Welcome to our blog
Don’t expect a report every day, nor should you expect professional writing skills. I am no journalist.
***Some of the pictures are ‘clickable’ and some not, and please click on date for more pictures.***
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Click here for our 2010 Blog
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December 31st, 2009 VA - SC
We were totally exhausted on Wednesday after spending 10 hours on the road for a trip that should have taken only about 7.5 hours with breaks. It took 2 hours in the DC area for 10 miles. It was horrible. We spent our first night in Emporia, VA at the Wal-Mart. While there, we went into the store, got a rotisserie chicken, and went to sleep right after dinner. Kia was kind enough and let us sleep until 7 a.m.
We now are in Florence SC. The worst KOA campground EVER! KOAs usually are very nice campgrounds but this one is the pits. It is not maintained, muddy, and disgusting and for $39 a night much too expensive. We went a few exits south tonight to meet our friends Judy and Paul for dinner and made plans for tomorrow at their house.
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December 29th, 2009
Our last day home. We are leaving tomorrow. Please stay tuned for updates.
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December 24th, 2009
In Germany, the Christmas gifts are opened on Christmas Eve. Out of convenience, we continued the old German tradition here in the US. We can enjoy our kids and grandkids and on Christmas Day, they are able to spend time with their in-laws. It’s less stressful and everyone is happy.
We had a wonderful time Christmas Eve. We were at Tammy’s and Dan’s around 2 pm and had some appetizers, egg nog, etc.; church at five and then back home for dinner. Tammy made a meatloaf brasciole, asparagus, and angel-hair pasta with Alfredo sauce. Being a Rachel Ray fan, she used her recipe and it is quite awesome. “meatloaf recipe” and Chrissy brought her famous cookies. Tammy helped baking this year too and between Chrissy, her mom and Tammy, there were tons of them. After dinner it was time to unwrap the presents and everyone, yes...the adults too...had fun.

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December 21st, 2009
No, I am NOT lazy, it just that I really running around like a chicken without a head lately and didn’t have time to update the blog. Christmas, getting ready for the ‘big’ trip, a puppy....I usually don’t mind a little business, but this is getting to me. I must be getting older or something. Anyhow, we celebrated out little Elisabeth’s 2nd birthday two days ago and it happened to be on the day NJ had a huge snow storm. When we left our house around 2 pm, the streets were pretty bad already. On the way we actually saw a man on a bike coming down the road. You’ll see it on the first picture. When it was done snowing the next day (yesterday), there were about 20” on the ground. BTW, our dog is about 10” high and she had a tough time deciding how and where she is going to pee. Peter made her a ‘pee-spot’.

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December 10th, 2009
Kia got her first ‘real’ hair cut today and when we went to pick her up, we didn’t recognize her. I did asked for a short cut and it is short. Kia looks so different. I wanted it short, because we will not have an opportunity in the next three months to get her to a groomer. She has thee coats to wear and will be just fine.

