All I want for Christmas is my Kitty Cat!

The last time Ed got a new (well, new to him) car, it was 2003.  He bought his 2002 Lexus SC 430 convertible with 16,000 miles on it.  For his purchase, I got to keep two 11-year-old Golden Retrievers, Bart & Sammy, who I was fostering and had fallen in love with.  The Goldens have long since passed away, but Ed still has his Lexus.  With 170,000 miles, it has had it’s fair share of repairs and he has been in need of another car.  I’m guessing you may know where this post is headed?

Yup.  Recently I took Chelsea to the vet for her dental, and while checking her in I met an awesome kitty at the vet’s office.  I actually hoped to adopt that cat, and began my campaign to wear Ed down and get him to acquiesce to my request.  Over the course of several days we had many cat discussions, but it wasn’t until my son told his dad this would be the opportunity to get me to consent to another car that there was glimmer of hope that we would again be a two-cat family.  Yup.  It worked.

The cat at the vet’s office turned out not to be the one for me, but 17-week-old Dobby made his way to us.  And Ed is now the proud owner of a 2008 Porsche Carrera.

Here are some pictures of the Dobster.

Dobby’s second day at home

Dobby on his cat condo

The Dobster posing for his Mama.

And the Porsche.

Ed’s Porsche that he has yet to name.

Chloe AKA Chloe-ster (3/23/2007 – 8/11/2016), rest in peace my little one

Baby Chloe, June 2007

Ed and Jeremy were in Europe the day I drove to Lake Arrowhead and picked up our little black Miniature Poodle, Chloe.  If they had been with me, they would have tried to talk me out of taking home this fearful, snarling black dog.  Yes, even at three months, she snarled.

Baby Chloe snarling at Max

Smile for the camera? Nah – I’ll snarl instead!

Grrrrrrr……

She definitely added spice to the household.  Despite the snarling and snapping, Chloe had an incredibly sweet and cuddly side to her.

Chloe and her daddy

Unlike the other dogs who sat on my lap or cuddled near me, Chloe wanted to be held.

 

Despite her temperament challenges, Chloe was easy to train.

Learning the weave poles

In February 2008 Chloe got her Canine Good Citizen certificate, along with Daisy.  Here we are posing for a post-test picture.

Chloe and Daisy after passing their CGC tests.

Chloe enjoyed wading into our swimming pool to keep cool.

Chloe in the pool

Scooter was Chloe’s best friend, and the only one of the dogs interested in playing with her.

Chloe and Scooter at play

Scooter’s gonna get her!

Chloe and Seamus, October 2007. She liked boy dogs best.

The last four years have been rough on Chloe.  In 2011, we noticed she began to have problems with incontinence.  Two vets in California were unable to determine what the problem was and why her urine was so dilute.  After moving to Delaware, we found a wonderful new vet, Dr. Teri Shultz, who was finally able to give us a diagnosis:  Atypical Cushings.  Finally, Chloe was able to be diaper-free.

One my favorite pictures of snuggly Chloe, on her way home from the vet.

Almost three months ago Chloe went in to the vet for a dental, as she seemed to have pain when eating.  Unfortunately, the issue wasn’t her teeth, but a fast-growing tumor behind her rear molar.  Inoperable, we took her home to spoil her and enjoy whatever time we had left with her.  She’s had a wonderful three months, with a trip into Pennsylvania and frequent bye-byes in the car.  Daddy’s made her boiled chicken and other special foods that were easy to eat.  However, when she stopped eating and the light went out from her eyes this morning, we knew it was time to say goodbye.  Chloe, only 9 years old, is now an angel, running pain-free in heaven.

Chloe with Max, who I’m sure greeted her at the Rainbow Bridge today.

Sweet little Chloe, we love you and will miss you always.

Second Anniversary Recap

It doesn’t get much better than this….

