Monday, January 31, 2011

Just 48 More Days Till Spring!!!

January 31, 2011
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Good morning everybody. I don't know what it's like outside yet, as it is still very dark out there. It's only 5:20 am, but I thought I would post now, then I can maybe get a couple of errands done when I get home this morning. (I'm still at work.) Can you believe? January is just about gone!! We just have to make it through the day, and then it will be February. Then, there will only be seven weeks left till Spring!!!!! Actually just 48 more days!!!!!
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Tomorrow the CU Blog Train will be starting, and next week I will start posting a brand new kit for you. Once Miss Su is well and back on her feet, she will join me in posting, but for now I will give you my parts. Gosh, I hope she is well soon as I was hoping she could join me for a while when I go to Florida for my vacation.
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At least, I think I'm still going on vacation. There always seems to be something more important that's needing attention, and life somehow manages to mess things up when it's vacation time. But I'll keep my toes and fingers crossed and hope that all goes well this year. So far, snow removal and heating oil have been using up all of my resources.
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Today, my son will be going home from the hospital. Gary Jr, I'm praying for a speedy recovery for you. Tomorrow, Dee Dee will be hobbling over to spend some time visiting with me. It's sounding like my angels are working overtime here.
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Today I have some rather pretty winter photos to share. These are some of the ones that I took yesterday morning on my way home from work. Gosh, you won't believe this, but I have just spent 20 minutes trying to upload three photos!!! Blogger is having bad hair day, I guess.
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This first photo shows the tops of some bushes covered in thick frost. Even the chain link fence is all frosted over. I thought it was so pretty. It just looks like icy fringe.
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This next photo was taken in the Dunkin Donuts parking lot. I just noticed that I must have found the only mended link on the fence. See the round link? But you can see how the frost is making everything look so beautiful.
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At the back of the parking lot, there is a hill with lots of tall weeds and brush growing there. They looked so hopeful, that I had to take photos of them too. There are no blossoms, yet they are still quite beautiful waving against a blue sky.
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Well, I think it's time for me to finish up some last few things here. My replacement will be here in an hour, and then Miss Tootsie and I can go home. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a fantabulous day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Where Are We Supposed To Put The Snow?

January 30, 2011
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Well, I was going to say how lovely and sunny it was here, but in the last half hour the sun has disappeared. The weatherman says we may have snow flurries later today. Now ain't that a surprise!!
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I'm watching on the TV how everyone is having a problem finding places to put the snow. Some places are trucking it away to empty lots and creating mountains for the kids to slide on. Well, that's not what they had in mind, but children are very creative.
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The huge mounds of snow along the streets and on the street corners is just amazing. This morning I stopped along the way to take a few photos. This first photo is at the end of a street near my home. I smudged the names on the street signs to give the neighbors privacy. As you can see, any more snow and we won't even be able to find our street signs. Some folks are traveling around on skis. No thanks, I'll stick to riding in my car.
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I thought this next photo was a riot! It shows how one family had to dig into the frozen snow at the roadside to find their mail box so they could get mail delivery. I "pinked" out their address number for privacy. It also shows how dirty the snow piles alongthe streets are becoming. Not so pretty any more.
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Last, but not least, I thought I would show you a pretty frost covered tree. I have more "arty" frost pictures but I will save them for tomorrow.
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Next Wednesday is Ground Hog Day, and we have another major storm expected Tuesday and Wednesday. Hmmmm! I wonder if the Ground Hog will see his shadow or just go back in his warm little hole and hibernate till Summer?
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Well now I think I will drink my coffee, and play a bit with Tootsie. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a wonderful day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Gosh! I Found Me A Keeper!!

