Blast from my past!!!

This sticker was on a folder of karaoke songs. My sister-in-law found it, and decided that THIS was the golden folder. THIS is The One that will have The Song.
The Buzzard still rocks!!!!!

Even the pavement blooms in Tremont.

In front of Grumpy's.

heh.

Kinda ironic, huh?

Wishing these for Iran...

Mendellian Delight

I love sweet peas.

To ID later...

Seen growing in a crack at W. 11th.

I love Tremont.

This neighborhood has some of the best graffitti in the city.

Look at her feet.

Look at her feet.
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

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Reminder: we are at a baseball game. Extra detail: she is ONE ROW from the field.Hair product?????Reminder: we are at a baseball game. Extra detail: she is ONE ROW from the field.

Hair product?????

Look at her feet.

Reminder: we are at a baseball game. Extra detail: she is ONE ROW from the field.

Hair product?????

It's hard to watch an Indians game...

It's hard to watch an Indians game...
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

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...when you have to keep vigilant watch above your head rather than keeping your head in the game.These herring gulls are seriously bad. They totally distract from fans' enjoyment of the game. People in section 102 & 103 are holding their tagboard signs over their heads instead of eagerly mugging for tv cameras. It's a major pest control issue. Public health, too. Plus, ESPN ripped on the city last night because of it, comparing the gulls to 'Joba Bugs'. I wish someone could solve this.First midges, now gulls. Is Cleveland the new Egypt, and these our plagues?...when you have to keep vigilant watch above your head rather than keeping your head in the game.

These herring gulls are seriously bad. They totally distract from fans' enjoyment of the game. People in section 102 & 103 are holding their tagboard signs over their heads instead of eagerly mugging for tv cameras.

It's a major pest control issue. Public health, too. Plus, ESPN ripped on the city last night because of it, comparing the gulls to 'Joba Bugs'. I wish someone could solve this.

First midges, now gulls. Is Cleveland the new Egypt, and these our plagues?

It's hard to watch an Indians game...

...when you have to keep vigilant watch above your head rather than keeping your head in the game.

These herring gulls are seriously bad. They totally distract from fans' enjoyment of the game. People in section 102 & 103 are holding their tagboard signs over their heads instead of eagerly mugging for tv cameras.

It's a major pest control issue. Public health, too. Plus, ESPN ripped on the city last night because of it, comparing the gulls to 'Joba Bugs'. I wish someone could solve this.

First midges, now gulls. Is Cleveland the new Egypt, and these our plagues?

Janice & Dana sport their FREE jerseys

Cool tile on the Rockefeller Bldg.

Herring Gulls at Progrssive Field

Just prior to a dramatic double play, the gulls went all Hitchcock in the outfield. I've never seen them get right into the playing field like that!

...It couldn't POSSIBLY be...

...because you're a hittable pitcher???

That's what Rick called out when Yankees pitcher/whiner Hughes called for mound maintenance.

This is the same guy who LAST year, was called up to the majors from AA, and was promptly batted into a major league loss of confidence.

Meanwhile, the Tribe is up, 3-0, and our pitcher has yet to squawk about the mound.

Mission ACCOMPLISHED!!!! ...4 realz...

The last of the 12 schools on our scavenger hunt was Roxboro Middle School., and the answer to the question (what's the name of the athletic field?) is Allison Field.

Phew!! This was a good challenge. Not just a heavy-duty workout, but a fun ride!

Hill time!

Entering answers into the GPS

Mike's school daze scavenger hunt

On a walk with my mother-in-law.

Here's one of the little lovelies seen on my walk with Sandy this morning. It was such a lovely day, it seemed a shame to spend it all in the family room! We spent quite a bit of time outside, for a day this spring-y (read: 'slightly chilly'). And Sandy did very well on her walk!!

A thoroughly Hitchcockian experience

We are being dive-bombed in the 8th inning. Tribe is losing, and so is the crowd.

Go, AC, GO!!!

Cabrera squares up to be the first Indian on base.

Omtario, en rote to the Indians game.

Loaded up and headed out.

Ahhhh.

I love the smell of newsprint in the morning. (ahem... or ANYTIME.)
It smells like creativity.

YAY!!!!!

This is my favorite holiday besides Halloween!!!!