August 17th marked the second anniversary of our arrival in Delaware.  It has been a wonderfully awesome experience.  After two years, we’re still just as thrilled with our decision to move east as we were when we got here.  I’ve not experience any homesickness for Temecula, especially not during the summer.  I do still miss In ‘N Out Burger, I miss our patio and swimming pool at our old home, but that about sums it up.  While we toyed with the idea of putting in a pool here, it’s simply not practical when the weather would only permit use for a couple months out of the year.

So here’s a summary of our year:

Neighbors and gardeners

We live on a private drive, and our home is the second of three houses on our road.  We are so blessed that both of our neighbors are absolutely wonderful, and we all work together to help each other.  If someone needs something, there’s always plenty of help around.  Such was the case recently when a branch of our neighbor’s tree came plummeting down during a fierce windstorm.

A branch of our neighbors tree came down in a wind storm on July 3rd

In true neighborly fashion, Ed went out with his chain saw and helped cut up the tree.

Ed and our neighbor cutting up the branch

 

Firewood for winter

Our neighbor said he had plenty of firewood, so he gave the cut up branch to us.  Ed and Jeremy cut it up into smaller pieces and stacked it outside our fence.

About the same time, we noticed that there were some dead pine trees along the back of our property, and Ed cut them down.  We no longer have a truck, so we asked a landscaping service to remove the dead trees.  Ed gave them explicit instruction on where the trees were, and that they needed to be cut up and moved.  One would think they would realize that we want to keep our wood, that was already cut up, and NOT the piles of dead pine trees?  NOPE!  We came home one day to find our firewood GONE but the dead trees still piled up behind the house.  It was actually quite hysterical, and fortunately the landscaping service was able to return our wood (well, most of it at least) and did end up taking the dead pines later.

Jenn-Air- ARGH!!!

New Jenn-Air range – I’m waaiiiiiiiting!

About three months ago Ed made the fateful decision to use the self-cleaning feature on our Jenn-
Air range.  It killed the mother board, and we learned there is no replacement available, and no way to repair the existing ran  The only option is to replace it.  We did some research, only to learn this is a known defect in the Jenn-Air.  Unfortunately, Jenn-Air is the only manufacturer of a downdraft range, so we are limited to replacing it with the same unit (again, with a known defect) or modifying our kitchen with a hood, and reconstructing our island to accommodate the different unit.  With the latter option being cost prohibitive at this point, we decided to just buy the replacement Jenn-Air from Sears with an extended warranty and slip it into the existing space in the island.  Simple, right?  ARGH – nope.  It turns out that the new range is not built exactly like the old.  We have to have the granite counter top cut to accommodate it, and the duct work needs to be modified as well.  So, my new range sits boxed up in my living room, waiting for the company to finally come and complete the install.  (I’m told it SHOULD be scheduled next week – finally!)  As soon as it’s in and ready for use, we will be feasting on corn bread, Quiche Lorraine, brownies, cauliflower taco pie, and whatever else strikes our fancy.

Happy Birthday!

New BBQ – my present or Ed’s?

My birthday is coming up – the big 5-0!  We were sick of the grill that came with our house – it was falling apart and not really great for cooking.   So for my birthday I asked for a BBQ, and my plot worked – Ed’s been doing lots of grilling!  Last night he made lamb, and tonight will be ribs.  Yummy.

School

Transcultural nursing books

My company is superb – not many places pay for your education in full.  With money no longer a reason to delay advancing my education, in January I enrolled in Immaculata University’s RN to BSN program and I LOVE it! It was a difficult decision to make – giving up my free time for a couple of years – but I’m really enjoying the learning process, and the courses are truly interesting and add value. I’m fortunate that we live two miles away from the University of Delaware’s Morris Library, and use it often. The books above were for a Holistic Nursing Assessment course, which had a large transcultural nursing focus. The next two semesters I’m doubling up on my courses so that I will graduate when I complete the nursing courses in December 2015.

