Tip for a Tuesday....

Take A Picture.....



In talking with a friend this morning about how difficult it is sometimes to part with "things", I mentioned that the Englishman gave me a wonderful tip many months ago.

If you want or need to part with something, but want to remember it, take a photograph of the item.  That way you will always have it, so to speak.

I've taken photographs of prints, clothes, furniture, and statues.  The list goes on and on.  Before I pass back items to my children from their childhood, I take a picture of them.
Taking photographs of room arrangements before I switch things up is also nice to have.

Let's face it - storing photographs on my computer is far easier than storing or moving the actual objects.
And less "stuff" to care for means more time with my family, especially my adorable grandchildren. What could be better than that?

Take the time to read this....

Just wanted to point you towards a blog post written by daughter #2 today.  You'll find it at the top of "My Blog List" on the right hand side of this blog.  Click on "Mommy Musings.  Sometimes..."  It is worth your time to read it.  Thanks!

The Spa Treatment.....

This morning I finally used a gift certificate for a local spa which was given to me by daughter #2 and her husband.  It was due to expire at the end of February.  After 5 years.  Yes, it took me five years to get up the courage to call and use it.

It was for a Swedish massage, but since I have been having a lot of trouble with the skin around my eyes, I traded it in for a facial.  And I am so glad I did.

The place is lovely, very calm and serene as you enter.  I was greeted right away and asked to fill in a little information about myself.  I was taken into a small, darkened room, given a towel wrap to put on and told to slip under the blanket on the table in the room.  It was heated! There was a large photo of a deserted beach in the room which emitted the sounds of the ocean waters lapping on the shore.  Ah, yes, I could see this was going to be a wonderful experience.

A bit unlike my first time.  The technician today inquired as to when my last facial was.  "About twenty years ago", I replied.  She seemed surprised.   I'm not.  Many, many years ago, a woman who worked for the Englishman suggested he give me an all day spa treatment at Elizabeth Arden as a Christmas gift.  Silly girl.  Now perhaps she found this to be a wonderful experience but I wasn't so sure. I didn't have much time to fret about it or delay the experience because the Englishman was taking me to NYC for our anniversary that February.  As we stood outside the red door of Elizabeth Arden, (yes it is very red), I grabbed the Englishman by the lapels of his coat and begged him,  "Please don't make me go in there!"  Seriously.  He laughed, peeled me off his coat and sent me inside.

It was....OK.  I was uncomfortable in the situation - I didn't know what the protocol was, where to go, how much to tip and when, etc.  Most of the women there seemed quite at home, like this was a weekly experience.  Which it probably was.  Not me.  I'm more comfortable digging in the garden.  The technician scolded me a bit for the condition of my face, another woman applied makeup and I spent the remainder of the value of the gift certificate on perfume.  Which actually lasted me a couple of years.  But at least I didn't have to get "the full Monty" so to speak, for which I was very grateful.

Fast forward to this morning and it was in fact a different story.  The woman could not have been nicer and I felt thoroughly at ease and completely pampered. In addition to the facial, she massaged my neck, arms and hands.  I actually enjoyed it - every minute of it.

Will I go back?  As I told daughter #1 when I returned, if I win the lottery I'm buying spa packages for everyone.  It was a lovely experience and when the time is right, I will go back.  And maybe this time, I won't wait five years to do it!

Before and after.....

I've been trying to get back to doing my "Before and after...." post for weeks now and I finally got there this morning.

Today's post is about the hub of the home, the kitchen.

When we first moved into this house, which was sorely in need of some tender loving care, there were several thoughts that struck me about the kitchen in particular.

To start with, it was brown.  No, I mean it was ALL brown. There were wood planks on the walls - actual thick boards stained brown wood - even on the ceiling.  THE CEILING had brown wood planks.  I said to the family, "Either this woman (former owner) LOVED the color brown or she was suffering from a very deep depression.

See for yourself.  Brown wood, brown appliances, brown tiles on the counter - those teeny tiny ones we used to make into ashtrays as kids.  The far end of the kitchen was like a little cave.  It took weeks for me to feel comfortable enough to touch things in there.

Fast forward several years.  The Englishman and I stripped the walls of the boards right down to the studs. We took down the ceiling, which turned out to be an absolute gift.  We discovered that one of the main beams in the ceiling had a crack in it and was about to come crashing down, and would have taken part of the second floor with it and possibly a member of the family.  Thankfully, we had the beam reinforced and all is safe now.

