All My Children # 22

Hi kids,

Thank the Lord; our beautiful Vivianna has come home from the hospital a couple of days ago! Our prayers have been answered indeed. I haven't stopped smiling since Bill called me while on his way home with Vivianna from the hospital. Really ! I believe I am smiling even in my sleep, that is how much joy I have bursting outwardly. And you know what ?? It feels great !! Bill & CJ are getting into the routine of having a 3rd person in the house now. Being responsible for her every need. Loving her with all their hearts. I am so proud of them both for how wonderful a job they are doing of being the best parents to Viv. I am getting to go down to visit (and help out in any way I can), next week ( July 20th ) and I am certainly excited about it. I intend to get plenty of kisses and hugs in with my grand daughter. I can hardly wait to hold her in my arms again. My only wish is that Dad could have come, even for a short visit too. It just wasn't the right time with his work.

I am leaving on Thursday morning (this week) to drive to Ohio. I am going to get the two refrigerator's cleaned out and the all the appliances cleaned in the Chardon house. Everyone else will be arriving Friday. Then on Saturday, Ed,Dad,Grandma,Grandpa John and myself will move Ed into this new home ! So exciting for sure !! I think Nancy & Jerry may be coming out on Saturday to help too. Nancy called an offered, and seemed excited about it. We will try to get some pictures of the move ! I am so happy for Ed. Each of you will have to make some time to go and visit him there in his new home!

The news on Marc ( Erica's husband ) is still not great. The blockage has not resolved itself as they had hoped. At least not at this point. They are giving him thru tomorrow (from my understanding )and if nothing happens, they will have to do surgery on Tuesday perhaps. Aunt Margaret is keeping us informed. I will try to keep you all up-dated. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers OK ? Aunt Margaret is probably going to travel there again if he does indeed have surgery. It is a difficult time for sure.

Tom & Jen are on their travels down to Florida. I talked to Tommy a couple times while they were traveling ( said some prayers for their safety). I hope they have a good time visiting with Bill,CJ and Vivianna, and also a nice vacation too. They are staying in St. Augustine on the beach for part of the time. ( don't get sun-burned !) I am excited that I, too, will at least get to see them on Monday the 20th ! They are picking me up at the airport. That is an added bonus for me.

Angela finished the first summer class with another 'A. She has really done well with her classes. She has started the 2nd summer class and will look forward to getting it behind her too ! So will I, because after she finishes this one, she will get to come to Hammondsport for a week visit ! Yah !! Really looking forward to it !

Dad and I had such a nice Sunday(today). One of the best of this year. We walked in town to breakfast, walked to church, walked around the square viewing the art show, then packed a picnic lunch, some cocktails, and headed out on Kueka Lake. A 3 hour tour. ( heehehee) Really... we were out there 3 hours and I loved it ! It was certainly nice to hang out with my sweetheart on such a glorious day. I love you Ed.

Well, My next blog should be filled with all my travels and excitement happening in the next two weeks.

"When we choose not to focus on what's missing from our lives; but are grateful for the abundance that's present...we experience heaven on earth."
--Sarah Breathnach

So ... until I see you, just know you are always in my thoughts and payers.
I love you ! Momma G ( and Grandma)

All My Children #21

Hello everyone !

Our beautiful Vivianna has arrived, and she is perfect indeed. I know you have all seen the pictures, but I will tell you, she is even more beautiful in person ! When I try to decide who I think she looks more like, it is a toss up. I see CJ in her, I see Bill in her, but you know I think she has her own look too. I cannot wait until you have all met her ! I just love holding her in my arms. She has the sweetest little face, and when she opens her eyes, she just looks all around. Her little lips are perfectly shaped. Well, I could just look at her for hours on end. It was very hard to leave. Then, getting the call from Bill during our travels back home, about Viv having a blockage in her intestine, well, my heart was breaking at the news that she had to endure surgery. I am however, very grateful that the doctor discovered she had a problem, and was able to get it taken care of so quickly and safely. Those doctors and nurses, they are very good at their jobs. That hospital is amazing. CJ is indeed fortunate to have such wonderful care. I hate it knowing Vivianna is in the hospital, hooked up to all those tubes, but ... I know she will heal fast and be home where she belongs healthy and happy soon. CJ did such a good job thru the C-section surgery. It was good to see her feeling better and stronger each day we were there. We are so proud of her. Bill did such an awesome job for CJ and his baby daughter each step of the way. Dad and I felt so very proud seeing him take such wonderful and loving care of both of them. Seeing Bill,CJ and Vivianna together just warmed my heart. They are a wonderful family unit. Just as it should be, strong and full of love.

It was great to get to go and be there with them. It made it more special to be able to have Angela, Grandma and Aunt Patty also be there with us. It was nice to have some time together. Aunt Patty and I sang to Viv, " You Are My Sunshine ", so fun and a precious memory for sure. Ang and I stole away some alone time together. We went for a walk in the afternoon,Thursday, in Jacksonville, down by the river and had a Margarita ... ummm good. Dad,Angela,Grandma,Aunt Patty and I went swimming two nights in a row at the hotel too. ( with some drinks) Dad even got in a conference call while there. It was a good couple of days. Now, we are back home here in Hammondsport. Aunt Patty stayed with Grandma for the month of July. It will do her good(and me too). Dad and I went to church this morning and then out to breakfast. We had wanted to take the boat out for a ride, although ... it clouded up and rained all afternoon ! Geez !! I seem to never get to enjoy the lake ! So, we really just loafed around the rest of the day. Hmmm ? I guess that is OK huh ? After all our travels, we needed a day of rest. Aunt Margaret said Erica and Marc are coming tomorrow and staying a week. I guess they are staying at the cottage. She still doesn't know if they will get married while they are here or not. But ... please do not mention anything about it to them, Aunt Margaret didn't want anyone to know about it. So we will see if they do or not ? Personally, I hope they do. I sure would if it were me !

I hope you all have a good week. It is hard to believe it is almost July. Anyone having a 4th of July picnic ? Dad said we should drive to Tommy & Jens place ! ( it would be nice ! ) Bill ... send us pictures when ever you can and while Viv is in the hospital, we do appreciate a phone call up-date each day too. If ever you decide you need help there, just ask. It is never an imposition, only a joy. I can imagine you will just be happy to get into your own routines as soon as possible ! That will feel so good.

Our family is growing, and it feels wonderful. I always have you each in my heart, in my thoughts and prayers, and in my treasured memories.

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose."
- Kevin Arnold

Take care, have a good week, take good care of each other. God bless each of you, I love you, Momma G

All My Children #20

Hello my children,

Well, today was fathers day, and it was nice to get to talk several of you. I think dad had a nice day. Eddie came here to visit with us this weekend, it was good to have him here with us. We needed that. Dad,Ed,Aunt Patty and I went to see that movie called " The Proposal ". I definitely recommend it. We laughed all the way thru it. We all enjoyed it very much. Eddie took us out to dinner also. Thanks Ed, that was great ! It was nice for Oscar and Tucker to play together. They always have fun together. They both are sure tired out. Today, Ed cleaned out the van for us and dad mowed the lawn, and Aunt Patty and I made an early lasagna dinner. ( it turned out good). Ed left around 2:30, and dad and I took a Sunday drive and got a coffee. It had rained all day yesterday and this afternoon, so it felt nice to go for a drive with some sunshine !

Our yard sale went well last weekend. Between Aunt Margaret and Dad & I, we made about $1ooo. So, hey ... some extra money for her and extra money for us and we got rid of stuff we didn't need ! Dad took all the rest of the stuff to goodwill and the church. So we will try to De-clutter more items in the future. Our back porch is finally cleaned off. ( first time since we bought the house ! ) We are going to try to power-wash it and then stain it. Dad will put up the wood slats for the ceiling too. Can't wait. So ... maybe by the end of summer, it will look nice out there. I planted some daffodil bulbs this past week. I also have the crib sanded and primed. I will get it painted soon. Hey ... I will be ready for when my grand child gets to come for her first visit !! The crib was bought by your grandma Gaio. She bought it for Dad and I when we were pregnant with Ed. I have a new mattress for it. I am hoping in the future years it will get used a lot by ALL of my future grand kids from each of you out there. ( heeheeheee ! )

Speaking of that ... the count down is on. As you all know, Wednesday is the day !! Bill and CJ will become parents. Dad and I will become grand-parents, and each of you will have a niece !! Uncle Ed, Uncle Tommy & Aunt Jennifer & Auntie Ang !! You will become uncle's and aunts !! Cool huh !!? Dad and I will leave tomorrow as soon as he gets in from work, head to Erie, where Ed will meet us and pick up Tucker, ( thank you Ed for taking such good care of Tucker for us while we are gone ! )then we will head to grandma's and spend the night there. We will get up in the morning and grandma will join us and we will begin out trek to Florida. We will see you soon Bill & CJ !! Angela will be joining us on Tuesday night, fairly late I suppose ? Or you could leave early Wednesday morning Ang ... we'll talk, just be safe ! I am looking forward to celebrating this wonderful occasion with you. Vivianna will certainly come into this world surrounded by the extended love of this family. She will know and feel the power of love from family. We all our so fortunate to have one another in our lives. God is Good !

