tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48244646310245770732012-02-16T05:18:21.008-05:00Our home is a busy place, with a home business and homeschooling our two younger boys. This is a little of our story.Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.comBlogger611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-88362783036502917402011-12-18T10:14:00.003-05:002011-12-18T10:25:17.370-05:00

Years ago, we looked at our little business and realized that there might be people who might want to learn how we do what we do. Four years ago, Norb began writing a book describing how he makes his eBay business work. We have wondered if we would ever get to this day, but today is a special one to us. We are finally offering our book for sale. We have had a few people read it before we sent

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-22357619271028713002011-10-08T23:09:00.002-04:002011-10-08T23:40:09.018-04:00

It has been 8 years since we left the tropical city and relocated up the coast to a much more rural area. I love love love stepping out on a clear night and being able to see the stars. City lights hide the cosmos. Most of us don't even notice it. I don't often enough take the time in the evenings to star gaze. In our comfy, climate controlled homes with lots of other things to keep us busy,

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-35959377999361398892011-04-03T12:33:00.003-04:002011-04-03T13:25:44.634-04:00

It has been a long time since I have posted. My last post regarding my dad has an ending. He passed away, gently, on July 24, 2010. It was no great dramatic scene where he was surrounded by his family. We all knew that he was dying, but he was not in a crisis situation when he breathed his last. He just slumped, and was gone. Those last few weeks were very hard on him. The 'nothing by

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-54491238437545567172010-06-04T09:53:00.002-04:002010-06-04T11:44:56.835-04:00

For the past week and a half, I have been away from my husband and children to return to my parents as my dad becomes more and more frail. His health has been in decline for over 3 years, and when I left my home to return to Wisconsin, I wondered if I would be in time to say good bye to him.As it turns out, he is over the crisis, though not out of the woods.NPO looks like a simple set of letters

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-28648138464826328672010-03-20T22:54:00.005-04:002010-03-21T00:15:37.138-04:00

The stars.Can you even see the stars where you live? If not, they have very little part of your daily life. You know they are out there, but so is seaweed in the sea. But from time to time through the year, we become aware that perhaps we might be able to see a meteor shower if the night is clear and we are out at the right time.Such an announcement came a few weeks ago. It was a cold night,

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-83807570325794141082010-02-03T00:07:00.003-05:002010-02-03T00:32:34.091-05:00

Are there things in your life that are 'too nice to use'? Things such as fancy soap, nice linens, or some lovely holiday candles? Why do we do that?Try going to an estate sale or an auction of an estate. Many times you will find every day items that were tools in the loving hands that lived simple lives. Kitchen utensils or towels that were made for function and put to use in someone's home

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-19761289898288115132009-12-26T13:14:00.001-05:002009-12-26T13:14:54.956-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-10141633867692322912009-10-25T08:58:00.004-04:002009-10-25T11:22:42.773-04:00

Like everyone else we all know, life is busy. There are an infinite selection of choices to make in a person's life, on a daily basis, and bit by bit, it will define your life.My oldest son was telling me that in his job for his first year away from the university life at Florida State, there was just so much work to do, but someone keyed him in on the fact that when overwhelmed with the work,

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-6912347297866977272009-08-30T16:52:00.005-04:002009-08-30T17:45:33.946-04:00

The people of my family are quiet and not fodder for media coverage, but we have one story that recently swirled back into our focus this summer.The town was Waukesha, Wisconsin where in 1943 my dad was a young man of 17. His curiosity lead him to fill several balloons with hydrogen (how he obtained that, I do not know) that he let loose, hoping that when they returned to earth, they would be

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-56626735075357481372009-08-09T01:33:00.005-04:002009-08-09T01:53:32.229-04:00

Summertime!Wouldn't you hate life without summertime?Living in a rural area, we have a field next to our home that is usually busy growing soybeans. I don't make the decision about what to plant there, and soybeans are low plants, keeping the farmer happy and me from being claustorphobic.This year, though, he planted sunflowers.What a treat! Luckily for me, they aren't the very tall ones, so we

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-6565197233741862822009-07-27T01:12:00.004-04:002009-07-27T01:52:41.275-04:00

