Weekend Roundup: Aug. Folkmarch, a summer picnic and scrapping with friends.

Saturday morning, I lazily putzed around the house, being careful not to "work" to hard...or do anything that I had intended to do before the day unfolded. I accomplished that well enough, and before I was about to head out to the Folksmarch with Tami, Renee called and asked if she wanted to help me get the dog cage for Riley. Yes Yes Yes!!! Now maybe when I return today I'll have a pair of shoes left, and a poop free house. So we hurry to Leah's to get the cage. Renee helps me assemble it and soon after, Tami comes by and we are off to North Syracuse for the Aug. Folksmarch.  I am sure I locked both the dogs up in their "away" homes before I leave feeling satisfied that my house will be poop free when I return.

Having had a late start of the morning we only had a 1/2 hour left of the march so we got out stamp, and pin and headed off along  the Historic Plank Road.  Apparently North Syracuse is home to the very first Plank Rd in America.  Here is a little history of Plank Rd taken from the internet

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"On April 12, 1844 the “Salt Road” was taken over by the Salina and Central Square Plank Road Company. The first plank road in the United States was finished and ready for travel on July 18, 1846. The road cost $23,000, was 16-1/2 miles long and planked its entire length. Thomas Alvord, State Legislator, who later became Lieutenant Governor helped secure the passage of an Act to construct, maintain and collect tolls. There were four tollgates about four miles apart that were operated by the company which was a profitable enterprise for many years. The fees were 1 cent per head of cattle, 5 cents for a single horse, and 25 cents for a horse and wagon.
There was a dirt side and planked side to the road; the East Side was dirt and the West Side planked 3″ thick by 8′ long. Loaded wagons had the right of way on the planked side, the other side being reserved for empty wagons, single horses and for passing. Bicycles used the plank side on Sunday for racing. Due to wear and tear by horses’ shoes and iron hoops on wagon wheels, a gang was constantly busy just making repairs." pretty interesting hun?

 Tami and I walk down along the roads and catch a few sites including taking pictures of the Veterans Memorial, a few pretty flowers and some area attractions. There was also a tour of the one room school house that we missed by minutes and it was closed by the time we got close to it. We walked about a 1/2 a mile when my lower back started to ache so much I knew I wouldn't be able to make it much more. We did some stretching and I attempted to push through, but finally I had to ask Tami if she was okay with us returning. It was the worse it has ever been, and I didn't want her to have to run back to the car and pick me up. I really do need to look into this medically and I am sure loosing some pounds would certainly help. I am so defeated by this. We make a little side trip and stepped into the garden before we return to the North Syracuse Community Center, where the walk began and the car was parked.

 Surprisingly this was one of the only flowers along the way that was not looking ill or wilted.

 A little history about North Syracuse trolley system was located in this little memorial park across from the Community Center and Library.

 

Tami was great at trying to keep me positive about the "failed" walk, and encouraged me to get back to the gym and build myself up. Even with the failed full walk, we had to get out traditional lunch and decided on a popular restaurant/pub just North of the village bordering Clay called the Coppertop Tavern.

Tami and I were in our silliest of moods when we arrived and I am sure the waitress thought we had arrived drunk, we just couldn't get the giggles out. It took us awhile to make a decision on a lunch menu, but we both took a bowl of French Onion Soup as we continued to search.

I finally decided on can you guess? A burger and fries and Tami had some Cuban Club or Reuben Sandwich.

My burger was one of the BEST I have ever had! It was called the Pub Burger and included crumbly blue cheese, bacon, cheddar (It comes with Swiss, but I hate swiss) and a Cajun mayo. With recommendations from the waitress I got their homemade breads instead of a bun. IT WAS DELISH!!!! Would recommend it over and over again, and I am truly a burger expert. We were both too full to eat it all, and had to box it up, (So I got to nibble on it later too, it still tasted good) and skip desert. I caught a few cute pictures of the bathroom doors.

I seem to find humor in the bathrooms I go to? These made me chuckle because I personally have been that lady with her legs all twisted doing the pee pee dance before, but I think it would have been more appropriate if the Gent was standing free of pee pee problems....because there is NEVER a line at the MENS room ever, and this would NEVER happen.

We make our way back out into the sunshine, it is very dark inside the tavern and quite the old tavern feel and make our way homewards. I still haven't done groceries and No I haven't got TP. Tami and I discuss going to the grocery store together and decide make a quick dog check at my home before we head off to Price Chopper.

