Tuesday, May 31, 2011

MEMORIAL DAY PARADE PART 2

Back to work today and was it ever busy.  I think we must have taken in over 700 movies today.  That's not counting the books.  Sometimes I feel as if I work in a video store instead of a library.  Lots of phone calls too.  It was so busy I didn't even take dinner.  That's no great loss since I always wait until I get home at 8:30 p.m. to eat.

Cherdecor mentioned yesterday that it was very hot to watch a parade.  It was hot, but we were sitting in the shade, there was a breeze, and it was in the morning before it got too hot.

Here are the rest of the pictures from the parade:

This is a group called "Hype" that did all types of flag twirling.  Very good.


Some of the Navy Reserves.


And the Army Airborne Association.


Of course the Boy Scouts always march.


Another pipe and drum corps.  Their sign was blowing and I couldn't read who they were, but they were good.  I love bagpipes.


Here's the Ferko String Band.  They weren't wearing their costumes, but I don't blame them.  Those costumes are heavy and hot!



This is a group made up of almost all the Protestant churches in the neighborhood.  I marched with them one year.


This is the neighborhood Catholic elementary school's float.  Joe's twin boys attend this school.  Right after I took this picture they set off a confetti gun.  Of course it was so quick I couldn't get a picture of it.  That seemed to be the way the day went.


This was an Irish dance group.  They didn't dance for us, though.



Here are some mummers in costume.  They were with the Irish dancers.



This was part of the Bridesburg Outboard Motor Club.  Loved this car!


Here's the ROTC from my alma mater.


Another honor guard.


This Army truck was huge.  Joe says he's been on one.  I can't figure out how he got in it!


The Aqua String Band.  They weren't wearing costumes either.


An old (and I do mean old) Philly bus.  A blast from the past!


We knew the parade was ending when we saw good old number 33 fire engine.

Of course there was much more, but these are the highlights of the parade.  Hope you enjoyed it.  My vacation, Memorial Day and the month of May are over.  On to June and let's see what that brings.

Monday, May 30, 2011

MEMORIAL DAY PARADE

Happy Memorial Day!  I hope you all had a good day and remembered the real reason we celebrate this day.  It upsets me that so many people think this is just the first day of the summer season and don't remember our men and women who gave their lives for this country.

My friend Carole came over this morning and she and I went to see the Bridesburg neighborhood parade.  It is the largest Memorial Day parade in Philadelphia.  But it was pretty small this year.  They were having trouble raising enough money to pay for it.  I'm glad we had it at all.  Even though it was smaller, it still took about an hour and a half to view and was a great parade.

Tonight Carole and Walt came over.  We were going to cook out but it was too hot (93 degrees!), so we ate our hot dogs and hamburgers in air conditioned comfort.  It's been a good day.  Back to work tomorrow.

Here I am getting ready to go to the parade.  Not a great picture, though.

The Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Society which is across from my house.  They have the flags of each of the branches of service out front along with a POW/MIA flag.  The parade began with a motorcycle group -- all Vietnam Vets.


Then came antique cars.  There were some older and better ones than these, but they went by so fast I couldn't get pictures of them.  But the one I loved was a 1958 Bel Air.  I remember riding in a car like that.  Ah, those were the days.



The Marine Corps honor guard.

One of the American Legion Posts.


Our State Representative, John Taylor, and State Senator Mike Stack.


And our Mayor, Michael Nutter.  He's the one on the right.  When he passed I yelled out, "Hello, Mr. Mayor!"  He turned toward me, smiled, and said, "Hi there young lady."  I think he might need new glasses.  Ha, ha!


This band came all the way from Cinnaminson, NJ.



Another American Legion Post.

Loved this truck.  Especially the back.  It says, "All gave some, some gave all."



One of my favorites -- the Police & Fire Pipes and Drums.



I have a few more pictures to show you, but it's getting late and I need to get to bed.  Didn't get much sleep last night, so want to make sure I sleep tonight.  I'll finish tomorrow.

GARDEN

I have lots of work to do in my garden, but wanted to show you the blooming flowers.  Please just overlook the deadheading I have to do to my rosebushes.




For two years my irises did not bloom.  I kept thinning them out and this year they finally bloomed and did well.  I still have a few out there, but I think their time is almost over.