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December 4th and 5th, 2009
Luke came in the afternoon to sleep over. We first went shopping for breakfast and Luke picked French Toast sticks. For a snack he picked caramel corn and vanilla pudding. Dinner was pretty easy.....Wendy’s. He had a kiddy meal with a cheese burger, French fries and Coke. The toys, of course, was the coolest. It was a puzzle by Leap Frog. Not even bad and it kept him busy later. At night we watched the Polar Express movie and he loved it. Caramel corn and hot chocolate with the movie.....yum!
The next day I baked the French Toast sticks in the oven. The weather was gorgeous, so off we went to the Popcorn Zoo Park . Luke had fun at the zoo and loved the peacocks the most. We went home for a late lunch and another round of Polar Express. He was really into that movie. Once the Film was over, we brought Luke back home and had pizza. All in all a great day.
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Thanksgiving 2009
We had a great Thanksgiving over Chrissy’s parents house in Cranford. The dinner was delicious and the deserts were yummy. The kids had a good time playing with their cousins and all in all a wonderful day. We had to leave Kia at home and she was eight hours in her crate without an accident. What a relieve! When we first brought Kia home, we purchased a pen for her, in which she stayed when we had to go out for a few hours. Last Tuesday we went shopping and put her in the pen. Well.....when we got back home, about three hours later, guess who greeted us at the door? Yup, it was Kia. Needless to say that that expensive pen goes on craig’s list next week! Now she has to stay in her cage when we can’t take her. Today was an extremely long time, but she did it and we are proud of our little puppy.
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November 17, 2009
Today was Ava’s turn to sleep over and we had a lot of fun with her too. We also took her to Jake’s Branch Park and she enjoyed the playground as well as going up to the look-out with Opa. Unfortunately, they don’t allow dogs in the building, so Opa and Ava had to watch Kia, while Oma climbed up there by herself to take more pictures. What a pretty view! Today I took my SLR for better pictures. If you look close, you can see the Forked River Mountains and the Hangar #1 in Lakehurst where the Hindenburg burst out in flames. While up there, I decided that my next big investment should be a larger telephoto lens.
Ava decided that Wendy’s would be a good place to eat dinner.
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November 15, 2009
We went to the Jakes Branch Ocean County Park with Anna today. What a wonderful park for young and old. There were picnic areas, diverse ball fields, playground equipment for children of all ages, hiking trails, and the Nature House was wonderful. Please click on the date to follow the link.
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November 13, 2009
I made every attempt to give Kia a hair cut. I guess I either lost my touch or my patience. The bathing went OK. She realized that she wouldn't win in the sink. The next step was the drying and the brushing. It went well, so did grooming her paws, butt and belly....until the scissor came out. I don't know what the hell they did at PetSmart the last time, but before she went there, I trimmed her face and she was fine. This time it didn't work at all. She squirmed and wiggled like a nut. I gave up and decided to have her groomed at the groomers, at least a few times a year. The end result: A Shih tzu with poodle paws, a shaved belly and a crooked cut face. At least she smells pretty.
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November 12, 2009
We bought a new bed for Kia. She uses it mostly to rest her legs.
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November 9, 2009
I do love my dog....really. However, there are those time when I wonder if I should have gotten pregnant instead. I think that a baby is easier to take care of. You feed it, change the diaper and pop it in a swing in front of a TV and the kid is happy. This puppy is not that easy. It barks when it's hungry, it barks at the door when it wants to got out....but hold....that is a good thing, no? Yeah, right, it should be. This puppy though, wants to go out and play. For instance, she just ate, peed and pooped. Now she should be happy, right? Wrong!!! She wants to go out again. OK, now I think that she probably didn't empty her bladder all the way. I take her out again and she chases leaves, wants to eat deer poop, bunny poop, more leaves.... you get the hint. So I walk her for about 15 - 20 minutes around the block. She comes in, wants her cracker and barks at the door to go out again. How can you tell her no? If you do, the next time she runs to the door to pee, she'll say, screw it.....last time I barked here, she didn't let me out anyway, what's the sense....let me pee on the carpet instead. I suppose that is normal for a puppy, I should know....I had a few dogs over my lifetime. It's just that I only remember the good times.
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November 2nd and 3rd of , 2009
We went to Danville, PA because we had an appointment at Geisinger for Peter. Before we even went to our hotel in Bloomsburg, we went to Sunbury to check out what Fantasy Island looks like in the Fall. Is was VERY pretty. We fed Kia on Shirley's site, walked around a bit and left for Bloomsburg. We arrived at our hotel and were pleased. It was very clean and comfortable. After we got settled, we had a cup of coffee and checked our e-mails. At night, we visited Carol and Bob and enjoyed pizza and wine with them. All together a great day. Tuesday we went to Geisinger for some tests. We left the hospital around 11 a.m. and went straight home.
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October 31, 2009
Today we went to watch Anna and Ava trick or treating. Unfortunately, there weren't many kids out there, because neighboring towns held the trick or treating event on the 30th due to the Halloween parade today. The girls had fun anyway. We then went home and are enjoying a quiet evening.
Happy Halloween!
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October 30, 2009
Halloween! My second favorite holiday. Thanksgiving is my first favorite, because nothing is better than being together with the whole family and to top it of, having a delicious feast with them.
We went to see Anna's annual Halloween parade at her school. Anna was a 'dead soccer player'. She looked pretty cool. The parade was really great and we enjoyed it. Teachers as well as the kids had some awesome costumes. Even though little Ava who doesn't go to school yet, was dressed up too and had fun with Kia. I tried putting on Kia's costume and it was a disaster, so rather than have her go nut, I left if of. She was in disguise anyway......she went as a guinea pig.
After the parade was over we went to Elisabeth and Luke. Their Trick or Treat event is a day early, because of the Toms River Halloween Parade. We walked with them from house to house and enjoyed watching them getting their candy. Once that was done, we had dinner with the family and spend a nice evening together.
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October 29, 2009
We went to get our H1N1 Flu shot today. It was from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the middle school in Stafford Township. We left the house 1 p.m. and got there about 1:30 p.m. As we get there an hour and a half before the starting time, we felt discouraged already, because there were so many cars all waiting in line already. About half an hour later, we felt less discouraged. The amount of cars were four times as many as they were when we arrived. With all these cars and people in them, one would think that there would be trouble and aggravation. There was none of it. The Stafford Township police truly deserve a medal for keeping it all in order and organized. Peter and I were so amazed and totally impressed.
I decided to make some food for Kia. I cooked a big pot of chicken soup with a large roaster, carrots, celery and seasons. I took the meat of the bones and make chicken fricassee for us with the chicken breast.
I added some more fresh carrots, celery, string beans, broth and 3/4 cup rice and simmered it for 20 minutes until the rice was done and added the rest of the meat. I cooled it over night in the fridge and of course the rice still expanded a little and today I had to add some more broth. Once it had the right consistency, I put it through the grinder. Before I portioned it all in sandwich bags, I had Kia try it and she garbled it down like there was no tomorrow.
I will feed her homemade food in addition to the dry food that I started her on. She is a healthy and happy little puppy and with the right food , I know she will grow up to be a healthy adult dog.
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October 22, 2009
The weather for the past two day was absolutely gorgeous and we had a great time with neighbors and yes....cocktails. What is it about cocktail hours? They are so much fun and people who don't have an occasional cocktail hour don't know what they are missing. The skye tonight was just awesome, actually eerie and interesting looking. To top of the evening, my friend Tamara surprised me with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. No reason.....just 'because'. What a wonderful surprise. It made my day. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, which will probably eliminate our four hour 'cocktail hour', but there is always the next sunny day. Just in case you are wondering why I took a picture of the one neighbor's cat..... it totally irks me when people have pets and they just open the door and let them run free. This one neighbor is letting her two cats roam all over the place. They ruined our bushes by laying in them and they also cross the street, which makes me nervous. The cars here are driving by very fast and it is not the first time that a cat was run over here.
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October 20, 2009
Kia had her first hair cut.
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October 19, 2009
Today is our son's birthday. We had a good time with the kids, ate great pizza and Chrissy served a deliscious home-made cake.
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October 17, 2009
We went to New York City to see the musical 'Hair' today. It was truly a treat. I loved the music, and the performers were excellent. After the show the bus picked us up from the Theatre to drive us to the restaurant. The food was not good at all and I personally was very disappointed. We did this type of trip before and the food was very good. I kind of expected the same quality of food, but to be honest, any NJ Diner has better food than this. Dispite the bad food, we had a great time with good company.
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October 14, 2009
We went to the Cape May Zoo with Luke today. The weather wasn't too bad and the three of us had a great time. The bird house didn't interest Luke at all, but once we hit the reptile building, he was excited to see all the snakes, turtles, toads and iguanas. He liked the water snake that looks like an eel the best. Outside the reptile building were some pretty good sized gators.
The giraffes were pretty amazing for Luke too and he heard the Lyion roar. After the zoo a visit to Burger King was totally necessary. We all were starving. On the way home Luke dozed off and slept all the way.
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October 8, 2009
Got an e-mail from Kia's breeder and she is nice enough to refund me $100 for Kia. I am very grateful for it and I will put the money aside for her surgery if needed. If the hernia disappears, it will at least help paying for the spaying in a year. We bought a coat for Kia and when we tried it on, we noticed that it fits now, but it won't fit in the winter anymore. So we exchanged it for another one. We also got a pen. Kia goes in it when we are gone for a longer period of time.
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October 3, 2009
I have just gotten used to this 7:30 a.m. waking-up routine that Kia put me in. This morning I actually had to set the alarm to get up at 7 a.m. to be
at Ava's soccer game at 9.
Gheez...anyone that knows me, knows that I HATE alarm clocks, but I love seeing the little ones running on the field and that kind of made it good again. In the afternoon Anna visited us, I mean Kia, and we went out to the Fortune Buffet. After we got back home, Anna found
a huge praying Manta.
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October 2, 2009
We had a great time at Chrissy's birthday celebration. Chinese food and birthday cake, and good company. Happy Birthday, Chrissy!

