14 years ago today

September 22, 1995.


We woke up in Buffalo. It was pouring. It poured all the way to Albany. (The funny thing is, it is raining here right now.) We were driving to a wedding. Only about 5 people knew about it. Us, Kris & her mom, and the judge. None of the guests knew about it. They thought we were going to meet for a nice dinner at The Century House to celebrate an engagement.

After we arrived at the hotel and changed into our wedding clothes, we waited in a little side office. We could peek out and watch as our families arrived. A phone call from the Guyers... they were going to be 30 minutes late. Daddy said he didn't think he could make it because he was staying with Grammie and Grampie at the time. Somehow, we managed to guilt him into coming along. Once everyone was in the room, we grabbed our judge who was waiting in the bar. We were lucky to find a retired judge with ties to our hometown and church. It gave an extra personal touch to have someone who knew our family perform our ceremony. Sadly, Hector Arbour lost his battle with cancer several years later.

The three of us entered the little room we had reserved for our party... and Surprise!!! It took some only a second to catch on... others needed a little hint. "Do you know who this is? Do you know why he is here?" Ha Ha!!!! Some exclaimed, "How could you do this to me?" One snapped, "Oh cripes, I am wearing a sweatshirt!" Others had contractions! And yes, some accused us of being pregnant.

We had a small ceremony and nice dinner off the menu.
Lew ordered sirloin in dijon and cracked pepper.

I had the porkchops in mango vinegrette...
Then we enjoyed a delicious cake. (my online parenting buddies know me... mmmmm..... cake.....) Kris's mom made this spice cake for us! Isn't it beautiful? I have to admit, the top is still in my parents' freezer. Do you think it will still be good?


We made the decision to do this different ceremony earlier in 1995. We had 7 other weddings on our calendar for the year (plus some in '94 and '96, too)... and we knew we'd see everyone, party with everyone, dance with everyone, eat lots of cake, see favors and flowers we would forget quickly, we were in ceremonies, and even photographed ceremonies. We also knew on a grad school budget, our wedding wouldn't happen for a long time if we waited any longer. C'mon, we have always been practical, right? And I guess cheap. And don't forget how I like to do things a tad differently than the rest of the world.

the entire guest list

Wow, 1995 glasses were big, eh?

But, it seemed to work out fine. 14 years later we are still happily married. And it really has nothing to do with the fact that if we split, Lew would have to pay to get his hair cut.

And since we lived right in Buffalo.... why wouldn't we go to Niagara Falls? It is the honeymoon capital of the world, you know. So, we only stayed long enough to snap some photos. Oh my - I am still wearing those sunglasses!

Ten years later, our follow-up surprise was twins. Who knows if I can pull off something spectacular in 2015. I have a little time to plan still.

photo scavenger hunt

Yesterday, I headed downtown around 7:30 to meet some members of the camera club for a photo field trip. We have a great field trip chairwoman and she is really giving us lots of opportunities to go places together or on our own and capture some great photos. This was the first scavenger hunt I have been able to attend since joining the club. (I was a member back in 2001-2 and then again in 2008-now.) Each of us got a list of 10 items to look for... meet back in 2 hours and grab some coffee if you want. Then, our webmaster will put 3 of everyone's photos on the website in a gallery. I can submit a shot for each of the 10 categories later on and they are compiling a slideshow of field trip photos that will run in a loop at the Holiday Party this December.

The hard part is choosing only 3 to send in for the website! I traveled with 3 other photographers, so many of my shots are similar to ones they captured. But, I know just like their creativity lead them to certain other things I may have missed - I snapped some things they did not see.

Technically - I did the whole morning with my 60mm macro lens on my camera. Others had lens with more zoom capabilities. I could have changed (I borught my 30mm along), but I just love that 60mm lens and only once or twice did I wish I had a larger field of view (the ambulance being one of those times).

1. Steps - the railing just really made me think clef and staff

2. Curves - In the sidewalk near a parking garage.

3. Yum! - this is our club president being silly and trying to sneak my mango smoothie. I managed to snap the shot - the others said, "Oh John, wait - do that again!" but he didn't. I am definitely sending this one in.

