Another trip to Philly

This weekend I went to see Alexis, Pete and Samantha. Alexis and Pete were doing thier fundraiser for childhood cancer, so my job was to watch Samantha for them, and bring her down to the stand. it was a lovely fall day in Philly, I had Aunt Millie to help me and Samantha was so good. She's getting big, she crawls everywhere, pulls up on everything, especially the most unstable thing she can find, and she talks all the time. just ba ba sounds and squeels, but still, I fear she's going to be quite the chatterbox. It was a lovely weekend, and I miss them all already. Here'a few pics.

the best garden tool EVER!!

It a garden sheer, weedeater, bush trimmer and overall cleaner-upper. I love it. My girlfriend, Deborah, told me about it, we went to Lowes so I could buy some garden sheers, I'm always letting mine sit out and get rusty. She told me about this wonderful tool, the Black & Decker 7.2 Volt Cordless Shear / Shrubber. LOVE IT!! I'm in heaven. I tried it this morning and I feel empowered. I can conquor the wax myrtles. the dying back daylillies have nothing on me. Even the loosestreif is a done deal now. It's so much better than garden sheers, and way better than a weedeater. Those stupid things cut one or two things then the line breaks. I felt like I was always stopping to fix the line.

Well, mary mary, no more quite contrary. I'm in fall garden cleanup heaven. I suggest you all go out today and buy one.

Weekend visits

I have no pictures. But I do have the honor of saying Nicole gave me almost 24 hours of her time this weekend. She arrived Sat at around 6 or 6:30, Justin, their dog and her. We had a lovely dinner, took a nice walk down to the oceanfront to see or hear the bands, watched fireworks, came home, went to bed.

The next day, we took a long walk in the morning to see the marathon and search out breakfast. It was hot, and we got stuck on the beach walking because they had the entrance closed for the runners. So, after dodging a million people, walking about six more blocks than we may have wanted to, heating up, buying lemonade along the side of hte road from the neighborhood children, we came home and made our own breakfast. Since we had Icharus, their dog- a whippet, with us we could only eat at a place where we could sit outside, and since there were a million people at the beach, that wasnt' happening. So we just came home. The fun part was that at one point I was reminded that both my children's days of freedome have ended. We're no longer the free, cocktail slugging dining out bunch we used to be. If we don't have Samantha's schedule to guide our plans and timings, we have a new puppy, who we really can't leave alone in the house.

Nicole and Justin took off sunday afternoon, we loaded up some furniture in their car and they had a friend to visit in Hampton. I hope they had a nice time. I so enjoyed their visit, and especially since it was just us. We really had time to chat and enjoy each other.

I love having my children here. But it's nice to have my freedom back too.

Lock the doors Ethel, the devil's coming.

So today all the educators around the country are up in arms over the first day of school address Obama wants to give students. Parents are writing in asking if their child can opt out. I actually saw a man on the news saying he didn't want his child subjected to that liberalism.

Okay, by the way...Bush was at a school reading to children when we were attacked on 9-11. I wonder what insued before that. I wonder how many of those kid's parents kept their child home that day so they wouldn't have to be subjected to that right wing propaganda, I beleive he was in the middle of the launch of his "no child left behind" program. I'll bet back then, we were still honored to meet or be addressed by a president.

What's happened to the days when if a president wanted to address your children via radio, or live broadcast you would actually send them to school that day in new clothes. We're talking the highest office in this country, and we are pulling out children out of school that day so they're not there. This is frightening.

Chew on this Mr right wing paranoid Dad...if you teach your child that he doesn't have to listen to someone as important as the President of The United States - then who does your child have to listen to? Certainly not a principal or a teacher. Ever think about that message that's beign burned into your little school child's brain. I fear for the next generation. I fear for our country.

The devil is coming. But not on the first day of school via a radio address. The devil is here already. Spreading fear, hate and intolerance. And I have no idea where all this will head us. But I'm very afraid.