Getting in that second post of the month

 I've been so good about it, I'd hate to stop now. So, before midnight I'm composing a bit on my iPad.
I've been a bit tired and not feeling my best today. I did get a few chores done though my fatigue has most to do with the thunderstorm and rainwe had lst night. Didn't sleep well. We need the rain and the snow at high elevation so no complaining here. Everything looked so brigh and fresh today.
So much is in bloom around here. While the daffodils have come and gone the camellias linger and there are still many trees in bloom. If the weather is nice I may try a photo shoot tomorrow.
I'm definitely planning a grand baby photo shoot tomorrow. Cal got a cute photo of the young grandgirls today that looked so cute. We must get to visit them sometime soon.
So, lots of photos ahead. Since I'm not very adept with the iPad I'll not likely add any photos to this post tonight. Something I need to work on.Always so much to learn!
I like that though. Life long learner  is definitely a label I can live with.
Not much crafting this past week -just one scrapbook layout which I did post over on Flickr. I knew it needed work and got a lot of inspiration from a talk at Masterful Scrapbook Design. I love to layer but I don't always get it right. I learned a bit about shapes that I utilized to strengthen the design. Both examples are over at Flickr. Visual triangles and color repetition are good to keep I mind. I like learning and that's one of the things that makes me happy about scrapbooking. Not that it's the ideal for everyone. Some folks just like to follow another's design or go with just a couple of basic designs. As long a one has fun I think any approach is great. I do that with my art pieces, too. Have fun, see what works and if I'm in the mood really work on making the project "better". If you are a Scrapbooker, and sometimes want things "better" you should check out the classes offered at Get It Scrapped and Masterful Scrapbook Design.i have a lot of fun there. This is a unpaid ad for those sites, LOL! Really, if you are a Scrapbooker check it out.
Well, I did say i was tired; so, I ought to weapthis up. I promise not too many blog posts in the future without photos and I'll try for more than two in a month. I do promise two though, even at literally the 11th hour, LOL!

Blah not Blog?

 Yes, I'm still around. My husband suggested the title of the page when I complained that I wasn't getting any blog posting done.
You see, we took a trip to NYC. Now I'm recovering from that. I went to an American Medical Women's Association meeting that was fantastic! Great speakers and nicely paced.

Got there a day early because I do not do jet lag well and stayed a bit to take in some of the sites. We were there over St. Patrick's Day and staying at the Palace Hotel (facing the rear of St. Patrick's Cathedral). Since the parade goes by the front of the cathedral on 5th Ave, you know we went.

I was reluctant to miss much of the meeting so only stayed a bit. Cal watched a while, went for lunch and then returned to the parade. It goes on for about 6 hours and is watched by 2 million people. So many people celebrating Irish America, it's astonishingly wonderful.  Apparently, the largest parade in the world. It was just great! I am a parade-aholic. I even go sit and watch the Arden-Arcade Fulton Ave. Fourth of July parade. That is a short and pretty boring, uneventful, and sparsely attended parade but I watch it anyways. I keep hoping for more decorated bicycles and maybe a band and a float or two at the Fulton Ave. parade. Maybe this year. 
"How was NYC?", you may be asking. Fabulous. Taxis are so wonderful. I really have trouble walking and even with taxis I did too much walking, a reason I'm still recovering. Nonetheless, the taxis got us around and  museums have wheel chairs when you cannot walk more so it was OK. Restaurants, the theater and Harbor Cruises are sit down events with reasonable get up and move breaks, too. So, not impossible. We ate at Fig and Olive, Morsoand in little Italy at one of the neighborhood's oldest restaurants, Grotta Azzura.Breakfasts were often at Toasties by the hotel - though I went to Starbucks by the hotel side entrance for coffee. We caught bites at various spots like corner or museum cafes. I only had the conference food and one room service dessert at the hotel. It just looked too pricey!
Great hotel though and a perfect location. Did the city tour seeing all the highlights and went to the play Ann, a one woman show about Ann Richards at Lincoln Center and saw Jersey Boys, on another night, too. 

The Cooper-Hewitt is closed until next year which almost made me cry. Guess I'll have to go back! We did get to The Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum of the Native American. Naturally, we visited the 9/11 Memorial.Of course there was a lot more.

 A fun special event for us was the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens. I loved it and Cal found it interesting even if there were only a few citrus and bananas (he's mainly into edibles). The orchids were so varied and beautiful and the conservatory so lovely that I think anyone would have like the show.

Now I've got to scrapbook all of those memories, LOL! . Maybe not all, just a few. You know we have a LOT more photos
Great to be home. Love the gorgeous sping weather - it's COLD in NYC!