My Walk This Morning.

Hi All!

A while ago I promised I would take some pictures to show you what Spring is looking like in my neck of the world. So . . . .come along with me on my walk!















We still have a lot of lovely blooming trees around even though most of the Bradford Pears have now transitioned to light green leaves instead of snowy blooms.













Up North is is always Spring when you see your first Robin of the year. Well, here the Robins have been around for a while. This one and a friend were watching me from above and chirping their hearts out!












The Forsythia blooms so nicely here. There are many shrubs along the route I walk. They look like little bits of sunshine!

















Mockingbirds are common companions while I walk. This one was silhouetted so nicely against the "almost daylight" sky.

I am not certain what kind of shrub this is but there are several in landscaping that I walk by every morning. I think I would like one of these in my landscaping - IF we ever get around to re-doing it!

These lovely blooms took a bit of a beating from the recent cold weather (and snow!) They are still pretty though!

This sideways picture shows two of the many beautiful daffodils blooming in our area. Oddly, there are many daffodils which are still only buds, too. It must be the odd weather we have had this Spring!

With pink being my favorite color I couldn't resist a picture (or two or three) of these lovely blooms! In this bed they are mixed with Texas' "winter flowers." pansies.

Evidence of the Bradford Pear blooms is everywhere. They even make this sidewalk almost pretty!

Speaking of Pansies. This yard has TONS of them. This close-up shot is especially for Mom!

Here is a close up of some remaining Bradford Pear blooms. They are so pretty.

The state flower of Texas is the Bluebonnet. One yard has a large patch of them which are just starting to bloom. The traditional flower is bluish purple.

Then there is the orangeish-reddish color. It makes a nice contrast.

There are many trees with red/pink/purple buds bursting out all over.

The Honeysuckle is in bud and soon the world will be scented with their sweet fragrance.

My Pincushion plant is already blooming its heart out. It actually bloomed a couple of times during the winter as well. I love this plant!

Here are my strawberry plants - I am so glad that they survived their brief covering in snow this weekend! I was worried about them!

This is my most recent "blow-up" banner. The sun's face has a blow-up bladder in it to make it 3-D! I am trying to get the sun to come and feel welcome!

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Well, there you have it. My morning walk and the signs of Spring from around my neighborhood.

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I hope Spring is showing itself in your neck-of- the-woods as well!

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Trisha

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Voice Update: Yesterday I noticed that my voice was hesitating a bit more than normal. I was talking to my class-mates as we studied together. I know, I know - back to the exercises!

"Rain" and Snow

Hi All!

This weekend was fun . . . and pain!

First the fun!

Hubby and I went to see "Rain" on Saturday. This is a very, very good Beatles tribute band, if you didn't know that already. They perform in theaters and basically do the same rounds as the musicals do. We saw this group last year and Hubby enjoyed them so much that we got tickets for them again this year.

The group didn't disappoint even though some of the original people were not performing at the show we went to (which was a big bummer to Hubby).

The group took the audience on a trip through the history of the Beatles using music (of course) and costumes as well as audio-visual displays. I must say that I was a bit traumatized to realize that the Flintstones actually promoted SMOKING at one point and time!

Rain attracted a diverse audience from people who were there for the "originals" and those who probably didn't even know who the Beatles were. By the end of the concert, everyone was standing and cheering for the wonderful music and the great performance!

The next "fun" thing was this . . . .

Snow!

Yes, snow in Texas in March!

Hard to believe but true! Of course, the snow didn't even make it through the morning before it melted but . . . it was there!

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Along with the snow came cold temperatures - of course. It was quite a change to go from the low 70s on Friday to the low 30s on Saturday and Sunday!

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I am not sure if it was the temperatures or what but . . . my back really started acting up on Saturday night and continued all day Sunday. Today it is a bit better but it still isn't "right." I had horrible spasms in the area of my shoulder blades that just wouldn't stop despite the high-test Motrin and sports creme that I liberally applied.

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Due to the spasms, I spent most of Saturday night and Sunday lying flat on my back. That isn't too much fun!

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I hope your weekend was better!

sfg

Trisha

lkjh

Voice Update: Doing okay. I am working on more exercises but it is hard going at times.

My College . . . Ummm. . . University?

Hi All!

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I graduated from a nice, little liberal arts college in Ohio called Mount Union College. I know - you have never heard of it! Don't worry about it - that is part of its charm!