Can you trust your GPS?This week end, I took a quick trip to South Carolina to meet up with our buddy who runs an auction in Georgia. With our ebay business, we end up with excess stuff that has to be disposed of in some way, and our Georgia auctioneeer friend has been a good fit for this purpose, benefitting both parties. I like the chance to hit the road once in a while. It would have been

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-81901757927766172432009-06-10T23:57:00.003-04:002009-06-11T01:11:23.837-04:00

While in France last month, we depended on public transportation for the first time in our lives. It was an interesting experience. I saw young women with small children managing what to me would have been an impossible transportation situation, taking a preschooler and a sack of groceries, including the daily baguette, home for the day. One mom I saw was on an escalator with a baby in a

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-69586957969689914472009-06-08T14:54:00.003-04:002009-06-08T15:40:47.781-04:00

One of the things about our country life that I love is the way the swallows nest on my front porch. When we returned from France, I woke up to the familiar chirp of homemaking birds, and it brought a smile to my face. These acrobatic birds are mesmerizing to watch. Building their nests, setting upon their eggs, and feeding the babies, they are very diligent in their duties. Once the eggs are

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-33418801230256305892009-05-30T19:28:00.006-04:002009-05-30T23:48:24.120-04:00

I am a reluctant dog owner.There, I have confessed it. I think that if someone has a dog as a child, then they want their children to have a dog as well. Being in a 'mixed marriage' dog wise, my hubby and I have different opinions on the importance of having a dog in the family for the children.So now you know that I cannot win a disagreement with my husband either. Because we have THREE

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-17139471414399593642009-05-24T00:31:00.000-04:002009-05-24T00:32:27.566-04:00

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-54519576196275335772009-05-23T23:59:00.004-04:002009-05-24T00:24:51.960-04:00

Well, we did it. We said, "What the heck?" and went to France to visit our son and daughter in law. Lots of people have done it. But I hadn't, until earlier this month. Ever since being in Miss Schomberg's class in fifth grade, I have wanted to go to Europe, and finally got there, too many years later. It took the presence of our oldest (or should I say 'eldest?') son for a year of post doc

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-69074612799078625752009-04-03T17:18:00.003-04:002009-04-03T17:43:40.427-04:00

My dad had his 83rd birthday this week. This picture of him tells a lot about him. He likes to go fishing, and when I was growing up, he wanted a boat, but did not have the budget for one. He built one for himself in the garage. It took him three years, at least that is what I remember. That showed me patience and perseverance, not to mention responsibility in that he did not spend money he

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-22636605140220697592009-03-14T19:37:00.003-04:002009-03-14T20:23:37.700-04:00

Today DH and I watched the movie 'Flash of Genius' which is one of those stories of David vs Goliath. Not an especially unusual premise, but this one was a little tough for us to watch. It is the story of a man who developed a windshield wiper control to give us what is now known as intermittent speed wipers. He wanted to manufacture and sell the units to the companies that build cars, and

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-26820270599934898922009-03-08T14:35:00.002-04:002009-03-08T19:02:50.323-04:00

Reconnecting is always a thing of joy, isn't it?I had the chance last week to reconnect with the ladies from the church in Jacksonville that we attended while living there.It has been five years since leaving Jacksonville, but whenever we have the chance to get together, time does not feel as if it has separated us.Years of fellowship, the crises that we have prayed one another through, the

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-49875745916273097292009-02-14T23:15:00.004-05:002009-02-15T00:07:11.927-05:00

While the media has been fixated on the first days of the new administration and the rushing of the stimulus bill through the Congress, there is another change that has taken place much more quietly but not benignly.In thrift stores all across the country, children's items are disappearing with little fanfare or explanation.Well, I don't mind explaining it. A new law was passed last year after

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-13379237172205768412009-01-28T18:03:00.002-05:002009-01-28T18:26:54.650-05:00

We have all had it happen. A song gets stuck in your head, playing over and over again, making you feel a little crazy. Advertisers loves it when this happens with a jingle that sells a product, hoping that it will cause you to purchase something that seems familiar to you.One day at home, my husband was singing his famous little jingle, "I'm an incredibly handsome guy..." and when I compared

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-73796702480547811292009-01-19T00:49:00.004-05:002009-01-19T01:21:22.613-05:00

