The Joys of Living in Maine

Hey Yall! I get email weather bulletins and looky what I got today......



Issued at: 3:08 AM EDT 5/25/09, expires at: 3:15 PM EDT 5/25/09

frost advisory in effect from 1 am to 7 am edt Tuesday
The NWS in gray has issued a frost advisory, which is in effect from 1 am to 7 am edt Tuesday.
An unseasonably cold air mass will move over northern new england tonight, combined with a mainly clear and calm night. This will allow widespread frost to form in interior locations later tonight, as temperatures fall into the upper 20s to mid 30s. Even though some of the normally colder spots will fall below freezing, a hard freeze is not expected.
A frost advisory means that frost is possible. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.

Just some of the joys of living in Maine.....

Giggle Girl Update

Hey Yall! Giggle Girl is going great! She is still sore and taking Advil every now and then. Every day is better and better for her. She gets her drains out tomorrow and should be back to normal for starting her summer internship!

The picture above is a $5 bunch of Gerber Daisies I got at the grocery store. I got them when we stopped there for ice cream right after her surgery. I tied them up with a pretty ribbon and put them in a white pitcher and put them so Sister could see them. They still look pretty!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Photo Credit - Molly Chicken


Hey Yall! Happy Mother's Day! Hope yours has been good....mine has been GREAT! I talked with Jamie and Chris by phone and wished they could have been here. Dick let me sleep in this morning and it felt wonderful. Julianne made a wonderful WW desert for me.......mmmmmmmm......yum! Later this afternoon, I wrapped up in two throws AND and electric throw on the red couch and watched "Under the Tuscan Sun" while I occasionally rested by eyes. (That was for you Daddy!) All together....A Glorious Day! Can I get an Amen?

Here's a big Happy Mother's Day wish to my Mom and Dick's mom! Can you feel the hug? It's a big one!

Giggle Girl Update

Hey Yall! Giggle Girl, aka Julianne, giggled until right after I took the picture of her yesterday. And then it ended. She was very hungry and was satisfied with ice cream and sorbet and yogurt for a while. Then she didn't want any more sugar. So I made her some soup. That didn't really hit the spot. She had some tears and also some laughs. The laughs came from reading the blog post about her because didn't remember anything about what happened. She took some of the Tylenol with codeine prescript but she didn't feel really good after taking it. I am pretty sure it was the medicine. So we have gone back to the Advil.

Today has been a good day so far. She feels good and is just a little bit sore. I have told her to take it easy. Easier said than done!

The weather is crazy here. Cool, cloudy, partly cloudy, raining, repeat! And it is killing my sinuses! We are finally getting green, so pollen might be a part of it. I have been taking Zyrtec at night and Flonase during the day. Until this crazy weather, it had been doing great for me.

I will talk to you later....

Wisdom Lost

Hey Yall! Sister had her wisdom teeth removed this morning! Do you see that drug induced look on her face? I stayed in the room while they put her to sleep then went to the waiting room. I found a couple of magazines that I wanted to read from cover to cover and find out who's doing what to who when and where. You know the kind. Cause inquiring minds want to know. I sent Dick a text message to tell him that she was asleep and I would let him know when they were through. I had just started the first magazine and not even found out the first bit of gossip and a nurse came and got me. She said Julianne did great and was being so funny. Hmmmmmm.......funny? When I got back there, she looked like she was 12 or 13 and was giggling and telling them thank you and she wanted to do it again and giggling some more! She was cracking those ladies back there up! They gave her a prescription for Tylenol with codeine, but wanted us to try 3 or 4 Advil first to see if that would take care of the pain. Julianne said she wanted the prescription filled. I told her I thought she was enjoying herself just a little bit too much laying there in googly land to start on the prescription. They gradually raised her chair till she was sitting straight up and I held on to her arm and led her, giggling the whole time, down the hall and out to the car. She was too funny.

It is kinda cool here in Maine today. We have the heat on AND she is laying under an electric throw on the couch snoozing away. She is probably exhausted from the finals that she just finished up yesterday. A lazy day will do her good.

Don't you just love her ice packs? The nurse came in with it and told her she was going to make her into a bunny. Julianne just giggled then got serious and said, with a mouthful of gauze, "We love bunnies!" Then she giggled some more.