4. arch - the parking garage by the curve sidewalk mentioned above

5. Hats, Hats, Hats! - snapped through a window in a used bookstore/flea market looking place

6. glass - I don't think the other people I was with stopped for this one, but who knows what other members may have wandered up that sidestreet

7. shiny - this has the 4 of us in it... Skip posing, Gail, Vicki & I in his lens (as you can see, Vicki has the same shot... it would be kind of neat to get to see everyone's so you could see how they look side-by-side on all of these. I can't wait for the slideshow)

8. motion, or something in motion - this one gave me too many good opportunities. I am not including one I took of the "walk" sign. I thought it might be too far a stretch...implied motion. Ha! The flag I think is too common, too... but I like how it came out. The others were taking the same shot, but I had to flip the image to get the stars where I wanted them. I do not know if my companions are big photoshoppers.

and this ambulance shot - wish I had more of the vehicle, but I had to act fast with the sirens and speeding and all...

9. Angular - my crew didn't snap this wall, but who knows who else may have. As much as I liked the reds of the bricks, there was some dirt and some yellow - I think it shows "angles" better in black and white. You don't have to sift through the colors to see them as much.

but I had 2 other cool angular shots... probably everyone saw this sign and snapped a shot of it

and my gang all shot this... still, it is really cool. It is the shadow of the hand railing on the steps. As you moved, it changed angles - so I am anxious to see what the others' shots looked like.

10. Alive - this one was kind of tough. Especially since my buddies wouldn't hold hands and jump up in the air like I asked them to. (maybe they didn't hear me!) This tree was on the lawn of St James Church campus and it just looked "little and old" to me, surrounded by the beautiful church.

all quotes from today

Today was a funny day for listening to the kids! It started off before 7 am. I was up before hte kids and I could hear them in there as they woke up. They started telling each other knock-knock jokes. Their current favorite is the "banana" over and over until "Orange you glad I didn't say banana again?" punchline. Carl is better at it than Gretchen, she often screws up the fruit at the end. So, that went on for a few rounds. Then, I heard Carl say, "Open the door". Gretchen has figured out the doorknob cover, but he hasn't. She usually lets them out and they come to wake us up. But, I have been telling her not to get up when there is a 6 on the clock. Then I set their clock back 30 minutes!! Hey, I'm still one step ahead of them, right? So, in their room, it wasn't 7 am yet! She was so matter of fact, informing and teaching him, "Carl (which she pronouces more like Guyer than Carl. Kind of a mix, "Cay-erl" Guyer is my maiden name so it is pretty funny to hear it a lot around here.) Do you see that six on our clock? That means we cannot get up yet."

I actually sneaked out to my photo scavenger hunt before they came out. I'll make that a separate post.

Later on, after nap, we went to Costco to shop. They have all their Christmas decorations up already. Gretchen & I were going one way, while Lew & Carl were ordering a pizza for dinner. She & I turned down the row with the lit up trees and she looked up and exclaimed, "It's the middle of Halloween!" I never made any mention to her that the decorations were very early. She just knows this stuff. I am grateful I can do things like mess with their clock and get away with it still.

I have been looking up a certain new cup for the kids. It's by a company called Contigo and it is marketed for kids ages 4+. They say it is a spill-proof cup for kids too old for sippy cups, but who still may spill. It kind of looks like a cross between an adult's travel coffee mug and a sippy cup. I saw the link in a parent magazine, then did a little online research adn was about to order the cups online. They were about $12 for 2. But, Costco had a 4 pack for $16! So, Gretchen picked the colors to buy and she was carrying the pack around throughout the store. She told several shoppers about them - I mean giving them a full blown description of how to drink from them and how she was going to have Mommy wash the cups and she could have some water to drink and so on and so on. The lady at the check out counter got the longest explanation. And of course, the guy draws a smiley face on our receipt when we leave and she loves that!!!

