North Carolina, Anyone?

We are planning a trip to North Carolina this spring and the only place, I know for sure, we are going to is Charlotte, where friends of our just moved to. Does anyone have any suggestions of places we shouldn't miss? Restaurants? Museums? Shopping? Since we are driving there, we can pretty much go anywhere. The only thing we have seen before was the Biltmore, where I went through the entire house and gardens with a brand new Polo sweater on, with the size tag still stuck to it! I, of course, didn't know this till I got the pictures developed! One of my finer moments!

Happy Birthday!

M wishes Grandma a Happy Birthday!

Dinner at our house for the family.
Pulled pork sandwiches, bakes beans, potato salad

and deviled eggs.
We all needed a taste of the summer.

Birthday girl and her cake

N and Uncle B reading about Diego.

Reasons I Married My Husband

Since I wrote about reasons I "Break up" with my husband, I thought I should balance out why I married him.

1. He is the nicest person I know. He is WAY nicer than I am.
2. He is very patient.
3. He doesn't sigh very loudly when I say "I have an idea."
4. He is a great father, and I knew he would be before he was.
5. He is the person I would want in the cab, or as the mobile shout-out, if I was ever in the Cash Cab. He knows freakish information. It's scary.
6. He eats anything, which is great, since I like to cook.
7. He is kind and loving to his parents.
8. He cries at the drop of a hat, which is the complete opposite of me- I'm very stoic.
9. We both know who old movie stars are. Other people look at us blankly.
10. When I asked him what he wanted engraved inside my wedding band, he said, "I'll meet you on the back nine." So that's what it says, and we both think it's funny.

Breaking up is hard to do

Do you ever break up with your husband? Not really, but in your mind? Like if you were dating, and he pulled that stunt, you would sooo break up with him. And, then he doesn't even know we are broken up, although I look at him and think, you are so lucky we are married!

Reasons for break ups (realize this is all in my mind) through the years:

1. I call to ask him to pick up lettuce on his way home. "Sure, where do I buy that?"
2. On bedrest for three months. He still would forget to feed me, and then got mad at me when I would get up to do it myself.
3. This is an empty can, this is the recycling bin. Hello!
4. This is a dirty dish, this is one of two dishwashers in our kitchen. Hello!
5. The extra kleenex, soda, tp, toothpaste, (fill in the blank) has been in the same spot for years.
6. Buying my birthday cake in a flavor he likes.
7. The Barnes and Noble card for every birthday and Christmas for 5 years. I love B and N, but come on.
8. "You got a haircut!" Ah, yeah, a week ago! When I cut off several inches. Trust me, it's noticeable!
9. Me "Look how loose these jeans are! I can pull them right off without unbuttoning."
Him " How much stretch is in those?"
10. "Do we have any ______?" Did you look? Because sometimes you actually might have to move things around in the frig or drawer to find it. Standing in front of the open frig looking, for 5 seconds, may not be sufficient.

Valentine's Day 2010

Table was set with Pomegranate linens, antique Haviland dinner plates, Kate Spade Bread and Butters, and Francis 1st Silver. My mother -in-law and her sister joined us for dinner.

BBarefoot Contessa - Ina Gartens's Beef Bourguignon - my favorite meal

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

made especially for B. - his favorite

Love is in the Air

I asked S this morning who he was going to ask to be his Valentine.
S replied, in a sing-song voice, "Yewon! Yewon! Yewon!"
"I guess you know she's the one", I said.
S said "Oh, Yeah, she is TOTALLY going to be MY Valentine!"

Ah, young Kindergarten love.

What Woke You Up This Morning?

At almost exactly at 4 am, I was awoken by the sound of thunder. Thunder? I got up, showered, and made my way downstairs. Turning on the local news, I found out there had been an earthquake, centered in DeKalb, Illinois. I live near Madison, Wisconsin, but still felt the effects. It hadn't been thunder, but a tremor. Some people in my area had pictures falling off the wall. Wisconsin weather- snowstorm one day, earthquake the next. What will happen tomorrow?

Can Someone Explain, PLEASE?!

ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enough said.

I'll Take It!

Sperry Top-Sider Mallard Waterproof Flat

Where's my credit card?

Jimmy the Groundhog

This morning we walked down to Cannery Square to see Jimmy the Groundhog make his prediction. Yeah, spring is on its way! ( It's hard to tell in all the snow!) Here is Jimmy the 10th, with his owner Jerry, Mayor Joe Chase, and State Rep. Gary Hebl. A good size crowd turned up to cheer on this wonderful groundhog. He was a little nervous, this being his first big day, and all. Check out his sight, and hear him chatter at Groundhog Central.

New Scarf

I was on Toad's blog and saw this beautiful scarf, and snagged one as a gift for my dad. He loves Pendleton shirts, and this will be a perfect winter accessory for him. Check out The Cordial Churchman. Her stuff is fab! Love those bow ties!

Young Love

S and I were watching Platinum Weddings on tv yesterday morning, when he saw the couple kiss before their wedding.

S: "Mama, they kissed!"
Me: "That's okay to do with someone you are engaged to."
S: "What's engaged?"
Me: "That's when someone asks a person to marry them, and the person says yes, and they start planning their wedding."
S: "Abby (a girl in his Kindergarten class) wants to marry Toby (another kid in his class)."
Me: " Does Toby want to marry Abby?"
S: "NO!!"
After some thought...........
S: "They have to agree, right?"