I will keep you updated on the giggle girl.....

Happy Birthday Virginia!!!!

Hey Yall! Today is Virginia's Birthday! Virgie, I hope you have a wonderful birthday and I can't wait to see you!

Planting the Crops

Hey Yall! As you can see, Frannycakes finally started planting the crops. I haven't finished yet. I ran out of potting soil and plants. And you kind of need both of those when you are, well, planting the crops! I have been instructed by Mr. Frannycakes NOT to plant any vegetables because he WILL NOT water them while I am visiting at the beach this summer. Since he did not water them last summer or the summer before that, I tend to believe him. Soooooooooo, no vegetables. Blah. I love growing tomatoes and peppers.

Talk to you later!

50th Birthday.....Part Two!!!!!!

Hey Yall! I am just a little late in posting pictures from my second (!) 50th birthday party. Tommy, my brother and the official photographer, finally sent me some of the pictures so I could post them on Frannycakes. And now I am finally posting them!

This was a true surprise party. I did not have a clue. It honestly took me till waaaaaaaaay after the party was over for it to sink in. I had been in South Carolina with my buds having a girls weekend. Dick had flown to St. Marys to see his momma and sisters. My brudder Tommy and his wife Doris were supposed to be bringing the kids up on Sunday, my birthday, and visiting with us and celebrating my birthday at my parents house. I got up very, very early in Charleston and showered and dressed. No make-up. Pulled hair back. Wearing clothes for the second day because I was planning on changing after I got there. I picked up Julianne and she didn't say a word about it. When we got there, Tommy's car and my parents car were parked in the driveway. I was excited that they were already there 'cause I don't get to see them near enough. We got out of the car and walked up to the house. I opened the door and "SURPRISE!!!!!!!" It took me a couple of minutes to understand what was going on. Then I saw what looked like my cousin JoRhee. I haven't seen here in several years. Could it really be her? I just looked around and then I saw my Aunt Jo. I have so many good memories of my Aunt Jo from my early childhood. I really couldn't believe it. It had been so long since I had seen her. Also celebrating was my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Dennis, my cousin Becky, Gran Gran (Dick's Mama), Dick's sisters Debbie and Vickie and her husband Delma and their daughter Annie. It was truly a party!


Frannycakes and her Aunt Jo.....can you tell I'm excited?


Making the rounds through the house and trying to visit with everyone, I came upon this.......



.....which I like to refer to as the Frannycakes Shrine. Do you think my finger tasted good in the big picture? It must have been fattening too cause my thighs were thundering!



My Dad, Julianne, Tommy, Frannycakes, Aunt Jo and Mom


Frannycakes, Daddy, JoRhee and Jack


Frannycakes, JoRhee and Aunt Jo


Blowing out the Birthday Cupcakes!


Frannycakes the Birthday Girl


Frannycakes and her Daddy


Hannah and Aunt Fran opening presents


Hannah and Aunt Fran thrilled with Depends!

Mom and Dad have a wonderful large deck and it was decorated with round tables with black balloons. Have you noticed that everyone was supposed to wear Black? Tommy and my Dad grilled hamburgers and we had a great cookout. Everything was so nice and truly appreciated!





As you can tell, I had a fabulous birthday! Thank you everyone!

Things I Need To Do.....

Hey Yall! Doesn't that begonia look pitiful? And doesn't that planter look sad? They look that way 'cause I ran out of planting soil, all 6 bags. No teeny weeny bags....big boys. I have a sad spike plant and some verigated ivy to add also. And they are also very, very sad.... But I bet you already knew that.

Talk to you later!

New Vehicle

Hey Yall! Can you believe it? Two postings in two days? I must have the flu. Yeah that is it......I have the "Whine Flu", just ask Dick. This is now parked in our garage. Thank goodness it is parked on Dick's side. Not enough cup holders for me.....

