We will never forget

I will always remember that morning in 2001; I was on a vacation day and was at home in my apartment on Library Road when I actually saw the news cut into whatever I was watching that morning.

They said a plane hit one of the towers in New York and that terrorism was NOT suspected.  Right then, my mother called and asked if I knew what was going on.

For the next few hours of that day information slowly unfolded that another plane hit the other tower, it was terrorism, a third plane hit the pentagon and a fourth plane went down near Somerset (which is about 1 hour from where I live). I remember just wanting to make sure my family was okay. I have a second cousin that worked in the towers. Later in the day we found out she was fine - she went into work late that day; if she had not she would be probably be gone.

What a sad day of destruction.  So many heroes stepped up during that day and the days to follow and I simply remember a deep feeling of gratitude for simply being alive!

Along with a memorial in NYC; a memorial in Shanksville, PA has been constructed since then and I have visited a few times to pay respects to those 40 heroes that saved so many lives by sacrificing their own!  This year they have added a new tower called the Tower of Voices. You can check it out here. It is now open to the public although it is not completely done yet. I plan to go pay respects soon.

Never Forget!

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday! I hope you all enjoyed your weekends!

What a wonderful and relaxing weekend it was for me ya'll!!!

I went nowhere outside of my little town! I live in PA and right now we have flooding everywhere! The rain is never ending! UGH! I actually enjoyed a low key weekend of watching rain and staying in town!!

Friday night I met up with a group of friends at my home group. It is always nice seeing everyone and catching up! Then I stopped by another friends house (the one that had the stroke) to say hello (he lives 5 minutes from me) and then home and off to bed EARLY!

Saturday was my Mommy's birthday!!!! She will probably kill me for saying this but she turned 75!! I only hope and pray that I look half as young and healthy as she does at 75!!! We celebrated last weekend when I was with her at the lake but I made sure to call and sing!! She is the world's best mother!!! I love you Mom and can not wait for our trip together next week!!!

Saturday morning I picked up my friend that had the stroke and we went to breakfast and hung out half the day. I then went home for a while to work on Beach Glass Art (I sold my Christmas Tree already) and wanted to make another for a replacement on my Etsy site. I like the second one just as much!! The listing for the one below is HERE.

Saturday night I went back to pick up my friend (he is unable to drive due to his stroke) and he took me to dinner and a movie. We ate a TGIFridays and then went to see Crazy Rich Asians. It was good but I have to say, I enjoyed the book a lot more than the movie!

That happens every time for me though. When something was a book first then a movie; the book is always way better. Again, the movie was funny and good but not nearly as good as I expected. The comedy almost seemed too forced at times.  But, all in all, it was a great night and just nice to spend time together before I leave for vacation next week!

Sunday was a chill morning and again I went over to pick up my friend and he bought breakfast again and we watched some of the Steelers game together.  We tied the Browns (What?!?!?!? UGH!!! DISAPPOINTING). I spent a chill Sunday night in the condo snuggling my kitties and preparing to go to work in the morning (I have to psych myself up - lol!!! Just kidding!!!).

So, all in all, it was a nice chill weekend!!! I hope everyone enjoyed theirs as well!!!! HAPPY MONDAY guys!! I can not wait to go read about everyone else's weekends now!!!

Do you enjoy time at home or traveling? Any crafts you do in your spare time? How is your weather...is PA the only state getting drenched??

Friday!!!! Whoopie!

Good morning everyone!!! I hope you all are having a great day!!

YEAH...IT IS THAT TIME!!! It's FRIDAY!!!

It has been a long and busy week at work and I have begun my countdown to vacation so that made it seem even longer!! 

Today I am getting right to it and joining in with ...

The Peaceful Posse

Amanda at Meet At The Barre
Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday
5 on Friday

The Blended Blog

ONE:  I am obsessed with scratch off's!!! These babies are so fun!!! I allow myself $20 a month and if I win I get to keep going and if not, I quit for that month. I can totally see how people get addicted to gambling and the lottery!! I am such an addict anyway! LOL! UGH!

TWO: Another of my top favorite things in my baby Trouble.  or Trubs! He is three and such a sweetie! He is such a snuggler but also a big scardy cat. If anyone else is in my house he will not even peek out under the bed!! But he is the sweetest cat on the planet!!

THREE:  My sweet little girl Faith. or Faithy Waithy!  She is one and such a sweet, tiny little girl! She is so little to this day!!  She follows the older boys around constantly and is always snuggling with another cat. She does not like to be alone but she rarely snuggles with here sister, she always picks the boys!!

