and here is the new thread....must fly and get ready for baseball!

See ya all tomorrow....I think.

Maria

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, ALL!
Just dropping by to wish you ladies a great day.
I have seen or talked to our 3 girls already today and Jackie, son, had said he would call later. It was a fun morning.
Last Fri. nite we went to the Middle School Musical Extravaganza! Two of our 13 yr olds were in it. The musical was called 'The High School Musical' and the kids did a great job...very enthusiastic. Cam and Kerri were both in the chorus/dance line and were cute as a Jock and a Cheerleader. It was very hot in the auditorium but that didn't stop the kids energy level. Thank God, they sold cold water at intermission. On Saturday they had a matinee performance as well as the evening performance. The kids were surly pooped when it was over. There was a cast party at one of the kids houses and when Cam was over this morning he couldn't stop yawning! I told him he needed to go home and take a nap. Last year it was Annie, Jr. and I wonder what they will do next year.

Maria: Enjoy Chicago and the ball game. Chicago sounds like a very interesting city.

Ann & Karen: Your weather must be warming up in Florida as it is getting warmer up here.

Norma & Sally: So glad you had such a nice visit with Maria and Alan. Hope your Winnipeg Spring has sprung!

Glenda: Hope you are looking forward to the end of the school year or does the University continue through the entire year!

Peggy: It won't be long until you have the pleasure of seeing Maria and Alan. Then after a long way round they will be heading to the East Coast. It will be fun.

Gloria

Hope that everyone had a very Happy Mother's Day. Phone calls from kids are nice, and let we Mom's know that we are thought about.

Hope the baseball game was a success. Now on to Cincinnati soon. Before you know it your USA Oddessy will soon be nearing the end. I'm sure your family will be glad to have you back home.

Talk to you all tomorrow. Ann

Slavika GET THE PUPPY! I think she would be great companionship for you. Just think of all the cuddling and love she would provide, not to mention someone to come home to. Besides, I love to cuddle little puppies too... I seriously think it would be a good thing.

Maria You are so good to take time on the US tour to make up a new thread for us. You would think that someone else here would remember how to do it. Loving your blog. I find it interesting that the opposing team wasn't recognized. I think it is poor sportsmanship too (not that I know a lot about sports).

Gloria the musical sounds like it was a lot of fun. It is great watching the grand children perform.
Yes, we are enjoying great weather. It hasn't rained since Maria and Alan left... I think they must have brought it with them when they came here.

Ann it is nice to be remembered on Mother's Day. Now that my Mom has gone, I get pampered. Before I would make the big day for her. I guess it is like the right of passage.

Peggy You are in for a treat when Maria & Alan arrive. We all enjoyed having them here.

Off to bed for me, big day tomorrow, bye for now..

G'day all,

Last day in Chicago.....
Firstly Slavika I totally agree with your family and Trudy, get the puppy.
A friend of mine had a little dog the same, a cross between a maltese and a ****zu, I am purposely spelling this to see if I get censored as well
Slavika you would love having a little 'person' (and that is what they become) in your home, it will be lovely to come home to and just to have around the house. I can see you sitting in your TV room with the puppy on your lap!
A small little dog like that you could also take visiting.
You may remember I had two little pappilions and whilst Alan only likes big dogs, he loved those little things and they used to follow him everywhere and at night sit with him.
Of course the 'downside' is that your grandchildren will be over even more often to have a play with your puppy, I know you are going to hate that
Peggy we will call you when we get to Cincinatti, I am still not quite sure when we actually get there but it will be sometime this week. I will explain all when I see you!
Gloria the musical sounds great, it would be fun to see your grandchildren participate in these sort of shows, I will have to wait a little while yet.

Hi to everyone I have not mentioned......