We took out the cabinets you see on the left in the second photo to open up the space.  We put down new flooring.  We removed the brown wooden shutters which covered the entire bay window and replaced them with curtains.  We opened up the wall where you see the white door, creating a walk through to our back entrance and a large pantry. We removed the wood "surround" of the refrigerator.

I think the change is rather dramatic.  Even on a rainy day such as this, it is a warm, bright and welcoming kitchen.  Well worth all the hard work it took and every penny spent.

As you can see, the Englishman is not only handsome and charming, he's a talented handyman.  Lucky me!!

Thursday's thought for the day....

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING !

Found this quote on another blog, 320 Sycamore, and had to share it.

I have found that the way I look at things, how I approach the day, the situation, can make all the difference.

Not always easy.  But always my choice.

When my girls were young, and we were dealing with a tough situation, I would take a deep breath and say to them "We can do this".

And the more I said it, the more we believed it.

It worked. It is working. 

Try it. You'll see.

A Sure Sign of Spring

While perusing the aisles of the supermarket this morning, I happened upon this beauty and felt I was being rewarded for my endeavors to "fill the larder" once again.

My first hyacinth of the year.  Oh how I wish you could smell the aroma - pure, absolute heaven!  A sure sign of things to come if we can muddle through the next several weeks of winter.

One almost hates to say it out loud, but I think we've been pretty lucky thus far.  Only one major snow and we are almost at the end of January.  Fingers crossed it continues that way.

In the meantime, I will relish the sweet smell of Spring which is now sitting on my kitchen table.

Tip for a Tuesday....

It's All About the Baking Soda

I recently decided to try a tip I had read about and found it to be very successful.  Now, we've all been told of the merits of using baking soda to ward off evil smells in our fridge and freezer, to whiten our teeth, and scrub the bottom of a cooking pot.  Yadda, yadda, yadda.

For the most part I had found myself reaching up on the shelf and pulling down the box of baking soda for various tasks.  But since putting it in a tiny, plastic "shaker", as suggested, keeping it on the countertop near the sink, I find I'm now using it constantly.  For all sorts of things.

And it only cost me a dollar at a "dollar" store!

 Maybe it is all about the packaging and presentation that can spur us on to use a product.  So I recommend investing in a shaker for your baking soda.  Think of the fun you will have as your sprinkle the soda and the countless tasks it will aid you in doing more easily!

If it's Monday, it's washday!

In my quest to become more organized, I am trying to assign a few household tasks to certain days of the week.  First task - laundry.  Assigned day -Monday

When my daughters were little, Sunday was generally the day I laundered all their clothes.  The girls attended a Catholic school, so there were uniform dresses, 15 pairs of socks, sweaters and 15 white blouses that needed to be washed and ironed.  I think there were times I dreamt of rounded Peter Pan collars and pressing around all those buttons....

Now that it is just the Englishman and I there is far less laundry to attend to and I can finish it all in one day.  Recently I decided to become a little more ambitious and ironed the pillowcases on our bed.

Looks rather nice and inviting, doesn't it.  Well worth the effort.  Only now, of course, I've noticed that the top sheet looks quite wrinkly next to it.  So I suppose I'll have to iron it, too.  But I think I will take advantage of a short cut, and only iron the top bit!

So, all done and the sweet smelling laundry is folded and put away till next week.  I discovered a wonderful set of products last summer, called Sweet Grass Farm.  They have several heavenly fragrances for numerous household and personal products.  Today I used their White Lilac fabric softener and tossed the laundry sachet of the same scent in the dryer.  Even the Englishman, who doesn't often take notice of such things, has commented when I use their products, so that's saying something.  Sweet Grass Farm.  They have a website.  (This is not a paid promotion, just passing on a suggestion.)

On a side note, I am pleased that the Giants beat San Francisco, and will be in the Super Bowl.  There will be much excitement in daughter #2's house for the next two weeks in anticipation of the matchup between the Giants and the Patriots.  I suspect my granddaughters will be wearing lots of blue in the coming days....

A Snowy Day....

Some things in life seem almost universal, don't they.  Take for instance suiting up kids to play in the snow.  As I recall from my early childhood,  I had a green snowsuit, a two piece with pants like overalls and a jacket with a hood.  It seemed to take forever to get that contraption on, and then came - the boots!

