It never even occurred to me to put sugar free jello over a fruit salad - I bet that is GREAT! I'm going to try it! I have blackberries, strawberries, green grapes, bananas and plums. I can't wait!

I'm at the v-ball game. It's running about an hour and a half late. UGH. Watching other middle schoolers play v-ball is not how I wanted to spend my Sat afternoon. Plus we are in an old gym with no airconditioning. It's 85 outside. With about 200 people inside, I wonder how hot it is in here? All I know is I'm sweating. Hopefully this game will be over soon and Abi's game can start.

We had a mixture of weather today. Beautiful sunshine...heavy rain...light rain and medium winds. It's also a bit cooler than it has been the last couple of days. It's only 51 degrees right now.

Judy...I thinnk it sounds wonderful to sit on a deck in the warm sunshine and read....so relaxing.

We went to a chinese restaurant in town this evening. Pretty quiet since Rick and I weren't speaking. Still aren't as far as I'm concerned. Sometimes...NO...most times...he's an a$$ and tonight was no different. So now I'm on the computer, Ricky is watching Lord of the Rings Two Towers and what's his name is in the kitchen on his computer. So a pretty quiet evening.

I'm finally home from the v-ball games. Abi played pretty good so it was fun to watch her play. I stopped for Subway sandwiches since it was so late.

Now, I'm watching the men's final four - game every night through Tuesday! YAY!

That sounds good Gayle. A nice relaxing evening of just watching a good game and eating a sandwich from Subway. I managed a Subway in Morehead for 7 years, but that was like 15 yrs ago. I love their subs!! What's your favorite?:p

I like the sweet onion teriyaki. Last night though, I had a veggie. I love to get the veggie cuz I can pick out what I'm in the mood for.

My niece and her daughter got to attend the White House Egg Roll this Easter. I'm going to try to link the pictures from her FB page, don't know if it will work or not. We'll see.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...=1415353150463

I think it might work. My great niece is the little blond girl in the blue dress in the first picture. Her mom, my niece, is in the middle of the second picture, black dress, BIG straw hat and sunglasses, holding the little blond girl in the blue dress.

I think it would be so cool to go to the White House Easter egg roll. Scroll through the pictures, pretty cool!

I couldn't get it to show. What you can do is on FB click on "share" under your neice's pictures and it will come up again under your name. Then we can see them on FB but we won't be able to post anything....just look at the pictures.

I made that fruit salad for supper this evening. I had a couple of handfuls of grapes, a couple of kiwis, and four strawberries that I chopped up and sprinkled part of a package of strawberry jello on it. It was so good and fresh!! In the summer I like to put cantaloupe in it too!!

I did what you said Diana so they are on my profile page - so you can see them on FB. Sorry I couldn't make them show here.

I'll go take a look!!!

Still can't see it. Your niece must have her settings set where other's can't see it. So how did she happen to get to go to the White House Easter Egg Hunt? That had to be really special!!!

Didn't get to see them either. That would have been so fun to be at the White House egg roll. How wonderful for them.

Diana, I would love to make a fruit salad with your suggestion. I'm not a big fruit eater, but if I could choose the ones I like...how yummy.

She has a friend with Big Time connections to the Hill, so she got her tickets. Sorry you can't see the pictures.

Here's a video of her friend's son playing BB with President Obama later that day. He's the blonde headed boy with the blue shirt. You have to watch about half of the video before you see the BB playing.

http://www.politico.com/politico44/p...802c6c198.html

That is so exciting! The WH egg hunt and basketball with the Pres!!! Good for her!

Our Easter was lovely. I missed church. I cut my toe up badly and it took too long to bandage it and so on, so I just went over to Jessie's after church. We had time to visit and chat, which was lovely. The kids were great too.

My ex husband was there. I'm going to have to get used to his being around. He is moving around the corner from Jessie. Boo!!!:thumbdwn: It's not terrible, but I'd rather he wasn't around. We get along, but I think he still loves me so it's uncomfortable, plus he annoys the crap out of me! Talk about freezing my eyeballs!

