Some more photos

On CHRISTmas Eve morning, Justin was busily making breakfast for the family, frying bacon at the moment. The smoke was so dense in that area---I am surprised we can even see him!

Because of the smoke, I opened the patio door a crack, Mom's window a crack, and the door to the hallway. BIG MISTAKE! While that would work here in the condo, it did not work the way I expected at Mom's apartment building. The smoke alarms and sensors in the hallway detected the smoke and activated. Since there was no number for me to call to have it turned off, someone suggested I call 9-1-1 to let them know it was a false alarm. The nice lady told me she would make the call and the alarm stopped. It turned out the maintenance man was outside spreading salt  on the ice, and he shut them off. A fire truck was dispatched anyway but with two guys and clipboard. Guess it is protocol to investigate anyway. They asked, "DId you set a place for us?"

The bacon was done to perfection, once we sat down to eat. Before they left, one of the firemen went down the hall and opened Mom's window wider and I moved the Christmas tree away from the door to open it wider. When the firemen left, they said to leave the door and windows open for a while to air it out. No sooner were they down the hall, Mom said to close the door, as she was cold. It was funny because the fire truck was still in the driveway below her apartment and they could see if it was open or not. For days the apartment smelled like bacon, not like smoke, which is a good thing!

 Here is a rather good photo of Alayna and Justin, on the sofa in the community room at Mom and Jill's apartment building. We had to wait a couple hours after the celebration and gift exchange to watch the Packer game, but we are good waiters!

Kerry is geared up in her Packer attire, awaiting the start of the game. Angelo can clap his hands, with encouragement, to cheer for the Packers! When he was at Grandma K's house on Friday, we had to laugh at him because every time someone called his name, he would shake his head. Evidently he gets told "No!" alot!

Angelo got a nice big box of diapers with his picture on it! Lisa showed us how Angelo will come and lie down after she tosses a fresh diaper on the floor in anticipation of his being changed. He crawls to the spot, picks up the diaper and assumes position, waiting for his fresh one! He is trained, but in a different way!

 Who can resist a face like this one???

That's my boy! He has taken quite a liking to this soda can, a boy after my own heart (and his auntie Kerry!). We had to wait quite a while to open that particular can once he was done playing with it!  Jill is sitting there watching him, almost like he's going to open it and drink the soda!

A recap of the earlier part of the trip

On the day we left for WI, Justin and I were taken to the airport by our friend, Judy J., which saved us parking fees. The only question remaining was how to get Justin home from the airport the night he returned to FL, but his father agreed to get him.

An aside: Justin's flight home was not as uneventful as mine---he was delayed leaving MKE, after being dropped off there by my sister and family as they went home to Holmen. It seems the air traffic was messed up from ATL, delaying the arrival of his inbound flight.
     Then, once loaded on the plane and taxiing out, the plane sat another 20 minutes before taking off. This would give him much much less time between flights once in ATL and he was extremely frustrated, and quite angry at Delta Airlines. It turned out his next gate was only steps away but he had hoped to get something to eat between flights. This did not turn out as he had to hustle, only minutes before the next one would depart. He said he would never see his family again unless they came down here if I booked our air flight on Delta! Yes, he was mad! Since then, he has cooled off and even mentioned another visit some day, but not on Delta! (My trip home went without incident, and attribute his problems to the rush of holiday traffic/travel, only days after CHRISTmas.)

My sister, Lynn, picked us up in MKE, and we drove in the dark to Manitowoc, even though it was not even 5:00 pm yet.  We stopped at the Green Street Tavern for perch (Justin had the broasted chicken). Some members of my family joined us there for our first visit together. They have the best perch and the best fried cheese curds, and Justin was just so happy. 

We went to Mom's house where we got unpacked and settled in. Before Lynn left, Mom asked her to help make the bed but Justin and I jumped on it, the job, I mean, and pulled her bed together for her. Mom's arm has an ache and pain in it, and an appointment was set for just days after CHRISTmas to get it checked out. (At the appt. it seems the pain was not directly related to her Parkinson's Disease which was a great relief to her). 