The breeder we bought Kia from, had two females. One of the two had a large hernia and we could have had her for $100 less. However, we decided to take Kia, who according to the breeder, only had a little hernia in the belly button. We were OK with this problem and paid full price. Kia had her first check-up today and we found out that she has a hernia like her sister. I don't know what I would have done if I would have known this before, but now we love her too much to return her. It is a shame that we now will have an extra vet bill because of this hernia.

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October 1, 2009
We went to see Anna play soccer today. Her team tried, but unfortunately, they didn't win. We enjoyed the game anyway. At Anna's request, we took Kia with us. It was very cold at the field and she was shivering. So was I. LOL! I guess we have to get her a coat for the winter. Anna was showing her off to her soccer team and she was so proud.
The soccer field is next to the Toms River and it was a very pretty sight to look at in the evening sun.


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September 28, 2009
We got home around 5:30 p.m. The ride was OK and Kia was such a good puppy in the car. She sat on my lap the whole time. We stopped about three times to let her pee and she never did. Once we got home, she did her business and all was fine. So far she had only one accident and that was in the camper. She is smart and sweet. Peter and I can't believe how lucky we are so far and are holding our breath. The grandkids absolutely love her and cuddled and played with her. Needless to say that she was exhausted after they left.

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September 25, 2009
Not much going on yesterday, just getting to know each other. This morning the boys came to visit Kia and the had a ball playing with each other. Later we had a ham dinner over Paul's and Judy's place and needless to say, that the puppies were topic of the day. I posted new pictures. Just click on Kia's picture.

We also played dice and had a nice evening at the Tikki Bar. It kind of reminded me on last year around this time when Mike wore his gloves in October, because it was of chilly. It was pretty cold tonight as well and poor Charlene had to put on her gloves. Charlene, in a few years you'll be used to the colder seasons here. (NOT!) LOL

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September 23, 2009
As of today, we have a new family member. I am introducing 'KIA' to you. Kia is a 10 week old Shiht Tzu and it was love at first sight. She is a little darling and we ...yes, we....are happy that we decided to get her. It was a last minute descission, even though I wanted a new little puppy for a while already. She looks a little shaggy today and we will give her a bath tomorrow. Expect to see her tomorrow all pretty and clean.

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September 21, 2009
We went to Geisinger today for a check-up and took a ride across the street to see the beautiful building of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius
Later that day, we just sat and relaxed. We watched concrete being poured next door at our future neighbor's campsite for 2010 and Peter helped Paul putting his new toy in the water.

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September 18 and 19, 2009
Great weekend at Fantasy Island. Friday night we were invited over Judy and Paul for lobster dinner. Needless to say that it was deliscious. On Saturday was the chili cook-off and it was hard to tell who made the best chili, as they all were good. There even was a dessert table and if anyone left hungry, that is their own fault. At 8 p.m. the campgroud organized a hey ride. I call it 'hey ride' because there was no hay. LOL
After the ride there was a cozy warm fire at Judy and Paul's.

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September 16 , 2009
It's time to clean up and end the season. Peter started to clean the camper. For dinner we went to have pizza and a pitcher of beer at Dan's Den. As always, is was very good and we left stuffed. The picture of Dan's Den was taken in the summer when our Dan visited is and I made him stay in front of his name sake.


