Sunny But Cooler....

Today turned out to be bright and sunny but about 10 degrees or so cooler than it has been.  BUT...there was no bad weather that hit our area.  It all hit further north and moved a lot faster than was expected.  It looks like NC got most of the bad stuff.

Tomorrow the Beast heads for Huntsville to one of his church things.  A big meeting of some sort but it's just for the one day.  He hopes to meet up with his sister and have dinner together with her before she heads on up back to Chicago.  She's been down by the Gulf, helping a friend get moved into her new home.  I think it's a condo on the beach.  She wants to get back home by Sunday evening so she's not staying over.  She'll stop somewhere on her way for the night and shouldn't have a problem getting home on Sunday.

He decided to get a sub from Publix (they make great sandwiches!) instead of making one.  There's no place close to the place they meet that can handle the crowd OR get them back in time for the afternoon services.  We got everything he will need ready (including his snacking stuff) and put his little cooler in the freezer  (his idea since he keeps it in the car until he needs to get it at lunch time).  At least I will have the one day to myself.  I think I am going to take a nice, long bubble bath while he is gone.  

Dennis is really making great strides in his behavior the past two or three weeks.  He's very smart but still has some puppy left in him.  Labs don't really outgrow their puppyhood until they are around 2 years old and he's just 10 months.  So how much he has improved since we got him is really impressive.  He's much more confident, however, than he was when we first got him.  He feels very secure now, I think.  

The Beast got to see Dennis get in my lap today and it made him laugh because Dennis was slobbering kisses all over my face.  You would have thought I had smeared dog food all over it (or some kind of treat).  He was in such a sweet mood and just wanted the attention.

I made us scrambled eggs with cheese for breakfast and some hash browns (real ones).  Poor Dennis was hoping for some of it but I had used onions and those are poisonous to dogs so he was out of luck.  He accidently had some leftovers with a little bit of onion in it last week (idiot Beast wasn't thinking!) and the poor dog was sick for a whole day.  We had to keep a close eye on him.  Dogs don't have the right enzymes to digest them.

I love how he seems to just get a lot of joy out of being alive and well treated.  He loves to run around the yard and try to scare the chickens.  He throws a stick up in the air and will jump after it.  He can entertain himself easily.  He loves to roll in the grass and just lay in the sun.  He's spent an hour or more out in the yard and is perfectly happy.  But he loves his run around the circle with the Beast. 

 He trots along side the scooter very happy and then comes in and takes a nap afterward.  He behaves himself when he's around people...no jumping up on them, which we had a problem with Baron for a long time.  He will stay right next to you when you tell him to *stay*.  He just sits and waits for you to tell him what to do next.  The Beast is very happy with that.  I love that he doesn't try making a mad dash out the door like he was doing there for a while.  All-in-all, he's become a good dog and is a good watchdog, too.  We always know when someone pulls into the driveway or is walking towards the house.  He even lets us know by this weird bark when the mailman comes and puts something in our mailbox.

Well, we are going to bed early tonight because the Beast is getting up at 5:30am.  He always leaves early so that he can stop and have breakfast at McD's.  He loves their pancakes and sausage and it's cheap enough.  He just crosses his fingers that he gets fresh coffee....LOL.

Love you all.  Be happy.  Be good to yourself and don't let anyone spoil your day.  ***Hugs***

 

Second Post....Something New!

Well, today I have seen something new being added to our weather page.  I already deleted it but it basically said that we should expect some seriously bad weather at any time until after 6:15pm on Thursday.  I received this at 8:30pm THURSDAY evening.  What would you think if you got this?  Gee, thanks a lot for the (unnecessary) warning, guys!!!

I kid you not!  Talk about putting the cart in the stall and leaving the horse out.  If we had ended up with the high winds predicted for our area, it sure wouldn't have been a timely warning.

I'm up for my usual bathroom trek so I had to write this since it really bugged me.  I will admit that we don't usually get warnings so late....unless it's a typo and they mean this for tonight thru tomorrow.   In fact, let me check and see if I have a correction or a duplicate that is more easily understood.  Hang on a sec.

Well, well....looks like that IS what was meant.  It was just not so clear as the second *alert* that I received.  Someone must have sent it off quickly in order to give people time to bring in any thing that might get blown around with possible 40- 50 mph winds.  At least that makes sense.  The winds are expected over a wide area and do not seem to be moving quickly so there could be damage to tree limbs and such.  Thankfully, the Beast trimmed back the only ones we had to worry about damage to house or automobiles a while back.  There's not much we can do about the glass table on our deck (the top has glass) but it should be heavy enough with the way it's secured to the deck so it doesn't move out of place.  We haven't put the umbrella out for it yet so there's only the chickens to worry about.  But they should be secure in the coop itself.  They have food and water in there so I won't worry much about them.  The barn is secure and heavy, too.  It was made by the Amish so it's well constructed.

Phew!  Now that I can again have faith in my weather forecasters (as much faith as forecasting allows), I'll be able to sleep again.  So I will close this second post and say good night once again.  Sleep well.  Love you all.  ***Hugs***

 

Another Gorgeous Day!

Today was another wonderful day of weather.  It got up to 76 here and we had our windows and screen doors in use to air out the house.  It felt so good that I hate to see it end.  But it will in another few days.

I fell asleep early yesterday and slept great all night.  It was amazing.  My gf's from high school emailed me today to find out when I planned on being in Chicago this year.  I told them I was going to try for around the 22nd or 23rd of June.  Of course, that all depends on whether or not I have to have surgery but I won't find that out until Tuesday.

In the meantime, I am headed outside for a bit to enjoy the next half hour or so outside while the dog runs around before his bedtime.  It's still fairly warm and very calm out.

Love you all.  Enjoy your evening and the day tomorrow.  ***Hugs***

I Need To Keep Track Of Dates.....

One of the bad things about being both old and retired is that you lose track of what day or even what date it is!  Let me give you the reason in one sentence:

                HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CEE!!!

I don't think I have to explain after saying that.  I really and truly thought I had a day or two before her birthday.  Duh!   Love you bunches, Sis.  So glad you are living here now.  Sorry I didn't get to call you because I am an idiot.  Forgive me, please.  I'll call you in the morning.  

 I really miss having Chewlee here because having a kid that is in school makes you very aware of what day it is...and hence, the date, too.  You keep track of holidays, school breaks, etc. just because those days allow you to sleep in....LOL!

I got a letter today from the Beast's aunt.  She lives in Washington state these days but we once lived quite close when we lived in Ft. Lauderdale.  I really liked her and we got together often before her hubby died and she sold her home and moved to be close to her daughter.

She's quite up in years now and has multiple medical problems plus she falls a lot.  Her daughter finally had to put her into an assisted living facility/nursing home because she's incontinent, too.  Both her daughter and son-in-law work and they couldn't afford 24/7 nursing care for the aunt.  She (the daughter) hated doing it but they are older, too, like the Beast and I.   They just can't handle all the problems or even lift the mother.  She (his aunt) has a difficult time even standing up and needs to be in a wheelchair full time now.

His aunt, of course, hates it.  She broke her hip and even fought doing the exercises necessary to get her mobile.  It was just too much for the Beast's cousin to handle.  In the letter I received (I was floored that she sent ME a letter and not the Beast), she said she was being held prisoner by the Devil (but decided she was NOT going to give him her soul!).   Her daughter had sent us a letter explaining the situation and told us not to be surprised if we heard from the aunt that she was being held prisoner.  She's upset that her daughter won't allow her to go home with her at least.

After reading her letter (I read it to the Beast), I think she is also getting senile because much of it didn't make any sense.  She didn't say anything against her daughter, per se, but maybe *the Devil* is her daughter?   What did touch me is that she said she had heard from the Beast about my being so sick and she wanted me to get better.  She also told me that he was very worried about me.  Really?  That's the third or fourth time someone has told me that.  He must have been more worried than he let on to me.  

