Another lovely day in Oklahoma. . .

[Twilight Sparkle]

@ronandannette , every time I see a photo of your mountains I think about how lucky you guys are. Floridaman999 is right, they make for a beautiful view.

 

[ronandannette]

@ronandannette , every time I see a photo of your mountains I think about how lucky you guys are. Floridaman999 is right, they make for a beautiful view.

Calgary's 40 minutes east of Banff National Park and I'd be lying if I didn't admit we take it for granted. I'm a little embarrassed at how seldom I ever even lift my eyes to actually see them. That's what makes it really great to have out-of-town visitors once in a while so we can appreciate them properly.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

No snow down here! Instead . . .

Anyone remember me mentioning the firefly event we try to win tickets for each year? Well it's that time of year again, and this year we're going! Since we haven't had good luck with the lottery system, we decided to bypass that whole deal and attend a charity function instead. It's kind of like a dessert party for firefly viewing. Here's a video of the same event from a few years ago (which we did not attend):

We are so excited to finally see the synchronous fireflies and to support a fantastic organization while doing so. I'll raise a glass of wine to our group here while I'm soaking in the beauty and wonder of nature that night, and I'll raise an extra glass for you, @Kitty 34 since I know you especially enjoy the fireflies, too.

 

[ronandannette]

No snow down here! Instead . . .

Anyone remember me mentioning the firefly event we try to win tickets for each year? Well it's that time of year again, and this year we're going! Since we haven't had good luck with the lottery system, we decided to bypass that whole deal and attend a charity function instead. It's kind of like a dessert party for firefly viewing. Here's a video of the same event from a few years ago (which we did not attend):

We are so excited to finally see the synchronous fireflies and to support a fantastic organization while doing so. I'll raise a glass of wine to our group here while I'm soaking in the beauty and wonder of nature that night, and I'll raise an extra glass for you, @Kitty 34 since I know you especially enjoy the fireflies, too.

That sounds enchanting! I've never once in my life seen them - pretty sure we don't have them here.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Calgary's 40 minutes east of Banff National Park and I'd be lying if I didn't admit we take it for granted. I'm a little embarrassed at how seldom I ever even lift my eyes to actually see them. That's what makes it really great to have out-of-town visitors once in a while so we can appreciate them properly.

Hmmm . . . our daughter is interested in looking into universities in Canada. Maybe I should see if Calgary has a school with a program that fits her plans. We still have a few years to gather info, but I have to admit I wouldn't mind visiting her and Banff at the same time!

 

[ronandannette]

Hmmm . . . our daughter is interested in looking into universities in Canada. Maybe I should see if Calgary has a school with a program that fits her plans. We still have a few years to gather info, but I have to admit I wouldn't mind visiting her and Banff at the same time!

We've got 3 universities, two seminaries and a nationally acclaimed tech/trade school and fine arts school - probably something here in town that would tickle her fancy!
https://www.ucalgary.ca/
https://www.mtroyal.ca/
https://ambrose.edu/
https://www.stmu.ca/
https://www.rockymountaincollege.ca/
https://www.auarts.ca/news/alberta-college-art-design-now-university
https://www.sait.ca/

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

We've got 3 universities, two seminaries and a nationally acclaimed tech/trade school and fine arts school - probably something here in town that would tickle her fancy!
https://www.ucalgary.ca/
https://www.mtroyal.ca/
https://ambrose.edu/
https://www.stmu.ca/
https://www.rockymountaincollege.ca/
https://www.auarts.ca/news/alberta-college-art-design-now-university
https://www.sait.ca/

Thank you so much! We will look into these links. I appreciate you sending them our way!

 

[PollyannaMom]

That firefly thing sounds so cool!

The regular ones were common where I grew up, but not where I live now. I still remember the first time DS saw them when we were visiting his grandparents.

 

[Kitty 34]

Twilight, thanks for that video. What a nice organization. You will have such a great time I'm sure. And yes, I can hardly wait for my evening viewings of my fireflies but I still have about two months to go. They definitely don't like springtime in Michigan!