I am going to close and get myself bed, I have lots to do tomorrow before we leave.

Tommy & Jen, I sure do miss you both. I hope you get thru this very busy week your having with good results for each party involved ! I know you will have some great photos for all these folks ! Enjoy your trip to Italy, as quick a trip as it is, try to grab some special moments for yourselves if you can ! Be safe in your travels. Eddie, I hope you are able to lock in a low interest rate this week. I know you will have a busy week at your work this week too, I hope you do OK with two dogs ! That will keep you busy in the evenings too !

"The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible."
-- Richard M. DeVos

Love and Blessings to each of you, I love you dearly, Momma G

All My Children # 19

Hi all !

Hope everyone is doing well. Our week went fairly well. We spent the bulk of this past week getting ready for our impending yard sale. Each day sorting thru more things and having to carry some things down two flights of stairs. ( from the attic, uhhhgggg ! ) You know ... we have had several yard sales over the years, it is funny, how you sort of forget how much trouble they are !! But I guess in the end, you just figure you want to dE-clutter your house and perhaps make a little cash too. We did alright. Aunt Margaret made about $350, and Dad & I made about $600. So ... hey, we made some cash, and dE-cluttered the house from a lot of stuff ! Goal reached. The rest of the stuff is collected into boxes and bags to be taken to the church and the salvation army. Waiting outside , under tarps, not to ever come back into the house, (that would have defeated the purpose) and will be taken away soon.

Thankfully, Dad is certainly feeling better this weekend. Geez !! He was battling this sickness for about two weeks ! The bad news ?? Well ... I think I may finally have succumbed to it my self ! Uhhgggg !! I have the same symptoms, cough, sore throat, yucky feeling. Oh well ... maybe I can kick it quickly ! I keep taking some airborne and coldeeze in hopes of a lesser duration if anything ! My main concern will be that Aunt Patty avoids it ! Hey CJ, can you tell Vivianna ( for me )... to please wait until grandma is all better to come into this world ! OK !! That is my main concern. Oh !! Please let me get better first !!

It feels good to have the temperature's remaining warmer now. I love to sit out on the porch and just relax with a hot cup of tea. It is nice for a lot of reasons, one of them being, that so many different people will stop while walking down the sidewalk, and chat with me. Love that. Such a friendly little village. Right now the rain is falling softly and it is a grey cloudy day, but you know what ? I am loving this day anyway. While I am not particularly feeling great, it seems sort of comforting in some way. After all the hard work of the last week and weekend, I am just loafing today, sitting on the porch and laying on the couch, and it seems sort of nice to have the sound of the soft rain showers and the cooler weather. I had my tea on the porch, and was quite relaxed and enjoyed it. We really needed some rain. It hadn't rained in over a week, so the plants,trees and grass are celebrating. The smell of the fresh rain is just wonderful !

What does this week hold for each of you ? I know Angela is counting down to the end of this week!! It marks the end of this school year ! Yeah !! A little time to relax for the summer ! Ang, Dad & I are hoping we can get you to Hammondsport for some R& R !! Hows your schedule for the summer ? Be thinking about it !

Ed, well, he is taking care of business. Getting all things done for the facilitation of buying his home. He has a a ruff time with his pup Oscar too. Just some health issues. Hey Ed, believe it or not, you are getting a little taste of how it is to be a parent ! Haa haaa ! The love and care of a pet has some similar responsibilities. I sure hope things will settle back down for him and he gets to feeling good again soon ! I can't wait to help you move in and get setteled Ed ! How exciting !

Tom went to California last week to the Connan O'Brian show ( sp ? ). He said he had a good time. Say's he loves it out there, but, I for one ... am hoping he never chooses to live there. It is just to far away ! Please !! If you have to move anywhere, stick with Chicago ! ( as if my vote counts anyway huh ? ) I would guess this is the start of Jennifer and Tommy becoming very busy with some weddings huh ? Do you think you will fot NY in this summer or not until fall ?

I know Bill & CJ are looking forward to Wednesday to see what the doctors will have to say. Call us Wednesday night to let us know how the visit goes ! Gosh, each week is so important now ! Your lives will soon be changed forever. You will very soon become "parents" . That is a gift of a life time. A wonderful blessing. I will let you in on a little secret (that you will ultimately learn one day yourselves), here you are, all grown up, living your own lives, and although you may not need us ( your parents ) as much in your daily lives now, as parents, we STILL need you in our lives, as much as possible. You are the most important part of our lives. You are the most valued and treasured blessings that have been given to us. " Parenthood ", it is the most wonderful experience to have in your lives. It helps you to grow leaps and bounds personally. It helps to set firm beliefs within yourself, into action. It brings out the qualities you hold value in and helps you to instill them not only within your children but to grow them stronger within yourself. It will transform your lives. It will bring you the most deepest joy you will ever know, and some of the most difficult heart ache too. It is worth every minute you are blessed with. The good, the bad, the funny, the mad, the glory, the frustration, the happiest of times and the saddest too. Parenthood, IS, as far as I am concerned, the most blessed gift in your life. You will learn this as soon as you hold your beautiful daughter in your arms. You will come to know the incredible depth of love. Vivianna will be one of the most important parts of your life.

Well, I guess I will close for this week. Remember Grandpa John tomorrow. He is having a heart catherization, and most likely they will be putting some more stints in to open some veins again. He has been having lots of angina in recent weeks. I know he feels frustrated and well, fearful. So, say a prayer for him. Aunt Patty ( Harvey/Neely) is in the hospital again too. She has had heart trouble lot. Her heart is dying. Nothing they can do about it. It is a hereditary condition. She seems OK with that, living the best she can with it. But the reason she is in the hospital now is she has a blood clot in her pancreas. So keep her in your prayer's too.

Give us a call us when you can. Look at your schedules and see if Hammondsport fits in sometime this summer maybe ? The lake is gorgeous and " the price is right " is calling your names ! Hahaahaa !

A HARMONIOUS BALANCE
"I have been through a lot and I have suffered a great deal. But I have had lots of happy moments, as well. Every moment one lives is different from the other. The good, the bad, hardship, the joy, the tragedy, love and happiness are all interwoven into one single, indescribable whole that is called LIFE. You cannot separate the good from the bad. And perhaps there is no need to do so, either."
-Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

My love is with you, Momma G

All My Children # 18

Hello my kids,

I hope you are having a good week. Ours is going good so far. Dad and I worked in the yard here in Hammondsport this past weekend. It felt really good. Number one ... just to be here and stay put from all the traveling back and forth ! Number two ... just because I really do love this old house, this village and this lake, and it just felt good to make some changes in the yard. I had dug up some of my Hosta plants and Day-Lilly plants from the Chardon house on memorial day weekend. So ... now we have a little of Arbor Glen here with us. We put in a small bed of plants between the drive-way and the Arbor Glenn room. ( back room on the house) It looks nice. Then we put plants all along the fence out front. ( on the inside, our yard part ) It looks real good. We also planted some by the side porch too, and by the one tree in the yard where there were already a couple Hosta's there, we continued placing them around the tree in a circle. So ... although we have a lot of work that needs done outside, hey ... we started doing something ! It felt great. Unfortunately, Dad has been sick for a week, so he really didn't have his full energy level. But he is on the mend.

On Saturday morning, Dad drove me out to the Rochester area to get my blood panel taken. Geez ... they took 6 tubes of blood. Then today ( Monday ) I had to do a saliva test 4 times thru-out the day. ( 4 different tubes ) I still have the 4th one yet to do, at 12:30. Then I have to put the tubes in a box and mail them tomorrow morning to the lab. I will go back on July 1st to find out where my hormone levels stand and what Bio-Identical Hormone's they will recommend for me. So ... maybe by the fall I will be regulated and balanced !!! Yeah !!! I am so excited about this !!! This is a good thing. I am setting the pace for you younger women here !! Someday you will know exactly how to help yourself so much better than in my day ! Never ... Ever ... take synthetic hormones !!

Aunt Margaret and I went out to the " Windmill " market Saturday afternoon and we bought some hanging baskets of flowers. They are so pretty. She hangs hers by the pool and I put mine on the side porch and some by the back door area too. They are so pretty. Then yesterday, she called Dad and I frantic to come to the cottage quick !!! It had been strong winds all day and our boat broke loose from the front of the boat and the dock and was banging against her dock hard, it would have broke loose all the way had she not went there to check it ! It took the 3 of us quite a bit of time ... but we managed to get it pulled back to the dock and tied up again. Whew !! That could have been a disaster ! Aunt Patty and I went over there today to check on it, everything was good. The water is calm today. We need to get a boat lift. Then we will never have to worry when the weather is bad.

