WHAT A LAZY WEEKEND!

Ever have one of those weekends?  I have not been feeling all that great, but still pushing myself to go to work, do stuff around the house, etc.  So this weekend, with the beautiful weather, became my lazy down time.  I just couldn't force myself to do anything.

Well, of course I did do some things.  I did wash.  I did dishes.  I cooked.  I read books.  I watched TV.  And I became addicted to a new computer game that I ended up buying. 

I very seldom become enamored of games.  I will play for a few minutes and then move on to something else.  But this time I played for 3 hours!  When I looked at the clock I totally could not believe how much time had passed.  I can't be playing that game very often.  But it was just what I needed this weekend.  I have been so stressed out with all my health issues and when I was playing "Barn Yarn" I completely forgot about feeling bad, the upcoming procedure, etc.  I ended up relaxing which is probably just what my body needed.

We had an amazing service at church yesterday.  I am so glad I went.  Not only did I get to hang out with some of my friends, but the message on the Prodigal Son was unbelievably good.  I took so many notes and I am going to read over them a couple of times this week.  There was so much to absorb.

Joe wasn't feeling well yesterday.  He is fighting a sore throat.  So we ended up not going to Pennsbury Manor.  We will go when he is feeling better.  But we did make plans last night with our friends Karen and Bud to go on our second annual Joe and Bud birthday get away.  Last year we went to Ocean City to celebrate their birthdays and had a blast.  We are going to a different shore this year and expect to have an even better time.  By getting one suite with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and splitting the cost, it makes it affordable for everyone.  I am really looking forward to it.

I'm back to work today.  The water in the place is running very, very slow because of the work they are doing outside.  You can use the water fountain and wash your hands, but the toilets aren't flushing well.  This makes for an interesting day.  But it's already almost 2 p.m. (the day is going so fast!) so just another three hours and I'm heading home.  I think I can make it.

I made a pork roast last night with roasted potatoes, onions and carrots.  It turned out good.  So tonight I think I will have left over roast pork and cook some string beans with it.  I don't like to hold onto left overs for too long because I forget about them and they end up getting thrown out.  That's money in the trash as far as I'm concerned.

But in any case my lunch hour is over so I have to head on back to our wonderful patrons.  (Some of them are.)  So have a nice day everyone!

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

I have been such a bad blogger lately.  I am so tired all the time and just can't seem to get myself together to do it.  The day is just beginning and I'm just getting up, so I'm well rested and thought I'd try to catch up some.

I didn't mention that because I did not have my procedure I was able to go to Joe's aunt's funeral last Saturday.  I sat with my mother-in-law and she was surprisingly nice and thoughtful.  OK who stole my mom-in-law and where are you hiding her?  Usually she is all about herself and that day she was trying to take care of me.  She's even called a couple of times to see how I am doing.  I like the new and improved Mary Ann!

It was the strangest funeral I have ever been to.  One of Joe's cousins said the "thank you for coming" bit and then if you had a story about Aunt Julie, you stood up, told your story and then sat down.  After about a half hour the same cousin said, "We appreciate your stories about our mom.  Have a nice day."  Strange.  Very, very strange.

I showed you the picture of the empty street in front of the library on Monday.  But on Tuesday it was back to this:

 Just ignore the date.  It's really not May 23, 2034.  In fact it's not even 2034!  Ha, ha.  The date went strange on my camera.  I hope it's fixed now.

Speaking of work, I took this picture on the way to work on Tuesday when I stopped for a red light.  I love seeing the buildings on my way to work.  I was trying to show you how the sun was glinting off of them, but it didn't show up.

 
Tuesday night is my late night so I try to have something quick and easy for dinner.  I made up this recipe for what I am calling "Mediterranean Pasta".  I cooked some penne (but you could use any kind of pasta).  While it was cooking I put some olive oil in a skillet and added black olives sliced in half, grape tomatoes (cut in half) and some chick peas.  I added some basil and parsley and stirred it all together until it was warm.  Then I put the cooked penne in with the veggies and mixed them together.  It was very good.  But I think I would add some minced garlic next time.

Also on Tuesday I got a call from my dentist who wanted to set up an appointment for my cleaning since my heart stent was in.  I told her I didn't even have the procedure yet.  She said she had talked with my cardiologist and he said it was a done deal.  So then I talked with him.

He insisted that I MUST have the cardiac catheterization.  I told him it was a horrible experience and I absolutely would not have that doctor touch me.  So he arranged for another doctor to do it.

This new doctor sounds wonderful.  He is the director of the department, has two masters and three doctorates.  Joe read his background and said he's a genius.  I even spoke with one of his patients who highly recommended him.  He is very good with nervous patients and tries to make you as comfortable as possible.  We'll see, but at least I'm willing to give him a try.

Originally I was scheduled for April 17th, but I reconsidered and moved it up to March 27th.   I have been having nightmares about it and am under a lot of stress.  So I figure the sooner the better.  There will be a few things I cannot do at work because they are going in through my wrist and I have to be careful not to tear out the stitches.  But everyone is willing to work with me for a week or two so I will be able to go back right after Easter.

We were going to go to the Flower Show today, but I'm really not up to it.  I think I will be cleaning the house (at my own pace) and going grocery shopping.  We don't need very much, so it should be a fast trip.

