Well, this year is almost over and as we can see a lot can happen in 365 days.
I've been so blessed to have such a fantastic family which has supported me
through the last year. Blessed to be able to reduce my hours to part time
at the hospital. Celebrated my 25th anniversary with them this year!
Blessed to have Dennis at my side for the last 42 years (and they said it
would not last ha ha)! Blessed to have such great understanding
sisters for moral support through this year. I am very blessed!!!

Happy New Year to everyone and may it be as GREAT as this last year..
I know it will be!

Love to all of you from your sister.....Margi

Christmas Wishes for You!

It's that time of the year again - hurried, worried, blurried. Can you say "there's just not enough hours in the day, or money in the bank"?

I was stressing because Big Guy's mom, daughter and grand kids are joining us for Christmas Eve. But I forced myself to take a deep breath and remember what the true meaning of Christmas is....not just friends and family, but the birth of Christ.

Here's my Wish List for YOU in the coming year:

I. HEALTH. I wish for us all to be healthy, watch our diets, exercise, and be pain-free this year.

II. PEACE FOR A RESTLESS HEART. If that is your ailment, you know what I mean.

III. GOOD MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS PAST. Maybe you will or won't remember those who are now gone, but it doesn't hurt to say a prayer for them. Mom, Dad and Pat - that is half our family! Friends, co-workers and the little old lady down the street - say a little prayer for them.

IV. LIVE IN THE NOW. Tomorrow may or may not come. Who knows - maybe I'll fall over using my latest exercise video.... haha.

V. BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. So may have so much less! Too much food - jeesh ,think of those who go to sleep hungry. Too many parties - think of those with no friends. We do live in a TOO MUCH society, but we don't have to live our lives answering that call.

VI. REMEMBER THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. We celebrate the birth of the son of God.

So to my dear sisters, living and passed, and our friends in blogger land - Merry Christmas! Love to all - Mo

Glad for you!!! Hope it's the wedding of your dreams, Mo'!
I have been baking cookies and stuff, wrapping presents to send to Yakima with the boys. This will be the first Christmas that I haven't had the kids and grand kids around me! But, I hope that they have a merry Christmas where ever they are, always...
Anyone who knows me will find this tidbit funny, but I think I am becoming a bird watcher. Birds are high on my fear meter, have never liked being close to them, but now I have a pane of glass between me and them, it's o-k. I wait until they leave before I fill the bird feeder! But, holy cow, there are so many types of different birds out here! Wrens, sparrows, gnat catchers, finch, the list is endless. I tried to identify them all yesterday, but I had to give up. It's kind of fun to watch them, they way they sort of roll in like waves. There's the brave ones' who will not be scared off for anything...one's that want to eat off of the bird feeder, and others who are content to scratch up the scatter left on the ground. I think it will be hopeless for me ever to get closer than this to a bird! And, Kizzy likes all the action, and is ever alert for a cat. (You can't say that word out loud around her---she goes nuts!)
Am slowly getting ready for the holidays. Have my sisters in my thoughts, am hoping you are all well! Take care, and more later. t

The Big Guy & I

It is really official - after 22 years of (my) being single, I'm gonna try it again! Big Guy asked me to marry him after the NYC trip. We had tossed the idea around, but in deference to his stepdaughter's wedding, I asked him to can the idea for awhile.

On the way home from the wedding, I thought, this is really real! Big Guy has been an anchor against my storms, and vice-versa. Life is short, so we are trying hard to make the last chapters of our live's warm and fuzzy. Hope you agree - the boys are happy, so is his family.There's all sorts of responsibilities and issues to be sorted out, but we are hoping for a June wedding.....

It is, of course, a big change for me - me to we, mine to ours, but we slowly work through these issues every day. Please join us in our celebration of love and life - Love ya' lots - Mo

Happy Thanksgiving, Strawberry Mallos & Our Pat

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope everyone has a great day. We are having dinner with the Tracy clan, Kenny & Trish, Bob & Jenny, Barbara & Jay, Gladys (Big Guy's mom), Amber & family.

