day 173

This is what I would be wearing if I was going anywhere fun for NYE. Damn that guy who hit Joe!

Tomorrow I would be sitting at the bleacher in Pasadena watching the Rose Bowl Parade.

day 172

They are putting the runners on the stairs today!!!!

day 171

I got some pictures hung

Photos take from our travels

finally found the right spot for this

day 170

Wednesday the guy came to put up my light fixtures. Now my bedroom is 100% done - thank God. Enjoy the new photos.

A black dog and a yellow comforter don't mix

The Wall again

My new/old chandelier - it was the last big purchase we got in Belgium-bought specifically for this space. If you can believe this but we never had a light in our room only a lamp. The thing that was up there before was an ugly white ceiling fan. I actually can see what my clothes look like in the light.

Close up of the fixture and the special Belgium area of the room. The small photo is of Joe, Foxy and I in the Grand Place with the flower carpet in the back ground. (take from a balcony building in the Grand Place. The big photo is one Joe wanted to have in his office - but I made him keep it at home for us to enjoy.

Close up

The mirror behind the door

Merry Christmas

Howdy Holidays!

The last couple of years I have had word play cards...like Roman Holidays and us in rome or last year was Ven-ice snow, Ven-ice snow, Ven-ice snow for us in Venice. This is what I was planning for this year...the key word was.

Hope everyone has a nice Christmas!

update

The pre trial date is January 22 and the first date of the trial is Feb 18 however his lawyer already said he will not be ready that date and it will be rescheduled.

Now here is the kicker...His Lawyer is a private one not a public defender...He also today tried to plea deal for 10 years in jail. The DA said he laughed in his face.

I can't believe they are paying for a private lawyer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

day 162

Today is the day the they are sentencing the guy who killed Joe. The DA thinks that he is still going to plea not guilty but we can always hope for a guilty plea aka a christmas miracle.

Hope everyone has a good christmas and I didn't send out cards this year but thank you to everyone who sent me one. (tomorrow I will show you what I was thinking of doing for a card)

day 160 & 161

I just got back yesterday from Wisconsin and I truly was going to post but I think everyone knew I was back and I ran out of time. Not to mention trying to get ready for this big snow storm we are suppose to get.

My nephew became an Eagle scout on sunday and then on monday night I watched my other nephew in his chorus concert.

You do see the strangest things in WI, when we were in Hudson a red convertable with the top down drove by with Mr. & Mrs. Claus in it.

day 158 & 159

On Friday night my parents and I went to a musical/play call "all is calm". It was about the Christmas truce of WWI 1914 in Flanders fields. (Belgium)

It was really good...of course you know I'm a little partial to Belgium. But seriously that was my favorite area of the Flanders Fields museum in Ypers, Belgium I never heard of of this in history class and it just amazes me that this happened.

Watching it I was missing Belgium, but most of all missing Joe and wishing I could share this experience with him.

day 157

The service of remembece was good last night. Then in group the talk turned to the afterlife and the simlar stories of what people did and said right before they did was amazing.

I showed photos of Joe and I. They all thought he was handsome and I look good are a very blonde blonde. If you don't know I haven't been highlighting my hair so it is slowly getting to be dish water blonde. One lady also commented that I wear the best shoes to the group. I didn't have the guts to tell her that they are very happy because they have there own closet now.

After we had a good dinner at Tejas...it is closing on December 29th if you didn't know that.

hope you have a good weekend.

day 156

I'm glad yesterday is done...It started out by going to the doctor and then receptionist telling me I don't have insurance it expired in August. What? I have been paying cobra for months. After the doc I went home to figure it out and the got my insurance straightened out.

Then I went on a mission to find the title for one of the cars, which I have been looking for for a while. The first drawer and file I opened it was in there. Of course I thanked Joe.

Then it was off to the DMV to get my Minnesota license plates, I'm not photo ready for my MN drivers lic yet.

I had a very brash lady named Marsha that was fun to deal with. I got my 2 Minnesota license plates that are consecutive which is very fun and then the problem...they only take cash or check at the AAA DMV in St. Louis Park. So I had to leave and go get cash down the street and Marsha said I might not be here when you get back.

At the bank I had a extremely pleasant person to help me and then it was back to Marsha. When I returned she however was counting her money and was not open anymore and sent me to someone else to finish my process.

Then I stopped in the travel store to dream a little of traveling somewhere anywhere and I found a great new travel bag. I have been using my Longchamp bag but don't want to get it totally trashed this new bag has lots of safety features like it clips you zipper shut, has good straps that can't be cut and the bottom of the bag has a mesh in there so if they bottom is slashed the contents will not fallout. It is crazy that you need bags like this to travel.

today I'm getting my haircut which is much need since the last time was end of May.

day 155

tip for visiting a cemetery in the winter.

Be very careful when walking in a cemetery when the ground is covered in snow. You can't see the markers on the ground and some are very slippery when you step on them. In other words I almost wiped out a couple time saturday in the cemetery when I went to see Joe.