January 29, 2011
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I'm getting a rather late start this morning. Tootsie and I got up earlier around 7 am, and then went right back to bed. I'm sitting here with a cup of coffee, and the weather channel is on so that I can learn about the new storm that is going to hit us in a few days.
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Mother Nature must be going through menopause because the weather has been wicked crazy for the past few months, especially this winter. It's looking like the new storm might be bringing an awful lot of ice with it. Oh joy, oh joy!!
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Yesterday morning, I got up a little before 5 am to see if we had been plowed out. Oh my!! Not one tiny drop of snow was missing from my yard. At 5 am, I started making calls. One to the plow guy who never showed up, one to another plow guy for just in case, and at 6 am, one to my boss to let them know I could not make it to work.
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At 5:15 am, I watched out my window as a little sidewalk plow crept along the sidewalk out front and put even more snow and ice in front of the entrance to my yard. This is really getting sad. It just makes it more difficult for a plow to even get in here.
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The missing snow plow guy called me a few hours later to apologize for not being here the night before. He said he came by and saw that we had already been plowed and kept right on going. I told him he was obviously at some other address as we still could not get out of here. He promised to come by in a bit and plow us out.
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He did show up, and did a FANTASTIC job. I asked him to put us on his list of "regular" customers. Actually, he did the best job that any plow guy has ever done here. Plus, he went around with a shovel to pick any bits that were left behind by the plow blade in front of the cars and the steps going into the house. My goodness, where has he been hiding all these years??? This guy is definitely a keeper!
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Rhoda, if you're reading this, don't be laughing!!! In case you don't know my friend Rhoda, she is enjoy some warm temperatures in sunny Florida while I am buried in snowy New England. Way to go, Rho!!!
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Folks, get ready for another huge Gothic Inspirations Blog Train. It's coming on Tuesday, the first of February. And the best part? It's a CU blog train. You won't want to miss it!!
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For photos, I have two that I took a couple of weeks ago when it was raining a bit. It was night time, and I opened my window and took these of the hedge right outside. I am always fascinated by the pretty patterns and pictures in the rain drops that cling to each little needle or leaf.
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Is there anyone else out there nutty like me who gets pleasure out of photographing raindrops? Let me know. It will feel good to know that I am not the only one getting high off nature.
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For putting up with all my snow stories, and photos of raindrops, I have a QP freebie for you. I realize the number on it is out of sequence with previous QP's, but I figure we are ready for a scrap page that has nothing to do with winter or holidays. The little fairy looks like she is praying to Mother Nature for an early Spring. Gosh, I hope it works!!
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"EB - QP 050"





















Here is your download link for "EB - QP 050"
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As for news about my family, Dee Dee is recovering nicely (though painfully) from her broken leg and has just started some physical therapy. Audrey has bounced back from her bout with a nasty winter cold, and Gary Jr has come through his surgery okay, and is out of intensive care. I talked with him briefly last night and it made my heart happy.
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On that note, it's time for me to make some lunch for Tootsie. She is sitting here patiently with a hungry look on her face. I'm gone!! Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a fantabulous day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Lots Of Pretty Popcorn Trees

January 28, 2011
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Well, that did it!! We are all stuck here and can't get our cars (or trucks) out. There is just too darn much snow, and the snow plow never did show up yesterday or last night. Obviously, that means that not only can I not get out to go to work, I cannot even get out to go to the market. Oh well, we won't go hungry as I try to keep the pantry and freezer stocked.
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I guess the worst part is that the mail man will not deliver any mail, and every time the city plows go by, they make matters worse by piling more snow and ice up at the entrance to my yard. Gosh, I wonder if this is how hibernation feels? Now I have to get busy and see about getting another plow guy in here today. Wish me luck!!
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For those of you wondering about the difference between yesterday's black and white photo, and it's original, here is what the original looks like. It was just a pretty rose bud trying very hard to stay alive after some rain and cold weather.
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Another photo that I will share was taken on a street lined with what I like to call "Popcorn Trees." All the trees have small frozen chunks of snow all up and down their branches, and they look as though they are sprinkled with popcorn.
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As you can see, I will photograph most anything and look for some beauty in it. However, I don't think I will be going outside this morning to take photos of the snow. I am just so sick of looking at all that snow!!! (I mean the stuff in my yard. Everyone else can keep theirs if they want it.)
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How about another photo? Here's one I took yesterday of my Tootsie. She has a very mischievous look on her face, as though she's trying to figure out how to pee on one those scatter rugs and not get caught. She can be so naughty sometimes!!! But how can you get mad at her?
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Well, now I think I will make a cup of coffee, and try to figure out how to get rid of all of this snow. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a wonderful day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