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September 13 , 2009
It's Sunday and we took another ride through the country side. Perfect ending with another pretty sunset at Fantasy Island.

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September 9, 2009
Today would have been my dad's 93 Birthday.
We are thinking about you, Dad!
We visited Tammy and family and had a delicsious dinner and a great time playing American Idol with the Wii. I even made it to Hollywood, but Tammy beat me and won in the finals. It was so much fun and I think now I want to become a singer.....NOT
Click on Elisabth below to see the pictures.
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September 8, 2009
Today was our oldest granddaughter's first day of school. I can not believe that she is in fourth grade, yet looking at her pictures, you'd think that she is a 6th grader. She is so beautiful and we are very proud of her. In the afternoon we enjoyed time with our Grandson and youngest granddaughter.

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September 5, 2009
Labor Day weekend was fun. The campground had a pork roast and people brought covered dishes. Thanks to all the people that bought the food and I am sure that everyone enjoyed it. Our camp comedian dressed up for the occasion and everyone had a good laugh.
The best laugh however was, that we have been gnomed. Good job Andy! We are home in NJ now, taking the gnome sightseeing. I believe that he has never been here.

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September 3, 2009
We walked our little round and saw that the ultra-light was back in the air again and this time I got a good shot of it.

The water views were as pretty as always and I couldn't resist taking another sunset picture. I am afraid, it won't be the last one.


Cody posed for us and Janis was riding her bike.


Oh.....John wasn't riding his bike, but he felt he had to ride a test run on his jet-ski. I guess he didn't want to get wet.

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September 1, 2009
We went on another little joy-ride today. It's fun to discover new areas and every time you come around another curve there is a new view.
�� �� �� �� What a country! �� �� �� ��

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August 31, 2009
Today we went to Crest Haven Farm Market to purchase my bread flour, some lunchmeat, beans for my soup, and other good things. On the way home we did something we haven't done in a long time. We went joy-riding through the country side. We took all the side roads possible and some of the views were sectacular. Please look at the pictures and I am sure that you all agree with me.

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August 29, 2009
This Saturday was a DJ playing. The music was enjoyable and a nice variety. As always most people came together for a chat and to enjoy some tunes.
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August 22, 2009
We had a nice dinner with Judy and Paul enjoying another pretty sunset. We ended the evening listening to "Warren Dane"

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August 21, 2009
10 a.m. : It is Friday and the forecast is not very promising. More later....or not...
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August 20, 2009
We had a great dinner at BJ’s Rib and Steak House. The food was good and plenty and the atmosphere and company was even better.

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August 17, 2009
Arrived safe at Fantasy Island and couldn’t wait to roll out the new carpet.

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August 15, 2009
Today we picked up my cousin’s daughter and her son from the bus terminal in Toms River. They are visiting from Germany and were already a week in NYC and are now spending some time over Tammy and Dan’s house. We had a good time at the pool and went home around 9 p.m.

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August 11, 2009
Today was our daughter Tammy’s birthday. We had a wonderful day at her house and enjoyed being with our family. Great BBQ, snacks and the beer tasted good at 90+ degrees.

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August 9, 2009
It took 5-10 minutes and a very destructive storm that passed by, was over. The day ended with a gorgeous sunset. The Shikellamy State Park across the entrance of the campground looked like a battle field.

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August 8, 2009
The family went back to New Jersey and we attended the Hawaiian Luau pot-luck dinner. Everything was very delicious. It was too bad that it was raining, which put a damper on things. Just like with any situation, it seemed that everyone had a good time anyway. The pool party was a hit and fun for young and old.

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August 7, 2009
It goes without saying that once in this area, you have to visit Knoebels. We had a great day, despite the fact that the park pretty crowded. The weather was close to perfect and the kids had a blast. We ended the day with a grilled pork loin dinner at the campsite.


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August 6, 2009
We were excited to have Tammy, Dan, Anna, Ava and their cousin Julia arrive here at the campground. They got here in the afternoon and Ava showed off her capability to ride her bike without training wheels. Peter then drove them to the inflatable dam and the outlook. A fisherman at the dam let the girls hold his catch of the day. For dinner we to the Social Club for wing-night and the evening ended with a trip to the drive-in theatre. We saw G-Force and the Harry Potter movie.

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August 5, 2009
Something interesting happened. We heard this weird noise and a fellow camper came up to our site to tell us that there is an air ballon that seems to have some problems. We drove down towards the bridge and sure enough, there was a hot air ballon right over the water behind the bridge that appeared to have some problems. Steve, was ready to get the key for his boat in case there would have been an emergency. All together it took only a few minutes and before you know it, the balloon went up in the air.


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August 1, 2009
Karaoke night at the Fantasy Island. Everyone had a fun night and our campground’s talents came out.

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July 28, 2009
Today was our 42nd wedding anniversary and we had an awesome day. We went to ride the ferry in Millersburg, which is nestled among Pennsylvania's beautiful mountains. The ferry is a unique transportation service whose very beginnings are lost in antiquity. Here, across the mile wide Susquehanna, one can ride the last ferry on the river and experience a part of transportation history.
I wanted to drive to Millersburg last year, but we never made it. I am glad we finally went today and I can only recommend it to everyone. Enjoy the uploaded pictures with an explanation on most of them.
We got back to our site and enjoyed a calzone and an antipasto salad.
Click here for : Millersburg Ferry

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July 26, 2009
Sorry guys, no Jimmy Buffet pictures this year. It was raining cats and dogs and we were not in the mood to even leave our site.
Today, we went to Giant and got t-bone steaks @ $4.99 a pound. Good deal. We picked up a package of portabella mushrooms and with couple of baked potatoes, we had an awesome meal.