Who would have know.

day 154

This week in my grief group we are doing a service of remembrance. I'm looking forward to it.

Last week one of the older ladies brought up a issue I have read about and hear about from a lady on the plane when I flew back to LA after the service but I didn't really think it ever really happened...but then again I never thought I would be in this situation.

The issue is your married women friends thinking you are now a threat to steal there husband away from them. Now seriously you married women... picture you husband dies of a heart attack or is murdered and is the thought of stealing your girlfriend's husband anywhere in your thoughts?

I would hope that my friends have a little more respect for me that thinking this.

day 153

On my snow day I watched a really good movie - while for me it was good and I know Kate, Anne and Francoise will enjoy it too.

The movie was called "the Class" a documentary about a class of 13,14 & 15 year olds in Paris (the poor area where they have been known to riot) The subject that the teacher teaches them is French. It actually reminded me of my french classes in Brussels. I now know why I couldn't learn french because they start you at a 13,14 or 15 year old level. Seriously they stuff they were talking about what in my class and the assignments they were given were exactly like mine.

Not to mention the ethnic mix and tension of people it was my french class. Anyway that is one of the ways I spent a couple hours on Wednesday.

For Amy & Ben

Of course this is for many of you but I know Amy & Ben will smile after this post. Who knew Bob was on you tube...not to mention he looks put together and grown up. (his wife must be telling him to cut his hair)

Any one want to go to Austin for NYE?

day 152

It was one year ago today WE were flying back to the Us to start our new life in L.A.

Who would have thought a year after that I would be back in Minneapolis.

day 151

I forgot to mention yesterday when I was getting the snow blower that the guy selling it to me in his mid 30's was obsessed with getting me to be his dance partner or giving me dance lessons. He gave me his card to call him because he really wants to dance with me. These things only happen to me.

Here are some wintery photos for you.

Sidewalk in the front I shoveled - Joe always loved living on a corner lot...but he hardly shoveled he was always traveling and even if he was home the front and back steps were my job.

My freshly snowblowed sidewalk that got a little blown over with snow.

My little girl that had to have a path shoveled in the grass so she could go pee & poo

day 150

Yesterday our (meaning Joe's and my friend) Bob took me shopping for a snow blower. Joe has a huge and heavy one that I could never mover when it was not running let a lone try to move it when it was running.

I used it last night to clear my sidewalk and drive way and I'm sure I will use it again today to clear everything up again.

Many thanks to Bob for helping me over the last couple month between clearing vines, helping move furniture, getting my radiators going, helping hang some pictures and the list goes on with out him I would still be wondering how I was going to get all this stuff done.

My new red baby

day 149

I got 3 doctor appointment booked yesterday - the best time to go to the doctor is december I got into everyone by the end of the year. I also had to get in because my insurance is changing next year to the kind that there isn't a copay you just pay a certain percentage of the visit.

I'm going shopping for a snow blower who would have thought a year ago when I was getting ready to leave Belgium that in another year I would be back in Minneapolis looking at snow blowers.

I'm also thinking that Foxy needs a sister. I found her but she is in Iowa I just have to see if she is still available.

days 147 & 148

Sorry for the late blog entry...I have been preparing for the snow they think we might get.

On saturday I went out with a bunch of people to an art gallery then we headed to the bar...I haven't been in a bar for over 3 years. That was a very strange experience to be in one again, not to mention be up late at night.

Now tomorrow I'm going shopping for a snow blower. I have one but it is huge and heavy I have never been able to move it.

day 146

I also went and put up a decoration at the cemetery. I'm waiting to see if I get in trouble because it isn't a wreath and everyone else had a wreath up. I just didn't think Joe would like a wreath so I did this instead. I will keep you posted if I get in trouble.

Also Joe's new neighbor had a visitor when we were there, he was putting a wreath up too.

day 145

I also got my tree up and decorated. It took a while, I forgot how long it takes to put it all together. In Belgium I just had a couple boxes of ornaments and a couple strings of lights which blinked. (drove both Joe and I crazy)

Please don't try this at home...remember I use to design artificial trees for a living and decorate them for Menards and the showroom at our company. Yes 365 day a year was christmas for me.

I can't decide which photo was better so I put both up.

trial update

the prelim trial for today got delayed again. Not sure when they are going to set the new date.

I know so of you think I should go out there for the prelim - but honestly I think my time and frustration of going through this for the main trial will be enough. I can't even imagine adding the frustration of changing airline tickets and hotels to my life right now not to mention it is the holiday season I would never get on a plane with a standby ticket and would be stranded at the airport.

day 144

It was a very productive couple days over thanksgiving. Look I got my drapes hung!

day 143

The Day after Thanksgiving instead of getting up early and shopping, I made cranberry and chocolate chip muffins for my parents. Then we went shopping, of course everything we wanted was already gone but did any of you get up and go shopping at 3 am? When did this start when I left the US to live in Belgium it was 6 am. Who though we need to shop at 3? Not to mention the poor sales people that had to work that early.

The ingredients

yummy dough

Warm muffins