The View From My Window

January 27, 2011
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What can I say? This white stuff just loves us!! I looked out my window this morning, and there was another foot of new snow on everything. I am watching the weather channel on the TV and it shows the weather pattern for the next seven days. The only two days that do NOT show snow for us is Sunday and Monday. Well, now. That's just spiffy!!
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Here's the view outside my window this morning. In the first photo, the large white blob is my car. I see a bit of shoveling in the future??
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This next photo shows the tops of the hedge just outside my window. It is a bit protected from the weather because of a large awning over both windows.
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All this wonderful snow, and no birds! I'd rather have the birds. The other day, we had one lonely, hungry squirrel feasting on the birdseed that we spread on the ground. I know, they are rather pesky, but they get cold and hungry too.
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For those of you who were not able to pick up Su's Parts 5 & 6 to "A Merry Berry New Year," I will post them here for you. She did manage to put up links, but they were not the right ones.
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I tried to contact her, but had no luck. However, late yesterday her daughter sent me an email to let me know that Su has been ill, and has landed in the hospital. Oh dear! So join me please, and send good thoughts and wishes for a speedy recovery to Su. Just click on her name if you would like to leave some thoughts on her blog.
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Also in the hospital today is my son. His surgery is scheduled for this morning. I'm praying that everything goes well for him. I love you son.
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It's a good thing that I had the meeting at the nursing home yesterday, because I would not have been able to get out today. At the meeting, there were a lot of papers to sign before Howie could be admitted. We worked our way through half of the paperwork, and I will go back in a few days to finish up the rest of the paperwork. I'm thinking (and hoping) that Howie can be happy in his new home.
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How about a different kind of photo for a change from the snow? I've been playing with Black & White, and came up with this. For some reason, it seems to lose some of it's quality when I size it down to post here. Ah well, so I still have lots to learn here!!
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Now I think I need to get dressed and see what kind of mischief I can get into for today. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a fantabulous day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

New Storm Warning For New England

January 26, 2011
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Good morning folks. We have a storm warning here from around 4 pm today till 10 am tomorrow. More snow is on the way in, what else is new? It looks like at least another foot of the stuff is coming. Gosh, I'm so excited!!
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I've also been following the weather for Florida. I have family and friends there, and news of tornadoes and heavy rains there yesterday bothers me quite bit. I don't think I remember seeing this much bad weather in so many places at once.
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This will be a short post, because Tootsie and I have to go out in a little while. I've been talking with both the hospital and the nursing home, and it seems that Howie has been accepted by the nursing home and will be admitted there early this afternoon. Before that can happen, I have to go to the nursing home and fill out some paper work.
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There is no one here to stay with Tootsie, so she will have to come with me. For new readers who don't know, Tootsie has separation issues, and will have an anxiety attack or seizures if she is left alone even for just a few minutes. I really don't know why this is, but I love her still and do whatever I have to do to keep her feeling safe.
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Today's photos were taken a couple of weeks ago. This little Yellow Finch was sitting on a branch and keeping an eye on the feeder. Right after I shot these photos, he flew to the feeder for his turn. These tiny feathered creatures are a constant source of joy for me. And you too, I hope.
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I got some very good feedback for my "saver" issues, and will put it to use when I start on my computer room. There seems to be enough stuff in there to sink a boat (as my mother would say!). Wish me luck!
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As I said earlier, I have to go out shortly, so it's time for me to finish up my coffee and get dressed. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a great day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