But, I feel bad for his aunt.  During her younger and healthier time, she was a truly nice person and a lot of fun to have around.  She had a good sense of humor and enjoyed life, even after losing her hubby.  She had a beautiful house on one of the many canals in Florida (and the occasional alligator in her yard).  She had to put up a special barrier to discourage the alligators because of her dog.  It didn't really keep them out (they are quite good climbers) but since they could sun on the bank of the canal, it was often not necessary for them to actually be in the yard.  

It just makes me kind of sad because getting old and infirm is not a good thing nor anything we want for ourselves or someone we love.  Too bad there's not a time when we suddenly start getting younger.  Wouldn't that be a treat?  

Well, it's to bed with me.  I'm tired and my yawns are going to break my jaw if I don't get to bed soon.  Love you all.  Be good.  Be happy and I hope you have a great day.  ***Hugs***

The Beast has another of his church big meetings this weekend.  Yay!  I will have two days of just doing what *I* want, when I want to do it.     

I Finally Get Out Of The House.....

I've been suffering cabin fever for a while but today I got out and went to visit with Cee for a few hours.  We had a few good laughs because, as my sister, Bratfink, has said more than once....*You know you are old when you start talking openly about bowel movements!*    Yes, we actually did that.  Cee has had the opposite problem that *I* have, however.  But, we shared...LOL

It didn't seem like any time at all but, when I left to attempt getting home before the storm started, I was surprised to discover I had spent 3 hours there.  I've spent more time than that with Cee but it was that it just didn't SEEM like I had been there that long.  

I did beat the storm home and, later, Cee called me to find out if we had been hit by any of the golf ball size and better hailstones.  It hit in Guntersville (I am close to it) and lots of damage was done to cars and such.  Holes in windows, windows totally out, etc.  If you have ever watched any of the storm chasers programs on the Weather channel, you know the kind of damage they can do.  What's scarier is that hail often is part of a storm with tornadoes in it.  But we got no hail here and very little rain.  But we could hear thunder and we saw lightning coming from the Guntersville area.  Our chickens don't mind rain but they run like hell when it thunders for the barn.  LOL

I  think my sleepiness yesterday was actually my body demanding rest because I haven't really been sleeping well.  Up and down all the time makes for lousy sleeping but the bathroom must be used!!  When I woke up this morning (around 7:30am), I felt really rested for the first time in more than a week.  Also, the dark circles around my eyes was gone.  Well, not entirely but it WAS a lot lighter in color.  I was looking like I had two black eyes.

I haven't showered yet but I will shortly.  It's going to be a warm night (a low of 64 degrees) and even warmer tomorrow than it was today (75 degrees).  By Monday or Tuesday, they are predicting 80 degrees!  But I don't want to believe that Spring might really be starting.....not yet.  The weather is so weird all over the country that we could still be hit by cold weather again.  

Nothing much else has gone on here today.  I spent the afternoon watching movies I have seen multiple times but that's not unusual.  I like a lot of movies that I watch over and over until I wear them out (my DVD's).  I'm on my second replacement set of Tremors (except for the most recent one...which is the fifth movie).  I had no idea that DVD's could actually get worn out.

Goodnight to you all.  Sweet dreams and a great day is my wish for everyone.  ***Hugs***

A Sleepy Day....

Today was a sleepy day.  This usually means my body is healing itself or else fighting off something or other.  I am still needing sleep so this will be a short blog.  The day was really beautiful but I didn't get to enjoy much of it.  The morning sucked just because it was on the cool side and cloudy but I did get to see when the sun came out in all it's glory.

The sleepiness hit me shortly after noon and I have been asleep most of the day until about a half hour ago.  I woke up to use the bathroom and I checked to make sure I wasn't bleeding anywhere.  I do that a lot these days....I sure don't want to end up in the hospital again....or worse.  I took my pills so I am heading back to bed.  I'll be fine, I'm sure.  I am not in pain anywhere nor am I weak when getting on my feet like I was the night I got so ill.  So don't worry.  

Oh, one interesting thing that happened yesterday but I didn't mention it.  Dennis finally got up on the recliner with me.  He couldn't get comfy since mine is not an over-sized one like the Beast's but he did finally lay down across my legs when I reclined the chair.  It was the first time he'd done that with me.  BUT....as soon as he heard the car that the Beast drives most of the time, he was out of my lap and at the door waiting for him to come in the house!  LOL

Love you all.  Have a great  day.  Be careful, please.  ***Hugs***

Nothing Unexpected....

No big surprises today.  It was pretty much as predicted by the Weather Channel except no thunderstorms....yet!  They are still predicted for our area tonight and tomorrow.  We've had quite a bit of rain but it's been gentle so far.

The Beast didn't get home today until 3:30pm.  So much for his telling me it would be around 1-1:30.  And then he brought home one of the guys from his church that he had to drive home later.  They were futzing on the computer so I have no idea why he brought him home with him.  As far as I know, the only thing they have in common is their church.  

I think he might have been showing him the pictures he took yesterday but that's only a guess.  He had to put Dennis out of the room because Dennis wouldn't leave them alone.  He was acting so needy.....like he never got any attention and was *starving* for it.  Dennis then came into my computer room and settled down when I invited him up on the recliner with me.  He didn't get up but it seemed to satisfy him for some reason.  He settled down in front of the screen door after a little petting by me. 

His church buddy gave me a hug before the Beast took him home.  His poor wife is really sick with the flu and having a rough time even sleeping.  He told me I looked a heck of a lot better than the last time he saw me (in the hospital), which was nice to know since I feel so much better.

The bad part of my almost dying is the weight I lost.  I already was looking my age but now my face is so wrinkled and dry that I look even older than I am.  I've been trying a few different moisturizers but haven't found one that works at all.  Sad, but true.   Even the jeans and dress pants that I bought a couple months ago are now just a bit too big on me.  I hope I gain some of that weight back.  As of right now, I have just three pair of pants that don't require a belt if I wear them.    I know some women would welcome the weight loss but not me.  I look and feel best when my weight is around 130 lbs.  At 116, I swear it makes me look and feel like Boris Karloff when he played *The Mummy*.....LOL

I got a strange letter today from the Justice Dept.  It's a *Victim Notification* of the upcoming trial of someone that I was either a witness against or a victim of.  I never heard of this guy and I sure didn't make a complaint or statement against anyone in Nashville, TN.  I'll have to call them on Monday and see if I can get more information that might clear this up.  Very weird, don't you think?

Well, I am heading for bed in a little bit.  Love you all.  Be happy and be kind.  Stay warm and dry.  Even though we are supposed to have rain off-and-on for the next few days, it's going to be in the 70's.  Yay!!!  ***Hugs***

Loving It !

It hit 76 degrees here in Alabama today.  At least, it got up to that here in the NE corner of the state.  It may have been warmer or cooler elsewhere but I'm only concerned with the weather that affects me!  Sorry, but true.

It was totally beautiful outside.  Not much in the way of wind either.  Bright, blue skies and lots and lots of sun.  Just the way *I* like it.  For now, accolades to the weather people for getting it right.  It's supposed to be fairly warm again tomorrow but rain...in fact, thunderstorms....are predicted.  I'll just have to wait and see what happens.  I would love to go see Cee tomorrow but will have to wait until the Beast gets home from meeting up with the people from his church.  He said it would be around 1:30pm or so.  Now that it stays light until after 7pm, that would still work for me.  We don't leave Dennis home alone if we can avoid it.  Not while he's still in that *puppy chewing* stage.  I'm tired of having to replace scatter rugs but at least it's not like he is chewing wood or shoes. 

