Happy New Year

      Do you have big plans to bring in the New Year? Do go to New Year's Eve party? They say it will warm up a little, but predicting more snow. You could actually go ice skating especially if there is a hill involved where the water ran down and froze again. The end of my driveway is ice covered. I put salt out everywhere that I needed it, but my driveway is longer then I want to do. I just have to be careful when I am out and about. I will watch the New Year's Eve programs on tv. Then I will watch the Rose Bowl parade on New Year's Day.

     We had a good Christmas. Hubby got to see all of his grandsons. Our daughter and her family on Christmas Eve, and our son's family came on Christmas Day. The boys including our son and son-in-law colored pictures for his wall. He has more decorations in his room and can look at them instead of bare walls.  I spent Christmas Day with him as the kids were going to the other side of their families. My daughter picked me up Christmas Eve and my son brought me home so that I didn't have to drive. I like those kind of presents.

     We had a scare, but things are better. He had evidently a touch of a flu bug going both ways. They gave him a shot to stop it because they didn't want him in the hospital. I was glad that I was there when he got sick, because they just thought at first it was because of the medicine he was taking. I told them that he vomited and needed to do something. They put him in the shower to clean him up. There is the usual going around some sound as though they have pneumonia. He has had his shot for that so we shall see. Why people come either to work or visit when they really should have stayed home is beyond me. 

     I ran the office today by myself. I was a little scared of it, but I made it just fine. Just needed to get in the swing of it.  I left my co-worker notes as to what I had done so she will know what she needs to do when she came in. 

    Talked to my oldest in Louisiana on Christmas Eve. We put the phone on speaker and wished him Merry Christmas. I don't know when he will get to come home. I was hoping, but I would sooner he didn't try to drive when the weather is so unpredictable. . 

    Guess what it is warming up now. Where was it earlier in the day when we could have stood it. Working on another project, so the hands are busy.

    Take Care.

Missouri Merry Christmas

     Merry Christmas from our home to yours this bitter cold morning. We had right around 8 inches of snow with a quarter inch of ice under it. I found out how thick the ice was when I went to clean my car off yesterday when I went to leave the house. 

    Yes, I was out yesterday and made it just fine. I just took my time watching what I did whether I was driving or walking. It is beautiful scenery for all those wonderful pictures that I like, but I  just want to have the streets and roads clear. 

    Please take the time to say an extra prayer for those in need this holiday season. There is so much devastation with the weather. Some have floods, the ice, snow, and some just wonder how they will make it through.

     My plans for the day will be go see my hubby, who I haven't seen for a few days, but we have talked several times each day by phone. The weather has kept me home because when it is bad I don't get out. After the snow I had to wait for my driveway to be cleared before I could go any place. I am not driving tonight someone in my family is picking me up to take me to my daughter's house for Christmas Eve. Then they will bring me home. It is my Christmas present from them. They say we might have some more snow.

    Christmas Day I will spend at the nursing home with my hubby. We will have a 10:00 A.M. Christmas Mass and then lunch. Midnight mass was always a beautiful time of the year. We went to those for many years. You went early to find your seat. 

     It is a happy and sad time for me if there is such a thing. My parents passed away around the holiday with my mom seven days before Christmas and my dad on Christmas Day. My mom died a few years before my dad. It gets better, but it still brings back those memories. If possible, please take the time for your parents either with a visit or a phone call to just let them know that you care. The happy memories is watching the boys growing up, getting grandma involved in their school activities and starting this next month it is basketball time with our middle grandson. It will be fun to watch. I haven't gone to a game in I don't know how long. He is so tiny in compared to the others, but then I remember my brother who was small when he played. He would duck under their arms and go around them. 

    We all will eat to much during the holiday season so the exercising will need to begin afterwards to take off the extra pounds from all of the sweets. I will be going to a going away/Christmas party after Christmas. We have one leaving where I spend one day a week helping my new friend so I can fill in for her if necessary. One thing about small offices, it is like family. 