I will cook my own turkey sometime this weekend - can't wait to have sausage dressing!

I made strawberry marshmallows to bring. First you have to cook up lots of sugar & corn syrup:

I added some strawberry jelly, because it sounded good. You add the boiled mixture to gelatin that has water added, and sits while you do step one. Then you beat it to death:


Here's the finished product - I drizzled, dropped, whatever some melted chocolate over the top. I have to say, they don't taste as good as the plain vanilla kind!

It's hard to believe our sister Pat has been gone for five years, isn't it? Of course, we know she is in a better place, with heatlh and happiness! I think she is happy to see her son in a good home. Thank you, my friends and family, love to all - Mo

Little Miss Keeley Irene Cook

Little Miss Keeley Irene Cook arrived last night! Lexi had a safe delivery and is doing great. Lexi and Quincy are chomping at the bit to go home, and Kesiah is waiting to meet her new sister.

Keeley came in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces, and 19 3/4 inches. She sure likes to sleep a lot!

She proudly bears the Waslawski nose, and cleft chin. Did I mention she is a beauty? Love to all - Mo

I hate it when I feel I have lost control of my life, but this past October was just a big reminder of how small we are for me, and I suppose, for my daughter, Heather, too. But, there was a big long trip to visit Matts children and grandchildren in Utah, and our brief visit to Nevada, where no man (me) will tread again! Las Vegas is just not that appealing to this small town girl! But, Matt had a good time, none the less. It was great seeing Ryan, Morgan, Kaylee and Braydon again, and I miss them horrible! Especially Madison and Jack. And, now I am unable to go back for Kaylees new baby, due to an uncertain colon (of all the things, really!)...And, when I get home, for the second time (from hospital) I find my yard has transformed on me, and my garden is closing it's drapes on another season. For some reason this time of year makes me melancholy, and I despise that! But, this year I guess I will truly have to take the time to embrace the season. I have missed several birthdays (a lot) due to traveling and stuff, but I pray they all know that grandma and mom were thinking of them. Keep your chin up, heather! I love you, t

The Wedding

Yes, there actually was a wedding in New York....here's the beautiful bride and Big Guy. Brandee and her fiance were on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" for the bridal edition, and most of the costs for the wedding in Central Park were paid by the show!

Big Guy's present to the couple were paying for the two double-decker buses that took us to the reception. We had a great tour of Manhattan in the process - and YOU get to see the backs of people's heads....sorry....

My daughter-in-law Deena would have loved the cupcake tree. It was very colorful, and the cupcakes were really good - red velvet cake with filling. Ouch - no calories there!

That wraps up the trip! Love to all - Mo

Grand Central Station

Number two on my list to visit immediately was Grand Central Station....but it's really called Grand Central Terminal. Jeesh, give us tourists a break! I have to admit (sheepishly) we walked in, stopped and stared. Maybe our jaws dropped a wee bit. It was overwhelmingly beautiful, awesome and HUGE!

We could just imagine the people in their hoop-skirts, or suits and bowler hats rushing by to catch their trains. And the little ones running circles around everyone, or being held firmly by the hand lest they get lost.

It really is an amazing piece of architecture - many thanks to Jackie O for saving this treasure!

Simply amazing, isn't it? Okay, I know the pictures aren't all that great, but close your eyes....

Love to all - Mo

The Streets of NYC

Your typical New York deli. Clean, fresh and yummy! We noticed there were lots of prepared dinners, salads, even chopped veggies & fruits.

YEA! Bloomingdale's! No, we didn't go in...

Times Square at night - looks like Vegas, doesn't it?

Another Times Square picture - do you recognize the building in the middle?

Street-side vegetable & fruit stand.

All for now - love to all - Mo

More NYC

A visit to New York isn't complete without a trip on the subway! It was much cleaner than I thought it would be. Our hostess, Big Guy's cousin Janet, said most people get in trouble when they get OFF the subway - it's pretty easy to get turned around.

