Fearless February

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Snowing here and temp drops into the teens. Geez, it is back and with a vengence. Let this be the last storm of winter!!! I am supposed to have company on Friday, spending the night, and hope it will happen with this weather. I have to work today, figure out some food, go to the store after work, clean and get ready for company. Lots to do.

Lav, so sorry about EB, hopefully he'll bounce back soon, but how scary. I hate the stomach flu, it is the worst. Hope you don't get it. How sweet of you to make him blueberry muffins. Yum.

Cyn, you have such a positive attitude, it makes all the difference.

Dill, this weather will come to you soon, if it is not already there.

Not much to say, still trying to wake up. Have a great AF day.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

Guess there's little hope of actually seeing the sun today.
Star, I sure hope this is the last of the winter stuff. It's getting tiresome. I hope your plans work out & you enjoy your weekend company.

I am supposed to have my grandsons here overnight Friday night. I hope they are both healthy!!!
Getting out to Curves shortly, it's been difficult getting there lately for one reason or another. YB is still on a mission to secure burial plots & has made an appointment to talk to someone tomorrow afternoon Maybe I'll just leave him there, Ha Ha!! I am sick of hearing about all this, I kid you not!

Greetings Cyn & Papmom! Are you keeping your poor little heads above the snow? :hug:

Hi there Dill, hope you are well.

Have a great AF Thursday everyone!

Lav

[treegirl]

Morning all - I guess it still is morning! I got out early and tried to take care of a few things before the temps plunge tonight. Snowing now, but should just be an inch. I carved through the 5 foot compacted snow out the front door so that the pups have an option to scoot out, do their business and scoot back in during these cold temps, without making the long trek across the deck, down the steps, etc. Also had to put up some fencing on the section where the old fencing was torn out - don't want to be doing that with fingers exposed at 5 below! Still have to rake a portion of the front roof, but will do that for my afternoon exercise.

HB is in the city, nursing a cold. Why are men so stubborn? The morning of the septic drama he didn't feel good, took all the supps, then stayed outside with the 'guys' while they dug and shoved snow around, and then proceeded to shovel a ton of snow in front of the garage - just to prove what a he-man he is, I guess. Sheesh! I'm all for common sense here, mister! Anyway, I always cross fingers that this won't result in a course of antibiotics...

Not much more to report here, except that I seem to be making headway in the health department, thanks to the naturopath. Now I can have fermented foods - recipes or favorites, anyone?

Dill - enjoy looking at the radio station. Click pause to stop the on-air feed, and then go to On Demand. It's much more than a home-town radio - lots of nationally known and international people do conversations. I just took a quick look - starting from the top, I think you would enjoy Agriculture, Appraise This, Around the World (direct from India!), A Way to Garden, Dave Tetor (a great farm/ag report daily), and Dave Sterrit with Films in Focus. (I'm chuckling now because I rarely get to hear any of these, but I enjoy them when I do hear them.) I'll give you more of my favorites as time goes by.

Speaking of time going by, I have to get going now! Lav - so glad to hear that EB is better, good luck with the boys tonight. MMM, blueberry muffins. Maybe I'll try to make some GF/br rice syrup ones this afternoon. Hang in there everyone - Pap thinking about your dogs and your commute...

[dill]

Ugh, more snow and the temp is supposed to be dropping all day. I really am done with this! Well, I guess I better take a page out of Cyn's book and look on the bright side. I'm grateful I have a warm house and a fire blazing in the wood stove.

Cyn, at your mention of Sooty I decided to go ahead and email her. She is doing well but she said she is not currently walking the cliffs but will be in the spring. She asked me to say hello to all. Oh, and I listened to your little radio station. That was a sad but heartwarming little story. I will likely return to the website and listen to more.

Lav, I'm glad EB is better. I'm sure the blueberry muffins helped! I am planning on getting a membership at the local athletic center on the college campus. They allow locals to use the facilities which include indoor track, nautilus and cardio equipment for only $20 per month, $10 for seniors. It's a fantastic deal.

Star, I hope the weather doesn't get in the way of your plans. It sounds like you will be busy for the next couple of days. Enjoy the time with your family! They are so lucky to have you, IMHO.

Another quiet day at the old homestead. I need to get busy doing something around here! Have a great af Thursday all.