Funniest thing; when I open the door, there is Riley, whom I left in the cage, sitting there on the couch with the silliest look of "well Hi human, what's up?" (I so wish I had my camera ready when I walked in the door.) I looked at him and said...How did you get out? He didn't answer (cauz that would be really freaky), but continued to look at me with that I figured it all out and you cannot lock me up look on his face....I guessed I hadn't latched the lock properly, but despite his escape...I was poop FREE!

Tami and I made our way to Price Chopper, me with my list in hand and a pile of coupons. At checkout, I tell the cashier I am racing my friend (Tami was in the next line over) and I had bet her (which I had) my total order would be less then $50- not including the TP. (I had to get TP and the most practical price was the $11.99 super sized and I knew it would put my $50- budget over.) Bill totaled $132 and some change with the TP and before my shopper club card and coupons. I was getting a bit nervous. Tami won the line race, and I didn't make my $50- budget. My grocery total was $64.21,  $2.22 over with the TP. Well it was close and I got All laundry soap for .99 cents and got two Friendly's ice creams for FREE. I would have surly made my budget, but I did add a few things not on my list, strawberries, lettuce and a bagged Caesar salad complete with dressing, croutons ect that I only paid $1.00 for. I still felt victorious.

We made it to the church off Tami's street just in time to get FREE bread and a few pastries. I know this is for the poor, but it was five minutes before the time they stop, so it would have been thrown out anyways, so I am trying not to feel bad about it, and honestly right now we are poor. Now I have a free blueberry muffin for breakfast, leftovers for lunch from Coppertop, TP, $52.22 in groceries and enough bread for at least a week. We should all be good.

After Tami drops me off I scramble to make cupcakes, shower and prepare for Mary's party. I get a hold of my D&D (my son volunteered to be our chauffer for the evening so I could have few alcoholic beverages at the party if I decided to. It ended up that I didn't really need him, but I did let him drive Tami and I home just the same.)  We got Tami and headed to Mary's house for her annual summer picnic.

  I seem to have a lot of pictures of me eating! Here is Tami and I at the picnic chowing down on BBQ chicken and a whole host of picnic foods.

The band and friends of Mary and Brian's The Fab Cats. They are very good and play at several of the local establishments. Mostly music of the 50's-80's. Tami and I sang a lot of Elvis, Roy Orberson, and Beatles last night as the weather chilled quickly. My son played camera man and took some shots of the local pond area with some fun affects.

Many of Mary and Brian's friends I don't know, so I spent most of the evening with Tami and my son enjoying the band. We ate, ate some more, and ate a little more. Yep I was full!!!

 I look FULL here!

Here's Tami playing camera Man. This shot of me, sadly was the best of the bunch. She caught me singing with my mouth open, looking like I ate something awful, and a few others that were much less appealing then the one above. Nick never seems to take a bad picture.

We took a few friend pictures and decided to call it a night.

 Tami, Mary and me!

Mary and Brian. Another successful Annual Summer Picnic!

I made Nick stop at Red Box as we were going home realizing that I had FULL control of the TV this evening and rented Guilt Trip.

 

At home I nestled myself in my comfy PJ's covered in warm blankets, started the movie and my daughter calls for a ride home...really. So out again, then back and movie watched. It was cute. Dogs survived and no Riley did not get out this time, family all well in Lake George, daughter home from work with me. Son at his home with GF, and all is good with the world. I finally went to bed at 11pm and slept hard.

 

Sunday, I had hoped that the girls would come over for a scrappy date. Mindy and her two children came over, but no word from Cricket and Mary had a long evening the night before and kayaking today. It was nice to enjoy Mindy. We didn't get any scrapping done, but we enjoyed each others company and her kids had fun in the pool.  We agreed we would try and get together on Friday with all of the kids and try for a cheep day trip. After she went home, I watched Hallie Berry in The Call.

It was okay, somewhat unrealistic, but some good drama. Now I am just waiting for my family to come home, then later I hope to enjoy True Blood.

 

Friends, Scrapping and when will I stop "bitchen"?

Friday I ran off to my old job at SBH to deliver some PR items to one of my old co-worker. I stopped at the bank on my way and made a deposit for some new PR items in for my next order. Good thing too, because I am soooo broke. Back to the SBH site and ready for a Picnic Lunch. Is it wrong to get a FREE meal from this agency? Oh who cares it was yummy, and if they want to put themselves out there to the community every Friday through out the summer for people, what says that I cannot be included. After all I only went to this one and one a few weeks ago. I also plan to attend in a few weeks for the Women and Children's program picnic, (the program I used to run) only seems fitting that I should get a meal from that one, considering what a difficult position it was, and just how painful the picnics were for me when I hosted...Maybe I will mess with Mary Ann (she's currently running it) just a little.