“Lavina” – the Chevy Volt

Lavina – a fun and economical set of wheels

Much of my time is spent in the car with a 2 1/2 hour round trip commute to work each day.  My SUV was quite fun to drive, but but at 16 mpg, it was quite expensive – was costing me about $25 per DAY to get to work and back.  It quickly became apparent that my SUV was not a cost effective means of transportation.  Well, this past May Ed let me get a Chevy Volt, whom I’ve named Lavina.  (Yup, my cars all have names.)  She is so fun to drive, and best yet, I’m getting about 75-80 mpg (combined electric and hybrid miles).  Instead of hitting the gas station every other day, I’m going about every 10 days, and saving a fortune at the pump.  Much better, and enjoying the ride too.  🙂

Crazy dog days

Scooter Bug

It’s been a wild year for the dogs.  And mornings are filled with tons of meds for almost all of them.  Scooter has had a relatively healthy year (well, for him).  He had surgery to remove a mast cell tumor (his fourth) in January, and continues with tummy troubles, so he gets Pepcid and Mirtazapine to keep his stomach issues at bay.  He’s dealt with bladder stones and pancreatitis in the last couple of years, so one surgery this year is a good record for this little boy, who will be ten in February.

Chloe, our 7-year-old little black mini poodle, (aptly nicknamed “Chloester,” short for Chloe Monster) was recently diagnosed with atypical Cushings.  She gets three meds in the morning and two at night, and has been dealing with recurrent UTIs.  Treating a dog that sometimes acts like a rabid little thing isn’t easy.  But when she’s not snarling, she’s a sweet, snuggly little girl, and I’m hoping we can finally get the Cushings under control.

Three weeks ago Chelsea began winking her left eye and pawing at it.  She’s seen two veterinary opthalmologists and we still aren’t sure what’s causing the problem, but the meds are working and her eye is slowly improving.

The final straw fell on Thursday, when Jeremy called me at work to report Daisy couldn’t walk and acted like she’d had a seizure.  He whisked her immediately off to our wonderful vet, who surmised Daisy had vestibular syndrome, but really wasn’t sure the cause of her sudden symptoms as her pupils were not reactive.  She prepared us that Daisy would likely get worse before she’d get better, if it was vestibular syndrome, and sent us home with plenty of meds to treat her.  However, Daisy was miraculously better that night, and by bedtime was fully ambulatory.  She has shown no more signs of illness, and my vet is stumped, thinking maybe she really did have a seizure or a stroke, not terribly common in dogs.

We three Mahieus at the Terumo Company Picnic, August 2014.

All in all, I can’t complain – it’s been a great year, and the furry crew is here to enjoy it with us.  🙂

Before and after

Antique map surrounded with vintage family photos from 19th and early 20th centuries

My heritage room

Rocking chair Ed restored with more recent black and white photos.

This is what we started with:

Light Blue Carpeting – yuck

Summer recap!

I’ve been reminded I’ve been remiss in posting our Newark adventures this past summer.   We’ve been so busy with activities and travel and work that there hasn’t been much time to sit at the computer!  It’s been a fantastic year here in Delaware, and our summer was spectacular.

Our Travels

Ed has been busy traveling abroad this year.  He’s been to Washington state, California (he is flying back home from there as I’m typing), New York, Massachusetts, Canada, Japan, Belgium and the Netherlands.  I know I’m forgetting states and countries his job has taken him to.  Despite his business travel, he’s also joined me on several trips we’ve taken on the East Coast.  Part of the fun of living here is the accessibility of the nearby cities, not to mention my favorite place, Bar Harbor, Maine.  I’d already posted about our Memorial Day weekend trip to Boston and Gloucester here.  The following week Ed and I headed to Washington D.C., a comfortable two-hour drive from our home.  Unfortunately I didn’t take many photos, but did snap this one of the G.A.R. monument.

Grand Army of the Republic monument in D.C.  My great-great grandfather was a G.A.R. member after serving as a volunteer in the civil war’s Union Army.

