August 2010 – by Irish

Oh my gosh it’s August already! Scott and I are going to start it out with a mini Vacation to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary of 33 years. Well it’s actually a couple more.

Lets say 33 legal years.

This picture was taken many years ago of Scott and I sitting on our black sheep skin rug. yes! Those were the Sonny and Cher days.

Recent picture

Scott is working out of town again this week Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Margaret is all excited getting ready for her Mini Vacation to celebrate our wedding anniversary on Thursday, when Scott gets home.

Thursday 5th

We are all ready to go on our mini vacation. Bags are packed, everything we need for a honeymoon. Well a 33 year old honeymoon, food, beer, vodka, and wine.

We stopped at my favorite coffee shop Caribou, for coffee and a scone to start our trip.

33 years ago Scott and I went camping to northern Minnesota on our honeymoon in our old hippie van that Scott fixed up. “Those were the Days”

View Full Album

33 years later we leave on another honeymoon in our beautiful Dutch Star Diesel pusher.

We are having a great time here in Stony Point National forest on beautiful Leech Lake.

Read Scott Blog Stony Point

After spending Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, at Stony point in Chippewa National Forest. We know for sure we will want to explore and spend a lot more time in State parks, and National forest.

Sunday 8th

We have arrived back at our lake lot to finish up a great mini vacation. The deer who have been eating my flowers all year, went hungry and let me have two flowers for my anniversary!

View Full Album

Monday 10th

I never usually like to bore you with what goes on at work but, today was a little different. It was my first day back after a fun vacation. I was greeted with hugs and words that seem to stay with me long after they were said.

“You cannot believe how much I missed you” Wait… I was only gone 3 days!

Yes that is why I am still working. Its not about the company its about the people that miss me. Even though I have heard those words many times in my work life! Today was different today those word stayed with me.

You cannot believe how much I missed you!

Saturday 14th Sunday 15th

The weekend is here Scott and I are going to stay home in Edina this weekend to relax, go to yoga, go for a walk around our favorite Lake Harriet.

One of the goals I have had over the last few years since I started downsizing is to get a digital picture frame. One frame 2000 pictures sounds great! Well today I went to Best Buy and bought a small Sony frame just for family pictures. I worked all day Sunday sorting pictures that I had scanned into my computer. What did I end up with? A Curry family album, which is Scott’s family and the Friel family album, which is my family. And lots of pictures of Scott and I. Now when I take off in our Dutch Star we will have one picture frame with lots of Family memories we can enjoy at the touch of a button.

Wednesday 18th Thursday 19th

Scott has a heavy work load this week he is working out of town Wednesday and Thursday. Margaret also has a heavy work load this week in her day job, she is also having a friend over for a glass of wine Wednesday. Thursday she is cleaning the apartment for a special birthday we are having this weekend.

Thursday19th

When I see more that one person out of their cubes in our office looking out our only window it’s usually bad weather.

Well today I noticed a lot of people gathering at the window. My thoughts were a storm was building up out there, I rushed to the window. To my surprise it was not the weather that they were looking at.

It was a beautiful Hawk sitting on our company sign. lucky for me I had my little Sony Cybershot camera with me and I got a picture!

Friday 21th

Scott’s mother and father arrived for an overnight visit to celebrate Scott’s birthday They come every year around this time. We enjoyed seeing them and having happy hour and oriental food. No cooking here, just enjoy the pleasures of being with our family. One thing I am always sure of when Scott and his family get together that their there is always some computer lessons!

Saturday 21th

We are off to the horse races today. Something Scott and I have done with his mother and father for a few years now for Scott’s birthday. http://www.canterburypark.com/

I really love watching those beautiful animals running the track.

I do not like spending my time while I am at the horse races reading all about every horse to figure out which one to bet my dollars on. I just enjoy watching Scott and his mother having fun. They are not big gamblers just a limit of 20 dollar for the day.

This year I found this neat older couple sitting a few rows down from me who never took their heads out of their racing schedule all afternoon.The little voices in my head were saying to me I bet they have some really great stories to tell and not just about horse racing.

Sunday 22th

Even though we have been celebrating Scott’s birthday since Friday today August 22 Scott is officially 55.

I had him all day to myself! We had a beautifully sunny day here in Minnesota. We started out the day with yoga, then a hike along the muddy Mississippi river, we ended up our special Day with supper at the Macaroni grill along the beautifully Centennial Lakes Park. Happy Birthday Scott!

This week the company I work for is showing us how much they appreciate us as employees!

Every day we get something to eat along with games and a fun time for everyone. I’ve got to admit, it gets on my nerves because we still have to get our work done. I wish it was just for one day and not the whole week. Anyway this will be another little gift I will miss after retirement. But then I will have many more things to appreciate then, me thinks!