Anyways it was catered by the Dinosaur BBQ and they have the best pulled pork ever (they also have the best coleslaw and baked beans too, but they did not have them at this BBQ), the pulled pork was yummy and it's even more delish when it is FREE. Plus I got to see people I don't get to see as often anymore since I quit, and since it is open to the community I got to see Jerry, my first co-worker in this biz and an amazing guy! I also saw Sandy who was my very first boss in the CD world. It was nice to see everyone.

This was not my actual plate. (I took this from the internet) I had a pulled pork sand, salad, chicken and cookies!!

After the luncheon I went to my moms..vented a little (actually a lot) and got some issues off my chest, she is GREAT to do this with because she never tell you what you should do, or gives advice, she simply lets you ramble on and on, and even when  she does talk it's always in the most positive frame of mind. That women is SOOO amazing, I don't know how she stays so upbeat about EVERYTHING, she taught me to see the good in people. After some of my ranting to her, I actually felt better about things. My dad arrived as I was there with my uncle, whom I have not seen in quite awhile and he looks well, so that was nice, then I was off to home, feeling pretty gosh darn good anticipating the rest of this wet Friday. Of course, I came home to a messy house and a big old pile of dog poop, just to ruin the positive energy that was streaming out of my pores. Damn puppy....He is driving me banana's. On Thursday in an attempt to make a dent in the mess, I had to sweep up the rug to get all of the pieces of things he has chewed up into a pile on the linoleum, because the vacuum wouldn't get it. It looked like we live with a GIANT hamster all those tiny bits of paper, shredded stuff and other nonsense.  He sure is cute, but a real damn PAIN IN MY ARSE.

 

Friday evening I went to Sandy's for consultant club. She does not have anything wrong with her brain thank god, but she does have something wrong with her back and spinal cord. She continues to be her cheerful self despite everything. We made some great layouts, cards and CTMH jewelry. I am not to sure if I like the jewelry line quite yet, the products are awfully bulky. We made some cute little clips last evening.

Lara and  Cheryl were also there. Cheryl has a new grandson and she is so proud.

 

 Lara anticipates that her husband will get the postal job he has interviewed for.

 

 I , in retrospect had nothing good to share....I really have to get out of my poor little me funk. Why must I stay so focused on the negative? Although I am dissatisfied with certain things in my life, I have so many good things and I must sound ridiculous when I talk. The pool this, the puppy this, the financial this, my kids that, my husband is....REALLY? Shut the F-up and enjoy life. I am not medically inflicted, I have great family and friends, I have a nice home...with a VERY nice pool, we are not starving and we have made significant movement with our finances. Really??? I need to move on with it already and embrace my life. 

 Look at these Happy People!!!! And all I do is complain. It STOPS HERE!

 Today I am blessed to have the means of my two good legs and ability to walk with two of my beautiful friends who love me for me. Not only do I get to walk with these ladies, but I have the means of transportation to get to the walk. Later today, I will have the financial resources to purchase my own groceries, and be able to fill my belly without the fear of getting sick or not having food. This evening I am blessed to have good friends that have included me in their special events and I can enjoy a beautiful summer evening with entertainment, drinks, music, food and good people. Tomorrow, I am going to attend a religious service of a faith I choose and do not have to fear prosecution. Later, I will be spending my day with friends I love, doing the things I love; scrapbooking and enjoying my relationships with them, in my home with four walls, a roof over our head, air conditioned if we please. Sunday night my family will return and I am blessed to know with most certainty that they will return safe, and that they love me through and through. Really....what do I have to complain about? The pool pump is fixed, the puppy will eventually STOP pooping in the house, I am not so broke that I can't feed myself, our bills are paid. Really in the grand scheme of things. My world is pretty awesome.  

Flash Back Friday: February 2013 Folksmarch

I started my day later then planned and I do have several things to do, so right now at 9:21am I am not sure if I will be able to get in my Friday post. Attempting to start and will have to take a break soon to get myself ready to do some running around.
So part 2 of Disney perhaps or maybe something a little more local and less intense???? Let me check out the old photo archive.

OK....In honor of that there is a Folksmarch tomorrow, and that these were the only pictures I could find in my hard drive and it is the middle of summer here, so why not remember the cold winters, is a Flash Back to February 2013.

