Not so hot

I haven't been feeling on top of the world.  Plus it's been very busy.  My back is somewhat better, but not all the way yet.  We can't even find time to go to the  chiropractor.
I had pink eye!  Conjunctivitis, yup.  Woke up last Sunday with a goopy eye, it was shut, and I knew immediately that I had to go to the doctor.  Plus the cold.... Anyway, it's over, I'm better, and we actually went hiking yesterday.  And loved it!
I spent a lot of time with the new baby the last two weeks, and I enjoyed it.  I even left the camera in my purse, and just enjoyed holding him, getting him to find my face, and then smiling that big gorgeous baby smile!
Michael had an accident, that wasn't very much fun, except for the fact that he walked away without a scratch.  Car was totaled.  We already have the replacement, and it's lovely.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

A week or more later ....................

Better.  Well enough to find out way into the woods today.  The weather was/is lovely.  We changed the clocks last night, and it's already 5:20 - I hate the time change, it messes things up, it takes me a long time to get used to it.

We visited the baby and his family yesterday, everyone is fine, and he is getting big!

 Anyone remember an angry babies face?  My mother called it the 'poison dwarf' (Gift Zwerg)

Michael rough housing with two happy little boys

And Andrew with me and Michael - isn't he big?

Today we went back into the woods.  Tough hike, uphill in the snow and ice, lovely once there, but a very tough return down the mountain, we were afraid to slip and fall.  But oh so satisfying to have made it.

And before I leave all you hanging more time, I'm off on the couch nursing my sore muscles.

So sorry

Apologies for the long silence,
As always, life keeps happening.   At the moment I'm sick.  A cold, my hurting back, and to top it off, this morning I woke up with a crusty eye, which means I have pink eye or conjunctivitis.  So off to Urgent Care we'll go in a little while.  Three times weekly visits with a chiropractor are already scheduled, he told me I have an inflamed muscle in my back, and that takes time to heal.  In other words, I'm a mess.

I got a couple of questions about the dish of food I showed when we were in New York at Carmine's. that was the family style appetizer (meaning for 4 plus peaople, or for the table) of fried zucchini.  It was absolutely delicious, and flavorfull with breading and parmesan cheese.

We were invited for dinner at Nicole and Greg's last night, and it's just lovely to see the kids.  The baby is growing so fast!  Evan' vocabulary is amazing, and Jackson loves school.
We also facetimed with Noah and Katie, and it was great, the two of them are a delight.  Always smiling!

So, a lot of other things went on, but I'm busy getting better at the moment.
More next time!

Visits, snow and on and on

My back is somewhat better. Michael's daughter came Sat evening with her daughter, and both of us were 'damaged', she had a dogbite on her arm, and I had a sore back.  But we still managed to go to NYC and we saw 'Annie'.  It was great. 

Here is a photo of the stage.

And Times Square. For dinner we actually got into Carmine's, which normally requires a reservation.  Family style food, which means the portions are huge!

Such a good time and we returned tired but reenergized, the city has that effect.

Lincoln Tunnel on the way out.

Snow, the couch, and company

The couch is what I'm sitting on, I hurt my shoulder.  No idea how, it just hurts.  I am using the heating pad, taking painkillers and have a pain patch.   I cannot sew, which is the biggest upset.  I would like to finish my started presents quilt, and work on my rediscovered garage sale top, which I finished.  

But no.  I can't.  I move only a little I have to get back to the couch and rest.


Yesterday our big snow storm  started, we had winter warnings since last Monday.  Luckily we only got 10 to 12 inches, which is quite a bit, but not as bad as in Connecticut, where the governor closed all the roads.  All of them, only emergency vehicles can go anywhere.  My friend Linda called, they had 30 inches of snow.  (She lives in CT)
Michael's daughter and granddaughter are on the way here to visit, and so far it looks like all is good.  The airports were closed since yesterday afternoon, but their flight is still scheduled.  On top of it, M's daughter got bitten by a dog and had to go to the emergency room.

On the bright side, we have tickets to see 'Annie' in New York tomorrow.
As you can see, it never gets boring.
Oh, btw, I post photos  on instagram under newjerseyoma, if anyone uses that.
Signing off for now.... Stay warm!

February and time flying

One would think that with January and February things would slow down.  Not so!  My son and daughter-in-law visited with Noah and Kate, and it was great to have them here.  The kids are adorable, and it's amazing how well Katherine talks already at 20 months.  And it's amazing how much the little ones know about computers, and especially the iPad.  Evan at 2 1/2 can amuse himself with games on the tablet for hours, and Kate watches videos on it, and knows how to get to the things she wants to watch.
Of course the older kids use them as a matter of course.
We had a Christmas exchange over the weekend, and everyone came over here.

 The littlelest guest fast asleep

Think the living room is too small?

 Katie - how big she got, and the sweetest smile on Noah

The newest pet: Odin, a rescue

Of course we went hiking yesterday after everyone left.  Back to Harriman State Park, just over the border into NY State.  A dusting of snow on the ground, and the path we took didn't have any foot prints in it yet.  Lovely!  We clambered all the way to the top of the mountain again, watching for either fox or coyote tracks, hoping to see either, no luck, though.

 First steps in the snow are ours

 On the top - it's lovely!

Below the lean-to

and I happen to catch Michael just after he landed on his behind,

luckily nothing happened to him.