It seems like this is my time for things to break down.

My "Cricut" has been acting up and I think it's on it's way out.  I've had it for a few years.  I'm going to try opening it up and blowing it out and see if that helps. 

My espresso machine has been acting up.  I decided to clean it out as best as I could without using an "actual coffee machine cleaner", in the interim I loosened the "nut" that holds the steam wand the nut (plastic) broke.  I sent the company an email on Friday and of course they were closed until Tuesday, so that will be taken care of.
I tried to make coffee and it still didn't work well.  So on Sunday I used a cleaner and now we're in business.........

My hand mixer is also acting up a little.  Only when I have it on a slow speed it seems to shut itself off (hmmm, does it know my Cricut?).  I did manage to get the cupcakes and pound cake done yesterday so we're fine there.  I always have the "big gun", my KitchenAid. 

Lately, I've been feeling like I can't get ahead...............

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!

Hard to sleep when you have such a huge mental list!

Got up to horrible weather, really, it's winter again!

Decided first thing, throw in a load of wash and start baking the cupcakes.  

No cupcake liners and of course I want white or red or silver.  No choice but to go to the market.  I opted to go to Shop n Kart and lucky me found red liners!!!!

Back home to an egg sandwich Pete made and onto baking 48 cupcakes and a pound cake for dessert tonight (topped with whip cream and strawberries). In between baking I cleaned out my closet (something on my mental list).  Happy to get that done!!!!

Inside work today since it is miserable today, so miserable when I was driving to the market the guy behind me had snow on his car!  

Right now I'm resting and updating this blog to get a break and then I'm back to doing little paint touch-ups in the house and working on decorations for Rocky's party.  

YummyKake and plants

Saturday was all about getting up and getting done!

First stop, Yummykake to order Rocky's photo graduation cake.  

1)  Yummykake is no more: they are now "Larry's Cupcakes"

2)  I'm left in the cold with no photo graduation cake

With the recession they have found that people are not spending money on high end cakes so they are trying their hand at cupcakes.  They now have a storefront that will be open until 11pm in Ashland on Pioneer Street, next to "Tabu". Their filled cupcakes are $3.25 (a little high). 

I had an alternative.......I could have ordered a photo sheet and dropped it on a cake but I knew thought I could get my cake at YUMMYKAKE!  So it's too late to order the photo sheet and I ended up ordering Rocky's favorite cake from Market of Choice, simple but I am making Red Velvet cupcakes too.

After my huge disappointment I  (in the pouring rain) went to Valley View Nursery to finish getting the last of the plants for this season.  We're "planted" out!  Happy to report I found everything I was looking for there.  

I went home and started planting the last of the bulbs (remember them).  I only got in about 60 until I couldn't take the cold and drizzle anymore.  

Inside to make dinner, back outside to work on a couple of little things......

Happy  B-day to my bff Marie!  

 Can't wait until we can celebrate together!

The Beatles and Rocky

There are places I'll remember

All my life, though some have changed

Some forever, not for better

Some have gone and some remain

All these places have their moments

With lovers and friends I still can recall

Some are dead and some are living

In my life I've loved them all............

At Tuesday night's final Orchestra Concert which included 7th and 8th graders, the six graduating seniors walked up front and gave the next generation "pearls of wisdom". When the last senior (Ashley Hoe) was done she said, "I believe Rocky wants to say something else", she handed Rocky the mike and he turned around and started belting out "In My Life" by the Beatles.  How surprised were we!  The three of us, mom, Pete, myself beaming with pride on our tear, streamed faces.  How easy it was for him to just sing, to talk, not so much. 

It just goes to prove that Rocky never ceases to amaze us.  I look forward to that for the rest of my life.........

The most ironic part about the whole thing was that it wasn't planned until Tuesday morning , on Monday afternoon I had printed off the lyrics for that song for my personal use. 

I asked Rocky why that song and he said "I was kinda thinking about you when I chose it"; he knew it was one of my favorite songs..............

To top all this off, his Orchestra teacher, Gerry Pare was the one that initiated the whole thing, knowing how  much Rocky loves to sing, she said she was bawling during rehearsal and during his performance.....

Monday's Scholarship ceremony was a little long, but pretty exciting, so many shining faces, excited, eager to start their new lives.  It was only long because there was so much MONEY to give out - wow!!!!

Rocky ended up getting the Howard-Bullen Family Scholarship which consisted of two $1,500.00 awards.  Pretty nice - huh! 

Thanks to Pete because he (Rocky) said "aw, I bet there's not much there".............well, he ended up getting one of the larger ones!

I try to keep up with the "Grizz-O-Gram" and notified Pete and Rocky of the upcoming deadline and Pete got on it with Rocky. 

So a little bit of work really paid off.

Senior Project - done!

Today is a big day for this guy............

Senior Project is due

Pete was dropping off his suit for Rocky to wear to the presentation.  Apparently, it's a big thing, they must be dressed up, no classes this afternoon, there is a community committee and the juniors are invited to be a part of it!  I had no idea!

His project.............he shadowed Bob DiChiro in his recording studio.  He also just went and hung out there when he wasn't shadowing just to be part of it. 

Good Luck Baby Boy!!!!

Last night Rocky told us that he submitted his "solo" info and it was not entered on the program. It was lost or misplaced because Holly didn't get the info, sooooo that's off.  We are all so disappointed but he said not to contact her because you have to practice for her or else it won't happen.  I'm sure Rocky has practiced many times at home..............Oh, well, I'll still tape the show but am very disappointed.

I said practice at home because we are constantly hearing Rocky sing in his bedroom.  His favorite music right now is "The Producers" (the musical)!  He is so in love with that film, wish I could have taken him to see the actual musical!  If you haven't seen it, and you like musicals it's very funny.  And when Rocky is in love with something he buys everything the DVD and music!

