Feb 07

A Little Snow

Yesterday, there actually was some winter weather around here. We got ice/sleet/rain/snow on Wednesday night, creating a real mess. Yesterday morning, I spent about 2 hours shoveling what looked for all the world like a frozen margarita off our drive. It wasn’t a lot of fun, but it was good exercise.

After a busy rest of the day, Papa and I had to sit here a worry about all our chicks until they arrived home. It snowed, and the roads weren’t any too good. It took much longer than usual for everyone to get here and I was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Or something like that. But they all made it fine, and I am none the worse for the worry.

This morning, it took 3 hours to clear the snow from the drive. I didn’t finish, but Papa will get the snow blower out later when he gets home. I need to learn to start the snow blower. I have problems with pull cords becasue of my arthritus, but I need to try.

I spent some time helping step-dad with a new cell phone. He has been having problems with the one I gave him, so I got another. That’s the bad thing about the darn things – they aren’t made for technologically challenged people. He has problems with hearing, and the buttons which are too close together and too small. I understand, sometimes even I have problems seeing the tiny screens. Really, we just want to be able to make and receive calls. I don’t need messages, or Internet on my phone, or any of that stuff. I think it’s fine if you have it, but I don’t need it, and neither does he. Anyway, I took the phone there, and he could use it, so I left. Just now, he called and said that he can’t call his daughter, he gets a message that says the number isn’t working. I said we need to check the number that is programed in, and ask him if he can try calling by dialing (by hand), not using the phone book. That’s revolutionary, isn’t it? Anyway, I’m expecting him tomorrow so we can work on the phone. Wish me luck, and look up his daughter’s phone number for me, would you? If I need any of his kids, I e-mail them and wait for a reply.

Feb 05

****Winter Storm Warning

MyCast has thoughtfully sent me yet another winter storm warning. Oh wait, they wouldn’t send it if I didn’t subscribe. I am beginning to wonder why I did subscribe; I have a faint recollection that it seemed like a good idea at the time. Once again, we may get inches of snow, or some sleet and not much else. GS2 will be speculating about the chances of a snow day for tomorrow as soon as he arrives home. The schools took a day off Friday, and it turned out to be for no good reason. I’m thinking that they aught to assume that things will be fine, and worry when they aren’t.

Here is another good idea I’ve had, do some genealogy. I have let that portion of my life pile up, undone, for months. First it was my Mom’s illness, then my S-in-L’s mothers illness, then this, then that. Perhaps you know how it is once you start postponing things. Around here, ignored things cease to exist. But, my genealogy takes up huge amounts of space in our small home, and it dominates the area near my desk. I have spent the better part of the last ten years doing something about my genealogical research every week, if not every day. I miss it, it is my old friend. So, I’ve decided that I’d better get busy, in some sort of way. I will do something, even a hour, each day. I’ll try to make a genealogy post now and then, so I can see that I actually did something.

Today, I did do something, but not related to genealogy. I began a project to organize my sewing patterns. I did that by scanning the whole works. I started last night, worked late, worked most of the day, and finished this afternoon. The next problem, combining the scans of the envelope front with it’s respective back, and re-saving in a folder. Then, I’ll be entering the whole works in a database so I can see what I have. My pattern collection has been culled several times. Lately the darn things are getting so expensive, that I thought I should use what I have, instead of buying more. My pattern collection was recently augmented by Sally’s pattern collection. By the looks of it, she never culled, and she frequently bought the same pattern in several sizes. OK, I admit it, I do that sometimes too. I also think she was given some patterns by friends, since many are older style girl’s clothing, and she had only a son. Perhaps people gave them to her when GD1 was born, or maybe she got them at garage sales or closeouts.

The moral of today’s post, I’m thinking about being productive, even if I have not reached the point of actually being productive. I know, no points for dreaming.

Feb 04

Super Story

I got my wish, Eli had a good day.  I know I was the only one in our small living room rooting for the underdog, so I kept it quiet.  How nice for the little guy.  I’ve got a lot to do today, and I have to visit the dentist for fillings later, but I did read the paper, start the wash, and so on.  But i did take a minute to look at the Boston and New York headlines.

Have a good one!

Feb 03

Super Day

Today is the day, finally the last football game of the season (if you don’t count the Pro Bowl) will be played.  The main concerns around here, “What foods are we having?”  That is a family member quote, but I’m not saying who.  I’m pretty sure that Tom Brady will finish the Pat’s fine season with a win.  But I love underdogs, so I might silently root for Eli to have a great day.  Anyone who has ever lived in a shadow of a sibling or parent might also want to do that.