I spent most of my time in D.C. at the National Archives, reviewing the original pension files of my relatives who served in the Civil War.  It was simply astounding to hold the actual paper my relatives had written on, vs. viewing xerox copies of the documents on file.  After exhausting that research, I next pulled files for my Stanwood family’s homestead applications which were filed in Minnesota in the 1870s.  The next day I meandered on over to the Library of Congress.  There are simply no words to describe the beauty of that building, and the overwhelming number of books and other records held by this enormous repository.  I need to plan several hours (umm, days) to really take advantage of the LOC.  Thankfully that is easily done with DC’s proximity to us!

When we returned from D.C., we had our work cut out for us!  We had to empty all of our furniture to have the carpeting torn out of the living room and master bedroom, and to have the hardwood floors refinished.  That meant living in the basement for what turned out to be three and a half agonizingly long weeks instead of the seven days we were told to plan for.  Ed had it the worst – he volunteered to stay home and babysit the dogs during his company’s Fourth of July shutdown while I took Jeremy for a drive into New England, visiting my favorite state – Maine!

We started our time in Bangor, which we used as home base for our travels.  My primary goal during this trip was to attempt to narrow down the location of Benjamin and Betsey (Wasgatt) Stanwood’s home in the town of Woodville, Maine.  Through some serendipity involving an old map, not only did we find the property, but we also got to meet my fifth cousin Laurie who lives on the old homestead.  (Laurie also has a son named Jeremy – talk about coincidences!)  You can read all about this part of our trip here.  It was the best part of our adventure in Maine, and was quite exhilarating not only to find the property, but also a cousin who shared an interest in our family history (and was willing to talk to a stranger walking up to her front door!)

Cousins Laurie and Laurie, taken in Lincoln where we went to meet with Laurie’s mom.

Near the Stanwood homestead in Woodville, Maine.  I can’t imagine this area looked much different when my ancestors lived there 150 years ago.

Next Jeremy and I headed “Downeast” to Bar Harbor, Maine.  I was beyond upset that the weather was so bloody hot that we didn’t get to do a whole lot.  Added to the heat was the overwhelming number of tourists who flooded the town for the 4th of July festivities.  I want to take Jeremy back off-season where he can really appreciate the beauty of Bar Harbor and where his ancestors settled in 1762.

Bar Harbor’s Village Green overlooking the pier.

Me and Scooter at Bar Harbor

Yes, Scooter joined Jeremy and I on our trip as well.  That was another reason we didn’t get to enjoy ourselves as much as if we’d traveled dog-less.  Scooter has had quite a rough year – two surgeries for mast cell tumor removal, several procedures due to bladder stones, and stomach problems due to his medications.  He still wasn’t feeling very well when it was time for Jeremy and I to head to New England, so we modified our hotel accommodations to dog friendly lodging, and brought “The Bug” along with us so he could have 24/7 nursing care by his Mama.

In August Ed and I ventured to South Carolina, spending a long weekend at a resort in Myrtle Beach.  I don’t really have any worthwhile pics – while I did relax and enjoy myself (thanks to my Kindle!), I have to say we were both underwhelmed by Myrtle Beach.  There are many other places we’d prefer to be, but hey, at least we can say we’ve been there!

Home stuff

After Jeremy and I returned from New England, we were thrilled to learn we could move back out of the basement and into the house.  The floors had cured and we were allowed to put the beds back in place.  The bummer was that we had to wait 45 days to put the area rugs and couches back, so we sat on inflatable couches that wouldn’t scratch the newly stained and resurfaced floors.  Thankfully, my family room has been reassembled now for several weeks, and I hope we can avoid refinishing the floors for many, many years – what an ordeal!

Our living room

The fun part of this whole process, though, is decorating our living room.  Now that the horrid baby-blue carpet has been removed and the hardwood floors are polished, the house is “speaking to us” and giving us ideas on what is to go where.  The antique map that led me to my Stanwood property (and cousin Laurie) has been framed and hung on the wall as the center piece for the room.  My heritage cabinet that had originally been placed in my office (and which seemed somehow “off” in there) has been happily relocated to the living room.  I’ve spent several hours digging through old photographs, and now my next project will be duplicating and framing old black and white pictures that will be placed on either side of the map.  I’m still not sure what I’ll put behind our bargain sofa, found in a really cool antique shop in Pennsylvania, and we still need to find an area rug and coffee table to go in the room as well.  All in time…

Do I Need An MRI?????

