Find Blog Pictures More Easily

I've done some work on the blog to make it a bit easier to find pictures on older posts that have dropped off the front page.

You'll notice at the bottom of posts containing photographs, a tag that says "Labels" and further down the page, a list of "Blog Photographs". Simply click on either the label or an item on the list to see all posts with those particular pictures included.

I've added the "Lucia" and "Flowers" label to this post, so you can try it out. Due to space limitations on the front page, you will have to click on "Older Posts", for instance, to find the first pictures of Lucia and older pictures of the dogs (like Jimmy's first copperhead bite).

The labeling isn't complete but should be complete by the end of the weekend.

Saturday Happenings

Jack and I did "wood duty" today -- our woodpile was getting thin after the cold weather we've had the last couple of weeks, and with sunny weather today, we had the perfect opportunity. Dad had already cut the wood into manageable-sized pieces and piled them behind the garage for easy loading, so the task wasn't nearly so involved as it sometimes is.

Two trips in the truck later, we have plenty of wood to last us through the next month. One more wood-collection day in early March should see us through the rest of the winter!

While we were visiting with Mom and Dad, they returned one of Dudley's toys that had been inadvertently left behind the last time he had sleepover with them. I put it in the back seat of the car and didnt' give it another thought until we got home and Dudley came out to help us unload the car. He retrieved his toy and ran around with it like a crazy dog - he was so excited. He rarely shows as much interest in a new toy, much less a an old rope bone that doesn't even have a squeaker in it.

A Visit with the V3

I finally got to see Lucia again this afternoon, and she's just as wonderful as ever. The visit was a bit fragmented due to my attempting to smoothly coordinate it with a car service appointment, but "Bill L.", one of two fabulous service advisors that take care of me at Alexander Toyota, unknowingly allowed me to have some extra time with the V3 by sending me to get dinner.

It seemed strange to arrive without a big welcome by Rufus and his deep, thunderous bark. Lily loves me but not the way Rufus did.

I brought LuV a little stuffed Rufus from the gift shop at the hospital, but she didn't like it at first glance nearly so much as Sis did. One thing is for sure, Lucia already has a great collection of stuffed animals thanks to Aunt Pam, but I love them myself, and if I'm going to indulge her, I have to do it now, while she's still too little to get spoiled to expecting something every visit.

Sis and Chris both looked great today. After I left, I realized that we had planned to take the preliminary pictures for their Valentine card - I had my camera and everything - but the disjointed nature of my visit threw me off base, as did the cost of a sixty-thousand mile service appointment.

I plan to visit with them a couple of times next week, and we'll have ample opportunity to get the picture made. I just hate that they got all cuted up and we didn't get a picture. Lucia was hungry and beginning to get cranky about it, so next week we'll do-over.

Two down, three to go.

Another week is ticking away, and it does appear that we'll have some mid-week winter weather with ice and snow still in the forecast for early tomorrow morning. We're only supposed to get between one and two inches, but that's still enough to make our road treacherous, especially if there's any ice underneath it. The highways all get the brining solution, but we're miles and miles from that...

I brought the laptop from work and a satchel of stuff to do in the event that I end up taking a snow day and working from home.

We're still above-freezing, but it is obvious that the temperature has dropped a bit since I got home earlier, and while the rain has still not started, it is on its way and should arrive within the next hour.

I talked to Sis and Lucia on the phone this afternoon - they were both in good spirits.

It was funny... A few minutes after Sis called, LuV got fussy and wanted to be included, so Sis turned on the speakerphone. As soon as I started talking to LuV, she got so quiet, and Sis said she was just looking at the phone. When she took me off speaker, LuV started fussing again, so the three of us finished our conversation together. It was hiliarious, and I can see this becoming a habit!

I'll be seeing them later this week (unless we get a blizzard) and coming back with lots and lots of good pictures.

Winter Bloom

Yes, we have crocus on the verge of blooming --

HOORAY! Spring is coming.

We'll be cold and likely have some nasty weather between now and then, but three crocus by the driveway is certainly a sign of seasonal progress. The forecast for this evening is perhaps an icy one - we still don't know for sure if we're going to be in the area affected by the big winter storm making its way across the country. In checking the online forecast a few minutes ago, it appears that we'll probably have to settle for rain instead of snow, which would be delightful.

Jack's bad cold is much better this evening, and his eyes finally stopped their constant and uncomfortable watering this morning. I think his case was more severe than mine - it's lingered longer and he had much more facial discomfort with his eyes and nose. He seems to have made significant progress today.