Ed had his house inspection today. One step closer to owning his home. It went well. Ed, the realtor and the inspector met there. Only a couple of minor things to fix. Probably the current owners will do the fixes. His pup Oscar has been sick. Poor little guy. He has allergies, so Ed is in the process of giving him shots. He has to build up slowly to the correct dosage. Then he should start to feel better. He has lost most of his hair. He is itching all the time too. He should start to see some improvement soon. Ed took good care of our Chardon house and got it ready for the open house Sunday. Marybeth said he did a great job. Thanks Ed ... Dad and I are so proud of you for all the help you give us. Only 3 couples showed up for the open house. Uhggggg ! Oh well ... nothing we can do. It was even featured on TV Saturday too ! I guess there is at least one of them that have a little interest in it. Hey ... as Dad said, we only need one buyer ! Say prayers for us !

So ... as most of you know, Vivianna is trying to make her entrance early !! Bless her little heart ! She has her own agenda. I think she is going to be a strong little girl. She is already thinking she is big enough to be born. CJ has been on bed rest and taking some medication around the clock to stop the labor. The doctors have decided to have her stop taking it on June 10th, so when ever she goes into labor after that, it will be fine to have her come and she will be OK. So ... we will most likely have our newest member of our family join us sometime in June ! They are also thinking ( 90% ) that CJ may have to have a C-section, due to Viv is still in breech position, and there may not be enough time for her to turn. So , we shall see ! I know we are all in agreement of being so very excited to meet her. I can't wait to see what she looks like. Hair or no hair ? Round little face? Chubby little cheeks ? Will she have green eyes or brown ? ( of course we wont be able to tell that right away ! ) Will she have curly hair or straight ? Dark or light in color ? Well ... let me tell you, she can be any of those things or none at all. What ever she has or doesn't have, who she looks like , what ever, it will be just the way she is meant to be ! I know she will be perfect as she is ! God Bless her !

OK, I guess I will get off here. Below I attached the final baby guess contest. Hmmm ? after this latest news, she will most likely not go full term, so most of us or all of us, will be off in the weight. Hey closest one wins !

Names	Weight (pounds.ounces)	Length (inches)
Bill	8.8	21.50
CJ	7.2	20.00
Claire	6.5	17.50
Momma G.	7.8	18.00
Poppa G.	8.3	18.50
Grandma	6.0	19.00
Grandpa John	7.7	17.25
Ed	8.7	21.25
Tommy John	8.10	21.75
Jennifer	6.12	19.00
Angela	7.4	19.50
Laurel	7.0	19.50
Aunt Margaret	8.0	18.25
Erica	7.3	19.75
Kathy Scotchel	7.60	21.00

Here's to looking forward to getting together to celebrate our newest arrival !

"Love consists in looking together in the same direction."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I love you all ! Momma G

All My Children #17

Hi Kids,

I hope you each had a wonderful week. I think we had a fairly good one. The weather is finally warming up with each passing week now. Love that. I have gotten to sit on my porch a little more. I enjoy it so very much ! So does Aunt Patty. She loves to have our lunch out there. The one day, she sat out there from lunch until supper ! I have gotten some hanging flower baskets and some flowers in pots to set around out there too, oh it makes it so enjoyable.

Dad, Patty & I went to Chardon ( again) Friday night. I must say it was a productive two days there. We cleaned out the barn,top and bottom. We had rented a dumpster and pretty much filled it up. We sorted thru things, pitched a lot, set some aside to keep and some slated for a yard sale. We stacked the things we will keep neatly in the back of the barn. We will have to bring them later when we sell the house. I did get the porch floor painted a solid grey, if it were still my " home" , I would still want the checker-board pattern, but ... it is for someone else so, back to boring solid. It looks nice. I did dig up some of the flowers and hosta plants to bring here to Hammondsport. So, I have some work ahead of me to get them all planted in the ground here somewhere. I still may get some more later on before we sell the house. There are so many and they really needed thinned out. It will look nice to have some of the plants here too.

Anyhow, between Dad,Ed and myself, we knocked down our " to-do-list" quite a bit. We had more that we would have liked to do, but as Dad put it; " we could certainly make a career out of working on the Chardon house". So you know what ... for now, we are just done with what ever we accomplished this far, it will be enough for awhile. There is an open house next weekend and our house will be one of the ones featured on a reality show too. Say a prayer now that someone will just come along and love our house and want to buy it ! YES !!!!!

Dad,Ed and I loved the concert. Elton and Billy Joel are certainly the top piano men ! They both have so many great songs ! Truly dripping with talent. We heard all of our favorites and had a great evening. To top off the weekend, Ed got a call Sunday from his realtor that he is now a proud new home owner ! Yes ... they excepted his final offer ! Yeah !!! Dad said he is a hard-nose negotiator ! Haaaaaa !! We were all so happy. It is certainly an exciting time in Ed's life. His closing should be July 10th. I will be so excited to help him move into his house. It is a very nice house and in a nice neighborhood. I can't wait for each of you to come and visit Ed and see his new home one day. That will be really cool. We are so proud of you Ed and so full of joy watching you go thru this next step in your life. It is very rewarding for us as your parents. I know you will do great at taking care of your own home. You will have fun settling in and getting everything the way you want it. We will have to make my bed up as soon as we move you in, I want to be your first guest ! :) Click this link to see pictures ! ( I hope I did this correctly !)

Picture Gallery for listing 3010455

We came home today(Monday) and after we unloaded the van, we went over to Aunt Margaret's for a picnic. Laurel was there too. It was good to visit with everyone. She was asking all about the shower, and the baby, how CJ is feeling and how excited Bill & CJ must be getting. She is just very excited too. She said " you know I'll be a great Grandma soon ! " I sent her the pictures of the babies room painted, she loved it. She was also asking all about your new house Ed. Dad showed her and Aunt Margaret pictures of your new house, they loved it. They can't wait to come and see you there. Laurel was asking about Oscar too. You should try to go visit her soon.

I drove Dad and Aunt Margaret to the marina to get the boat today too. Then they drove it back to the cottage where I met them and we tied it up at her dock. So ... make time to come and see us this summer so we can go out on the old " Price Is Right " !! Haaaaaaa !! I can't wait to go out for a ride. I told Aunt Patty we will pack a picnic lunch soon and go out on the water.

Yeah !! We are back home !! And the best part is ... we get to stay put for awhile !!! I am really liking that !!! Keep Dad in your thoughts, he came home today just really not feeling well. His throat is a little sore and he said he just has that yucky taste in his mouth that you get when your not feeling well. I am sure he is just worn down and his immune system is not at its best due to that. His one leg looks all beat up from getting bruised and scraped with all his hard work in Chardon this weekend. He needs rest. You certainly give a lot of yourself my dear husband. I love you so very much, I will pray this all ends soon.

Well, I will close for now. I miss you all. I am throwing out a great big hug your way !! Grab on !!

"Hope smiles on the threshold of the year to come, whispering that it will be happier."
-- Alfred, Lord Tennyson

I love you, more than words can say, Momma G

All My Children # 16

Hello to all,

well now ... number 16, that is my favorite number. I have always liked that number since I was a young girl. Isn't it cool that our house number and post office box #, here in Hammondsport are both 16 ! Yep ... that's my number and I am sticking to it !
So how is everyone doing ? The spring is here, and I love it. We have had a few days where the weather is in the 70's but mostly in the 50's & 60's here. The sunshine has been great. I am looking forward to the warmer temps for sure. I love sitting back out on our porch ( so does Aunt Patty ! ) It is so delightful to ear the birds singing again.
Dad and I worked in the yard this past weekend. It was our first weekend here in Hammondsport in 2 months ! Geez ! It felt good to just be able to stay here. I can't wait to be able to get some things done here again one of these days. We are actually running back to Chardon tonight, just to be there for tomorrow ( Tuesday) to work all day on certain things, then we head back tomorrow evening, yes just a 24 hr. trip. There is a crew coming to our house to take pictures and we need to finish up a few things. (paint the outside doors frames dad installed the last time, paint the porch steps, re-tile some of the craft room floor, and just a few other things) Then we will head there again, this memorial day weekend, Friday night, thru Sunday. We are going to the Elton John/Billy Joel concert ( can't wait ... it will be fantastic !) with Ed and finishing up whatever other work we can for the summer. Even though it is Memorial day weekend, we will want to be back here on Monday to do stuff. (pick up the boat for one thing)

We sure had fun at the shower huh ?! I am so happy that so many of my cousins came ! What a wonderful turn out. Grandma sure did a great job organizing everything. I enjoyed myself all weekend just getting to be with everyone and visiting and laughing a lot !! That really did me good. Every time I would look around, it was just so nice to see each of you having such a good time. Gosh Bill & CJ ... you received so many wonderful baby things ! What a nice start to raising Viv !! I can't wait to see your baby furniture. It will be so nice. I can't wait to see your nursery. I wish I was there to paint it for you. I would have liked being able to do that for you. I will miss getting to see you as you get toward your due date. It was just so great to be able to sit around grandma's porch and enjoy visiting with you. I sure hope your mom had a nice time CJ. I am so happy she came too ! It would have been perfect had Ed, Tom & Jen been there too. We missed you ! We have a " guessing pot " going on. You need to send me your $1.00 and your guess for Vivianna's birth weight and length. Below is everyone else's guess so far, I'll let Ed, Tommy and Jennifer get back to me with your guess first (quickly please) then send an email to Laurel, Margaret and Sheree and let them guess too. ( it is just the birth weight that will win the pot, the length is just for fun )Then the pot will be a whopping $ 15.00 !