Cheers
Maria

PS and I also got censored but I found this little picture...how can you refuse Slavika

Slavika I vote with everyone else. Get the puppy. How cute is the picture that Maria posted. Think how happy that puppy will be to see you when you come home. And having puppy sitters makes it that much better. And you will get exercise chasing after him and walking him. We have a 14 year old terrier mix from the pound. He is still in good shape.
Gloria my nieces dd loves High School Musical. She got a HSM shirt for her birthday yesterday. What a fun play for kids to put on. I bet they had a great time doing it. My youngest was involved in drama in high school.
Spoke with Maria this morning. That was exciting. I didn't get to the phone before the answering machine picked up. I heard her talking and I almost didn't get there fast enough. Should be seeing them in a day or two. How fun. I think I had better dust and clean.
Peggy

I agree get the puppy. You won't be sorry.
Karen

Hi All;
Slavika: I think you would have great fun with a puppy, and you do have built-in puppy sitters, so to speak. A dog is a lot of company, and they do become one of the family. What about your DIL pet allergies? Would that be a problem? When we had our cockapoo, we had friends with pet allergies, but they wwere not allergic to her. She didn't shed like many dogs do. She had to have haircuts. Only you can make the final decision, but I don't think you would be sorry.

Gloria: Watching your GKids perform in musical is a treat. and the kids will never forget their experiences with the performance. When I was teaching that is one of the things I did with my H.S. Chorus. Those kids never forgot what they could accomplish, and for some of them that was the place where they could be 'somebody'.

I tried to wreck myself with my bike on Sat. Somehow lost my balance, when I stopped to chat with someone, and over I went! Nothing was broken, I wasn't hurt, mostly my pride, but I did get a couple of doozy bruises on my leg, which I iced immediately when I got home. I refuse to stop riding tho.

We had our 'Ladies Montly' lunch today. We have a good time together, and have a lot of laughs. I get to go out tomorrow too, as once a month, the park ladies have a lunch. I don't always go, but this is at the Olive Garden and i do love their soup and salad lunch.

How about Dancing with the Stars last night? Really great performances, and it will be hard to choose. They all deserve something for sure. I think that Layla Ali had a really tough job, since as the judges pointed out, people often think that she should measure up to the women Professionals. She comes pretty close, I think, and a very attractive woman, at that. Anyone have any predictions? I know who I like, but I am only one of thousands of fans who vote. Tonight will tell a part of the final story.

'See' you later. Ann

Slavika, my thoughts are exactly the same as everyone else. We just lost our little Raleigh and, even though I realize we are gone so much, it is so hard to come into an empty house. They are so much company. I will have to wait a little bit, but definitely know we will have to have another critter eventually. Just don't want to think about that heartbreak again, but I know it is worth it just to have that little guy jumping and so happy to see you. And then the friendship.

Sounds like everyone had a great Mother's Day. We had an almost perfect day. We had about 25 of our family to our house and the day was glorious. We have had so much rain, but that day was beautiful. Little kids played so hard and we all spent most of our time on the patio and talked and visited and talked some more. The men were back and forth, watching something on TV. Great food! It sure wasn't all mine, but we had such a wonderful variety. Anyway, it couldn't have been any better. Leon just about broke his back on this yard and it looked good.

I was so tired yesterday I took off a day for vacation. I just pretty much napped all day. Before Mother's Day I went through a bit of a blue funk, just being nostalgic. I miss my mama and uncles, etc. Maybe some of you relate. Anyway, I feel fine now. I just told my sister that maybe if I am lucky my kids will still miss me after 8 years too.

Maria, you are just doing me the best favor with your blog. I won't get to physically visit these places, probably, but I so enjoy visiting them with you. So, you think American fans don't show a lot of sportsmanship? Duh! Some fans are just fantatics. When you have been a fan of OSU, humility comes easily to us. Tell Alan that I just finished "1776." Who was he rooting for?Our country sure did start out with little more than a prayer and a wish. I didn't realize the queen is the head of Australia and Canada. So, your allegiance might be a little different from ours.

Peggy, you will soon see why the rest of us have enjoyed Alan and Maria so much. There really is truth that we know each other so well. It was as if I had known Maria forever.
Glenda

G'day all,

Indianapolis tonight and Cincinatti tomorrow, I am looking forward to catching up with Peggy.