I love my peace rosebush.  It was here when I moved in.  In fact there were 16 rosebushes in my tiny little yard.  I love roses.  A few bushes have died, and some of those have been replaced.  I have 14 bushes now.  But the peace rose is my favorite.


This is another one of the old rosebushes.  This is the most fragrant rose in the yard.  When you go outside in the spring the whole yard smells of roses -- especially this bush.


This is the one bush that drives me crazy -- my climbing rose.  It was worse when there was nothing for it to climb on.  I had to buy a trellis.  It goes over everything and is uncontrollable.  Again, it was here before I was.  The problem now is that it is entwined with poison ivy.  This is going to be a project for the coming week.  Fortunately I am not allergic to poison ivy, but Joe is so he keeps far, far away.

I was going to work in the yard today, but after working all day I was too tired to do it.  I'll take pictures during the week to show you how it's coming along.

Friday, May 27, 2011

CHANGES


I'm in a state of change.  There are major things changing in my life.  I feel that God is leading me in a new direction.  I can't say what it is right now, but I am praying for wisdom in which way to go.  I know He will show me the right way.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

BACK TO WORK

It was back to work today.  I was very busy, but that was good.  The day went really quickly.

It is hot here today.  We still don't have our air conditioners in, so the house is really hot.  We are going to put at least one in as soon as I am done here.  Joe was so hot he came back to the library with me at dinner time to cool off.  I, on the other hand, have been freezing all day and even put my sweater on.

We went to the diner for dinner tonight.  I finally got the fried chicken I've been craving for a couple of days.  It was really good.

One more day and then a day off.  At least tomorrow is my easy day at the Fishtown Library.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

OCEAN CITY, NEW JERSEY -- LAST DAY

This is the last day of our vacation.  It has been such a super time.

Last night we went looking for a restaurant that was open because we got out there kind of late.  We found one on the boardwalk called Ocean Cafe.  We figured it was a sandwich shop but were we ever wrong.  It was a higher end Italian restaurant.  The service was excellent and the food was wonderful.  Joe had handmade gnochi with four cheese sauce.  I had a green salad with tuna salad on top.  And let me tell you, that was no canned tuna.  So good.  It was a great atmosphere and very romantic.  A nice end to the day.

Joe surprised me this morning by handing me a box and telling me it was a gift from him.  In it was a beautiful turquoise and sterling silver starfish necklace.  I love it.  I was wearing a turquoise top and it just fit perfectly.



Today we went back to Augie's for breakfast.  Then we loaded up the car and checked out.  We asked if we could leave the car in the parking lot for a few hours and the lady said we could stay there all day and even use their pool if we wanted to.  It's such a nice place.  It's pretty too.  The landscaping is beautiful.  I took some pictures from our balcony and some on the ground level.




We went up to the boardwalk and walked to Jilly's Arcade again.  



We played some more pinball and skee ball.  Then we went to the Christmas shop and I got some Christmas and birthday gifts.  So now I'm ahead of the game.

I know I took this picture last year, but I couldn't resist taking it again.  I guess this arcade place will open this weekend.  Everything down there is gearing up for that.

The water was much calmer today.

And there were lots of people on the beach.

We would have loved to join them, but just stayed on the boards.


We thought about getting lunch, but were both still full from breakfast.  So instead we stopped at the Fudge Kitchen and I got fudge and some other goodies for myself, Carole (who has been taking care of the house and the cat) and the people at work.



We walked back to the car and headed home.  

 Goodbye beach and ocean....


Goodbye seagulls....


Joe wasn't feeling all that great.  I drove home and it really wasn't that bad of a drive.  He took beautiful pictures of the bay and the Rainbow Islands as we crossed.







When we got home we started unpacking the car and Carole came over.  She didn't know we were back and was coming to take in the mail and feed Jenny.  So I was able to give her the fudge and a little stuffed tiger that Joe won today.

I went to the door to walk her to her car and we saw lots of black smoke.  There was a two-alarm fire a few blocks from us in a waste treatment plant.  The trash caught on fire.




So our vacation started with and ended with a fire.

We're back home eating take away Chinese food.  Vacation is fun, home is good.