Here are my Friday Five, one day late!

1. What was/is your favorite subject in school? Why? It was always art class. I loved to draw and create... it would ease my mind after all the stresses in my math classes!

2. Who was your favorite teacher? Why? I would have to say it was my high school art teacher, Mrs. Whitford. She was a bit airy, but she did love her art, and enjoyed passing on that love to her students. We always had field trips to art museums; we were always encouraged to submit art to student competitions; and she convinced me to attend college for art.

3. What is your favorite memory of school? Extra curricular activities... band, orchestra, art committees, etc.

4. What was your favorite recess game? I loved dodge ball, though I got hit in the ear once and it nearly tore our my earring!

5. What did you hate most about school? I hated the cliques, especially in high school. Everything was about who you hung around with, the clothes you wear, etc. It was very stressful, because I was artsy when artsy wasn't cool.

Bill took the day off from work to recover from his jet lag. His sinuses have also been bothering him, probably from the pressure in the airplanes. I was so happy to have him home. He brought me a few goodies. He bought me postcards from Cincinatti... he knows I can never have enough postcards (it's an obsession that I have inherited from my Mom... I have been given her collection after she died). The vendors gave away some freebies, as well. Another obsession of mine are pens... if you have to write something down, just come to my house, as you will always find a pen here! I don't think I have ever used up the ink in a pen... I am always using a different one! He gave me 4 pens: one from Olympus, Compaq, Panasonic, and JVC. I am a happy duck! He also gave me a good quality windbreaker from RCA. It was like a mini holiday! Not only did my husband come home safely, but I got little presents, too!

I didn't post yesterday, because I didn't know what to say or how to say it. I didn't sit all day and watch the tv... I did in the morning for a short while, but I was overwhelmed with the images, and had to turn it off. I spent the day with L. We drove to Delaware to see Nemours. It's the estate of Alfred duPont. It looks like a French chateaux (it was patterned after one, actually). We went on a tour of the house, the garage, and the gardens. We were greeted on the front porch of the house by the tour guides who handed us carnations (guests who arrived when Jessie Ball duPont were greeted the same way many years ago). We started our tour of the lower level, which included a billiards room, a two lane bowling alley, and a mini electric power plant. The upper levels were amazing... every item had was made by a famous craftsmen or artist, or was given to duPont by kings or presidents (they have a chair that was used during the signing of the Declaration of Independence), or priceless. The kitchen and pantry and refrigeration room were the size of a small house. It's hard to imagine that it really was a family home. I bet no one walked around in bare feet and pajamas in that house! Some people don't care about grand homes like this. I look at it as a wonderful thing. Why? I saw so much art and artifacts created by so many famous people, it was breathtaking. If it wasn't for men like Alfred duPont, most of it would have been lost. Not everything that should be in a museum actually gets there. There was so much to see, it was hard to focus your eyes on one item. My favorites were the many Tiffany glass vases, the painting by Remington, the colorful Venetian glass chandelier in one of the bedrooms, the colored sketch of Thomas Jefferson, the portrait of the family dogs (two of which were rescues), and the gardens. L. and I walked the grounds and, despite the strong wind, greatly enjoyed that. We were given a tour of the garage, which included one of the first Rolls Royce autos made with air conditioning. If I remember the guide's words correctly, there were only 10 made, and Queen Elizabeth II of England owns two of them! It was a very nice day, and my words can't express how grand the place is!

Bill will be home tonight around midnight. I can't wait. This place it too big for just one person and a couple of dogs. He called me one day and said his room at the Venetian was fantastic! It was like a suite... it had one of those huge sunken tubs that fit two people comfortably. Why was it the wives couldn't go on this trip?

I was in such a blue funk today, that I left the house wearing two different shoes. When did I realize this? When I got home from running errands. ARGHHH! One was leather and the other was canvas. I can't believe I didn't notice it!

My Stained Glass

I created this stained glass panel last year, in class. I came up with the idea for the pattern in the book about tessellations by Jinny Beyer. It's actually a quilt pattern. Can you tell what it is?