Tami and I went to this FREEZING cold Folksmarch in Feb. 2013. The day before, we had had a major snow storm, and we both were surprised that the event was even still on. We took the small drive to Arrowhead Lodge, nestled back in the woods and found a warmth of friendly people in the Lodge with several fun indoor activities to enjoy. Tami and I decided to participate in the activities, and when we finally decided to make the 5k walk we were so cold and the wind was so cruel we only did about 1/2 a mile before we turned around and called it a day. BUT...we did so enjoy the lodge activities.

We started off with Wheel of Fortune (without the wheel, and more like hangman) prizes included valentines day hearts and assorted valentines day novelties. (I did something to my camera so most of my pictures until I found a "button" were pretty messed up..but here are some anyways)

 Tami and I playing Wheel of Fortune. Both if us had one win..Tami shows off her whistling lips.

 Yeah I won!!!!

here is our happy Host

I wish I could remember her name, but she has been a member of the Folks March for many years staring sometime when the local group began. She told me about her fabulous trips across the country in her RV and how she was part of the first Vokes March to climb up to see the Indian Mountain (Damn I cant remember it's name either)

After some games for $1- we enjoyed hot homemade soup and a roll, by the fire.

Finally all warm and cozy..we ventured on our 1/2 mile walk only to turn around. Despite the sun, it was unbearably cold, I give it up to the marchers who battled the weather.

A few pictures along the cold walk, it was even to cold to undo my fingers to get a few shots.

After the Folks March was much more fun. Traditionally we have tried to find a nice place locally for lunch and we decided to go to Borio's on the lake.

this is quite the place in the summer, where boaters come in and have a nice meal or grab a few drinks at the bar. I had been there before with Mary, Brian and a few of their friends to listen to the Fab Five (five friends of theirs who plays 60's, 70's and 80's music) They are pretty good, and I have seen them several times, as Brian always goes to hear them play or has had them play at his own festivities or in his basement.

We have a nice lunch of

Bree sandwiches with raspberry sauce and apples. (This was Tami's meal, but I did have a piece and it was yummy).

I had one of my favorite French Onion Soup and to help wash it down LOL Can you guess...French Fries.

 It was all so yummy. At first our waitress seemed all on the ball, but as the meal was eaten, she seemed to forget about us. We never got asked about our food, or if we wanted more drinks, and we waited for ever for our bill. Once the bill did come she messed it up, not once, not twice, but three times, and to make matters worse, when I got my bank statement she had charged me twice and they weren't even the same amounts. I was fortunate enough that the Owner of Borio's refunded my money. I had hoped he would send me a free meal voucher too because it was supper delicious and despite her mix up I would come back.  Apparently she continued to have a bad day, because she spilled an entire tables meals on the floor just as we were leaving.

Before we left we took a walk to the lake and watched the several snow mobiles cross the frozen water. What fun would that be to zoom around the lake..until...we start hearing rumors that someone had fallen threw the ice. The paramedics began showing up, and we were told that they could not reach him from the far side of the lake. We got front row seats to all the action.

Here they are bringing up the guy. He apparently was alright. It was just all a little scary. Several of the people around commented on their own concerns about thin ice areas on the lake and typically there are markers indicating where these places are, but sometimes you just go into them unaware.

These were all the medical there.

So after all was said and done, it ended up being an interesting day. I truly enjoy the Folks March experience as we always seem to find ourselves in something. Till next blog which will possible include a note on the August 2013 Folks March experience.

CTMH pool party, learning to take a video and some Football.

( a picture of the end of a filling day)

