Greetings from central, very rural Pennsylvania

Hello My Friends,
I confess, I miss the cowbell. I know I haven't been much of a blogger, clearly. But you all have been on my mind more than you'll ever know! I have a big project that I am working on...can you believe this--I'm putting together a curriculum for a certificate program in Medical Interpreting--and we have a funder meeting on Monday, so I need to get my act together and present the objectives for this curriculum to my PI tomorrow. Once that is over, I will try and take some of the pretty fall foliage I am admiring around campus this time of year. A cold front blew in yesterday and the weather changed so quickly and drastically (we even had hail on Monday, actually) that for a split second, I thought I was back in Dallas. Ah, well. Maybe for a visit sometime. Perhaps I'll decide to come back and collect data at CMCD. : )
For now, I remain, ever nostalgic for that Bovinebell.
And as the license plates around here used to say:
You've got a friend in Pennsylvania
And as I say now:
When can I get company from out of town...from Dallas that is?
Hugs to all,
Priscilla

I'm finally here!

The photos here demonstrate the adventures of the fellows at ASPHO in Toronto. One photo shows a fantabulous mullet we saw in the subway, and the other shows the dramatic weight gain that occurs during fellowship....musta had one too many cookies at tumor board! It was a fun trip, and I'm crossing my fingers that this posts okay...
Photos from ASCO will follow (I forgot my camera but Martha dutifully documented everything!!)

Take two.

The new blog.......

kind of like the old blog - but hopefully, better.

Are you guys tired of the technical difficulties?

The last straw is that Priscilla, Cindy, Jenn, Doug - I don't know, everyone except me and Allyson has dropped off of the "team" - at least they're not on the sidebar today. And Allyson can't even post. Sorry, guys.

Check your emails - we're gonna head over to a new 'hood.

xoxox
Maria

Pictures from Orlando

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa!!!

(I learned that from my kids at Catholic School)

Here goes -

Asheville has had less winter weather than Dallas so far (last weekend it was in the upper 60's), although it looks like cold weather is coming later this week.

I have spent almost all of my free time since New Year's moving into the new house - and it is going very slowly so far - it seems like every day we find another place where the builder "cut corners" - so we have been painting the walls, re-staining the cabinets, sealing the grout on the floors and in the showers, etc. (sounds like fun, doesn't it - anyone want to hop on a plane and head over to NC to help ???).

My kids have already made a lot of new friends in the new neighborhood, so Bonnie and I hardly see them anymore (I guess we will have to get used to that) - but they are having a great time playing in the creek, and running through the woods (just like I did growing up).

I presume that you have all heard about the COG meeting - "By Invitation Only" - I keep checking my mailbox, but my invitation hasn't come yet - as it stands now, the next time COG will have a general meeting in Dallas is 2009!!! - we are still trying to figure out a way to make it there for either Spring Break or early in the summer.

By the way, despite my letter to the North Pole, Santa did not put a Cowbell in my stocking this year.

More soon - and also pictures (if I can get my camera to start working again).

Doug

OK, I am not going to post ANYTHING ELSE....

... until someone else makes a post.

So there.

Well, okay, I do have a couple cute new pictures of my niece. But OTHER THAN THAT, you guys are getting nothing until you start some blog action.


Cute boots from Lizzie that originally graced Lucy's little feet, now Jadyn's.

Less than a week ago she was scared to be on her tummy, now she is trying to crawl.

For anyone who missed it:

The other day in clinic we named Liz's quintuplets:

1) Hayden
2) Aidan
3) Caden
4) Braden
5) Joe

Yep, all boys!

Hee hee hee.....

Maria

Sushi

OK you sushi eating people, Lucy got PLAY sushi for Christmas (yes, you read that right) and since I am sushi-challenged, she and I will be needing your assistance to figure out what the heck everything is. It is a really cool gift, though, and she has figured out how to velcro the little roll thingys together and then "cut" them using the knife. The chopsticks have velcro, too, so she is figuring out how to use them.

Pictures, pictures, pictures

OK, to start off, some more pictures of my new niece because she is SO STINKIN' CUTE:

Officially a family!

Out and about in Lanzhou

Bundled up - those hat and mittens used to be Lucy's.

A little smile

A bigger smile!

Lucy looking over one of the books Jenny gave her for Christmas. The next morning, she was "reading" it to me. She can also say the days of the week now in English and a few in Spanish. Harvard called today and said they have one spot still open for a 27-month-old.

Lucy with her bunny rabbit hat at the oncology patient Christmas party.

This about sums up how she felt about the big characters. Thanks, Jenny, for letting me snap such a hilarious photo! :)

I miss all of you who aren't here. As Lucy would say, "Hab a merry Riss-miss".

Lots of love
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Pictures - FINALLY

Well, Maria - here they are - the 2 pictures that you have been waiting for so patiently.

Here is a picture of me, Jenn and Andy (the original Trifecta) reunited in Orlando:


And, for the first time in any public forum (after being burned 3 times before by posting pictures of houses that we did not end up getting - here is our new home (as of 12/20) - although we probably won't actually start living there until mid-to-late January:



It's a bit small, but we should be able to fit all of our stuff into it.
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Okay, you caught me - here is a real picture of our new house:
It sits on just under an acre, with about 1/2 wooded. There is a medium-sized spring-fed pond in the side yard, and a creek running through the front yard. The ridgeline that you can see behind the house is the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Interior pictures coming soon.