A Good Time For Closet Cleaning

January 25, 2011
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Good morning from my little part of snowy New England. Yup, you heard me right. It's snowing again. When I looked out my window this morning, everything was covered with more of the white stuff. Goodie, goodie.
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Yesterday, I went to visit at a local Alzheimer's nursing facility. It is one of the places where I am trying to secure a spot for Howie. I had a nice interview with the director, and am hoping that this will out well, and they will be able to accept Howie.
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My next project is to find a new prescription coverage program. This is not so easy as my medications are on the expensive list. However, I do have to find a program soon. I have been quite busy with other things these past few weeks, and have neglected this particular project.
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Today's photos were taken this past Friday. The new falling snow brought out lots of hungry little birds to the feeders. Here we have a little Sparrow and a Tufted Titmouse.
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The little birds in my yard have been few and far between this winter. We keep the feeder filled, but there just aren't many little birds out here. I get most of my bird photos at work on Fridays.
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Later today, I'm hoping to do some more designing. My portion of the new February kit is almost finished. Plus, I want to restock my QP freebie folder. Then I need to make another backup of all my files. I have two 1T external drives that I use for backing up my laptop. One is a great little portable size that I can carry around with me.
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It's also a good time to start cleaning out my closets. I am a "saver" so this will be difficult. My dear sister in law is also a "saver" and assures me that together we can do this task. We will be moral support for each other.
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I have some clothes that I have not worn for many years, yet I still don't get rid of them. How come? Because just maybe I will fit into them again one year. Ya Right!!! I think now is a good time to let go of them. But can I do it? We'll see.
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Now I think I will get dressed and get started on today's adventures. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a wonderful day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Frozen Toesicles!

January 24, 2011
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I would normally say "Good Morning" but I'm too damn cold!!! Yes, I know it is much warmer here in my little part of the house than it is outside, but I am still very cold. There is only a crawl space under my section of the house. Therefore, my feet are frozen, and if I could type with them on, I would put my toasty warm "Wisconsin" mittens on my hands. However, they don't have fingers in them, just one big finger holder and a thumb.
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To make matters worse, I have to go out in a little while to do some errands. Gosh, if only I could put them off until Spring!! I'm going to have to do some serious thinking about how many of these miserable Winters I can really stand. You know, it wouldn't be so bad if I did not have to go to work or out to do errands. I could just stay in my warm and cozy little bed and hibernate for the winter. Oh boy, that does sound good!!
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I have a photo to share this morning that I took yesterday morning as I was leaving work. The trees in the field across the street were covered with hoar frost. (At least that's what I think you call it!) That's how cold out it is!!
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Now I think I will attempt another cup of coffee. The first one froze while I was trying to drink it!! Before I go, I will post the last parts, 5 & 6, of "A Merry Berry New Year." I hope you're enjoying it.
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Here are your download links for Parts 5 and 6.
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Once you have these downloaded, hop on over to Su's blog and pick up her last two parts of the kit.
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Now I 'm going to see about unfreezing my feet. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a great day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

The Weather Here Is Frigid!!!

January 23, 2011
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It's a BR-R-R-R!!! morning here in my little part of New England. I'm not sure what the temperature is at the moment, but on my way home this morning it was about 2 degrees below 0. I know other folks in other parts of the country have it colder, but I just don't like this cold. My friends in Wisconsin say it was 14 degrees below 0 the night before last. Nope! Not for me!!
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Last night when I got to work, I drove over some snow and a huge chunk of ice got caught up under the front end of my car. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get it dislodged. This morning, after running the engine for about 25 minutes and going forward and backing up a bit, I was finally able to dislodge the chunk of ice. Thank goodness for that!
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Last night I watched a few of Al's (See Al's link at the top and side of this blog) tutorial videos. Hmmm, very interesting, so I'll have to try a few of them this week. I did manage to do a bit of designing with new brushes, and finished a couple of new QP's. Later this week, I'll start posting the new QP freebies.
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I took today's photos this past Friday at work. Obviously, they were taken through the window, but I think they came out pretty good. These poor little Juncos were sitting in the tree, waiting their turn at the feeder. I just couldn't resist taking the photos.
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Folks, if you have birds, make sure you have feeders filled with good bird seed. These precious little birds are counting on us to make sure they have enough to eat throughout the Winter. They also like the suet and peanut butter squares. It helps to keep them warm.
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It's time to start making Tootsie's lunch now, so I'll be signing off here. Joe is making lunch for us today. That's a nice treat. I have a nice group of dwarfs here. So till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a wonderful day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Sunny, But Miserably Cold

