One down and 2 to go...

One down and 2 to go.......... holidays, that is.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving day. We had a good time with 2 of our daughters, 2 son-in-laws and 3 of our grandchildren. We had lots of good food, of course, but I don't think anyone overly stuffed themselves. We were all very good this year.

We got our youngest daughter moved into their new home. She had some friends that had free time on Thanksgiving and they came down to help. They got all her heavy things moved and most of the small stuff. We helped her Tuesday and Wednesday with small things. Then we went over yesterday and helped get her furniture in place, put the boy's beds together and put up some of her wall-hangings. When we left last night, it was starting to look like a home.

I renewed my subscription to Netflix and hooked up everything in MY office. This way I can watch all the movies I want, while Bob watches his Discovery channel, sports and all those things that men like. I found an old movie called One Magic Christmas with Mary Steenbergen (1985) that I'm watching now. It's pretty good -- about a woman who had no Christmas spirit. How appropriate.

We watched the Ohio State-Michigan game this afternoon. It was really close but we won 42-41 !!. A real nail-biter!

That's about all I have for today.

Until next time......

Farmer's Almanac, Coffee and Thanksgiving

Farmer's Almanac prediction for ....
Great Lakes & Midwest U.S.
Includes Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin

The opening days of winter are expected to be fair and pleasant, but don’t get used to that. As mild air from the south overruns cold air from the north, look for a wintry mix, making for a messy Christmas holiday. In the closing days of 2013 look for fair weather, followed by increasing clouds.

January will bring scattered snow showers followed by rain and fog. We expect most of the month to be characterized by many periods of heavy snowfall punctuated by a few clear, cold days. February will bring more of the same.

March will be milder, but still very cold with some snow, including a massive storm in the closing days of the season. Expect wintry conditions to persist into the early days of spring.

Suspended coffee ... 

I read something in a news column yesterday that I thought was very interesting. It was written by a person sitting in a coffee shop. She watched 2 men come in and place their order.... 7 coffees. 2 for us and 5 'suspended'. They paid for their large order, picked up the 2 coffees and left. This seemed so odd to her that she had to ask what was that all about? 

The clerk told her it was a great movement that's catching on all over the country. Some restaurants have started doing it too. A person places an order plus extra... they pay for the total order then leave some on record. Then a homeless person can come in at their will and ask the coffee shop clerk if they have any suspended coffee. They can then sit down with a hot coffee and warm up from the cold outside. My optimistic side thinks that's a great idea. The homeless person can retain their dignity and not feel like they're asking for a hand-out. My pessimistic side says 'now that this has been publicized, how many freeloaders will play the system just to get something free'?

This afternoon Hubby and I had to go to the grocery to get those last minute items for the big meal tomorrow. We hated the idea of having to fight the crowd, but surprisingly, our favorite store (Main Street Market) wasn't bad at all. And everyone was friendly. Surprise. Surprise.

However, the weather is bitter cold today. The temperature is 30° but the wind gusts brings the chill down into the low 20's to high teens.

While we were at the store, I asked Hubby what he wanted for supper. He chose one of his favorites... a healthy meal of sausage gravy over biscuits with fried potatoes. I need to get out to the kitchen to start peeling the potatoes now.

Tomorrow, being Thanksgiving Day, it will no doubt be a busy one for all of us. I probably won't be online, so I want to wish everyone a great day, full of love, smiles and lots of good eats. Remember to set your scales back 10 lbs. tonight. 

Until next time...........

Monday, Nov. 25, 2013

Another cold day.... today's high is going to be around 34° but it's cloudy. I wouldn't mind this at all if the sun would peak out occasionally. The snow we had yesterday was pretty and thankfully it didn't last. It coated some sidewalks and along the curbs, but was gone quickly.

Now the weather experts are predicting another round coming our way. This is not good. Our youngest daughter is moving this week. She found something very disturbing recently regarding the apartment they're living in......... black mold is seeping through the connecting wall of the apartment next door!