FOUR:  This is my sweetie Nermal!! Or Nermie! He is three and he sleeps with my every night! He twaps any of the other cats that try to sleep with us! LOL!  It is safe to say he is the dominant one of the bunch. He got really sick a little over a year ago and had to stay in the cat hospital for over 5 days and I would lay the room there with him and just hold him for hours. He is really a sweetie and we are TIGHT!! ILOL!

FIVE:  My sweet Grace! or Gracie! She is one and she is blood sisters with Faith but they are entirely different. Grace always challenges Nermal for domination, She is a pudgy little bully sometimes. It she wants petted, she will just shove the others out of the way and stick her body in there! Its really funny to watch!

Those are really my favorite things!!! I am so grateful I have the sweet babies above in my life to hang out with me and greet me as soon as I come home!!!  

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am planning another weekend home to start prepping for vacation so nothing exciting but I will be checking in to see what you are all up to!

Have a great Friday! Thanks for stopping by! Now I am off to go meet some new people in a few linkups!! Yippee!!

Have any pets yourself? Isn't it crazy how different all their personalities are? What is making you grateful today! Do you have exciting plans for the weekend?

Thinking out Loud About Plumbing Again/Thankful Thursday Crafting

Hi everyone!!! I hope everyone is having a truly blessed Thursday!!

Today I am joining in with Penny for Thinking out Loud Thursday HERE and Rebecca Jo, at Knit By God's Hand, for Thankful Thursday HERE. Please link up and join us today!!


Well friends - today I am still thinking out loud about plumbing! If you did not read my post last week in this regard...here is a summary! I got a new dishwasher and my neighbor got a new leak! I kept insisting it was not me and asking him to get a plumber to come check it out. How does a new dishwasher leak within a week of install?!?! Well, they do! It was me! So we shut off my water and called Lowe's which is who I purchased from and who also installed it for me. They came out yesterday and repaired my one week old dishwasher!!! UGH!!! I am praying this is it for the issues but time will tell. My neighbor is now getting an estimate to fix his water damage and I will submit that to the Lowe's claim to pay it since it was their issue. UGH UGH UGH! I will keep you posted but I will truly be happy when I am not thinking out loud about appliances - HA!


Here is a picture of the broken part! It is where the fresh water comes into the appliance. The GE installer said that the Lowe's installer did it wrong and there is not supposed to be any of that white goop on there? 

Let's get right to thankful shall we?!?!


I am sooooo thankful that I have crafting to take my mind off the stress of everyday life!!!! 


Here is a new item in my Etsy shop...it is a Christmas tree with beach glass!!! The star in the top is a genuine Michigan beach crinoid which is a fossil that is 350 million years old! It turned out so great - I love it so much!

Also, If you follow along with my blog you know that a very dear friend (and ex-boyfriend) of mine had multiple strokes back in July.  I am very thankful that he is recovering fairly quickly. His writing is coming back slowly and vision is also coming back slowly but everything else is looking great! His walking is getting better and better and speech also. He is thinking clearer and quicker also. I think the scare a few weeks ago made him realize that I am serious about not being around if he chooses to make bad decisions and, although time will tell, I think maybe we are past that. He is not smoking anymore I know that for sure. 

So I am very grateful that we were able to go to dinner last night at one of his favorite restaurants for his 63rd birthday! YEAH!!! A few months ago we were not sure he was even going to live so I am also very grateful for a second chance at life for him and who knows...a second chance for us?!?!! We went to Dellalo's on Fort Couch Road in the South Hills of Pittsburgh and it was as fantastic as I remembered it. YUMMY ITALIAN! They make such great Italian sauces and products; they started selling them in the stores in this area.


I think that is all I have to spout about this beautiful Thursday! 

I love all of you my blog followers and hope you guys have a truly awesome Thursday and rest of the week!  I do not know what I would do without this outlet to vent!!!  Now I get to read all of your thoughts!!! Happy Thursday!

Anyone have any ideas for new beach glass art? Have you ever given an ex a second chance?? Every buy an appliance that had to be serviced the first week after install???  Any exciting plans for the weekend???

 

One Final HodgePodge?

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you would like to join in with us, answer the questions and link up at the end of Joyce's post, then leave a comment for the blogger linking before you.

 

1. What has been the highlight of your summer so far?

I think just being home this summer has been amazing!! I have been traveling for work for the [ast two years and I would fly out on Sunday night and fly home on Fridays. The last thing I wanted to do was leave the house again until I have to fly out in two days.  Now that I am back to working in Pittsburgh, it is awesome!! I am home all week and I get to go up to my parents house every weekend! They live on a lake and all my siblings and their kids meet up there every weekend! It has been summer of floating, boating, tubing and skiing fun!!

