When Will It All Stop?

 My Basement is a royal mess - blah!!!!!
It's been a long two weeks in my basement.  First the plumber said my hot water heater was leaking, because it was rusted underneath, then the toilet tank underneath the toilet (one of those that flush up) and now the copper piping leading to the main water line has a hole in it and needs to be replaced. All I can see is $$$$$$$$ going down the drain - HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

A Great Day in Atlantic City

Daddy enjoyed visiting with his friends in Atlantic City....they all are in great health except for Paul, who now needs a walker instead of a cane.  We laughed so hard at Gracie, who is a riot.  My friend, Joyce came along too. 

Here I Go Again!

I'm packing my suitcase....ready to go again.  Heading to PA and then to Boston with my sister, Ginny for a long weekend.  Going to see a Boston College Football game and then hang out in Boston all night.  Then Monday I head to the Atlantic City Casinos with my dad and my friend, Joyce.  We'll meet up with Paul and Gracie (my dad's friends from back in the day, who are both also in their 90's).  They go to the casinos two to three times a week and we meet them now and then....my dad loves it!  Who knew?

Busy, Busy, Busy

What else is new.....I'm just always busy!  The month of August was filled with family visiting in Maryland....taking trips to Assateaque Park (lots of horses this visit) and just enjoying the kids and grandkids' company!

Hot, Hot, Hot

 I can't stand this hot weather - blah!  I am watching J.D. for two weeks in Maryland since Kate has to teach CCD's Summer Course.  He is very active and very talkative during the day.  He is always making me pretend smoothies, sweet tea and coffee with his kitchen appliances Sr. Mary Joseph gave us for the kids.  He has been in his swimming pool a couple of days this week and is having fun shooting his water pistol.  I've been out in the garage cleaning up after my big sale last weekend.....it's so hot out there, but I wanted to get my car back in so it wasn't so hot in the car everytime I wanted to go somewhere.  

The fruits of my labor

Well, it was worth it planting tomato plants this year.  My grape tomatoes have been coming in leaps and bounds and my larger tomatoes are nice and firm and meaty.  My pepper plants didn't even give me one pepper this year  - go figure!

It's Getting Hot Down Here

The days are getting hotter and hotter......Blah!!!! Anyway, we make settlement on our Mobile home on Saturday and then we will start cleaning and assessing the situation down there. Here's a couple more pictures of the inside of our house.   The picture below on right is our kitchen area.  We plan on replacing the front windows with a large bay window with a window seat, plus for now paint the dark cabinets white and take down the wallpaper.

The other picture of the kitchen is looking into the living room (notice how dark the paneling is).  That will all get painted a light color now and maybe down the road we will drywall (not sure yet).  There's a bar where we can put stools on the other side of the kitchen counter.  Check that wallpaper! :)

The picture above is our 30 foot long porch. It's been renovated with new T11 paneling and new berber carpeting, so all we have to do out there is clean the windows.

Monday I am bringing Kate and boys here for a couple of weeks.  We will visit the beaches, try to go Kayaking, take the Ferry over to Cape May, have our Annual Summer Yard Sale and just bum around.  It will be fun....can't wait!

It's Ours

Well, the owners of the mobile home accepted our offer and we gave a down payment, so I guess it's ours!

It needs work, but we have two years to get it ready.  We hope to make settlement next weekend, at which time we will start getting rid of the furniture we don't want.  Then we will clean and clean and clean and then paint the dark paneling to a lighter color.  It'll be fun turning this place into Our Home :)

My Garden

Well, we planted four tomato plants and two pepper plants and some herbs.  Here is the garden a couple of weeks ago.

Here it is today - can you see the small grape tomatoes?

Also, my potted plants are doing good too.  Here's a few.


Still working on my compost, but it isn't quite ready this year to use.  Maybe by the Fall.

Waiting, Waiting

Well, lately I've been waiting around to hear if Leon and I will be purchasing this home down in NJ, which will end up being our permanent home once we retire.  We've put in three bids so far and I'm supposed to hear later today whether or not the owners will accept it.  We looked at other places, but felt this was best suited to us.  Once, the deal goes through, then I'll post pictures, but I don't want to jinx it.

I'm working out in my garage every day, going through boxes, setting up tables, etc. but it's very hot out there and there's so much to do...so I find myself taking alot of breaks.  I am making a dent though.  My garage sale is now rescheduled for July 2nd and 3rd.  Kate and the boys will be here to help me.

Starting to list on Ebay again....slowly though, but I have a ton of Summer stuff to list. (Ebay ID - helodolly).

Busy, busy, busy

My life is non-stop most of the time.  Today I was running around buying birthday gifts for this weekend, looking for decorations for the two boys cakes (It's Mikey's birthday today and J.D.'s on the 15th).  Now I'm ready to make the icing for the cakes and decorate them.  Tonight we will drive to NJ.  Birthday parties tomorrow, then Mattie's Dance Recital tomorrow afternoon.  Sunday we will be driving down to O.C., NJ to see another mobile home for sale....then take the Cape May/Lewes Ferry home.  Oops....I have to water all my pots outside before I go.  Talk later.  I'll put pictures of the cakes when they are done.....not as fancy as I usually do.

Taking One Day at a Time

The days have been beautiful.....I love Springtime! I've been working in my gardens in the front and back of my house and I enjoy it so much - it brings me peace and contentment.

