It seems that all I have done this summer is go to the beach and read. Although over the past few weeks I have actually done some things that I should have blogged about, I have just been to lazy to sit at the computer (now THAT is lazy).
We will start with the beginning of this month, the kids and I visited my folks in Saratoga Springs, NY (about 2.5 hrs) to help them pour cement and clear out some brush and small trees ( I am a crazy woman when I get a chain saw in my hands). The reason for the cement pour is for my parents new home, they have decided (my brother and I strongly suggested) to put in a double wide mobile home while they finish the renovations on the 150 year old farm house. Weather or not the renovations ever get done doesn't really matter, all that matters is that my folks can now relax without worry about their house falling down around them. Before the new house could be set on the land there was an older trailer that had to be taken apart and cleared away, my dad was able to do that over the past month. While I was helping to clear the old brush and weeds I got poison ivy, only I didn't know it at the time. I didn't realize that the oils could stay with you and not develop into a rash for a while, so a week after being home I woke up one morning just itching like crazy. I have never had poison ivy before so I had no idea how irritating it can be, I ended up seeing my doctor and she gave me a prescription for pretozone (or something like that), anyway, I am finally doing better or at least I am not scratching as much. Although my legs and arms look like I have a terrible disease.
Late last week the kids, Rick and I went back to my folks to see the new trailer. It was put in place early last week and everything was set to move in by the weekend. The most amazing thing is to see how fast everything happened, the decision to put in a new trailer wasn't decided until June and now 2 months later BAAM! There is a new house. I am so excited that my parents will actually have heat this winter!!!
While we were in Saratoga, Rick had the wonderful idea of taking me to the performing Arts Center which is the summer home of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The night we were there, Martha Argerich was the piano soloist and she played a Shumann concerto, my favorite was the orchestra playing
The Pines of Rome by RESPIGHI, that was just awesome. Yo-Yo Ma played the following night, but Rick had to get back to Connecticut to work, even though I stayed for the weekend I wasn't able to go to that concert. We used to get lawn tickets for SPAC when we lived in Saratoga, I remember taking DQ to see Itzack Pearlman when she was 2 yrs old. Since lawn tickets were 10 bucks (and kids under 12 got in free) we were able to go pretty often. When Rick took me last week we actually splurged and bought inside seats (only 7 rows from the stage) we did have a coupon for buy one ticket get one free so it made the price pretty reasonable.
The main reason for going to NY last weekend was for my brothers birthday. My sister-in-law, Amy, threw a surprise party for his 31st b-day which was officially on the 17th. They weren't able to do a 30th party last year because they weren't in there new house yet, so better late than never. Actually my brother and his family used to live in the trailer that my parents just tore down. Chip, Amy and the kids were living there while they put in a huge modular home on the north part of the property (my parents have 23 acres). There house is really awesome, they were able to move in just before Christmas. Anyway, Happy Birthday Chip!!!!
As for the title of this blog, 29 and holding, today is my 29th birthday. I had actually forgotten about it, these things just don't seem that important anymore. Anyway I am very thankful for everything that has happened in the past year, and I plan on writing more about that later this week.
