Packing Party

helping Ruth get ready to move

My very dear friend and co-worker, Ruth, is moving back to her hometown in Ohio. I met her when I first started at BCBSNC in 1996. We, with Denise, were trainers in the UM department. What a team! Denise lost her battle with breast cancer a few years ago and Ruth is in treatment for pancreatic cancer. Last Saturday a dozen of us met at Ruth's home and finished up with the packing. She closes on the sale of the house later this month and then will close on a new home in Ohio the next day. Nothing keeps that woman down! She got some very encouraging news about her cancer, so we're all hopeful. She has a lot of people on her side.

Garden Stones

Hannah made these for her front yard area.

These are my stones for the fish tank.

Hannah came over last week to make garden stones with me. I had planned to do this some time ago and have been saving the supplies for about 10 years. They are actually very simple to make. Put contact paper, sticky side up in the bottom of a plastic plant thing (the thing you put under a pot to catch the drippy stuff), then arrange your decorations right side down on the contact paper. We used broken tiles, marbles and glass. Pour in mortar mix (not concrete which is full of rocks) and let it dry a week or so. I think they turned out great. Lots of fun and excellent bonding experience with my baby girl.

Jon's Birthday

Jon and James Arthur

I wanted to get the family together for Jon's birthday....unfortunately Mikey had to work and Malcolm and Lila were very tied up with finals and end of semester stuff. So Hannah came with her 2 boys and we had a late lunch at Greek Kousina in Pittsboro. The boys were VERY active. They are so cute and really good, but they are also very normal toddlers. I think our restaurant days are limited for a while.

Pond Update

Nicholson Aquagardens and Mosquito Farm

Finally got the tank into it's final resting place and leveled off. I went to Lowe's and got a few bedding plants, then I talked Miguel into hauling me up to Atlantic Avenue Orchid & Garden in north Raleigh to get pond plants. That place is AMAZING and the staff is just great. I got a variety of water plants and a few hostas for the shady area next to the porch. I will put some gravel around the tank and fix up the surroundings at some point. Right now I can sit back and watch everything take root and grow. Or die. Whatever. The tank should stabilize in a month and I can finally add a few fish. I'm excited about that. I saw a hummingbird this week. So, it's officially Spring.

Fish Pond Progress

the new tank and the muddy spot it will go in

Sophie and Early checking on my progress

It's just so beautiful. Can't wait to get the fish!

I got the galvanized metal stock pond from the Farm and Country Feed Store in Pittsboro. It's 6x2x2 and about 150 gallons or so. I finally got the spot leveled off...it's hard to do with nothing but a shovel and a rake. I managed. Yay, me. It's about half full right now. I'm going to treat the water to remove the chloramines (thanks a lot Pittsboro Water). The plan is to get the plants this weekend. Then maybe get some goldfish a couple weeks after that. Actually I may push that back a bit. I think the plants need more time to cure. We'll see. I also plan to do some planting around the tank so it doesn't look like it's sitting in the middle of the Sahara. But...so far, so good!

The Last Supper (or lunch)

Medical Policy Department

Two of my coworkers are leaving, so we had a farewell lunch at Neo China in Durham. I won't mention any names (the traitors)...one is taking a job in another department. It's a good move for her, a great opportunity. And the other is leaving the company. It's a time of transition, not only for our department or the company, but for the industry as a whole. I need to hang in there for a few more years. I am creeping up on retirement age, so I'm getting less ambitious by the minute. I just want to quietly do my little thing, pick up my paycheck, then go home and hang out with the cats and dogs. I think I've climbed about as far up the corporate ladder as I'm going to. At this point, I just don't want to fall off!

Bandido's in Hillsborough

James Arthur enjoying some fried ice cream.