Yesterday, I went to a new friend's house for coffee, and then to a Writers in the Mountains Board meeting. I was asked to join the Board. I am very happy about this. I love the people in WIM. I'm also having a Board meeting of the Catskill Womens' Network in my house in a couple of weeks. This is the first time I'm really having friends over in a group. I'm excited!

I decided to buy 2 weeks worth of Lean Cuisine meals for dinners and lunches.
Luckily, they were on sale! I think it cost about $100, which isn't bad for 2 weeks of meals! I lost 2 pounds already. I don't know how I am going to eat after I lose the 10 to 12 pounds I want to, but I decided not to worry about it right now. One thing at a time.

We're getting ready for Kassidy and Brandon's communion on May16th. I offered them $500 to help pay for some of it. They were so happy! It really is my pleasure to give it to them. I really don't have it right now, but decided not to worry. I'll get some savings together again. I'll post pictures of the clothes soon.

Hi All!
I've been gone to San Antonio since Wednesday to a nursing conference. It was inspiring, informative, hectic, tiring, and lots of fun. I saw an old friend I hadn't seen in 18 years! It was so much fun connecting with her. We may be able to do some work together in the future which I would really like! I saw several friends from across the country that I only see every other year at this conference, and that is always so nice! I also had some of my current and former students with me and it is always great fun to see them present their work, and meet new colleagues and make new connections.

I'm so tired though, I came home about 3:00PM, laid down for a nap, went to grab a pizza with Gary, caught up on a TV show he taped for me, and now I'm about down for the count!

Just wanted to do a quick check-in and I'll try to catch up with all my posting tomorrow!

Luv Ya!

It was such a beautiful day out yesterday but I was inside most the day grooming and bathing the dogs. I had given them their baths two weeks ago, but didn't do any grooming except for nail trimming and they needed it so bad. Today I really should get Penny outside and brush her down good. With summer coming she is really shedding. Since she is older and a little overweight, the last couple of summers I've shaved her down so she would be much more comfortable and cooler. I think I need to probably do it again. I don't like her not having her long Golden Retriever hair, but I want her comfortable in her old age. She'll be 11 in June.

Not sure what else I'll get done today...right now the sun is shining and looking very pretty, but it's only 43 degrees and it's suppose to rain today. Hopefully it will old off until later in the afternoon.

Janet, it's cool (but not as cool as you) and rainy here today too. It's just a very heavy mist, rather than a rain, one where you have to run the wipers on the lowest speed. It's good for my tomatoes though, I watered them this morning, so the ground would be wet and soak up this mist. I put some fertilizer on them too, so the misty rain should be really good for soaking in the fertilizer.

It's so cloudy outside, I'm thinking of another nap today! LOL!!!

Oh Gayle I just loved San Antonio! I was there a few years ago. A friend of mine won a trip and invited me to go. It was so much fun! I loved the Riverwalk. I ate the best lasagne I ever had at a little place there.

Glad you're back and glad you had a good time.:)

I think I'm just going to drive over to the Post Office. I ordered some books and hope they came. Then, I'm going to sit on the deck with the dogs and wait out the inflammation in my mouth.

It's a beautiful day!

Why is your mouth still inflamed? Shouldn't it be better by now???

I want to know what happened Judy!! Did you have dental work again? Hope you're feeling better.

I went to the dentist last Thursday. Still hurts! But the swelling has gone down a lot.

Well, I went to the garden center today, got beneficial nematodes, seeds, compost, fertilizer, and plants! Now, I just need it to stop raining so I can plant and fertilize!

Actually it stopped today during the day and I it would have been a good time to put everything down (not the plants though, too wet), but I was afraid it would come a gully washer later today and everything would end up in the neighbors yard :(

And it did rain pretty hard a while ago - it might not have washed to the neighbors yard, but better safe than sorry, I guess.

Hopefully the forecast tomorrow will be better. Light rain would be great, but no gully washers! :)

It's 34 degrees this morning....brrrrr. Not sure how warm it's suppose to get today...I think in the 50's. It was in the 50's yesterday, but the wind was blowing so hard it felt much much cooler. I didn't venture out much except when I let the doggies outside. I don't like the wind much...it just dries me out so bad. Now breezes.....love them...lol I know picky picky.