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July 23, 2009
We had a great day today. Paul, Judy, Peter and I took a ride to see the Pioneer Tunnel in Ashland and on the way, we visited Centralia. I was once in Centralia with Timmy and Timmy promised me that we will go there again this year, but Timmy is no longer with us. Paul was nice enough to let us have the tour and on the way home, we stopped at Masser’s Restaurant for sauerkraut and pork.
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July 22, 2009
Fish Fry - finally! The guys caught some fish and tonight we are having a fish fry with the three fisher man.

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July 18, 2009
T’was Christmas in July. The kids were all excited and even Santa came to visit! The children received stockings filled with goodies. At night there was a candy hunt. Equipped with flashlights, the kids searched for candy that ‘Santa’ has left in the grass at the playground.
Most campers were decorated, all festive with lights, in hopes of having one of the best decorated campsites. After all the Christmas fun, there was some music with DJ Jason and the kids, as some adults enjoyed a few dances. All together........a great weekend.

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July 16, 2009
We went to Knoebels and had a blast with the kids. The weather was awesome and Ava actually walked the whole day. Needless to say that the kids were exhausted.

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July 14, 2009
Pool and shopping during the day, grilling steak, and cocktails until 10:30 p.m. Ice cream for the kiddies and all around just a nice evening.
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July 13, 2009
I added some pictures to the link below. We went to the drive in movies tonight and the last movie was over at 12:30 a.m. Both girls stayed awake throughout both movies. it was ‘Ice Age 3’ and ‘UP’.
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July 11, 2009
We are here at Fantasy Island having a good time with Anna and Ava. The ride to the campground on Wednesday was not too bad. We got here and unpacked a little and them ordered a pizza. Anna and I went grocery shopping. The next day we had to drive to Danville, and see a doctor at Geisinger’s Hospital. That hospital is huge! At night went to the Social Club for wings and ended up eating soup and salad. The girls liked the Ham Pot Pie Soup. At night we had a camp fire and roasted marshmallows. Friday morning we had breakfast over Randy’s and at night a ham roast over Pud’s and Debby’s. Tthe girls also spent two hours in the pool, and in the late afternoon, Paul took us out on his boat. Both girls got a turn to drive the boat and they were thrilled. It was not Anna’s first time. She did it last your too. Today (Saturday) both went to do crafts and ceramics, followed by a dip in the pool. Lunch and then there was enough time to ride the bike and play with other kids at the campground.