Subliminal, Much?

Amazingly, this is our second store.

Sandy needed a pair of shoes for dressier-than-home, so we went shopping! The shoe store didn't have any hosiery other than gym socks, so we hit a discount department store.

It's a succcessful hunting trip, in the end, and not just because we got all we needed. Sandy didn't get over-tired, and she didn't even come close to falling. I'm really glad we had this adventure.

It's HERE!

Awesome.

I love this day. Comic book publishers, in an attempt to grow their readership, produce special promo editions of some of their best titles, a new story complete within one edition. Some new concepts are floated, too, to see if they'll attract enough readers to be worth the printing.

It's always fun to see what we'll get!!

SWEET

Saturday is Free Comic Book day. What could be sweeter than that?

Oh great. Now I've got a running list started...

It's Earth Day...

...so I'm getting my car E-Checked.

It's not my preferred mode of celebration. But I can't get new licence plates without proving that the car won't be a huge burden on the environment. Well, no more than is expected...

Part of our bike gang. Today.

On to Walk&Roll!!!!

Awesome.

It's a perfect day for a bikeride.

WOOT!!! First bikeride of the year!!!!

Peek-a-Boob!!!!

Morgan.

The world's most beautiful cat is also the world's most ridiculous.

She just loves taking the 'shortcut' between the laundry room in the basement and the dining room on the main floor.

I just love giggling over her antics.

Mmmmm. Beer.

Far and away the superior of Guinness. Goes marvelously with corned beef and cabbage with carrots and potatoes.

Homeward Bound. East, it is.

A long-ish weekend was a good amount of time to spend visiting relatives: 2 days to travel and 2 days to visit. The pace was hectic, but I think we didn't outstay our welcome anyplace that way. We got to see just about everyone we expected to see. One regret/wish I had was that I could have seen my friend Mary, but our pace was a bit focused and Lombard is a little far from where my family live. There will be another opportunity, I am sure!

Got'im!

Everyone's been teasing my dad (mercilessly, natch!) about his tendency to spontaneously drop off every time he sits down. It's especially funny when he falls asleep with his hands still in position on his laptop. But THIS is Uncle Bob!! Must be genetic...

Another one!

So nice to see Ayla, too, this trip. I think we got to see just about everyone we expected to see. Would've been nice to see *everyone*, but that hasn't happened in ... I don't know, probably forever. That's probably how long it'll be til we get a complete gathering again.

Sage advice.

This is in one of the dining areas of Gramma's nursing home. Pretty much says it all.

A VERY rare moment.

Gramma and I share a laugh.

Daddy found his dream truck.

It's a Dodge Ram, and it's in Crystal Lake.

WHAT???!?!!??

In Illinois, not only do the dead vote, they run for office!!!

A bit of drama...

Andrea, still dressed in her Halloween costume, frames my Bonus Aunt Gina.

Friends and Family

Left to right, this is Adam, Sarah, and little Alaina.

Time to say 'bye for now.

We had another wonderful family visit. It's always good to see my Aunt Nancy. Her home is full of joy.

Pictures with Gramma.

Daddy shares wedding pictures with Gramma. The narration he provides is absolutely hillarious. Gramma doesn't know that. Not because she's lost her mind so much as Daddy's jokes being a bit inside. It's a nice moment!

View 1 of Teh Dress of Awesome...

For Halloween, Andrea created ths amazing dress. No pattern. She just whipped it up. AWESOME. Hat, too!!

...and View 2 of Teh Dress of Awesome.

BREATHTAKING.

My cousin Andrea is a woman of HUGE talent, skill, creativity, and innovation. This is the evening gown she made to wear for New Year's Eve. Exquisite.

Gorgeous day for a bike ride...

We say farewell to Uncle Ken for the time being. He gets to take advantage of the sun and mild day on his Harley.

Inspection

Daddy, Ginny, and Uncle Ken inspect the back of Daddy's truck. Sometime on Friday Daddy's giant Chief Wahoo magnet 'disappeared' from his tailgate. Now all that's left is the salty outline.

Progress...?

A farm, actively worked fields, and the inevitable encroachment of a bloody ugly, tightly packed new housing development.

I can't in good conscience call the loss of good farmland 'progress'. Not without including words like 'cancer' or 'malignancy'.