Ben's Graduation

Hey Yall! Today was Ben's graduation from Maine Maritime Academy. He received a bachelors degree and already has a job waiting on him! Yeah Ben! In case you don't know Ben, he and Julianne have been dating for almost a year and is a very nice young man. Today was a beautiful day! We left home around 7 am and headed to Castine. I wrote about this little town recently here on this blog. We got there a little early and went ahead inside as soon as they opened the doors to the public. Maine is still a little cool folks! We sat down hoping Julianne would let us know where she was since the place was starting to fill up fast. Finally we see her. And guess who was sitting right in front of us? Ben's grandparents and aunts. His parents came in about the same time as Julianne. Now what are the chances of that happening? The ceremony was very nice. As the parent of one child who has graduated already, I can tell you that there were some very proud parents there. And I can't wait to have that opportunity again when Chris and Julianne graduate. Ben looked very handsome in his dress whites. He couldn't wait to change out of them! According to him, they were very uncomfortable. One thing I can say about the north.....they are much, much more respectful during graduation ceremonies than people are in the south. I love the south, but it is just ridiculous and embarrassing. And I know that anyone from the south reading this knows exactly what I mean.

Ben's parents invited Dick and me to the lunch they had planned honoring Ben. We ate at a wonderful restaurant on the waterfront. The food was wonderful and it was so nice sitting with a sweet family. His sister has a precious little girl and we got to eat across the table from her. She kept us entertained the whole time!

Here are a few pictures from our day. Hope you enjoy them! Tootles!

Inexcusable

We are being led by a bunch of dumbasses. Plain and simple.

Surprise.....An Actual Update!

Hey Yall! Yep, it is an actual update on the crazy life of Frannycakes. Refill your coffee, grab a diet coke or cold beer and find a comfy chair to sit and be updated. And probably bored out of your gourd. Hey! I didn't say it was going to be interesting!

There has been lots happening and not must happening. Does that make any sense? Finally, all the snow melted in our yard. I have become an expert on raking. Me and the wheelbarrow and rake have been best friends. I would prefer different best friends, but for up here in Maine....well, enough said. We had about a million pine cones on the ground. I might or might not be exaggerating by about a 100,000. But only 100,000. Lucky for us, we have a vacant wooded lot right next to us. The owners live out west and don't visit regularly. So all 500,000 wheelbarrow loads went directly over to the vacant lot. Don't judge me. And I am pretty sure I am not exaggerating about the number of wheelbarrow loads. Pretty sure. Enough about me and my best friends.

We are trying our best to clean out the house. I have been throwing away everything I can get my hands on. On every move we have made, that would have been 7 (using moving companies), they come in one day and pack up everything in the house. And when we get to the new location, we unpack or put up what we don't need. I actually have thrown away a lot of junk when I unpack, but the majority of the stuff stay in boxes. We have gone from BIG house to small house to BIG house and then to small again. And different color schemes and different amounts of bedrooms and so I have lots of decorations that might work in one house that won't fit in another house, but MIGHT work in the next house. And those things I like to call my "INVENTORY". I am trying to keep my "INVENTORY" down in the basement....also known as my "INVENTORY ROOM" so I always know just where to go get something I might need to, you know....decorate. But back to what I was trying to tell you....it has just gotten out of hand. And every time we went to the attic to find something, everything was getting spread ever where and it looked like a tornado had hit it. So I have been going up there and bagging up and donating or throwing away. Of course, I have not been able to that everyday because since we live in Maine, it might be freezing up there! But I am working toward having organized stacks of boxes. Oh yeah, like that is gonna happen!

Saturday, Dick and I went to visit Julianne and buy her a pair of jeans. Of course, she could have done this by herself, but it is more fun when the parents actually pay for it and not funnel it through their checking account. We headed to Castine to visit Ben, Julianne's boyfriend. He is about to graduate from Maine Maritime and Dick wanted to take a tour of their ship they use for training. You know, men are interested in things like that. So Dick and Ben went on the boat and Julianne and I sat in the car. I actually would have gone on the tour but Julianne was wearing sandals and they are not allowed on the boat. She had a pair of running shoes, but they clashed with her outfit and she wasn't about to clash. Castine is a pretty town that sits up on the side of a hill that goes down to the water. Almost none of the lots are level, they all have a slope. And there is an ordinance about houses having to be white. It looks very New Englandy. The only sad thing is that they don't seem to like having Maine Maritime there. And it is not a new school. Pretty much been there since the beginning of time! There seemed to be strong sense of snootiness there. Something I wouldn't have gotten along with, but I am sure there are people who would love it. To each his own! Ben graduates May 2.

