Brrrrrrrrr...........

Not much to write about again today. The weather is still the topic of conversations. I can't ever remember having a winter like this. But I've been told we have. Oh, well..... it's still COLD!

We got out of the house for a few minutes this morning to run an errand. This is one of the street on the way home.

When the temperature is this cold, the snow is dry and very light, so it blows everywhere.

Bob got out yesterday and had to clean out our drive again. He had to keep watching which direction the wind was blowing so he knew which way to turn the shoot on the blower.





You may have seen this picture on Facebook. I think they're fascinating. They're called 'snow rollers' and I guess they're common in weather conditions like we've been having. I'd love to see how one gets started.

Someone said "Mother Nature can certainly entertain us with strange phenomena to get our minds off the bad weather."





School is cancelled for tomorrow. Thank goodness. Daughter #1 dropped off our grandson this morning at 6:45 for the 2-hr delay and at 7:00 the school announced a cancellation. I was so hoping they would. When I think of all those little ones out in the cold without being totally covered up, it's scary. Tomorrow is suppose to be even worse. The temperature is forecasted to be around -15 with a wind chill of -45!!!

My 3 daughters, my grand-daughter and I had fun last night with a live chat on Facebook. We all decided that as soon as this weather gets back to normal we're going to have a family dinner so we can all get back together again. I feel like I haven't gotten to hug them in such a long time. :)

That's all I can think of to write for now. I'm going to go crawl under my electric blanket and read for awhile.

You be safe and warm.
Until next time...........

Sat. Jan. 25

I hope you're enjoying your weekend so far. 

There's not much new happening around here. The weather is still the main topic of conversation. The wind picked up to 45 mph last evening, causing 4 ft. drifts and total white-outs on the roads and highways. US 127 and I-75 are still closed in our area. On a good note.... we have a heat wave today! It's 29°!!

This was yesterday morning's temperature. It was horrible.

I thought this was funny......
In the news: "When the International New York Times Edition, that’s published in English in Malaysia, gets printed, the Malaysian publisher can’t check his religion at the door. Hence, a photo accompanying a story on the mistreatment of pigs . . has black boxes over the faces of the pigs."

I did have a couple hours this afternoon that was a treat. I've been cooped up the house for the last 5 days, and since we had a short spell of fairly nice weather for a change, Hubby and I went out to Bob Evans for some supper. While we were eating we watched the next wave of snowfall blow in. I'm thankful we live in a small town and we're never far from home.

I guess that's all I have to report for today. I hope you've had a good day. 

Until next time...... (smile)

Thurs. Jan. 23

Oh, my gosh, is it ever cold out there!!! We're under a wind chill warning. It feels like 18 below zero right now!! That's cold enough to get frost-bite in just a few minutes. A local garbage collector lost 4 fingers this week, because his work gloves weren't heavy enough to protect him. I feel like I live in Alaska..... oh, wait, it's 37° in Anchorage!! They're warmer than we are. :(

Most of the country is suffering with this arctic front and I feel bad for everyone. We're ALL cold.  You know it's cold when 20+/- birds gather around the neighbor's chimney trying to keep warm. I hope this passes soon.

What's wrong with this picture? Los Angeles is spending boo-coo bucks, which they supposedly don't have, making an outdoor ice rink so they can host professional hockey games --- in 80 deg. weather and the whole state is in a drought!! And then back east, in New Jersey, we have Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2, being played in an outdoor stadium, where the temperature is currently 4 deg. with snow-covered metal stadium seats!!

It's day #9 on my new medicine for this (pain-less) migraine and I'm doing fairly good, except I have some problems with my concentration which has had an effect on my piano lessons. I'm sure this is only temporary.

My cousin is doing well. He's home from the hospital and his wife says he can't wait to get back into the swing of things. He's on our city council and he has people to see. That's my cousin.... couldn't keep him down.  Then his wife called me today to tell me that John's sister, Sharon, lost her husband this morning. Sharon and her family live in Louisiana. I feel so bad for her. She's been worrying about her brother having cancer and her husband dies from a heart attack.

It's my bedtime and I'm ready. Sorry I'm so late writing this. It's been another busy day. The schools have been on a 2-hour delay every morning this week because of the extreme cold. So, we have our grandson those 2 hours then we drive him to school. Consequently I have to get up at 6:30! I'm not used to that early morning stuff anymore. I'm getting up before the sun!!

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

Hodgepodge for Jan. 22, 2014

Today's another "Hodgepodge" Wed. If you would like to play along,  CLICK HERE

1. It was decided on Sunday the Denver Broncos will meet the Seattle Seahawks in this year's Superbowl. So when was the last time you bowled? Not where you thought this question was going is it? Do you like to bowl? Are you any good? 

I haven't been bowling for a very long time. I was part of a team years ago and it was so much fun. I was fairly good. I think my average was around 132. 

2. Should sports stars be role models? 

No... the quality of those "stars" is not what it used to be. Today they get into trouble with the law, drugs, etc. 

3. January is National Oatmeal month...are you a fan? How do you like your oats?

I love oatmeal. On a cold winter morning, there's nothing like a hot bowl of oatmeal with a dab of brown sugar on it.

4. What is one book on your reading list for 2014?

"The Book Thief" 

5. What would you like your future self to say to your present self?

Why didn't you stick with your dreams and not give up? 