Silly Dogs!

Two of three dogs at Uncle Bob and Aunt Kathryn's.

They have 2 labs, one black and one chocolate. The chocolate lab is a champion pheasant dog. I didn't hear the names of the labs, but the toy apricot poodle is BB. DARLING, each one of them!

Um... 'Spectral-Vision'?

Believe it or not, it's a picture of my Unclo Bob and Aunt Kathryn, taken yesterday when we visited them. I guess I'm way faster than the camera on this phone...

Good Morning!

It's always a good morning on a Harley! That's how Uncle Ken got to Three Brothers, where we met for breakfast. SO good to see him!

Icy Eyes

Maya, Tim & Sabrina's rescued huskie. She's amazing.

Lexie

This is one of Tim and Sabrina's huskies. She was raised from a pup by Sabrina. Gorgeous!

Grandma is 'brighter' today.

She remembers me today.

Aunt Arlene and Ginny

It's fun to share photos and think of happy times. Especially when the company is so delightful.

Here, Ginny shows Aunt Arlene pics from the wedding and the Hawaii trip.

Green Goose!!

My Aunt Arlene is outragously talented and creative. This topiary is just outside her front door. It's her design and her construction. And she quilts, too!! She's one of my favorite people, and I'm so glad we had a long visit today. Bonus: we got to see my cousin Sheila too. I don't get to see my family very often. This opportunity to visit is deeply precious to me.

NomNomNommmmmmm!

Bar Cento. They RAWK.

Koenigshoeven.

That's proof that god -- ANY god -- loves fermented food and drink.

I *LOVE* centaurs.

En

En route from Gramma's nursing home to her home in Woodstock, we pass my Uncle Ken and Aunt Kris's farm.

At Gramma's house.

Our first look. A bit sad, but not as bad as I thought it might be.

A whirlwind tour of northern McHenry Cty

The City of Townsville!!

Leaving the village of Union, where we had fish fry at the V.F.W. Delicious, by the way.

Union is famous for their enormous Railroad Museum, almost none of which is indoors. They have whole trains from every era of rail history. Awesome, indeed.

The other main attraction is the Wild West Park. I don't remember anything about it, but I'm sure I've been there.

The streets are filled with quaint little Victorian houses, all of them dating to the actual Victorian era. Gingerbread abounds.

Such a cute little bustling town.

...Who dwells in unapproachable light...

Gramma sings during chapel service. She doesn't need to use the words. She didn't need them for Psalm 23, either.

She has absolutely no idea who I am.

Familiar, much?

Amish furniture, identical to that which Rick's family goes gaga over. Nothing says Holmes County, but it wouldn't surprise me if those same folk we visit each Thanksgiving are behind this brochure.

That the family name is Yoder makes me even more intrigued.

Grampa's Farm

Or, what's left of it.

What the sign says...

Road trip. Perfect way to announce my arrival (well, almost) on my own road trip.

HA!!

Got her! She's so cranky when she gets love outside of her terms.

Rare.

Unbelieveable.

Cleopatra and Mirth on the couch together. Amazing. Mirth NEVER sits still when Cleo's around.

Rarer.

ALL of my favorite snugglers, all in one convenient spot.

'Wait!' comes the cry. 'What about *Morgan*??!? Yes, well. I love her, too, but she's not a snuggler.

No matter how fluffy she is...

Oooh! Aaaaah!

This was the most meaningful gift of all. Sandy had such a difficult time when she started this project, some feared she wouldn't be able to provide her usual warm baby welcome. It was a huge hurdle to overcome, after brain surgery, to re-learn crochet.

Perhaps sometime it IS easy being green.

Thoughtful gift!! It came with a hand-written book showing the imagination of the giver. There were clever narratives anticipating both immediate and future uses for the table, everything from displaying the other gifts from today or setting half-full coffee cups to tea parties and spaceships. There were also recipes for 2 types of play clay, including ages each were aimed towards. Marvelous!!!

*Another* thing that's sweet...

These are butter mints that were made by one of the guests. Lovely! Tasty, too.

(It's a Kit Kat.)

THIS is a fine twist on a shower game!!!!!

The Princesses Have Arrived.

Adelaide and Genevieve are seated with aplomb, pre-baby shower.