I can't find an image of the exact ones, but they were quite similar to these.  No fur, slightly taller and made of white plastic.  You slipped them on over your shoes and then closed them by hooking an elastic band around a button on the side.  The problem with this style didn't become apparent until you stepped outside.  As soon as I would start to venture out onto my parents patio, depending on the depth of the snow, I could feel my feet becoming wet and cold as the snow would slip down into my boots.  I'm sure you can guess what my next move was.  I would hurry up the steps to the back door, begging to come back inside.  And you can imagine my mother's reaction.  Having just spent probably forty-five minutes getting three kids into all their paraphernalia, she was not inclined to simply let me back in.  What to do?

Well a few complaints to my father caused him to come up with the solution: electrical tape.

Yep, black electrical tape.  Not today's popular "go to" item of duct tape.  The man was clearly ahead of his time.

After stuffing us into our snow outfits, he would sit us in a chair, push our shoes into the boots and then wrap the tops of the boots snugly around our calves with the tape.  Not pretty, mind you, but it worked.  No more snow in our boots!  We could stay out there for hours, our feet being completely dry.

Then there were the wet soggy mittens, but that solution would have to wait for the clothing industry to solve. Thank goodness for the improvements they've made to winter gear since those earlier days.  Still, as uncomfortable as it was, a snowy day spent outside was always an adventure.

Hope today finds you remembering back, fondly, to romping in the snow.

Passing the torch....

Today will be a new experience for me.  Daughter #2 and her oldest, M, are picking me up and we are heading off to the movies to see "Beauty and the Beast".  Seems like only yesterday that I was the one picking up my mother, with little girls in tow, and heading off to the movie theater.  How times have changed...

The last Disney movie the girls and I went to see together was back in August of 1995.  "Pocahontas" was debuting and we were all very excited, hoping to get tickets on opening day.  We were still on vacation at the beach, the Englishman having returned home early to deal with a couple of crisis that had arisen.

I hate to admit it, but I became one of "those mothers" that rainy day.  As I recall, I think we had to wait in the car during the first showing, then I had to line up with other mothers outside while getting soaked, the theater was packed, and none of it was going the way I envisioned.  But I was determined that my girls and I would see the film, that day, and have somewhat decent seats in the process.  It all turned out well in the end, I think, but it was somewhat of an ordeal to achieve what I wanted.

So here we are, in 2012, and now I'm the Grandmother, being driven about by one of my daughters.  And while I absolutely cherish all the times I have spent with my children, I am also looking forward to this new role and all the joys it will bring.

Just hope I remember not to get in on the driver's side when we leave the movie theater today....

The Birthday Boy

Today is the Englishman's birthday.  Now, as a young woman this was the image I had of a "proper Englishman".

You know, all "cheerio, pip pip, and all that".

Or like one of these young mop headed lads:
aka TheBeatles

But my Englishman turned out to be more like this:

He was a rugby player at school.  He certainly has the build for it, but looks equally smashing in a 3-piece suit.  

My Englishman is the most romantic, loyal, strong, dependable, talented and sweet man I have ever known.  He is also an amazing, loving father and Grandad.

So Happy Birthday to my Prince Charming, the Englishman!  May you know always how very deeply you are loved not only by me, but by all who know you.

Tip for a Tuesday....

"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be diminished by a nice cup of tea."

                                                          ~ Bernard-Paul Heroux

So very true...

And on such a rainy day as this.

I highly recommend a nice cup of tea this afternoon, preferably with a biscuit or two, whilst sitting quietly in a chair with your feet up.

That's my tip - sit and sip!

"What's the word, hummingbird?"

Have you ever read about people, mostly women, who choose a "word" for the coming year - a word that will serve as an inspiration or guide for an area of their life they want to work on, improve or enjoy?  When I first read that I thought I couldn't possibly come up with only a single word - I would need an entire book!  But since the first of this year I keep hearing the word "simplify" in my head.  In order to quiet my mind, I've decided to just go with it and make it mine.

Simplify

Webster says that to simplify, one is going to: make simple; to reduce to basic essentials; to diminish in scope or complexity.

On the one hand, that sounds very basic, almost easy to me.  Yet if I continue to ponder it too long I can twist it into some sort of giant project or overwhelming task.  Then I tell myself, "just breathe" and get back to basics.

To begin with, I've decided to make my house the place where I start to simplify.  Clearing out, rearranging, lining up, and learning to do without are my guidelines.  I've been working on my office for a couple of days and I'm actually starting to enjoy what they call, "the fullness of nothing" on the tops of the tables and desks.  It feels somewhat freeing.  I like it!