January 22, 2011
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Br-r-r-r!! Gosh, it's miserably cold here and getting colder. We'll be playing with temperatures of zero and below zero over the next few days and nights. I know some folks have this sort of stuff all winter, but I am just not into it. And the worst part? There's talk of another big storm on it's way here in a few days. The good thing is that the sun is shining. It will help to take the edge off the cold.
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Whatever happened to the good old days when we had four seasons? Is it just me or have any of you noticed that we now have only two seasons with a short space in between them when flowers pop up and leaves fall down. We seem to go from cold to hot, and then hot to cold.
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When I was a girl, we had a part between Summer and Fall called "Indian Summer." That was a gorgeous time when the days were warm and the leaves changed colors and fell. I remember walking to school with other kids, and we would be kicking leaves of red, yellow, orange and green all the way to school. Funny how our fun was so simple back then.
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Yesterday's snow storm was an opportunity for a lot of photos, and here are three that I want to share. I haven't seen any European Starlings lately, so this one was a nice surprise. These three photos were taken in a row, one after the other.
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I don't know what happened to the seed, or if the bird was just spitting it out. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to the seed. I didn't even notice it until I looked at the photos later on my laptop. I love these kind of surprises.
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While I'm posting here, there is a children's craft show on the television. And you know what? It's really quite interesting. I think I'll tune in to it once in a while to see what sort of things they are making. Today they made a collage with water colors, plastic wrap and torn pieces of paper. I still have a collage that my daughter Kerri made for me when she was in the second grade. It, too, was made with water colors and torn bits of paper.
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Well, I think it's time to get dressed, have another cup of coffee and do a bit of blog hopping. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a fantabulous day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Friday, January 21, 2011

For Goodness Sakes, More Snow!!

January 21, 2011
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The snow is coming down fast and furious here in my little part of New England. I had to go out and clean off my car twice early this morning, and still it was covered when I went out to leave for work. The roads were very slippery, and the visibility was poor.
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The weatherman says we should be getting somewhere around 8 inches of the white stuff. I believe him. We are getting at least an inch an hour. Here's a photo I took when I got to work this morning.
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This snowfall isn't supposed to stop until later this afternoon. I hope the roads are better when I have to travel on them to go home. I saw lots of plow trucks out this morning, but not one of them had their plows down. I wonder how they think they are going to clean the streets if they don't drop their plows.
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I need to correct one thing that I posted yesterday. My son's surgery isn't until next week. My bad. So many of my family and friends have been in and out of the hospital lately that it is sometimes hard to keep track.
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That's all for this morning. The Mrs. is waking and I have to get busy here. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a great day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

A Busy Day Ahead

January 20, 2011
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Good morning. The sun is shining this morning, but it is very cold outside. Only 60 more days till Spring!! Gosh, it can't come too soon for me. This morning I looked outside my window, and everything is covered with new snow again. Oh joy!
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It's been quite the week so far. With a bit of luck, Deanne will be going home today. Eddie will have to be Mr. Mom for quite a while, but he will be happy to have her home. My SIL, Edie, will get her results in a few days, and now I am hoping that Gary's surgery goes well today.
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In a little while, I have to go to a meeting at the hospital with Howie's social worker. She will help me fill out his medical insurance forms. I hope. Next Monday, I have a meeting at a local nursing facility to see if they have bed for Howie.
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Tomorrow, it's back to work again. It seems that I have so much to do, and yet the weeks are flying by so quickly. I wonder how do we get the cold and the bad weather to fly away as quickly as the weeks?
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My photo for today is one that I took last week. It was late in the afternoon, and the sunset colors in the sky showing through my trees was just beautiful. It was a gorgeous reddish coral behind the black and white outlines of the trees. This photo does not do the view justice.
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Now I think I have to get moving here. I only have an hour to get ready to leave for my appointment. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a wonderful day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Happy Third Anniversary