     Take care and have a wonderful Christmas. Be safe and warm. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Our Luck Ran Out

     It's official our luck ran out today to be missed by the bad weather. We have had freezing rain today which they say we are going to be getting snow on top of it later this evening can be as much as 7 inches. I did get out long enough to mail the rest of my Christmas cards and get me something to eat. It had just started to sprinkle when I came out of my last stop  and I knew the best place for me was at home.  I went shopping with my daughter yesterday to try to finish up what I needed. I had a very enjoyable time with her.

    We needed to pick up my youngest grandson because daddy was working late. I though I was coming home instead they took me to dinner with them. It was amusing with my grandson ordering our drinks and dinner. He didn't ask he just did it. What was funny was that he was right.  We went to Famous Dave's. 

     He helped his other grandmother bake cookies yesterday and he was going to do that again this morning that was his work for today. He makes you laugh. I have spent my afternoon embroidering and watching the bearcats play for the National Championship in Alabama. Next year it will be closer to home playing at the soccer complex in Kansas City, Kansas  and I hope they are there again. They ended up 15-0 for the season. Not bad for a 2A collegiate team. They had over 4.000 there to watch them last weekend. 

     Have you got your Christmas dinner planned? Our family has decided not to do the traditional big meal, but to have homemade vegetable beef soup or chili with sandwiches. Of course, there will be sweets of all kinds which we really need. I definitely will have to exercise after the cookies, candy and all of the sweet treats. We always have the ham and turkey with all the trimmings and the two holidays are so close together or at least that is the way it seems. 

    The boys are all out of school for the next two weeks which I think everybody was ready to have a break. 

      Prayers are being said that you all have a safe and warm Merry Christmas. Mother Nature doesn't seem to want to be kind to us right at the moment. 

Take Care. 

Merry Christmas

      The countdown has started with just 5 days left until Christmas. The time has flown by with a blink of the eye. My grandsons all start their Christmas Vacation tomorrow. They are suppose to go for two and a half hours, just long enough to meet the state's requirement for it to be a day. 
     Matt's Christmas program was very good. It was the 2nd and 3rd grades together. They totalled a little over 80 children. Their gym was packed with parents, grandparents, and other family members. Every available seat was taken with some standing the whole time. I did enjoy it. I still don't know what the instrument was called that he got to play along with some others. The weather co-operated giving me enough time to go to the nursing home and being there for him. He is going to play basketball which will soon be starting. I will go and watch him. 
    Our teenagers thought they were to old to have their picture taken with Santa Claus, but everybody got their picture taken including the adults. Even mine was taken with Santa Claus. These are the kids who ride horses all summer with each other at the horse shows.
     They have been having Christmas programs at the nursing home and Santa Claus is suppose to come this afternoon. I will be going up, but a little later this afternoon. I went yesterday and enjoy the lady, who entertained them with her saxophone. She played Christmas music for over a hour with people singing. They served cookies and punch. 
     Hubby along with others got to go on the bus to see the Christmas lights last night there in town. He enjoyed it and that was the main thing. He was tired, but he got out in the fresh air with the temperature close to 60. It is 55 today, but they say that the temperature will change.
    Hope all is well with you and if you are traveling please be safe and careful. So many horrible accidents this year and so much just because they weren't driving for the weather conditions. Take care.  

Bad Weather Coming????

    Is the weatherman right? Are we going to get some more?. I did a few errands today just in case  the weather turns bad. They have been talking about it all day and makes you really wonder if it is going to happen. We still have snow on the ground, but they are saying we are going to start with rain, sleet, and snow. I am not going to worry because if they actually are right I will just stay home. 

   My cell phone battery went completely dead today. First time, I have done that, but my son called today and we talked for almost a hour. It was good to hear his voice. He won't be home for Christmas and doesn't know when he is going to come home. He will fly if and when he does because of the unpredictable weather. He might get stranded at the airport so I don't even know if that would be a good idea. He was going to bed after he got through talking because he had to be at work at 3:30 A.M. He had worked almost a 12 hour day yesterday.

     One more custom order to complete then I think I will go back to working on other things. I need to get my Christmas shopping done. We just basically buy for the boys. I usually make the girls something or take it out of my unsold stash as my grandson calls it. 

     They were having a book sale at the nursing home today. I looked, but I thought he was a little high priced on what he had. I know you need to make money, but most of the people don't have money. They got new finches and fish this week. They have several different types of finches and the residents like to go set and watch them. We do that quite often when I go up so that he can get out of his room. 

