Happy 4th of July Weekend!

Hi everyone! I've got my accessories picked out, now I just need a cute outfit. Anyway, I wanted to stop by and wish everyone a safe and fun-filled holiday weekend!

May I present to you....

the new addition to our yard...



After much delay, swimming 2009 has commenced. I thought the new (bigger) pool would never get put up and filled, but here it is. Oh swimming, how I have missed you! Now, if the weather would just warm back up again.... I can't believe we are expecting highs in the 60s and 70s this week after the sweltering week we just had. Can it please be summer and stay summer?

And here, just as a little bonus, is a picture of the little baby robins that hatched this past week or so. Mama Robin built her nest in my philodendron that was hanging out on the porch. They are getting pretty crowded in that little nest!

Oh my poor Yarnbox....sniff

So, it's been quite a summer. A pinched nerve in my back (not once but twice) leaving me pretty much incapacitated until I could get fixed up by my wonderful chiropractor. 

Then, I ripped my leg open and needed 18 stitches. 

I raised my hands up and said to the universe: "What next?" 

There was my mistake. Universe answered and said "How about THIS?"

This morning I was coming home from Best Buy, with a back-up drive for my computer. I've never gotten into the habit of backing anything up. I've heard so many horror stories lately about people losing important files, especially photos. I've been pushing my luck for too long and decided I needed to start protecting my digital information.

I got the last one of these on the shelf at Best Buy. On sale, too. It even coordinates with my orange laptop cover! 

So, I was minding my own business, was less than 3 miles from home, and had myself a little bit of excitement. A guy pulled out from a side road (while I was traveling toward the intersection at 55 mph) and he attempted to turn. I think he thought I was going to stop (he had a stop sign, I did not).  I had enough time to lay on my horn and try to swerve around him, but he hit me right on the side and flipped me over. There is nothing that compares to the feeling you get when you are starting to roll over. I put my hands over my head and just prayed there would not be another car coming down the road to hit me again. I came to a stop, upright, within a few feet of an accounting building. I'm glad I didn't hit that too.

Anyway, I am ok (as far as I know). Sore, and will most likely be more sore tomorrow. I assume the insurance company will say my dear Yarnbox.... the car I have loved most in all my life, is totaled. Here is a photo of where the roof scraped the road (or vice versa!) More photos on flickr here 

Where has summer gone?

Wow, summer has really flown by. (Doesn't it always?) So many plans are formed when school lets out, and then the lazy days just flow one into the next and before you know it ... POOF! It's over and school starts again.

We have just returned from a camping trip. It was a week for Mike and Jake, who left last Saturday. I brought Kaitlyn and a friend to the campground on Monday, and came home yesterday. Mike and Jake will return today. During the days when it was just the 2 of them, they did some fishing, golfing, and just hung out together having some "guy time", which I'm sure they both enjoyed a lot!

The 4 of them went to Cedar Point on Tuesday and I had a nice QUIET day by myself at the campground.

While they were gone, I:

~made some progress on my sweater (still a long way to go and time is running out!

~read (Whack a Mole by Chris Grabenstein... I have really enjoyed all 3 books in this series)

~watched Olympics

~basically enjoyed my solitude. 

Wednesday we went into Monroe (hometown of Custer) and went to the historical museum. Very interesting stuff! One of the biggest battles of the War of 1812 was fought in the area. 

We spent Thursday on Put In Bay Island which was a TOTAL blast. Took the ferry over, rented a 6-seater golf cart for the day and just took in the sights, toured the Heineman winery and Crystal Cave (which was the world's largest geode, and you got to be inside of it. SO COOL!) Played 18 holes of mini-golf with a War of 1812 theme. Lots of history on the island. And lots of fun things to do. We had lunch at Mr. Ed's Bar and Grille, which was right across the street from a beautiful park overlooking the marina and lake. We loved buzzing around on the golf cart along with hundreds (thousands?) of other carts. The day was beautiful and we really had a great time. 

Mike has the camera, so I will post photos later on. 

Now it's back to reality. I'll have to catch up on laundry (everything smells like campfire of course) and restock the fridge and pantry. Jake missed his "Dawg Days" this week, which is where the kids go and get their schedules, get their pictures taken, order yearbooks, turn in emergency cards, etc etc. I'll have to take him in before school starts to take care of some of that. I can't believe I no longer have a child in elementary school, after all these years. Jake is off to middle school. And Kaitlyn is a senior. It's a big year in the Bloom house.  We still need to buy school supplies (once again, I urge all teachers...please send a school supply list to your students before school starts, especially if you have items on your list that are out of the norm....did you ever try to buy school supplies after school starts? They've already gone on clearance and there is nothing left). When I worked at Target, every mother of every 6th grader came to Target after school started, looking for a clipboard, and boy were they pissed that we didn't have hundreds of them on the shelves waiting for them.  (Note to self...Jake is a 6th grader...pick up a clipboard....it'll probably be on his list)

We also need to get Kaitlyn's senior pictures taken in the next few weeks. Her photographer will be my good friend Debbie, who is so creative and has a special talent for getting great shots. She did Kim's wedding photos and they are stunning.  Check out her website. Beautiful photography. She is also mentoring Kaitlyn, since my dad's photography genes seem to have been passed down and she wants to also make photography her career. Grampa couldn't be prouder!

Time to tackle another load of laundry. More will be coming when my men pull in with the camper shortly. I just got a call that they are on the road.

Summer afternoon in the hammock

Remember my new toys that arrived a few weeks ago? Here they are all decked out in their colorful protective coverings. I originally wanted a green case for my macbook but orange runs a close second as far as favorite colors. It came today from Overstock.com. They were having a 10% off sale over the weekend, and since it was already cheaper than the original website I found it on, and now would be even cheaper, I took the plunge. 

Fun, huh?

"myPod" now has a lime green aluminum case (complete with belt clip which turns into an easel) I have also ordered a silicone skin for it for times when the clip is not necessary, and also some new green earbuds. Not just because they were green, but because I find that the earbuds they send along with the iPod Touch are pretty much useless (unless you have huge Shrek ears or something). I don't understand why this great piece of technology comes with such crappy earbuds. I have read/heard the same thing from so many people. When you're buying an expensive item like the iPod Touch, you should not have to immediately go out and buy new earbuds to go with it. Apple: listen to the people and fix this issue!

So my new toys and I are spending some time hanging out in the new hammock. Remember what I said yesterday?

Life is good......