 I once (a long, long time ago) watched a pup for a friend of mine for just 3 days.  The pup was alone for just an hour-and-a-half while I went to do some shopping.  He chewed a DRAWER on a dresser.  I was stunned.  I had never heard of that happening before.  But then, when I was a kid, the only *pets* we ever had were parakeets.  I really had no experience with dogs or puppies.  Funny, but now that I think back, the puppy was a black lab...LOL.

The Beast bought some new pillows for our bed today.  The ones we had were old and beyond help.  I don't think having pillows for more than 15 years is actually healthy anyway.  They should have been replaced several times already.  I put the (new) pillow protectors on them and he even bought some new pillowcases.   As soon as he put them on the bed and took the old ones off, Dennis ran over and claimed one of the old pillows!  We had to laugh.  Did he read our minds?  How did he know we planned on throwing them out?   We let him keep it and he lays his head on it when he is on the bed.  He put the pillow down at the bottom of the bed....exactly where he likes to lay at night and for his naps.  We stopped fighting that because, no matter what, he ends up there in the morning.  He can be very stealthy when he wants to be.

Today the Beast washed his underwear and socks so you know what I was doing.  I was a bit surprised that he had 10 sets because that means he hadn't washed any of his underwear in 10 days.  He doesn't do that usually.  It's a week and he's washing.  When I expressed my surprise, he said he had too much of his good shirts and slacks to wash on his usual day so he just decided to wait until he *felt* like tackling it.  Since all he does is throw them in the washer and then transfer it to the dryer, I laughed.  I told him that was *sooooooo hard* when *I* am the one that has to fold (and mate the socks) once they are dried.  After I do that, I guess putting them in his drawers is exhausting....or something.  LOL

The Beast took his pictures today and I was surprised at how they turned out.  Oh, they were all great pictures but they were different from the poses he usually tries for.  These were much more relaxed and almost looked candid for the most part.  I think the girl will really like them.  He told me he had to do them different because the trees had no leaves on them so she kept having to squint her eyes because of the sun.  So, by staging them differently, she could finally keep her eyes open.  

The Beast decided we should have a break from worrying about what to make for dinner and went out and bought Chinese.  I had my shrimp egg fu yung and he also bought us sweet and sour pork (great sauce on them!) and some egg rolls.  This place we go to for Chinese uses a lot of veggies and they aren't overcooked at all.  Not undercooked either.    Today they seemed even tastier than usual, too.  Plus they used a lot of shrimp.  The woman that owns the place knows we are regular customers and always seems to do a little something special for us when we order.  Today she gave us a LOT more of the sweet/sour pork.  *Grin* 

Time for my shower before I get my butt into bed.  It was a really enjoyable day for us just because of the weather.  One of the peach trees that didn't have any blossoms last year and hadn't flowered this year suddenly burst into bloom, to our surprise.  I wonder now if we will get any peaches on it.  The Beast was actually thinking of cutting it down since this would have been the third year it didn't do anything.....but it sure as hell surprised us.

Love you all.  Be happy.  Be kind.  Let Karma take care of those people who are negative or never seem to have anything good to say.  ***Hugs***

Amazing !

Although it wasn't predicted to get so warm, today it got up to 73 degrees the last time I checked.  And the next few days it's predicted to all be in the lower to mid-70's.  The Beast is happy because he is supposed to take some outdoor pictures of a girl from his church who wants some nice pictures of herself to send to family and friends.  She's another of the home schooled kids so she doesn't get access to school pictures she can send.  

Dennis is proving to be becoming a very smart and well-behaved dog.  Although not perfect yet, he does know what *heel* means and obeys as long as he has his training collar on.  I don't know what it is about that collar but even our dear departed Baron loved it.  They say it mimics the way a mother dog carries her pups and I can almost believe that.  Why else would Dennis, who was abandoned as a young pup, love it so much.  I guess he remembers that loving touch.  It may even be why he's so attached to the Beast.

I ended up with two loads of clothes, towels and one small bath rug today.  I even grabbed a couple towels from the Beast's bathroom to add to the loads.  I haven't folded any of it yet since I didn't start washing until rather late in the day.  There is still a load to be washed and dried.  I'll finish it in the morning.

I made us dinner tonight:  fish fillets (cod), mashed potatoes and some corn.  I really wanted peas but we were out of them (I love peas with my mashed potatoes...LOL...it makes the Beast shudder to watch me pick up the peas with my mashed potatoes).  He keeps his food all separate from each other.  He doesn't even like it to touch.

 Nothing special today except for the weather being so great.  I'm looking forward to the next five or six days since they all are supposed to be in the 70's.  Monday may even hit 80 degrees if the weather doesn't take an unexpected turn.  I hope not.  I plan on spending some time outdoors tomorrow.

The Beast says our Walmart is doing some kind of major make-over and nothing is where it used to be.  I told him that I suspected something was going on just from the clearance sale emails I have been getting.  The prices are definitely clearance ones.  

Time for me to hit the shower and get ready for bed.  It's only going down into the upper 50's tonight so I will be wearing one of the lighter pj's that I bought for Spring so that I don't sweat.  That always wakes me up because it gets uncomfortable for me.

Love you all.  Have a wonderful day.  ***Hugs***

One Step Back.....

Although today was not a really bad day, it wasn't one of my best.  I had two different episodes of low blood sugar and had to make myself drink some orange juice to get over that.  I just took it easy after I made us breakfast.  That was almost at noon so we ended up only having two meals today.  The Beast made dinner.

The Beast discovered that the hens have found a new place to lay their eggs.  In a bucket, of all things!   Unfortunately, we ended up throwing them out due to the fact that they had obviously frozen during the two nights we dropped down into the 20's.  The Beast broke open 3 of the dozen eggs and the yolks were all broken apart (a sign of their having frozen).  We didn't want to chance any problems so .... out they went.  He also removed the bucket (he had been using it to refill the water jug) from the coop so there wouldn't be any more temptation.

One thing we discovered is that Dennis loves eggs....raw eggs.  The canned dog food that he was refusing (he prefers the chicken that the Beast cooks up and mixes with rice) he will eat if you add an egg or two.  Since the Beast bought a case of the canned dog food (and it was expensive!), it now means it won't be sitting uneaten any more.  He's been eating a can every morning since the Beast discovered he loves eggs.

Dennis got all excited today and wanted my attention.  He even *talked* to me to keep me petting him.  He also kept licking my face and neck.  It was funny because the Beast got a little jealous of the attention he was giving me.  Dennis is really so thoroughly the Beast's dog that I was amused by his reaction.  The Beast was on his computer and not paying attention to Dennis (and Dennis can't sit in his lap on the desk chair!).  I was sitting on the bed, talking to the Beast and that allowed Dennis to get up on the bed next to me.   He finally dropped his head in my lap until I got up to go back to my computer room.

I'm heading back to bed now so I wish everyone a great night and an even better day.  True Spring will be here soon.  Don't give up.  ***Hugs***

Wow! Totally Unexpected....

Today was the most amazing day.  Why?  Because the temperature got up to 85 !!!  Can you believe it?  The weatherman said it was only going to be in the mid-60's.  I don't know how this happened but I loved it.  I even went out to the coop, collected the eggs and shut the barn door because it's possible that we are going to get a really bad thunderstorm tonight.

So what did we do with such fantastic weather?  We just enjoyed it.  Even Dennis was having a ball.  The Beast took him for a run around the circle and it was amazing to watch.  He stayed right next to the scooter, which was something he was never able to get Baron to do.

It felt like summer to me but I know it's just a fluke of the weather....for now.  I just hope our days don't get too cold in the upcoming days.

Other than that, today was just another peaceful, calm day.   I love those kind of days.  I was going through some of the flower seeds we have to see what I can plant to get ready for our real Spring.

Love you all.  I wish everyone good weather in the upcoming days.  I hope all the snow melts without it producing flooding.  Be happy.  It's really a choice you can make.  ***Hugs***

Ahh...Spring Has Sprung!