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June 28, 2009
Another great day.
I added more pictures to the June 25th day. We had a good time and it was too bad that the day ended with rain.
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June 27, 2009
"Fantasy Island Pet Pageant"
(Most Talented Pet - Best Dressed Pet - Pet/Owner Look-a-like Contest)
We had a lot of fun watching all the puppies dressed up and ready to go. It was a fun-filled weekend. There also was a golf cart poker run. This time we didn’t participate, but we watched all the golf carts coming through and it looked like they had fun. Unfortunately, there was one person on the island that allegedly called the police because the golf carts were driving on the road.
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June 26, 2009
No doubt, the evenings are the best. We played a little dice at the Tikki Bar and the rain storm chased us inside. It was all forgotten when the sun came out about an hour later.
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June 25, 2009
The summer has arrived! We had a few wonderful days and are hoping that they continue.
The outlook however, isn’t that positive. We just got to think positive. Yesterday and today we were out on the water and it was absolutely gorgeous.
Thanks Paul for taking us, we had fun and your new boat is great. 
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June 21, 2009
The Poker run, was organized by the Sunbury Social Club. It was done by using a boat and the participants had to travel over a pre-designated water route and, at designated stops on the route, draw playing card(s). The object is to have the best poker hand at the end of the run. Prizes were awarded for the best hand. The poker run required a fee and on the end of the day we all attended a BBQ run by the Social Club as well. All profits went to the club. We had a blast and thank Randy and Connie for letting us ride on their boat.
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June 20, 2009
It was raining cats and dogs all day Friday and today most of the day with some sun in between. We took a quick ride to Kohl’s and Peter got two pairs of sandals to replace those ugly, most awful Walmart clogs that he bought in the spring. There is a God! Please tell me if those aren’t the ugliest shoes that you have even seen! The Saturday night entertainment was by DANE WARREN. Everyone enjoyed the music and all that rain was soon forgotten.
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June 18, 2009
Today, the sun peaked trough....just a little though. It got warmer and we too a little ride to ‘The Point Barn’ in Northumberland. A century-old dairy barn renovated to maintain the historical farmland culture of Central Pennsylvania, the Point Barn is home to three floors and 15,000 square feet of a unique antiques shopping experience that combines the best of the old with the best of the new -- our matchless Edelholz products from the hardwood forests of Pennsylvania.
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June 17, 2009
Rain, rain, rain, nothing but rain and it is cold and miserable. We sat inside and watched movies all day. I wore long pants and socks. We also turned on the heat. That is unheard of in June and ridiculous. Only one thing left, cook a dinner that I usually would only cook in the winter. It was a true comfort food.
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June 15, 2009
Tacos at Dan’s Dan @2 for 99 cent. Can’t beat the price and it went down perfect with a pitcher of beer. Actually, two pitchers and they were delicious. Peter even was pleased with the Tacos. It’s not something that we want to eat all the time, but it was pretty good. After dinner, we got back to the campground, were we enjoyed the pretty sunset, that we see every night.  
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June 14, 2009
After spending a quiet day, we met for drinks over Paul’s and Judy’s site. It was hot and Paul felt the need to have a fire. Needless to say, it didn’t help cool things down.
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June 13, 2009
Another wonderful weekend!
Everyone enjoyed a great pig roast. A a huge THANK YOU to the chefs and everyone that brought a dish, a big thank you as well.
Everything was delicious and the company was great too.
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June 9, 2009
People have been asking me if we ever let our bird out of the cage to fly around. We do this every morning. While I am cleaning his ‘house,’ he goes out and flies around. Most of the time he lands on Peter’s shoulder. He also likes to sit on top of his cage. Most of the time he goes back into his cage by himself and starts eating.
We used to have a black cat and he really loved her a lot. There were time when he hitched a ride on Her shoulder. All in all, Goldi is a very lovable bird and we enjoy his company. He doesn’t like strangers and screams like a maniac when someone passed by the house or camper.
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June 7, 2009
What a day! The weather could not have been any better and everyone enjoyed the sunshine. Paul got a new deck boat and we were invited to join them for a ride. Once on the water, we met up with Marie, Steve, Shirley and John. After the boat ride we went to the campsite, prepared a few snacks and just enjoyed sitting by the water. Jeff and Candy made their famous peppers salad and brought some huge, very delicious shrimps. Oh yes...and we did visit THE WALL! Actually, it’s pretty cool and extends Patty’s site.
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June 6, 2009
Today’s entertainment was a lot of fun. At 2 PM there was a root beer float social. I love root beer floats and made sure that I got my share. I was late for it last year and by the time I got there, they were out of them. I have to admit, I was not very social.... I just wanted my root beer float. LOL.
At night we were entertained by "Xengre Sounds" . Everyone enjoyed the oldies and the hula-hoop contest was a hit by young and old....older? LOL
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June 3, 2009
We spent the at Tammy’s and Dan’s house. It was my birthday and the whole family was together. It was wonderful and we enjoyed being with he kids and grandkids.
We had pizza and calzone. For dessert, I was surprised with a delicious ice cream cake. Needles to say that I was in 7th heaven.
Anna was the brave one, she went in the pool. Later her little friend Christel came over and played dress-up.
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May 31, 2009
We celebrated Luke’s 3rd Birthday yesterday. Boy, it was some party.
The theme was ‘Batman’ and Chrissy and Dennis did a great job in getting this party together. The food was awesome and all the kids as well as adults had a great time.
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May 25, 2009
The day started out with an oil change on Paul’s mule. I won’t comment publicly what happened.
All I will say is.....oops and the rest is history. Right after that - surprise- Steve was ‘gnomed’. I believe he is thinking ‘revenge!’
Later that day, Vince was ready to get the boat out of the river. He likes the ramp at the State Park better, so Kate invited me to come along. I have never seen that many boats coming in and out of the water at one time. It was some sight to see and I think I could sit there the whole day and watch people trying to get their boat back onto the trailer.
Later that night we had hamburgers and filets from a fresh killed steer that a friend of Paul, who is a farmer, brought. The day ended with a nice get-together at site #1 by the water. Randy, Connie and Jason left with their old trailer to bring it to the dealer the next day. They will be picking up their new trailer and I promise I’ll take pictures. It is supposed to be HUGE! Ours is a 5th wheel.
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May 24, 2009
We had a great BBQ with hamburger and hotdogs courtesy of the campground and the rest was provided by the campers. It was a great potluck dinner. Food was good and plenty. The horse race began right after dinner and it was quite interesting and fun. Another perfect day.
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May 23, 2009