We attended a special event to watch the two playoff games on Sunday, just for the fun of it. My emotions are not tied into football teams, although the Jacksonville Jaguars have a special place for a number of reasons. This was the sort of year when the best they could do was do get a good draft pick in the spring. Back to the event today. The playoffs were of four teams, three of which just

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-27379264276569273962008-12-30T11:17:00.005-05:002008-12-30T11:56:20.131-05:00

As newcomers to this town five years ago, leaving a large city, we loved this sign. But it made us ask questions about this curious ranking.Are there foam hands available with twenty eight fingers, proudly proclaiming that "WE'RE NUMBER 28!!!" Maybe you have to buy six hands.How does a town become the twenty eighth best small town in the U.S.A.? Where do you go to vote in this contest? And

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-31482180310313189112008-12-20T02:19:00.002-05:002008-12-20T02:34:11.918-05:00

Ny dear hubby has been trying to instill some manners in our boys lately. He has gotten them to stand at their seats, waiting for me to sit down first before they sit. It has instigated some comical situations.There was one dinner time when the boys were standing, patiently waiting, and I kept on puttering with assorted details before finally taking my seat. I dragged out my little tasks and

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-84343213721807711762008-12-13T01:13:00.002-05:002008-12-13T01:29:35.095-05:00

Somewhere in the past, I read an anecdote about a high ranking military officer on his way somewhere, making a stop in frozen Greenland for refueling. There was a private assigned to some of the clean up duties, which included emptying the waste tanks. The officer, sitting in his warm plane, was not happy with the speed at which the private was executing this procedure, and let him know about

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-24400849994572233512008-12-05T18:35:00.003-05:002008-12-05T19:07:28.928-05:00

Well, today, I was trying to work with my nine year old son on some multiplication and division and he was insisting that he was just bad at Math. Of course, I could not accept that, so I tried to give him some example drawn from one of hisexperiences."What if you and J (13 year old brother) had 8 cookies, and you had to split them, how manywould you get?""I wouldn't get any because J would eat

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-87055555058200927962008-11-13T11:02:00.003-05:002008-11-13T13:17:18.704-05:00

I picked up a copy of Glenn Beck's book, "The Christmas Sweater" and have to say that I raced through the book in record time.The story of hope, disappointment and redemption speaks to anyone who has bumped through the rough spots in life, and held a bit too tightly to pain of let downs and loss. There were some moments when I had to dab my eyes.I have been very fortunate in that I have not

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-18642676434372956412008-11-04T00:27:00.001-05:002008-11-04T00:27:51.346-05:00

On the wall of her apartment is a picture of a WWI doughboy with a horse. It is a really old picture, one that we would certainly purchase at auction if it came up, thinking that the soldier in it is long forgotten. When you ask the red haired woman who resides here about the picture, she will happily tell you that it is her brother, Rick. If you are lucky, you might learn from her that the

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-20223611369948319742008-10-23T22:46:00.004-04:002008-11-13T13:18:42.541-05:00

Is there a cure for sibling rivalry? We could sure use it here.Our three dogs get along better than the two boys at home. No, I can't use the mellow dog cure on the boys. Seriously, I can't. Really. Don't even think about it.I have been a parent for 25 years. The first twelve don't really count, since number one son was an only child, and then the next 3 years still don't count since there

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-48679354491061703302008-10-17T13:58:00.003-04:002008-10-18T10:27:09.672-04:00

Now that my son and his beautiful wife are settled in their apartment in France, they have let us know about a few things that they miss from the states.That is a normal thing for anyone who relocates, even if you don't cross an ocean. I miss some things from Wisconsin, such as certain bakery items. I often refer to bratwurst as 'mother's milk' since they were always a part of our diet,

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-1341832511509442512008-10-12T12:42:00.002-04:002008-10-12T13:01:07.661-04:00

Just this morning my sweet youngest child was telling me about something that he 'believed' when he was little.One of his older brothers told him that if he heard horns while sitting on the toilet, he would be blasted straight to heaven. I thought that was amusing, but then he added, "I sat on the toilet all day until I heard a car honk its horn."The things you learn from your children long