As we are pulling away from the store, Lew rolled through the stop sign and Carl piped up, "That stop was great!" Hmm, I think he may be developing sarcasm already. I think I am proud. Then he proceeds to tell us he wants pizza. (He doesn't like pizza) I asked him, "Do you like pizza?" and he replied, "Yes. Let's go eat one." After waiting so long for full sentences, it is funny to hear how the phrases from every day life come out of him. And - even cooler - he did try the pizza. He held the long skinny slice upside-down and grabbed it with both hands around the middle... but he did eat 3-4 bites of it. Yup, I am proud.

**Sunday**
Carl continues to crack us up with his new casual phrases. Tonight at dinner, he took one bite of strawberry yogurt and said, "Mmm, that's good stuff."

Lew asked him if he needed help or not ... and Carl said, "Not."

Gretchen asked Carl is he was hungry and thirsty. He said, "yes" and she told him, "Wow. You're in rough shape." She's pretty funny, too.

Any Parrotheads out there??? My favorite line of Jimmy Buffet's (for those of you who are asking, "what the heck is a Parrothead?"... his fans) is.... "if we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane."

another 2010 calendar

We got a package in the mail today... a copy of the 2010 Page-a-Day 365 Cats rip-off calendar along with a note of congratulations. It is pretty neat that they sent us an actual copy of the calendar... and they included an order form to buy more, of course. They say "America's Bestselling Cat Calendar. 8.5 million copies sold!"

Angus in his vampire costume is the Halloween cat!!!! Halloween 2010 is a Sunday, so he only got 1/2 a page as they show the Sat & Sun pics on one page. But, that means his picture will stay up in people's homes for 2 days, not just one! I was a bit sad for Molly not appearing, but she is very happy for Angus! What a sweet girl!!

I only entered 2 calendar contests this year. Actually, I have never entered any prior to this. I may decide to quit while I'm ahead and not enter any next year!

I smudged our last name and town/state to put it here, but if you read through the whole calendar, there are entries from as far away as The Netherlands, London, Canada - not just American cats.

Here is the real picture, too. funny, it was taken on 9/16/08... almost one year ago today!

It's too bad they didn't pick this sweet costumed kitty to be 10/30 opposite her brother!

40, well, sucks

39 was fine. I had this photo taken (or 'made' as they say in the south) just in case I decided not to go any further and hold at 39. But, 39 was fine, like I said - and I decided turning 40 was going to be another good year!

Yeah... already.. not even as colorful as 39 was. Hmmm... foreshadowing??January started right off with the eversowonderful annual gyn appt. They promptly sent me for my first mamogram. Then, a wonky lab result had me back for PAP #2 of the year. Throw in a horrible horrible stomach bug from daycare. My kids were now into age 3... and any of you with kids know, 3 is the new 2. ("Terrible Twos" were a breeze... 3 was as bad as I remember from days of teaching. Why do you think I hovered in the infant and toddler ages?) Then - out of the blue, for the first time ever in my life - heartburn. I didn't even have that in my pregnancy - adn I had everything else in that pregnancy! (medicated morning sickness until week 28, gestational diabetes, high BP+ protein in urine= pre-eclampsia, ... ) I started back with my hemochromatosis treatments, too. That's always tons of fun. Those vampires managed to get me close enough to anemic that I was exhausted and falling alseep every time I sat down. We are backing my treatments off to once every 3 months now, but still, I wish I could skip them altogether. Guess that isn't really age related, but considering I had not had any phlebotomies since 2002 when we lived here, it was like starting all over and age 40 gets the honor of being the re-start year.

And now, add one more stupid thing to the list of "40 Sucks."