6. When scrolling through the TV guide, what is one movie title that makes you want to stop, grab the popcorn, and watch for a while?

I can't say there's any one movie that would make me want to do that. I love movies, and I will occasionally watch the same one twice. But I can say that any movie with Harrison Ford, Kevin Costner or Sean Connery, I might will watch again. 

7. What are two style trends you hope never come back into fashion?

Guy's plaid, polyester suits (John Travolta style) and women's hats with the big feathers

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Today, on the phone, I talked to an old friend I haven't seen in years. Her and I grew up together in the 'old neighborhood' and talking with her tonight was like time stood still. She still has that silly laugh. We reminisced about a few things and some people we had lost track of. It was so good to hear her voice again. 

Sat. Jan. 18

We got quite a bit more snow yesterday... just what we needed. Now we're in for another arctic blast. It's going to be back down into the negative numbers.

Right now it feels like 6° out there. The weatherman said this round of more arctic air will stay until the end of the month. Whoopee!

Too cold for me!!!

I'm ready for flowers, green grass and hummingbirds.


Day 3: I'm feeling kind of "spacey" today. The new medicine I'm on gives me that feeling of euphoria. Everything is ok, no need to worry, it'll be alright. That might sound a little dangerous, but it's not bad. I'm ok. One good thing is my constant desire for food is not like it was. Maybe my cravings will go away and I might lose some weight.

I got some bad news first thing this morning. My sister called to tell me our cousin John was in the hospital. They removed a large mass Thursday from his colon. He has stage 4 colon cancer. The oncologist was very optimistic but said he'll need more surgery. That's all the details I have right now. He's in intensive care so I can't go see him yet. He's my age; we grew up together. If you would, we'd appreciate prayer for him.

I have no plans for today. I got the laundry done so the rest of the day is mine. I've got to get some practice in. I'm not doing very well in that department right now. Shhhh..... don't tell my teacher.

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

Another snowy day

Happy Thursday! I heard today is 'Thankful Thursday'. I have so much to be thankful for, but I'll try to narrow this down to just one thing for today and that would be my little house. I tried to find a photo but it's gone. I'll have to take another one --- when the weather warms up.

On days like this, tho', I'm thankful for my little warm, cozy home. We're having another snow storm. We've had a few days of above freezing temperatures, so most of the snow we got with the last storm had almost melted away. Now comes another one. It's very windy, so the new snow is drifting and the wind chill is down to 12°.

You may have heard this, but Directv and the Weather Channel have had a contract dispute, so Directtv took them off their lineup.  It doesn't affect us, but their app on my phone is a constant reminder.


Every winter, besides all the problems it brings, I have one that can be very painful. My hands get so dry, the end of my thumbs will crack open. I've tried all sorts of creams but nothing seems to help.

I have my hands in water so much, I can't wear band-aids during the day, only at night with a dab of Neosporin.

My appointment with the Dr. yesterday went very well. She's trying me on a new prescription. Not sure how this is going to work out. It'll be a slow process since I have to be weaned off the one I've been taking. So, I won't know for a couple weeks what the verdict will be. I do know it's affecting my stomach and my appetite after just 2 pills.

I guess that's all to report today.

Until later............

Hodgepodge Wed. 1-15-2014

1. Are you a force to be reckoned with? In what way?

I don't think I am, but I'm sure my Hubby thinks I am. I used to have a temper, but now that I'm old(er) I've learned it doesn't get me anywhere.

2. What are two things you love about the wintertime? Or, if love feels like too strong a word, what are two things you 'like' about winter?

I don't 'like' winter. In fact, that's not even an appropriate word.... let's try I 'HATE' winter!! Here in Ohio, USA, we get snow, ice, cold winds, etc. which makes it hard to get out and about. Then when I do, my body doesn't like the cold. I'm literally in pain until I can get warmed up again. 

3. Pomegranate, kumquat, persimmon, kiwi, and guava are all fruits said to have health benefits, particularly during the winter months. Do you have a favorite on the list? Are there any on the list you haven't tried?

I've heard of the health benefits of these foods, but around here they're hard to find. I've only had kiwi once and I wasn't very impressed with the taste. I'll stick with my apples, bananas, oranges and grapefruit.

4. I passed a local church yesterday and noticed they had this on their outdoor sign- 'When all else fails, do the right thing.' Your thoughts?

We should always do the right thing to begin with. I've read a similar quote that said "If all else fails, God doesn't. Take a deep breath and pray."  

5. Do you ski? According to one list I've seen, the top 5 ski destinations for 2014 are-St. Anton Austria, Whistler Canada, Cortina Italy, Tahoe USA, and Zermatt Switzerland. Of the five listed, which would you most like to visit? We can make skiing optional if that helps the non-skiers with their answer.

I don't ski but I do like watching them on TV. It amazes me the control they have when flying down the side of a mountain. If I was just visiting one of these locations, I would love to see Switzerland, not for the skiing, but for my niece living there. I'd love to see the country she now calls home.

6. What's the last thing you looked for online? (Besides my blog!)

My favorite body lotion comes from 'Bed, Bath and Beyond'. Since the nearest store is 40 miles from here, I had to do my shopping online.

7. What saying, slogan, quote, or motto have you seen lately that inspires you for the new year?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I have a doctor appointment this afternoon and I'm a little nervous. We'll be talking about the meds they have me on. She might change them to something I can tolerate better, and I'm afraid the transition will be difficult.