She's been searching for another place that would fit her budget and found a nice house on the other side of town. She got the keys Friday night. Now we're moving furniture this week so she can be out of the apartment by the end of the month or have to pay rent for both places. One of our grandson's has a breathing problem anyways and she's wondered why he's been sick lately. Now we know. She has to get him out of there. They all need to get out of that place!

I'm going to fix us an early supper so we can get over to Teresa's when she gets the boys home from school, then we'll be packing up some of their stuff and taking it over to the new house. I'm praying the weather holds out.

The Word of the Day:  dragon's teeth (noun) ...
1 : seeds of strife

EXAMPLE:  The political analyst insisted that the government's policy was misguided and would only sow dragon's teeth by increasing poverty and discontent. 

How appropriate for today.  

Until next time.......... 

Be safe and warm. 

Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013

It's snowing! Why do I feel a bit (a tiny bit) of excitement. It must be that little girl in me that loves to see those first snow flakes of the season. That and the fact that the weather experts say we won't have any accumulation. :)

We're close enough to the Michigan state line and the Great Lakes that when they talk about the "lake-effect snow", depending on the current wind, it often comes our way. 

Our high temperature today was only 27° and down to 18° tonight with wind chill in the single digits. Welcome to winter...

Hubby helped me this afternoon move furniture around here in my office so I could get my piano keyboard away from the glare from the window. I hope this arrangement works.

Our own Ohio State U. marching band is a nation-wide hit. They get hundreds of requests to perform each year. Our local Performing Arts Center was privileged to get the band here on Nov. 7th. I couldn't go but I sure wish I had. Their shows on the football fields give me shivers, I can't imagine what it would be like to have 225 brass and percussion instruments on a stage, inside a huge auditorium with strictly acoustics!

Yesterday's Buckeye game was played at home, Columbus, OH, (which they beat Indiana 42-14) and of course their half-time show was another winner. If you like marching bands, watch this one..............   



FYI: The Nobel Peace Prize medal depicts 3 naked men with their hands on each other's shoulders! Maybe that's why Obummer was so happy to get his.

Until next time............... 

Friday Nov. 22, 2013

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and my daughters haven't made any final arrangements on the dinner. Lisa had made tentative plans to have it at her house again. We've been doing that the last few years... she has Thanksgiving and I have everyone here for Christmas Eve. It was just getting to be too much for me to do both holidays. It seemed I had just gotten the house cleaned and it was time to do it all over again. 

Bob and I ran out to the grocery store this afternoon -- again! Our weather forecast is not good -- again! This time, instead of tornadoes, it's sleet and snow, so we decided to get the things we were low on. Around here we always take that chance of having to improvise when the weather gets nasty and we don't want to get out on the streets. In the winter, I very seldom leave the warm comfort of my little house. 

Our temperature tonight is going to be around 27°. Tomorrow and Sunday will only get up into in the 20's for the high, with rain turning to sleet then snow. I don't think they've estimated any accumulation yet. And they haven't predicted Thanksgiving's weather yet. I hope it's not going to be bad, not with #2 daughter and her family driving down from Michigan. 

I've been thinking and praying for family members and a dear friend who are going through some hard times right now. The other day this old saying came to mind. 

Doubt sees the obstacles.
Faith sees the way.
Doubt sees the darkest night.
Faith sees the day.
Doubt dreads to take a step.
Faith soars on high.
Doubt questions ' who believes '?
Faith answers ' I '. 

I hope you have a great weekend. 
Until next time......... 

Hodgepodge Wed. 11-20-2013

It's Wed. again (these seem to come up so fast) so that means another episode of Hodgepodge.
If you would like to join in the fun, just CLICK HERE to find out how.

1. What lesson has failure taught you?

That I'm human.... we can't always be successful. We're bound to have failures in our lives. We make mistakes. The lesson is that we learn from our mistakes and failures and not repeat them. 

2. What decision are you glad you made?

There are so many, but I'd have to say the decision to marry my hubby 47 years ago. That was the best decision of my life. 

