Monthly Archives: May 2016

Family Toads

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Another family visit & some much needed down time! This time I am visiting my Uncle, Aunt & Cousins out west in Arizona. We celebrated my Uncle’s 80th birthday on Friday. He had no idea I was coming to town & was quite surprised when he walked into my cousin’s home & saw me. Big hugs all around! Wonderful. My cousin & I made him his favorite desert and meal for his birthday dinner. Chicken & dumplings the way my Grandma made them and pineapple upside-down cake. To say my Uncle was happy with his birthday would be an understatement. He also received a gift card for the local golf course from my Dad & I. My cousin gave him his fishing license and a Salt Blaster gun – it shoots tiny bursts of salt to kill insects. Interesting device.

Sunday Unc and I went to his local golf course & enjoyed 9 holes of golf on his gift card. We had a great time! I even scored my first birdie in all my times playing golf. Seeing as how I only play golf every few years or so, my Dad would chalk this up to “even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now & then!” So it is with some sort of blind, dumb luck I achieved a birdie and two pars on the 9 hole course. The remaining holes were boggies and then some! Like I said – luck. I did have lots of fun & so did Unc.

If you can’t tell, I adore my Unc! He was 16 years old when I was born & has always spoiled me. I spoil him too – there is no food I won’t fix if he wants it! Over the years he has given me many things, mostly his time but also some very cherished trinkets. I call them trinkets not to minimize their value, they are far from that – beautiful Native American jewelry (he knows how much I love it), a gold locket with engraved flowers on it, and gold, intricately carved pendants and matching earrings. He also gave me his time and experiences – driving a car at night when I was 16 & not normally allowed to do so, visits to Native American ruins, working in his t-shirt store in Durango, NM and at the big flea market in Denver, CO. He also gave his time to my daughter and allowed her to learn whether or not she wanted to be a photographer. She did!

And then there is Auntie – or my big Sister as I like to think of her! She is a scream. We have such fun together – mostly ganging up on my Uncle to get our way! Auntie has worked hard her entire life – running the various businesses she & Unc have had over the years – photography studios (yes, they are both photographers), t-shirt shops, and other ventures. She is tough, smart, savvy and wise.

This afternoon we are going over to my cousins for a Memorial Day cookout & visit. It will be my last night in town. I am looking forward to the chance to visit with my cousin again before I fly home tomorrow. This time spent with family is just so wonderful and so good for recharging my batteries! Nothing can beat it!

Tomorrow I fly home to MY Toad and the 3 little dog Toads.Then on Tuesday I start dealing with the Work Toad again. Oh Joy!

 

 

 

Cold Toads

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And I don’t mean Toads that are cold. I mean a cold that causes massive headaches, sinus drainage, fits of coughing, and feeling like you want to sleep forever. Since returning from vacation last week, both THE Toad & I have contracted our worst colds in some time. Thus far, my sinuses are much improved, but the cough and tickle in my throat is relentless. My most recent fit of coughing brought me to the point of nearly harking up my lunch. To say that I am losing my patience would be an understatement. It is a beautiful Saturday outside & I am stuck here coughing my head off in the house! Arg! What really sucks, is I probably caught this from someone on the airplane home, because people these days seem to have forgotten to cover their mouth when the cough & sneeze!

Family Visits

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Another month has passed since my last post. Things are considerably better than they were in my Toads Down the Rabbit Hole post – due in large part to medication and in small part to the THE Toad in MY Road straightening up his act somewhat. Visits to Family Toads over the past month have helped immensely! Long conversations with a close Girlfriend, my Daughter, and my Sister have been invaluable at retaining my sanity.

I spent a week with my Father – always interesting. He has SO many things to say – many of which I agree with; many which I don’t. It was a wonderful visit and I cherish each one. I know that as the years pass, my visits with him become more and more important – both to me and him. Father has reached the age & health conditions where time left is much shorter than time passed. Luckily his mind is clear and he is able to golf, mow his grass, and drive – all things that provide him with a sense of continued freedom and self-worth.

Today finds THE Toad & me winding up a week spent with our Daughter & her Boyfriend. They are a wonderful couple with a great relationship. I truly enjoy spending time with them – they are so thoughtful – showing me places & things they think would interest me. And, given that my Daughter and I are identical twins separated in age by 21 years, I love all the same things she does; so the places we go are just as interesting to me as they are to them. Tuesday we visited Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, NH – beautiful ocean views & relics of WWII coastal defenses. The day of hiking & sightseeing was topped off with a delicious lobster dinner! Wednesday we visited Woodstock Vermont, a Sugar Bush Cheese & Maple Farm (a family-owned & run cheese & maple syrup farm), the Quechee Gourge, and lots of beautiful Vermont scenery. We also had Mother’s Day Brunch and Friday dinner with the Boyfriend’s parents. AWESOME people & GREAT food! We went to a ballgame, visited with friends that own a winery, ate some great Paella, and drank some of their wine – ooh, la, la – good food, good friends, and good wine – what more can you ask for! My Daughter & I discussed our move to New Hampshire when I retire. Now, if the plane just had not been delayed today causing us to miss our connection home! Alas they are stuck with us another day. I don’t think they mind. I certainly am enjoying the extra visit time. Happy, Happy, Happy!

Coming up on Memorial weekend I am flying to Phoenix to visit my Uncle, Aunt & Cousin. That will be another adventure to tell. I am so looking forward to seeing my Uncle! To say that I have always idolized him would be an understatement!

The Work Toad is as frustrating as ever. The last 6 months of the year are shaping up to be pure hell – working 7 days a week for months on end. Not my idea of fun and the reason I have decided to retire in 2 years, 3 months & 1 week instead of in 5 years, 3 months & 1 week. And yes, I am counting!

In the mean time, I purchased a new long lens for my camera & am getting back into my photography big time! Got to develop some options for retirement that do not involve IT or Project Management! The time has come to sharpen old skills, develop new ones and move out on the next book of my life!