Tonight is the Choir concert and I'm sure it will be great, can't wait.

Been busy with this guy and the big day coming up, June 3rd.

He finally picked up his cap and gown and we had a little photo shoot for a picture to put in the announcements (sorry, everyone will not be receiving an announcement, I did not order enough (what was I thinking)).

He got a haircut yesterday afternoon in town, and on the ride home he told me "oh, by the way I need photos of me for the orchestra concert".   After our photo shoot, I had to look for photos and start scanning in older photos to send to Gerry Pare.  At the last Orchestra concert there is always a slide show of senior's photos.  

This Thursday we have a show choir concert at 7pm and baby boy gets a solo.  If any of my valley friends want to go, it's in the high school theater.

Monday, we have to go to the theater for scholarship awards (thank goodness he's getting something!)

Tuesday, we have the final Orchestra performance (if any of my valley friends want to go to that, it's in the theater, 7pm).
I will be looking forward to that memorial day weekend to get my heavy duty cleaning done, that's for sure!
This weekend I have to take mom to Medford to buy something to wear for graduation, so that will be an all day trip.  Sunday, hopefully I will be out gardening (haven't finished that yet)!  Lots to do!
 Keep Saturday, June 4th, 2pm-5pm open for an "Open House".  Invites coming soon!

the big planter (2 photos above)

the smaller one with just a couple of new plants

I'll take photos when Pete is done.  Of course he has informed me I need to go back to Valley View Nursery!

landscaping

I have to report that Pete is planting away!  All the plants we bought on Sunday were planted and he was on his way to planting the new batch I bought the other night.

Of course, he did happen to mention this morning that we need about 5 more to actually be done.............yes, I will definitely be DONE by then.

The bulbs are still in the process of being planted, not enough hours in the day. 

Tomorrow I will be scrapbooking the day away with friends and hopefully on Sunday (rain expected) I can get on those bulbs!

Back to Valley View after work and 13 plants later I'm back home.

Pete has finished planting all the plants we got on Sunday!  Wow, I was impressed.

He'll have his part done and then I have to plant the other 90-ish bulbs.  

I've been trying to do little bits after work but, I'm not sure how much it will be raining tonight....

Seems like there's never enough hours in the day!  

Work, family, honey-do's.

With the move of the Development offices, I've been helping out with things, i.e. luncheon for all the people responsible for the construction, etc.  and the "Open House" today.

Karen and I hit Costco and Cash n Carry yesterday to get goodies for the Open House.

4 cheesecakes, 2 Tuxedo Mousse cakes (Kristi, yes, they are great), 2 assorted cookies packs, grapes, strawberries, some salty bar snack thing and a bunch of juices.  We supplemented with a fruit tray and Harry and David truffles, which we have on hand.

I helped set up and everything turned out pretty well, they had a good turnout.  

Tomorrow is a luncheon (at Larks) for Jason Keen who is leaving the company to become a Development Director somewhere else and on Thursday I get to visit the Chiropractor to see if they can help me with my sacroiliac, I'm crossing my fingers.

This just about sums up Mother's Day.....

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends and family!

Sleep in, take a nap, do your nails, have someone else make the meals, today is your day!

Celebrate!

We're headed to Morning Glory for a great breakfast........

The old gray truck she ain't what she used to be.............

When we moved here Pete decided to buy a newer 4x4 truck and "save" this one for Rocky, that was almost 7 years ago.  Pete drove it a couple of times the first year and then it stayed outside, sitting and unwanted.

I've been bugging Pete for about a year to get it ready to sell.  Why keep it, why not sell it to someone that would get use out of it.  A couple of weeks ago he finally got it ready and did some research to see how much we could get for it.  It had 104,000 miles on it and needed new tires but still in pretty good shape.  I put it on Craigslist and the first person to actually drive up here and see it bought it.  Pete had a few calls but no real "takers".   We actually had a couple of people that wanted to trade stuff.
All in all it only took about a week to sell!  Pete was asking for $1,495. and the guy gave him $1,400.  Pretty good, huh!

My Sunday:

1) bike ride on the Bear Creek bike path

2) go to the nursery get plants for hanging pots

3) more gardening

4) bathe Annie

5) dinner

6) color hair

7) watch Celebrity Apprentice

8) pass out

Whew, I'm tired thinking about my day yesterday!  

One thing on my list of "to do's", ride on the Bear Creek bike path and finally the weather was picture perfect to try out the new bike!

After not riding a bike for MANY years we decided to ride to Phoenix, stop at Jack in the Box, get breakfast and ride back.  

No problem getting there but getting back to Ashland.........this ole, girl got a little tired.  Next time I think we'll just go to Talent and back, something more do-able for someone that needs to get her "bike legs" back. 

After the ride, we hit "Ashland Greenhouses" to buy some plants for the hanging pots outside.  Wow, I should have taken a photo, that place is something else!  They supply nurseries and mostly grow smaller stuff, they don't sell trees, etc. 

Home to plant.  I actually got to plant a few bulbs, so I have started that project.  

While Pete was making dinner, I bathed Annie because I just couldn't wait another week to get her bathed and the weather was just right.

All, in all a very productive weekend.

some of what I was working on

Pete is working on a low rock wall under the heather

a little snow peaking out in those back hills

A peak into my Saturday:

1)  I need a ride to town (Rocky)

2) Oh, hell I might as well run to BiMart and buy his socks, undies and some spray paint

3)  Get to working on the yard

4) Get ready for "date night"

5) Come home and pretty much go to bed 

Still lots of cleaning up, adding compost and fertilizer to many plants.  Need to have all this done before we can bring in the next big load of plants.