Today was *Doppler* day, which actually is just a type of sonogram but seems like it's a lot shorter.  There was the part on my empty stomach, then I was given crackers and water (peanut butter crackers) and there was another set taken so there were shots of my stomach actually working on digestion.  But I was in and out of the department in about 15-20 minutes.  

I was almost at the hospital before I realized that I had forgotten my phone so I wasn't able to call Cee when I finished up.  I went to her door and knocked (loudly) but got no answer so I left for home.  Actually, that was really kind of a saving of me since I had not taken any of my pills and was afraid I would end up with an IBS-D attack.  All this because I woke up late and had to hurry to make the appointment.  

Today was a totally wonderful day and kind of a surprise since we ended up having a temperature of  78 degrees and almost no wind at all.   I spent some time sitting out on the deck, watching Dennis run around the yard, tossing a stick up in the air.  It seems to be one of his favorite things to do besides digging by the fence that separates our yard from our next door neighbor's.  He doesn't really like the pup next door.  I had to yell at him and the Beast packed the dirt back that he had dug up.

I ate more spaghetti today that I spiced up a bit again.  For some reason, I was craving it but only had a small bowl of it.  That was lunch or I should say my brunch since I hadn't eaten anything but the peanut butter crackers at the hospital.  Soup and a sandwich was dinner along with some cole slaw.  I like the cole slaw from the deli at Walmart.  It tastes very much like what I make.

The Beast ended up taking Dennis for a run with the scooter.  Not really by choice.  He took him out front without his training collar on (and no leash!) and Dennis took off down the road.  But when the Beast showed him the collar that he had grabbed before he got on the scooter, Dennis stopped dead and turned around to meet up with him.  He really does love that collar and becomes very obedient when he has it on.  But, knowing that Dennis really needed to get rid of some energy, he finished the run and made Dennis very happy.  It also did tire him out.  He didn't even fuss with the cat....LOL

Now I have to wait for the gastro doctor to let me know the results of the Doppler.  Until then, it's my usual days.  *Sigh*  I'm still trying to de-clutter my computer room.  Some of the stuff in here, I really  have no place to put that will make it neater.  Not without some thought, anyway.

I'm just sorry that tomorrow won't be as warm as today was.  For the weatherman's first day of Spring date, this was perfect.  I just wish it would mean the end of cold weather but, alas!, there's another cold front expected.  Oh well.  At least no snow will get to us here.  

Time for  bed.  Love you all.  Stay warm and dry.  Have a wonderful day.  ***Hugs***

Lazy Day...

Looks like when I have a busy day, I pay the next day with a real lack of energy.  I also had a single case of IBS-D where I almost didn't make it to the bathroom.  I'm glad I use pads for bladder leaks because it helped keep it from making a real mess.  One of the *break-through* episodes I mentioned to the doctor.  If I have  too many of them, I am supposed to let him know.

Tomorrow is the Doppler scan and I think it means I will have to have some kind of dye or other in order to actually be able to see if my arteries are blocked in any way.  I won't find out until I get there since I have never had one before.  At least, not one that was identified as a *Doppler*.  I know that the Doppler radar they use to track the weather in real time tracks all the changes it undergoes from minute to minute.  It might be interesting to see, if I can.

This is a short blog today since I really didn't do much at all.  I just watched TV most of the day and took a couple short naps.  I did spend most of the morning up since the Beast was gone and didn't get home until around 2:30pm or so.  The day was nice and I spent part of it (after noon) outside on the deck just watching Dennis running around the yard, tossing sticks up in the air and trying to scare the chickens.  Freddie stands his ground because he knows Dennis can't get through the fence around the coop but the girls all scatter.  That seems to amuse Dennis and makes him happy.  

Love you all.  Stay warm, dress right for your weather and be kind to everyone.  ***Hugs***

Busy, Busy, Busy Day.....

I spent a lot of time on my feet and doing *stuff* today.  I worked some more on getting my computer room in order, cleaned my desk off well (then spilled coffee on it and had to do it all over again) and did another load of laundry.  We actually ate leftover spaghetti !  Even the Beast....but I did *tweak* my bowl with some spices and a little extra sauce (don't tell the Beast...shhh).  I just threw in some sauce straight out of the jar.  With my spice additions, it worked out fine.  

I have to tell you this about our getting Dennis so soon after Baron died.  If you read my blogs around that time, you know I thought the Beast was wrong to do it so soon.  I missed Baron and hated it when he had to be put to sleep.  He was in such pain and struggling to please us that you almost had to cry to watch him.  I was still grieving for him when the Beast ended up adopting Dennis.  But.......I have to say that Dennis is such a great pup, both to watch and because he is such a happy dog.  

He loves to run around the yard, tease the hens and roughhouse with the cat.  He goes outside regardless of the weather.  He's just as happy when it's raining as he is when the weather is nice.  He's becoming more and more obedient and calm and he's not even a year old yet.  Unfortunately,  Labradors don't mature until they are 2-3 years old.  I'll just be glad when he is out of his *chewing* stage that they all go through.  At least he hasn't chewed or tried to chew any furniture.   Years ago, we had a Lab pup that actually chewed a dresser and I mean he *CHEWED* it up badly.  We ended up returning him to the shelter because we both worked strange hours at the time and we couldn't leave him alone for any length of time.  It was really sad.    The damage he did was just in one day and he made it unuseable.  I was shocked.

When I say *years ago*, I'm talking about when we were newlyweds.  Since we are married almost  53 years, you know I am not kidding....LOL.  I still find it hard to believe it's been that long.  *Sigh*

Another thing I accomplished today was finally getting my hair coloring done.  This was a totally new brand but I had read some good comments about so I sent away for it since it isn't carried locally.....yet.  It has a pre-treatment for your hair, then the normal coloring and the cream rinse supplied smells wonderful and left my hair feeling amazing.  Plus, to my surprise, I have color variations.  They are subtle but it makes my hair color look natural.  It's a shock but a nice surprise.  I think the pre-treatment has something to do with that.  I will report on this again after a few days and let you know if I still feel good about it.  I might even drop the name of the brand.  *Wink*

Okay, it's that time again.  Love you all.  Hopefully, the snowstorms that hit the Midweat and NE are truly the last hurrah before Springtime weather becomes the norm for us all.  Be good, stay warm and be kind.  ***Hugs***

The Weatherman Got It Right....Almost.

Today did turn out to be a fairly nice day after all.  Although it didn't get quite as warm as forecast, it did get into the mid-60's.   It just didn't stay there long...LOL   Just about the time it got to 65, the sky got cloudy.  No rain, thankfully but it does bring down the temperature a bit.

My bff, Carol, sent a *care* package for the two fur babies today.  She sent some Temptations for Sassy and some Greenies for Dennis.  I have seen the ads for the Greenies (for bad breath) but wasn't sure if Dennis would like something that was green and might contain some kind of mint.  But he just loves them!  He took one and ate it right down and came back looking for more.  Sassy was outside making friends with the chickens (they touch beaks to nose) so she didn't get any of her treats until later but she gobbled them down as soon as they were put out for her.  

I wish Carol and I didn't live at opposite sides of the country so we could actually meet in person.  It would be nice.  All we know of each other is what we have told each other about (and we have trusted each other with secrets from our hearts) and voices over the phone.   It will have to remain that way, I guess.  She can't travel and I sure can't these days....not without stops along the way.  The IBS-D also makes it scary since I do, on occasion, have a *break through* with it.  If I am not near a bathroom, that's scary.

Now she is having severe issues with her heels from her neuropathy.  It means she now even has a problem walking.  That makes it even worse for her.  I have it in my feet but I can still walk.  It's just not pleasant.

