Organization and Olives

My weekend was about organization and Olives!

Organization: Dan and I spend most of the weekend out and about because it was actually SUNNY here for once. I went to a museum, went to the local market, and treated myself at a kitchen goods store (deadly and dangerous for a poor college student with a taste for flavor)...I only bought a scale, whisk, brush, and veggie steamer though. Phew.

While the sun helped organize our moods back into a positive place, the sight of Sun made me want to do a little springish cleaning. Basically, we reorganized our entire living room (all 3 pieces of furniture) which looks more more open and inviting now, scrapped alot of clutter, did laundry for the first time in a month A MONTH, I KNOW, bought a second hand spice rack and reorganized the kitchen (I have very limited poorly utilized counter space and this made ALLLL the difference), AAANNND reorganized the "study" which is supposed to be an office/music room but becomes the place everything goes that should fit into a closet that doesnt exist. The apartment looks great now and we find ourselves just walking around admiring it. It's so nice to love the space you're in and feel at home. I dont think I have REALLY felt that since I moved out on my own, even in the Nazareth Bubble. And it is good to be home :D

Now to the OLIVE part. For valentines day, I received a few things from Dan (a slotted serving spoon that I was miserable without, pretty antique earrings, and amazing green olives). These Olives are quite possibly the best olives I have ever tasted. I did not open them until Sunday night and I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR. They had pits, were medium in size, and just the right color olive green. They are Spanish and come in this cute stout glass container. They are a flavor combination of bliss, butter, and that sweet tart olive taste that gets me everytime. I'm hesitant to tell you the brand because Dan and I looked online and had trouble locating them. It would be like glimpsing how gorgeous the Holy Grail was but being struck blind instantaneously. They are available in this small kitchen store in Philadelphia, however so come visit! I will tell you where they are from though: "coquet" is the brand and they are simply whole green olives, a product of spain. Good luck! I hope I havent teased too much. Happy March all!

hello yous all

I would suggest you posses your self with patience.............If I can get here once a week I would be suprised...........I normally have to deal with 30 - 50 legitimate emails a day plus texts. I am glad we have a place to "post". I will need a reminder occasionally that I am supposed to "attend" to this as well. It is interesting that as with all of these written items, i can hear your voices and that is a pleasure. The winter continues, and there is now an oppossum raiding the bird feeders and a red squirrel rooting around in the chicken coop. nice to know the new laser sight on the 22 will come in handy soon..............Sunny Days!

I was not successful trying to post a picture from my Aperture program........erg. Its only 9p here.

You all asleep or what? Nevermind. I am in habit of being on the laptop and watching the TV at the same time.

BUenas Noches

Sunday evening

Watching the Academy's and I know I should have already seen The Kings Speech but not.

How disappointing that the co-host of the show has such a hard time speaking his native language I dont know if he is mentally unstable, or just indifferent or stupid????

Ok I miss Alec Baldwin, he was a funny host. some really good Films this year especially Shorts and Foreign that we never get to see.

Has not snowed here yet in sunny wet Cal. but temps are in the 30s.

Looking forward to tomorrow when I meet with my dentist to hear about the treatment plan to extract and bridge/implant next. Hmmmmm...Good Times....

Love to everyone

Where is my family????

More freeaking snow--AWsome...NOT!

Time to return to work tomorrow....but there's a chance for a bad weather delay in the morning... in reality then....I LOVE well-timed bad weather!!!

We have tapped some trees...well not me, the Mike Dad...I am ordering plant seeds today , and taters...

Family?  Where art thou?

Luv, Marion

AHHHH the joys of leaving the woods.... the symphony....

 I am so jealous of you guys, right now I am very tired of the whiteness and ...wellll ...the whiteness...here's a pic. of your cousin playing the Tympani at the Central State Quabbin Music Festival...you've been to these I'm guessing ..where they have several HS students from each school and they get together twice and then all day before the concert and then play .... as a large band...This was Mike's first time ...Em went twice with her baritone in HS, this was Mike's first time...I am glad you go the opportunity to see the symphony...!! Wow.

I think that breakfast is called "A Taste of Cyprus", although I don't recall why it sounded so great , maybe the egg cooked in olive oil or the fried Greek cheese or the.....

Still looking for the rest of the clan to join!  .....?

CLIFF when you get here, I need an E-mail for Georgette, !!


YOU know I think that LOVE logo sculpture( picture of you and friends posed there) was done at Mass Art or was made by the metal working classes at MassArt or I will have to ask Emily...I remember ( but not clearly as usual, but It will come to me)They talked about that LOVE sculpture at orientation for parents when  Em first started there....I am sure of that at least...that it has some connection to MassArt...


...putting a little color where I can find it!!

Marion

Blogging is easy breezy

I just started blogging this past fall and this is my third blog that I contribute to now. This particular site is the only one that I have used but I like it for a few reasons. A) Free, B) connected to my gmail account which is my primary email, and C)its so easy!!