I’m sewing, again.  I hope to accomplish a little this morning.  Yesterday was a washout.  I’ve had 3 days of sinus headache, and nothing is done.  We didn’t go see our friend Mike fill in with a band Friday, and we didn’t go see a band we wanted to learn more about Saturday.  We sure did want to do those things, but we didn’t.

Next Saturday, we’ll be in our former home-town, Cadillac,  helping Papa’s Mother celebrate her birthday.  We’re hoping to make a concert by Detour in that fine city.  So if all works out, we’ll see a fine group of folks we’ve rarely seen in the past 20 years. 

And now, back to the sewing.

Feb 01

Weather?

So everything on earth is cancelled, schools are closed, and I can see about 4 inches of snow.  It is not snowing right now, at least not too hard.  Traffic on our closest mile road is moving quite nicely.  I notice that last night’s forecast of 10-12 inches was somehow reduced to 4-7 inches this morning.   Just now I checked the weather channel and they are saying 3-5 inches. 

 No wonder no one believes the predictions of doom.  How can 12 inches become 5 inches?  Where is our snow?

Jan 31

The Keys are Found, and a Speech is Made

So, after I turned the Front porch and our entry way upside down yesterday, Papa walked out into the garage and immediately found my keys on top of a box of boots. I am grateful, and thankful that I had the good sense to marry him almost 39 years ago. He never once said anything about my growing tendency to mislay things, and never got upset. He just smiled and offered to help out. I hope you all are married to nice people like that.

I guess we might have found them tomorrow, we’re supposed to get a huge snow storm. But, the weather men love the idea that it might snow, so perhaps they are putting too much emphasis on it. I hope.

Replacing that major problem in my life is one that Papa can’t help me with. I run a mailing list for a club I belong to. It quit working. I’ve spent the day, and it still isn’t working. The change was brought on when my websites were moved from one server to another, an upgrade of sorts. This type of thing happens often, and usually everything is fine. This time, the script I’m using is being obstinate, and so am I. I hope to win the battle in the next few days…

Oh yes, and there is my usually untouchable subject, politics. Anyone watch Kwame explain himself last night? We did, an unusual move around here, but we have had people tell us that they NEVER mention Detroit when telling where their home is, they say, “North of Toledo”, or actually name the suburb. This big mess, not the first one that Mayor Kilpatrick has been involved in, explains why some want to disassociate themselves with Detroit. Those who would defend the Mayor, or his actions, might wish to consider the impact that has been made on long term prospects for the City.

I’m putting my soapbox away, and I’m getting out the instruction manual for the mailing list.

Watch out for snow!

Jan 30

And, the Keys are not:

At the restaurant we ate in on Sunday.  Mixed in with the kids’ toys on the front porch (it’s cold out there).  In, around, on or under the clothes washer and dryer.

I’m beginning to think they are lost for good..

Jan 29

Where They are Not

There were 7 cat toys, a die cast car, an bookmark and some dust in the sofa, but no car keys.  More cat toys under it, but no car keys.  Not in or under the chairs, tables, TV or Papa’s computer desk in the living room either.  Not in the basement.  Not in the garbage.  But, I did find the spare key to my small car in a coat pocket.  So, the pressure is off, and all my coats, jackets and other stuff is real clean.

I’ve got some other things to do, then the key hunt will resume.

Jan 28

Bad Monday

So far this one has been underwhelming.  I started out with a little correspondence, including an inquiry from our insurance company.  They want to know the odometer reading on one of the cars, they probably don’t think it could move a little as we say it does.  I’d love to fill in the space and send it in, but I can’t find my car keys.  I think I used them to help Papa load the van when we took the little grandchildren to meet their parents yesterday.  They aren’t in the van, the garage, or our catch all side room.  All are considerably cleaner than they were earlier.  They aren’t in the fridge, freezer, or on any kitchen counter.  Those are pretty neat now, too.  Not on the kitchen floor, the bay window in the dining room, under, in or on the sewing machine or my computer desk.  It looks pretty good in that half of the dining room right now too.  I look for the spare keys, and can’t find the one to the car in question.

I check all my coat pockets for either set.  I wash the coats, checking all flat surfaces in the basement.  I check in the “junk drawer”, and they aren’t there.  I’m getting pretty frustrated right now.  I’m preparing to clean the bedroom, and then the living room.  If I don’t find them in or under a chair, bed or table, I’m going to have to dump the toy boxes on the front porch.  I already sent an e-mail to D2, asking that she check all the stuff the kids brought home, just in case. 

Who knows?

Jan 25

The Lewis Family

OK , watch this:

Late last summer,  Janis mentioned we might be interested in attending this taping. I surewish we had! You might find more at the Lewis Family site.