January 19, 2011
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Good morning. At the moment, there is just a fine misting of rain falling. It must have rained more during the night because there is a huge puddle at the end of my driveway. We are expecting intermittent rain and snow showers during most of the day with snow tonight. In other words, rather yucky outside.
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Today is the third anniversary of my blog, so I have a gift for you. It's a set of Easter CU frames, and the link will only be good for today. Tonight, I will take it down.
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Here is your download link for the CU Easter Frames:
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Link expired.
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I just spoke with Dee Dee, and the surgery went fine. The doctor told her she has good strong bones. Well, that's something! Meanwhile, she has a rod and pins in her leg, and is going to be uncomfortable for a while. If all goes well, she will be able to go home tomorrow or Friday.
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In Florida, my son, Gary, will be going in for surgery tomorrow. I will be on pins and needles for another day or two now. I can't just hop in my car and go visit with him, so I will do what Moms do best, Worry!
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Ah, but that's not all. My dear sister in law is having another biopsy today. All my toes and fingers are crossed that the tests come back benign. I love you Edie, and I'm praying for you.
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Well, that's all the news for today. Here's hoping that tomorrow brings lots of good news. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm, and have a wonderful day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Oh Goody!! More Snow!!

January 18, 2011
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Good grief!! It's snowing again this morning. I will have to turn on the weather station on the TV to see what today will be like. So far, I have heard everything from a dusting to 4 inches of snow to lots of freezing rain. Either way, none of it sounds exciting to me.
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Here's what they are showing. Today about 4 inches of snow, changing to freezing rain later today and tonight into tomorrow morning, rain and snow mixed tomorrow, and then more snow on Friday. After that, icy cold for the weekend. Ugh!!
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Here's a photo of my car parked at work. With all this snow still left, I wonder where we will put the new stuff.
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Late yesterday afternoon, Joe and I went to visit with Howie. Needless to say, Howie was hoping to see my brother, not me, and was rather agitated. He did, however, enjoy the cookies that I brought him.
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Next we went to another hospital to visit with Dee Dee. Poor darling was lying in bed with her leg all casted and up on pillows. Today she will be having surgery on that leg. It always hurts to see your child (even the adult ones) laid up and hurting. No matter how old you get, you are always your Momma's baby. Especially when you are sick or hurt.
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Now it's time for me to get Tootsie her meds and have another cup of coffee. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a wonderful day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Monday, January 17, 2011

ADay For Visiting Hospitals

January 17, 2011
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It's a very cold morning here in my little part of New England. The sky is half gray clouds and half beautiful blue with fluffy white clouds. I guess Mother Nature hasn't decided yet what today's weather will be like.
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There's not really much new this morning. It's been a rather quiet weekend. Work, sleep, eat and a few little things in between. Today will be a bit busier. I already have a load of wash going, and a scatter rug in the dryer.
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Later this afternoon, Joe (one of the dwarfs) will go with me to visit Howie. Remember Howie? We still haven't got him a placement in a nursing home. I have one that I need to check out this week. Over the weekend, Eddie helped me clean out Howie's storage locker. It gets a bit expensive paying for it every month.
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This morning, I have a pretty Finch photo to share, and then I'll get busy posting new parts to this month's kit. I believe this little bird is called a House Finch. I'll have to look it up because it also looks very much like a Purple Finch.
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Now on to the next two parts of "A Merry Berry New Year. Today, I'm posting parts 3 & 4.
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And here are your download links:
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When you have finished downloading these two parts, don't forget to hop over to Miss Su's blog and pick up two more parts from her.
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I just got a phone call from Eddie. My daughter Deanne (Dee Dee) is in the hospital with a badly broken leg. Oh dear, not good news. It seems they have been there since very late last night, and she will be staying there for a few days. Later, after visiting with Howie, we will go on to the other hospital and visit with Deanne.
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Well, that's it for this morning. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a wonderful day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Post #1000