     We got the results back from his labs. Some things were as expected and they want to redo in a month. They know there is a problem, but not sure as to exactly what we are dealing with. We just take every day that we get and pray for another one. I still say prayers is what has gotten us this far since he first got sick. 

     I have been setting here watching the temperature drop from the time that I got home. It has dropped 12 degrees in roughly three hours. Doing some reading and trying to finish Christmas cards. Hubby keeps asking if I am through. He thinks I have a lot more time then I do. Of course, I don't set an alarm clock anymore. If I want to sleep late, I do. 

      With the unpredictable weather, please be safe and stay warm. Take care.

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Black Ice

     I heard the tires spinning and looked out the window. One of my neighbors driveway is on an incline. It took him I don't know how many tries to get up the hill. When I walked to the mailbox, I could see the spots of black ice on the street. I wonder how many wrecks there will be because of it. 

     I stayed home today because of the cold. I worked yesterday and the furnace wasn't working that good. I even dressed warmer, but it was still cold. I felt like I had caught a cold and I didn't want to give it to my hubby. He was fine with me staying at home. He doesn't want to worry about me driving in the cold.

     I think of all of my friends who have worse weather then I do. It is the wind chill that I don't like. I know that I have to go to the grocery store and buy a few groceries to add to what I already have on hand. I know that hot soup sounded good for supper tonight.  Cold weather makes me hurt. I am trying to be very careful and not fall remembering what I went through last year when I fell on the ice. I didn't break anything, but this year I might not be so lucky. 

     Have you ever put something where you will know just where it is at? I have been hunting for a list that I layed up and I haven't found it yet. I guess I am just going to have to go from memory that should really prove interesting. 

     There has been several post on face book and blogs about Christmas of the past. Remembering when we were growing up, how we celebrated Christmas then as compared to now. When I started school, we went to a one room school house. When the snow came, we took our sleds to school. We would go coasting at noon and needless to say the teacher had a hard time getting us back inside because we were having to much fun. We would build snowmen and forts. Have snowball fights, skate on the ice on the creeks, walk on top of the snow drifts. Get in trouble for using mom's wash tub, a scoop shovel to coast in, but we had fun. Decorating a tree brought in from the pasture, yes I do remember the tinsel that mom always wanted put on one strand at time. We would just throw it. 

     Cooking on a wood stove and taking an iron wrapped in newspaper to bed to help keep us warm. When you talk about that now, you get looked at as though we lost our mind. We had a lot of fun growing up with  so many brothers and sisters. We always had friends at our house especially when we moved closer to town. Cookies and hot chocolate would be waiting for us when we would come in from coasting. I still say the kids today need to know about history and what we have gone through. 
     Would you all do me a favor and like my facebook page? It will help me. I will greatly appreciate it and return the favor. 

    Have a wonderful day and try to stay warm and safe. 

Brr!

      Can't you just see walking down the street Christmas shopping? I don't know where the picture was taken at, but I thought it was beautiful with the snow and decorations. 

   Snow on the ground and another day of bitter cold weather. It was a good day to stay inside. I have talked to my hubby a couple times today. He told me yesterday that I would be spending the day at home. Other then getting  the newspaper, I didn't go outside today. I am suppose to work tomorrow, but it will be wait and see.

      I did get out yesterday, but it was only to go to the nursing home. I ended up eating supper with him. He says that he is full without eating all of his supper, which worries me because he hasn't ate that much. 