I am glad you are enjoying the blog Glenda, Alan has also finished 1776, he thoroughly enjoyed learning about the very early history of New York. Your family get together sounded great, I can well imagine Leon would have had every thing just right.
We were 'rooting' (this is not a very polite expression in Australia) for no-one in particular but we thought ALL spectators would enjoy and applaud good play but that obviously is not the case!

Sorry to hear about your fall Ann, glad more then anything else it was just your pride that received a dent!

Slavika I don't know what I would really do if I was in your situation, a little dog is certainly great company but it will also restrict you somewhat, like coming to Australia for a bit Seriously, I think you would love it to bits and would enjoy it around the place, but only you know how it will effect your social life. So sorry to hear about your friend Irenie, firstly the progress her dh is making and now the death of the little dog

Take care all, early night tonight....

Cheers
Maria

Hi: another lunch out. this time to the Olive Garden, but it is easy to do their soup, salad, and bread sticks. It is just a gathering of lots of ladies from our park.

I am rather surprised at the lack of enthusiasm of the baseball fans. At least you would think that when the team you are for made a good play the fans would let them know.

So who do you predict will win the Dancing with the Stars. It is certainly so close now, and with two with the perfect 60's makes it even harder.

Now I have a gigantic bruise mark on my leg that is going into the yellow/green stage. Very ugly, but not painful. Just a reminder of being careful when I am going to 'disembark' from my bike.

Peggy- I'm sure you are now in for a treat. You gals have been very fortunate to meet our good friend. I have been trying to come up with a solution, even thought of driving to Charleston, but now that isn't going to work either. I guess it was just not 'in the cards' this time. Maybe Maria and Alan will come once more to cover the Southern part of the U.S. There are some great spots here too. Maybe not quite the spectacular secenery as the Rockies, but lovely in it's own special way.

I am still thinking a lot about how I want to paint the kitchen. I have about decided on the color, but we have so many cupboards, and if I paint them all white it will be overwhelming, so am thinking about two-toned doors with then white and yellow. Just can't decide how I want it. Maybe I will just have to take one door and experiment a bit until I find the right look. I'm going to have to live with it for a while so it better be right.

Maria- I'm enjoying your Blog too. and as Glenda says, there are so many places that we will not be able to get to, and it is nice to see it with your eyes, and get your impressions of our country.

Hi everyone.

Ann

Ann,
Why don't you do the cabinets white and the doors a soft buttery color? How would that work?

Don't we bruise easily anymore? Had lunch with some old friends yesterday who came to see their grandchildren's award assembly. A few years ago she had a heart transplant and now her medicine has taken a toll on her hip joints and she is on crutches. She said a true thing--seems like this age (and her condition) is like walking on eggshells. Anything you do for one thing, causes something else. I so wish we had an Olive Garden! I love that place!

Have a quiet, sort of, weekend planned. Just a graduation for a niece. They think it will take 3 hours! UGGGGH!

Have a wonderful weekend! Slavika, any decision on that fur-face?

I felt like I was holiday visiting with Alan and Maria. What fun they are! Time is too short and they are on their way again. Doug loved them too. It was hard to say goodbye. Hopefully we will win the lottery and go visit them. There is a saying that people come into your lives for a little while but into your hearts forever. That is how we feel. Gloria you will be in for a fun treat. Just don't give Maria ice. lol
Ann the best thing at the OG is the soup, salad and breadsticks. Have you decided on a kitchen color?
Maria enjoy the rest of your journey. Can't wait to catch up in your blog. I will forever remember out last moments together. Truly memorable-lol. I laugh every time I think of it. {to everyone-it involves some spilled water and broken glass}.
We are going to a fancy wedding in a park tonight. It is sort of chilly and I have to figure out what to stuff myself into since what I originally bought isn't going to work out. Monday is diet day for sure. 25lbs. Going to try doing it through the spark people place on the web.
Peggy