3. I've been a little bit surprised to see fully lit and decorated Christmas trees popping up for the past several weeks in friend's Instagram feeds. So tell the truth-is your tree up and decorated, and if so when did that happen? If not, when will you be decking the halls?

I think everyone is getting in too big a rush. Of course the merchants are..... more $$.  But we haven't even had our Thanksgiving turkey! I will admit I've been watching the Christmas movies on Lifetime TV and it's put me in the mood to bake cookies, but I'm not starting that yet, mainly because they wouldn't last or be fresh. Our tree and decorations won't be brought in from the garage until around the first week in Dec. or even later, depending how we feel. It's so much work for a little pleasure a short time. 

4. Solitaire-Poker-Rummy-Hearts-Go Fish-Old Maid...which game of cards would you most like to join?

I play solitaire on the computer (who doesn't?) but to sit down with friends/family the game would be Rummy or Hearts. 

5. This question comes to you courtesy of a Facebook friend, who once upon a time had a blog ....When you're feeling stressed do you snack a lot or are you more the 'can't eat' type?

I eat! It can be anything from cookies or chocolate or chips. 

6. Have you ever reviewed a product or service on line? Was your review favorable or less than favorable? 

I've never reviewed a product or service, but I have done some book reviews. People's reactions were favorable and they commented to me that they were going to read the book. 

7. What was the best conversation you had yesterday?

That would be when our youngest daughter stopped in to have coffee with us and do some paperwork for her job. The best part of the conversation was when we talked about my grandsons and the weekend they had. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I can't believe the holidays are almost upon us. Next week is Thanksgiving already with lots of that delicious food that's going to be in front of us. I know each year I hear the guys, and sometimes the girls, complain they ate too much. I usually don't. Not until the desserts come out. That's my weakness. I have a big craving right now for pumpkin pie and Kool Whip. I am looking forward to this day, though, because my daughter and her family is coming down from Michigan to spend the day with us. That always makes for a fun time, having my girls here. 

Tues. Nov. 19, 2013

Not much to report on today. My day started out like any other day.... just the normal stuff.

I had 'The Price Is Right' on the TV this morning while I read my emails. I like to play along to see if I can guess the prices. But since I don't live in California, I'm always a little low on my prices. I watched a young man win an $87,000 Ferrari convertible. At the same time, Hubby was watching a muscle car auction in the living room and they sold a beautiful '57 Chevy convertible for $80,000. We both agreed, if money were no object, we'd rather have the Chevy. It's always fun to dream. Which would you rather have?

Here's a word to add to your vocabulary: "Selfie (noun)" .... Oxford dictionary announced yesterday the new word of the year. BBC News said: "The word has evolved from a niche social media tag into a mainstream term for a self-portrait photograph. Research suggested its frequency in the English language had increased by 17,000% in the last year." How many pictures have you seen of a teen-age girl and her friends taking a 'selfie' with their cell phone? Another word that was a contender was "twerk" - a raunchy dance move performed by Miley Cyrus. Well, I may do a selfie, but I refuse to twerk! (I feel like I'm speaking a foreign language!)

I put in an hour of practice after lunch. Then later I connected with my teacher. Julie is so encouraging and I think I'll be able to handle those 8th notes afterall. :)

After supper Bob and I went to the funeral home. Before we moved back to our home town in 1992, we lived in a small town 10 miles east of here called Middle Point. We lived there 18 years. During that time, Bob was the mayor for one term and he was on the fire department 12 years as a fireman and an EMT, until we moved. It was a small volunteer unit, but as in all fire departments they become a close-knit group of some of the nicest guys I've ever known. One of those fellow firemen died this past weekend, Max "Snowball" Friesner. He was such a dear man... always had a smile for you and could make me laugh. I'm not sure how many years he was on the department, but at the funeral home tonight, it was amazing. I've never seen so many uniforms in one place. I wanted to take pictures, but I thought that would have been inappropriate.