So, those who have known me for any length of time will be astounded to learn…..DRUM ROLL PLEASE….I am COOKING!  I know, I’m completely and totally shocked myself.  Lauren learning culinary skills was in the same category as pigs flying!  I keep wondering if I need to go get a neurology consult as I’ve never, ever been interested in puttering around the kitchen, but here I am, shopping for the ingredients for my latest recipe, trying new foods, and actually enjoying the entire process.  Ed is rather tickled himself…it takes the pressure off him as he has been the family chef for the 28 years we’ve been married.   The added bonus for me is I’m able to find high-protein, low calorie meals that are helping our entire family take the pounds off that we gained after making our big move here a year ago.

Coq Au Vin – Ed’s favorite of my recipes

Nature and Outdoor Adventures

We’ve spent a good part of the summer outdoors.  Our California friends keep asking about the weather and how we are tolerating the humidity.  Honestly, it just doesn’t phase us much.  I far prefer Delaware summers to those in Temecula.  We did have about three weeks that were pretty brutal – the air felt horribly thick – but even with that brief period, it was much better than the 100F- plus temps of the Temecula summers I’ve endured for the last few decades!  Ed and I often walk through White Clay Creek state park, our favorite place to hike.  There are many paths we’ve yet to explore, and the sound of the birds and stream is quite relaxing.

Biking in White Clay Creek

Delaware downfalls

I am happy as a clam here in my new state.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE my job – I work with great people in a company whose values mirror my own – we are dedicated to the patients and the staff, and it’s important to do the right thing by all.  Perhaps that is the biggest blessing for me, as I was worried I’d never find another place where I felt home like I did at my last VNA.  I love my house (despite finding the homeowner’s warranties you purchase in escrow are basically a useless scam and our repairs have all been out of pocket), our town, and really couldn’t be happier.  But of course, there are a few things that are a bit of bummer here in Delaware:

1)  I don’t think I will ever adjust to the mosquitoes.  I hate them and they love me.  We need to buy stock in OFF insect repellent.

2)  Fresh produce is hard to come by.  There are some farmers markets where you can purchase decent fruits and vegetables, but the grocery stores rarely have what I would consider fresh tomatoes, avocados, artichokes, etc.  Add to that fact that the grocery stores themselves leave a lot to be desired.  Recently a store called ShopRite opened nearby, and I was ecstatic!  It’s the closest thing to a California market – good produce, good variety on the shelves, and CLEAN!

3)  No really authentic Mexican food.  I am constantly belaboring this point, as I miss hot, fresh tamales, and what I would give for a real TACO!

4)  Poor selection of fast food restaurants.  Jack In the Box and In ‘N Out Burger have not made their way here.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as I certainly don’t need the calories of a hamburger, and it’s made me start preparing my lunch for work – lots and lots and lots of healthy salads!

5)  No Chase banks.  We’ve banked with Chase/WAMU for nearly 20 years.  Its a major headache to switch auto deposit, auto debits, not to mention online banking stuff.  Thanks to the Chase banking app, it’s rare that we need to go into a branch, but when we do, the nearest one is in Trenton, New Jersey – 45 minutes to an hour drive.

All in all, five slightly annoying or inconvenient items on our list after a year in our new state isn’t too bad.  Each day I feel very, very blessed to be here, and am thankful for good jobs (Jeremy is still enjoying his position at U.D. too!), a great home, and a very smooth transition in a major cross country move.  If you are still reading this LONG post, thanks for keeping up with our adventures….signing off to go take a walk at White Clay Creek!

 

My talented, artistic son

Jeremy’s creation, drawn by hand and digitally colored.

And then there were three…..

We’re home and we’re HUNGRY!