I'm really going to stick with this because I can see already that the rewards will far outweigh the uncomfortableness of doing something new.  Making changes...

Oh, just one more thing.  Looking for a wonderful new blog to follow? (in addition to mine, hopefully).  I would like to turn your attention to "My Blog List", located on the lower right hand side of this blog.  If you click on "My Hands and Heart Are Full" you will meet a wonderful young mother, whose heart and hands truly are full with a husband, school age son, and beautiful new daughter who was born with Down Syndrome.  Beth and I used to teach together at the same school several years ago.  I still remember her first baby shower!  She is hoping to gain new followers and in doing so would love to raise awareness about Down Syndrome.  Please take a few moments to go to her blog and become a follower.  Her strength, honesty and love will inspire you!

Have you ever read....

Several years ago, while perusing the shelves in a Barnes and Noble bookstore, I happened upon a book by an author called "Miss Read".  She is an English author, and the book, about a school teacher in the English countryside, immediately appealed to me.  Taking it home, I read thru it quickly and fell in love - with the author's style and the complete sense of calm and pleasure I found whilst reading her books.

Dora Saint, aka Miss Read, wrote a series of novels, I discovered, from 1955 to 1996.  They are centered around two fictional English villages, Fairacre and Thrush Green.  The Fairacre series involves an unmarried schoolteacher, her school and a cast of characters attached to it.  Thrush Green centers on a few families and life in a village.  The characters in both series are diverse, the humour is gentle and the observations of the people and the changing countryside is both informative and enjoyable.

I made it my mission to purchase as many of her books as I could.  My most recent count puts me at 37 sitting on a shelf in my bedroom.  The last time I was in London with the Englishman, we went to Waterstones in Trafalgar Square (The English equivalent of Barnes and Noble) soon after our arrival.  When we emerged from the store, having purchased two more coveted Miss Read novels, I said that if we were to leave then and there for home, I would still be content.  I had found what I was looking for.  And it was worth the entire trip just to have those books.

So if during these long winter months, you are in search of a novel or two to read and enjoy, while curled up in a chair with a cup of tea, I highly recommend Miss Read.  If you are not looking to buy, there are usually copies available in most libraires.  I know this because those copies would sustain me until I was able to track them down and purchase them for my own library.  Like an old friend, I confess to having picked them up and read them again several times.  Yes, I think they are that good!   Let me know if you agree.

Thursday's thought for the day....

"What would be the point of living if we didn't let life change us?"

  ~  Carson, on Downton Abbey - episode four, season one

Imagine if your life, because you were afraid to step out and experience change, were the same as it ever was?  How boring and tragic that would be!  It may feel as though it takes a lot of courage some days to "go with the flow" and move along with the changes life can bring.

But what an exciting adventure it is too!  And so worth every ounce of strength to just TRY!

Change is good!

(but dollars are better, as my middle daughter used to say -

a little humour on such a rainy day as this)

Now I've seen everything....

This morning I was delighted to look after my youngest granddaughter while daughter #2 took the older one to visit a pre-school.  (Can't believe she is going to school in the Fall!!).

As Baby C and I were snuggling on the couch, I heard a rather loud noise coming from the kitchen.  Upon investigation I found the resident bulldog, "Mr. B",  standing INSIDE the dishwasher, licking the plates.

I was stunned! "Good Lord, how did you get in there?", I shouted.  Needless to say there was no response, though he did hang his head a little.  He must have jumped up repeatedly, as he is wont to do, and eventually pulled the door down, then climbed on top of it.  I suppose he could smell the food still lingering on the dishes waiting to be washed and thought he would help out by cleaning them himself.

Thankfully, he followed my simple directive of "Get out of there" and promptly got back down on the floor.  Bulldogs are, after all, the unofficial mascots of the Marines, so he is quite used to following orders. Pushing the dishwasher door in tight while balancing Baby C on my hip, I hoped that we would have no more of that nonsense!

So, what kind of a day did you have?

Tip for a Tuesday....

What on earth is "Pinterest" you ask?  Daughter #1 has described it on one of her blogs:

"For those of you unfamiliar with Pinterest, it’s basically an online bulletin board, where you can collect things that you see on the internet. You create themed “boards,” where you “pin” whatever you would like – anything from recipes to clothing to craft ideas to quotes and more.  You can browse the wide internet and “pin” things that you find, or you can just browse Pinterest itself and “repin” things that people on there have found and pinned."