Not sure what I'm going to do today. Don't really want to do anything too strenuous...lol, but there is so much that needs done outside. I am glad I haven't planted flowers yet. I would have been scurrying to get them covered last night.

I got my compost put down around my trees, and I'll put down the beneficial nematodes this evening. I'm going to wait a couple of days to put down the fertilizer, I don't want to harm the nematodes. Even though the fertilizer is organic, it might cause harm to the nematodes and I need them to do their job of eating flea and fire ant eggs!!!

Those fire ants are nasty, Gayle. My Mom has some down in Florida where she lives in the winter. I'm sure glad we don't have them here.

I ventured out today and it's still cool, but perfect working weather..lol. I cleaned the garage. It didn't take very long...I try not to let it get too bad. My husband has a much larger garage and still manages to put stuff in mine. SO.....when I clean...I move it all or have him move it all back to his garage. :)

Feels like a bigger garage now.... LOL

Well, I got the nematodes sprayed on the yard - hope they burrow deep down into the dirt tonight and just gobble up all those nasty larvae growing down there just ready to eat my plants and bite my babies!

I was all settled in doing some school work I had put off till the last minute, when my daughter called and asked me to come over. I needed to take Della home, so off I went.

THEN, they wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings (sports bar/restaurant) so off we went. The food was just so so - boneless buffalo nuggets (Janet, I think your pizza the other day was healthier!). Gary played poker on the TV and had fun. We all laughed and had a good time, but that's the last buffalo wings I want for a while!

Now, I'm back home and just finished the school work I needed to get done before tomorrow. Well, I have one more thing to read but I can do it in the morning.

Everyone sounds so busy!! I went to Wal-mart on Sunday to pick out some flowers to plant in my new flower bed but they didn't have very much in. I picked up some daffodils that had already bloomed and were half off. I don't have any so they'll be a nice addition to my yard. I also got some begonias to go in a hanging pot. They are so good at filling in and they don't cost much...plus they add a lot of color since they bloom all summer!!!

We've had a cool spell....I even turned the heater back on Sunday night. This morning it's pretty cool outside but hopefully, like yesterday it will warm up and be nice.

Glen's in the field working as fast as he can go. It's nice that we haven't had the rain keeping him from planting like we've had the last couple of years. He's been taking his lunch with him so I don't see him until evening. It sure makes a long day for me to be alone. Jaci has school, then work, and I'm sure she's going to Nate's tonight. Sometimes I sure wish that the dogs could carry on a conversation!!!! Thank goodness for 4WT!!!

Awww! It does get lonely sometimes Diana! Hope Glenn finishes planting soon and that you have company again.

It sounds like everyone is busy planting. I'm holding off until Memorial Day. Most of the natives up here advise this. I did plant some more bulbs in front of the house though. I was going to plant more, but I think I'll see how they come up first. I can always plant more in the fall for next Spring. I'm thinking about pansies, but I'm not sure yet where I want them. We're really not allowed to plant without submitting plans since we don't tend to the maintenance of the grounds, but a few here and there will be fine. My neighbor taught me to always tell management that "It was here when I moved in," works perfectly!

I can do whatever I want on the deck, but it snowed a few days ago, so it's too soon. I do want to put out finch seeds. I don't leave them out for long because they attract bears.

It is turning green up here and is just beautiful. I have been watching it turn from winter to spring over the last few weeks. It's lovely to watch this happen, especially in the mountains. The snow on the ski slope I can see finally melted this week.

I have been really enjoying the coming of spring, going shopping, or just sitting on the deck with a book. The kids are on spring break this week, so I'm getting them tomorrow, and maybe Friday night too. Then, Monday night, the Womens' Network meeting is in my house. I am very excited about that. A chance to show off my home! Monday night, the bell rang, and one of the women was outside my door! She thought the meeting was this week, so we visited for a while and she will be back on the 26th! Sunday, I am going to a social kind of meeting at a new friend's house, and I am still doing the writing on Tuesday mornings. I am hesitant about taking up pottery again. That studio was a bit chaotic. I would love to find a studio closer to me, but I haven't looked yet.