Names	Weight (pounds.ounces)	Length (inches)
Bill	8.8	21.50
CJ	7.2	20.00
Claire	6.5	17.50
Momma G.	7.8	18.00
Poppa G.	8.3	18.50
Grandma	6.0	19.00
Grandpa John	7.7	17.25
Ed
Tommy John	8.10	21.75
Jennifer	6.12	19.00
Angela	7.4	19.50
Laurel
Aunt Margaret
Aunt Sheree
Kathy Scotchel	7.60	21.00

OK kids, I love you all. I miss you too. I sure wish we could see each other often. Take care of each other. Call when you can. We love you so very much.

Life is like a mirror. If you frown at it, it frowns back.
If you smile at it, it returns the greeting.
- Herbert Samuels
Love & Blessings, Momma G

All My Children # 15

Hello my dear kids,

I am hoping this finds each of you well. I have not been able to write my blog for two straight weeks and I miss it. My life seems to always be in constant motion and never, what I consider normal as such. It is sometimes difficult to function as the " normal " me !
Enough of that ....

Well, ' Mothers Day, is almost upon us. I feel like just reflecting on that for this blog. I am so full of gratitude for being so fortunate to have each of you in my life. With everything else seeming so stressful around me these last two years, having my family to think about and to love and feel loved, makes my life feel important and of great value. I truly do not know where I would be without you. Here is my tribute to you ...

My son Ed, you are such a wonderful son. So very handsome. You are so helpful to dad and I. This whole past two years, you have given so much of your time, strength, hard work, and companionship to us. We have reached for you the most to be there for us and depended on you time and time again through out this journey we are on. You just quietly go along with what ever we ask of you. We thank you for all of your support. You are a good man. You are kind, loving and supportive. Lucky is the woman that gets you for her husband, you will be a great catch. With the kind of dedication you possess, I can tell that you, too, will be a wonderful husband someday. You have a good job and work hard at doing your best at your job. You show a respect for your job with being loyal, consciences, and strong sense of dedication. I know it will pay off through out your career. I love seeing you with your pup, Oscar. You take such good and loving care of him and he will be a good companion at your side for years to come. We are so very proud of you. Now you are ready to buy your first home soon and we cannot wait to see you embarking on the next part of your journey. God bless you.

My son Bill, you too, are a wonderful son. It has brought your dad and I such great joy watching you step into the role of being a husband to CJ. You walked right into that role as if you had always known how to go about it. A wonderful husband indeed. You are such a very hard worker, and that is how it has always been with you. You always knew how to work hard and not complain about it. You take such care about your house, the lawn, and all the projects you do around the house. You just figure out how the job needs done and do your best at getting it done. You are so very handsome. I love when you look at me and smile, it goes right into my heart. I am looking forward to watching you step in to the role of fatherhood. I have no doubt it will be your most rewarding job yet. I have always felt that each of you were so truly blessed to have been raised by such an amazing and wonderful father, and I also feel you , too, will be a wonderful father. You are such a good man. You make us so very proud. Than you for helping us with the Chardon house getting it ready to sell. It meant a lot to us. God bless you.

My daughter-n-law CJ, We are so happy you are a part of our family. We love you so very much. You are a beautiful young woman. Thank you for loving Bill and being such a good wife to him. You too, are such a hard worker. You have such a strong sense of taking charge and getting things accomplished. I have no doubt you will be missed by the Ritz. You ran that pastry kitchen and kept things in order, and people on their toes. You are so creative and gifted with your cake decorating it amazes me. I am sure you will be a strong mentor in the classes you are now teaching at the Art Institute. Lucky students ! Now, your best job yet, you have Viv on the way. You are carrying such precious cargo for sure. It is so wonderful to see what immaculate care you are taking of your 'self ' , for Vivianna's sake. You are doing everything you can to ensure safety and good health for her. What a WONDERFUL mother you are ALREADY being. Not every child is so lucky. Thank you CJ for being so selfless and loving. It is going to be a joy to watch you and Bill raise your family together. We are so very proud of you. Thank you for all of the help at the Chardon house, you were a good painter ! ( even though you do not like the outdoors so much, there you were, such a trooper, helping me paint the fence ! ) God bless you.

My son Tommy John, you make us so happy in so many ways. When I am feeling down, I always turn to one of your CD's. I love listening to you sing and play. I grew up listening to my dad all my ( younger)life and I think somehow it comforts me to hear you sing. I wish I had every song you have ever sang on CD. ( hint ) You certainly stand tall and proud. ( I am still amazed at how tall you stand !) You are indeed a good son. You are unique. You have a creative steak a mile wide. I always have the desire to want to talk to you about kicking around ideas and new projects. I enjoy all the phone calls with you. We can certainly get on a role of talking about things huh ? Trust me, I enjoy everyone of them. You have a take-charge kind of attitude that is energizing. You are a hard worker and have been very helpful to us many a time. We thank you for all of the time and help you have given to us for sure. It is so appreciated. You have a very strong sense of " family ". I love that about you. You make an effort to stay in touch and plan get-together's. I can tell it means a lot to you too. It is rewarding for dad and I to watch you and Jennifer build ' Baby Grace Photography' together. We we wish great success for your future. We are proud of you and love you dearly. God bless you.

To Jennifer, it may not be ' official " but I can tell you we love you being a part of our family. You are a good, kind and loving young woman. You are a beautiful young woman. You have such a strong compassionate heart. With the heartache you have endured, it would be easy to be cynical or bitter, but you do not let your painful experience dictate your life. Thank you for being so loving to Tommy, and sharing in his life journey. It makes me happy to know that you have each other to lean on. You are so talented with your photography. I am continually amazed when viewing your work. I see your business continuing to flourish. As this economy recovers, your business will grow leaps and bounds. (when you are famous, can I get your autograph ?) It is rare to see something so generous as when you gave to Bill & CJ some of Maya's precious clothes and little bear, for their baby. That was a truly beautiful and loving gift. For I know what those things meant to you, and it was a precious and special offering for sure. Thank you for all of your love and support. Thank you for the help you have given to us with our house. Thank you for your friendship. I look forward to many joyful times to come. We love you. God bless you.

My daughter Angela, you are truly a gift. What a wonderful daughter you are. You are so beautiful. You fill my day with joy when you call me. I love that we get to chat almost everyday. I love hearing your voice. Thank you for always being there for me. Thanks for listening to me when I am up or down. Thanks for all of the help you have given to dad and I over the last two years. You are such a good young woman. You are a smart, kind,strong,loving and creative teacher. You are mentoring these young children and doing a great job at it. You should be so proud of yourself. You won the technology classroom last year, recently you won the 'writing a lesson plan contest', and you have accomplished getting all A's ( so far ) in your Masters classes ! That is quite a big accomplishment ! Just think ... you will be done this time next year ! Yeah ! You are involved in choir, guiding the youth at church, and working at Barnes & Nobles part time ! Whew !! you make me tired thinking of it all. You are a good friend to many, a good sister, a good grand daughter and the best daughter we could have ever asked for. We are so very proud of you. We love you dearly. God bless you.

And ... to My Husband of 32 1/2 yrs ... I still love you dearly. You are my everything. You are my sweetheart for life. I am so sorry we are going thru everything the way we are. It surely takes away from our health, our time together, our finances, our energy and our joy. I am determined not to let it destroy our happiness though. I have no idea why we are going thru this straining and stressful time, but I believe we will come out stronger from it in the end. Thank you for being my husband and a great one at that. Thank you for working so very hard. (seemingly all of the time) Thank you for making me a mother and for being such a wonderful father to each of our children. Thank you for loving me ( even during time when I am not so lovable ) I am so very proud of you and proud to call you my husband. God bless you.

Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.
-- J.M. Barrie

Thank you each for bringing me sunshine,
Love Momma G

All My Chidren #14

Hello my kids,

Happy Easter to all ! I hope your day was a great day. May the spirit of the Easter season remain within you and settle into your hearts filling them with the compassion,hope,and love of life. I felt it within me today so strongly. I thought of each of you and smiled. It brought me such a feeling of "family", I felt the love so intensely. I felt such gratitude for each of you. I love my family so dearly. You are EACH so very important. You are EACH so valuable to this family. Completely and utterly irreplaceable. I hope you truly get that. I just want you to know how dearly loved you are.