My Finished Utensil Jar

The neighbor's kid, Avery, is driving me crazy. I know she's only 4 years old and doesn't know better. I know I shouldn't get so mad at a little kid. Well, I'm not perfect. She's been ringing my doorbell every half hour. The dogs start barking and carrying on. I go to the door (because I don't want to be the nasty neighbor who never answers the door), and I see her running away. ARGHHHHH! This last time, I caught her before she got too far away, and I called to her. I asked her to stop. That's all I said, but I think her Mom heard me. Hopefully, I didn't make an enemy of the parent. She needs to keep a better eye on her kid! Oh, I feel better. I needed to get that out. :)

I went to Kohl's department store today, and I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw. Near the front doors, on the corner of the women's department, they had two manequins set up. One was standing, and the other was sitting in a wheelchair. I thought that was very good to see. I'm not a big mall shopper, so maybe depicting a wheel-chair bound person in their displays isn't a new thing, but I was very pleased at the progressiveness of it all!

GRANDPARENTS DAY
I was reminded by Cindy's post for yesterday that I missed Grandparent's Day. I started thinking about it, and I realized that I lost all my Grandparents by the time I was 13 years old. My maternal grandparents both died before I was 5. My paternal grandfather died when I was 5 (I think). I do have fond memories of him though, and I do know I loved him very much, and he loved me. He founded our family's restaurant Coney Island Lunch in Scranton in 1923. I remember riding along with him when he was going to work (my Dad would bring me home, as it was the end of his shift). Once, in heavy traffic, he had to stop fast (the days before child seats and mandatory seatbelts), and I hit my head on the dashboard. He was so distraught even though I know had a little bump. My maternal grandmother died when I was 13. I think there is something missing when you don't have grandparents... a special bond that is lacking. I don't know much about my family history because of that. There's so many questions that I would have asked. My Grandma Bartlett loved to crochet and knit... she taught my sister Kathy, but I was too young. I could use her help now. My paternal grandfather was born in Greece, and from what I understand, he left behind quite a large family. It would be so nice to know if I have relatives in "the old country". Oh, well. What can I do? Life is strange, and it doesn't do you any good to wonder why certain things happen.

My post about Bill flying to Vegas (and his sister had a vision that he would die in a plane crash) made the Headline News at US Daily Report. Good news is that Bill touched down in Cincinatti about one hour ago. He said the first plame was so small, that to get off it, he had to step across the gap, and onto a rolling stairway! He joked and said that he sort of felt like the president (or at least an important dignitary) arriving in town!

I'm a Diva!

I knew I couldn't be the only one addicted to Ebay! I just joined Auction Divas. I'm the newest Diva!

THANKFUL

I am thankful that I have a husband who loves me. As weird as I can get sometimes, he still loves me. He's so worried about flying tomorrow. We were at dinner and he mentioned how much like a movie this can be. "Get on the plane with R. The plane crashes and everyone dies. The next day, I find out I'm pregnant. L. and I become even closer because we both lose our husbands on that plane. She helps me raise our baby". I wish there was a way to make him stop worrying. I wish I could take away all of his fear. He's a good man, with a good heart. Here he is worrying about what's going to happen to me if something happens to him. I told him that we will be sitting at dinner a week from today, laughing about how nervous he was about the trip. I told him I will be waiting till the wee hours of Friday morning when I will greet him at the door with a big hug and a kiss. I have no doubt that all will be well.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief. Gerry Spence

I never cease being dumbfounded by the unbelievable things people believe. Leo Rosten

I have to help Bill pack tonight. He's leaving early tomorrow morning for a business trip to Las Vegas. Bill has always been nervous about flying (it didn't help when one of his sisters told him she had a vision of him dying in a plane crash), but flying during this week is making the fear worse. Apparently, he isn't the only store manager who feels that way. He told me one man wrote a letter to his wife and children that they are to read only if he doesn't make it home. I think that is morbid. You can't walk around believing that something awful will happen. Years ago, Bill had a bad experience on one of those smaller planes (like a 40-seater) that has tainted his experience with every flight he has taken ever since. He is flying out of the Allentown airport to Cincinatti (where he will catch a connecting flight on a larger jet) in one of those small planes! He is not happy. Poor guy! He will stay in Vegas at the Venetian... such a beautiful hotel (his company probably got great rates on rooms since hardly anyone will be travelling this week)! He gets to enjoy a sneak preview of all the newest electronics and gadgets that are coming out for Christmas. WhooHoo! I wish he could bring some goodies home, though I really wouldn't want to be going through the airport security with any kind of electronics; especially not this week. He will be home on the 12th. And I am stressing the WILL BE HOME part, just in case he reads this!