Yesterday, Dick bit the bullet and put up a ceiling fan in our den. Hopefully, this new fan will help keep me cool in the days to come. Cause just in case you have forgotten, I hate being hot. Especially since we do not have central air here in Maine. Why oh why would anyone not put central air in a house. It should be a state law. Mainer's see no need for them. Frannycakes disagrees. Strongly.

I am starting to stress out a little about Julianne's move down south for her summer internship. Not that there is anything to be stressed out. It is just that we don't have any specific dates for us to leave Maine, only her start date. Plus, it looks like Chris might have an internship in the same area and may be living with her. I can kind of feel my blood pressure rising even thinking about this so I will end this part right now. I guess I just get stressed over change.

Chris and Linley are starting to think about dates and wedding stuff like that. Not that Chris told us, I read it on Linley's blog! This should be an exciting summer of planning and setting dates. I can't wait.

We talked to Jamie and Lesley on Tokbox last night. If you have not heard of tokbox before, look into it. You are able to visit with one another on webcam for free. My new computer has a webcam in it. There is nothing like being able to see each other! Of course, visiting with Jamie on the webcam is always an adventure. We always get to see him dancing in the background! Soooooooooo Jamie! And we get to see Grace Darling. They are doing so well and we can't wait for them to come and visit with us this summer. And have I told you that so far, Jamie has been accepted to one of the nursing programs he applied to and still has to hear from two others? Congratulations Jamie!

One other piece of news......Our nephew Josh is engaged! He and Nicole are a very cute couple and have been together for several years. Josh graduated last year and Nicole graduates in May. They are planning a wedding for next March. Congratulations!

In other not so exciting news that I try to forget but my pants won't let me, I went back to Weight Watchers. Yes, there are people in Maine that go to Weight Watchers. Actually, there are probably 40 people in their meetings. I am steadily going down, just not as fast as I would like, but it is probably better this way. I haven't felt like I was really on a diet except like when I passed the Easter Reece's eggs and of course the Whoopie Pies at the grocery store and anytime I want something sweet. Other than that.....It has been pretty easy. Dick is eating all the same things, so it should be pretty easy. Ugh, I loved being cursed with fat genes and of course, fat jeans, which you are required to get when you have fat genes. Double ugh.

Aren't you glad I posted. Nothing too exciting. Just a glimpse at my life here in Maine. What am I going to do today? Pay bills, make doctor's appointment, call about apartment rental for internship, vacuum, dust, work in the attic if it is above 50 degrees up there, etc., etc., etc. Come and visit me so I won't have to do these things. Please.

I will talk to you later! Tootles!

50th Birthday.....The Bluff

Hey Yall! I told you I would be back with details of all the birthday fun I had. I had the pleasure of being invited to Girls Weekend at the Bluff. The Bluff is a house at the bluff, the name I will not disclose because I'm not sure my friend whose family owns the house would want the whole world, or the three of you who read this blog, to know exactly where their house is located. Anyway, it is located in the Charleston area, so we had lots and lots of shopping available and restaurants to sample. On our last night there, my buds took me to the Sewee Restaurant, in Sewee, no less, for the birthday dinner. They had given me a birthday hat which said "Fabulous Fifty". And of course that is exactly what I am now. Anywho, they made me wear it at the restaurant. I got two kisses from strange men while I was there....don't worry Mr. Frannycakes.....on the cheek only. We had a fabulous meal, then waddled to the car to go back to the undisclosed bluff.

Back at the undisclosed Bluff, I was instructed to put back on my birthday hat. I had to remove it in the car because the both of us could not get into the car together! After replacing the hat, I was given Ms. Bluff, dressed up in birthday wrapping paper. Ms. Bluff decorates every Girls Weekend. Her presence is required. Don't judge us! It is just a ritual that must be abided by. Anyway, While I held Ms. Bluff, I opened presents. And presents I got! Unfortunately, I am unable to mention any of them here because my children read this blog (also Mr. Frannycakes) and I don't want to gross any of them out. Of course, Julianne was there for this part of the party and was totally and completely disgusted and particularly disappointed in Ms. Elaines card. Ms. Elaine made me read it out loud and it was hard for my child to hear these things.....You should be ashamed Ms. Elaine!

