Crazy Black Friday

For the first time ever, we decided to go shopping on the day after Thanksgiving! We got up at 5:00 in the morning to get to JoAnn's when they opened. Flannel was on a HUGE sale ($1.29 a yard!) and we are out of baby presents. We were there four hours the first time, two of which were at the counter getting fabric cut. We ended up filling a shopping cart with the cut pieces of fabric! Then we went to Panera for breakfast/lunch which was a nice break from standing on the concrete floors. Then back to JoAnn's for the second round, resulting in two more bags of fabric. We found some really, really cute designs - sweet peas, moons, and Scandinavian pine trees. :o)

We didn't end up leaving until after 2:00. After that we did Meijer's, GFS, Lowes, and PetSmart. Needless to say, by the time we got home after we were really tired. Mom and Sarah counted the pieces and it turns out we got 94 different pieces of flannel! Our sofa is piled high with bags of beautiful flannel. Now comes the really fun part . . . matching all the pieces up and making them into blankets!

Books, records, and eBay

I haven't written a new post in ages! Life has been really busy around here. Feels nice to be getting back to "normal" life (although, it could be debated about what "normal" in our family really means ). Dad finished stacking all the firewood this week and the winter weather has already settled in (not snow, just grey and cold).

For the last two weeks I have been working on putting all of our newly acquired books away on the shelves upstairs. While I was at it, I decided to go through them as I went and get rid of any doubles or titles that we no longer wanted. So far I have made it through adult fiction, adult bios, and presidents. We did manage to weed three boxes full - to help make room for the seven boxes of new ones! (Somehow the math seems wrong here???) Books are always so fun. I could work at them all day, every day.

Sarah and I have also been working on cleaning out the attic over the TV room. There is way too much stuff up there and we have been wanting to get rid of some of the plastic toys that we had kept. So, right now, Mom is hot and heavy working on listing the better stuff on eBay.

At the beginning of the month, Sarah and I did a massive weeding job on the record collections. It is very sad not to be able to keep them all, because you really don't see them around much anymore. However, we just don't have enough room and it was getting quite out of hand. So we sorted through every single 78 and got rid of about half of them ( that means close to 700). I also went through our LPs, but we are going to do a better sort-through together.

All in all, we have handled lots of records, books, and other stuff in the past month! The cats are not sure what to do with all of the stuff around the house. Although, Monika and Iveta did have a grand time exploring the walk-in closet while we were cleaning up there!

Joan Sutherland Dies

I just found out that last night, legendary opera soprano Joan Sutherland died at her home in Switzerland. She was 83 years old. What a talent. It was actually Joan Sutherland who really cemented my love for opera. The first thing I heard her sing was "Casta Diva" and I remember thinking that I had never heard anyone sing that high before. I was totally enthralled. I must have listened to that song twenty times that day. There is nobody like her.

A few years ago, I wrote a letter to her and she was kind enough to send back a beautiful black and white photo of her in the Mad Scene, signed and personalized. I was SO thrilled! It is in my Deanna binder until I start making my opera scrapbook, where it will get a front page to properly exhibit it!

Her autobiography A Prima Donna's Progress was fantastic. We actually found it by accident one day at the Mansfield library and I loved it. So Mom and Dad bought a copy of it for me for Christmas that year and it has it's own special place on the shelf in our bedroom. A lot of people didn't like it because it has lots of stuff about her career and doesn't dish any dirt, but it was fantastic for me! She has lots of funny stories about different performances.

God really blessed her with a remarkable talent and thankfully we can still enjoy that talent through CDs and DVDs. Who can forget her wonderful Mad Scene or her marvelous recording of Turandot? What a talent, what a gift.

Dame Joan Sutherland
November 7, 1926 - October 10, 2010

Goodby Little Joe

We lost Little Joe this morning. He was a very cute cat and we were very blessed to have him for four and a half years. We got him as a kitten on December 22, 2005 (the same day that we got Beatrice). Last week he had all his teeth out because of a serious condition, but he didn't recover from the surgery and this morning Dad had to take him to the vet so that he could go to sleep. No matter how many we lose, it is always hard to say goodbye.

Time is Flying AKA "The Business of Life"

I haven't posted in ages! Life is so busy around here. On August 14th, Sarah fell on the pavement and broke her arm. We went to the Galion ER and they put a splint on it. She has a radial head facture. So, the following Tuesday, we trundled down to Dr. Dawson and he got to look at it. Turns out that he is a National specialist on that particular fracture. He did his college work about it and even helped design the implant for when it is shattered. He actually took the splint off. He said that the elbow is the least forgiving thing to regain complete range of motion. Although, if you have to break something, this is the break to have as it is very straightforward. Exercise is the key, though, to regaining complete motion. Well, her three week check-up on Tuesday and he said that the break was healing up very well and that she can use it for whatever (with caution of course). So she has another appointment in three months.