 

[ronandannette]

...and it's snowing again here tonight. Not a raging blizzard like on Saturday but definitely snow and even for here it's getting to be a little much. I have to admit it brings back some nice memories though. Our very first (long-awaited and dreamed of) Disney trip was exactly 15 years ago next week. It was early May and was snowing the day we left and the day we returned.

 

[leebee]

Just checking in... boy, did this thread get buried! I have been sick for 2 weeks. Finally diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and sinus infection. I had a nebulizer treatment with prednisone and have an antibiotic and a pill that's supposed to relax the cough reflex, so I am not coughing endlessly. It's been 2 days and I'm feeling better. It's a lousy time to be sick as it's the first week of summer session, but I've only missed 1 of 4 labs so I should be OK.

Wedding plans are chugging along. I am re-thinking my dress, as it has 3/4 length lace sleeves for an outdoor wedding in mid-June, in NH. We had a mild winter but so far are having a slow spring. Up here (Bangor ME area) it's still going down to the low 30s at night, days are in the upper 40s/low 50s. My guess is that we are having a "real" spring, but for so many years it's gotten warm so quickly that we've lamented not having spring. I wonder if we've just forgotten what spring really is! Anyhow... we are past our RSVP date and have 9 days to contact the non-respondents, or wait for the answer from the "2nd wave" of invitations. We're at 115, highest it could go is 126, so we are OK. I actually don't expect any more "yes" responses; 3 we are waiting for have already said "probably not" and the other 8 are four middle schoolers, each with one guest (adult), who were the group DD took to Ecuador for a month last summer, thru CISV. She wanted to include them, but waited to see what was happening with numbers. As she is getting married on Father's Day, it won't surprise me if they all say no. That's OK, she's prepared, and for me, fewer guests = less cost! I have NOT finished up my end of the decorations- that's on the docket for this weekend, when I'm not grading. Decos should take about 20 hours, but DH and a good friend have offered to help, so no worries there! OF course, planning for 20 hours really means about 35, right? DD's veil is steaming out in the shower as I write; I have the fishing line in the edge to make it swirly, and once the sees how that looks we'll decide if it needs some bling or not. I am "blingier" than she is, and her dress back is pretty fancy, so maybe I'm just down to attaching it to a comb and calling it GOOD.

Well, I am blathering along about not too much, so I'll instead start hauling out crafty stuff for my day making decorations. Hope you are all having a good spring (and if you aren't, PLEASE keep your snow to yourself, we had enough winter here, hahaha!)

 

[Kitty 34]

Leebee, Thanks for checking in and bumping our thread back to the front. It does struggle theses days. Sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well. Hopefully it hasn't interfered too much with all your wedding plans. I would stick with your dress just cuz I know I second guessed my attire for my one son's wedding several times but now still seeing wedding pics on my sceensaver, I'm so glad I stuck with what I had bought. Hot or cold you probably won't notice. I wore a black and white pant suit which turned out to be on the hottest muggiest day of that summer.......didn't feel a thing!

Ronandannette, are ya done with snow yet???? I will predict that mid Michigan is officially done but now that I've jinxed myself who knows........I remember snow flurries on June 17 one year and how I remember is that date is our anniversary.

 

[NFLDERS]

Just catching up. Kick that infection to the curb leebee.

Yes! Spring is very wet here. Everything is delayed because of field flooding. Campsites for our 24 Week-end at a premium, most sites washed out.

I've been busy with this, and navigating the system, hoping to reduce more of my leg, feet pain.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Not much to report here. Just thinking about you all and wanted to say hi.

Leebee, hope you are feeling better. Love reading about the wedding planning.

Ronandannette, lovely Disney memory!

Jane, hope you feel better soon, too. Have you ever tried acupuncture for pain relief? We've all three had good success with acupuncture for various ailments. Your machine looks interesting, though. Does it massage? Sorry about the flooding. That's certainly no fun.

Hope everyone else here is doing well!

 

[PollyannaMom]

Doing OK, but things are moving quickly here. Tomorrow is DS's last "real" day of high school. I don't know where the time went!

 

[Kitty 34]

I was thinking of this thread yesterday when all those tornadoes were in Oklahoma. I used to be so fearful when my one son was stationed down there and they were under many watches and warning over his 6 years there.