Here are some pix of my shoots from the bulbs I planted in the fall. So exciting!
And Max and Annie running around outside, eating who knows what!

I can't get the camera to connect. I probably have to restart or something. I'll post pictures later.

I've had one heck of a week, or couple of weeks, or several months, I guess. Our school of nursing was preparing for our national accreditation visit this week. Every 10 years (or sooner) we are visited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and have to prepare a lengthy document called a self study. Ours was about 400 pages long. It contains information about every aspect of our school of nursing: resources, students, faculty, curriculum and evaluation.

I had to do a significant portion of it on our Nurse Practitioner programs (we have 5). I wrote the report last fall and then had to prepare all the materials for the visit this week. Materials consist of evidence for all the things you write about in the report. For example, they want to know about all the courses we teach in all the programs, so we have to copy the course pages with title, description, objectives, adn activities from each syllabus and put them on display.

They also want to see minutes of all our meetings, curriculum meetings, admission meetings, and the like. They want to see all our evaluation data, questions we ask the students about their preparation. They look at the pass rates for our RN exams and the certification exams for the nurse practitioners, and they look at a zillion other things too. It is just a massive undertaking. We have had someone working on it for 2 years and I've been working on it since September.

WHEW! The visitors were here Wed/Thurs/Fri. I had several meetings with them and at these meetings, they can ask you ANYTHING!!! You don't necessarily have to know all the answers, but you do have to get the answers for them. Of course, there are certain things that you SHOULD know, and I was able to answer all their questions. WHEW!

Anyway, in our exit interview today, we passed all criteria with no deficiencies, which will likely mean we'll get accredited for 10 more years. We won't know though for sure, till October. But things went exceedingly well this week, so I'm sure we will get the 10 years. That means we won't have another visit for 10 more years. YAY! (maybe I'll be retired by then. LOL!)

I am so tired though, I feel like I ran a marathon this week. And to top it off, I have to travel to Washington DC Sunday, for some very long and tedious meetings next week - Mon though Thursday. I won't be home till midnight on Thursday. I will be so tired when I get home I won't be able to wiggle!!!

So I'll be reading the forum all next week, but probably won't post too much as I'll only have my phone to get on the internet.

You all don't get into any trouble without me! :D

WOW....all I can say Gayle is "I'm exhausted" just reading. I'm sure glad it's over for another 10 years for you...that is a lot of work. I'm not good at that kind of mental and information gathering work. Give me something physical anytime...LOL.

At least you can read what's going on here next week. You will definitely be missed.

(sigh) sitting the airport.

Poor Gayle! At least the evaluation is over! Just think...before long it will be summer vacation!

I highly recommend a discrete mp3 player with earphones and a really good audio book for airports, plane rides and boring conferences!

I hope you get to enjoy yourself, even though you don't really want to be there!

Gayle you are one busy lady! Sorry you are sitting at the airport. Are you going alone?
Try to at least get to do a little something fun while you are there.:) Hope you have a safe trip. We'll hold down the fort while you're away.:p

Hi guys! Up early this morning getting readyfor a long boring day. Oh Boy!

Gary wasgoing to come with me but our daughter is having minor foot surgery a d so he stayed home to help her and so she wouldn't have to keep our boys. It's best though, I don't get finished before 5:00 any day so we wouldn't have been able to make it to any museums anyway.

Y'all have a good day!

I'm having a Board meeting of the Catskill Women's Network here tonight. I'm making chicken with green beans and feta cheese. It's really delicious and easy to make. We all bring a dish to these Board meetings.

I have Marcia coming to clean later, and then I'll set up, and I'm ready. I'm so excited to be able to have people in my home. I love entertaining!

Yesterday, I went to a new friend, Lynn's house. She started a Giving Circle, and I originally didn't want to bother, but I am so glad I got to know Lynn and went to the meeting. She is a lovely woman, with 3 daughters in college, and not enough money! She manages well though. Her home is a beautiful country house, and I met some very nice new people.