Now that we're well past the holidays and Jack's birthday, we've both buckled down to eat healthier and attempt to get in better shape by the time warm weather does arrive. We've both let it slide for entirely too long, eating as we please, paying no mind to the empty calories of late-night snack food and pretending like none of our calorie intake from the weekends even counts. I actually took my lunch today -- that's a step in the right direction.

Saturday Evening Post

It's been a quiet day around here. Quiet and cold, though we've had a nice fire burning all day long, keeping us toasty warm inside.

Jack has felt horrible all day long and has taken several naps. I sympathize. He's now experiencing the symptoms I had by Monday afternoon and went to bed a couple of hours ago after spending most of the evening in the recliner.

Jack hasn't been my only patient today.

After going to the store with me, Dudley decided to do some "outside stuff" while I put away the groceries. He stayed out for several minutes and came in with his usual level of excitement and energy. I gave him a couple of goldfish crackers, since I'd forgotten dog cookies while I was in town and didn't notice anything was out of sorts until he barked at me, as if to say, "Hey, look at me!"

His whole face, from his pointy nose to his pointy ears to his pointy head, was breaking out in hives. I don't know if it was something he got into outside or something he found to eat or a horrible reaction to goldfish crackers, but he was lumpy and bumpy. His breathing didn't seem to be affected, so I gave him a Benadryl to help ease the hives and the itching.

He's been peacefully passed-out and hive-free for the past three hours.

Mom sent a few new pictures of LuV that she made Thursday while The V3 were at the farm. She's definitely grown beyond that newborn look - she's beautiful, and you have to love the hat with the ears!

Friday, Friday

The week has finally come to an end, and I'm glad.

During the first part of it, I had a horrible cold, but having planned ahead for inauguration day, I already had a couple of things that I'd just sort of "messed with" over the weekend, the Olbermann piece being one of them, that were easy enough to just pull up and post.

The Rufus video was a labor of love for Sis, but thanks to Lucia, it was much easier to do than the ones I've done in the past.

When I started taking pictures of LuV, I decided to start using the "tag" function in my photo software to make them easy to find without having to scroll through everything to find pictures of specific things. After figuring out a few little tricks and learning to tag batches at a time, I went through everything, which made Rufus' pictures much easier to find than they were to look at when I needed them the other day.

We're still all quite sad about Rufus, but there was some closure yesterday when The V3 made a trip to the farm, LuV's first trip to the farm, to bury him.

LuV is apparently growing like a weed -- I haven't seen her in a couple of weeks and can't wait to get my hands on her next week. With this darn cold, I wasn't able to go see her this week as I'd planned...

Speaking of darn colds - I have a sickly husband to tend and think that perhaps he needs a peppermint foot rub.

Goodnight, all.

New Lucia Pictures

Mom took a few new pictures of LuV while she and Dad visited with The V3 yesterday.

It's hard to believe how quickly she is growing and changing!

Rufus: I'm With You

I put together this tribute for Rufus last evening after we got the news --

He was really special.

Rufus Update

Rufus' surgery went well, but the vet was unable to get him stablized postoperatively. The tumor on his spleen was much larger than anticipated, and despite blood transfusions and aggressive treatment, he wasn't able to pull through.

It's a sad night.

BIRTHDAY BOY!!!

Today is Jack's birthday. He's not that old at all for a guy his age.

Happy birthday, sweetie!

We met Mom and Dad for lunch at "catfish hill" and had a wonderful time. The weather was warmer today, and with the sun out, we had a great view of the marina and a seat at the window that wasn't too cold. We always enjoy our outings with them and have a big time - today was no exception, but we forgot to tell the waitresses it was Jack's birthday and ask them to sing for him...

This picture of Jack is from his first birthday, and considering that we're winding down to the end of the football season, I thought this was really appropriate; even though when people like Jack and I celebrated our first birthdays, there was no Superbowl. Seriously, the first Superbowl occurred mere months before I turned two. Though I'm giving up my age here, the Superbowl and I are always the same age.

Other than lunch, we have nothing special planned for the evening, and we're still so full from lunch, a big dinner simply wasn't in order.

We're settled in, watching "We are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial" on HBO, which is fantastic. If it gets replayed on the networks or you have an opportunity to watch it on DVD, I highly recommend it to all political persuasions. The music is great - Garth Brooks doing "American Pie" and "Shout" with tens of thousands of people singing along is worth the watch!

Aside from Garth, in what was perhaps the most personally moving part of the whole show, Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen led the crowd in ALL the verses of "This Land (is Your Land)". I remembered learning to sing it as a little girl with Mom playing the piano, feeding me the lines in much the same way Pete Seeger did with the crowd today.