In the meantime, she has been felting a gnome for Alex. We are flying down there on October 2 to see Leilani. They are going to have her baptism the Sunday that we are there, so we are really, really thrilled! More about this topic later . . .

Life has been crowded with assorted doctor's appointments in the past three weeks. Sarah's arm, Mom and Sarah's follow-up with Doctor Kerbs (which went really well this time), Lydys, dentist. One fun thing is that I got to go to a massage therapist up in Mansfield. I have had four already and boy, are they wonderful. She is really working on my shoulders and neck. It is definitely something that I want to continue even after the insurance settlement.

The Tomato Show started yesterday. We got 24 entries total, eight of which were ours. We are considering closing the division down after this year. We barely filled the two quilt racks and two tables. Attendance seems down on the whole though. Even in the midway it is not very crowded. Not very fun when we are practically the only ones entering, and nobody is even enjoying looking at the things. So, we'll see.

When Jesus walks the waters of the sea, how profound the calm!

I was reading Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions the other day, and this one was really interesting.

'The rainbow, the symbol of the covenant with Noah, is typical of Our Lord Jesus, who is the Lord's witness to the people. When may we expect to see the token of the covenant? The rainbow is only to be seen painted upon a cloud. When the sinner's conscience is dark with clouds, when he remembers his past sin, and mourneth and lamenteth before God, Jesus Christ is revealed to him as the covenant Rainbow, displaying all the glorious hues of the divine character and betokening peace. To the believer, when his trials and temptations surround him, it is sweet to behold the person of our Lord Jesus Christ - to see Him bleeding, living, rising, and pleading for us. God's rainbow is hung over the cloud of our sins, our sorrows, and our woes, to prophesy deliverance. Nor does a cloud alone give a rainbow, there must be crystal drops to reflect the light of the sun. So, our sorrows must not only threaten, but they must really fall upon us. There had been no Christ for us if the vengence of God had been merely a threatening cloud: punishment must fall in terrible drops upon the Surety. Until there is real anguish in the sinner's conscience, there is no Christ for him; until the chastisement which he feels becomes grievous, he cannot see Jesus. But there must also be a sun; for the clouds and drops of rain make not rainbows unless the sun shineth. Beloved, our God, who is as the sun to us, always shines, but we do not always see Him - clouds hide His face; but no matter what drops may be falling, or what clouds may be threatening, if He does but shine there will be a rainbow at once. It is said that when we see a rainbow the shower is over. Certain it is, that when Christ comes, our troubles remove; when we behold Jesus, our sins vanish, and our doubts and fears subside. When Jesus walks the waters of the sea, how profound the calm!'

"The bow shall be seen in the cloud." - Genesis 9:14

Opera books, opera records, even an opera autograph!

The three of us went to an estate sale on Friday. What an estate sale. A 70 yr old lady had to liquidate her parents house (Father died in 73, Mother died in 84. We don't know why it took so long). The daughter actually studied opera and spent 10 years in Austria. Actually, her half-sister (25 years older than she is) was an actress back in the 40s. Jane Randolph.

Anyway, we got a cabinet full of vocal scores and music. Sarah found it (the entire house was set up as a sale, with a lot of the furniture still where it had been and not emptied!) and Mom asked the guy who was running the sale how much the sheet music pieces were. He said that normally he would charge $1 a piece, but if we would take the entire lot we could have it for $10! I couldn't believe it! She had the two scores that I had been thinking about buying, so I was thrilled even if I only got the two books. So, Sarah and I spent an hour packing it up. Five full boxes! Also, she had a collection of opera records to die for. Just my era, too. Mostly 50s, and tons and tons of Renata Tebaldi. Boxed sets, complete operas, recital singles. Well, we got four large boxes for another $15. I am thrilled because, aside from having lots of complete operas I don't have already, there are some titles where mine got ruined when our plumbing burst.

Another very cool thing . . . on Saturday night I was going through a stack of Met librettos (to see if there were doubles) and I found one that is autographed by Renata Tebaldi! I was thrilled as she is one of my favorite opera singers. I couldn't believe it when I found it!

Bogart, Bergman, and Flynn at Playhouse Square

To celebrate Mom and Dad's 25th wedding anniversary, we went up to Cleveland this past weekend and saw two classic (and I mean classic!) films at the Palace Theatre on Playhouse Square. Saturday night was Casablanca and Sunday afternoon was The Adventures of Robin Hood. We actually stayed at a hotel that was only a block away from the theatre. We checked-in around 2:00pm and then went to dinner at an Italian restaurant that was across from the theatre. Sarah and I shared this absolutely wonderful pizza that was topped with mozzarella, garlic oil, pesto, and brie. We also had these two wonderful appetizers - one was italian bread with mozzarella tomatoes, and basil, the other was spicy marinara with ricotta and you dipped fried pita bread in it. We have to try making this, it was so good. Actually, the entire meal was one of the most enjoyable restaurant experiences we've had. Before the film, we went back to the hotel and Dad and the two of us swam in the pool for an hour. It was so hot, the water and the air, that it was hard to breathe after a little while.

