smaller bites of meat, along with a few tater tots, and having set the larger carcass aside, she is eating them first. She tends to do that. If there is something big enough to carry, she'll set it aside and eat whatever else is available, then carry the big piece of food away. Sometimes she returns at her more usual time of 8-8:30pm for seconds, or to take away whatever she left behind from her first foray.
She is a beautiful fox.
I'm noticing some likes and dislikes. She likes spaghetti well enough, but only if it has some sort of sauce, preferable Alfredo. Plain pasta is left for the squirrels. Baked beans are also left behind, though any hot dogs or meat are carefully extracted. She'll eat tomato and onion, but not lettuce. She likes bread, cheese and graham crackers.
Tonight she is having a good maow on a small chicken carcass. There are a few smaller bites of meat, along with a few tater tots, and having set the larger carcass aside, she is eating them first. She tends to do that. If there is something big enough to carry, she'll set it aside and eat whatever else is available, then carry the big piece of food away. Sometimes she returns at her more usual time of 8-8:30pm for seconds, or to take away whatever she left behind from her first foray.
She is a beautiful fox.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Slow Loris
As with other primates, they should not be kept as pets, but slow loris are very cute — and seem to enjoy a good tickle!
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Back to a partial
Thank goodness we have patience. It was a long trip once again, arriving home around 9:30pm Thursday. The great minds got together and suggested Mr. Bill see Dr. Sonia Yoo. She is Dr. Alfonso's top laser specialist at Bascom. She reviewed his records and ordered a couple more tests (sonogram & topography). Examining the scar and health etc., she feels he is a candidate for the newest type of corneal transplant - partial - which thrills us..... it's what they all started out wanting. We've come full circle.
They will send in the insurance forms and such and we'll get this thing rolling again! Dr. Yoo says there is a 90 percent chance at success. It will involve 2 to 3 laser operations on the eye, but the recovery is faster than a year. It could involve no stitches, 3 stitches or more... it all depends on how it goes. His vision will be better, she feels, and she says that with this partial, it can be redone, so he'll have more options in the future with the eye. If all else fails, he can still get a full cornea transplant, which the odds of rejection for Mr. B are high.
So, with all that said, he has decided to go for it. He decided not to do the full transplant because of all the risks in his case. We now wait for the phone call for the date. Hopefully the tissues they get that day will be good ones!
Here is a link to Images, a publication from Bascom Palmer with current articles on corneal transplanting.
They will send in the insurance forms and such and we'll get this thing rolling again! Dr. Yoo says there is a 90 percent chance at success. It will involve 2 to 3 laser operations on the eye, but the recovery is faster than a year. It could involve no stitches, 3 stitches or more... it all depends on how it goes. His vision will be better, she feels, and she says that with this partial, it can be redone, so he'll have more options in the future with the eye. If all else fails, he can still get a full cornea transplant, which the odds of rejection for Mr. B are high.
So, with all that said, he has decided to go for it. He decided not to do the full transplant because of all the risks in his case. We now wait for the phone call for the date. Hopefully the tissues they get that day will be good ones!
Here is a link to Images, a publication from Bascom Palmer with current articles on corneal transplanting.
Doing it your way
While I may be done with marriage, I enjoy that most people are not. It's good to have faith, which I have lost, and hope, which I still have.
I found this video in the NY Times and smiled. Here's to a couple who did it their way.
I've said for years that NIN's Closer was my idea of a wedding march, but of course, it would have to be a very different kind of wedding to pull that off.
I found this video in the NY Times and smiled. Here's to a couple who did it their way.
I've said for years that NIN's Closer was my idea of a wedding march, but of course, it would have to be a very different kind of wedding to pull that off.
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