We stood in line 45 min., waiting to get up to talk to his wife Marsha. During that whole time, we watched as groups of firemen came through the door, each one representing a different department from all over the area, some even from across the sate line into Indiana. It gave me chills. But it wasn't until we got to the front of the line and I saw Snowball's bunker coat and helmet next to his coffin that I choked up. I can remember so many runs Bob went on with Snowball and the others, and how many nights us wives worried about our men getting hurt. One winter they had a big house fire during a snow storm and the temperature was almost sub-zero. The water was freezing as soon as it came out of the hoses. Us gals went up to the station to get the big pots of coffee going and made sandwiches. When they got back, their bunker coats and pants were frozen stiff and stood up on their own. As usual we were all thankful every one was ok. Bob has so many good memories from his time serving with Snowball and the other guys. Now there's not many of them left.

Until next time........

Quiet Monday

After yesterday's storms, I can finally relax and welcome this quiet Monday. When we get bad weather, with hard thunder storms and tornadoes, I always pace the floor, going from window to window, watching the clouds. I tried different activities to calm myself and get my mind off what was going on outside. My keyboard and practice music only worked for a few minutes. By the time it was all over, I was exhausted and went to bed.

The wind is still blowing strong today, but the sun keeps peaking out from the moderately gray clouds. The cold front behind the storms has blown in and it's getting cold again. Today's high is only going to be 48° and down to 28° tonight. Hubby and I call this "a 2-pot day". We're on our second pot of coffee.

Daughter #3 stopped in this morning and had coffee with us. Monday is one of her Hospice days so she has 3 clients to see for their therapeutic massage. Bob was reading the paper while she was here and she saw an obituary for one of her clients she was suppose to call today. This is one of those hard times for her, but I'm proud of her. She's learned how to not get too emotionally involved and handle any feelings of loss.

I got in some practice this afternoon, but I can't wait to talk to my instructor tomorrow. I'm still having trouble with those 8th notes. :(

While I was fixing supper, I got a text message with a picture.

No.5 grandson got his glasses today after school. He seemed very happy with them. I told him he looked smart and so grown-up.

One more picture I have to share.....

Shortly after his picture, another one came in on my phone. My brother in Texas got a new toy and he was as happy as a little boy on Christmas morning. He even asked me if I thought his wife would get upset with him if he slept with it. He's a character.

That's all for today.

Until next time...........

Survived the storm

"For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways." Ps. 91:11
I stood on God's promise all afternoon before and during the storms that came through our area. It was a nervous time. Thank God I can report that all is well, we're all ok and no damage was done here.

I've been seeing some pictures coming in of damage in areas all around us. Illinois got hit hard. One small town is no longer there. Another small town directly to our west the same. I don't know if there's been any damage in our town but I may hear tomorrow.

We were under a tornado warning for over 45 minutes, with the sirens going the whole time. The winds were clocked at 45 mph and gusts up to 61 mph with the sky turning an odd color. I'm fairly sure there was one in the area. We never lost power during the storm, but the lights have been flickering lately due to the high wind we're still having. This is suppose to go on until midnight.

Until next time........

Weather Watching

Just a short note tonight. Not much to report on from here.

I've been watching the weather forecasts all day and it just keep getting worse. I know I shouldn't be doing it because I always get so nervous when we have predictions like this:  possible tornadoes (plural).

So far nothing's happening, but they say the winds will start picking up this evening and the rain will be moving in by sunrise. The worst part of this storm front will hit us around 5:00 pm tomorrow, getting dark where we can't see the sky. By then the winds will be up around 50+ mph. Bob and I just put the garbage can and recycle bins in the garage.

With winds like that, we may lose electricity, so our phones, the Kindles and my iPod will be all charged up. I won't have the internet, of course, but I think I'll survive. We have our candles and hurricane lamps all ready. There's food and snacks. So I can't think of anything else I need to do.......

..... except PRAY!

Algebra and gunshots

We had an interesting evening yesterday.