Dad,Ed and I went to mass at St Gabriel's this Easter morning. It was nice to be there once again. Geez ... it was so crowded though ! Ed made me laugh ... he called them CEO's ( Christmas &Easter only ) Well, what ever brings them, it is a good thing. We saw so very many young families in that church today. The next generation I suppose. Lots of babies and young children for sure. I will say ... St Gabe's has the most wonderful music during mass. I loved returning and hearing that for sure. It touches my soul when the music is like that. I really love it. We then went to Laurels for Easter dinner and had a good time. We really like Mark. ( Erica's fiance ) He is a nice guy for sure. God Bless him. I hope there is a doctor out there that can help him. He is going to go to a few cancer specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. Keep him in your prayers. I am sure this is a frightening experience for him knowing what he has been through already.

Well ... as many of you already know, I am still in good o'l Chardon ! Dad is back in Hammondsport, without me, and I miss being there with him again. It is not what we choose, but what has to be done really. We are just trying to be real troopers here and get done what needs to be done. There is just so much work to be caught up on and it isn't easy to get it all done. With spring upon us, as you all can remember ... (yard work galore) to get the property in order. Not fun ... but needed. Then there is the two atrium doors ( family rm and craft rm ) that need replaced due to deterioration from 20 years of harsh weather. Then there is all the painting and refreshing of the rooms. Not fun ... but needed at this time. We are each waking injured ! Haaa ! ( Ed too ) All this physical work is hard on the body ! We just march along, with the best intentions, putting aside things we would really rather be doing and just do what it takes. Sometimes ( as you will surely find) in our lives ... you just do what you have to even when your hearts are not in it. I am working here Monday and Tuesday then driving back to Hammondsport Wednesday. Get some things done there, ride back to Chardon (again ) with Dad Friday night, work here( again) Sat,Sun,Mon and Tuesday and hopefully leave here on Wednesday morning to try to get a little R&R !! Yeah !!! The best part ? Yes !!!! We will have all of our family together for a short visit very soon !! And yes ... CJ ... I will want to hug your belly !!!

Angela is in sunny Vegas this week with the girls ! Hope your week is filled with fun and laughter ! Make some great memories Ang !! We will see you soon honey !

Awwwe ... then there is my 2nd baby Billy Boy !!! This is his birthday week !! April 17th !! The big " 30 th" birthday !! Yeah !!! Welcome to the thirties my son !! Enjoy this next decade ! I loved the thirties ! You will find each decade brings you different gifts ! While your twenties were fun, just wait ... the thirties get even better ! Let me take this time to say Dad and I are so very proud of the man you have become. You are a wonderful son,brother,husband and all around person. With being blessed yourself, with the example of a wonderful father,I have no doubt your greatest contribution will be to become a wonderful father to Vivianna. Dad and I will have such joy in our hearts watching you assume that role. It has been such a pleasure having you for a son in our lives. Have a happy birthday Bill !

"Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or to lose."
-Lyndon B. Johnson

Take care ...big hugs to each of you!
I love you, Momma G

All My Chilren # 013

Hello to all,

Well, first of all a bit of trivia ...this post is #13, it makes me think of my Dad. Did you know that the number '13 was your Pappy's favorite number ? Yes ... and when I grew up our address was '1316 Cummings Blvd., and my favorite number has always been #16. Well now you know it !

I am writing this email from Chardon tonight. Dad, Aunt Patty and I came here Friday night. Dad and Ed worked hard outside getting the flower beds cleaned up and cutting up a tree that had fallen down. I worked on getting the wallpaper down in the master bath. Lets just say we all worked hard the last two days. Dad went back to Hammondsport tonight and he was so tired and sore he could barely walk. I just hate this. We have really been thru it with having two houses on our backs. My faith gets shook up every now and then, this being one of them I suppose. I generally have a positive outlook and try to remain strong ... but sometimes it just gets the best of you. Keep us in your prayers. Here we are in our 50's and I feel like we are working harder than we ever have ... with no breaks ... and stress piled high. Maybe with some extra prayer power coming from all around ... things can turn around. We need this house to sell. But if I know one thing, I need to get back into the right thinking and do what ever it takes and keep the faith.

"Never talk defeat. Use words like hope, belief, faith, victory." -- Norman Vincent Peale

Dad and I signed up with a company (today) that will place a 'manager person/family in our home here in the near future. The people/person will live here and take care of the house, keep it in top shape for showings, and pay the utilities. They set the house up with nice furniture ( staging it ) so it will show nicely too. So Ed will start to look for his own house as early as tomorrow. Hopefully he will find a great deal on a great house to buy. Keep him in your prayers too.

I remain here this week ( in Chardon ) to continue working on things. Painting rooms, Angela's old bedroom, the craft room and the master bath. I have my work cut out for me this week. I called grandma and asked her to come and get Aunt patty one day this week, so that it will be one less responsibility for me for a little while. I will get her back again after the baby shower in May.

I hope you are all doing well. I love you and am looking forward to seeing all of you soon ! This is going to be such a wonderful trip, heading to Charlotte, for Dad and I. Not only will we get to see Angela on her birthday, but we will be with all of you ... together !!! Dad said he thinks that we have not "all" been together at one time, since Sept 2007 ? Can that be right ??!!!! That is not good ! We must make sure time does not pass us by without getting together with each other.

Remember, today ' Palm Sunday, is the start of Holy week. Easter Sunday will be upon us in one week. Go to church if you can. It is such a great way to celebrate this Easter season.

"Each day provides its own gifts."-- American Proverb

Love and Blessings to each of you, Momma G

All My Children # 012

Hi kids,

well ... if anyone noticed ... I didn't write a blog last week. I guess with Eddie & Oscar here visiting, it slipped my mind. Oh well. And last night Dad and I were watching the book 3 of North & South to finish the series up, and it was late, so I am writing today. Hope you are all doing well. Tommy and Matt ( Jen's brother) are still en-route to Colorado to visit and pick up Jen's younger brother Michale. They left at about 10 pm last evening. Here's the blog cover of his trip if you hadn't seen it yet. http://coloradical.blogspot.com/ You can follow along with Tommy and some pictures of his trip.

It was nice having Ed and Oscar here last weekend and thru till Tuesday. Thanks for your help here too Ed ... we certainly appreciate any help we get ! Dad and Ed got things moved around in the Arbor Glen room so we can now put box's there to be used at a yard sale this spring. Moved boxes out of the attic too. Dad put shelves in the cupboards in the basement landing area too, so now there are places for garbage bags,cleaning supplies,brooms,light bulbs etc. it sure makes it nicer than having it on the pantry rm floor now ! Dad has the drawer front set up in the pantry too, so he will have to make the drawers fit. I did get the master bath trim painted. Yeah ! So I need to go back now and touch up some area's of the wall color. Then after Dad gets the door done, I will paint the two doors and the door trim and ... well lets just say ... we're getting close to being done in that room.

Dad,Ed,Patty & I went to see the movie " I love you man ", it was pretty good. Laughed a lot. So we all enjoyed it. Then this past Friday night, Dad & I went to see " Knowing ". Ummmm ? Dad liked it, I did not. Let me just say ... it is very suspenseful. ( Nickolas Cage ) I started walking outside more with Tucker since the weather is breaking some what. I actually am walking 3 1/2 to 4 miles when I do. My heel stills hurts me though, so then I ice it a lot. I hope my heel gets better soon. What a pain that is !

Dad and I need to go to Chardon this weekend. Work there to be done. Dad will be going back again the following weekend ( I think ) he got tickets for the Indians home opener. We are planning out a trip to grandma's around the 19th, to drop Patty off there, spend one night, then head to Williamsburg, spend a few nights there, then off to Angela's. We will hopefully get to see Bill & CJ and Tommy and Jen there too. We can celebrate Angela's birthday and get to see her choir concert too. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone. Eddie ? Do you want to change your mind and come and go too ? That would be great ! Please think about it !

Dad & I went to Aunt Margaret's last night. I made stuffed peppers and mashed potatoes and took dinner with us. She had been working on her pool/computer room all weekend and we went over to see how it turned out and bring her dinner. It is really cute. A beautiful shade of blue. Dad helped her put up the curtain rods and we got her curtains put up too. Very nice.

Keep up the good work you are all doing with all of your accomplishments in work,in taking care of your health and in your lives. The best of luck to you CJ with starting this new month of April in a new job ! You will be on a new journey with your career. I hope it brings you satisfaction and joy. As always I miss you and love each of you very much. Family ... it is what is so important in life. You are my family and I have so much love in my heart for you all. God bless each of you.