I finally got the Beast to make his spaghetti but it didn't turn out as good as usual.  He didn't really cook the veggies long enough and the green pepper was still really raw.  He also didn't put enough sauce on it but I still ate two bowls of it...LOL.  It was edible but just!  Even he was complaining about it not tasting right to him.  I hadn't watched him make it so I couldn't even make a suggestion.  Next time I will make my own.   I cut up the onions and green pepper for him since he hates that part most of all.  He also ends up cutting them too big just to get it over with quickly.  Men!

He went to bed early tonight so he is probably planning on going out with his church group tomorrow.  He's definitely feeling a lot better (the ribs) since he didn't call me to get the storage containers out from the lower cabinet tonight when he put the spaghetti away.  Me?  I'm just tired from my back hurting me all day.  I couldn't seem to get comfortable no matter what I tried.  I must be sleeping funny because I don't have that all the time.

The poor NE part of the country is really suffering from this latest snow storm it got.  I really feel for them but am glad I don't live in that area.  I like it just where I am.  I would have preferred to stay in Florida weather but even that is changing and it's too expensive to live there on our SS.

Love you all.  I am heading for bed now.  Be good.  Stay warm and be happy.  ***Hugs***

A Test On Monday....

I went to the gastro doctor today and got a bit of a shock.  First of all, I found out that I was STILL under the weight I was when I saw him for my IBS-D a little over three months ago.  I am down 16 lbs.  That explains why some of my newest jeans are now a little big on me.  Duh!

He scheduled what he calls a *doppler* scan of my abdomen for Monday morning.  He said he wants to make sure the arteries that supply my digestive tract are not clogged.  Not because of any problem I am having but because he just wants to make sure that I don't have any problems because of something that can be taken care of easily.  Easily?  Hmm.  I wonder.

It's another one of those tests where they tell you nothing to eat or drink after midnight.  But I can take my necessary pills with just a tiny bit of water.  The only ones *necessary* are the ones I take for the IBS-D.  I have to take at least one so that shouldn't be tough to do.  They are small....but mighty!

Another cold night ahead but a much warmer day tomorrow.  They say we will be in the mid-to-high 60's.  Our weatherman said it might hit 70.  I'm all for that.  I'm just hoping it stays decent for Monday.  I told the Beast that I thought I would go for the test and then stop to see Cee on my way home.  I haven't seen her for a while and it will be nice to just visit.  The change of scenery will do me good.

Back to bed for me.  I fell asleep watching the BBCA documentaries on the various areas in Africa, including the animals and how they exist in the various climates.  I was more tired than I thought.  I missed the Dino series on Discovery Family entirely.  Chit!  Oh well.  I'll watch it next week.

Love you all.  Dress for your weather and drive carefully.  The life you save may be your own.  ***Hugs***

A Surprise!

It was a great day today for only one reason....guess who came to visit me?  I heard the door to my computer room open, turned to look (expecting the Beast, of course!) and it was....Gunner!  He and the Princess stopped by and he came right to me.  He got in my lap, gave me a hug and a kiss and I was so happy to see him.  He is such a sweetie pie.  I love his smile and his cheerful disposition (most of the time).  I mean that seriously.  He very seldom has a bad attitude or is cranky unless he's sick, of course.  You can tell he is a very happy child.  Both his parents are responsible for that.  His daddy is so good with him that it's a treat to watch.  Gunner is a daddy's boy and you can tell that.  He also loves his mother a lot.  How could you not love a kid with that kind of personality?

He watched TV with me for a while (all the time eating the pretzel sticks I had) and he went and got his mother to pour him some juice in the straw cup I keep for the kids.  We both finally went out to visit with the Princess a bit and I turned on cartoons for him on the living room TV.  He really wasn't all that interested in them.  He just likes rocking in the Beast's recliner.  But he does like petting Dennis.  We think, however, that Dennis is leary of Gunner.  He acts like he's almost afraid of him.  I'm not sure if he was once traumatized by a little boy when he was younger or if Gunner might have done something that actually did scare him.

When they finally got ready to leave, Gunner gave the Beast and I both hugs and kisses...not just once but twice (I got a third one, even!).  They had to do some grocery shopping at a store here in Albertville since they don't have one in Boaz, which is closest to their house so they came to visit for a bit.  I was grateful.  The Princess said I looked so much better than the last time she saw me (when I was in the hospital).  I said I must have looked like death warmed over.  She said...no, you didn't even look warm.  I must really have looked as bad as I felt!

Tomorrow afternoon I have my appointment with my gastro doctor.  I have a few questions I've prepared to ask him that I didn't get the answers to when I was in the hospital.  If he came to visit with me after my *surgery*, I wasn't aware of it.  If I was asleep (which could have been the case), he didn't want to wake me.  At least, that's what I figured because he came to visit with me after he had done my original colonoscopy with him.  He touched my foot and that brought me awake and aware.  If he did it this last time, I had to be in a deep sleep.

It was very cold today.  My Weather Bug told me that it was 34 degrees as our high but felt like 23 degrees.  Brrr!  I stayed nice and warm inside.  But I did like the fact that it was bright and sunny outside.  I hadn't watched the weather channel until late last night when I got up to use the bathroom and couldn't fall asleep.  That can put me to sleep some nights but I was stunned to see how much really bad weather was being felt by a big area of the NE.  And the snow!  OMG!  It was staggering.  I felt awful for the poor people that are living through that....and all the people, in that cold weather, who were/are without electricity.  That means they probably don't have heat, either.  I hope they were able to make arrangements to stay with someone who DID have both heat and electricity.  Or that their area had some place for those people (like old people or people with babies and/or young children).

We are due for another cold night both tonight and tomorrow night but...get this!  On Friday, we are expected to have a high around 68-70 degrees!  And it will be like that through the weekend, too.  Go figure!

I haven't done my shower yet but I will do that after I get this posted.  The Beast went to bed a half hour ago.  I still haven't done my roots yet and not sure I want to this late at night.  I'm just a bit too tired and I don't want to rush it.  I'm using a new product called *Keratin Color* and it looks like it might be really good for my hair.  It has a type of conditioner you use before you color, on dry hair with special emphasis on the ends.  I also have a special shampoo that I bought (via Amazon) that is supposed to help stimulate hair growth.  I have no idea if it will work but my hair is so fine and starting to get thin that I am willing to give it a try.  It wasn't cheap but I hope it does SOMETHING so I don't feel totally stupid for buying it.  I'll let you know.

One good thing I found out today (I asked), the Beast is feeling a lot better now as far as his ribs go.  He says he only has one spot that hurts him and that's when he over-stretches or has a deep cough.  He said he was a bit surprised when he noticed that.  I told him that's how it would happen.  Now he knows it.

Love you all.  Stay warm.  Stay safe.  Drive carefully if you must go out in the bad weather.  Otherwise, stay inside and be safe.  ***Hugs***

Baby, It's Cold Outside....!

It's 7:30pm and my Weather Bug is telling me that the temp is 32 but it feels like 21 degrees outside.  I believe it.  We have also gotten two freeze warnings for tonight and tomorrow night, too.  It is not going to be fun to go see my gastro doctor on Thursday unless it warms up in the afternoon.  I'm such a coward about the cold.  It makes all my hurting areas hurt even worse.  My feet especially.  Neuropathy is not a good thing in feet.  It's got to be even worse in hands (my poor sister, Bratfink, suffers with that!).

 My cold is worse since this cold weather hit us.  My poor nose is suffering from constantly blowing it.  Even tissues with lotion are no real help but they are better than regular.  Let's all pray for an early Spring.

I made the corned beef and cabbage and I couldn't wait for the Beast to get home from church.  It smelled so good that I went ahead and grabbed some.  It's in the dutch oven so it should still be hot when he gets home.  I just wish he hadn't cut it up so thick.  That screws it up for making sandwiches, although he doesn't mind them that thick.  I sure do.

I need to color my roots (ha! ha!) since so many of them seem to have lost color (now grey).  I have the stuff here to take care of that but hate the thought of having to shower to get it off (and take care of any B.O.  I have accumulated today).  I may just wait to do that until a little later.  I want to make sure the house is warm enough or at least that my computer room is nice and warm for me to dry off and then set my hair.