Our 2 youngest grandsons spent the evening with us. I helped Bryan, our youngest, with his homework. He's first grade. We worked on his math assignment which amazed me. Then he read a book he got for the 'reading circle'. As we were doing that, his older brother brought me his homework, which he'd already finished. It was ALGEBRA! He's only 3rd grade! That amazed me even more. At first I thought he was kidding until he showed it to me. I told him I didn't have algebra until I was in high school. He proceeded to explain to me that his teacher told the class this was not her idea, she didn't like having to do this, but the government demands she teach it to them in this grade. He's having problems understanding the whole concept. I felt bad for him, having to struggle with this just because our government thinks it's a good idea. Just another reason for me to hate all of them on Capitol Hill.

Around 7:00 Bob got a phone call from his brother. There had been a shooting in town, just 4 blocks from us. A 47 yr. old woman had an argument with her mother and step-father, so she shot them both with a rifle. When the neighbors called police about hearing gunshots, she took off in her car. There were city police, sheriff cruisers and state police all over town, looking for her car and canvassing the neighborhoods. Somehow, they tracked her to a wooded area south-west of town. The dogs were called out plus a helicopter kept circling around, going over our house at times. Her parents were both life-flighted to Ft. Wayne hospital, but her mother died on the way. They caught her around 2:00 this morning. We still don't know her motive. So much for living in a small "quiet" town.

Today is going to be another busy day around here. I've got a load of laundry going and I have to mop the kitchen floor. I also have to run out to WalMart (again!) to get Bryan a gift card (which he calls his very own credit card) for his birthday Sunday. We won't be seeing him because he'll be with his dad and that side of the family are all going to Columbus to party. It's so aggravating, when there's a divorce, one side tries to buy the child's love with expensive gifts and big parties. They've been doing it for months now. Thank God the judge said 'shared custody' so that family won't be trying to take Bryan from us. But I digress. We'll be giving him his gift Monday when he gets home. Teresa is planning to have a birthday cake with candles later on in the week.

Our weather doesn't look good for the next few days. The temperature is going up into the 70's Sunday, but rain and possibly strong storms could develop. I mentioned several days ago about the F4 tornado that went through our town on Nov. 10, 2002. This system is pretty much the same kind. They're predicting the winds for tomorrow to gust up around 30-35 mph and 40-50 on Sunday. When this happens in November, it makes me very nervous. It's not normal. So, I'm going to be staying right here watching the reports and batten down the hatches.

I hope you have a great weekend.
Until later................

Hodgepodge Wed. 11-13-2013

It's a new Wednesday so you know what that means..... more Hodgepodge. If you'd like to join in the fun, go to Joyce's page "From This Side of the Pond"  CLICK HERE

1. Describe a typical Sunday from your childhood.

Sunday was my favorite day of the week when I was young. The day meant "time with family". We got to sleep late, but you know kids never sleep past their 'routine' time. So, my brother, sister and I would play while Mom fixed breakfast. After we ate, we had to get cleaned up and put on our 'nice' clothes.

Around noon we'd go over to my great-grandmother's house. We never knew who was going to be there this day. Family was always showing up. It could have been local ones or one of Grandma's sisters and her family would make the 2 hour trip to come have dinner with us. It was always a great day. All the women would be working in the kitchen, talking and laughing. I loved being there.

2. How comfortable are you with uncertainty? Explain.

It drives me crazy. As I get older, I've noticed many, many people who can't make a decision. I'm not sure what causes it. Maybe they're afraid of making the wrong one, or they have to weigh how their decision will affect them. When my daughters were growing up in their teen years, I would purposely take them to the grocery store with me and insist they make decisions on which product to buy, in the hopes they would be able to handle that part of adult life. 

3. What have you accomplished recently that might be described as crafty, as in 'arts and crafts' crafty? If crafty doesn't work for you, how about handy? Or both?