" the secret of making something work in your lives, is first of all, the deep desire to make it work; then the faith and belief that it can work;then to hold clear definite vision in your consciousness and see it working out step by step, without one doubt or disbelief."
-Eileen Caddy

I love you, Momma G

All My Children # 011

Hello,
I hope this finds each of you doing well this week. Our week was good. Dad and I got some things accomplished that we have been wanting to get done. Dad got all the wood trim in the master bath done, nailed and caulked. He also got the guest bath wall fixed ( there was leak behind the shower faucet ! ) So he fixed that leak, patched the wall and painted it again and did some caulking in there too. I am in the process of getting the trim primed in the master bathroom now. I already got the big wood panels that go under the tub area primed and one coat of paint so tomorrow I will get the second coat on. I am hoping to get the rest of the trim double coated this week also. I am excited to see that room all done and put back together. And ... yes Ed ... Dad got the shower working in the master ! Haaaaa !! The shower head is on and working! The doors are working alright, not perfect, but... oh well. I have to get the wood all around the shower painted this week. Dad also put the 4 doors on the 2 tall cupboards in the laundry room for me too. So .. stuff getting done. I will be painting this week.

We went to church this morning and to breakfast afterwords. I am really starting to like our little church here. Father Jim is growing on me. He is actually a bit funny. He kind of uses a lot of humor with his stories. He does give a good homily, not boring. I am glad we are getting into it.

We had quite a bit of sunshine this weekend. It felt great ! I am hoping for warmer temps to start rising each week now too. Awwwe .... spring !!! I am so glad we made it thru the cold harsh winter ! Geez it seems long ! I can't wait to get my porch back together and start enjoying it again. Grandma & John got back home to W.Va. They had a good trip. They are still talking about how much fun they had visiting with Tommy and Jen ! So glad they stopped on the way back.

I am glad we will get to see you this weekend Ed ! ( and Oscar too ) We are looking forward to your visit.

Happy St Patricks Day to all ! Remember to wear Green !!

"May your troubles be less And your blessings be more. And nothing but happiness Come through your door. "
-Irish saying

I love you all ... Momma G

All My Children # 010

Hello !

I am back from a fun trip. Patty Jo and I went to Morgantown Saturday and met at Kathy Scotchels house with Dawn and Aunt Sheree. We then went to the WVU Theater and saw the musical " The Wizard Of Oz ". Wow ! What a wonderful production. Patty Jo sang along with the songs and we all enjoyed ourselves so much. Then the 5 of us girls went to dinner together. We all decided it had been way to long since sharing any kind of quality time together like that. Sunday morning, Patty and I drove over to Aunt Sheree's. Blake and Adam came along with us and we all went to breakfast together. Very nice. Adam is now at least 6 ft tall, I was surprised. He will graduate May 24th this year. Dad and I will try to be there. ( we went to Blake's) If anyone of you can make it, come on down.

This was a good week. I got the pantry primed and two coats of paint. I am glad. Now Dad will have to make the base board trim. Dad worked on our bathroom trim this weekend. He kept busy the whole time we were gone and continued even this evening. He had a roast/carrots and potatoes baking int he oven when Patty Jo and I arrived home this evening too. What a guy ! The whole house smelled great.

I started back to my yoga class again Monday evening. She had taken off a couple of weeks for her vacation. It felt goo to get back. It is hard still ! Haaaaaa !! She said she mixes it up each and every week so that it should remain difficult to anyone. Always using different muscles. That is good I suppose. It was harder to get Aunt Patty up into the attic this week to exercise along with me. As per her usual ... after something is not new and fresh anymore, she doesn't like it so much. (just like moving here, she would love to go back home now ! Haaaaaa ) I guess she has always been like that about everything. I just try to encourage her as much as possible.

Grandma and John are leaving Monday morning to start their travels back from AZ. They will be stopping by to stay a night with Jennifer and Tommy. I am glad they are doing that. Have fun you guys !! Remember to get your cards out and ready ! They love to play a good game of cards. Hey Tommy ... show John the Wii bowling game ! He will love that !

Have a great week everyone ! Take care of each other. Call one another once in awhile. It takes little efforts, and can really make a difference. Each of us need that family connection. We are all busy people. Just carve out a little time here and there. Do not think about whether it is always "you" who has to be the one to call, just BE the ONE. Reach out.

Dad and I are so very proud of each of you. You are so important to us and such a blessing in our lives. I thank God every single day for the gift of my family. I love that it is growing as we speak. You are our greatest joy. You are such wonderful, beautiful, unique,glorious souls. I am truly blessed.

"Beauty, truth, friendship, love, creation – these are the great values of life. We can’t prove them, or explain them, yet they are the most stable things in our lives." -- Jesse Herman Holmes

All My Children ... I love you so deeply.
Momma G

All My Children # 009

Dear kids,
How is everyone doing this March 1st ? Yeah ! It is March ! We are getting there. Past the long cold winter. The sunshine has felt really good here. Although it has been still quite cold, 27 was our high today, the sunshine felt good though.

Dad and I brought down (what seems like a hundred and one) cupboard doors from the attic into the Library room. Dad tarped it off in here for me to begin my work. The big job of painting all the kitchen cupboard doors. Sanding,priming, two coats each of paint on both sides, then speckling each of them, then waiting for ( I believe 2 weeks ?) then starting the poly process. ( 3 coats each,with light sanding in between) Uh huh ... you guessed it ... a lot of work to be done here. But hey ... I better get started huh ? I also bought the paint for the pantry. The color is from the purple family. More towards the red-purple side and with a grey undertone. Medium shade in color depth. So after Dad completes the sanding in there ( the walls needed patched somewhat) I will get that small room finally painted. I will be glad to get these things accomplished this month.

Aunt Margaret joined us at church this morning. She decided to start coming back to church regularly for lent. Then we all went for breakfast afterwards. Church is at 11 am here, so it is more like our lunch, but we still order breakfast. It was nice to be together. We really do not see her much in the winter. Aunt Patty seems to really enjoy going to church with us. Hey Ang ... I colored Aunt Patty's hair again ! I used a little lighter shade of red this time. I like it better. She is so funny, just as last time when you and I did it, she loved it. I also colored mine. I used a different color, but it doesn't look much different really.

I put up some new curtains in the upstairs hallway windows. Got rid of the lace balloon style, and opted for good o'l Martha Steward cafe-style. They are just crisp white cafe-style. A top valance and bottom panels. So you can still see outside in between. The panels themselves are opaque. ( not see-thru) I also put them in my bedroom windows, and I took down the sheers I had up. It allows more sunlight into the bedroom. Plus provides you with being able to see outside now. Dad said he likes to be able to see out the windows. I like it a lot. I chose the beige color for our windows and it looks nice. The beige match our decor in our bedroom better than the white and look antique sort of. I took down the tie backs off the drapes and just let them hang straight down on each side, and at night I close the drapes. It is so much better ! Now there is no light coming thru the windows at night. With living right in town all the street lights make it too bright.

Well, I shall email you again soon. Remember to say your prayers, to be grateful for each day and all your blessings. I love each of you so very dearly.

"Forget mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day."-Will Durant

Love Momma G

All My Children #008

Hi kids,

well ... this is the last blog for February ! Yeah ! That means spring will certainly be getting closer to us ! Ooooooh ... that sounds so good to me ! This dreadfully COLD weather is getting old !! My skin feels all dried out even with trying to keep lotion on my hands they are so dry !

So this week was just a kind of slow, boring week. Although, I do know it is what "we choose" to make it. So ... you know what that means ? I didn't try too hard. I guess I should have made it a better (perhaps) more productive week. I did all the regular stuff, laundry,cleaning,taking care of Patty Jo, making breakfast,lunch and dinner, you know.... but ... not any projects really. So, maybe this week I should make an effort to get something accomplished in regards to furthering the progress of our house project here. I'll keep you posted on that.

After church today, Dad and I went for a nice long drive through a part of the country-side we haven't ventured through before. It was nice. Just to get out and drive and look around. The sun was out and even though it was cold, somehow that feels nice. I have said it before, but I must say again, it is really a BEAUTIFUL area around here. We saw spectacular views of the mountains and countryside and on one ridge a breathtaking view of Canandagiua Lake ! ( Sp ? ) We stopped and had a Starbucks coffee so that was relaxing too. Believe it or not ... we have rarely taken the time to just drive around since living here !

I am still using my new exercise room ! I am proud of that accomplishment. I intend to get our lifestyle into a healthier version. For Dad, Patty Jo and myself. I have also made grounds on eating better each day. Little changes here and there. So that will be an on-going progress that will evolve with each passing month. I still read and try to educate myself on information along those lines too. I think keeping informed and keeping new ideas, recipes etc., will keep me on the right path. I can tell I am feeling stronger from the exercise. It is still really hard on me to get thru some of the tapes. I was that "out-of-shape" I suppose. It does feel really good to know I am seeing signs of progress though. I am becoming aware ! This paragraph below is something I have read and so agree with !

"Here's something to keep in mind: Awareness raises consciousness. Read that last line again because it's important. Just becoming aware of your typical thought patterns will actually stimulate a move toward emotional health and balance. That's because the moment you notice a negative thought, you then have the ability to shift to something more positive. And then the fun begins. When you focus your mind on something good, it creates a good feeling, and that good feeling fuels you to make better choices. Better choices in turn, give you a better life.