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-50553181239383326932008-10-11T19:20:00.006-04:002008-10-11T20:14:01.313-04:00

I saw Pat Buchanan on C-Span today and he said that the Christian West has committed suicide, and there is nothing to be done about it. A thought provoking, disturbing statement, indeed, that can be supported by looking at demographics. Over the past few months, I have read or heard a couple of people discuss modern demographics and how they are shaping the future.The birth rate of European

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-19204649157598865892008-10-09T11:22:00.004-04:002008-10-09T11:48:59.508-04:00

One by one, over the past 10 years, (Norb always says 11 years, because he counts the calendar years) we have listed, photographed, packaged and shipped well over 30,000 items on eBay, and yesterday, one of our buyers left a landmark feedback that gave us a positive feedback rating of 10,000!You might see other sellers with higher ratings, but I can promise you that very few have done it the same

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-40743433203709081802008-10-03T02:14:00.004-04:002008-10-03T02:53:59.921-04:00

Thursday was my dear hubby's birthday, and he is just the sweetest thing. I am amazed to realize that we have spent the last 35 birthdays together! We were so young when we started dating in 10th grade. And we might never know the number of people who thought we ought not get married four years later. Like any long term marriage, there have been some really difficult times that we have endured.

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-5419507779188148062008-09-24T21:56:00.004-04:002008-09-24T22:08:30.658-04:00

The family is just too happy.After 5 years with satellite internet connections, and their vile Fair Access Policy, we now have DSL.We always have to be careful not to watch too much video content, since that will end up punishing us with a time out of S...L...O...W internet, and Papa is not happy when that happens.Now I can sign up for HomeSchoolMentor and watch the videos! I have been wanting

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-91565643480457343532008-09-14T15:55:00.003-04:002008-09-14T16:17:21.300-04:00

We try to live a frugal life (not entirely by choice) and one of the things where we keep living costs down is by being a one car family.Our mini van is a total workhorse for us, and considering the number of miles on it, it runs really well.Until Labor Day weekend.On a trip to Pennsylvania to go to a wedding, we were just too proud of ourselves for A. being up early and hitting the road on

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-91491781629500343452008-09-14T00:35:00.009-04:002008-09-14T12:31:41.001-04:00

Norb has brought home several classroom maps that are now listed in our ebay auctions but this one pictured was one that I asked to hang on to.Isn't this a beauty? I couldn't get over how colorful and how well this illustrates different geographical terms for young scholars. You can click on the picture to see a larger version of it. I wish that you could see it in its full sized glory

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-50115286646831664012008-09-11T09:36:00.006-04:002008-09-11T11:04:37.324-04:00

September 11 is one of those days that people remember what they were doing when they heard of the terrible events of the day. The images on our TVs were more like an action movie than news but the reality seared our sense of complacency. Our day stood still, waiting for it all to end, the lights to turn back on and go back to our lives. Unbelievable as it was, this was actually taking place,

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-85766136373241488912008-09-07T11:33:00.004-04:002008-09-07T14:48:32.031-04:00

www.coleruotsala.com http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/coleruotsalaA friend passed on the story of this little boy. At the end of July, his parents brought him to the emergency room because he was in pain and his stomach was hard. They have since discovered (and identified) some sort of agressive cancer that has caused tumors all over his internal organs in his abdomen. His parents have some

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-30283965355150349262008-09-01T22:39:00.003-04:002008-09-01T23:02:36.066-04:00

The signs are all there. The scents of harvested fields are in the air. The crowds in the school supply aisle at the local Wally World. If you look closely, you might spot a patch that is no longer green in the backdrop of trees across the fields.Can you hear it? The rumble of school buses, the grumble of the no longer leisurely students. Yup, it is time to start schooling again.We don't

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-82452353912530666612008-08-20T19:27:00.003-04:002008-08-20T19:42:10.841-04:00

The house closest to us is vacant, and the owner has asked us to keep an eye on it, which we don't mind doing. He has planted some fruit trees that are near our fence, and last year, the fruit went unharvested.That seemed sad to me, so I went to take a look at the trees today.The first tree is loaded with pears. The branch shook as I removed one, and that triggered the unintended security