Dennis got all upset at the cat tonight.  While Dennis was outside and the Beast was sitting at the table, the cat took over the Beast's recliner.  When the cat refused to get off after Dennis came back in the house, Dennis got into the chair from the side and then pushed the cat off it.  There's definitely lots of competition between those two and Dennis knows he's bigger.  Sassy just shook herself and went over to the love seat.  Right now, she's under one of the end tables (after she came over to me to be petted and assured she is still loved).

The Beast bought the cat some treats she seems to really like.  They are soft in the center and she begged for more when I gave her one.  I love how she starts rubbing herself on my legs and then looks up at me with her little *meow*.  It's adorable.

I'm going to close this for tonight and just hope everyone sleeps well and you don't have to fight the weather tomorrow. If you have to drive to work, please be careful.  Love you all.  ***Hugs***

Ack! Another Awful Day...

There are people who just love these kind of days but it sure as heck isn't ME!  I'm all for sunny days, and warm ones, but even during the winter it's welcome.  I woke up today around 8:30am when I heard the Beast stirring in the kitchen.  He was getting the coffee pot ready to make our *booster* coffee (meaning it would boost our bodies to wake us up).

I looked out the window and it was grey and cold looking.  When I checked our outside gauge, it showed it was just 32 degrees outside.  My Weather bug said it *felt like* 24 degrees.  That was because the humidity is so high, not because of any real wind.  The Beast braved the cold and went to Publix to buy a nice corned beef brisket.  I have it slow cooking right now so we can eat it later.  I won't put the cabbage in to cook until much later.  I refuse to let it get TOO soft.  He also bought some of their really great rye bread.  Tonight.....a feast!!

I surprised myself last night.  I was tired after eating dinner but stayed up for a bit before finally giving in to the need for some sleep.  I thought I would just nap for a bit but, lo and behold!, I slept almost all night long.  That was a real surprise to me.  I knew I should have done my blog before laying down but I didn't.  I never expected to sleep as well as I did.  

I forgot to remind the Beast that we need some regular mustard.  I just know he didn't think of it.  All we have is some honey mustard and some of the hot Chinese mustard.  I just checked and, no, he forgot.  Oh well.  I guess I will have to run up to the Dollar General later and get some for *me* since I am the one that really wants it.  

The Beast has the central heat on due to the crappy weather.  They are saying we might get some drizzles later.  I can hardly wait for Spring.

A piece of news....we have a peach tree that the Beast was going to chop down since it had the appearance of being dead last year.  I noticed, however, that it actually has blossoms on it this year.  That was a real shock.  Now we have to wait and see what happens to it in a few weeks.  Last year, it didn't even have a leaf on it!  Do peach trees do that?  I mean, go dormant for a year at some point in their lifetime?  I guess we will find out.

It's time to get this posted.  Love you all.  Hope you are having a better day than I am.  At least I hope you have some sun shining.   ***Hugs***

Brrr! Definitely Not My Kind Of Weather Ahead...!

I just got an upcoming weather expectation email from the weather bureau.  Well, it's not from weatherbug and not from the weather channel.  I subscribed to a couple different suppliers of that information just to see how close they came to each other...LOL  I can be perverse like that at times.  I find it fascinating that people who basically got the same technical education and training can often come up with very different forecasts, don't you?  Sometimes, it doesn't vary by much but... it IS something you need to know so you can plan what you are going to do and what to wear.  

I'm sure many  people don't give a s**t about what my forecast is for this area but it is so flaky that you can understand why so many people are turning up sick.  Sixties one day, thirties the next!  And those are the highs.  One day (Wednesday) our high will be around 34 degrees but it will be in the lower 20's at night.  That is going to be just about the coldest weather we've had all winter!  If we have any kind of wind, the chill factor will be really COLD!  Thurday will be even colder.  Then on Friday...yeah, you guessed it.  Warmer weather again.  Don't tell me it's not happening in your area, too.  It may not be the same temps but the variations have to be just as strange.

I'm just glad all my warm pj's are clean and ready to be worn.  Thankfully, the Beast watched the weather channel to see what the prediction was and got up to turn the heat UP...LOL   He was just complaining to me that he couldn't get warm.  I told him to go put his robe on (that never occurred to him?) and he looked like that was a totally new thought for him.  *Shaking head in disbelief*

He made a carrot cake tonight.  I actually think he just wanted an excuse to turn on the oven but it had to be for a purpose other than to heat up the kitchen/living area.  He bought a different cake mix than he normally does and this one tastes really great.  It's not as good as a real homemade one (Lucia makes those...she grates the carrots even!) but it's more than acceptable.  It even comes with nuts and raisins.  

The Beast had bought a box of raisins since the OTHER brand he used to buy all the time didn't give you many raisins and he wanted more in his cake.  But this mix surprised him with the amount it provided.  And, from what I am tasting, the walnuts are plentiful, too.  I would have preferred pecans but you can't have everything when using a mix, can you?  The Beast likes walnuts over pecans and HIS preferences are all he thinks about if he's doing the cooking.  But I don't blame him for that.  I think most cooks do that from time-to-time.

The Beast was hoping to be able to drive up to visit with his sister and brother in the Chicago area this next weekend but he says he isn't going to go now because of the pain from his fall last week.  I am very sure that he cracked a rib or two now.  I've had those and the pain he describes I remember vividly.   It was more painful than when I broke my arm (and that HURT, too!)  I'm disappointed that he isn't going since it would have been a nice, peaceful week for me even with taking care of Dennis and the chickens.  Oh well.

It's not quite 8pm here and it's still 48 degrees outside.  It is finally dark (I love having it stay light as late as it did today) and this is what feels *normal* to me.  I hated it being dark at 5:30pm, didn't you?  Oh, and I did get the clocks turned forward this morning.  Hope you remembered to do that.  If not, change the clocks before you go to bed.  

Time for me to go shower now so I will get this posted.  Love you all.  Oh, and the Beast DID fix the problem with his computer and the router for our internet.  Just in case you couldn't figure it out.  He can shut down his computer and printers without it knocking off the internet connection (and me!).

I wish you a great week.  A great, easy week with no problems or pain.  I especially wish that for my bff, Carol, who is suffering with blisters that itch and are driving her nuts with pain from the auto-immune problem she is experiencing.  I'm just hoping she gets ONE blister big enough for the lab at Stanford to biopsy so they can see if there is some way to help her.  I hate to think of her in so much pain.  We aren't spring chickens any more and it's no fun to be in constant pain.  I'm just glad my constant pain is just the neuropathy in my feet!  I feel blessed in many ways, now that I seem to have recovered from MY malady.  *Knock on wood*

Be good, be happy and be kind to everyone.  It's good karma!  *Wink*      ***Hugs***



 

CORRECTION !

I said in my blog for last night that I would turn my clocks ahead TOMORROW before going to bed.  Somehow, I forgot that it was Saturday already!  So, if you haven't turned your clocks forward an hour, you are LATE for anything you had planned at a specific time.  MAKE SURE YOUR CLOCKS ARE TURNED TO THE RIGHT TIME.  If you didn't change them before you went to bed last night, turn them ahead one hour.  There!  Now I corrected myself.  Forgive me.  ***Hugs***

Clean Out Day!

I had to do some more wash today.  Not one of my favorite things but a necessary one.  I went through some of my lighter pj's (that had been packed away) and got rid of the ones that were old and worn.  I can be a pack rat at times but many of the ones I had packed away were really OLD and worn out.  Some of them were actually too big on me or had elastic that was broken and I had to use ribbons I had threaded through the waistbands to keep the bottoms on me.