                                            - description from The Handy Homeowner Girl blog

I had been hearing about this new obsession for a while, mainly from daughters 1 and 2.  I also started to see a "button" for it on other blogs I follow.  So thanks to an invitation from daughter 2, I now have boards of my own!  With the Englishman's assistance, I've added my own button on the top right side of this blog, "Follow Me On Pinterest", so you can click on it and see the many boards I have.

In a way, I feel as though I have been ahead of the crowd.  For the past few years, I have dragged images and saying I like into the "Photo gallery" located on my desktop.  It is where all the photographs I have taken or others have shared are stored.  The Englishman showed me the other day how to set up "folders" on it, which are similar to the boards on Pinterest.  It is a great way to organize images without having to scroll thru the hundreds I have saved - I start to feel positively cross-eyed after a while!

So my "tip" is to check out this new phenomenon.  Ok, maybe it isn't exactly "new", but it may be new to you.  Start by clicking on my link and seeing the images I've saved.  Who knows, maybe you'll want to join and start "pinning" yourself.  Just think how knowledgeable and sophisticated you'll sound next time you go out with the girls for coffee.  "Pinterest?  Why yes, I've been pinning for ages!"

Oh, and while I have your attention, please be sure and check out "My Blog List", also located further down on the right hand side.  I highly recommend "Mommy Musings" and "Handy Homeowner Girl" Not only are they fabulous blogs, I also happen to be the mother of the authors.  Enjoy!

And it all began today....

Today is the birthday of my first daughter.  Which means this is the anniversary of the day I became a mother.  I had wanted to be a mom ever since I realized there was such a thing.  And the journey has been far more wonderful than I ever imagined, thanks to the Englishman and my three daughters

The biggest hurdle to first overcome on that journey was convincing the Englishman that I was in fact in labor.  He insisted I wasn't, mainly because he was starving for sleep and hoped we could wait till morning.  But our first daughter had her own ideas and arrived two days early, at 8:15 on a cold January morning.

My first question when they said it was a girl was "is her nose big?"  (Don't ask, lifelong battle between my nose and I). I was ecstatic to have a girl.  And she looked like me!  I hadn't given much forethought to a middle name, but after going thru natural childbirth I thought it only fitting that she have my name so she would remember, for the rest of her life, who brought her into this world! Her sisters also have the same middle name.

Daughter #1 was a sweet, wonderful child.  She seemed to have been born with a great deal of knowledge inside her and was far more mature than other children her age.  She truly loved going to school!  The first time she got on the bus for nursery school, she sat on the seat, looked straight ahead and didn't shed a tear.  It was as if she were on a mission.  And her love of learning has never stopped.

After her college graduation ceremony, I hugged her tight and as the tears rolled down my face confessed to her, "I always wanted to be like you when I grew up".  She had grown into an amazing woman - so smart, capable, caring and eager to take on the world.  I was so very happy for her.

Today she has built an incredible life, filled with world travel, friends, a fabulous home and two challenging basset hounds.  I have always been incredibly proud to be her mother. And I feel exceptionally blessed to also be her friend.

So Happy Birthday, Binzer - may this year be filled with wonderful adventures and dreams coming true!

Today's Birthday Boy is.......

Bentley.  My "baby" is now 5 years old.  The story of all our dogs and how they came to live with us is a tad too long to tell today.  Suffice it to say, this little guy won my heart when I saw him stumbling around in the pet shop and I just knew he had to come home with us.

I admit that I do both refer to him as and "baby" him.  He reminds me very much of the beagle I grew up with and adored, Spotty.  Bentley has his own sweet personality.  If you've ever seen the Charlie Brown Christmas special where Snoopy points his nose into the air and howls, that's what it sounds like here whenever the town fire whistle goes off.  He's actually getting better at sustaining the low moan which rises to crescendo.  I used to try and discourage him, but now we actually root him on.  It's his signature.


And this is how you will find him most evenings after dinner.  Not sure what exactly he is hiding from - the light in the room, the other dog, or life in general.  But it seems quite a necessary routine for him to settle himself.  Hey, whatever works!

So Happy 5th Birthday to my baby.  May you live a very long time!

Happy Birthday!

                                        

Today my wonderful son-in-law, aka the Marine,  turns the big 30!  I think he's a bit in shock at the number.  (Wait till he sees 50!)