Along the lines of appreciating. Every year at work in the summer we bring in some young men and women who are out of college for the summer to help with our summer rush jobs. These young men and women are glad to have a job for the summer with us. Which make them a pleasure to work with for some of us older workers. This young man brought a smile to my face every day. Did he get a dollar for this picture you bet he did!

Friday 27th Saturday 28th Sunday 29th

We enjoyed another long weekend in Northern Minnesota at our lake lot. Beautiful weather, good food, and great company! I will close the month of August with a change in the air. We are getting ready to close up our lakes lot for the year 2010, the leaves are starting to change their colors.

As the leaves work through their change I to have to work through my change, even though I think change is good, change is inevitable, change scares me to death!

July 2010 – by Irish

All I can think about when I hear of July is hotdogs, roasted marshmallows, and great happy hours around the bonfire! That is just what we are going to do. We are going on vacation to Crow Wing 11 in Northern Minnesota and our home will be our Dutch Star for a week! “Yes we are living in our Dutch Star full time… for a week.

The wind was gusting 25 to 35 miles an hour here today. I did try out our new paddle boat a little bit, but I have no good paddling pictures yet. I will take some on a calmer day.
My paddle boat is beautiful I named her buttercup!

I also had two green chairs on my list of wants even though they did not cost much money. It was a bit hard buying them. I do love them and they add a lot of color into the yard.

Since it was a vey hot windy day here on Crow Wing 11. Scott and I took it easy in the afternoon a pleasure we have not had much time for over the last few years on our lake lot.
Read Scott’s blog.
A Week at the Lake

We ended up our first day of vacation, with happy hour, and hamburgers on the grill.

Saturday 3rd
Another day hanging out at the lake. It was very hot and humid here in Minnesota again today. Scott did a littler reading, and cleaning up in our yard. We went out playing in the lake with our boat.
After happy hour Scott asked me out for a paddle boat date. Sorry to keep you waiting Scott, I was putting on my lipstick.

Off we go paddling. I hope my date does not notice that I don’t have my toenails manicured!

Another few days have flown by on this vacation at the lake. The entertainment for happy hour tonight was a robin washing up in my bird bath. One more glass of wine and that bird might be out on his neck and I will be in there, yes that is how good it look this hot and humid day.

Tuesday 6th
I just knew it, I knew this was going to happen, I was trying to keep all projects out of this vacation. I even tried to hide the tool box, but he found it today.

and a project.

We are having another great day in Northern Minnesota. We went to Brainerd Minnesota today, just to enjoy the culture.

What a beautiful morning! The yard looks so peaceful. I just had to take a picture of the the Garden House.

Thursday 8th
I just read lately that Bill Gates a person I greatly admire has hung up his golf clubs. Why? Bill explains you have to spend to much time at golfing to be any good at it. Also Larry King is going to leave his talk show of many years Why? to spend more time with his family. Well today I just hung up my water skies after 30 years of skiing, Why? So I can spend more time On Face book, Twitter, My Space, and Blogging. “ Just Joking” Read My Final Run
My final run around Crow 11 Thursday 8th July 2010

Tuesday 20th
Today was another day of change for me! One of the ladies I have car pooled with for two years retired. While I am happy for Karen to reach this special time in her life, I will miss her funny work stories. Congratulations Karen and the best wishes to you on your new activities!

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, of this week Scott was in New York. He has just arrived home. We are having our usual return celebrations. A glass of wine and some take-out from our local oriental restaurant. No dishes tonight.
We spent the weekend up north at our lake lot. The weather was great! Scott had a big project to work on. He is waxing our coach. He only got half done before he got burned out. It will take another weekend to complete it. I am sure he will do a blog on it after he is done with it.

July 31th
I was up very early this last morning in July. I am working on cleaning up pictures in my computer. Now that I am a downsizing junkie, I just could not wait to get some of them cleaned out.
Then it was off to yoga, the library, happy hour and a movie. This evening will bring July to a close. Even though we have many exciting things to look forward to in August it is hard to close this July page of our life.
“Spend your life wisely”

“ My Final Run”

30 + years ago I met the man of my dreams. Well I should say I met a boy, who is the man of my dreams today. That boy I met loved to play in the water. Water skiing being one of his most favorite water sport at that time. He also was a barefoot water skier, I on the other had not even graduated out of the wadding pool.

Even though I knew I would never be a barefoot skier I at least wanted to learn to ski.
That is where this story begins.  Weekend after weekend all summer long Scott dragged me around the lake trying to help me become a water skier!
       
After a couple of years of almost drinking the lake dry, one day OMG!  She is up!


Finally I can say I am a water skier.



With the sun on my face, and the wind in my hair, I hung in there with the big guys for over 30 years as a water skier.




On Thursday the 8th of July 2010 it was a beautiful morning 80 degree with solid sunshine, no wind, and no other boats on the lake.