[dill]

Cross post, Cyn! Thanks for the podcast suggestions. I'll definitely take a listen.

[SnoopyC]

Hey ladies,

Ten degrees, whohoo!!! Dressing warm today and making sure to have lots of hot drinks. AF of course. I found a hot chocolate mix with only 25 calories. Really good. Yes it is processed food but sometimes I need chocolate! The snow here was a joke yesterday, thank goodness. Just icy and cold.

Cyn and Dill, the radio stations sound interesting, I just don't have a block of time to listen. I used to hit NPR three jobs ago, and got to listen daily to really interesting stories. Enjoy!

Lav, well, at least YB doesn't want you to get the burial plots! He's taking care of it. It is morbid. I hate discussing stuff like that, but we did a few years ago, made our wills, health power of attorneys, living wills, decision to get cremated, and no specific plans for the ashes. Over, done. No need to discuss it anymore. So, hope your other grandson doesn't get that bug over at your house. I hate when there is throw-up in my life. Sure you don't like it either.

Lots to do this morning, having my coffee now, making something in the crockpot, and off to work I go. My job is going well, I love it. Six month review soon.
Have a great day all, AF.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

It's a frosty 9 degrees here but sunny

Star, this whole thing with burials is ridiculous! My parents bought a plot big enough for 6 back in the early 80's. They are there & I have said all along that I am going there when the time comes. YB wants to go to a different cemetery where his family is but would have to buy plots. I don't want to go there but he can go wherever he wants. Wills, living wills, POA & all that have been taken care of for years. He just won't leave it alone
I hope you have a good day & enjoy your crockpot dinner when you get home.

Dill, that's great that you can get a gym membership for $10! Can you get a friend or two to join along with you? It's always nice to have company

Well, I am supposed to be keeping the boys overnight but that depends on status of their health! Yesterday the younger one was sick with the same GI virus symptoms. He needs to be a lot better before I agree to take them. We shall see.

Greetings Papmom & Cyn! Hope you are both OK & staying warm!!!

Have a great AF Friday everyone!

Lav

[treegirl]

Morning all -

2 below here, and apparently 23 below windchill! I really can handle anything but the wind - and more is on the way, gusts up to 40 mph tomorrow along with snow. Pap - what's your forecast?

I was awake in the night, just about to fall back asleep when there was a sound that was like an explosion or impact just outside the bedroom french doors/tiny porch. I half wondered if a giant had decided to launch himself onto the house - that's how it sounded. The mini-explosions kept on from about 4 - 6 AM, on and off. Very weird and a little scary - I looked with a flashlight, but no roof damage that I can see, and no cracks in the ceiling or water coming in. So I'm off to bundle up and go look at the roof from outside to try and figure it out - in all my years of home owning, this is a new one! Maybe it was the sound of the ice dams cracking because of the cold - sheesh. I keep talking to the house (last week about the septic), asking if it's trying to tell us something.

Star - congrats on almost 6 months! Wow, that time really has flown by. I don't have a block of time to listen to these radio casts, but I have heard them in passing on occasion, and find them really interesting. I keep thinking I'll get a Stitcher account, and download them and listen in the car...but that may be a long time coming.

Dill - I know, the story was beautiful and sad. You probably have faced that kind of a story yourself before. I thought the way he spoke about it all was so beautiful - a real portrait. So glad that you have a gym to head to! That should help the winter blues...

Lav - you stick to your guns on letting those boys coming over! Protect yourself!

OK, off to check out the roof - I'd better get up in the attic too -
Here's the latest snow chair pic:
snow chairs 5.jpg

Happy AF Friday all --

[dill]

Cyn, did you find the source of the loud sounds you heard? You have me concerned. I liked you snow chair picture very much. ....worth a thousand words. I feel for you dealing with the wind. I saw a podcast in the list called Sober Spotlight and listened to a couple of those. Very interesting. I do think I'll be trying the others that you suggested, too, but as you know, there is only so much time.

Star, I just knew you would be utilizing your crock pot today with your company coming tonight. Enjoy! As for your hot chocolate, go ahead and indulge. It's funny, but I too have been craving chocolate lately. I've been satisfying my craving with 2-3 dark chocolate Doves. Have you ever tried them?