Since I used the gift card I was sent to buy some new pj's for warmer weather, I knew it was really dumb to keep the old ones.  I will have to pack away my warm pj's when Spring finally hits us here full time.  Since my bff, Carol, sent me three new pair of warm pj's, I thought it was time to clear out the old Spring/Summer pj's and replace them.  Some of them I remember wearing when we lived in the Ft. Lauderdale area and I was a LOT heavier then.  That was more than 15 years ago now.  Yikes!  How time flies!

I made us some tuna ala king for dinner tonight.  That was something I hadn't made in ages and it sure hit the spot.  There's enough left for us to have for lunch tomorrow....if I can get the Beast to eat it as a leftover.  He's not really good about that except for when we have spaghetti, which is something else we haven't eaten in a while.  Hmmm.  I'll have to have him make some so he doesn't feel I am totally replacing his efforts.   He's actually become a fairly decent cook in the past few years.  At least, for some things.  His potato pancakes are popular with the whole family especially since he started adding more grated potato and not been puree-ing them all.  They have much more texture now and that's the way *I* like them....LOL

I'm enjoying going to bed early most nights now and getting up early.  I do take a short nap on those days that I am up before 8am but not long ones or I end up staying up later than I want.  If I am not asleep by midnight, I don't usually fall asleep until around 3am or so and that means I sleep until noon.  I hate that because it seems like the day just flies by and I don't really accomplish anything.

I am amazed at times with how much the cat puts up with when Dennis *plays* with her.  He gets really rough at times but he doesn't seem to hurt her any so it must look worse than it is.  She keeps coming back for more but will hide under the coffee table or one of the end tables when she has had enough.  Dennis takes the hint, though and then leaves her alone.  But he worries that she is going to get one of his treat bones if she goes near them.    He looks hilarious when he puts two of them in his mouth at the same time (they are the stick shaped kind) because it looks like he's got two cigars in his mouth.  He'll keep them in while he walks away from where she's laying down and puts them where he feels they are safe from her.  It's funny because she had never shown an interest in them at all.

It was really cold and windy today.  It even sprinkled for a bit but didn't really rain.  We had frost last night and that has probably killed any hope of fruit on any of the producing trees we have.  It's this weird weather that caused many of them to blossom early.  Too early.  Oh well.

It's already down in the lower 30's tonight so we will probably get more frost again if it goes down any further.  It's hard to tell some nights.  So far, I've gotten no alerts about that but it could still happen.

It's hard to believe that we turn the clocks ahead this weekend.  That seems earlier than normal to me but we'll do that before we go to bed tomorrow so we don't forget.  Don't YOU forget to do that.  

Love you all.  Be happy.  Be kind to all.  ***Hugs***

What Happened To Real Education?

As the Beast and I ate dinner tonight, he had on a program that he likes to watch.  It is one where the moderator asks students on different college campuses some simple historical questions.  The one yesterday was regarding the Alamo.  Since he was at various Texas campuses, you would assume that they would be very aware of the history of that site.  Texans are, for the most part, very proud of that place and what took place there as part of the fight for independence.

The host/moderator asked this question of a Junior at one campus....*Who died at the Alamo?*.  A Junior gave this answer:  Jim Bowie, Davy Crocket and John Wayne.  My mouth dropped open when I heard that.  What's even worse is that not a single one of the kids knew that they were fighting the Mexican government for Texas independence.  They had no idea and some insisted that the Alamo had been moved but had no idea where it was originally or why it had been moved when asked (this was asked only because it was a *fact* that the student had dropped as if they really understood the history of that famous site.

I've watched parts of this program several times over the past few months and I am stunned at the true ignorance of many students on campuses all over the country.  Most of the ones interviewed are not aware of even present day political problems or the true reasons that many protests are being waged.  It's staggering to think these kids are supposed to be the upcoming leaders of both business and politics in our country.

You can say that they are only showing the dumb answers but the program is shown live most days.  It's just ONE campus at a time because they do that but it's always a different set of questions and a different campus each time.  It's actually scary to think that, as old as I am, I can answer the questions (most of the time).  I'm not as aware of current, specific questions about many political figures as I probably should be but I obviously know more about history than many of these kids do.

It makes you wonder just what it IS that they are learning in college these days.  Even worse, how did they get into college in the first place if their basic education is so lacking?  The foundation for a well-rounded education seems to be lacking entirely.  There were even kids at one college campus who couldn't recite the Pledge.  I know they don't say it every day like they did when I was a kid in school but...really?

Years ago, when I had a blog at another site, they started banning books that were not *politically correct* and that scared me.  It reminded me of what Germany did when Hitler first took over leadership.  They were *re-writing* history to suit their agenda.  We can see that happening today as more and more things are considered *politically incorrect*.  It's just a denial of how things USE to be, not how they are today.  We have grown as a nation and stopped many things that were once practiced as a normal way of doing things.  But to try to say they NEVER happened is crazy.  It's like trying to deny that the Holocaust never happened.

My dad had a friend who was the photographer for the Army during WW2 and he took pictures of the various camps that were liberated.  He had a file at his home filled with pictures he had taken at so many of these camps located in Europe.  I use to babysit for his kids and got to see many of the pictures of the bodies of the people that were killed or that had died of starvation.  My dad got upset that I had seen them but I was a curious kid and, although it was shocking, it was REAL history.  It was tragic and I remember crying about the cruelty and the horror of what people could do to others but I would never try to deny it ever happened because it upset me.  It was a lesson that was learned and also helped fuel the resolve that it would never again be allowed or tolerated.  It was both horrible and fascinating at the same time.  Just because it WAS so unbelievable.  

The day was cooler today, of course, but not as nasty as was predicted.  At least, not around us.  It WAS really windy at times.  But, overall, not a bad day.  It only got up to 64 degrees as our high and it's just 38 degrees outside right now at 1am.  It's only going to be in the upper 50's or lower 60's as our high tomorrow and will probably rain in the afternoon.  That is still weird weather as far as I am concerned.  Each night will be colder and each day, too.  Other areas are getting snow!  So weird that we get such different weather in the same country, at the same time, isn't it?

Well, it's back to bed for me.  Love you all.  Pray for our educational system and getting back to basics.  Even learning cursive.  *Sigh*  Love you all.  ***Hugs***

I Love Warm Weather....

I am still feeling really good about  the day we had today.  The weather was perfect and I loved getting out to enjoy it.  I put all the windows down and let it mess up my hair.  I miss the warm weather and this was such a great taste of what will be here all the time in just a few more weeks!  *Sigh*  I just wish I could hurry it.

Even though I shouldn't say it (knock on wood), we don't usually get more than one or two days where we get snow every year but this year we've had none.  We got a few flakes one day but that lasted all of a minute or two then...pfft!  Nothing that you could even measure.  In a way, that kind of scares me.  With as weird as our weather has been all winter (for Alabama), I feel a bit like Mother Nature has a HUGE surprise for us in the days ahead.  It COULD happen.   It wouldn't surprise me one bit since I would just chalk it up to Murphy's Law.  I won't hold my breath but I will be watching....and wondering.

The Beast came home with a nice head of cabbage today and said he just suddenly got a taste for some.  I laughed because he wouldn't eat it when we first got married.  He even hated the smell of it cooking.  Unless you love cabbage, the smell can put you off.  I finally started putting a whole walnut in with it when I cooked it.  Then you don't get the smell and it doesn't affect the taste at all.  That's really part of the way I finally got him to eat some.  He pretty much ate almost any vegetable so I figured his dad must not have liked cabbage for anything but cole slaw.  His dad did most of the cooking so he inherited his dad's taste for certain foods.  When we first got married, he even ate fried fat back.  YUK!  He stopped that when I started showing him articles about cholesterol and plaque in arteries, strokes, etc.  Of course, he still loves a lot of greasy things but he also had a stroke (actually, two of them but one was relatively minor).