I don't think either one would describe me. I've tried to be crafty with many things, but they always look so unprofessional, like it was made by a kindergartner. I tried recently to make greeting cards. One turned out to be passable so I sent it on in the mail. The second one I also mailed but I shouldn't have. I felt ashamed and the recipient didn't say a word about it. I could tell by the look on her face what she thought of my talent, or lack of. Handy? My husband thinks it's handy having me in the kitchen. 

4. Have you ever worked in a 'food place'? What did you take away from the experience?

When I was in high school, I was a waitress in a small restaurant. In later years, I worked in a Famous Recipe Chicken. I didn't mind the work at all, but I didn't like working with the public. Too many of them could be nasty and short tempered. I've never liked being called names and still don't.

5. Cold turkey, talk turkey, what a turkey...in recent days, which turkey phrase or idiom best applies to you and why? Click on the word turkey if you need to read more about the meaning behind each phrase.

I can be 'what a turkey' at times. I often have the tendency to put the mouth in motion before I put the brain in gear. Also, when it comes to my dear hubby, I may want to talk turkey, without a TV, but he doesn't like doing that.

6. If you could have any one guest join your Thanksgiving dinner table, who would it be?

When I first read this, it brought back a memory and I had to laugh.

"Of course I'd want to invite my closest friends, Dorothy and Blanche, but could Jesus come for dessert?" (from Golden Girls)
Seriously, I can't think of anyone. If my choice was 'living or dead' I would say my mother. I'd love to spend one more day with her.

7. What is one thing you must accomplish today?

I need to clean house, what else is there? :)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

This weekend we have 2 birthdays in the family, mother and son. Friday my youngest daughter will be 39 yrs. old and Sunday my youngest grandson, her youngest baby, will be 7. It doesn't seem possible. I'm getting old. I can remember the day Teresa was born, just like it was yesterday, without the pain. Why have the years gone by so fast? And Bryan is growing up too fast! One day I'm changing his diaper, then next I'm watching him get onto the school bus. He's the last of our babies. I could be sad, no more babies to cuddle, but when I look at him, my heart swells. He's a great kid just as the other 6 of my grandchildren are. 

Old man and his moped

An elderly man on a Moped, looking about 100 years old, pulls up next to a doctor at a street light.
The old man looks over at the sleek shiny car and asks, 'What kind of car ya got there, sonny?'
The doctor replies, 'A Ferrari GTO.
It cost half a million dollars! '
That's a lot of money,' says the old man. 'Why does it cost so much?'
Because this car can do up to 320 miles an hour!' states the doctor proudly.
The Moped driver asks, 'Mind if I take a look inside?'
No problem,' replies the doctor.
So the old man pokes his head in the window and looks around.
Then, sitting back on his Moped, the old man says, 'That's a pretty nice car, all right... But I'll stick with my Moped!'
Just then the light changes,
So the doctor decides to show
The old man just what his car can do.
He floors it, and within 30 seconds
The speedometer reads 160 mph.
Suddenly, he notices a dot in his rear view mirror.
It seems to be getting closer!
He slows down to see what it could be and suddenly WHOOOOSSSHHH !
Something whips by him going much faster!
'What on earth could be going faster than my Ferrari ?' the doctor asks himself.
He presses harder on the accelerator
And takes the Ferrari up to 250 mph.
Then, up ahead of him, he sees that it's the old man on the Moped!
Amazed that the Moped could pass his Ferrari, he gives it more gas and passes the Moped at 275 mph and he's feeling pretty good until he looks in his mirror and sees the old man gaining on him AGAIN!
Astounded by the speed of this old guy, he floors the gas pedal and takes the Ferrari all the way up to 320 mph.
Not ten seconds later, he sees the Moped bearing down on him again!
The Ferrari is flat out, and there's nothing he can do!
Suddenly, the Moped plows into the back of his Ferrari, demolishing the rear end.
The doctor stops, jumps out and unbelievably the old man is still alive.
He runs up to the banged-up old guy and says, 'I'm a doctor.... Is there anything I can do for you?'
The old man whispers,
'Unhook my suspenders from your side view mirror!'