Lav, I went to the athletic center today and am definitely going to join. It's $20/month for me because I am a couple of years shy of 65, but it's a fantastic deal. The place is clean, well-run and has a lot of equipment. The best part for me tho is the track. It's indoors and it has that rubberized surface. And it's not even a mile away from my home! I'm starting tomorrow. I'm glad they do monthly memberships, too. I can go for the winter months and then when the weather turns warmer, I can return to my normal outdoor walking/hiking, gardening, etc for exercise. Or, if I make friends there, I can continue to meet them and walk with them in the air conditioning on the hot summer days. I ran into an old co worker there this morning and maybe she and I can have meet ups on a more regular basis.

Papmom, hope to hear from you soon.

Have any of you heard about the new Apple smart watch? I saw a news show that talked about an App for monitoring blood sugar for diabetics using the watch. It reads a teeny tiny sensor that's placed just under the skin. What a miracle for diabetics.

Keep warm everyone, and dream of spring. It's not really too far off now.

[treegirl]

Morning Dill and all -

Dill, I spoke to the guys at the hardware store (as I was buying stuff to help with the ice dams...), and their guess was that it was expansion in the attic, which makes sense. There's no evidence of disruption inside or outside, so I guess I'm going with that theory. I raked the roof again yesterday, just to make sure. And we're potentially in for more snow and blowing tonight, so at least I'm a little ahead of that. Didn't get up in the attic, as I have to clear a closet shelf and drag the big ladder in to get up there. After everything else, I didn't have the strength. Hoping everything is OK up there - will have to look soon. So glad to hear about your exercise opportunities! That is just great - and still a bargain at $20. Best of all is the chance to meet up with friends. Good for you for going for it!

Nothing much to report here - I just keep making the rounds of the house, adding 'mortite' or other things when I feel a breeze. We have lots of windows and doors here, so these below-zero temps are a little challenging. Keeping the birds fed. Going to finish some projects (hopefully). Crossing fingers the septic stays un-frozen!

Happy AF Saturday all -

[Lavande]

Good morning friends & Happy Valentine's day (if you celebrate - ha ha)!

Cloudy, cold & snow due to arrive around 3 pm but it won't be much I think.
Papmom & Cyn - prepare yourselves & stay warm :hug:

Dill, you really found a great deal on your gym membership - go for it & enjoy
A monthly membership is nice too, Curves does require a yearly contract. I felt unsure about it at first but it's worked out just fine.

Greetings Star, I hope you are enjoying your weekend.

I have EB here, he's not even up yet at 8:30. His younger brother & mother are both sick with that nasty virus.
Wishing everyone a great AF Saturday!

Lav

[dill]

Happy Valentine's Day! Nothing much going on here related to that, but after 37 years that's not a surprise! However, I did decide to do some reading to find out who St. Valentine was. He lived in the 3rd century under Claudius II of the Roman Empire. From what I read, Claudius took it upon himself to outlaw marriage because he wanted men to be soldiers and he felt having wives and families would make them less interested in fighting for the empire. Valentine was a priest who decided to secretly perform marriages. He also did other things to aid Christians who at that time were being persecuted. He was found out by Claudius, was beaten, stoned and beheaded.

Hmmm.

Lav, I hope your grandson and his mother get over the virus quickly. It's been a nasty time for you guys here lately! I'm waiting to slam the door on winter and the flu season too! Come on, Spring!

Cyn, Wow, that must have been some extreme "expansion" going on. I am glad you are OK. Thanks for 'the rest of the story'. (Remember Paul Harvey?)

Star, I downloaded Grandmother and the Saints on my Ipad months ago and just started reading it today. She is a wonderful writer. It took me some getting used to, reading a novel on the Ipad, but now that I've got my feet wet, I'll be fine with it. Truthfully tho, I wish I could find a well-narrated audio version. Hearing it read in a Gaelic dialect would make it all the better. Hope you and your daughter enjoyed the party today and you are have good times with your grandson.

Papmom, keep warm. Hope all your boys are well.

Have a good af Saturday evening.

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Happy Valentines Day, Belated! Flowers, chocolate, the color red. Telling the ones you love you love them. St. Valentine.