When I asked him why he didn't get any corned beef, he said none of the ones the store had out looked good to him but he will hit one of the other stores we use and check out what they have.  We have time.  They are all putting out the popular fixings for St. Paddy's for the next week or two....until they sell out of the *over* stocked items, anyway.

Did I mention that I actually went out to the coop yesterday and gathered the eggs?  I took my cane with me because I was a bit afraid that I might get too tired coming back to the house to make it up the stairs without having to sit down and boost myself up, one at a time.  But I didn't even get tired!  My hips started to hurt me but they seem to do that all the time if I walk more than five minutes.

The chickens got so excited when I let myself into the coop.  They gathered around the door because they knew they were going to get their cracked corn treat.  They really love that stuff.  It's weird because their feed has some in it (admittedly, not a lot).  When I came out of the barn with the cup of corn, six of them ran back a bit so I could spread it out.  But, one of the chickens stayed right at my feet.  And you should have seen her run to be the first to start eating it!  LOL  It was really funny to me.  They kind of push and shove each other even though I broadcast the corn over a wide area.  The cup I use is actually a bowl with a handle and it holds a LOT of the corn.  They clean it all up, though.  I swear, they would eat all of TWO full cups if I threw it out for them.  They are pigs with feathers.

I am still amazed at how light in color Freddie has gotten these past couple of months.  It's very noticeable.  He looks like he's turning white and he struts around like he knows he's different (besides being the rooster).  The girls don't pick at him any more, either.  I'm wondering if it is a sign that he is finally mature now.  None of the magazines or the book I have about them mentions that at all.

Well, time to close this.  It's going to be cooler tomorrow (only mid-60's) but sunny most of the day.  Some rain possible, of course.  Tonight it's expected to go down to around 34 degrees and even colder tomorrow night.  All good weather must end...sigh.  It was just a tease.

Have a great night and an even better day.  Love you all.  Be happy.  ***Hugs***

Stupid Mistakes....

I blamed the stormy weather for my losing the internet and, it turns out, that wasn't the real reason.  I lost the internet last night right after the Beast went to bed but....I didn't put the two things together until later.  But I wasn't about to wake up the Beast since he hasn't really been sleeping well since he injured his ribs the other day.

Today, when I asked him why he was shutting down the internet when he turned off his computer, he went in to investigate how it was happening.  Turns out it was HIS error from where he had one of his printers attached to his computer.  He had added special printer cards on his computer when he built it but...he inadvertently plugged in one of his printers to the wrong port when he cleaned it the other day.  It made the router shut down when he turned off the power to the computer (because he had switched the printer/router plugins).  That knocked me off the internet.  

At least he got it fixed today.  He said he should never do anything technical when he's in pain and he was when he cleaned his computer.  He was in too much of a hurry and was distracted so he screwed up.  I'll find out for sure tonight and let you know.

It's an incredible day here today.  It's 76 degrees out right now and just gorgeous.  The sun is shining, the rooster is crowing and I feel great.  I'm getting ready to run up to the store to pick up a couple small items I need that I can't have the Beast pick up for me.  He IS a man, after all.  Some things just can't be done by one.....LOL

I'm hoping this new cold front that they say will be hitting us in a day or two won't bring more tornadoes with it.  Cross your fingers!  It's where the two fronts meet that the weird weather happens.

I'm going to run now but at least you know I am still alive and kicking.  Be good.  Be happy.  Most of all, be kind.  Remember how your mother use to say *IF you can't say anything good about someone, say nothing at all*?  Being kind is very much like that.  A kind word can mean little to you but mean everything to someone else who may be having a bad day.  ***Hugs***

Storny Weather.....

The weather yesterday....the whole day and into the night....was nasty.  There was lots of thunder and lightning off in the distance but no tornadoes.  That was actually kind of a surprise.  The poor dog didn't know what to do with himself because we didn't let him outside to play in the rain.  He really wanted to but, the fact that the cat didn't want to go out,  helped keep him in the house.  There seems to be a LOT of competition between those two....LOL.

The bad part was that we lost out connection to the internet.  That meant no post could be done last night.  I got up a couple times to check but nope!  I hate when that happens.  It has to be really tough conditions for it to happen.  The cloud cover must have been very thick for it to interfere.  That doesn't happen often but there's nothing you can do when your internet is via satellite.

The poor dog and cat were beside themselves with all the rain.  Dennis wanted to play in it but the cat did not.  Because the cat wouldn't go out in the rain, Dennis wouldn't go out.  There is a bit of competitiveness there and Dennis always makes a run for his chew toy....like he thinks the cat is going to get it....LOL

The Beast took Dennis out for a ride to the store.  Dennis gets so excited when the Beast picks up the training collar.  But he sits and waits for him to put it on him and then waits for the leash to be attached.  He's amazingly good when he goes to the store with the Beast.  I think he enjoys watching all the people walking back and forth.  The Beast will probably take him to the doggie park in a bit, now that they are home.   That will help tire out Dennis and should quiet him down for the evening.

My plans are just to get some wash done and put away.  I don't know how it happens but this room gets so messy.  Of course, it's not a large room and I have a lot of *stuff* in it.  I just wish I had a better desk.  Of course, the Beast has a beautiful desk but it really isn't one that I would like.  I need a couple shelves since I keep my diabetic supplies on them and also a few other things that don't do well in drawers.  But that will have to wait for a while.  I'm hoping to get a new one in April or May.  We just have some bills coming up that will mean no extra money for a new desk for me.  But it's not critical and I can wait for that to happen.  I am not in a real hurry to clean out this desk anyway....LOL

It's been a beautiful day today so far.  It's only 64 degrees outside but it's sunny and no wind.  It feels much warmer than that to me.  I've just spent 15 minutes tracking down empty hangers.  I swear, as soon as you need them, they hide!  But the Beast went out to the cottage and brought in some of the ones that I had banded together last year when we got rid of a lot of old clothes and packed away some of the seasonal ones.  I'm not ready yet to pack away the winter clothes.  I'm sure that will come in a couple weeks.

Well, I need to go for now.  The Beast bought some huge strawberries that I need to cut up (after I eat a few!) once I get my wash going.  Love you all.  Have a great day.  ***Hugs***

More Tornaodes Hit Midwest....

Looks like more weird weather is hitting both the Midwestern states and they are saying a LOT of snow for D.C. and New York.  I don't think we can get use to all the strange weather we are getting now.  Strange to think of it being caused by US.  Looks like technology has a real down-side to it.  As much as we love all the convenience, can we live with what it is doing to the world's weather?  Worse still, do we really think we can help heal it?  I don't know if that's really true.

I like to check on the Weather channel from time to time and that's how I know what the weather forecast is for the country.  I worry when we are having warm weather with a cold front behind it.  That's what seems to spawn the truly bad weather fronts that cause so many problems and, unfortunately, deaths.  Sad but true.  I haven't heard what the latest news is from the areas that have already been hit by tornadoes but it will still cause a lot of heartache for the people affected.  The best we can hope for is that it's mostly loss of power from downed lines and fallen trees.  The worst I don't even want to think about.  It's all just too sad.

They are saying it's possible for our area to be hit tomorrow by at least high winds.  All we can do is wait and see.  At least I won't be up all night worrying.....this time.

It was another nice, peaceful day for us.  The Beast got his new lens for the camera (a used one) and took some pictures with it.  Not pictures he wanted to keep....just to check on sharpness and a few other things like depth of field and how wide a field it gave him.  The lens looks like new.  I think it was probably returned due to one feature it doesn't have...and that is a very new feature of lots of lenses.  It helps prevent loss of focus due to shaking when it's hand-held.  But he's either gotten stronger or using the speed he was made a difference.  But enough of that.  

I'm just gathering strength with my up-and-down chores I do.  Today was a good day and no back aches.  But I am tired and it's late for me so I bid you all good night.

Love you all.  Be kind to everyone.  ***Hugs***