I traded my Mazda 5 in for a Ford Taurus X, which I like much better. The Mazda was nice, but just a little too sporty and compact for me. The seats were not comfortable for long trips. Got a good deal on a 2008 Ford Taurux X (white with a wide gray stripe at bottom and thin one up further). It's wider so I have much more room and it also holds 7 people.  It's more of an "old people's car" than the Mazda :)

I'm still trying to figure out a date for my Garage Sale.  I'm so overwhelmed by the stuff in my garage that I don't know where to start.  I think I'll probably have it when Kate and boys are down in July.  Got to get the garage clean so I can pull my car in.

My Joseph House Family

Every Monday I teach a class (either "Expressing Feelings" or  "Anger Management") at The Joseph House Workshop ( http://www.thejosephhouse.org/).
I have been with this program since its inception about four years ago.  Homeless men have come and some have gone.  Some are a success and yet others are still out on the streets trying to find their way.

The group of four men that are in my class come from various backgrounds and are addicted to either alcohol, drugs or both.  Some have been in jail many times.  All have been homeless.  Here they are given another chance to change their lives.  Here are three of the men that are in my class right now, Steve, Ricky and Dan.
I am amazed each week at how much I learn from listening to these men.  I love listening.  I give them journals at the start of their journey at Joseph House.  Some weeks they read what they've written....they are proud of their accomplishments.  Today no one wanted to read....but they had written.
I share "Werther's" hard candies with them during our meeting.  It's relaxed.  We talk and express our feelings.  Sometimes it's hard....sometimes we laugh.
Each week I notice the changes in these men....they are growing in love....in peace.....in joy.  They have a long journey ahead of them, but I'm glad to be a part (if only small) in helping them to find their way to a productive, happy life.
I brought them leftover Moist Chocolate Cake today - they grabbed it and brought it to the kitchen.
As I walked out of the building to leave, I was approached by one of the men that was a student a couple of years ago.  He was at my house at Christmas time....was on his way to a normal life....but couldn't follow the rules and was sent back out on the streets.  I see him wobbling down Route 13 every other day, bombed out of this mind, his belly full of alcohol and begging for money.
That's Tim (on the left) during better days at Joseph House, while visiting during a Holiday.

Anyway, he greeted me, hugged me and asked if I would take him to the Library (since it was raining).  Of course, I obliged and off we went.  I asked how he was doing.  He wanted to reminisce about his times at Joseph House.  Then, before we got to the Library he asked if I could give him $4.00 to buy his medicine.  I told him I would see what I had.  When I dropped him off, I checked my wallet and two $1.00 bills, which I gave him.  We all know what medicine he was going to buy with the money, but it was hard for me to say "no" to him.
My heart goes out to him, but he still not ready to commit to help right now.
We can't help everyone, but we have to keep trying.  He knows I'm his friend.  I found out what size clothing he wears and I told him that when I come across his size I would save them for him.

I want to be there for him.  If it were my son out there, I would want someone to care as I do.

Busy, Busy, Busy

The last two days I have been baking (7 cakes in all)....  6 Italian Pound cakes and 1 Moist Chocolate Cake. 
This morning I woke up at 5 am with a migraine headache and upset stomach. 
Packing and getting ready to go to NJ for the weekend. 
Mikey's solo piano recital tonight (2 cakes go there), Leon's Family's Beef & Beer in PA (3 cakes go there) and then Kate and John's Anniversary on Sunday (1 cake for there).
Lots to do before I go....water plants.....pack.....empty dishwasher......take a shower....so I better go do those things....Talk to you soon.

Why Do People Steal?

I'm just amazed at how bold people can be, by walking onto your property and stealing something that is not theirs.  Last night someone stole one of my large planters (with the prettiest flowers) from my front circle flower bed, along with one of my gazing balls.  Now this planter was very heavy (even without dirt in it) so they were really strong or there were more than one.
The police came over today to check it out and they will put more patrol cars out tonight to see if there is any more action waiting to happen.  I live on a heavily traveled road, right on the corner....so this had to be planned ahead of time...a quick getaway. 
Anyway, it just gets on my last nerve.  I've attached pictures to show where the pot was sitting.  I think we have to put in some more motion sensor lights out at the driveway.

HOW RUDE - Blah!!!!!!!




There were three pots ..... now there is just two.  We'll see if tomorrow there is just one.

More garden pictures.

Dolly's Nights

This blog should be called "Dolly's Nights" instead of Dolly's Days.  Here I am again at 2:45 am.  Cleaned the kitchen, after not being able to sleep....spent time searching the web....now writing on my blog.  I have a splitting headache from the rain outside (my asthma) and I want to go bake, but I don't want to make all that noise with the mixer.
It's kind of an odd time to list on Ebay....plus I'm not sure I'm really in the mood.
I will probably put in my Biggest Loser tape and watch it, then fall asleep on the recliner until about 6 am, at which time I will slither into the bedroom and sleep until about 8 - 8:30 am.
That's my life....maybe 2 or 3 times a week.  Always has been.  Things never change :)

My Insomnia

Well, it's 3:31 am and I'm still awake.  I started to go to bed tonight around 1:15 am, but five minutes after lying down I heard the sounds of people yelling.  It was probably a bunch of college kids walking home from Brew River (a local bar and restaurant).  That did it for me though....up I went and couldn't sleep any more.
So I went downstairs to do laundry, then played Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook for awhile and here I am creating a new blog.
I'll be up now for at least another hour or so....that's just the way it is with me.  I've been this way since I was a child.....so I guess I will be this way until.
The winds are picking up....the wind chime outside my window is going nuts.
Anyway, all in all I had a great day.  Went to Jeff's Greenhouse earlier today and bought lots of plants and flowers....can't wait to get in the garden tomorrow (or should I say later this morning).