I actually dealt with all the mail today, in bits and pieces until it was all done.  Of course the bills can't go out until Tuesday, but it does feel good to have everything else organized and filed where it needs to be.  I've even started in on my pictures, which is a lot more fun than paying bills (but will take considerably longer...)

Dinner was delicious (I got to smell it all day, simmering away in the crock pot) and I'm pretty stuffed.  In other exciting "news", Pokey decided to sleep in her crate tonight, now that I spent all that time scrubbing it (with a toothbrush!) and it's all spic and span in every nook and cranny, inside and out.  Sigh.... 

This evening I finally finished the Maryland photos, 

and can now start posting some of them.

Here's puppy Pippa, saying, "Nice to meet you, Aunt Bobbi!"

Look how attentively she's waiting for instructions from 'Dad'!

Here she is relaxing at the beach house 

after that really, really, really long drive!

Her bed even came with a bone pillow!

It was time to celebrate Mom's birthday.  

Pippa looks like she was on the job, guarding the gifts. 

One side of the giraffe bag I made Mom -

and here's the other side.

Marilyn sent a giraffe nightshirt, and giraffe socks.

For some reason I don't have any pix of the gifts from Andy and Sandy, which were perfect - and VERY much appreciated.  First was a gift certificate for e-books (that evening Sandy helped Mom figure out how to use it to order her first few books and then download them onto her Kindle) but the coup de grace was a wonderful cup/bottle holder for her walker like the one they'd gotten Sandy's mother Ivy. Together Sandy and I assembled and attached it, and it has since been a hit at Riderwood.  Now everyone wants one like it!

And speaking of a hit, look at the gorgeous blooms at Andy & Sandy's house: what a front door welcome!

That's it for now.  Tomorrow I may finally (!) unpack, and will "probably" post more pix.