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-11244381486313737782008-08-16T17:00:00.005-04:002008-08-16T17:48:35.565-04:00

Is this an example of planned obsolescence?We decided to put a stylish new light fixture into our ugly bathroom about 16 months ago, and we were pleased with the lovely pools of light that could be directed into the dark areas. Within about 6 months, the specialty light bulbs began to burn out, and one of the lamps would not stay lit for more than a few days. We thought we had some bad bulbs (

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-5715250468249379252008-08-15T02:05:00.006-04:002008-08-15T02:40:37.357-04:00

I have been a subscriber to The Old Schoolhouse on and off for years and today they are going to give away a homeschool planner to someone from who enters their contest on The Homeschool Lounge. If you want to give it a shot, you can go here, http://dewgin.blogspot.com/2008/08/giveaway-tos-homeschool-planner.html at least until 9 PM on Aug. 15.This magazine is a great encourager to me and to

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-56099688584563934832008-08-04T13:38:00.011-04:002008-08-06T13:18:53.273-04:00

Our family moved to a fairly rural area almost five years ago, and we love it here. We love being able to see stars on a clear night, and having some elbow room around our home. There are a few things that we miss from Jacksonville. Our church is the first thing on the list. We miss you all at CLC!Another thing we miss is the grocery store. Publix, please expand to the eastern shore! (And

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-15041390663811822942008-08-04T13:38:00.006-04:002008-08-04T14:16:38.322-04:00

Has the national debate on oil begun yet?How often have you heard the phrase, "We can't drill our way out of this problem!"Does that make any sense? It is time to stop the foolishness of the talking point crowd.The energy resources of the United States is not in short supply. Too many years of policy by politicians who, for some unknown reason, consider oil to be evil, (What's the deal with

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-5989469630501759042008-08-03T19:02:00.003-04:002008-08-03T19:29:46.925-04:00

Has summer just begun or is it nearly over?I always seem to be two steps behind the rest of the world in enjoying the seasons. About the time I am ready to shop for summer clothes, they are racked up on clearance, so with a little luck I find them marked down, just without all of the best stuff to choose from. Hey, I am overweight and middle aged, so who cares!One early sign of the demise of

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-43105422676738689522008-07-25T21:49:00.003-04:002008-07-25T22:03:47.313-04:00

Hi there,I am reporting from beautiful Lancaster, Pennsylvania tonight.Norb had a huge auction to go to today, so we came in yesterday, giving him a chance to preview things more thoroughly than usual, and the two boys and I were at this resort hotel, having a great time while Norb was at the auction.We worked our way to a corn maze, which surprised me, thinking that corn mazes were autumn events

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-51153091171191702162008-07-22T12:04:00.003-04:002008-07-22T12:27:13.019-04:00

Monday was a day on the road!A friend and I (Hi Becky!) went to the Philadelphia Gift Show. We got up early, and trust me, five years after the murder of our alarm clock, early is not something I do well these days, and hit the road to Reading. I don't know why the Philadelphia Gift Show is in Reading, but that's the way it is.My friend Becky was just a hoot at this show. She amused many of

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-33036564900280277652008-07-20T01:03:00.004-04:002008-07-20T01:33:15.775-04:00

Friday we received the sad news that one of Norb's uncles had passed away. We always enjoyed the few times we were able to be in his company during our marriage. Regrettably, the times were much too infrequent. Apparently, although he was ill, he wasn't in pain or needing pain meds, and he was talking with his wife of over 50 years as he passed away. We don't often hear of such a gentle way

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-83663882559763388482008-07-13T00:25:00.006-04:002008-07-13T01:12:31.261-04:00

Most weeks seem to go by with a normal routine of schoolwork and eBay work and all of the regular tasks of regular folk. However, there are a couple of extraordinary items in the line up that have had our attention this past week.Norb spent much of this past week, not to mention several weeks before, on a very unusual bit of paper. Blueprints for Three Mile Island. They have been consigned to him

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-43812522946273906712008-07-04T12:05:00.005-04:002008-12-10T14:18:56.437-05:00

I love living in an area where there is such a variety of birds to watch.Both of these photos are mine, taken as the opportunity presents itself.The eagle was in the field across the street from our home in late March, and the birds in the nest were on our porch this past April.There are two swallows nests on our porch and we normally have 2 to 3 families of swallows in residence each summer. The

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-43256678631075617462008-07-03T11:03:00.003-04:002008-12-10T14:18:56.619-05:00

This bug was found in great quantities this week in our yard, and I haven't a clue of what sort of bug it is, or if it is a menace or a benefit.Does anyone know what this is? It was found in southern Delaware.