 

[Floridaman999]

King Schultz was last seen: Sep 19, 2016

I really wish he'd make an appearance just to say hello.

 

[NFLDERS]

Not much to report here. Just thinking about you all and wanted to say hi.

Leebee, hope you are feeling better. Love reading about the wedding planning.

Ronandannette, lovely Disney memory!

Jane, hope you feel better soon, too. Have you ever tried acupuncture for pain relief? We've all three had good success with acupuncture for various ailments. Your machine looks interesting, though. Does it massage? Sorry about the flooding. That's certainly no fun.

Hope everyone else here is doing well!

YES!! It massages, and has 2 other actions with degrees of intensity. I'm using 1.5 to 2. Today I reported to my husband that I was noticing the cracking sound my worse knee use to make, and he said hmm... maybe, it's reversing back to before all the pain.

No, I've not tried acupuncture. Following the use of this tens system, I'm going to have an MRI, and if necessary (Bakers Cysts) try K-Laser Therapy,

 

[leebee]

I am crazy-busy at work right now (for some reason auto-correct or something wrote that as "crazy-sexy, HAHAHA). We are doing 6 labs in 2 weeks, so not only do I have to prep lectures and instruct for each 4 hour lab, but there are also lab reports to grade (for each of 10 students) as well as manage chemical set up/clean up, waste managements, and that little thing called a wedding in 17 days!! Right now at work they are giving me a hard time about taking the time off. SORRY!! They have known I'll be gone for a week (Wed-Wed) since December, and I double-checked the schedule in March before making the final payments on airbnb and such. Admittedly it's not a good time for me to be gone, but that's out of my hands. I can make some concessions and come back to work a day earlier than I'd like to (although with relatives from all over the country will be in town for this wedding, I'd like to stay and visit them), but that's it. I will only have dial-up internet (who does that in this day and age?) and no printer, so I am NOT accepting lab reports electronically and grading while I am away. Just not gonna do it. I know it'll work out, but it's just one more thing adding to the general stress right now. DH will be away at a training conference from 6/2 to 6/6, so hopefully I'll get the veil finished while he's gone (complete change of style and design since I last posted... but not more work). We are off to CT for DD's recital from 6/7 to 6/9 (who knew I'd still be watching my almost 26yo still performing- but this year she also has several pieces she choreographed that she'd like me to see), then will take off for the wedding from 6/12-6/19. In addition to the veil, I need to finish the parasol decorations (12 lace parasols with floral garland and draping flowers around the edge- they'll hang from the ceiling, but they need the flowers and eye-hooks for hanging, still) and the veil (hand-attach some lovely lace, see below). Fortunately I don't have to make the vine/floral garland to hang on the pergola; venue just informed us they charge $250 to hang this so we decided to skip it. Returned the materials to JoAnn Fabrics yesterday; LOVE having a credit instead of a charge on my card! OH and we need to get the programs printed. DH's printer is not printing the colors nicely- they all appear as muddled grey to lilac tones- so I guess they need to go to Staples. At work I need to keep up with the teaching and grading, and get the chemicals set up for the next session (12 labs, they just doubled the enrollment so instead of 12 students we have 24... grrrrr...). Other than all this, we just need to pack for a week and then it'll be off to the wedding! WOW!! IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!

Thanks for letting me ramble on about all this... sometimes it just helps to get it all out, makes it easier to see and organize. I am SUPER excited and don't care how hard I drive myself in the next two weeks- I want to have everything done so I can spend the wedding- time with my family. One of my biggest regrets about my own wedding was the tight-budget, so much was DIY. While DH was visiting with everyone, hanging out at the beach, etc., I was sewing, still working on my dress and veil, right up until I was supposed to be at the church (and was actually 45 minutes late). THat's not going to happen this time! Just pray for lovely sunny weather in southern NH on Father's Day, OK? It's not been the best spring up here in Bangor (chilly, cloudy/rainy) so I am hoping for much nicer weather, further south, in 2 weeks!!
Here's the lace trim for the veil...

 

[Micca]

Hi folks, nice to see everyone Seems like everyone is busy but "Keepin' it together." Keyboard is on the fritz so I'm keeping it short