Footage from key inaugurals in our history; Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy were highlighted, and there was a very dramatic reading of Lincoln's writings by Tom Hanks with Aaron Copland's "A Portrait of Lincoln" as the background music. It was fabulous and much more about the historic relevance of great presidents and pride in America than Barack Obama.

Jack said, "This is better than any DVD movie you could've given me, but I definitely want it when they release it on DVD."

Jack's sister Nancy has called to wish him a "Happy Birthday" a bit ago, and Sis called last evening to do the early birthday WWAAAA-hoooooooooooooooo, but otherwise the birthday-line has been quiet.

Jack's mother lost track of the year of Jack's birth a LONG time ago, believing him two years younger than he actually is, but she never forgot the date. She would've called about now...

I'll be posting live Tuesday as the unofficial Center Hill Lake Inaugural Blogger and will perhaps have some new pictures of LuV by then, so be prepared for something special!

Happy Thoughts for Rufus

I'm sure a lot of you that know Sis & Chris have had the opportunity to meet Rufus, their wonderful black lab at some point.

He has been Sis' protector since he was; really since they both were, just pups living in Memphis. Sis already had Bonnie, a golden retriever she got during her stint at graduate school in Knoxville, when her good friends Carol and Bob let their dog have a litter of black lab puppies. Sis would go visit them and play with the babies after work, coming home to Bonnie with the distinct odor of "puppy" on her clothes.

Sis loved Rufus from the very beginning, so when Carol and Bob offered to let her have him as a playmate for Bonnie, she brought him home, and he became "family".

From creepy guys in the park to would-be home invaders, Rufus has been "the heavy" with the big bark and the protective nature. Since Lucia's birth, he's been every bit as protective of the new pup in the house, attending to diaper changes and late night feedings with curious interest and that same level of concern he's always had when things are "afoot".

A couple of weeks ago when I last spent the night with The V3, I made Rufus leave the nursery, because he was making a pest of himself. Moments later, Sis and I heard a ripping noise from just outside the door. It sounded like something was tearing carpet off the floor, so I checked on the situation.

Me: "It's OK, he just has a rawhide."

Sis: "Where would he get a rawhide? We don't give them rawhides."

Me: "Ooop - it's not a rawhide --"

Sis: "What is it?"

Me: "My checkbook."

Yes, Rufus had removed the checkbook from my purse and was underway with destroying it when I took it away from him. My purse appeared absolutely undistrubed, still sitting upright, no slobber, nothing. He started at the back of it and actually only removed a couple of deposit tickets, so other than the checkbook being slightly "loved on", it's still intact.

Whenever I forget the kind of dog-intellect I'm dealing with, Rufus has a way of reminding me.

Last week Sis and Chris found out that Rufus is sick. He has a growth on his spleen and has become anemic because of it. They'd noticed some recent weight loss and then spotted a "lump" in his side early last week. A trip to the vet and an x-ray later, they had a tentative diagnosis and options to consider.

Tomorrow Rufus is having surgery to remove the growth and possibly his spleen, given that additional x-rays don't show that it's a disease process which has spread to his other organs. The plan is for him to spend several days with the vet before being released home post-operatively.

They are understandably worried, as are we all. Mom and Dad are traveling to the baby house to help take care of Lucia tomorrow, as Sis and Chris' minds will be skirting off to other places throughout the day.

Rufus is a special dog -- he LOVES Aunt Pam, who forgives his excitement and his bad breath and his pilferings of my pocketbook.

Whether they're warm or fuzzy or both, hold your dear ones closely this evening, and let them know they're loved. Even if they're miles and miles away.

We love you, Rufus.

An Evening With Janis Ian and Gretchen Peters

Jack and I are home from our Friday night on the town, safe and sound. We had a blast --



Janis Ian and Gretchen Peters were playing a benefit for Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee this evening in Nashville, so Jack and I made reservations and went. We got the VIP tickets, which allowed us entry 45 minutes before everyone else, giving us an opportunity to meet with the artists during a wine reception before the show. It was great.

We'd split an order of nachos at the Mexican place across the parking lot from the venue, which was so convenient, especially given the cold weather.

During the reception, we got to chat with some really neat people and meet the wonderful Janis Ian, who simply walked up, stuck out her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Janis Ian -- so glad you could join us this evening."

She introduced Gretchen and stood talking with Jack and I for several minutes before strolling off to chit-chat with the dozens of other people in the room. There were some familiar faces in the crowd. All were smiling and obviously having a good time...

For those of you who might not recognize Janis' name, I've added a link. If you click on her name, you'll go to Wikipedia, which includes a good rundown of her history.