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The only way you could possibly know about Mount Union is if you are from Ohio or if you follow Division 3 college football - Mount is a powerhouse in that division!

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Anyway - I have REALLY fond memories of my college days. I learned a lot - both in the classroom and out of the classroom. I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything.

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As an Alumni I have always believed it is important to support my college so that other young kids could have the same wonderful experience that I did at this fine college. That belief is being shaken though because of some actions my college is taking.

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First, the college changed the reunion times for classes after a certain year (including mine) from the summer to the fall. Well, I am sure that this isn't a problem for people who actually still live in the same state but - for me. It has made coming back pretty much impossible. I am a bit bummed about that!

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Next, the college decided that being a "college" isn't good enough and is changing its name to The University of Mount Union. What? Now, I know that in many countries a college isn't higher education and a university is. However, in the United States, a college and a university are BOTH institutions of higher education. The term "university" generally refers to a larger institution with a huge enrollment while a "college" infers a smaller institution. Both are equally adept at providing a quality education but the colleges are smaller and more personalized with universities are the ones with huge classes in auditoriums with professors who can barely speak English.

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What is up with my Alma mater?

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I am feeling more and more alienated from the place that I spent four years of my young-adult life.

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IF they change their name and are no longer Mount Union College - do I still have to give them money? After all, I didn't graduate from The University of Mount Union!

sdfg

Trisha

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Voice Update: I haven't talked much today yet to figure out how things are going but, I am willing to bet that I should be doing more exercises! That is always a safe bet!

Pop! Goes the Garage Door Spring!

Hi All!

Sorry - no pictures today - I need to get myself back into the swing of taking pictures for my blog again! Now that I have more time I should be able to do that soon. Adjusting to not working again is tricky!

Let's see. Yesterday I had a fabulous lunch at Fudrucker's with my friends Donna and Caroline. No, I didn't get a burger but the fries with cheese and bacon bits and the strawberry shake were excellent!

We then headed the the Cupcakery to try some "gourmet" cupcakes. They were pricey and fun to look at. They were pretty tasty too!

We had quite a gab fest and then it was time to head home. When I pulled into my driveway, I hit the button to open the garage door. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing. Again. Again. Again. Still nothing. Hmmm. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I parked my car in the driveway (after repositioning it so that when Hubby came home he could pull in beside my car) and walked around the house to let myself in the front door.

After a quick pit stop and some kitty greetings I headed to the garage to figure out what in the world was going on. Once more I tried the garage door opener. The door raised less than an inch before falling back to the closed position. Hmmmm.

I walked to the door to do a closer inspection and noticed that some cables were hanging loose. Then I looked and . . . the spring was sprung. No wonder the door wouldn't open!

So - today I will be waiting for the garage door guys to come and fix the thing instead of meeting up with people from class to work on some class stuff. In a way I am relieved because I really don't want to deal with class. However, I will really miss getting together with everyone and working. All of the people in class are so wonderful and it is so nice to be friends with them!

At least I might get a nap today!

Trisha

Voice Update: Well, my voice is still doing pretty well but I have noticed that I am straining a bit too much to talk at times. I need to dial it back and speak softer to fix that. I am also missing some words, well, really sounds. That isn't good. I must admit that I have been taking a break from really concentrating on my exercises. Yes, I have been doing them but I haven't been very serious about the, and - it shows! Ugh!!!!

Oh Fudruckers!

Hi All!

Happily, I have rather good news from speech therapy yesterday. Even though my recent cold and the coughing which it brought with it did some "damage (nothing permanent!)" to my voice, I was still deemed as doing well. Of course, while Susan was checking my voice out, I was checking out her finger.

If you recall, Susan cut her finger a couple of weeks back - badly. She had to have surgery to fix it all up and that caused considerable pain and that kept her from working for more than a week.

Anyway, she is doing much better even though she has entered the physical therapy stage of recovery. According to Susan, that is the worst part of it all. I am just glad that she is starting to feel better.

After speech and doing a bit of work around the office (the new person is doing very, very well!) I headed to the nearby mall to hit Lane Bryant. Let me tell you, I tried on a TON of stuff. Of course, my main objective was to buy some new bras and maybe some shirts. Pants and jeans were also on sale so I, or course, checked out some of those. I ended up leaving with some bras and underwear (you have to always check out the new patterns when you are there!), a shirt, and a swimsuit. YES! I actually tried on swimsuits!