So yes, when everyone gets their email from Marion just click on the link embedded in the email and sign into your google (or yahoo as well I believe) account and it should shoot you right to the blog. Jim, Marion and I are the only listed contributors at this point so make sure you guys sign on as authors so you can write lovely posts to us all like this one, and be able to add pictures!

I find it's easiest to bookmark the blog so that each time you want to view it you don't have to sign in, you just click on your favorites or bookmarked link. Anytime you're on this page, reading these post and want to post your own, go to the top right hand corner where it says "new post". That will lead you to a template where you type whatever you want and then hit Publish.

Good luck!

PS: Dan and I just got back from seeing the London Symphony Orchestra at the amazing Philly Kimmel Center (the building we watched the Mummers parade in front of, Dad). Dan got free tickets through his school and we had "nosebleed" seats but they were perfect, right in the middle and no obstructions. They performed Mahler's 7th Symphony. One of the nocturne movements even featured a guitar and mandolin! It was great. Back to studying now. Happy blogging :D

Megan! Here's the restaurant...thanks to the internet!

www.kanellarestaurant.com - 1001 Spruce Street, Philadelphia - (215) 922-1773

Kanellas!  Write that down....  :O) I WILL FORGET!

:O) Marion

So does everyone know how this works??....let me know!!!

AS in I mean, reallly.... let me know, I get a bit confused... but I guess you have to first sign on to a Google acct., sign up if you don't already have one, g- mail users ...you already have one!!!

You can always comment on a post , but you have to have an invite (from me) to create a new post....THIS IS A POST. I sent all of you an invite to be posters...except Carlene and Deanna, which I will take of right now....Megan is this all right, since you seem to be more blog~talented than I, and you were the first to post sucessfully after me...???  Let me know.

..I saw a very good Philly restaurant on TV last night and I cannot remember the name   ...crap...I think it was Greek...bah...A Taste of Cyprus was the name of the dish I think, it was a breakfast platter to die for...I will work on this...

off to add Carlene and Deanna to our "author posts" list....

Marion

HOO-rah.....already a blog is on!

I still am not quite sure what I am doing ,but I got Megan's awesome post and pics and I am ready to see MORE!

Phreezing in Philly

Hello Fam Dam,

Yay for a family blog! Great idea :D. I'm posting to avoid studying for my upcoming Clinical Diagnosis Midterm. Family blogging holds precedence over juicy topics such as Sleep disorders and Attention deficit disorders. Life has been busy busy here. Since I last saw everyone I have mostly just been going to school. Dan and I went to visit some friends in Oneonta, NY last weekend and went to the Cooperstown brewery and Ommegang brewery (free pickles and cheese spread!) for tastings while we were there.

This picture was taken pre-tastings I promise! Behind us is a tower of Ommegang beer kegs. Thaaat was fun. I'm excited to say that I just got a flight booked to Florida, see you sun dwellers 3/20-3/24!! I cant wait. Like I said, its freezing in Philly. We had one glorious day of 68 degrees last friday and I was inside the hospital alllll day. It has now returned to the February drudgery that is winter in a city.

Looking forward to spring, I just spotted an organic community garden about 4 blocks from me. You have to apply to gain access but If I get in, I'll have an 8x5 ft. plot to plant anything in! If I dont get in, i'm going to need lots of creative ideas with what to do with the back area of my apartment that gets little direct sun.

The picture below is from an outing that I had with some girls from my program. We went to go see a band perform on campus. The lead singer/guitarist had suffered a brain anyeurism in 2005. He completely rehabilitated from a vegetative state with the help of his family and music (but not a music therapist :D). Well, thats what I'm up to, cant wait to hear from everyone! Send me sun!!

Hello Giroux~Smith~Dowlings~S !!!!

HI everybody!!

I took Mark's suggestion today and created this Google~blog. DO I know how to use this???...um no...but me thinks it is a better idea than e-mail....allegedly you can post links, pictures and everyone with a computer and the internet ( all you nieces and nephews ) can join in , too, without waiting for the invite or an e-mail to remember to forward....SHALL WE TRY THIS??  I will explain to Dad and send him the link and he can practice in his free time..I will be practicing too, DAD I assure you..I will have to figure out how to post pics but otherwise you post just like you email...yes?  So if you are reading this, and I hope you will eventually....I have sent you the link to the blog, which you will use to add to our family conversation... YAY!

WE went to Vestal, N.Y. on Saturday for Georgette's 85th BDAY, returned on Sunday night...the ride back being dry and uneventful, the trip there not so much, blowing drifting snow all day, thruway close, then 88 closed....BAH!!! WE made it around 4:30 a very good time to finally get off the road. Georgette's 85th birthday was on Friday and Saturday was the best we could arrange. We all had a lot of lobster rolls and lobster dip , provided of course by Mike...

I loved the posts on e-mail so far, retrieving Heathers and Marks from my junk Mail filters...nice pictures!...and I am reaching for the phone now to call Alisonofthestitches...ouch. OMG WE HAVE A WEDDING DATE~ that is so GREAAAAAAT!! ...

THE GSD means Giroux Smith Dowling....we can change the name if anyone has an inspiration!!!

See you here, and soon.

Love, Marion