We took the Staten Island Ferry to Governor's Island and back to Manhattan. We passed Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. Ellis Island is where immigrants were processed into the United States. Our grandfather and grandmother came over in 1911 and 1916, I think it was. Guess granddad had to buy a couple of vowels, as our name was anglicized to Waslawski.

I imagine you all have seen pictures of Lady Liberty - but it's more special when it's YOUR picture you show - here she is - beautiful!


This is the Manhattan Island skyline. The Twin Towers were located on the left side of the picture. Do you see that curved building?

That's the one! It has a secret:

I love real estate hold-outs! That's all for now - more later - love to all! Mo

Preconceptions about New York

I have to say, our recent trip to New York really blew a lot of my preconceptions about the city away! We had so much fun, and saw a lot of things, and really got rid of the dust bunnies residing in our brain cells.

I have to start with gardens....of course! I thought New York would be a city of concrete, pavement and high rises - which of course it is. But, there are lots of parks, some very tiny, around Manhattan, which is where we stayed. So I'm going to show you some of NYC green!

This little greenbelt with red geraniums and a fountain we saw on our way back from Staten Island.

This picture is part of the conservatory gardens in Central Park. It was so much fun to run around and identify plants....okay, only if you were a gardener. I was surprised the number of dahlia's planted, I can't help but wonder if someone digs them up every year. They had a bridge (look for bridal photos soon) covered with ancient wisteria, garden "rooms" surrounded by mums, or a sort-of butterfly bush, or lilacs. There were a lot of fountains (see!) and ponds.

So here I am....waiting for a bus to us to the reception, when I looked up....

That's it for now, but I promise more soon! Love to all - Mo

Lovin the Big Apple!

Big Guy and I flew to NYC last Thursday to attend the wedding of his daughter. We have been having a blast! Grand Central Terminal, Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, lunch in a beer garden at the terminal, wedding at the Conservatory Gardens in Central Park, reception at a warehouse, today we went to the Frick Museum, the Tenement Museum, Chinatown and Little Italy. Whew! What a tour! We love NYC and will definitely be coming back for a longer stay.... Pictures to follow sometime next week - love to all Mo

This morning I went outside with my new best-friend, Kizzy. I noticed these birds swooping and diving around our house; they were yellow finches, every time their little bodies were faced towards the sun, their yellow chests glowed like polished gold, they were awesome. They have also discovered my pond, and now I can sit in the house and watch the games they play around and in the water. We put a willow branch across the pond so they could get in the spray of the fountain if they want. Sometimes it's seems like there's at least a hundred of finch there; stripped and golden, plus a few other breeds that I don't know the names of. Also, this morning, when I stepped outside, I was reminded of Columbus, Mississippi; when was the last time you thought of that place!? Something in the air reminded me of fall and winter down there, maybe the smell of wet dirt did it, I don't know!
I am alive, have no reliable phone or Internet connection, but am still kicking quietly away here. Enjoying the wonderful view! Hope you guys are having fun, t

Birthday Boy & Girls!

Kharsyn celebrated his third birthday at Chuckie Cheese in the Tri-Cities. What a deal that was! I can't believe how fast he is growing up. Lots of fun, games, presents and cake!

I had a two-day birthday. BGF Glenda and I went to lunch and then out for a drink on Thursday, and friends Marilyn and Mary Ann (above) and I went to lunch on Friday. MA's birthday was Saturday.