On Friday, we did some shopping, getting the things we needed for our CHRISTmas snacks and such. We met Lisa and her family at the Pizza Hut only a block or two from Mom's house. This was Justin's first time seeing Angelo in the flesh and fell in love with him. He, we, love the other two guys very much, but there is something about Angelo's eyes that suck us in! Babies trump 6 and 7 year-olds any day!

When we walked up to the table, Manny showed us how he colored his placemat, using blue to show a phart coming from one of the characters in the picture. Oh yeah, a true 'blue' little boy! This made Justin laugh, and even Grandma thought it was funny!

Friday late afternoon we went to the Capital Civic Center for a sacred concert performance by Manitowoc Lutheran High School. Besides being well-done, I like going because I can see so many people there that I know, in one fell swoop. In fact, I actually met one of my Facebook friends who knew I was coming and sought me out. Judy S. asked me to be her Friend through a mutual friend on-line and now we have met, just as I met Tammy last summer at the WELS Worship Conference! 

From the concert, Justin and I went to Linda's to see her, since we weren't sure Justin would see her at church due to her knew knee (te he he!). We drove in a heavy snow (heavy for us!) and I could hardly make out the lines on the road. Good thing I knew the way to her house! Justin described the riding into the snow as being like a space ride with stars flying by us. It was a short snowfall, only an inch-worth. Their son and his family were at Linda's, as was her sister, Georgia. Justin was so glad to see Linda again, even though he had seen her in August when she was here with Lynn. As it turned out, she managed to make it to church for the special services, thankfully. Linda was able to continue working from home using a sharing program between church and her home computer, which will be great when the weather turns bad.

My sister, Kerry, parked her car at a Park 'n Ride lot about a half hour from her workplace, and Jill drove the 45 minutes to pick her up the morning of the 24th. In the meanwhile, Justin made breakfast for us at Mom's, causing Mom and Lynn's routine to be disrupted since they 'usually' go for coffee and a pastry Saturday mornings. I already shared the story of the firemen coming to check out the reason for the fire alarms going off. I should have not opened the door to the hallway, not thinking about the smoke detectors out there. Strangely the one in the house did not go off...I have a photo of the fire truck and of the crispy bacon, which was delicious, and I will post it later. 

Right now I cannot recall where or what Justin and I ate the rest of his visit, perhaps someone else will help me fill in the blanks. I do know that Justin got to eat at the Green Street, Culver's, Late's BBQ, Pizza Hut, Perkin's, and the Charcoal Grille. There might have been more, but we hit our favorites. On the night the tree was decorated at Good Shepherd, the pastor's wife asked me about the plans for when we got to WI. I rattled off the places to go eat first, and she laughed, understanding fully what I was talking about. I did have people to see and other things to do, make no mistake, but many of the events involve food and dining! I think Justin's needs were met, especially since he won't be seeing his family again (His angry text message during the airport delay stated, "Say 'good-bye' to the family from me...") 

Here come the photos!

 My friend, Dolly, and I enjoyed a late breakfast together at Fork 'n Knife, getting caught up in person with each other's lives. We communicate via the Internet primarily, given the miles between us but it's the face to face meetings that are the most fun. We have been friends since she came to First German in the 4th grade and then again at MLHS. Such fun we had as young teens at her family's home in Mishicot, and at their cottage in Door County. We had children one day apart from each other, at different hospitals but still together!

Since Justin's visit was going to be shorter than mine, we made efforts to see and do as much as possible before he left for FL. On the Monday after CHRISTmas, Boxing Day, we went to see my mom's sister, Marie, who turned 90 last year. Her daughter, Barbie, came over as well, and made sure we had sodas to drink. Auntie lamented not having one single cookie this season, so at Justin's urging, we baked her some and delivered them the next day. We had such a fine visit with Auntie Marie when she came to FL for Justin's confirmation in 2002. She loved everything, especially the noisy frogs!