The swimsuit thing has been on my mind for a while. I haven't had a swimsuit for a long time (well, since I have "grown") and had decided to bite the bullet and buy one for those times I would like to go swimming. And - who knows, maybe I will utilize the "adult pool" in our development this year. I figure I can walk to the pool, swim some laps, and walk back in the morning. Should work, right?

We will see how that goes.

Today I will be meeting my friends Donna and Caroline at Fudrucker's for lunch. My only hesitation is that since my bout of illness following the ingesting of a What-A-Burger hamburger my appetite for hamburgers has been - shall we say - Nil! I have it on good authority that Fudrucker's has a wide range of selections for those of us who might not be yearning to eat "a hunk of cow." I guess we will find out, won't we?

Not wanting a hamburger is such a bummer since Fudrucker's is a hamburger lover's paradise!

Maybe I will feel the need for beef once I get there today!

Okay - I put this picture on today's post before deciding what to write about. Is it just coincidence that I wrote about getting a new swimsuit??

This is a picture taken from Fisherman's Wharf in San Fransisco, California when Hubby and I were there after a cruise. We also visited my cousin, Brynn, who lives relatively close to the area. It was a great trip. Hmmmmm. Maybe we need to go back there!

sdfg

Trisha

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Voice Update: I pretty much already said everything but . . . still doing pretty darn well.

Happy Wednesday!

Hi All!

Check out this little bugger.

He was along the side of the road when Hubby and I were walking in Alaska. He has been eating dandelion seeds for quite a while if you look at the pile of fuzz around him!

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Of course, he has nothing to do with today's post. I just thought he was cute and I wanted to put up a picture!

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It is Wednesday! Yeah!

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Today I have a speech appointment with Susan. I haven't heard how she is doing lately with her injured finger so I hope things are going well for her. While I am there I will also be doing a little work - helping to answer questions from the new person and figuring out a credentialing mess for one of the bosses.

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Doesn't that sound like fun?

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I am thinking that maybe I will go to Lane Bryant while I am in that neck of the woods as well. I have been wanting to go there but haven't gotten there lately. The Lane Bryant near work is actually a really nice one so . . . I think that is a good idea!

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My legs - my shins to be exact - are KILLING me today. I had a tough time actually getting out of bed and walking this morning. Not good! I walked just a short distance today before needing to stop. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!

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Have a super Wednesday!

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Trisha

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Voice Update: I think I am still doing well but we will see what Susan thinks!

A Day In the Life

Hi All!

Well, I managed to get my grocery shopping done yesterday - which was a HUGE deal since I hadn't been to the store in something like three weeks! The only real down side to grocery shopping during the day is that Hubby isn't home to help me haul everything into the house! That means multiple trips in and out while trying to keep Skor, the Curious, from sneaking out the door!

Next up was calling the vet to arrange to take Miss Cleo in for a gum check. The gums around her canine teeth are swollen and I wanted to get them checked out. Here is a synopsis of how the news of the trip went over with Miss Cleo.
















Hey, Little Girl! Wake up! We need to head to the vet's office.

















Yes, I can tell that you are THRILLED!

















No, Miss Cleo! Calling and cancelling the appointment won't work. I have warned them about you. Even disguising your voice won't help.

















Okay. Time to get into the carrier. Now, don't be like that! Throwing a tantrum won't work! (I am just glad she didn't decide to hide from me!)

Anyway - I got Miss Cleo to the vet with a minimum of fuss - only a bit of whining in the car on the way there and, surprisingly, a bit of whining while waiting in the room for the vet!

The vet told me that the gums were fine - a bit inflamed but brushing Miss Cleo's teeth daily would take care of that. Um. Have YOU ever tried to brush a cat's teeth? Let's just say that I have been there, tried that, and have moved on. Next idea?

There is a nifty liquid that you can squirt into their mouths which helps to break up the plaque and tartar. Hmmm. That might work. At least it won't take as much holding down as the brushing would.

After paying what was left in my savings account (okay, it just FELT like I was paying that much!) and keeping Miss Cleo from breaking out of the carrier and sitting on a tiny little dog (seriously, she could have smooshed that little bugger!), I headed home with the liquid and one seriously miffed cat.

Luckily, after about two seconds, Miss Cleo was all purrs and love again. Until I had to grab her to give her a couple squirts of the liquid. Interestingly, it must not taste too bad since neither kitty (Skor got a shot too) tried to spit (or in Skor's case - drool) it out.

That was how my day went. How was yours?

Trisha

Voice Update: Doing well, thank you very much!