Hello from the Ghost of Bloggers Past...

I appreciate all of you checking in with me. I have not been active on Multiply for a while, I have been spending 10 hours a day with the Amazing Sofie, my granddaughter. I do not have a computer at Sofie's house and by the time I get home, I am tired, and anyway, my husband Gus, trip planner extraordinaire, monopolizes the computer because he is working on the plans for our next trip. It's going to be another of his "go everywhere, do everything" extravaganzas, we will be going to South Africa, (to see Victoria Falls and go on a photo safari), Jordan (to see Petra), Israel (to see all the sites in the Holy Land, including climbing Mt.Sinai), Naples in Italy (to see the Amalfi Coast and also visit Pompeii and the Isle of Capri), and other places. And yes, I WILL be taking you all on a virtual tour! We are taking this trip in October, I will be getting a 3 month vacation because Sofie's mom, my daughter, is expecting a brother for Sofie in September. She will be on maternity leave until January 2011 and I will be off duty. However, the big news is that I am getting an Ipad soon, and will be taking it to Sofie's house every day, so I will be checking in a lot more often. I know some of you are wondering if I am going to write another novel, I am thinking of it, this one might be kind of a realistic/fantasy type thing, I am just having fun right now with an idea that I might try. So who knows what you will get. So glad you have not all forgotten about me, Multiply people are the best! Love from Colleen

Finally a break in the weather

We have had a really terrible winter here in DC. Our snow totals for this winter are well over 50 inches, and we usually have five inches for the whole season. Clearing the mountains of snow was quite a chore, compounded by the long days of below freezing temperatures. Here are some shots of Gus working on the front walk, between snowfalls (yes, after he finished work, we got another 15 inches!)

Here are the trenches Gus dug so the Westies could get outside and eat snow.

They love snow, but it is a real pain to let them outside because the snow forms balls all over their feet and legs, and the look like snow dogs when thy come in, and you have to lock them in the bathoom until the snow melts off them!

However, finally the weaather has improved, and so I am going to let Sofia give you a lesson in how to go down the slide (this is essential information for letting your "inner child" enjoy the spring weather!)

Step One: Climb up the stairs to the top...

Step Two: Walk carefully along the platform, don't fall off!

Step Three: BE SURE to SIT DOWN at the top of the slide (this is very important, because you REALLY can't walk down the slide!)

Step Four: Scooch yourself down to the very edge, and then scooch just a little more and down you go! It's really fun and you can squeal and giggle as you slide down. (It doesn't matter if you slip a little and go down on your back, that's fun. too).

After you are tired of sliding, you can take a break and just sit and chat with your boyfriend. What? You don't have a boyfriend? Well, I do and he is a cutie, don't you think?

Well, I hope you enjoyed your lesson on sliding. Next week we will tackle the art of digging a hole. Until then, Love from Sofie