This afternoon Jeremy looked out the window (yup, our incredible bay window overlooking the pond) to spot the baby geese!   We’d been very disappointed when the entire family of geese disappeared shortly after I’d taken these photos.  Our neighbors, also avid nature lovers, had shared that in years past the goslings were plucked off by predators and rarely did any survive.  However, one year the parents took off with them, only to reappear later with a few of their children.  Even though I knew it was unlikely, I was sure hoping that was the case this year.

About a week and a half ago, Stanwood and Betsey, as we call them, did show up with their “kids”, and they came up to our porch for some bread.  They took off again that afternoon, and we didn’t see them again…that is, until today.  Stanwood and Betsey had five goslings of their own, but they had somehow “adopted” the three that belonged to another couple that inhabit the pond, giving them eight altogether.  While not all of them survived, there are at least three remaining.  I’m thrilled to have gotten to see them again.

Three month-old baby Canada Geese

Back home in Delaland…

A mama deer and her two babies…a view from my living room bay window.

It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks!  I’ll tell the story of our travels, but I have to say, it is SOOOOOOOOOO refreshing to come home after a trip to our beautiful yard with a view of nature.  The photo above was shot just a few minutes ago from my living room window.  I’d spotted the deer and shouted at Jeremy to bring me the camera before they left.  The wildlife, as you probably know by now, is my favorite part of living in Delaware.  That and being so close to everything here on the East Coast!

Recently we’d planned to take a trip to Minnesota where I’d planned to do some genealogical research.  However, we’ve had a few financial drains lately….2012 taxes (our relocation package was NOT tax-neutral as we’d originally thought), purchase of a new combi-boiler (for you southern Californian’s, it’s the equivalent of replacing your furnace), and some other household things we needed to take care of.  So, we scrapped the Minnesota plans and decided to do short little getaways to places within driving distance.  After all, that was part of the reason for relocating anyway – being near to all these wonderful cities and other places where my ancestors lived!

It started on the Friday before Memorial Day.  Ed and I were sitting on the couch, and I was, as usual, engrossed in my genealogy.  I was looking up some records online, and thinking how neat it would be to go to Boston and nearby Gloucester to do some research.  Apparently I shared my thoughts out loud, as Ed immediately said, Let’s Go!   He jumped off the couch, started calling around to hotels in the area, and arranged our lodging.  Within 15 minutes, we had a suitcase packed and we were on the road by 8 p.m. with just a couple stops necessary to fill the gas tank and get some snacks.  The first four hours were without incident.  I had dozed off but awoke when Ed loudly exclaimed, “That’s not good!”  What?  What is it, I asked!  I was quickly informed that our tire pressure light was on.  ARGH!  It was 1 a.m. and we still had another 1 1/2 hours to go till we got to Boston.  We stopped to get some air in the tire and filled it with Fixaflat, and hoped for the best.  The good news is we did NOT get stranded on the freeway and did not have to sleep on the side of the road.  However, we didn’t make to our hotel in Boston until 4 a.m., having to make multiple stops to gas stations to add more air in the tire.  The next morning we headed out to get the tire replaced, and then were able to enjoy shopping in Boston’s antique shops, where Ed bought me some beautiful sterling silver frames.  (How is it that it was HIS 50th birthday and I got the goodies?  I have myself a keeper!) Now I just need to decide which pictures to put in them!

The next day we headed to Gloucester, just outside of Boston, where my Stanwood ancestors settled in the mid-17th century.  It is indescribable being on the very ground where your family lived 350 years ago.  It was not my first trip there, but the thrill I get when visiting is beyond description.

Sitting at the beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where my many-times great grandparents were settlers from 1650 to 1750.

We visited Annisquam Village Church, where my 7th great grandfather, Benjamin Bradstreet, was the first pastor in 1728.  A parishioner suggested we go inside as church had ended, and we were able to speak to the Reverend, who may actually have documents kept by Benjamin for me to review.  I’m already trying to plan when I can go back….