Hope everyone is doing well! Love to all - Mo

So, hmmm, let's see...the boys were over this weekend, Matt took them canoeing on Deep Lake, they had a blast! Hap starts hi-school, Hunter middle school and all report they had a great first day! Also, the project on the new doors is drawing closer and closer to completion, and I have extracted a promise that it will be done by Christmas, hopefully quite sooner! I hope that we can get together sometime this month, maybe you need some more plants??? Love to you all, t

Stunned by Life

Sometimes, life happens and leaves a person stunned....I recently found out my best friend of 35+ years son has stomach cancer. He is 29. Mo

Shoulder Update & Miscellaneous

I got in to the physical therapist today, due to a cancellation. Yea! I told her my shoulder was much improved (doesn't that figure - the minute you make an appointment, you feel better?) The PT said, after moving my arm around a few minutes, if this was good she didn't want to see bad. Hey! that's my shoulder we are talking about. She gave me a list of things not to do - keep it elevated in the car (I can't drive my Escape right now because it is a 5-speed), don't lift anything heavy over my head, use proper posture at the computer, so on. I have another appointment on Wednesday so she can show me some exercises. Now if I could just remember to take my pills every day.....you know me and pills. Me and doctors. Oh well, just me!

Other exciting news in my life - I am deconstructing the big flower bed, seems I over-planted it. Go figure. And I have this horrible grass that travels a looonng way under the soil. So I am slowly digging everything out and pulling the grass, then spraying the dirt. Yes, I am using chemicals....I hate to do it, but don't think vinegar is strong enough for the job. T -your day lilies and goldenrod will be available anytime, seems the weather is cooling off. Marge - I hope you didn't plant those echinops - I love them, but when they go to seed, they are very serious about procreating! And the irises - have I mentioned they love my garden?

Last but not least, I have been having fun on Facebook - Marge I think you would enjoy it, and it is pretty easy to use. Make an account, go look for people you know and ask them to be your friend. T - you would enjoy it too! You can post just a few lines, not a whole chapter, and it's fun to see what your friends post.

Hope you are all well- take care & love to all - Mo

Mo's Shoulder

I've had a bit of a struggle trying to get in to see a doctor regarding my shoulder. My last doctor closed his office, so I had a "doctor of record" so I could get my six-month check-up. When I hurt my shoulder, I (finally) made an appointment with her, only to be told it would be three weeks. Ok, I guess that's what I get for not being sick, so I went ahead and agreed to wait. Monday my appointment was cancelled, and when I tried to make a new appointment I was told another two + weeks..... Told the girl I was in pain, and she told me the doctor doesn't prescribe narcotics to new patients! Okay, this patient won't hardly take any aspirin for the pain! I was plenty steamed.... off to the walk-in clinic today. Long story short, x-rays, etc. determined I have arthritis. The PA asked me if I wanted to try ibuprofen and ice / heat - I told him I have been there, done that. Then he suggested - get this - surgery. Hmmm, I asked him if there wasn't something a little less radical, and now have to make an appointment for physical therapy.

In the mean time, I have been trying to exercise my arm. It's a pitiful sight - one exercise I found on the Internet was a shoulder shrug. So today I was shrugging at my desk when my boss walked in - I told him I was exercising and made like I was wiping sweat off my face. Okay, maybe you had to be there, but with all those chins in the picture below....

Here is a picture of my short hair - of course it is long gone, but I promised T.

Can you say "short and straight"? Night to all - Mo

I found these pictures when I was going through our computer picture album pages with Taylor. Thought you would enjoy them, I had forgotten that we had even taken pictures that day! This is May, 2009. Love you guys! t

I am the worst at writing letters, keeping in touch and blogging. So, here's some pictures of what's been going on in my life. e.g. the deck, the yard, and my family: and yes, those deck chairs were mom and dads, they're like 35 years old: Don asked dad for permission to marry me sitting in those chairs! Anyway, progress is being made. Love ya! t

Kesiah turns 5! Phoenix in July....

Kesiah turned five years old! It is so hard to believe, my grandchildren are growing up so fast (didn't we used to say that about our own children?)

Big Guy and I took Q, Lexi and Kesiah out to Dairy Queen for dinner and brought an icecream cake home to enjoy.