Take it from those who heard her earlier this evening; at 57, "At Seventeen" sounds just as sweet being sung by the original voice.

It was a great evening, but it's come to an end, and I'm now joining my snoring husband. I'll fill in more details tomorrow --

Ten Degrees and Getting Colder

Since I've picked up a larger audience here on the blog, I've tried to limit the amount of time I spend discussing the weather, but we've got a blast of arctic chill that absolutely deserves mention. We didn't even get into the thirties today, and currently the red stuff goes up to the "10" on the thermometer outside, drawing reference to a wonderful Gordon Lightfoot song that I can't seem to find anywhere online right now.

The latest forecast has us hitting somewhere around 5 degrees by morning, and I believe it's going to happen. Schools throughout Middle Tennessee are cancelled tomorrow due to the dangerous temperatures, and if tomorrow weren't a big day in the city, I'd be lobbying with my boss to work from home.

Jack and I have a date planned for a real outing, and we're looking forward to it, despite the forecast of really cold weather again tomorrow evening.

Stay warm, all -- it's late, and I'm hitting the sack.

With all the much-deserved "a-do" about Baby LuV, we've lost track of the dogs, and it's been awhile since the exploits of Jimmy, Dudley and Diva have made their way onto the blog.

Truth be told, this is a slow time of the year for them. The big dogs get out in the early mornings to do their business and retreat until afternoon. By the time I get home, nobody is ready for a photo opportunity, and on recent weekends, chill-time on the couch, playing spoons with Jack and me, seems preferable to running across the neighbor's yard after a tennis ball.

It's not a bad thing -- calm, quiet dogs are preferable to those who bounce off walls and bark until all hours...

Dudley and Jimmy have taken turns in the recliner this evening. They're snuggly-sweet, especially when the weather is cold and they're warm!

Jack made one of his best pots of chili EVER over the weekend. It was phenomenal! I've posted the recipe before, but if you missed it and don't want to have to search for it, drop me an e-mail at 2busyandersons@gmail.com. Jack is happy to share.

Sleep well, all -- I'll hopefully have new pictures of LuV soon!

Beautiful People

Mom sent me new pictures this evening --

Sis & Chris went out on a date last evening and looked beautiful!!!!

It's been a few days since the last post, but I've been a busy chick with the first week back to work after the hit-or-miss of the holidays, and we had a slight problem with our internet connectivity mid-week that required a trip to the local telephone office.

Reasons? Excuses?

I would've posted earlier in the day and actually pulled up the blog at the beginning of the Titans-Ravens game, but who could focus on writing one's name, much less a halfway-decent blog post, during a nail-biting drama like that?

Today was actually a "big drama" day on more than one sports front -- Tennessee making the last-minute surge to victory at Georgia was a roundball game worth watching this morning. Vanderbilt then went to Kentucky for a loss, which is particularly bittersweet considering the amount of multi-generational 'cats-'dores in-breeding we have in our family. In a situation like this, it's sad to see anyone lose so easily. Three overtimes, stomping on the bleachers, "Coach Luna"-style strategic meltdowns that lead to technical fouls and intense tests of nerve, tight 1970's satiny boys' basketball shorts; the trip home from an away-game, knowing that, win or lose, the game was meaningful...

Ahhhh -- I digress.

Jack and I both had high hopes for the play-off game -- we were padded-up and ready-to-play at kick-off and were thrilled to see the Titans quickly answer the Ravens' score on their opening drive. By all appearances during the first seven minutes of the game, we were in for a rainy-day treat. As the game drew on, we began to worry. Injuries to the (based on his early-game performance) the "Payton-esque" Chris Johnson and LSU alum, center Kevin Mawae, significantly impacted the outcome and the ability of the Titans to fight through the challenging conditions presented.

As one who devotes probably half my time at work to the cause-and-effect of human error, I could rant on and on about missed opportunities, yards lost to penaties, absence of critical thinking, loose hands, lack of focus, tunnel vision, impractical decision-making, letting the heart do the thinking and so on, but I won't.

That Tennessee's dream season has come to an end is the reality all fans, whatever degree of fanatacism, must swallow. Funny, how much "raven" tastes like "crow"...

One word, Titans -- "Nevermore."

As a brief side note, I'd like to give acknowledgement to my Aunt Ruth. During a visit with her and my East Family after my high school graduation, she toured my cousin, Bill Jr. (he and I both graduated in '83), and me through the Edgar Allen Poe house in Baltimore. We also went to a Renaissance Fair and got body paint, but that's a whole 'nother story...

