Hello 2020!

Well, here we are at the beginning of a bright new year with so many possibilities!

We have nice new calendars, journals, ideas. There are great expectations galore on the 1st day of any January.

It is also a new decade, and much will happen in the years between '20 and '30.

God willing we will pay off the house. We will have a 25th Anniversary. The Ravens will win the Superbowl....every year....

I really, really want to do a better job of recording our lives, for posterity as my sweet Mom used to say.

A few words about the weather, what we are up to and a picture or two. It shouldn't be that hard.
As I read through Grandma's journals I keep thinking that all of that day to day stuff that seemed so mundane during those years is really priceless now, so I want to do better for the sake of those that will come in the future.

So, on that note I am going to start today, with the fresh new year and a fresh new Blog theme.

Have to figure out how to get a picture into that thing....

Anyway, today is a gorgeous day, even though it's a bit chilly. The wind is blowing so it feels colder, but it is in the mid-40's.
I went down to the water to take pictures today. I wanted to get shots of the four bridges. We have the Amtrak rail bridge, the Hatem bridge, the CSX rail bridge for freight trains, and the Tydings bridge further up the river. I was able to get some pictures of all four of them from the pier at the end of a street downtown.

It's hard to see the fourth bridge but it's there!

Tim is hard at work on the bedroom. I have a previous post with photos of the project but it's looking better all the time!

Today is Dad's Birthday! He is 79, and doing great! We expect to see him here around the 10th of this month, weather permitting. He is going to be in his motor home and he will be staying in a park down on the Bush river.  He plans to go with us on the March for Life.

All the boys were out last night and Paul just got home from a friend's house.
Brendan had to be home last night because he had to work this morning at Weis.
John and Clare went to Annapolis and I haven't seen him yet. Not sure when he got in.

I'll add a bit after dinner, I need to go see about that now.

Good-Bye 2019

As years go, 2019 was a good one!

We had a lot of gatherings, we met more great people, we were all mostly healthy, and we were able to spend time with family, which has been so wonderful.

Here are a few of the highlights:

Jen and Celeste went to New York for an AMAZING performance of The Scarlet Pimpernel

What a great time! 2/2019

Maggie 9 1/2

Autumn 

Sterling

Tim's Sister visited from Washington State!

Clare received her First Holy Communion 5/2019

The Cookes on Claire's big day!

Trip to Buckey's!

Courtney and Laura came to visit! 6/2019

Lilly had a spectacular season on Cici 6/2019

 

Paul turned 17....

And Graduated!!

There was Rhubarb....

Halloween!

The Cooke Kids- Christmas 2019

Straight No Chaser!

Jen and Paul were able to attend the Ravens/Jets game! 12/2019

Straight No Chaser!!

Last week I was so blest to attend a performance in Baltimore, of Straight No Chaser, an accapella group that I have loved for years!

My dear client, Nancy, treated us for her birthday. We went to dinner first and then headed into the city.
Getting there was kind of nerve-wracking, since the parts of the city that we had to drive through were a little scary, but we got there, and the concert was amazing!

These guys are so great! I love their sound and they put on a really great show!

Good Work

Today has been a good day!

It's pretty chilly outside, but that's OK, because most of what I had do was done inside.

I got going at 5:40, as usual and got on the treadmill.
I  like to watch the local news in the morning while I walk.
It's kind of nice to see what all the other early risers are up to at that time of day. A lot of them are sitting in traffic.

After I get done and get a shower, I have time to read scripture and hear from the Lord about what He wants me to know for the day. He is always so gracious.
Today His word was "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see."
He was talking to the Apostles and what they were seeing was God, in the flesh and in their midst.
He is still in our midst, and when we go to Mass or Adoration our eyes are still blest.

After Lilly gets on the bus at 7:30 I get myself ready to get out the door for Mass.
I have been able to go almost every day since last Summer and it is just so wonderful.
We have a little group that does the Rosary before Mass. It is really special.

That is where the day's similarity usually ends.

I come home and there is a plan for the day ahead.

Today I had a job with a dear client and it went really well! We got a lot of stuff moved, sorted, and donated, and we were able to plan for the next appointment too.
I so enjoy that work!

I came home to my own work this afternoon. Lots of laundry and a dinner from the freezer.
I am trying to use up the stuff that is in the freezers before the new year.
We'll see how that goes.
We had Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches tonight.
Soup last night.
Maybe chili tomorrow?

Bedroom Project

So this is the official project post, and it will follow the project as it goes along.
I wish that I had done this with every little thing we have done, but oh well, there will always be more to do.

So this is the "before" picture. Actually, the flooring is behind the bed, and so really it's the beginning of the work.

My plan is to keep updating each step and I will also add different views as we go along.

Ready...set....

And so it begins...

This is why we can't just sand down the floor...

And Tim has been at it all day!

The floor is almost done!! It looks so nice!!

.....and now we start on the walls!!

Moving right along...Tim has gotten the bottom color on and he is starting on the battens.

And except for the curtains and headboard, it's done!!

What a wonderful place to wake up each morning!

Goodnight!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well we are officially into the American holiday season.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and we had a wonderful meal with Nina and Lilly and Dougie.
They had to come and eat early because they were making to circuit of Thanksgiving meals, so we ate around 2:00, and it was actually really nice to have the dishes over and done with before 5!
Now we have a fridge full of leftovers and a nice weekend ahead of us.

Laura's family had a nice day at the Walk's in Texas too!

Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent!!
It's hard to believe that we are here and that we have less than a month til Christmas.
I am excited though.

For Christmas, Tim and I are redoing our bedroom. It is time for a makeover and we have never done the floor, so that comes first. The original floor has a huge damaged spot under the bed, and it really is the next floor space that we need to tackle.
We got the flooring, and now we just need to move everything out of the room so that Tim can lay it.
That should only take a day or two, but the other things that we need to do will take longer...

It is so much fun though.
I mean, it is so much fun for me... not sure that I am speaking for Tim....

Sunday is Ravens day. They are playing the 49ers. Hope all goes to their plan.

So, I am going to create a project post, and I will put in pictures as we go along.

Cheerio!

Something I'm Learning

We spend the first part of our lives learning how to use words, and the rest of it learning when.