The little girls, as we like to call Emily (Elaine's daughter) and Julianne, cause they are the little girls of the families, stayed around to take some pictures. No one will ever accuse us of being photogenic! After viewing the pictures on the camera, Virginia announced that she wanted them taken over because she looked like a stroke victim that had been posed next to me on the couch for pictures! After closer inspection, she was right. Now if we could just get her a job in Hollywood playing stroke victims in the movies.......she would be rich and famous! Cause it is obviously her calling! I can say I knew her when.....

Somehow through all the pictures, I maintain to keep the same smile on my face while every one cracked up. Beth completely lost it and we had to suspend pictures while she laughed about Virginia and her stroke pose. Sick group we are. And proud of it.

Girls, I love you! I needed this weekend so much. And I treasure our friendships. Thanks for being my friend.

Hey Yall! Yesterday as I was vacuuming the house, I decided that I wanted to move the furniture in the den around. If you have ever been in my den, you will realize that we really have everything arranged in the only position it can be arranged in, well, to be able to see the tv. And isn't that the reason we are in there? I mean, why have a tv with 150 channels that have absolutely nothing worth watching if you aren't going to be watching it. So, I decided to move and push and shove and drag and kick the furniture in a different arrangement. And I did and unfortunately, you could not longer access the den because the furniture had blocked the entire way into that part of the room. Well crap. So I pushed and pulled a walkway into the room and it looks absolutely ridiculous but we decided at the time that we were just too tired from moving furniture and from work to change it back. And you know what? I love how you can lay on the red couch and watch nothing on tv and not have your neck contorted into a painful position. I fell asleep on the couch last night and took a nap this afternoon. This morning when I woke up, I had some pain in my back, radiating from my left hip up the side of my back. And it got much, much worse after my nap. I am waiting just a little while to let the beer I drank in one swig get out of my system so I can take a pain pill I horded from my broken arm incident last year. I am hoping and praying it will take care of it cause it feels pretty bad.

Earlier today when it just kind of hurt, Dick and I went to see I Love You Man. It was funny. Probably funnier to the younger folks in the audience. I am pretty much appalled at the language used today. And there was alot of that and adult themes used. But I laughed out loud a few times and we both agreed that we had seen better.

That's all for now.....until after the meds.....

Clean House? In My Dreams.....

Hey Yall! Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I was busy trying to straighten some things up around here. I was gone for two weeks and once we brought all our junk back into the house, well, it was a mess. THEN the mail was delivered. Lots and lots of mail to go through and organize and file. Then the bills to pay. Then the HOA of the condo we have in Raleigh somehow didn't credit two months of fees, so I had to get copies of those cancelled checks and try and straighten that out. And they did. So I was up to my neck in paper work. Now I'm only up to my waist.

Today, I took Mr. Frannycakes truck to have the tires rotated. I sat in the waiting room for two hours. The cable tv was out, but the lady that pretty much runs the place had brought a season of "Friends" and had it playing on the big screen TV. She also had made coffee. It has been a while since I have watched "Friends" and I had forgotten just how funny it could be. I found myself laughing out loud. Thankfully, I was the only person in the waiting area. It was kind of nice to know that I could nothing but watch tv and enjoy it.

Our temperature up here is supposed to get colder this weekend. We still have snow. A lot of it. I need to start thinking about what I am going to plant. For some reason, plants and flowers up here know that they have just a small window of opportunity to grow and bloom and they do it faster than I ever seen it in the South. (Notice I capitalized South......) We have some painting to do to touch up a few places and a whole lot of sand to get out of the garage. Once the snow completely melts, it looks like we have had a major wind storm in the yard. Limbs, sticks, leaves, and pine cones are everywhere. It will be a major raking job. Anybody want to come and visit???????? I will buy you a rake and even put your name on it!

Yall be good and I will talk to you tomorrow!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Long Time No Blog

Hey Yall! I have probably lost all of my three readers during my break from blogging. I know I still have one (Daddy) who reminded me daily while I was visiting that I have not been updating my blog. I actually have a pretty good excuse for not blogging and you know that I always have an excuse up my sleeve ready and waiting! You see......my 'puter was real sick. If you remember from a previous post, I got a virus. Then we paid $200 to get it back to working order. (The $200 made me sick.) Then when we got to Raleigh, I opened it up to check emails and other important stuff and my screen was black. The computer was running, but the monitor was dead. Lucky for me, I have a very sweet, loving and caring husband who said he would buy me a new one for my birthday. Birthday, you ask? Yes, Frannycakes had a birthday.....but more about that later. So Mr. Frannycakes bought me a new computer yesterday and after many, many curse words coming from my mouth and mind, I promptly returned it to the store this morning. Then I drove to Portland and purchased a different one at the Best Buy. And it has been a glorious day. Just glorious! Thank you Mr. Frannycakes!