Memorial Day Weekend started off not so good. It was cloudy earlier in the day and it rained too. Later in the afternoon however, it was even a little sunny and the day ended as a perfect 10.
On Saturday Fantasy Island Campground held a Chinese Auction and Peter and I won the best price.
Party time! The band that was hired by Marie and Steve was good. Their music was enjoyed by everyone and the variety was great. I think it is safe to assume that all had a good time.
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May 20, 2009
We went to the Lewisburg Farm Market today and came home with a whole bunch of fresh fruit and veggies as well as two tomato plants. See picture. 
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May 19, 2009
Everyone is all geared up for Memorial Day. The decorations are done, and the pool is ready for the campers. It was a gorgeous day, despite the low temperatures. Marie started to get her boat ready and Peter helped her a little. Later Steve stopped by to do the final touch with his broom. At night we all went to Dan’s Den. Great little place. Good food and you can’t beat the price. Peter ate a half a pound burger with a huge salad. We also had 6 wings, and a sampler of fried mushroom, onion rings and mozzarella sticks. All that and a pitcher of beer for $21 incl. tax. On Wednesdays they have homemade pizza (huge) and a pitcher of beer for $13.99.
We saw an old VW in front of Dan’s Den. It was in great shape and it sure brought back memories.
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May 17, 2009
What a cold, cloudy day! We had to turn on the heat and I am still wondering what ever happened to 75 - 80 degrees in May?
Dave was gnomed today! Surprise! For those, who don’t know what ‘gnomed’ means: The resident gnome makes its rounds every week. The last person that has the gnome has to hide it at another campsite before 12 noon on Sunday. If the owner of that campsite doesn’t find it, or see it by noon, Steve comes around on his golf card with a flag and tells the current recipient of the gnome that he/she has been gnomed. The cost for the current gnome holder: $5. The money then goes into a big pot for a party on the end of the year.
After the initial shock of being the gnome recipient, Dave started cooking, smoking, frying: fried Turkey, smoked chicken legs, fried chicken wings, London broil, and sausage rolls wrapped in bacon and German spaetzle. Thank God for cholesterol pills! Dave outdid himself and we all had a great dinner in the round house.
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May 16, 2009
Everyone was busy putting their dock today. It was interesting to see how it was done. Randy brought down his brand-new boat today and it is beautiful. Unfortunately, while still at the dealership, the boat got a ding in one of the floaters (see pictures). The dealer promised to repair is and once it is done, it’ll be fine.
A view more campers came in and one of them was quite interesting. I think this is the first time we ever saw a true red neck camper. Please note that the wheels are removed. Probably for safety reasons.
Everyone is looking forward to a great boating season. Dave smoked pork butt for dinner and is was very yummy. The evening ended with severe thunderstorms
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May 15, 2009
Friday night. Most of our fellow campers arrived for the weekend. Most met at the Tiki Ba. Some played dice, some just chatted. It was a wonderful evening and just the beginning of many more this summer.
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May 12, 2009
Mother’s Day was not what it was supposed to be. I had an ugly stomach virus and we couldn’t even go out to eat. So a can of soup and a sandwich was dinner. On Monday Peter grilled hamburgers and I was still sick. Today, Tuesday, was the first day I felt pretty good again. I had a 11:30 AM dentist appointment and that went well. I have to go back on Friday for another filling and one of my front teeth needs to be repaired as well.
We went shopping right after the dentist (crooked mouth and all) and a miracle happened. I wanted to purchase a bathing suit and planned on spending to search for one and not give up until I found the one that fits me perfect. Here is the miracle: The first bathing suit I tried on, was the one I bought. That is a true a miracle. Well..... for me it is. LOL
For dinner we got some Jalapino Poppers and a Calzone. Yummy! (If I keep that up, I can return the bathing suit) We ate it all and of course, suffered for it later. LOL
After dinner we sat, as usual, by the water and enjoyed the evening with some wine and good company.
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May 7, 2009
Back to the campground. As you may recall, on the way home (May 1st) I saw this building on the road, wondering what it was all about. Viewing it from the street passing by, it looks very mysterious. This time we stopped quickly to satisfy my curiosity. The place is Doylestown, PA and it is The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, a National Historic Landmark, is maintained as a "working history" museum by Pennsylvania's County of Bucks, Department of Parks and Recreation. Handmade tiles are still produced in a manner similar to that developed by the pottery's founder and builder, Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930). Mercer was a major proponent of the Arts & Crafts Movement in America. He directed the work at the pottery from 1898 until his death in 1930
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May 5 - 6, 2009
We went over Tammy and Dan’s one day. Another great dinner. Peppers and sausage, con-on-the cob and a delicious noodle salad. We enjoyed our evening and of course, pictures were mandatory. Now we won’t see everyone for a while, and I’ll miss everyone.
We went to visit Dennis, Chrissy and the kids for dinner. Boy, was it a good dinner. Dennis picked up brats, frankfurters, kilbaci, and weisswurst from the German butcher.
It was so delicious. Side dishes were: corn-on-the-cob, grilled vegies and an awesome cucumber salad. Thanks Chrissy and Dennis!
Of course, while there, I took pictures of Elisabeth and Luke.
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May 1 - 5, 2009
We arrived for the party and everyone was truly surprised to see us. It was a lot of fun to see their faces, especially Anna’s and Luke. I think those two were most surprised. Anyway, we had a great time. Tons of food, lots of people, lots of drinks.
The kids had a blast and I am sure that the adults did as well.
Our Anna created this wonderful display of the West Region of the US. I think she did an awesome job. Congratulations, Anna!
The kids didn’t know we were coming. We drove home from the campground and because we didn’t pull the 5th wheel, we were able to take a different route. I never saw downtown Trenton and that is exactly where we drove through. Interesting to say the least. I wished we would have spent some time in the capitol of New Jersey, but Peter was already driving 3 1/2 hours and he just wanted to go straight home.
On the way home we passed the building below.
I hope that someone can tell me what kind of building it is. I forgot what town it was in, but it was still in PA.
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April 28, 2009
Still gorgeous weather, unfortunately is going to be over soon. The guys went to get Shirley’s 5th wheel and firewood. Judy and I went to her house, which has an unbelievable, breathtaking view.
We got home in her open convertible like two hot Mamas. So we thought anyway. LOL
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April 26, 2009
A gorgeous weekend ends....... it never fails, when we are up here, I have to have an ice cream. This year (finally) I tried it on a pretzel cone and was awesome. Usually I am not for cones. I like to eat my ice cream out of a bowl, because it’s not so messy. But I promised Dennis to at least once to try the cone and he was right, it was VERY good. He said it would have even been better with peanut butter ice cream. I guess I just have to have another ice cream then. LOL
The rest of the afternoon, we spent with the usual gang at Paul’s spot. 
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April 25, 2009
This weekend was clean-up weekend. Campers brought their rakes, shovels, and willingness to work. After that, the campground was ready for the season. Hot soup and hot dogs were be provided in the rec-room.