I hope you had a good weekend. Things were quiet here. We didn't do much. We went to church Sunday morning. Before the pastor got into his study on Malachi, he read off some statistics on fellow Christians being killed, raped and tortured in other countries by Muslims, just because of their faith. None of it surprised me because I've read so much on the subject and in the news. It just makes me sick and angry. But all during his reading, you could have heard a pin drop in the sanctuary.

I hope it woke up some of them to what's going on in our world. I hope they realize the Muslims are NOT the peace-loving people they're trying to make us believe. I read an article the other night about how they're now using Twitter, giving their fellow members instructions on how to behead an infidel so you don't look so cruel or violent. It made me sick. And how many of them have worked their way into positions of power in our own White House?

Until next time...........

Election Day, Nov. 5, 2013

Tuesday was election day. One of the important things on our ballots was the aquatic center the city wants to build. Granted, it would be nice to have, but there are many more things that they could do to benefit ALL citizens instead of just a few.

The biggest arguments for this project is "something for the kids to do" and "it's a healthy activity for families" but in this part of the country, it would only be open 3 months out of the year. For those of us who won't be utilizing it and for us homeowners who will be paying for it the next 35 yrs. in our real estate taxes, it's not a good thing.

Well, it was voted down. It had been our mayor's pet project the last year or so, and after the votes were tallied, he posted a hateful status on his FB page. He was angry and blamed the citizens of not caring about the kids. It was awful to read and I think it was so uncalled-for.

We have a busy day ahead of us with lots of running.
* I have to go out to the lab to get a blood test to check my vitamin D level.
* Then to the drug store to get a refill on a script.
* And then my favorite (not) -- the grocery store. They've started with their sales on items for Thanksgiving dinner:  10-12 lb. turkeys for 99¢ a lb.! We usually do 1 turkey plus a ham, or 2 turkeys (1 roasted and 1 deep fried)  Frozen vegetables 62¢ a bag! I'm stocking up on those since Bob and I eat lots of vegetables. I'll be watching the sales the next couple weeks and get a few items at a time, then the perishables right before.

Today when we leave the house, I'll definitely be wearing a coat. It's cold out there. Our high today is only going to be around 46° with a wind-chill of 37°! That requires a warm coat for sure! The sun keeps peaking out but only for a few minutes at a time and a cold wind, 15 mph from the north-west. It is sure stripping all the trees. Our neighbors across the street have a yard full of leaves that wraps around the ankles when anyone walks by.

Well, until next time....... hope you have a great day.

Hodgepodge Wed. Nov. 5, 2013

1. My sister is celebrating a birthday today. Happy Birthday little sis! What's one way you're like your siblings? If you don't have siblings how are you like your lifelong best friend or cousin?

I have a younger sister and a younger brother. I don't look much physically like either one, but we share our mother's likes and dislikes. Family was her top priority so the 3 of us have the same feelings when it comes to our individual families. Our taste in foods are common. My brother, who lives in Texas, often asks me for Mom's recipe for a dish he's hungry for. My sister is a good cook so she has most of Mom's recipes.

2. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of yourself at age eighteen?

My wedding. Hubby asked me to marry him the summer after I graduated. I had plans to go on to school, so we postponed the wedding until February of the next year, 1966.

3. Sculptor-actor-painter-dancer...if you could excel in one of these arts, which would you choose and why?

Painter.... In school I majored in art and painting with oils was my favorite. After school, life happened and I didn't sketch or pick up a brush for several years. After my daughters started school, I tried it again, but it'd been so many years, it was difficult to get back into it. I eventually gave up. I still have a love for the art, but I'm only an admirer now.

4. What's a scent that takes you back in time, and where does it take you?

Lilacs.... it brings back fond memories of my great-grandmother and my favorite aunt. They had lilac bushes in the yard and I couldn't wait for them to bloom each year. Their houses would smell so good, I loved being there.

5. November is for Peanut Butter Lovers (National Peanut Butter Lovers Month). Are you a lover or a hater? What's your favorite dish/recipe that calls for peanut butter?