We got back to the frozen tundra on Saturday. Our trip down south was wonderful. The temp's down there are much different than up here. Thankfully, I packed a couple of summer outfits just in case I got hot. And guess what? I got hot. Very hot. I do love the Maine temps.

I have a whole post planned about my different birthday celebrations. I am waiting for pictures. And when they come, I will let you know all about it!

It feels great to blog again.... And if you haven't given up on me...thanks! I will try to do better!

Tootles!

Yippee!!!!!!

Hey Yall!!!! Guess who got her laptop back?

Frannycakes is going on a trip! Leaving on a jet plane.....oh....dang.....wrong trip. This trip Julianne and I are getting in the car and heading south. I can't wait to get there. Of course, I hate the getting in the car and the getting there part. But it will be fine. Julianne will be with me and she has already given me permission to listen to 70's music the whole way!

Our first stop will be in Raleigh where we will visit with Bobo, aka Christopher. Can't wait to see him. Christmas seems like so long ago. He is getting his wisdom teeth removed on Monday and his mommy wants to be there. Note that I didn't say that he wants his mommy to be there. No. But his mommy wants to be there and she will. be. there. Period....

About mid week we will be heading to Pawleys Island. We are looking for an apartment there to rent for the summer. No, Dick is not letting me move down there for the summer......where there IS air conditioning......Julianne and a friend will be working down there and need a place to live. I could look for a three bedroom apartment, couldn't I? hehehehehehe....

Charleston will be my next stop for a girls weekend. Yes! Yes! Yes! I need this sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much. My favorite buds will be there. I can't wait. Julianne will be staying with her friend Emily and we will meet back up on Sunday morning and then.......

We will be heading to St. Marys, GA! I can't wait to get "home" and see the parentals. It has been a long time since I was there. Dick will be meeting me and we will enjoy the whole week there. Vickie is back from Italy, for good, and it will be great to see her. It is hard to believe that it has been a year since we were in Italy.

Weezie had a full day yesterday. I made her an appointment at the "Spa" and they told me I needed to bring her rabies certificate in for her appointment. I decided to check and make sure it was up to date and sure enough, it had expired. So we went to the vet to get her shot and I mentioned a couple of other things that had been going on with her. Turns out she has pink eye (Weezie said she got it from Julianne!)and she needed her "ugh" anal glands expressed. She took that last part really well. I, however, felt like I had had my anal glands expressed when I paid for her visit....$154. Dang! So immediately after her visit at the vet, we headed to the "Spa". When I picked her up two hours later, she looked beautiful. And rested. And I felt broke.

I guess I should go and get busy. Talk to you later!

Hey Yall! Yep, it me. Go ahead. Fuss. Cuss. (That was fun to type together!) Worry. But don't be concerned about me. Be concerned about my computer. My life line. My friend. You see, going on two weeks ago, I was checking my email and saw that I had received a postcard from Hallmark. My first thought was, could it be....could Dick have sent me a e-card for Valentines Day? So I opened it. And all hell broke loose. My Anti-virus software went absolutely crazy....but not crazy enough obviously. We took it to a person who hopefully will be able to make my lifeline/friend whole again. Cause I can totally see myself having a melt down without it. Oh! And do yourself a favor. Don't ever open an email postcard from Hallmark even if you think it might be from your honey.

So please forgive me for not posting. I am on Dick's computer right now. Hopefully, I will get my 'puter back tomorrow.....please, please, please......

We are in the middle of a big snow storm right now. I wish it was happening during the day because I love to watch it coming down. But tomorrow will look perfect when I wake up. Just one of the many perks of living in Maine.....living in a place that looks like a postcard. Don't hate me.

I guess I better go before I find another Hallmark card to open in my email. Dick would be sooooooooo pleased!

We'll talk later!