I said to Scott let’s go out water skiing. Scott said OK. What he did not know is that it would be my final run. Yes I had decided it was time to hang up my skies! Even good times have to come to and end, to make room for the new things that are waiting for you. Been there done that for thirty year. I had the wind in my hair the sun in my face and many, many beautiful weekend of fun in the water at the lake with friends!

My Final Run video

My Final Run photos

With a tear in my eye!

I would like to give a special thanks to Scott the boy turned man. You drove that boat tirelessly Scott for hours, picking me back up out of the water after I fell, and fell, and fell. You never gave up on me, You always encourage me, and in the end when I finally made it as a water skier! I will never forget seeing you jumping out of that boat with a big hug and kiss to welcome me to that beautiful world of water skiing!
  

 

June 2010 - by Irish

Beautiful June is here! June is the month when our trees gets their leaves back in full bloom, in Northern Minnesota.

I plan to spend as much time as I can enjoying their beauty! June is also officially summer month.

As a young girl I always wanted to live in a tree house, even though I have had a lot of dreams I have made come true that one never made it to the drawing board. Or maybe I just never owned the right tree for one.

I did find a little tree house the other day and I planted it in my big oak tree, even thought I will never live in it. It is as close to my dream as I will ever get! “Me thinks”.

Saturday 5th

I got up early to enjoy some beautiful early morning colors!

The sky over our apartment! at 5:30 in the morning.

The rainbow at the same time over Edina’s million dollar apartments looking the other way.

What a rainbow!

Then we got the rain. I love the rain drops!

Sunday 6th

Bright sunny, and beautiful Sunday Morning here in Edina Minnesota. I stayed in bed after sunrise! I am sure you are glad you do not have to see any more sky pictures today.

9:30 we went to yoga, then it was Bloody Mary time, and lunch. In the afternoon we went to Menard’s to do a little shopping for everyday stuff, and then to visit with family!

We had a great weekend, rain, sunshine, good food, good company, but I did miss my first family back in the old sod.

Thursday 10th

I was up early to catch a few minutes of a beautiful sky over Edina! Ok this is the last picture of the sky this month. “Me thinks”.

Friday the 11th

We are packed and ready to go up north to our lake lot. We have taken half a day off work so we can get to the lake in time for happy hour.

Saturday 12th

We bought a new electric fireplace for our garden house.

On a rainy cool Saturday night we had happy hour in the garden house enjoying our new fireplace.

Now get this, Scott had a few glasses of wine and decided he would entertain me. Should this man drink wine.. you decide?

Sunday 13th

We are back home in Edina after a fun weekend at Crow Wing 11.

Monday 14th

I just had to take a picture of the roses in front of our patio at our apartment they are beautiful!

Thursday 17th

WOW! what a fun day it was my 32 year anniversary working for this company. Scott took me out for lunch to celebrate my accomplishment!

I also was surprised with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my coworkers. It was not the Company that made my day, it was my coworkers! Thanks everyone. You are.. along with my paycheck the only reason I have made it 32 Years.

Friday18th

Scott and I had the day off work today to go to the dentist in Mankato. After the dentist which went as good as going to the dentist can get we went to Scott’s home town in St James to visit with his mother and father to do some upkeep project on their home.

Read Scott’s blog on his project there. Great Sump-man!

Sunday morning we got served a great breakfast of fruit, and home made banana bread. I shouldn’t forget to mention Scott’s father’s Baileys Irish Cream for his coffee which I took advantage of.

“Happy Fathers day Neil”

With hugs and many thank you’s for helping with projects we are off, heading home to our apartment in Minneapolis to start another week of the boring grind of our day jobs.

Friday 24th

Scott and I only worked half a day today at our day jobs. WHOOT! WHOOT! We were leaving after work for a long weekend up north at our lake lot. We are getting everything ready for a weeks vacation we plan on spending there next week!

Saturday 25th

We woke up to a beautiful fog to start our weekend at the lake.

After a cup of coffee and an hour or two to enjoy our morning, something we cannot do when we have to go to our day jobs we went into the little town of Walker Minnesota to get a part that Scott had to have to repair our boat. After we got our part we did a little window shopping. I heard Scott saying I just have to have one. If you have been reading my blogs you know by now that I am into the clothing line of ” Life is Good”

Now Scott wants to have his own clothing line with the saying “Life is Crap” so you guessed it he bought a shirt!

for the first time in a long time Scott took some time out to do a little fishing on the end of his dock.

I am glad I was not hungry for fish today Scott! “Just joking”

After all that work fishing it was time for tea on the deck, an old Irish custom that I still enjoy!

Next job on Scotts list was to wash and wax our Jeep, another job he has not had time to do for a while.

So this brings us to the end of another month. What better way to end it than with a perfect man, having happy hour by our first perfect bonfire of the year 2010, many more happy hours Scott says!

“Spend Your Life Wisely”