Coolest. Baby shower cake. EVER.

Mag's shower is today!

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way...

I feel this way every time I have to go shopping. >shudder<

 

Competitive? I think NOT.

Rick wanted Cavs-Pistons tix first of all because tomorrow's his birthday. But he also thought this game would be competitive.

With less than 2 minutes left in the half, it's 63-29, Cavs.

This ROCKS.

Competitive? I think NOT.

Competitive? I think NOT.
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

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Rick wanted Cavs-Pistons tix first of all because tomorrow's his birthday. But he also thought this game would be competitive.With less than 2 minutes left in the half, it's 63-29, Cavs.This ROCKS.Rick wanted Cavs-Pistons tix first of all because tomorrow's his birthday. But he also thought this game would be competitive.

With less than 2 minutes left in the half, it's 63-29, Cavs.

This ROCKS.

Incandescence and Reflections

LOVE reunions. Even ones I have no vested interst in.

Tonsorial Tribute

This is all that's left of Rick's luxurious, bountiful, GORGEOUS hair! I will miss it, but it'll grow back.

Shorn.

Shorn.
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

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In solidarity with his mom (who's being treated for brain cancer) and his friend Dave (with clippers) (who's being treated for maleness), Rick goes for the sandpaper look.

 

Life leaves residue.

Soot patterns in the bottom of a kitchen drawer.

Awwww!

Bert and Cleo. Cleo and Bert. They are my constant companions and champion snugglers. I love that my two girls are so nice with each other. It makes snuggling with them more meaningful, in a way, since they, being so affectionate with each other, seem more genuine.

Mill Creek Falls & Industrial Heritage

Mill Creek Falls

According to the signage, this is the highest waterfall in Cuyahoga County.

Mmmm. Time for DESSERT!!

What a wonderful Valentine's Day!!

We started out chasing waterfalls all over NE Ohio. Then shopped for our dinner together, picking out all but the dessert. Rick did the cooking, I cleared and dressed the table.

Eating dinner by candlelight, with our dinner stalked by our pets, AND the TV off. Bliss.

I'm so lucky. I win.

Scary.

Rick confronts Brandywine Falls

So THERE!

Argue THIS, self-righteous fundaMentalists!!!!!

Mill Creek Falls & Industrial Heritage

Ni-i-i-i-i-ice!!

Ni-i-i-ice.

Bird's Eye View

Sillly Serafin!

Wow.

Simply stunning. I never knew the Cleveland area had such a mighty falls.

Yikes

An accident (and news event) waiting to happen!

Hmm...

Ya think?

Ooh. Pretty.

Woody Valentine

I hate when people carve up living trees. But it's Valentine's Day, and I grudgingly appreciate the effort. I'll just pray for the tree's coltinued health.

Look Deep into the Heart.

I heart hiking.

Long Distance Love

Rick insists on topping the Veil.

Bridal Veil near-slip&Falls

Rick takes his chances at the top of Bridal Veil Falls in Bedford Res.

Chagrined

My Sweetest is taking me on a wild waterfalls chase forValentine's Day!

Hooray!!!!

Today I discovered, VERY happily, that pictures I'd taken with my old, now broken phone are NOT forever lost. They 'live' still on my memory card, transferred to this phone.

PHEW.

Oooooh! Fantastic!

Very simply: WANT.

I should NEVER be allowed to go into Williams Sonoma. At least, not without a blindfold.

I gotta get outta this store!

Ok. First I saw this lovely thing. THEN I got distracted by the way-awesome train set cake mold. But FIRST I saw this.

These little indentations are about 1.25 inches. Perfect finger bites of cake. So pretty!

Oh!!! (drool...)

Wow. This would be SO MUCH FUN. I want this very much.

More Mittens!

It's another HelloYarn design, using (my choice, not the recommended Dale of Norway) Malabrigo. Toasty *and* cheerfully festive!

This isn't wonderful.

Today has brought nausea, a leak in the foyer ceiling, and a series of leaks running off the support beam between the kitchen and the breakfast nook. All in that order.

I don't have any solutions. Not for any of them.

The King on His Throne

Mirth has his elegant moments.

Icy Spikes

Stark.

Slick.

A little dangerous.

Beutiful winter.