     According to the news there were quite a few slide off's today. It meant that they weren't driving the way they should for the road condition. My niece was coming down to Christmas shop, but after watching the car lose it in front of them. They went back home. 
     I thought I would show you some of the tea towels I just finished. They are going to be going to a new home. I am happy the way they turned out. My grandson did the  picking colors for me when we were at the craft show. 
       Yesterday was the rocket race for my youngest grandson cub scout project. He finished second. He would have had first only he didn't get his finger out of the way fast enough after he wound up the rubber band. He got a trophy to add to his shelf. 
Next will be the pine wood derby. He is already talking about the car he wants. He is very competitive, wants to win, but doesn't bother him if he doesn't. He just says he needs to try harder. 
     Christmas will soon be here and I know I probably won't be ready. Christmas makes me remember my dad, who passed away on Christmas Day. When I was in college and went home, I would go to the barn setting on the steps while he milked the cows. I always spent time talking with both of my parents. They were the sounding board. They let us voice our opinion and told us what they thought. Normally we would do what they wanted us to do. 
     This time of the year brings back the memories of the coasting parties, hot chocolate, cookies that was always ready when we came in while growing up not far from town. Our house was full of friends.
     We would all go home for Christmas and there was always something under the tree for all. One year it was covered sponge balls. Needless to say they were flying through the air. Walking on top of snow drifts to get home, did that one year too. 
     Wherever you are at and whatever weather you have, please be safe and warm. Take care.


 

Update

The cold weather is here and I am not really ready, but I guess I will have to be. We got a trace of snow, but the wind chill was single digits. 

We went to the doctor's today and they are running  some blood studies to see what that will tell us. There is not enough fluid  on his stomach to drain at the present time, but we will do do an another ultra sound in three months and go back to see the doctor again. We have to find a way to help without causing other problems. You have to find a delicate balance with him. I know that I felt better after talking with her today. I really like her every time that we have seen her.

I found my picture on Amazing Places and Breathtaking scenery facebook page.  I  always find pictures that I like. They have beautiful pictures from all over the world regardless of what season it is. I love the snow scenery even if I don't really care to drive in it. I know I am a little weird. They are talking that we could have the snow this weekend. I was a little scared of what I would find this morning when I left the house and it was still dark, but I made it just fine. We had a very good driver to take us to the city, who took good care of hubby getting him in and out of the van. Some areas in the city you had a thin layer of ice. He said that he was use to snow and ice because he grew up in Iowa. The wind was strong when you were on the highway.

After we got back, I stayed and had lunch with my hubby than I came home. I was going to take a nap, but figured I would feel worse if I did. My fruit basket came in that I ordered so I am enjoying red, yellow delicious apples, pears, oranges, and it even has some pieces of chocolate that melts in your mouth. The basket is cute. 

Northwest Missouri University where I went to college is playing in the football playoffs, If they win, they will play for the national championship, but I don't think I would want to go to the game with the temperature only getting to maybe 19. I am cheering for them and hoping we go all the way. 

Hope you all are having a good week, staying warm, and safe. Hugs and Prayers are going out to those in need. We can never have to many and I believe that is what has kept us going. Take care. 

Busy Weekend and Pictures

 It has been a very busy weekend with the craft show, going to the nursing home, and a Christmas party this afternoon.  Santa and his helper made the party bringing gifts for all of the kids 12 and under. Pictures were taken of the kids as well as the adults with Santa. I even had my picture taken with Santa Claus. Nobody went home empty handed without a gift. The horse club furnished the ham, turkey, and the drinks. Everybody else brought cover dishes and desserts. If you went away hungry, it was no body's fault but your own. 

It was such a pretty day so that the kids could be outside. A very enjoyable afternoon. I thought I would show you pictures taken at our 50th wedding anniversary party. You can see our cake on the top tier with cupcakes on the other tiers. The first picture is of hubby and I.

 Grandpa and grandma with our three boys. They keep us going. Jake, 14 with the tie, Ethan 8 in dark plaid shirt and Matt 9 sitting in the chair by grandpa. This month will be a little busy with Christmas programs. Matt is one of 8 that gets to play an musical instrument. I am already marking up the calendar for what I have to do. If I don't put it on the calender I will forget it.

Hubby and I with our daughter and one of our sons. Our oldest didn't get to come home. I am hoping maybe at Christmas time he will be home, but we don't know. It will remain to be seen and will be a pleasant surprise if it does happen. They are the parent of our three grandsons. 

The last picture is all of us including spouses. 

They help take care of mom. I know that I got to get my Christmas shopping started as fast as November went it will go entirely to fast.  

This Thursday is our doctor appointment and I hope that we don't have bad weather. I just want some answers. 

 I will continue to pray for all of those in need. Hope all of you have a wonderful week. Take care.