On Saturday night we saw the classic Casablanca, with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Thrilling and wonderful on the big screen. It went from one great scene to another, although the last scene is still one of Hollywood's stand-outs. Bogart was perfect as Rick and Ingrid Bergman was beautiful. However, Claude Rains as the French prefect of police steals every scene he is in. Definitely worth seeing on the big screen.

Sunday morning, we packed up and checked out, and decided to go to Shaker Heights for lunch. It was a beautiful drive and we saw lots of cool buildings. We had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, which was huge! Sarah and I shared a white pizza and tiramisu cheesecake. Some of our favorite dishes. Back to the theatre for the 2:00 showing. This time we got to see the greatest swashbuckling movie, The Adventures of Robin Hood, with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Of all the films that we have gotten to see on the big screen, this one wins hands down. You can really understand what made Errol Flynn famous! It was great!



Here's a photo of Mom and Dad at the Italian restaurant on Saturday, then the two of us (I'm on the left, Sarah is on the right) on the stairs at the hotel, and then a cute photo of The Bunny sitting on our woodstove. Naughty, yes, but he is soooo cute! (He doesn't have anything to do with our vacation, I just thought he would like to have his photo on my blog. )

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!
"What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." - Mark 19:6

Sweet Lelani

Yesterday (July 31) afternoon at 2:38pm, our cousin Patty had her first baby! We are so excited, we have been waiting for years for her to have a baby. :) Alex is very excited and so proud of his new daughter! Her name is Leilani, she was 7lbs. 9oz., and 19" long. They sent us a photo and she looks just like Patty and Gramma. She is so cute! She was actually born on Robbie's birthday, just 23 years later. Alex's mom flew up from Puerto Rico to be wth them, so Alex, his mom, Patty's mom, and Gramma were there at the birth. That 's so cool - both Grammas and the Great-Gramma.

"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward." - Psalm 127:3

New library furniture!

This week, Mom and Sarah both told me that my chair up in the library (where we do our hobbies and watch movies) was shot. So, on Wednesday it was so hot and we were all really tired that we decided to drive up to Mansfield to look at some furniture stores. First we went to Value City Furniture. I sat in every chair they had there. There was one recliner that was all right, but we remembered that there were two other furniture place in town, so we decided to try them before deciding anything. Next we went to Furniture Row to see what they had to offer. They had tons of furniture and I sat in all of those pieces too! (I did a lot of sitting down and getting up!) Well, there was a nice chair and a cool red leather love seat. So, we had lunch at Panera to take time and figure out the best course of action. We laid out all the pros and cons of just replacing my chair, or replacing Sarah's as well with a love seat for us to share. We eventually decided that we would go with the love seat. Sarah and I like sitting together and we missed that with two chairs. Also, we do several of the same hobbies which would be nice to do sitting together and the ease of keeping shared supplies between us. We did decide to go look at Ashley Furniture before totally settling on the red love seat though. So, off we went and I sat in a bunch more chairs, but nothing compared to that red leather piece. Back at Furniture Row we looked around again, finally ending up at the same red love seat. So, since it was 4:45pm, we measured it and called Dad who left work and made sure that the piece would fit through the doorways to get upstairs. Everything checked, so we told him to meet us up there. We looked around and found a clearance king-size headboard that matched Mom and Dad's bedroom set. We also decided that we would see if we could find a new chair for Dad, as he had been needing one for a while as well. We found the perfect chair, an Italian leather wall-hugger, non-rocking recliner. It was the last piece of a living room set that the store had. It has flat wings on the side and huge padded arms that make it ideal for lying with your legs over the side! I was sold the first time I sat in it. Dad arrived and agreed about the three pieces and it turned out that delivery included carrying the furniture upstairs! Yay! So we went to Pizza Hut for dinner, all very happy about our shopping day. God certainly arranged everything for us. I mean, the last love seat, the last chair, and a headboard without any sides or bottom! We felt very blessed.

Thursday was spent cleaning out the back room upstairs and when Dad got home, he carried chairs down stairs and moved all kinds of lamps and end tables. By the time we all quit and went upstairs to watch a show before bed, there was only one chair and the sleeper sofa left to sit on! So yesterday, at noon, the delivery people came and two young men carried both big pieces of furniture right up the stairs and had them in place in half an hour! We couldn't have been more thrilled. So Sarah and I pushed everything around until it was right where we wanted it and then we sat upthere on the new furniture and watched some "Big Valley" episodes.