My sister, Lori, is holding that darling Angelo on CHRISTmas Day as we gathered for our celebration and gift opening. Angelo stole the show, and those with cell phone video features got footage of Angelo learning how to play catch. Oh, how we laughed!! Mom got the Scooby Doo ball in our white elephant gift exchange and he adopted it. David sat down in front of Angelo and began rolling the ball to him. He caught on and rolled it back to David. The game grew to three or four people, with video cameras capturing the whole thing. How cool it was to be witness to one of Angelo's "firsts" in his life!!! Justin fell in love with him, too, which I expected would happen.

Angelo has become quite a crawler and when the pathway is blocked by people's legs, he gets to a wall or table to pull himself up. He is going to get around the barricade if it's the last thing he does! Alayna is trying to keep up with him in this photo...a good job for the young among us!

 Here his mama, Lisa, is helping Angelo open the book set Justin and I gave him for CHRISTmas. She told me that he really enjoys the books, thinking they taste awfully good! In the foreground is a nutcracker that Grandma K gave to Angelo, which he was charmed by.

Later on CHRISTmas Day, the fun continued in the Community Room in Mom's building, with the family gathering to watch the Packer game together. It was so much better for us to watch down there than in Mom's apartment so that she could watch what she wanted and not have to worry about us being jammed in her living room and cheering. What a great game it was, and needless to say, the Packers won!!! I am sporting a Packer stocking hat in an effort to encourage the team, but sadly, it makes me look fat!

I have some catching up to do!

I thought when I got home from WI and had full access to my computers that the blog would get caught up again. Guess I will start that today. Unfortunately my phone does everything except make it convenient to write my blog...not impossible but quite a job if I tried it. No less than 25 words coming from me, which is why Justin said I would never manage tweeting!


In a few moments I must get up and dressed to take Justin to work, this time to Fleming Island. Between us we put together a grocery list which I might take care of while already near Publix. He will carry in the non-refrigerated items after I pick him up from work but I will have the cold items to tote to the condo. He likes to cook and he informed me that he "ate me out of house and home" when I was gone. This really would not take much, as long as he didn't get into the food storage. In fact, he said he added a few items to the storage from his own supplies brought from his apartment. I have a couple packages of pancake mix and wonder if he would make us those some time!


Last night we watched some football, once he got home from his friend's house where he watched the first game of the day. We were rooting for the Denver Broncos in the second game, which they won in a spectacular fashion in overtime. Wow! It was fantastic to witness...by the time it got that far, he had come into my room to watch together and we were jumping around. You would think we were major Bronco fans instead of Packer fans. The quarterback, for those who do not know, is a former Gator player and Justin is a fan of the Gators. (He does not like it when I refer to the college teams as 'amateur'...) And then we ate our dinner!


I made us some pork ribs with bbq sauce, roasted in the oven with tiny red potatoes. Mmmm...the creamed corn finished it off. Justin complimented me on the delicious meal. I can take it! And no firemen at the door---how about that???

Ooooh, cheese curds!!!!

Baby, it's cold outside (again)

This morning Manitowoc and I woke to temperatures hovering just above zero, with it currently 'warmed' to 8 above. Downright balmly! My friends in north Florida woke to similarly chilly temps, some areas below freezing today and will be again overnight. Justin reported this to me via text message and I have asked him to please water the outside plants with warm to hot water when he gets home from work today. That method preserved my plants through last winter and will hopefully work again this year. Connie, the maintenance lady, reported my outdoor plants were among the only ones to survive the winter, which I attribute my using hot water before the freezes.


Despite the cold air, Mom, Lynn and I went to Perkins for breakfast. I needed one more taste of their potato pancakes before I leave Manty. If I absolutely HAD to have some in FL, I could drive the hour to Palm Coast to Perkins. How nice that I have family there to visit at the same time! Lynn's first real day of retirement was today so it was good for us to be out and about, to ease her adjustment to being not at work. I will have to advise her from afar, I guess, on how to keep one's self busy or not busy, each day. Baby steps, though, baby steps. 