Dill, what a sad fate he had. The early 100s were such a brutal time. Outlawed marriage? Uh, how did the dummy think he would get more soldiers? Kind of reminds me of ISIS with all the brutality, outrageous torture, stupidity and evil. Strong words for this early in the morning. Two weeks in my new house, I have not yet explored an exercise place. It is so cold here, but we don't have a blizzard at least. So, my weekend has been weird. Made it to the party, it was really nice, stayed about three hours and people were getting buzzed, really annoying and kind of sad. We left. My friend is and has been changing for the....don't know how to put this...bitter, crabby, bossy, thoughtless? Anyway, I ate a bunch of things I don't normally eat and woke up and felt sick in the middle of the night. So, in the morning, wanted to take it easy. No big deal, right? Well, she was having none of it. Wanted to go, go, go. So, she went. Really. I was so relieved. She complained about alot of stuff, negative about so many things. I just can't do that and don't want to. I know it is not healthy for me. It hurt my feelings though. So, I decided I am just going to lay low for a while. I think I am exhausted from the move, working full time, and my system is just sensitive. Also, I don't know what the big deal is in not wanting to be out of the house before 8AM. I don't leave till then on work days. I am just sharing this to figure it out. Feedback would be great.

Lav, hope your time with EB is meaningful and fun. Nice for him to have you exclusively to himself. We get to see our grandson today, as we are going over to his house for lunch. I am looking forward to it, so nice downtime to just play with him. It is brutally cold here, really windy too. The snow is north of us, where we used to live another blizzard, but it doesn't make the news like New England. OK, your description of your husband's burial plot obsession is quirky, and I can really see where it would annoy you. Best just ignore the whole situation as much as you can. How's the weather out there? Hope you are missing the worst of it.

Speaking of that, Cyn, you are really hunkering down, living in survival mode. I remember doing that last year. It was so cold, so much snow, so hard on humans, the house, your car, keeping enough food and the driveway cleared. It was a full time job in itself. Sounds like you are alone, so take care. I am really into crockpot recipes in this brutal weather, I saw little 1.5 quart ones, wouldn't that be fun for you when you are on your own? I have two recipes for this week, Irish coddle and white chicken chili for later in the week. BLTs for tonight.

Pap, are you doing OK? More days off? What a winter for you.

Have a peaceful Sunday, keep warm.

[treegirl]

Happy AF Sunday, all -

I think I'm safe in assuming that we are all waking up hangover free, what a great blessing that is!

Star - so sorry to hear about your house guest. Since you asked, I think that behavior is very strange, and pretty rude, for someone enjoying another person's hospitality! Good thing she left and you could have the time for yourself to heal. I think you are right in guessing that your system is still a little stressed out from all the changes in the past year and a half. And to notice that food plays a big part in how you are feeling. I know those things as 'facts', but it is really coming home to me in this recent bout with my health, and realizing that the chaotic times and all-energy-out for me of the past few years has slowly but surely degraded my overall well-being (and this was w/o AL in the picture!). Now thankfully I understand what to do re-build, but it will take time. Take it slow, and nurture yourself!

I actually don't feel like I'm in survival mode - yesterday was not too fun, with all the spitting snow, but the day before I was outside for quite a bit, shoveling and raking and fixing the dog fence, feeding the birds. Even though it was only 7 degrees, I was dressed for it and warm, and the sun was shining like crazy, the sky was super-blue, and I felt like a kid again. Honestly! Made me wish I had a sled, or skis or something.

HB is back home, but nursing a terrible cold, not fun. So we had no special plans, but I managed to cook a lovely dinner for us. Crisis with his daughter's mother (his long-time ex) took up the evening, but I just tried to stay out of the fray. We recently put in a gas fireplace, and I loved looking at it and feeling the warmth...

I know we're all in the deep-freeze today. It's a good excuse to take care of ourselves! Candles! Hot baths! Hot tea! A good book! Have a great day all - :hug:

[treegirl]

Dill - thanks for the history lesson! I remembered that there was something not too 'holiday-ish' about St Valentine's story, but had forgotten the details. Makes me realize that though there are lots of things that are not great about the system we live in, there is MUCH to be grateful for...

Hope you stay warm today - how's Tessa doing? Pap - how are your pups?