Taken yesterday on our walk to the park 

Our Park

The park is being readied for our annual Fourth of July Picnic. After a wet spring, they are just now getting into the soggy places to mow. Oak trees planted only a few years ago are showing promise. I hope we can get more added this fall or next spring. It would make an already lovely park even more inviting on hot summer days, while leaving the volleyball court, soccer field open for activities if we only put in more around the perimeter.

The first year we lived here our local mall was offerring blue spruce seedlings for celebration of Earth Day. We took home half a dozen and put them in containers to start. When they outgrew the containers, we donated three of them to the park, along with another little tree we had outside our entry decorated for Christmas in a container. We called it our "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" because it looked so pathetic. Now it has filled out, grown tall in the park and decorates the upper playground!

With homes on such small lots here in the Pacific NW cities, open space is such a gift. We certainly make good use of ours. Anneka and Thea love to play in our park. I think it makes them really look forward to visiting Grandpa and Gra'ma! (~.~)

Saturday Night at the Movies

Our neighbors loaned us their copy of Hitch, starring Will Smith w/ Albert Bennaman, Eva Mendes and Amber Valetta, so we had a nice surprise Saturday night at the movies.

Love is Hitch's profession, laughter is what you'll get while watching him work. He can smoothly coach other guys into winning the heart of their true love but as the relationship of the main characters intertwine...there's going to be a HITCH!

"I'll Be There" was our Friday Night Video

Last night we rented "I'll Be There." It's a GR8 comedy, written and directed by Craig Ferguson, (who also is playing a leading roll) and features Charlotte Church. It seemed to get off to a slow start but had me laughing so the pace was OK, and then as it went along, the pace picked up as did the wonderful comedy. The story line is at times predictable as to the outcome, but takes twists and turns along the way and keeps you right along with it. No sleeping thru this one, for certain. It was released in 2003, but we'd missed it until now. If you enjoy a good laugh, some wonderful singing by Charlotte Church, some glimses into music of the 80's as we bring in members of her rock star Dad in the movie Craig Ferguson, and then also her in the movie grandpa's rock band (this character in the video is 70 and still touring and going strong) don't put it off but plan to view it this week!

Little Drummer Girl 

Big sister playing with the dominoes 

How fast they do grow! 

Smiling at her Grandpa 

Which disk is this? 

Right on the tip of my tongue 

How fast they grow

Anneka and Thea celebrate Thea's birthday in Palm Springs. Here's a colorful shot of the girls.

Digital cameras R Fun!

This afternoon I zipped thru some digital photos from several years ago of our redheads. The post below is one John took after the girls had a Saturday gymnastics class. They had to show us some of their new moves. So cute! I may be a bit prejudiced!

Here's a photo from several years ago

Little Princess Sisters

Growing Wild 

Meanwhile, Lynn Collins in Special Features on Merchant of Venice 

Lynn Collins as Portia 

Portia

Lynn Collins as Portia

Al Pacino as Shylock 

Merchant of Venice 

Another screen shot

from Merchant of Venice

Merchant of Venice

This was our video choice for Saturday night. Soundtrack and cinematography excellent, as was the cast. I don't usually care for Al Pacino, but in this role he was at his best, perfect for the part of Shylock, and I think I've changed my opinion of him altogether. Lynn Collins was amazing. Jeremy Irons predictably well suited for his role and added much to this cast of characters. When in the mood for a little Shakespeare give this one a try.

OOPS! Or perhaps not??? We'll see....

Please excuse goofs in entry below while I work out solution. Meanwhile, enjoy some music, with many thanks to Ottmar Liebert. Listening Lounge
(Hold down shift key when clicking on a link to have it open in a new browser.)

And the previous entry may not need changing, as I think perhaps it will update itself as new tracks are offerred each month by O L, as found on his Listening Lounge

Happy surfing. Thx for stopping by,
carol (~.~)

p.s. one of my favorites is La Rosa Negra Recorded live to two-track in 1990. OL - Flamenco Guitar, Jon Gagan - Fretless Electric Bass Guitar, Davo Bryant - Drums + Percussion

http://www.ssri.biz/music/mp3/la-rosa-negra-live.mp3

Listen While U Surf

http://www.ssri.biz/music/bodyset.html Monthly selections of original music from Ottmar Liebert. These songs are provided free of charge, but they are for your personal use only. en Copyright by Ottmar Liebert http://www.ssri.biz/music/bodyset.html Second track from La Semana

http://www.ssri.biz/music/mp3/semana-la-luna.mp3

http://www.ssri.biz/music/bodyset.html Third track from La Semana

http://www.ssri.biz/music/mp3/semana-cocteau.mp3

http://www.ssri.biz/music/bodyset.html First track from La Semana

http://www.ssri.biz/music/mp3/semana-carrousel.mp3

http://www.ssri.biz/music/bodyset.html Board-recording made by FOH engineer Alan at the Lila Cockrell in Austin, Texas on October 8th, 2004

http://www.ssri.biz/music/mp3/snakecharmer-austin.mp3

http://www.ssri.biz/music/bodyset.html Happy Holidays!