January 16, 2011
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Good morning. This is my 1000th post here on Blogger. Yeah-h-h-h!! See? It doesn't take much to amuse me! I think I need a cup of coffee. Be right back.
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Ok, I'm back. Both Tootsie and I had our morning meds, and now I'm enjoying a cup of coffee. According to a study that I read about a year ago, people who drink a few cups of coffee a day are actually healthier than people who don't drink coffee. I guess I'm sort of in between.
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I have also started taking 5000 mg Vitamin D daily because it's supposed to be very good for you. At my age, I need to be extra healthy whenever possible. I'm already into another size down in my jeans. Hip! Hip! Hooray!! Oh if only I could keep this up throughout the year. Gosh, I wouldn't even recognize myself come next Fall.
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This week, I will treat myself to a new pair of jeans in the newer smaller size. Just one pair will do, because hopefully they will be too loose for me in a month or two. Now if I could just get my middle section to slim down!!
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How about some photos. I have some new "Friday's Birds." I usually work one daytime shift each week and it happens to mostly fall on Friday. Hence, the name "Friday's Birds." Both photos are rather picturesque, I think. The first one shows Mommy Cardinal settled on a branch and checking out all the snow. The second one shows a Junco perched in snow on a branch. He's waiting for a turn at the bird feeder I think.
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Last year, I set a goal to take a new photograph every day. I did pretty good and only missed about a month's worth of days in all. So this year, I am going to try to do the same thing.
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I have laundry waiting to do, so I'll be off now. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a fantastic day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Oh Boy, A Birthday Coming!

January 15, 2011
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Good morning. No sunshine this morning, just cold and gray. I don't want to go out this morning, but I have to. There are errands that must be done. My sore nose says "please go back to bed" but my brain is telling me to "get with it!"
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Tomorrow's post will be number 1000. Does this seem possible? And in four days, we will be celebrating a new blog birthday. January 19 will be day one of my fourth year of posting here. So, on Monday, I will post two more parts of "A Merry Berry New Year" and on Wednesday, I will have something special for you to celebrate my blog birthday.
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This will be a short post because I have to get ready soon to go out and do my errands. So let's get on to the rest of last week's "Friday's Birds." There are three photos, one of a Junco and two of a yellow finch. They are all part of the Finch family. I did not know that, but I just looked it up in my bird book.
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Now I must hurry to get dressed. Eddie will be here soon to help me with my chores. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a wonderful day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Snow Diamonds In The Tree Tops

January 14, 2011
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Good morning. What a gorgeous ride I had to work this morning. It wasn't yet daylight, and the view was absolutely stunning. As much as I am not crazy for snow, I have to admit to it's beauty. Everywhere one looks, it is a stunningly beautiful winter white wonderland. It is truly awesome.
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Last night, I went to bed feeling just fine, and awoke around 12:45 am with a nasty head cold. There was no sleep the rest of the night until around 4:30 am. When my alarm went off at 5:15 am, I shut it off, and promised myself just five more minutes of sleep. The phone woke me at 6 am. My daughter in law was calling from my doorstep. She was here to sit with Tootsie, and now I had to fly around like a nut trying to get dressed and ready to leave by 6:25.
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Please let that not be an omen for how the rest of the day will go. I have already gone through almost a whole box of nose tissues. Ugh!! The last thing I need now is this miserable cold. I don't even know where I caught it! Here's hoping I don't pass it on to the Mrs.
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Now for some new photos. Yesterday morning the sun was shining brightly, and the trees in my yard were glistening with "snow diamonds." There was a bit of wind, and as the branches moved back and forth, the "diamonds" sparkled beautifully. So, of course, out came the camera and the tripod. I took lots of photos of the tree tops through our kitchen window. (It was too cold out to go out in my pj's.)
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This first photo is the tip of a branch way up near the top of the tree. The second photo is an even closer look at this same branch tip. I know the second photo is not the clearest photo, but considering how far away the top of this tree was, I thought it came out pretty good. You can even see clearly the little green petals (? they look like hairs!) on each tiny finger of the limb.
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Next, I thought I would take a full view of this tree so that you could see just far up the top of it really is. I brought my camera back out (without the tripod), and stood in my doorway and just shot a photo of the tree.
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Imagine my surprise when I put the card back in my computer to get the photo of the tree. there was something long and white directly over my tree. (obviously, it was really quite a distance away, but appeared to be over my tree.) The tree that the branch tip above came from is the one directly under the white thing, and the branch tip was way up near the very top.
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I made a close up view of the surprise object, and guess what? It's a meteor (or meteorite, whatever is correct). Look at the two long tails. Oh boy, I was happy as a clam all afternoon over this photo.
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I had taken two photos of this tree at the time, and the second photo showed nothing at all in the sky. This whole thing only took seconds. There were no planes or birds overhead. My friend Su found me the meteor site on line, and I checked it out. My "object" appears to be just that. A meteor(ite). I will have to check again for the correct term.
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Except for this head cold, I am still a rather happy camper this morning. But now it's time for me to get busy here at work. The Mrs. will be waking soon. So till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a fantabulous day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