Imagine, like so many people right now, that you're worried about paying your bills. Once you turn on your thought meter, you notice that your thoughts are focused on how little money you have. If you make a choice to shift these thoughts to a powerful affirmation like, "Abundance flows into my life every day in miraculous ways," and you keep returning to this thought, it automatically makes you feel empowered to change your circumstances. This feeling of being empowered - a life-affirming feeling - will lead you to find actions you can take right now to improve your situation. Then, once you identify an action and take it, you not only change the course of your life, you reinforce your positive thoughts and the cycle starts all over again."

This makes such great sense to me. Very many books and articles I have read states that your attitude and your own personal " self talk" that goes on inside your head, has a lot to do with your life and your ultimate happiness. So to each of you, I wish a sense of 'awareness' that may awaken something inside of yourself. Maybe to allow you to progress forward with something you are struggling with in your own life at this time. However it may work, awareness is a great start at bringing forth change. I know one of Dr. Phil's sayings is " you cannot change what you first do not recognise". Yep ... it is true.

Well, I know ... yadda ...yadda ... heeheeee. Enough from me.

Have a great week. Call us when you get a chance. We are always thinking of each of you and hoping things are going well.

"Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose." -- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

I love you, Momma G

All My Children #007

Hi kids,

well, I can say this wasn't the best week for me. It was a difficult week. Patty Jo has been sick all week, which lead to her being extremely difficult and irritable to me. The good thing is as of yesterday, I think she has turned the corner and is starting to feel somewhat better. I did take her to the doctor, but they said it just has to run its course. She coughs all thru the night. I am up and down all night, every night, just checking on her, offering her water and cough syrup. I haven't had a good nights sleep, it seems, for ages ! So, here's to a better week.

"What we need is a cup of understanding, a barrel of love, and an ocean of patience."
St. Francis de Sales

I did get something accomplished in Patty's room though. I finally put up her curtains behind her bed. Hanging from high ( almost the ceiling) to down below, behind the bed . It makes a focal point of the bed when you enter the room now. She had seen a picture ( gosh ... two years ago now ! ) in a magazine and showed me and I kept it all this time with the intent I would do it for her. I still have to put up the outside valances for the finishing touch. She is happy. The other thing I did was to change my bedroom up. I moved the bed from the wall it was against to the wall beside the door entering from the hallway. As small a change as it is, it seems to me to have a big impact. The room seems to have opened up more. I like the feel of it much better. I moved the rugs, the bench and I just like the feel of it. I still have to move the pictures. Dad worked on the baseboards in the attic all weekend. Tedious work. There is the main flat large board, the top grooved molding and the shoe-moulding. So a lot to it.

Nothing else to going on here. Tom and Jennifer are in Las Vegas this week at a Photography Seminar. ( staying at the Marriott ) I hope it goes well for them. Angela had a Valentines Choir concert on Friday and Saturday, she even had an impromptu solo on Saturday ! I sure wish I could have been there. Bill has been working hard on their new Florida room. It sounds like he is making great strides in getting it done. Good work Billy boy ! CJ is feeling good with baby Vivianna growing stronger everyday. CJ may have a new job announcement very soon. We are so excited for her ! Ed is still studying for his test and looking forward to taking Oscar to training soon. I think the first week of March ? He also ( like his brother Bill ... ) got a new I-phone due to a miss-hap with water ! Haahahaaa !

"An attitude of gratitude creates blessings."
-Sir John Templeton

Take care and remember I love each of you very much.
Momma G

All My Children #006

Hello kids,

I am feeling so elated tonight. I just read Bill & CJ's new blog and saw pictures of my beautiful little granddaughter ' Vivianna Jo, in the ultrasound photos. I cannot get the smile off my face. I am feeling just like a small child at Christmas that cannot get to sleep Christmas-eve for being so full of excitement ! Haaaaaaa !! I cannot wait to meet my beautiful granddaughter for sure ! I bought some things for the baby shower today, that was fun ! Yes ... I know it is not until May, but ... we were in Ohio this weekend, and there is one of those party type stores there. So, before we headed back to New York, I figured I would stop in and get some things now. I haven't seen a store like around here. ( at least not yet ? ) It was fun shopping.

Dad, Ed, and I went to the Cleveland Home & Garden show on Saturday. After thinking about it ... I guess Dad and I have been attending this show for about 30 yrs now ! How is that for a long run ?! It is always good to be there. You walk thru some of the prettiest garden setting ever ! You get to smell the fresh flowers, see real green grass, all kinds of trees and shrubs and so many kinds of flowers than you could imagine. I will tell you this ... when you live in the North, by this time of the long, cold, winter weather, it is extremely refreshing to get a look into spring, as brief as it is. So, yes we enjoyed it. I was glad Ed went with us this year. It is nice to spend some time with you Ed ! Tucker and Oscar had a wonderful time playing with each other this weekend also. Too bad they do not live closer to each other, they would love that ! They were tired out today from playing so hard. On Saturday morning, Dad took them both to get their nails filed down, the girls that work there just love the two of them, and they came back each wearing ' Red Valentine Bandannas ... so cute ! Hey Ed ... could you post one of the pictures you took of them on this Blog under the comments or something ? That would be great !

Well, we are back home here in Hammondsport, resting up to start a brand new week. I wish a good productive week for each of you. Be safe. Be happy. Be healthy.

"Watch your thoughts; they become words.Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits.Watch your habits; they become character.Watch your character; it becomes your destiney."
- By: Frank Outlaw -

I love you so very much. Momma G

All My Children #005

Hi kids,

I trust you all had a good week. I know it was an especially busy and hectic week for Tom and Jennifer, with hopefully a productive and welcoming end to it all. You are officially now moved in, huh Tommy ? Trust me ... there will always be work to be done. Always projects waiting to be finished. ( or started ) Always improvements to be made ... just keep them all in prospective. Keep a list, prioritize things to be done, and just keep at it. Life is made up of all the "things" to do each and everyday. Take your time and enjoy your journey too. As the saying goes,' Rome wasn't built in a day'.

Well now, Happy February to you ! One month gone in this new year already. This past week was just OK I suppose. Nothing special I guess. Cold temperatures, snow, and grey skies. I guess I am having some seasonal blues. Missing some sunshine on my face for sure. But, spring will be here before I know it. I hope that groundhog does not see his shadow !

Aunt Patty and I held true to our exercising program this whole week. Yeah !!! Bless her heart, she has been a real trooper ! I am impressed ( and surprised ) by her attitude of wanting to go up to the attic each morning with me and try to follow along with the gal on the tape. She may not be able to do the movements correctly, or keep up with the continual changes during the work-out, but let me tell you, she stands right there in front of the TV, she smiles, tries, smiles, tries more, drinks a little water here and there, she laughs and she is sort of in her own world of seeing herself participating and doing well !!! She is happy ! I am so impressed !!! God Bless her !!! She is out of her room, she is moving her body instead of just sitting in a chair or on her bed as usual ! I am so very proud of her ! She loves the orange t-shirt that I bought her and told her it is her exercise outfit. She always has it laying out for the next morning beside her bed. I need to go to Walmart and buy her another one too. She lost a whopping 8 lbs the month of January ! Go Patty Jo !! Me ? Well ... I did not lose much ! ( 3lbs ... ughhh !! ) Disappointed big time. I hate the scale !! I exercises daily, but I must be still eating to much. Oh well, I have to give myself the credit for making a good change into the exercise routine for now, and just know it takes more time to change other habits. I believe something I read recently, "A balanced body helps you create a balanced mind. As a result, peace and order begin to replace the chaos and frenetic energy of a busy life. " So, I will continue onward toward my journey for better health.

Dad made his spaghetti today and it was as good as always ! Hmmmm !! Then, I watched the Superbowl with Dad tonight. Actually, Aunt Patty did too. Not really my thing, but, I felt sort of obligated. I would have felt bad for Dad to sit in there by himself and watch it. So I read a book and sat there talking with him Thur-out the game. It is times like this Dad really misses his kids. He would give anything to be able to be with any one of you, when watching stuff like this. Sometimes it is really hard to have so much distance between us. It can suck for us parents for sure. I hope Tommy and Billy's Superbowl parties went well. Dad said how cool would it have been to be able to show up at one of your houses and surprise you ! Haaaa !! Well ... it didn't go the way Dad wanted in the end .... he hates the Steelers. Maybe next year it will be ... "Go Browns "!!!!

Well have a good and healthy week. Take care of each other. This month is Valentines month, so be extra caring, extra loving, maybe do a kindness for some one un-expecting of it. It isn't just about romance you know, it is for all of us. We all need the kindness and caring. Be loving towards people in general this month. Share the " care ".