Lynn made a lovely turkey dinner for us last night at her apartment, which is located on the second floor of a home. Yikes! Mom, Jill, and I managed to make our way up (it seems much more than a single flight somehow) to have baked potatoes, two veggies, and pineapple upside down cake with our turkey. She showed us her retirement gifts and thoughtful greeting cards, and I was so glad to see how much they thought of her there at LTC. Does my heart good!


Mom and I just hung out Monday during the day, watching first the Rose Bowl Parade, and some other daytime TV. Occasionally I watched the news for updates about tonight's caucus in Iowa. When the time came for the Badger game, we switched over to that and watched an exciting back and forth scoring game. Unfortunately, the mighty Ducks overcame the Badgers and took the prize at the Rose Bowl. At half time we left for Lynn's and watched some football there before the bird was ready. 

The festive bird on Lynn's table

Justin was planning a full day of football at his friend, Ron's, house, beginning with the parade yesterday morning. Before he left though he was going to make some muffins as he had a couple days ago. I think I will enjoy having someone so ambitious in the kitchen when I get home. My only concern is the clean-up as I like the kitchen to look as though nothing happened there. He plans to make steaks on the grille the night I get home from WI, having a portable gas grille to use in the courtyard. Sort of makes me nervous after the frying bacon incident but I must trust his skills. I sure do like a steak!


Speaking of steak, I enjoyed two thus far in Manty---one from the Charcoal Grille where I went with my family the Monday after CHRISTmas and the other from Harborside. I ate only half of that one, and it was on a sandwich! Huge portions at Harborside...it tasted wonderful reheated for breakfast the next morning. 


This late afternoon I am meeting my nephew, Uriah, at Applebee's in order to give him his gifts from Justin and me, and from his uncle in FL. He had to return to school already today (which is probably the right timing...just seems too soon to me) so will come when he gets out of classes. I look forward to seeing him again, the last time being in the spring at his cousin, Allie's, graduation party. He is a nice guy, a senior in high school this year. I am tempted to change the location to the Charcoal Grille for another of those delicious steak sandwiches but perhaps Applebee's has something as enticing! 

A birthday hang over

Today is the day after my birthday and I am still enjoying all the greetings and good wishes extended. My friend, Dolly, presented me with an extremely touching card and treated me to breakfast at Fork and Knife today. Loved our time together, but as I stated on Facebook, sadly, I had words left over. Two hours (slightly less) flew by for us, and even a few tears were shed. The mark of a good visit is shed tears!

My sister, Kerry, was expected this weekend but opted to wait until later in the week to manage a visit this direction. She might get an extra day or so, which will be her birthday. A cake for the two of us is in the air, so to speak! Jill and her son, Danny, are down-state this weekend to visit her other son and his family, which leaves me without a car to use. Lynn is our wheel-man for church and other outings until Jill returns. We are going to church this evening and again in the morning. Football tomorrow afternoon for which I am making the advertised recipe of Velveeta cheese-food and Ro-tell tomato dip for nachos. I am quite excited to try this, my first effort!

Back to the CHRISTmas Day celebration: Justin and I made the meatballs with sweet/sour sauce and two people made ham. There was cheese ‘n sausage as well, snacks, teeny hotdogs in bbq sauce, and a cookie/candy tray. Very nice selection! The boys enjoyed their gifts, except Gabe tossed one book I gave him off to the side. Humpf! Lori loves the book as well, suggesting it needs to be read to him in order to be appreciated. It is the story I used for the memoir writing class I held for the church ladies a couple summers ago—“When I Was Young on the Mountain”. Otherwise, they were happy, and we were, too!

The adults did our first ever white elephant gift exchange and it was a hoot. Some of the presents were goofy and some not, just unwanted or unneeded items. The one I got brought down the house, though, as it was a car magnet in the shape of an extremely muscular arm, like a body builder would have. If attached properly, it would appear that the driver of the car was a big hunky man instead of a short, chubby 56-year-old woman! Nice going, David! Justin’s donation was an ice scraper that fits over someone’s hand like a mitten, to keep it warm while scraping ice. We thought it was funny, but is actually quite practical.