2. What do you wish you'd done more of this summer? Less of?

More of? Nothing at all I can think of

Less of? Eating in general! I wanted to watch what I eat and I have been failing miserably at that!

3. Something you're looking forward to on your September calendar?

I will be leaving for Hawaii (Lahue to be exact) in mid-September!! I am so excited! I will be traveling with my mother and one of her best friends. It is bound to be an amazing trip!!!! Yippee!!! Anyone that has been there...we are looking for advice on the "must sees", "must dos" and general island advice! Any input is appreciated!!!

4. Best/favorite book you've read this summer?

This is a first...I have not read one book this summer!!! I started one before vacation and spent so much time building sandcastles and riding waves that I did not even finish that!! I am still working on it!! Usually, I read four just on that vacation!!! WOWSA!

5. Share something positive, encouraging, or uplifting here.


 

 
6. Insert your own random thought here.

I will be meeting with the Lowe's plumber today (sometime between 1PM and 5PM) to see if he can repair my brand new machine or if they need to get me a new on in! Fingers crossed this goes smoothly!!

Thanks Joyce for another great round of HodgePodge!! I hope you all have a great Wednesday and rest of your week!

Again, if you would like to join in - answer the questions and link up at the end of Joyce's post, then leave a comment for the blogger linking before you.

Thursday Night Football

Hi all!

I cannot believe I forgot to post a quick hello after the Steelers game Thursday night! I had planned to post this on Friday but the plumber issue threw me off so much that I forgot to post at all on Friday!

Here it is a few days late...the game recap!!!

My parents were supposed to go with me and they bailed at the last minute since none of the starters were playing but you know me, I went alone!!!! It was the final pre-season game!

It was BBQ cook-off night so you know I was getting something!!! 

I ate at the defending champs from last years booth PigFoot!!!!

I got the ribs and they were completely amazing!!!

 

YUMMY!!!

Here is my obligatory selfie!!! See all the empty seats...a lot of people thought like my parents and stayed home - LOL!!

 

In case you have never been; I have included a panoramic picture of the Great Hall at Heinz Field! This is where they keep all of the Super Bowl trophies and Steelers memorabilia that is displayed for the public!

 

I had a great time!! I got to watch our new quarterback that we just acquired play and he was soooo good! I was so impressed and he was so fun to watch!!! The next day or so they cut our second string quarterback and he is now it!! So the coaches must have been impressed too!

I hope everyone has a great year of football this season! Go Steelers!

The One Where I Eat Crow

Hi Guys!!!!!!! Okay...first and foremost...I hope everyone had a relaxing and wonderful holiday weekend with their friends and family or alone if that is what you prefer!!!

This is where I eat crow regarding my last post...UGH! Not on the whole post but just on the part where I said I was not leaking onto my neighbor. Turns out, I was. My new dishwasher has what they think is a faulty solenoid so it was my pipe leaking onto him. However, he still should have called the plumber four weeks ago when it started rather than waiting for me!!! Not sure what to even say about that one!!! The plumber went into his place and saw where the leak was coming in and it turns out it was above his oven which is right next to the sink and dishwasher!! So why did he keep telling me it was above his refrigerator, who knows?!?! The plumber came up to my place and pulled off the molding in my kitchen and it was coming from my dishwasher so he shut off the water to the dishwasher and left (I paid the $95 bill to turn the handle of the water off!!! LOL!!!).
I then right way called Lowe's - they need to come out to see if they can fix it or if I need a new dishwasher...the thing is a week old!!!!!!! UGH!!!!!!!! Also, I had to file a claim with Lowe's to pay the $95 plumber bill and whatever charges my neighbor had from fixing the walls that the leak damaged! UGH! I have decided that new stuff is not that fun after all!!!!!!!! I also apologized for insisting it could not be me leaking but again, he still should have called the plumber long before he did!!! I told him I was home every Friday. OH WELL...life happens. I will again keep you posted!
Onto Labor Day!!!
What a great weekend I had with the family!  My brother and sister and all of their kids and spouses came up to the lake and it was a great weekend!!!
We celebrated my mother and my sister in laws birthdays since they are both this week!!!
My sister in law was making a funny face but this is the only picture I was able to get so here goes....

The rest of the weekend was spent skiing, tubing, jet skiing, and taking slow pontoon rides at dusk!! Also we threw in a couple of campfires and smores because you have to do that! Here are all the pictures of my nieces and nephews!!!

I hope everyone has a great Tuesday!

It took me an hour this morning to realize that it is Tuesday! LOL!

How was your holiday? Did you hang out alone or with family? Have you ever water skied? How about tubing? How did you spend the majority of your long holiday? Ever have to eat crow?!?!