We'd intended to get so much accomplished today, but we all know about the path to hell and good intentions, so despite the football loss, Jack and I will both sleep well tonight.

On another note, Sis & Chris are on a date!

Mom and Dad have LuV detail for the evening while the new parents attend a charity function within smoke-signal distance of home. When I talked with Mom earlier, she said all was well, and that upon departure from the home-front, Sis was gorgeous in one of her pre-pregnancy outfits, looking like a million bucks. I don't doubt it and can't wait to see the pictures, which will be posted here on the blog as soon as Mom zaps them to me tomorrow.

She's also going to send some new pictures of LuVbug, so look forward to those!

Per Mom's report, LuV is now holding her head up for periods of time, looking around and focusing on things she likes, engaging with her environment and successfully wrapping her Papa (and everyone else who meets her, but especially her Papa; and me) around her pinkie fingers.

As a last note, here's the "Saturday night tip" --

If you have a cat or multiple cats and a DSL modem, the intersect can be disastrous to your connectivity if it includes regurgitated bits of Science Diet Senior Hairball Plus and pieces of forest critter that still have hair on them.

"It just stopped working."

Thanks for reading, and Happy Sunday -

My evening with Sis and Lucia was great...

Mom and Dad had been with them during the day, helping out while Chris attended his sweet grandpa's funeral with his brother and GrandV, and they were still there when I arrived after a rough commute in the pouring rain that took entirely too long and required entirely too much patience with other drivers. Mom had fixed a roast with carrots and potatoes, corn and green peas -- comfort food at the end of a rainy Monday with the original Page family was a blast from the past plus a baby, though LuV slept through the earlier part of the evening.

When it was time for Mom and Dad to go home, and the "goodnights" were happening, LuV decided to wake up to have some quality time with Dad. It's already quite obvious that she and "Papa" are going to have a very special relationship, and watching the way it develops is going to be a real treat. After she woke up and went through her five-minute stretch and yawn routine, punctuated with all kinds of nifty "baby noises" (which I MUST capture on video while she's still little-bitty - it's the funniest, cutest thing I have ever seen in my life), whoever picked her up (possibly Mom) did it from the wrong side of the crib.

LuV started out having a "bad hair day", but she was quickly soothed with some Papa time...

Then Mom jumped in with some storytime, and all was well with the world.

It SHALL be noted that when all was said and done, Aunt Pam scored the big goal in getting LuV to calm down and go to sleep when it was bedtime. I slept fabulously until 4 o'clock in the morning or so when I held LuV and kept her calm

On a last note, I'd just like to mention how very proud I am of Sis for everything she's accomplished in her life and the woman she continues to create and define -- I particurlarly celebrate the way she's approaching motherhood. She is absolutely ROCKING at this and can hand me a baby to comfort at 4 a.m. anytime...

I ran into Sis' friend, Jane, at the grocery store on the way home, and I'd like to just give her a "shout out" for reading the blog and being supportive of my creativity here. Thanks, Jane!

Away and Back

Jack and I are fresh off-the-road from a "flash trip" to South Central Florida to attend one last memorial service for his mother.

The Andersons Senior lived in Highlands County for almost three decades, accumulating countless friends over the years. This memorial has been in-the-works for several months and was an opportunity for their friends to pay last respects. Thanks to the hard work and effort of good friends - Judy, Carol, Patty, Elsa and whoever else played a part - the memorial was beautiful and perfect for the occasion. Joan would have loved it as much as she loved any other occasion that involved these special, beautiful friends.

Jack's dad was in good spirits, despite the purpose of the gathering. He and Joan would have celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary on New Year's...

I took lots of pictures throughout the day and into the evening meal, which included family and a few close friends that were able to join us. The photographs are posted at the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/2busyandersons/JoanAndersonMemorial


They will also be added as a slideshow here on the blog as soon as the album is available.

Also, please note that the memorial video is still linked here on the sidebar to the right.

2009 is Here

Happy New Year, everyone!!!

Hopefully everyone had fun and safe celebrations last evening -- Jack and I were both exhausted and ended up falling asleep on the couch well before midnight. It's happened before, and considering the good nights' sleep we got, well worth missing seeing the clock change.

Mom and Dad called a bit ago to let us know that Chris' grandfather, GrandV's father, has passed away. He was a very special man to Chris and Sis and seemingly everyone who ever met him. Please keep their family and ours in your thoughts and prayers.

I have briefly talked with both Sis & Chris, and while they're understandably heartbroken, they know how much joy Lucia's healthy birth and pictures of her beautiful little face brought him.

Mom sent me some pictures she took earlier today, and those are the ones pictured at the top of the page.