Trip home

I'm on the last leg home, boarding the plane in Seattle. I should be in Sacramento at 8:30 tonight and then a two hour drive home. Almost there!

Nashville

The conference is over and now it's the flights home. It's been a great trip, lots of new ideas and fun. I got to walk down music row yesterday and experience some of the 'feel' of Nashville. The weather has been great the last two days. I wasn't thrilled when I found out they had the tornado warning sirens going on Wednesday near the hotel and I missed them. (having too much fun in the conference to hear them?). The devastation in Alabama is terrible. One of the vendors had damage to his house in Alabama from the winds but not major. He was talking to his wife and kids while a tornado was just a mile away.

Nashville

It's a rainy blustery day, but it looks like the tornadoes hit Arkansas again instead of Nashville. Vilonia AR is home to a cousin - I hope they didn't get a lot of damage.

The hotel is great and the reception last night was fun. I met people I call for support all the time. Now I have a face to go with the name. (I hope they feel the same and still take my calls!)

Nashville

We made it! We're waiting for the shuttle to the hotel. The flights were good, but a TV in the airport lobby had tornado warnings for tonight. Right now it is partly cloudy warm and humid.

Nashville

I'm off to Nashville via Seattle. I left the house at 4:30 this morning for an 8:30 flight out of Sacramento. I need a nap!

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I had just a bit of snow on the way to Susanville today. It wasn't sticking, thank goodness!

Easter in Susanville

The weather in Susanville hasn't changed over the years. I drove through snow yesterday to get here and it is windy and stormy today. Happy Easter!

I'm off to Susanville today for Easter. First - a few loads of laundry so Alli and I have clean clothes to wear, and a haircut for Alli. I started laundry last night, so it would be all done, but....I forgot it! I only got one load washed. I'm just not used to doing laundry on a Friday night.

Yesterday was a short day at work. The bank closed at 1:00, and I jumped ship at 12:30 to go to Good Friday Services. Very moving. I haven't attended them before - usually because I am working. Last year, I made it to Ash Wednesday Services for the first time. The way I'm going, I may get all of them in one year in about five years! After services, I went shopping and picked up some new work pants and shirt. Not too bad! Then - I picked up Alli and went to the grocery store and then home and cleaned house. No wonder I forgot my laundry - I was busy!

I found a cute pattern for an egg cozy that I made for the staff at work. They turned out really cute, and were a hit - the chocolate inside probably helped.

I'm off next week to Nashville for a work conference, so when I get back from Susanville, it is more laundry and packing time. The conference should be fun - the people I am going with are a lot of fun. Tuesday is a travel day though - I need to leave the house at 4:00 a.m., and we get in to Nashville at 6:00 p.m. That is a long day! There is a reception at the hotel that night as well, so we will be walking right into "work". We get back to Sacramento at 8:30 Friday night, which means I'll be getting home sometime between 11:00 and midnight. The time changes are going to be rough - about the time I adjust to one, I'll be back in the other.

AJ went on my walk with me last weekend, and we had to go find the duck for him. Luckily, she was still in the same area, and he was able to take a picture of her, and got Jasper to chase her again.

I'm glad this week is almost over. I was planning on taking a vacation next week, but I got the chance to go (for work) to Nashville for a conference. That's almost better than a vacation! I get to go somewhere I haven't been before, and someone else pays for it! I fly out of Sacramento Tuesday morning, and fly back late Friday night. The hard part will be getting the household set up for me to be gone. The kids are out of school next week, so Ralph will just have to take Alli to daycare. He doesn't have to worry about packing lunches or a backpack or anything, just getting her up and showered and dressed and teeth brushed and....you get the picture! Hopefully he will be feeling better by then himself. He said last night that he was going to go to the doctor's today. The cold is settling in his chest, and there are some nasty strains of bronchitis and pneumonia running around right now.

And it's official - AJ got his Eagle Scout! We got a call yesterday, so he made it! Now, to plan his Court of Honor! I think he is planning that for after school is out - He's busy right now with a lot of senior activities.

I have a sicky at home today, I fear! Ralph went home a little early from work yesterday, and went to bed early, and I think he will be staying home from work today. AJ wasn't feeling well last night either, but part of that was because of a bad day at school, I think. He had to do his senior presentation yesterday, and he forgot half his speech, and other issues, and he failed it. The good news is that he came in last night and plumped up his report and actually spent some time on it, so it will be a better presentation now. He was just so upset about it last night. Hopefully, he isn't going to catch Ralph's cold too!