http://www.ssri.biz/music/mp3/bethlehem.mp3

http://www.ssri.biz/music/bodyset.html Recorded live to two-track by Alan Behr in San Antonio, Texas in October of 2004. OL - Flamenco and Electric Guitars, Jon Gagan - Fretless Electric Bass Guitar, Ron Wagner - Percussion, Robby Rothschild - Congas and Cajon

http://www.ssri.biz/music/mp3/ballad4santana-austin.mp3

http://www.ssri.biz/music/bodyset.html Recorded live to two-track in 1990. OL - Flamenco Guitar, Jon Gagan - Fretless Electric Bass Guitar, Davo Bryant - Drums + Percussion

http://www.ssri.biz/music/mp3/poets-and-angels-live.mp3

http://www.ssri.biz/music/bodyset.html Recorded live to two-track in 1990. OL - Flamenco Guitar, Jon Gagan - Fretless Electric Bass Guitar, Davo Bryant - Drums + Percussion

http://www.ssri.biz/music/mp3/la-rosa-negra-live.mp3

Saturday, here's John...we're about to depart for a short walk. Skies have cleared momentarily. 

Merchant of Venice, video released in 2004

Tonight it's going to be Merchant of Venice for wind down time entertainment. It stars Al Pacino, with Lynn Collins, Joseph Fiennes, Jeremy Irons. Wonder how we'll like it?

This morning John drove to Haagen's, about a mile away to pick up just a few grocery items. He slept well all afternoon. Seems much better than he did Wednesday and Thursday, which were days that his progress regressed to a worrisome extent. Yesterday (Friday) was OK, but he lacked the usual energy and spark he was showing from day to day. Hard for him to pace himself.

Video time @ our house last night

We viewed Born Romantic on our big screen, complete w/ a snack and beverage of choice. It was a good Friday Night @ the Movies for John and me. The video itself wasn't particularly noteworthy but had some funny scenes and mostly light and humorous, being just what we were in the mood for. Simple relaxation. Lights down low. Just the two of us.

The cover from Netflix reports:

In mondern-day London, three men and three women fall in and out of love and back again...A winning romantic comedy.

Good news from the neurologist on John

Yesterday was the "big day" for John's first visit to the neurologist who specializes in stroke and after stroke care. Clint and I both went along. The really good news is that the doctor indicated there should be a full recovery. He said we could be "cautiously optimistic" that John would have no more of these intracerebral hemorrhage things. Also, John will not need to see him again unless new symptoms appear. He should, however, consider taking meds for high blood pressure even 'tho his is within the guidelines for normal. So...I imagine he will do this under the supervision of his internist (the idiot who has misdiagnosed shingles on my face and also on John's foot, diagnosed the stroke as Bell's Palsy, etc, sent him home to take high dose of aspirin with bleeding into his brain)

It will take some months for John to feel like himself again but will gradually improve if he doesn't overdo it. I could've hugged Clint when he interjected that his Dad always pushed himself too hard and it was impossible for anyone to keep him from it. (He left out the unsaid "unless you tied him down.") By doing what he did, Clint kept me from being a nagging overprotective wife-type. Doctor laughed and repeated his words to John, who pretended that overdoing wouldn't be a problem, lol. Funny. NOT! John is scheduled for an MRI w/ dye on July 5 to take a close look @ his brain after the blood has been absorbed so as not to block anything from view. I got to see the CT film today. Nothing like a close look to see what's going on in your husband's head. Hope I get to see the angiogram that was done, as well. John and Clint did and were most impressed by the technology. Viewed it on 3 large flat panel screens w/ highest resolution possible while John was in the hospital and I was here at home.

I'm so happy to have it confirmed that a full recovery from this can be expected. In the back of my mind is the concern there will be more of these things down the road, but then life is full of happiness and hazzard, no matter who you are or what has happened in the past...can't let the "what if's" get to you. I think I just need to catch up on weeks of lost sleep!

Hastily shot out the window of moving car, this is where I went Tuesday. Today it's off to another medical bldg for John's first office meeting with the neurologist who will follow him as he recovers from last month's stroke. I'll be delighted when most of my away from the neighborhood trips are not to medical appointments!  

A little bit of color 

Cloudy Day

I was planning to go out early w/ my camera, but so far it is such a dark, cloudy day...let's see what the rest of the morning brings!

Christina will be here in half an hour or so.

Posting Photos

I'm trying to post a thumbnail photo and have it expand to larger size when it is clicked on. Using photos stored at another site and html, I did the rose below. Almost got it right, but the code isn't quite what I should be using yet. Will conquer this soon, I think.

Meanwhile, today was a bit of several different things. Ann drove John to pick up a part for our dishwasher and then to Zupan's. We had deli sandwiches for lunch. Then John, still in recovery mode from his stroke, took an afternoon nap while Ann and I cooked in the kitchen and caught up from the many weeks we had not seen one another.

Dinner was delicious. Now for a video and off to bed.

Christina is coming tomorrow, so it is up early for me...breakfast, pick up the family room, and then on with the visit. Looking forward to the day.

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