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-50341151341943458442008-07-02T23:04:00.004-04:002008-07-02T23:40:09.271-04:00

One of my innate talents seems to be complaining, but for once I would like to be thankful.My husband works very hard to support our family. He loves us deeply and always tries to live up to the example set by our loving heavenly father. He is kind and funny and so very smart that I automatically follow him wherever he leads because he seems to know that right thing to do in any given situation.

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-20338561355176819772008-06-27T23:06:00.004-04:002008-06-27T23:42:19.740-04:00

The past couple of weeks have been just full of preparations to celebrate with family the doctorate that our son received in April. We had family members from Wisconsin fly here to the eastern shore for a party that was originally for graduation, but ended up with a new marriage as well. We have much to be thankful for! And despite all of that going on, Norb has continued to list ebay items

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-84363824528507929312008-06-14T22:41:00.003-04:002008-06-14T23:55:36.880-04:00

We were once again at that grueling auction the other day. After searching through the acre of table tops, Norb let me know that there wsa one box on one table that he was interested in, with some old books in it. He was able to get that box, and they will be going up over the next few days. There is a cookbook from the 1770's and a set of books covering English history, dating back to late

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-39904097206680905202008-06-12T00:01:00.008-04:002008-06-12T00:52:27.150-04:00

My dear husband will bring home almost anything to list on ebay, and that has left me often wondering, "Where on earth am I going to find a box for THAT?!?"Somewhere along the line, ULine began to send catalogs to me, and I can't help but be thankful. They have the largest selection of box sizes to choose from that I have ever encountered. DH likes art, so finding boxes for framed pictures

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-43847696465319140482008-06-06T12:45:00.002-04:002008-06-07T19:03:50.607-04:00

As professional ebay sellers, we are constantly on the prowl for the next great item to list. Norb has come to prefer auctions as his favorite venue for getting the most stuff the fastest. Each auction has its own atmosphere and ways of doing things.The auction we went to the other day is a fun one, but grueling. There is no seating and very little is set aside as if to stand out. It is up to

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-47391527496377765942008-06-03T23:36:00.002-04:002008-06-04T00:07:07.343-04:00

I think I have the answer to all of life's questions.Its all about TRANSPORTATION!!!Isn't it obvious? We all need to get things from Point A to Point B.Food has to get from the field to the store, to your home, onto your plate and transported into your mouth! Of course, then the utensils have to be transported into the clean up area and back into storage.If you buy something from me on ebay, it

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-88575680930176770702008-06-03T15:51:00.007-04:002008-06-03T23:36:08.627-04:00

My oldest son was married two days ago on a beach at St. Augustine. We have always been big fans of the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" and the song from the wedding of the first daughter is poignant on several levels.The line from 'Sunrise, Sunset' that goes "I don't remember growing older,When did they?" strikes a strong chord in my heart today. If you would like to see a picture of Andy and

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-38677144877886830762008-05-31T20:14:00.001-04:002008-05-31T23:44:55.270-04:00

We are back from the Amish country estate auction.Driving to it was food for the soul, even though we had to get up at an hour is normally the middle of the night for us. It was a day of coffee and energy drinks!The country roads curve up and down and sideways, with well kept yards lined with flowers. You could catch glimpses of family members at work, either in the fields or the barns and

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4824464631024577073.post-17408854626927662212008-05-31T01:07:00.000-04:002008-05-31T01:13:48.191-04:00

We are off to an auction on Saturday. Now that is not unusual, except for the fact that we don't normally go to Saturday auctions. But this is special. Sam, an Amish man, is holding one tomorrow at an Amish home. We are looking forward to it as an unusual venue, but Sam has been running an auction that we have been frequenting for years now. He runs an honest house and we have been feeding

Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18130148188525963674noreply@blogger.com0