Doug

Home-Owner at last

FINALLY -

We closed on our new house this morning, and immediately afterwards, we drove out there and re-keyed all of the locks (some of the sub-contractors looked a bit "shifty"). I took several pictures today, and, if I have time to download them tonight, I will post them tomorrow.

Now the real fun begins (moving, yardwork and decorating) - I am going to need to take a 2nd job just to get furniture.

Official change of address cards will come out as soon as we get a mailbox.

Doug

Gotcha

I had to wait until I got home, Jenny :)

ISN'T SHE BEAUTIFUL. It all looks so familiar.... the old hotel room at the JJ Sun hotel.... the sweaty baby dressed in at least three layers of clothes..... the baby food prunes. Hee hee hee. I am sure Jadyn will learn soon, like her cousin before her, that the chopsticks on the tables at the hotel are great for attempting to clear everything off the table with, and the chopstick wrapper makes a good teething toy :)

We are all just beside ourselves. She looks so healthy and beautiful. It is a very happy day in our house! I can't wait until January 21 when we go home to visit.

Made my weekend......

I am sitting here with a happy smile on my face, because I just got a call from Andy and Doug (who are in Orlando, with EVERYONE else, at ASH). Hearing their voices just absolutely made my day - my whole weekend! I miss you guys soooooooo much!

I have been promised pictures. It's the least you guys could do, you know, since I am sitting here at home with nothing else to do rather than update ye olde blog..... Charles and Cindy were talking on the phone with Brian at the same time, who is the other one not there, because Lisa is in labor about to deliver the twins. How exciting!

I am very tired (and I took Nyquil about 45 minutes ago), so I don't think this post makes a lot of sense. But I am very ahppy! And it's not just the Nyquil.

Doug, we will be in Gatlinburg on August 9, 10, 11.

Maria

P.S. Pictures. Don't forget! And tell Cindy or Jenny to bring me a bag, my ASPHO one is getting worn :)

Let the whining begin...

One day heat index, the next day freaking WIND CHILL...Ack.

L is on my lap, here is what she has to say...

n uy y z ./m b cv v

We are heading to Northpark to see the trains and Santa in a few. Have a good day!!

I have mastered the technology!!!

Hello everyone-this will be short. I've got to give a quick shout out to Maria for showing me how to do a posting...though you may regret it in the future. And I HAD to tell Doug that ice & sleet is being predicted here in Dallas tonight/tomorrow, and they're already discussing school closings!!! Makes you miss the crazyness, right??? Let's hope we can survive the 30 degree temps predicted tomorrow....

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hi everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving to all... we had a really nice day, starting with fun at the park, then watching the parade, then a nice map, then dinner at Jenn's with her family, Cindy, and Cristina. Mmmmmmmm Honey Baked Ham is all I have to say! It was really yummy. And L thought the cranberry mold I made was ice cream, so everyone was happy.

Doug, I can't believe it was snowing. You tell Reid, that, yes, the schools should have been closed for snow in NOVEMBER. I hope you guys had a really nice time yesterday, and know that we all miss you here.

Well, the James Bond movie was... really, really good. Different, but I really liked it. It was darker, and had less humor. A lot more physical action, and the new guy is in really good shape so it was believable. And, he is HOT. And the Bond girl is the best yet. She is super-hot and smart - again, different, but really, really good. The ONLY negative thing I have to say about the movie was about one very ridiculous scene involving an AED. But, isn't there one of those in almost every James Bond movie? As an added bonus, there was a Bond marathon on TV yesterday, while I didn't get to watch very much, I did get to see the really, really incredible opening of "The Spy Who Loved Me". Sooooo, the bottom line is, the movie was great and I hope the new guy has a lot of movies left in him. He's only 37. Mike says they have finished - that this was the last story, so they may not make any more. If this is the case, I may have to switch from using my spare time to find George Michael and have him come to Cindy's house, to using it to find someone to write more James Bond stories so the new guy can keep making movies. Oh, I forgot one more thing, that I won't say is a negative, but did throw me off for a while - while the movie is supposed to be about James Bond as he forst became a 007, I had not read much about the movie beforehand (I wanted to keep a really open mind with the new guy). I assumed, since it was supposed to take place BEFORE all the other movies, that it would be set in earler times. Nope - present day. It bothered me for at least the first 20 minutes, then I decided that they did how it had to be, and I got over it and enjoyed the move lots lots lots.

**Please forgive me for the number of times I used the words "really" and "hot" in this post.**

It's SNOWING !!!!!!!!!

I woke up this morning, and it has started to snow (OK - it's only flurries), and the kids were really excited. Reid asked me if school was going to be cancelled today. I had to tell him that, unlike in Dallas, the snow has to actually reach the ground before they will close the schools.

Maria - was Casino Royale everything you hoped it would be?

Welcome back to Dallas rodenti.

We should know by tomorrow if we are actually going to get this house - but, because I am superstitious, no pictures until after closing.

See you (or at least some of you) soon.

Doug

PS - Where did the Medical School blog 0n the links come from - it doesn't sound like anyone I know.

Back to "normal"

The rodenti are back in action here in Dallas. See Jenny, Cindy, and Charles who are all sooooo happy to be back.



Not only is the cowbell safe and sound and back where it belongs, Jenny and Cindy brought back a special treat for Jim, as a "thank you" for letting the cowbell go on the grand tour of Italy... yep, you guessed it, a cowbell from Zurich (where they ahd a daylong layover). Now ol' Bevins has another little bell to keep him company on Jim's desk.



Long live the cowbell (we really are a little heavy on the cowbell here, lately, huh?).

OK, so it didn't take as long as I thought

Priscilla, the new blog title is for you.