I had the grandkids Thursday through Saturday, and enjoyed them so much! They were just so much fun! It is much better when the weather is nice and they can run around outside. Brandon and Kassidy found an earthworm, Swimmie, and made him a house in a cardboard box with dirt and leaves and water. This took a lot of work! Swimmie did not make it though, and I grabbed him and threw him into the dirt before they could put salt on him. I am not so sure he was 100% dead yet.

Jessie had TWO unexpected litters. She has been busy with the deliveries and the pups. Then she told me that the two little Japanese Chins tied! I just laughed at her:D I am not sure they understand the dog approach to reproduction! Female goes into heat...male smells it...she lets him tie on certain days....oh...puppies!

Well, they are adults, and will manage it however they manage it. I keep saying "How wonderful!" a lot. It keeps things so harmonious!;););)

very busy and emotional weekend
 

Saturday we celebrated my mom's 75th b-day, she has come along way from almost 3 yrs ago. She was so surprised that I had planned this for her. My brother and sil came home from California, my uncle on my dad's side and his family came in from Ohio and then turned around and drove back home the same day, about a 5 hr drive one way, pluse i got as many cousins and high school friend and other friends to come also, and as many g-kids and gg-kids, there was probably around 40/50 people there, we had the party at the house where us kids grew up, my brother owns it now, it felt just like old times like whenever my mom would plan the family get togethers. The weather was gloomy but ended staying dry so the kids could play outside. The emotional part of that day is my brother is here to see about fixing up the house to rent it out, it has set empty for almost 5 yrs and just needs updated. The thought of someone else living in the house that i grew up in is really bothering me, even though it has sit empty i have always known that it was the one place i could always go to. I have visions of renters living there and me just going there and walking in on them just like i always walk into the house. LOL
Sunday we went to Coloumbus Ohio to a dog show, a 5 hr drive one way, we met the breeder that i bred Sadie with last April, well i kept her little girl, the breeder kept her and if she has the attitude for the ring she is going to show her for me, she definatley has the looks, everyone was just in aww of her, she got her 1st show bow put in yesterday, she looked so good in it. I none the less was a wreck having to leave her there, she is such a sweetheart of a girl and my 1st little one, she weighs 4lb on the nose. well we should know in a few weeks weather or not she has what it takes to be shown. she will be living in Michigan during this time so i can't just pop in and see her, i know this is harder on me than it is her, the 5 hr drive home was a very queit one for both me and my hubby.
The 1st pic is my mom and only some of her g-kids, gg-kids and the youngest boy held by his mom is a great great g-son, there are other g-kids that were not able to make it. the girl in the white sweatshirt is my daughter and her 2 daughters are in there also, 2nd pic is g-kids, 3rd pic is my Serena who we left yesterday and last pic is her daddy, he is very close to being dual championed.

I'm so glad everything went so well for your Mother's surprise party. After speaking with you I know she had a great time.

Serena looks gorgeous Lynne. I hope she'll have the attitude to become a Champion....how great would that be???? I know you miss her already, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her and you!

Love the pictures....I was hoping to see one of your brother...lol

I loved the pictures too, Lynn. Sounds like a really nice party:)
Judy, I'm so glad you are busy with your friends!

Everybody is busy, busy...and it's not even summer yet, lol!!

I've been busy, too. I'm trying to spend as much time as I can with my kids before they leave the country. They couldn't get their visas to do mission work in Scotland, so they'll be moving to Cebu, Philippines. I'll be keeping y'all updated, but right now I can barely even type about it. I'm really going to need you ladies...

I love you all:)

Awww, Lynne. What an event you guys had! It is wonderful that your Mom's health has gotten better! You have a beautiful family. The dogs are gorgeous!
I hope Serena makes champion! She has the looks for sure. I bet you do miss her!

Betsi, you are in my heart. It will be so hard to say goodbye. The Philippines do sound like a beautiful place to go though, and I hope you get to visit a few times a year.