A Bit Of Snow Art

January 13, 2011
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Good morning. I'm a bit late this morning, but I wanted to get a couple of photos ready to share with you today. The snow has stopped, and there are huge white mounds everywhere. It's not supposed to warm up anytime soon, so I'm not sure where we will put the new snow that is supposed to be coming next Tuesday.
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I suppose for the kids, this is a winter dream come true. There is enough snow to make a whole village of snow people, including little snow houses. When I was a little girl, (yes, I really did used to be a little girl!) the city officials would close off certain streets that had a bit of an incline so that us kids could have a place to go sledding. Sad to say, you don't find that anymore.
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This first photo is taken from my window to show what the street out front looks like. As you can see, if any more snow gets plowed up, the neighbor's fence will be completely hidden from view. Right now, you can only see some of the tops of the pickets.
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Next I thought I would snap a few photos of the "snow art" that I see right outside my window. This is a little snow cap on the tip of a branch.
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Next, I thought I would like to try some black and white snow art. Hmmmm. Not to bad. I will have to practice a bit on this.
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But then I thought "what about a hint of color?" Yes, I think I like this next one much better. What do you think?
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Okay, enough for the snow. Today I really need to buckle down and get a few things done around here. You know, like vacuum? Or putting away the last of the Holiday stuff? Yesterday was a "scatter rug" day for Miss Tootsie, so I was busy washing and drying rugs all day. Plus I want to set aside some time to play with my new Wii game. Bowling is good exercise.
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Now it's time to get started here. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a magnificent day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

It's A White White Wonderland

January 12, 2011
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Oh boy! Talk about lots of snow. At 5:30 this morning, it was looking pretty bleak outside. At 7:30 am, when Tootsie and I decided to get up, there was more than a foot of snow covering everything. And yup! It's still coming down, and it will for quite a few more hours.
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The happy dandy weatherman is on TV telling us that there is more coming for next Tuesday. I'm wondering where we are going to put it all. And sadly, when it warms up enough for all this snow to melt, we will all have floods in our basements. Oh goody goody, that will be something to look forward to!!!
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With all my squawking about the snow, I do realize how lucky we are so far. Neighboring towns are without power because of downed power lines. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that our lines stay put.
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I have some new snow photos for you this morning. The first three photos show what I woke up to at 7:30 am. The last photo shows one of the dwarfs (Joe) trying to clear the snow off my car. As you can see, there is already a huge pile of snow left over from the last storm. Fun, fun, fun.
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Today is definitely not a traveling day. The airports are open, but there are no flights leaving. The trains are down because of downed trees and power lines on the rails. There are some buses and taxis depending on where you are and where you are going. It's definitely a good day to stay at home and let the plow drivers do their job.
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It's time to make a new cup of coffee and give Tootsie her morning meds. She knows this too, she's hiding. Poor darling, she doesn't really like taking her meds, but for now, they are necessary. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a funtastic day.
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Hugs, Edna B.