"Enthusiasm is a kind of faith that has been set on fire.-George Matthew Adams "

I do have to say, Dad and I did have lots of fun this afternoon. The sun had been out for a little while (it warmed up to 42 today) so it started to melt the 2 inches of rock hard ice that has been built up under the snow for a month, in our driveway. So, we each dressed warm and went outside into the driveway with shovels, and as Dad broke up the ice over the concrete, I shoveled it over to the side. We spent about an hour getting this accomplished, but, we couldn't get it all. The sun just didn't stay out long enough to get all of it soft enough, so we had to leave some for another winter day. Yeah ! I know, I bet your each saying " Man !! I wish I could be there to do that too !" The fun was all ours ! ( and the forecast shows snow for the next 5 days in a row here ! So great ! )

Remember Dad and I love each of you very much, Momma G

All My Children #004

Hi kids,

I hope your all doing well this week. My week started out good. I went to my yoga class, I think I am getting a little better at it. I like going there. It feels good to be a part of it. I started out this week doing my exercise in my new room ! Yeah for me ! I did it Mon,Tues,Wed and then Thurs ... ughhh !!! Not so much ! I pulled my right Hamstring muscle. Not fun at all ! I hobbled around all day. Angela told me how to take care of it, and I have been doing the Advil/ice twice a day. It seems to be helping, thanks Ang !

Aunt Patty and I went shopping on Wednesday. More than anything, just to get out of the house really. We had lunch out ( in which she enjoyed the most ) and bought a few things. I went to that big TJMaxx & Home store in Cannedegua, I really like looking around there. I guess until this weather turns nicer, that is one thing I can do to get out of the house.

Thursday, was when I heard from Aunt Sheree about Grandma being in the emergency room. I felt very scared and wished I could be there right then. She was having a lot of pain in her chest. Then, Sheree called me back again at 11 pm, and told me we almost lost Grandma, due to a reaction to the Nitro pill that they gave her ! Well ... as you could imagine, I was really upset. Sheree assured me that Mom was doing fine now. She also was no longer having pain. Every thing was swirling thru my brain though. I prayed mostly. I woke Dad up, even thought I hated to, just cause I needed to talk to someone. I didn't keep him up long though, he hasn't been getting enough sleep lately the way it is. I have thought a lot about my life, and my Mom. I can't imagine my life without my Mom ... yet. I lost my precious Dad when I was only 29 yrs old. I still miss him terribly. I cannot give up my Mom any time soon. I love her so very much and am so very grateful to have such a loving, wonderful Mom. I feel very fortunate. I have a wonderful relationship with my Mom. I feel so very close to her. We talk a lot on the phone. We always end up having a good laugh about something. She gives me good advise and is a very good listener when I need to talk. She makes me feel good about myself and as a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a sister. She always brags on me and tells me what I am doing right. And it seems, she is the one that will always notice things about me. She will say to me that I look good ( even if I don't ) or that she likes my outfit, she is the one to tell me how nice I look, how pretty my hair looks, or that I have a great smile, or that she thinks I am beautiful. She always tells me how proud she is of me. It is sure nice to have a Mom like that. I know she loves me. And I know she knows how much I love her. I have realized too, that I have helped her thru-out her trying times. Her joys and her sorrows. Her stress with worry over John's health. I guess that is what it is all about. Family. I will forever be grateful. I am so blessed. I thank God that she is home and doing fine. No ... they haven't found what caused all the pain as of yet, but I hope Grandma still pursues the issue with her family doctor.

Ed came here this weekend with Oscar to visit Dad and I. It was so good to see him. He helped Dad carry the treadmill into the attic into our new exercise room. It looks nice. I am glad that is all set up now. He also helped Dad lay the new wood flooring in the center of the attic floor. It looks very nice. We have a two ft section over by the windows and also the center ( maybe a 4 or 5 ft section) that is the dark wood, then the middle is a 15ft by 12 ft section of carpet. We will do the same thing on the other side of the attic one day this year. Anyhow, it looks great. Thank you so very much for all of your help Ed, you are a good son ! We enjoyed seeing little Oscar too. Tucker and Oscar had a great time playing a lot. He is such a cutie. Ed had him neutered and his due-claws removed. So he still has some tender spots that are healing up. I think it is nice that they get to have each other to play with. Saturday night I made Chicken Parmesan for dinner and Aunt Margaret joined us. So we all had a nice visit. On Ed's way out of town, he followed us to Aunt Margaret's house, and helped Dad carry the old treadmill into her basement.

Ang drove her Mustang up to Grandma's and Johns house Saturday. John bought it to give to his grandson Christopher. So she had her last trip in it. Then John paid for her to fly back to Charlotte on Sunday. So, that is all taken care of. Angela traveled back home safe, Ed & Oscar traveled back home safe and Grandma is back home safe. Tom and Jennifer are healthy and safe, Bill and CJ and baby Gaio are healthy and safe. I'd say it was a good week for sure.

Well, that was our week in a nutshell. I love you all very much. I feel so grateful to have each one of you in my life. You each bring to my life so many special blessings. Thank you. I hope you will always know how very deeply you are loved. I am one fortunate lady. May God bless you all.

Joy is in release, so thankfully received,
Joy is in sorry, so sweetly mourned and grieved,
Joy is to be found, you find it through yearning,
Joy is in coming and going, waiting and watching, living and learning.
- Norris Chumley

I love you, Momma G

All My Children #003

Hi Kids,

I trust you all had a good week. I cannot believe I forgot to make my post last night ! Geez ! I wondered if anyone would notice, and I will tell you, it felt good because both Dad and Angela did and asked me where it was ?! Yeah !! I guess I got behind.

Well ... let's see, yes, this was a good week in all. I painted two coats of paint on both the ceiling and walls of the attic. Dad got the Bow Flex back up and operational, and a Tv set,VCR and DVD unit hooked up. Then Dad and I carried up, two flights of stairs, from the Arbor Glen Room, the two book cases ! ( the ones from the old family rm in Chardon ) They now flank both sides of the Tv. It looks pretty darn good up there. It makes a nice room. So, this morning was my first experience working out in the newly done exercise room. I even got Aunt Patty up there with me doing a little work. Haahaaa ! She was showing me how to use a hand weight. I told her she is a very good teacher. Lets hope she will continue the enthusiasm ! Eddie is coming up this weekend, so we will see if Dad and Ed can get the treadmill up there. Whew !! It is a worry, I know it is very heavy, and it has to also go up two flights of stairs ! Eddie and Dad ... eat your Wheaties !

Well, I got most of the decorations put away, and the house back into order. I even got most of it clean too. Yeah ... it feels good. I put some bed side tables in Aunt Patty's room, one on each side of her bed, and moved the tall chest out of there. It looks very nice and much more balanced now, and she seems to like it. The one thing I will want to do for her in the future is make a statement with curtains behind her bed. She carried around a picture with a bedroom decorated like this when we were still in Chardon, so I will try to replicate it. They will hang from the ceiling, down the wall behind the bed, sort of like a princess bed. Oh .... I will do it one of these days then send pictures ok ?

I went to my " yoga " class again. I must say, I am liking it ! It is ' Kundilini Yoga '. I am not sure of how many types there are, but this one is based on your breathing and Mantra's. It can be difficult, so I modify what I am doing a lot, but I will keep it up. The people all seem to be friendly too. It appears that most of them have been doing this for years now. Luckily, there are two other ' new ' ones like me. I also did the Oprah live web cast this past week. It was good. I missed Thurs and Fri though. But I can down load it off her site. It was kind of hard to fit it in being each night in a row. Time consuming. It started every night at 9 pm and ended at 10:40ish. So ... it made it difficult to visit with Dad, seeing how he doesn't get home until late anyway. But, it was only one week. I hope I gained a lot from it. It was something new for me to do. I took notes and learned a few things for sure.

Dad used his new snow blower Sunday, it seems to work good. The three of us attended church, then went on to breakfast. Aunt Patty liked that ! She actually seemed to like the church too. There was a really good visiting Priest there this week. He grabbed your attention and held it ! Good guy. I guess because this church is so small, we will always have visiting Priest. So we shall see how it goes.

Well, not a lot to tell about this week I suppose. A lot of hard work, and it all paid off. Dad and I went on a date night Friday. I like doing that. I want to make this year a good one with Dad and I doing more things together. We went to eat at the Snug Harbor. I am looking forward to getting our bikes this spring. That will be great to be able to go out on a long bike ride together. Just so you know guys, Dad is still my sweetheart after all these years ! See ... it can happen.

Well kids, try to watch the Inauguration Tuesday. ( at least some of the coverage) It will be such an historic event. Try to keep more of an awarness about national issues. It is good to have some insite as to what is going on around us. I have such a strong feeling of hope for this new President. May God bless him, protect him and guide him. Our country is in need of change. It is a most difficult time for our nation and we need someone, somehow, to bring it back into a sense of security and stability. God Bless America. God Bless this new President, he has a lot on his plate before he even enters into his presidency.


"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.-Jose Addison "

I love you all. Have a wonderful week.

Love, Momma G