Really? I love peanut butter. In fact, I just finished eating some on wheat crackers. I often have some for lunch because it helps stabilize my blood sugar in the afternoon. My favorite recipe? Peanut butter fudge. hahaha

6. What do people thank you personally for most often?

My husband often thanks me for things I do for him, especially when I feed him. When I was working, before retirement, my boss was always thanking me for the work I did for him that was above and beyond my duties. I loved working for this man. He was always good to me and appreciated all the work I did to make his day less stressful.

7. What event this year are you most thankful for?

All I can think of right now are the coming holidays. I'm so thankful for having my family close by to be with me.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Monday, Nov. 4, 2013

My day was a busy one. In a nutshell....

1) I did laundry all morning

2) Went out to the shop and got my hair cut

3) Came home and got a couple things done around the house

4) Met D#1 and son-in-law at a house they're thinking of buying. They wanted our opinion. 

5) We got some Arby sandwiches on the way home. 

6) I spent an hour on the keyboard working on my "assignment" for the week. 

7) Now I'm going to play a game or two on FB before going to bed.

That was my day in as few words as possible.
I hope you had a good day.
Until next time...............

Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013

Was anyone an hour early for church this morning? I hope everyone remembered this autumn deed.

I hate having to change the clocks. It always takes at least a week to feel right again. Even though I got an extra hour of sleep, so they say, I don't feel like I did and I'll probably have trouble at bedtime tonight.

Along with the clocks, we need to change the batteries in the smoke detectors.

We went to church this morning. The service was very good. Pastor continued with his study of Malachi and invited everyone to the alter for prayer.

I turned in my shoe box for Operation Christmas Child today. It felt good to see so many boxes stacked high, ready to pack up and ship off to the children.

We've been going to this church for the last several weeks, but we weren't sure how to get around their big building. They've built and rebuilt and added on for several years. The building is huge. My brother and his wife were married in that church, 1973, in the old sanctuary, so I've been inside. However, it's nothing like it was back then. So, today we had Bob's brother and his wife give us the 'grand tour'. I think they have a room for every occasion and every person. There's 3 adult Sunday schools, 2 young adults plus children's, divided by age. A library. Kitchen and cafeteria. The old sanctuary is the high school room now. We were both amazed at all the rooms and hallways. We never got upstairs or the balcony. Our tour took a half hour.

Our weather today is more clouds and a cold wind. The sun did peak out for a short time. The high is 50° and down to 34° tonight.

I've just been relaxing since we got home and have no plans for the rest of the day. I'm going to do some practicing in a little bit... if my brain will cooperate.

Until next time..............

High School Football Friday

Welcome to November! Before long we'll be shopping for our turkeys and writing up the menu and the guest list, giving the kitchen a good cleaning and all those other jobs that the holiday calls for. On second thought, I think I'll let my daughters do the cooking at Lisa's house. I'll take the pumpkin pies.

Tonight's high school football game is the big talk of the town. The Cougars are going up against St. Marys and since both teams haven't won a game yet this season, a lot of people are hoping their team wins tonight.


This afternoon Bob and I went to WalMart to get the items we needed to fill the shoebox for the Operation Christmas Child ministry. We have to turn them in Sunday. I must admit it was fun shopping for these little items, knowing they'll be going overseas to some young girl. They gave us a list of several needed items (a new toothbrush, a hair comb, a bar of bath soap, a washcloth) plus some small things to play with and a new T-shirt. It makes me feel humble knowing I have so much to be thankful for. We easily take these items for granted, but this little girl will see them as a great gift.

The storm predicted for us last night went farther south and missed us. However, those who live in that area received some damage. They said today the damage was from 'straight-line' wind and not a tornado. All we had was a constant rain all day until around midnight.

Today was very cloudy and still a bit windy. The storms brought us colder temperatures, 51° today and down to 38° tonight.

I think I'll make myself a hot cappuccino to warm up.



Until next time ....