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April 24, 2009
We went to Sam’s Club today and bought a picnic table. At least now we feel we are camping. The canopy looked kind of empty without one. Paul and Judy took us in their truck and we were able to use their membership card. I loved Sam’s Club and I wished that they would close the BJ’s joint and replace it with Sam’s. We bought a whole bunch of meat and other groceries.

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April, 23, 2009
It was once again cold today, but the sunshine helped a little for a better mood. Steve is getting ready for the crowd and after a great cocktail hour we watched a gorgeous sunset.



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April, 22, 2009
We had a great weekend and can’t believe that it’s already Wednesday again. We went on a picnic table hunt from store to store and didn’t find what we had in mind. I guess we will find our table some day. While at Walmart, we found a bargain on Easter lilies. We purchased 24 of then and gave most of them to Steve and Marie for the flower beds.

From Wally World off to Aldi. Got a few groceries there and enjoyed the view blooming trees on their parking lot. We passed the Shamokin Inflatable Dam on the way, to see if it started yet. Still as low as last week.
Fantasy Island is not a real large campground and we, the seasonal campers, all know each other. Needless to say, that when one fellow camper gets a new toy, we all are interested in it. Henry, brought his new toy in last week and it sure caught everyone’s eye:

The fun part is, you are allowed to ride a golf cart any place you go. Some people ride it the whole day around the campground and the island.
By the way, if anyone is interested in more pictures before this summer is over, you can view last year’s pictures by clicking here.
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April, 19, 2009
Wow...another great day. It is supposed to rain tomorrow and as if that is not enough, it gets colder too. Anyway....coming back to today. I finally got dressed around 1 PM and relaxed some more after that. The bones are still hurting from yesterday, but heck, I won’t let it ruin my day.
We had fish for dinner. Yes, fish...fresh catch of the day by the one and only....Peter. Don’t let the size of the fish in this picture fool you! I love digital cameras.....

It was around 5 PM when we had our cocktail hour with Marie and Steve. I firmly believe that cocktail hours should be mandatory by law.

BTW, did any one of you ever see the Polar Bear from Coca Cola? Of course you did! Well, Marie’s son IS inside that custom made polar bear outfit that you see in commercials. Marie even brought us a Coca Cola T-shirt to look at. The picture on the T-shirt was actually taken with him (Marie’s son) inside the polar bear custom. Pretty cool, eh?

The water of the Susquehanna River is still pretty low. The The Adam T. Bower Dam is not inflated yet. Once the dam is inflated, the boating will start here. Here are some pictures to show you how low the water is:

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April, 18, 2009
Life is good, except when your bones hurt. Kate, Carol and I took the bicycles to the outlet store today and as much as I like rolling hills......they do make me feel like I am over the hill. I am sore and I have the funny feeling that it will be worse tomorrow. To top it off, I got a blister in my toe from the new Sketchers that I bought prior our trip. There is nothing better than my good old Birkenstocks. I only took one picture today.
Our campground from the top of the bridge on the way home with my bike.

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April, 17, 2009
Wow, I slept through the whole night. We went to get Peter’s fishing license and did some grocery shopping. Gas and Diesel are here about 30 to 40 cents higher than in NJ. I took a few pictures of our campsite and at night we played dice at the Tiki Bar.

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April, 16, 2009
We left 8:30 AM and got here about 2 PM. The sky was the prettiest blue and when we arrived at the campground, it felt like we never left last year. It took us a while to set up and after it was all done, we went to the Social Club to eat our Thursday Special: chicken wings. As always, they were super delicious and my Bloody Mary was. Needless to say that I enjoyed a Blood Mary with that.
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April 12, 2009
We all got together for Easter and had a good time with the kids and grandkids. Dennis, Chrissy and the kids brought me a gorgeous hanging plant and Peter got a chocolate egg. Thank God I didn’t get an egg, because the egg would have been stuck to my hips, the plant just hangs on a hook off a tree. From Tammy, Dan and the kids, we got a flag with the post. You know, the kind you stick into the ground. Thanks guys! Of course dinner was good and my favorite - dessert - was just awesome. I don’t understand why sweets are bad for you. There are some Easter pictures below, but to see more, you have to click on the Easter bunny.


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April 9, 2009
We went to the school to watch Anna receive her honor roll certificate.
We are very proud of her. This is the second time that Anna made the honor roll.
She worked very hard and it sure helps that she has excellent teachers.
For more pictures click here

Anna and her teachers

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April 7, 2009

We got some real great news today. Our Anna made the honor roll the second time in a row.
Congratulations Anna!
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April 5, 2009
It was a special day today. We were just hanging, Peter with a bad cold and I was just doing my usual stuff on the computer. I also started getting a few things ready for the camper. My highlight of the day was a telephone call from Dennis. He asked if I would go like to go on a bike ride. Would I? Woohoo! I loved it. We went to Bamber Lake Beach, Bamber Lake, NJ and Harry Wright Lake, Whiting, NJ. The weather was gorgeous and I had a blast. I love riding a motor cycle and those are the times when I wished that I’d be a little younger so that I could get my own.

Bridge at Bamber Lake, Lacey Township, NJ

Bamber Lake, Lacey Township, NJ

Bamber Lake, Lacey Township, Ocean County, NJ

Dennis’s bike