Tomorrow is Charter Day in Pennsylvania.  It's when William Penn received a land grant from the King of England to start a new colony.  There is a big celebration at William Penn's house, Pennsbury Manor.  I went a couple of years ago and had a great time.  But Joe was not with me, so we are going to try to go tomorrow.  You can read about last time here and here.

Well, off to start my day.  It's 10:30 a.m. and I still haven't gotten myself together.  See everyone later!

THE LIEBSTER AWARD

Marissa over at High Heels and Daffodils awarded me the Liebster award.  Thanks, Marissa!  This is actually my first award!

Marissa explained that this is a sort of “Pay It Forward” kind of award.

Here are the rules for accepting the Liebster award:

1. Each blogger should post 11 random facts about themselves.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, and then
create 11 new questions for the chosen bloggers.
3. Choose 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to and link them in your post.
4. Go back to their page and tell them about the award.
5. No tag backs.

Okay, part one:  11 random facts about me!

1. I love reading.  I read about 4 or 5 books a month, approximately one a week.  I don't like long books, though.  I like books that move right along.
2. I am the oldest of 10 kids and love that I can tell them that I was the only one that was an only child.  They, however, come back with my parents kept trying and improving each time.  Ha, ha.
3. I love that my name is spelled "Kathryn" and not "Katherine" or "Katharine".  I like the way my name looks.  I know -- I'm strange.
4. Although I love my job, I am SO looking forward to retiring in two years.  There is so much of life and the world I want to see and do.
5. I love roses and and when I was looking to buy a house one of the criteria was that it have a yard with rose bushes.
6. I am a shorty at only 5'1".  I wish I were taller.  It's hard to reach things on high shelves.
7. I knew Joe for 16 years before we got engaged.  We were best friends.  It just goes to show that it really does pay to marry your best friend.
8. Even though I love the country and the shore, I am a real city person.  Being in the hustle and bustle of the city is so invigorating to me.
9. My favorite TV show right now is "Love It Or List It."  But my favorites change all the time.
10. I am lactose intolerant.  So is Joe.  It makes it difficult to eat out because we never know if there is hidden milk or cheese in a dish we order.
11. My favorite job  of all  time was when  I was an proofreader/administrative  assistant  for scientific publications at the Academy of Natural Sciences here in Philly.

And now for part two:  Marissa's questions for me.

1. How did you come up with your blog name?

     I was going through a major health issue -- facing major  surgery and literally being on the point of dying.  If I hadn't had the surgery I would have died.  I  was so sick and so tired and I kept thinking about my life.  I thought about how  life is a trip.  And so I came up with Kathy's Trip Through Life.  It was a way to keep everyone updated without having to repeat  myself over and over.

2.  Are you a realist or an idealist?

     I think I'm a realist.  I tend to see things as they are, not as they could be.

3.  What is your biggest pet peeve?

     This is a hard one.  There are several things up there.  I think right now the biggest thing is rude and misbehaving children and teenagers.  Or maybe it's people who think they know how to do my job better than I know how to do it even though I've been doing the same thing for 17 years.

4.  Are you a saver or a spender?

     Definitely a saver.  To a fault!

5.  Are you a  touchy feely person?

     A definite no.  Although if someone else is, I will give them a hug back.

6.  What would you do with your life if nobody was watching, judging or commenting?

     Exactly what I am doing now.

7.  What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

     Vanilla with peanut butter.  My favorite flavor of  Polish Water Ice, though, is mango.

8.  Are you superstitious?  Don't walk under a ladder, black cat crossing your path, a rabbit's foot will bring you luck, etc.

     Not at all.  Some things like throwing spilled salt over my shoulder I do for fun, but I don't believe it will change what happens to me either way.

9.  Do you take morning or night showers?

     Morning.  If I took them at night, it would wake me up and I would never get to sleep.

10.  You get an unexpected check from your insurance company for $1,000.  What do you do with it?

     Probably use it to pay bills.  The story of my life.

11.  What was the last perfume you bought?

     It's been years.  I can't even remember.  Probably "Gloria Vanderbilt."  It's one of my favorites.  What I'm wearing now is one my sister gave me called "Heaven Sent."  Really nice. Most likely I will be buying another bottle of this when it runs out.

Here are my 11 questions for my friends to answer:

1.  How long have you been blogging?
2.  Who do you most admire?
3.  Left- or right-handed?
4.  You have 24 hours to be by yourself and do whatever you'd like.  What would you do?
5.  Are you named after anyone?  Or do you have your own unique name?
6.  Which is your favorite season?  Why?
7.  Have you ever visited any foreign countries?
8.  You can have anything for dinner that catches your fancy.  What do you ask for?
9.  Shore or mountains?  Or maybe someplace else?
10.  Can you swim?
11.  What is your favorite cookie?
 

I don't have 11 blog friends with less than 200 followers to send this to.  So I will name some of my favorites and hope you will play along.  But if you don't want to do it, that's perfectly fine by me.  Thanks again, Marissa!

Viola at A New Beginning...A New Destiny
Jeriel at Is It Happy Hour Yet?
Jen at Jen's Place
Angie at Life of a Housewife
Christine at Vista Woman

These are great blogs that I enjoy reading.  Actually all of the ones I read are great or I wouldn't be following them.  Hope you all have a great day today.