A partially torn (fancy term for strained) calf muscle. All I was doing was walking and I actually heard and felt a "pop"! And instant pain. I managed to pick up Carl from school and spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch with an ice pack. Dr. Lew looked it up online and diagnosed me with one of 2 things - both, he decided might need surgery or at the very least, a brace to immobilize the tendon while it healed. He forced me to make a doctors' appt this morning. I couldn't walk at all by the time I went to bed last night, but this morning, it wasn't quite as bad. I hobbled into the huge orthopedics practice with Carl & Lew while Gretchen was at school. They took x-rays at the speed of, well, light. Within 3 minutes, the nurse was back in the room and flipped on the computer screen with the 2 x-rays right there. Luckily, not a complete tear. So, I left there with a prescription for a anti-inflamatory gel cream and a month's worth of physical therapy. He said this injury will take several months to heal. Neat.

I hesitate telling this next part, but, it is kind of funny. Yesterday, I was dropping off a box of handmedowns to a friend to deliver to her daughter. I was proud of myself for saving the $20 to mail the box! Then, it was on my way to the car that this happened. So, factor in the co-pay and drugs today and we're at $75 already... and a month's worth of PT. I should have mailed the fool box! Ha Ha!!!

I am going to attempt the photo scavanger hunt tomorrow. If I get there and can't do much, maybe I can snap 12 shots from a seated position! Or, I'll do what I can and hang out waiting for the coffee date. Or head for home. Right now, I think I'll be okay. Just embarrased if I have to limp.

And, the PA I saw said he just turned 40 and it wasn't so hot, either. Although, he said he started going downhill at about 38. So, I guess I am lucky!

prrrrrr.....

spoof photo on this pose

Gretchen & I made a trip to the vet after dropping Carl off today. He cried again at drop off, but they assured me he calms down and has good days. I think part of this is that he misses Miss Tammy, his favorite teacher from last year. This morning, he wanted to go give her a hug, but their door was closed. I know the director and assistant wouldn't approve of me letting him go back into his old room. They would give me the reasoning that it is confusing him. But, honestly, he loves her so much - and to have her completely disappear from his life and arms seems to me would be much more confusing. He knows she is in the building, why can't he give her a hug? But, when I left, he was sobbing, "Where did Mommy go?" "I want to go find my Mommy." I guess my theory that having Diane missing the other day wasn't really the key. I still did everything right... "I love you and we'll be back after lunch" and a simple exit. I think the realty of this new class and schedule is becoming more real for him. They sit a lot more than they did in his last class. (and a lot more than I feel is appropriate, but, oh well....) He spends from 8:50-10:00 sitting between Circle Time, snack, and reading time. That is a lot of sitting for a 3 year old. Well, I have gotten way off the cat update, huh?

Anyway, we went to the vet just to buy more cat food. But, the nurse just loves Gretchen - she remembered her name and got so excited to see us come in today! She loves to have Gretchen go back and say hello to everyone. It's a little odd, but hey, they love her! I will have to remember to send the vet's office a Halloween costume photo this year. I am still planning on making Molly and Angus monkey and tiger hats to coordinate with the kids' costumes. If I mention it on enough online places, I'll be obligated to follow through on my words! Don't worry - I'll post pictures here! I have several other photo projects I need to get to right now. I have a digital competition coming up with a deadline for submission of next Wednesday. That one is themed "curves" and I have an idea in my head involving sunny side up eggs. The trick is going to be making it happen. This coming Saturday, I am participating in a photo scavanger hunt downtown. We'll all meet at 8 am, get a list of 12 items to look for and photograph, then all meet back for coffee and photo sharing at 11 am. I'm really looking forward to it! (and not just because it will be 3-4 hours without kids in tow!) I also want to get the kids and some pumpkins down to the beach for this years' October shots. Plus, Halloween costume shots. All in my free time, right?

my floors are clean enough to eat off

Or so Carl thinks!! Yesterday after nap, Carl decided to get into the pantry and find his own snack. The nice thing is - he made sure to get enough for Gretchen, too. Yes, an entire sleeve of fig newtons dumped directly onto the floor for a snacktime picnic. Of course, after dumping them onto the floor, he grabbed his stash and headed to a chair at the table, leaving Gretchen to eat on the floor and look incredibly cute at the same time.

Ah - three year olds are very independent!

His motto is "Take 2. They're small."