We missed Kesiah's birthday party because we went to Phoenix. Big Guy and I were anxious to check our house. We knew it would be hot, but of course it was the hottest July on record! Wouldn't you know it - growing up in the military, and living on so many different bases, it was always the coldest winter in 100 years.

The day we left Phoenix it was 115..... I drank plenty of water, but suffered a return of long-ago heat exhaustion while Big Guy and I were walking through a nursery. I was disappointed to leave the nursery, but promised we would be back in November (a perfect time for planting!)

I don't understand the Phoenix landscaping practice of covering everything with rock (creating an even bigger heat-sink) and torturing poor shrubs into little balls or squares. Although our front yard is landscaped and has a drip irrigation system installed, the landscaping is pretty sparce. Shrubs are planted where they have to be constantly clipped. I'm considering a new variety of ice-plant:

I'm hoping they can cover some of the rocks in the front. As to the backyard, well, that will have to wait until next year!

In Moses Lake, my lawn is horrible, my flowers are boring, and I've injured my shoulder so I can't do much. Faye had good news / bad news after her visit to Seattle - no she doesn't have an aneurism, but yes she will go blind. But now, the going blind part isn't as scary as having an aneurism.

So dear sisters, how is your gardens growing? Hope you are all doing ok! Love to all - Mo

A New & Improved Mo

Yesterday I had less than one hour's notice that BGF Faye and her sister Pat were being baptised at the church, and I was included if so inclined. I called the boys and told them, tried reaching the Big Guy, and hurriedly put on something I hoped would be modest for a dunking.

Our church does a full immersion baptism, in front of the congregation. I was able to video Faye & Pat's baptism, and Faye's daughter took a picture of mine. Okay, the pictures weren't that great, sorry Elisa!

Faye, Pat and I have made the journey into faith about the same time, and it was fitting to be baptised together. We wanted to be baptised as "our choice", which symbolised our new commitment to faith.

The congregation was asked to stay after the last service. They all visited for about half an hour until we showed up. I guess they can tell we were the baptise-ees because we were holding towels, ya think? Big Guy's mother was there, and I asked her to stay and witness my baptism. The first person who congratulated me was the woman I replaced in my job at the airport, she is doing very well at 80+. The next person who congratulated me was someone else I worked with in the same building at the old terminal, he had taken diet classes with Dad.

All in all, a great day for us! We wanted to be baptised before Faye heads off to Seattle for her tests on Friday. She is having some problems with dizziness and headaches, so it can't come too soon for us.

Faye, Pastor Eric and Pat.

Hope you all had a great weekend - happy birthday Marge - love to all - Mo

Oh, I almost forgot! Heather is planning on getting married next June, so I hope that she will be able to have the ceremony on this very deck! She had originally wanted it at her da's house, and I told her I would not do a lick of work out there, I had sweat my last drop out there! So, hopefully she will see reason, and have it at this venue! It will be so beautiful when it is done!
Also, just to let you know, I have become basically a "shut in" since this new episode with my health. I did get out on my birthday for a short time, but have been enjoying the view from my living room pretty much ever since! Thank goodness it's such a pretty view, huh! Love to you both, and yours, t

I don't know how you get all those pictures on at once, Mo! Well, here's some interesting things going on in my garden...my double black hollyhocks are doing great, but I also have just the single ones. The red/pink holly is a new addition in the garden, something God, birds and bee's gave me. The little cherry tomato's are struggling, I don't know why. This is our first pick! Sad, huh?

So, I haven't really been doing anything. Have had some horrible complications due to a diet addition, and have now edited that thing out of my diet! So, hopefully, I will feel better! But, the heat is just whooping my butt!!! So, I guess I won't get to go visit Margi or Ryan this weekend, sorry!!! I hope you have had a wonderful birthday, though, Margi! Will come and see you when the temperatures are lower, is that o-k?? I will post another pic when I am done here, it will obviously be the progress of our new deck. I can't hardly wait for it to be finished!

Hope all are well, and that Faye is doing better! Prayers are being said for her. More latter, t