It worked! Last time I tried mobile blogging I broke my phone. Maybe now this will work for me! I'm off to Nashville next week for work and I was hoping to blog while I was there.

Testing mobile blogging

This is a test and only a test!

My yard work didn't get as finished as I thought it would. AJ and Conner did get the swing-set out of the back yard (and it is now waiting to go to the dump) and they did get started on extending the rock around my fountain, but.....is still has a ways to go. I think they lost their motivation! I guess that means I'll be shoveling rock this afternoon.

AJ went to his senior prom last night. He looked so handsome in his tux! I know he is tall and skinny, but I don't think I notice it as much when he's just hanging out in a t-shirt and shorts. Put him in all black, and wow!

Dad helping him with his tie.

Dallas and AJ

AJ and his date - she is beautiful! Her parents drove her over to our house so they could take pictures of the two of them, so we had a whirlwind photofest, and then they were all gone! I couldn't even stay awake until he came home - I fell asleep on the couch at 9:30! I'll have to hear all about it today (maybe while were moving rocks???)

I need a new routine! I've been trying to add exercise to my week, especially now that we have a membership to Sun Oaks. I'm still having a problem carving out time for it! There is a great class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 - which means I have to have dinner at least almost done by 6:15 so I can leave. That's tough some days! Yesterday, it just didn't happen. Alli woke me up at 4:00 a.m. yesterday, and I didn't go back to sleep (she did, thank goodness!) It was a grueling day at work, and I had three teenage boys here to feed, and Ralph has a major project to get done so is working from home for several hours at night. I just didn't make it! So....instead, I took the dogs for a walk. Dinner was late, but we had a great walk. Jasper found something better than a stick!

Hiding at the edge is a duck.

She obviously had a nest in the are. Jasper chased her several times, and she flew back to the same area. Jasper had a great time!

This is what happens most of the time when I try to take a picture of a flower. "Whatcha' doin' Mom?"

I talked Ralph into taking the dogs for a walk with me on Sunday - Jasper was so happy! He found a stick to throw for her. One problem with throwing a stick for Jasper, Koori has to help her bring it back. That does not make for a quick retrieve - they stop to play a bit along the way!

We also found a fat little toad hiding in a hole in the ground - too cute!

I think Spring is here! Look fast, because our Spring usually only lasts a couple of weeks, and then Summer hits. Yesterday was a great day for yard work - and I actually did some! Ralph sprayed for weeds, and AJ and I cleaned up the back yard/pool area. The pool is scrubbed down, the dead plants are out of the pots around the pool, the fallen camellias flowers were cleaned up (they never stay cleaned up!) and the patio is swept and spruced up a bit. Not too bad! AJ and I even went for a bike ride, and then I took the dogs for a walk.

This is a little Killdeer that Koori was chasing. She stayed just enough ahead of Koori to keep her going - so cool!

Jasper says "Throw something, would you???"

Clover Creek is back down to a 'normal' size after the rains have subsided.

Jasper is still waiting!

This cat was out sunning himself in the filed - think we disturbed his nap!

I finished up a doily yesterday too, but I don't have it blocked yet. Maybe today?? I have lots of things I want to get done today - but none of them are very exciting - laundry, paying bills, balancing the checkbook - blah! I still have weeds to pull too. May I'll crochet instead!

So much for good intentions! It's been almost a week without posting. Oh well, Life got in the way again. (Or I just slept too long, something like that!) Mom was down last weekend, and I was lazy while she was here - not getting up early to post to the blog or anything. I did sit down after she left and actually crocheted this little coaster:

I think this is the first thread work I have done in a while. I have two other doilies started now - one is a "Crochet-a-long" so I only get the directions a few rows at a time. The other is about halfway done. Not too bad!

Ralph is out of town this week - he's off to Dallas for work. I thought things would be nice and slow with him gone, but...I spent Monday afternoon at the doctor's with Alli and Monday night chasing prescriptions for her. She got a rash on her chest and it developed into an infection. She is now on oral antibiotics and topical antibiotics and a anti-inflammatory cream. She seems to be feeling much better overnight. At least she didn't seem to be as itchy! Having that under the brace must be awful, poor thing! She is handling it like a champ though - what a kid!