Tile in Annisquam Village Church where my 7th Great Grandfather, Benjamin Bradstreet, was the first pastor.

We headed back on Sunday.  As usual, I was quite ready to get home to my dogs, and wanted to make it a non-stop drive.  Ed had other thoughts in mind.  Since it was his birthday getaway, I bit my tongue and tried to stay cheerful.   Ed was hoping to find his way through the street of downtown New York to show me a close up view of the statue of liberty and to grab some lunch.  As expected, the streets were crazy busy and we could not find parking.  Ed abandoned the idea after driving around nearly an hour to no avail.  However, I did get this pic of the Freedom Tower with my cell phone:

Freedom Tower in New York

We did make it home about 3:30 p.m. that afternoon….and it felt SO GOOD to be home.  I was NOT looking forward to leaving again in just a couple of weeks, but we had a PLANNED trip to Washington D.C. that we had scheduled in lieu of Minnesota.  So, this past Tuesday we loaded up the car again with luggage and began our trek to our nation’s capital, a two-hour drive from our house.  We hadn’t made it down our drive before we heard a noise.  Ed thought it was nothing, and insisted his car (it now has 130,000 miles on it…you’d never know by the way he pampers it!) was fine to take.  After our ordeal getting to Boston, I wasn’t so sure.  Well, we made it about 30 miles before the problem became apparent – the air dam on his car had come loose.  Fortunately, Ed found a kind soul at a rest stop who had some tie-downs that worked to secure it in place, and we were back on the road.

D.C. was wonderful.  I spent the first day buried in the National Archives, and was able to hold the actual civil war pension applications of my family members, and photograph them.  So incredible to touch the original document that was crafted nearly 150 years ago!  I also got the application for my great-great grandfather’s purchase of public lands in Minnesota.  Incredible!

Grand Army of the Republic monument in Washington D.C.

I didn’t do any of the touristy stuff – left that to Ed while I spent the next morning in the Library of Congress, which was completely and totally overwhelming.  Not nearly as well organized as NARA, it took forever just to find the correct reading room, and then I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, to find they didn’t have the specific book I was needing for my research, despite it being listed in their catalog.  ARGH!  I know there are many treasures there, but to effectively utilized LOC one must really come prepared…something I wasn’t!  So we headed home about 1 p.m. on Thursday, and made the drive without incident.  Whew!  Yes, it was good to be home!

Jobs, cars and parades, oh my!

Breakfast at the Mahieu’s house

My friends tell I’m spoiled.  But I’m not.  I’m really not.  Just because my husband does the cooking (and made the most AWESOME breakfast) does not mean I’m spoiled!  Yes, he made fresh biscuits, topped them with poached eggs and homemade hollandaise sauce, and had shrimp and delicious avocado on the side.  Add to that a yummy Mimosa, and we were set!  Mmmmmmm…….

While our food was pretty spectacular, even more worth sharing is Jeremy’s new job!  He graduated last August with a degree in Manufacturing Design Engineering; however, most manufacturing companies are looking for seasoned, experienced engineers, not new grads.  Since moving to Delaware, he’s continued consulting with a California start-up company doing patent research, but was hoping for a full-time job.  Well, he didn’t get full-time (yet) but he DID land a position at the University of Delaware providing I.T. support.  Whooo hoo! So with a job, he needed a set of wheels.  (Thankfully he’s been saving his money!)  See his purchase Friday below – a pretty, white Toyota Corolla.

Jeremy’s awesome car

This afternoon Ed and I went to Main Street for our town’s Memorial Day parade.

Small town parade in Newark, DE

Yes, I know, it’s a week early but I imagine there are much larger towns with first dibs on the military, senators, mounted police, etc! Ed, Scooter and I sat on the patio of a small restaurant, had a late lunch and watched the parade entrants pass by. Pretty fun!

Babies’ (okay, goslings’) first days!

View our house from the pond, where I spent quite a bit of time goose watching this morning.

One happy family

Huh?

Inquisitive gosling

Stanwood’s five goslings.