Yesterday I planned to attend the Vera House in service, but by chance noted a remark on FB about Judi's second annual Close to My Heart Pool Party. I went to the First annual and I was feeling in a FUNK yesterday, so I called off my in-service (I'll do one next month and  I have not missed a one since I started my volunteer work) and decided that when in a FUNK and in the making of annual traditions, I would go to the Party instead.
My Close to My Heart family (because that is really what they are) is so GREAT, that spending time with them, always gets me out of my funk. I also did a little Joyce Myers to help me out too, but still needed the girls. Party started at 10am, so I did some investigating about what I needed to do to get my POOL PUMP fixed, and was grateful that it will be taken care of, I then emailed Vera House (Dottie) about not making it to the in-service, but that I would volunteer for the fair (I get FREE admission and FREE parking, and I can spend part of my day at the fair, plus my son can work with me at the booth. I will be working 2-4pm so Mark can meet up with us and we can do the fair that evening. (I did this last year with SBH, I might be able to score some more FREE admission and a FREE meal with them as well...okay, it is not exactly free, I am working for it, but it feels FREE to me.) I am definitely getting a FREE lunch from SBH tomorrow as I attend the Outpatient Picnic and drop off Carries products. (I have to go into the office anyways.)
Anyways...where was I...Oh yes! My CTMH family. I LOVE them. So with all pending matters addressed, I hunted in the cabinets for something to make/take to the party. (I have not been grocery shopping in two weeks, and the cabinets/freezer and fridge show it! The family is leaving tomorrow til Sunday, So I don't intend to go shopping until next week as well, although we do need some TP so I just might have to make a visit.)
I find some frozen fruit, a few cans of fruit(which were sooo close to expiration date I am glad I found and decided to use them up) and some fresh fruit (also close to their own extinction) and mix..volia fruit salad. This was suppose to be a pool party, but the weather was not cooperating, and I will not swim in my own pool if it's not at least pushing high 80's let alone in the lower to mid-70's at someone else's pool. So no swimsuit, my fruit salad, some sherbet which I also located in the freezer, (surprisingly no frost), and my happy little heart  made my way to Judi's which is right around the corner from my house.
Despite being 1/2 late I was still the first to arrive, which gave me a little individual time with Judi. Judi is Sandy's mother. Her husband passed about six months ago, and she is dealing with the loss in her own way. We spoke about things, she has become and connected closely with her belief in God, (we attend the same church, but I have been awful about my attendance, Sandy also attends with me, but she reports a loss in her faith since her fathers death.) Judi reports her own peace of mind with her faith, and I offer in my I really just want to "bitch" about everything, starting with that damn pool pump..frame of mind, and realize that my problems are trivial in the grand scheme of things and keep my lip buttoned. I saved the bitchin and complainin for later when Lynne and Chris arrived.
Lynne and Chris are two of my closest CTMH sisters. I have shared beds with both of them, cheered their positives, and grieved for their losses. They are also two of the first women I meet when I joined CTMH Hearts a Flutter team some 7 years ago (or maybe it was 8) Chris lost her husband going on two years ago now, and she really struggled through this. She always help me to reframe what's important, and she lets me bitch and does not remind me that God will take away all of the negativity from my life while I do. Bitchen to Chris was easier then to Judi. As much as I want to have a relationship with God, sometimes I really do just want to wallow in my SELF-PITY.
So we eat, catch up, no-one swims, and the party ends up being just the four of us. Sandy was at medical appointments all day...and we are all awaiting the final results of her constant migraines. Hopeful it is not something serious.

 Judi.

 Lynne

Chris

No swimming, but we all enjoyed each others company and planned another date the 18th.
After the pool party I picked up my daughter from work, ran her home for about 20 minutes, took her back to work at her other job, and enjoyed the company of my oldest son, (who has been hanging around a lot more lately, which has been a pleasure) and he agreed to join us at football practice that evening. Back home, I packed up football stuff, including an umbrella as it looked like rain although it never did rain, did a quick left-overs for dinner and off we went to practice.
HELPFUL HINT for parents who have a LOW tolerance for spending several days of your life at your kids sporting events... so far I have found the commitment for the parent is just as intense as the kids. FOUR days a week 21/2 hours at a time, and tons of volunteering, money, travel and we have not even started games yet. I had the great task of sorting out my sons pads and getting things that fit from the sport shed, I also realized that the concession stand has more then just sodas and stale pretzels. I got mozzarella sticks for a late night snack and they were yummy. Gavin got cheddar fries after practice cauz I did promise.
Anyhoot, Nick was a pleasure to have at the practice with me and when I told him I needed a photography class to learn how to use my camera, he obliged with taking me through a few steps right there and guess what....I learned a thing or too. I even learned how to create video's so here's what we got.

Go Gavin GO!!! I also took a few pictures of things like the chain link fence, the bench, and a duffel bag for practice shots, bit I deleted them and figured they were better off not shown. It was nice for his help, but I think I still will need some lessons. Thanks Nick...I guess that one semester of college did produce something afterall. (I love him anyways)

Here are a few more practice pictures I took that were a little bit more interesting then the chain link fence.

Overall it was a good day. Now...to clean the house,  get POOL PUMP (all fixed) bring daughter to work, bring son to PT, Football again, and maybe I will get some TP in my travels too. The weekend is ALL mine and I sure have a busy one planned. I can't wait.