Your smiles for today - dogs definitely make babies laugh!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLX_h2UnAU4

Today I have been busy all day, going through mail, paying bills, making phone calls and medical appointments, etc.  My To-Do list filled an entire page, and now almost everything is crossed out - it always feels good to have proof that I've actually accomplished stuff!

And now back to my Tales of Vacation in Maryland.

The weather was unseasonably warm for late October - Wednesday it was a balmy 84 degrees! - and the trees were beautiful with their red and orange and gold leaves. Can't remember the last time I visited in the autumn and got to enjoy the splendid colors in the woods around both Mink Hollow and Riderwood.  For some reason I didn't take pix of the trees, but here's Cokie with some of the fallen leaves.

Early in my stay I went to visit my aunt and uncle.  Helen's been having health issues for the past several years; recently she fell and fractured her hip and pelvis which certainly hasn't helped things any.  However Allen (Dad's brother) is still going strong at 90.

Friday morning we (brother Andy & wife Sandy, her mom Ivy, our mom Harriet, and me) headed to the beach house outside of Ocean City.  That night we brought in crabs - messy but delicious as ever even this late in the season.  The rest of the weekend we alternated between watching movies and keeping tabs on Hurricane Sandy's status via the weather channel.  Discretion being the better part of valor we stayed in for dinner Saturday night, and first thing Sunday morning (strict orders: no showers, no changing of bed linens, no brunch at the Bayside Skillet) we headed home to beat Frankenstorm.  All of us were concerned about possible strong winds on the Bay Bridge (I don't like crossing it even in calm weather!) but there were none (at least until the next afternoon, when they did close the bridge.)

Their new beach house backs onto a park with very large trees, and is also just a matter of yards (certainly less than 50) from the canal, so it was reassuring to hear from neighbors later that all was well.  We got rain and wind Monday evening, but never lost power.  The folks in NY and NJ were not nearly so lucky, with their series of disasters there.

Sunday night we ate dinner with some new residents (Larry and Colby) so it made sense to ask where they moved from.  When they said Baltimore, mom mentioned that her son had a law practice there.  Larry (being a retired judge) asked for his name, and when she told him he blurted out, "You're the mom!"  Turns out he and Andy know each other, and when Larry told Andy they were moving to Riderwood Andy mentioned that his mom lived there.

And in a second coincidence, sitting at the next table was Laverne, wearing the giraffe vest that mom admired so much and wanted me to see when I came to visit in the hopes that I could make one for her.  Turns out it's simple enough that even I might be able to do it.... we shall see!  I did enjoy going up to Laverne's the next evening and admiring her quilts and other artwork.  Like me, she enjoys color and her artsy apartment was a delight.

Out of time - rest of vacation 'news' after the weekend.  :-)