Historically, there seems to be a large amount of friction between the mother of the bride and the groom as the years go on after the wedding - the jokes and moans about "the mother-in-law" seem endless!  However, I have not encountered a single problem with my son-in-law.

If I could have drawn up a list of qualities and ordered a husband for daughter #2 I could not have done better than the Marine.  He is the most loving, attentive, sensitive husband to my daughter.  And has turned out to be an outstanding father to two of the most beautiful, wonderful little girls.  You should see the way he plays with them and hear the giggles whenever he's around.  Priceless!  That's in addition to feeding, changing, rocking, etc.

The Marine has a wicked sense of humor and can do the most amazing imitations of people (oh dear, I hope he's never done me!)  He is loyal and dependable.  When the Englishman is away I have no concerns about who I would turn to for help.  I would simply, "call in the Marine".

So Happy Birthday to a very special young man.  May this decade bring as much happiness to you as your being in our family has brought to all of us.  Love you!

I've got a secret.....

Nothing earth shattering.  Just the admission that I already know what happens in all of Season 2 on this program:

I said to the Englishman the other day that I felt like I was harboring some secret news, that it felt almost like cheating. " Cheating on who?" he inquired.  I don't know - it's just that I know and viewers in the U.S. don't.  "Who would you tell? he then asked.  Well, no one.  "So what's the problem? he said very matter of fact.

He's right.  It's not like knowing a secret code or intercepting a message.  Silly me.

If you haven't already tapped into this lovely program, I urge you to do so.  Before Sunday night if possible, when Season Two begins.  Netflix, if you are a member, seems to have episodes from Season One.  But you can easily catch on to what is happening even if you haven't seen the previous shows.

As a woman, I find it fascinating to see how our gentle sex was treated back in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  To the tell you the truth, I'm appalled at some of the attitudes held toward us.  How women didn't just haul off and slap these men up the side of the head I'll never know.  (Probably because of the repercussions they were sure to suffer.)

In another British series we watch called "Bramwell", a woman doctor is reminded by a senior Surgeon that "after all, we know for a fact that a woman's brain is much smaller than a man's."  Seriously?  SLAP!

Probably best for all concerned I was born in the era I was and not before.  But I'm drifting off topic.

Please tune in to PBS on Sunday January 8th to go back in time to life at Downton Abbey.

Umm, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I have also seen the Christmas Day Special of Downton Abbey which followed the end of Season Two.  But I promise not to breathe a word of it!

Tip for a Tuesday....

I've been wracking my brain for days trying to think of a new "tip" and this one popped into my head as I was doing the laundry this morning.

Napkins

Cloth napkins

Like this one

Now it might seem like a silly suggestion, but years ago, while reading one of the numerous lifestyle books by Alexandra Stoddard sitting on my bedroom shelf,  she mentioned something about using cloth napkins.  And I thought,  how nice.  Instead of those tiny paper ones which never seem adequate to the task, she suggested using cloth ones.  For every meal.

So I purchased two sets of plain cloth napkins and have used them ever since.  

Well, not the same ones, I have bought others over the years.

I like the feeling they give of sitting down to a proper meal.

They are easily tossed in with the regular wash.

And come in a variety of colors, as well as holiday motifs.

Try it.  You just may like it.  

And I suspect the tree huggers would say we are helping the environment at the same time.

Bonus!

Computing.....

Is that even a word? Computing?  Is that what I am doing for hours each day, trying to find my way around this thing called the Internet and the blogging world?  It seems to take me FOREVER to do things on my friend "Mac", but I am slowly but surely making progress.

I confess that when asked on certain sites do I want the Mac or PC version, I have to stop first and remember that Mac is short for Macintosh, a type of apple and that is the computer I have.  Sad, but true.

But then I pat myself on the back for at least trying.  Apparently there are scores of people out there who either just plain dislike computers, don't trust the Internet or are too afraid to try.  The fact that the Englishman constantly assures me that I can't break anything has been a huge boost to my confidence and eagerness to go forward in my attempts to conquer this myself.

So if you've noticed a few changes to the outward appearance of my blog, it is because I am venturing farther down the road of technology.  It is both exciting and intimidating.  And I find I am enjoying every minute of it.

If you haven't yet gotten on the highway of computing,  I urge you to come join me.  It's a wonderful journey, I assure you, and worth every moment of your time and effort.  Hey, if I can do it......

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year in London from the top of Big Ben

to....

New Year's Eve in Times Square  - New York City

Wishing one and all a healthy and Happy 2012!