On Monday, Justin and I went to visit my 90-year-old auntie, Marie, and my cousin, Barbie, who had stopped by. We had a very nice time with them, and my other cousin, Jon. Auntie gave me a framed photograph of the five Lahaie sisters, posing at a fireplace after Lynn’s surprise birthday party two years ago. Very nice and much appreciated! Auntie mentioned not having one single CHRISTmas cookie this season, “not a one!” As we drove off, Justin mentioned how sad he was about that and asked if we could go to the store for some cookies to bake. Sure! We bought a couple packages of break ‘n bake cookies, made them up, and were delivered the next day along with some leftover chow mein noodle chocolate candies Lori brought. She was thrilled and I hope she saved one or two for Barbie!

Justin was to be taken to the airport by Lynn and I (after she offered to drive instead of me alone in Mom’s car) on Tuesday, but then my sister and her husband offered to take him along as they were going back to Holmen. Nice! Justin and I talked it over and he was fine with it, although he had expressed the night before if they took him, he would not get to say good-bye at the airport. (I had not suggested this to anyone else, it was their choice to offer the ride) I left the decision, then, up to him, and said our farewells at Mom’s instead of me bawling at the airport. Lynn, Mom and I went to Sheboygan anyway as Lynn had a return to make at Boston Store. We went to the Christian bookstore next door to it and did a bit of shopping there. I was privileged to explain to the nice clerk in the store what Epiphany is, surprised that she did not already know.

The status of the young traveler, Justin, was updated via text message as he was extremely frustrated about delays leaving MKE. It seems the delay originated on the inbound flight from ATL and he feared missing his connection once there. It did all work out but far too close a time frame than he liked. His father picked him up at the airport and dropped him off at the condo. Justin had to work for his father the next two days and then for the landscaper on Friday.

After he was home, I enjoyed a great day having lunch with Linda, her sister, Georgia, and my sister, Lynn, at Harborside. What great food we had! I went with Linda across the street to the nail salon as the other two ladies went on their way. We had a great visit there, as usual when I am in town, and I even got a bottle of hand cream as a gift for making them laugh. Linda still cannot drive after her knee replacement so I took her home afterward. We sat and schnuddered for a couple hours and then the call came….

My upstairs neighbor/friend, Randy, called, hating to disturb me but, there is a leak! He had seen/heard Jessica out in her courtyard, upset because she had water coming into her place from above, and she knew I was not home. YIKES! Randy said he had met Justin down in the parking area 5 minutes earlier, so I called him to go back home and deal with it. Also, I called Hugh, my 2^nd floor neighbor, who would secure the key and get into my place before Justin got back. He had met Jeff (my downstairs neighbor) on the stairs so Hugh went to my place as Jeff went up to investigate the source of the leak. It seems the ice maker line let go in 504, leaked into their home, and then down into Jessica’s unit. But, their quick action seems to have prevented it from getting into mine. Thank heavens! Justin called to let me know it was okay and promised to check it again in the morning. This is getting to be too much already!

Once calmed again, I went to my in-law’s home for a family get-together with John, Mona, Sharon, Harv, Barb, and Allie and JR. Mona had all the standard holiday goodies, home-made, and I enjoyed it very much.

Since I had not gone home in between the day’s visits, I did not have the presents with me, so have made plans to distribute them next week. Mom would have to buzz me back into the building as she had the house keys so I left there at a reasonable hour in order to not keep Mom up late. Barb’s mom, Clara, had ended up in the hospital CHRISTmas Day evening so Justin and I were not able to see her before he left. I did see her in the hospital yesterday and today she is moving to my old place of employment, Shady Lane, to recuperate and get her strength back. She is in good hands there, as she worked next door at Park Lawn for 17 years herself!

Last night my family took me to Sheboygan to have my birthday dinner with Lisa and family at Shuff's Resort and Bakery. What a wonderful meal it was, and Lynn treated me. She also got me a small box of the hand-made chocolate covered cherries from Beernstein’s Confectionary. Talk about deliciousness! I am pacing myself on them to have them last a few days. She spoils me! Once home, I will include a photo taken with my camera phone, which is dark and unclear, but a photo nonetheless. It was excellent and want to go there again some time!