It is Saturday..how fast these weeks are passing. Tonight we are going to see Don's brother sing in a Karaoke contest. He is one of the six finalists. He really has a good voice reminiscent of Elvis'. In fact he's singing, "Loving You". The contest will be at the Alleghany Fire Hall. Wish him luck!
We are in the midst of remodeling our bathroom. Since the tub is original to the house (put in in 1953) it is time for a change. Someone is coming on Monday to refinish the tub. That means that we need to put in a new tub surround when he is done. It sounds easy, but you'd be surprised how difficult it is to find what you need. We took a trip to Lowe's (the closest one is an hour away) and found a beautiful surround. After getting it home we realized that it was not adjustable and won't work in there. So we'll have to look elsewhere. Also it's a problem to make new fixtures work with the old plumbing. And we couldn't even find brass knobs. It will get done, but it is a challenge. Of course, once you start changing things it lead to something else. So I cleaned under the vanity and organized the linen closet. I need some new containers. I have found the secret to being organized..get the right container. So I think today I'll go out and look.

HOW DEEP CAN IT GET?

The snow just keeps on coming (and coming and coming). This is a pic from last year of the tree in the back yard. But it looked just the same on Wednesday when the big storm hit. It is getting so deep that a crew needed to go out at two in the morning and plow it to the center Main street and take it away. The parking meters are so deep in snow you can't even get to them to put money in. The roads have crushed snow all over them and make driving tricky. Does this stop the hardy Bradfordians....oh, no! We are used to it.

Today was Literary Club and a former teacher, Becky Ryan, did a program on Jane Austen. She told a lot of facts about Jane's life that were new to me and gave interesting synopsis of Jane's six novels. It is always nice to listen to Becky.

I think this weekend I will just burrow in and read.

TABLESCAPE

My Amaryllis is exceptionally tall and beautiful with deep crimson flowers. The graceful swan is a gift from my friend and looks so elegant and right in place. (Thanks, Joan).

SEAN AND THE WAGON

Sean love to go for rides in the Radio Flyer wagon that I got him for Christmas. In the last picture you can see their new house in the background.

THE BIRD FEEDER

SNOW, SNOW AND MORE SNOW!

We walked beneath the rose arches at Giverney.

Monet's pink house with green trim was so lovely.

We walked across this Japanese bridge which was made so famous in Monet's oil paintings.

Monet's most famous works were paintings of water lilies from his pond.

Like everyone else here in town I'm sick of all this cold weather and snow. This winter has been particularly bad with constant cold weather. So I'm changing the subject. Look at the Monet watercolor of the lilies above. When I see that painting I remember being in Paris and going to a small museum that had rooms full of Monet's paintings. The lilies took up a whole wall mural. Close up it was just dabs of paint but from a distance took you into a dream world. We made it a point to go to Monet's Gardens which were about an hour from Paris. It was delightful to walk through the rose arches and see the plethora of colors from all the various flower varieties. I couldn't take enough pictures. So if I would have to name a time in the past I would like to go back to I would say that summer day in Giverney. Just thinking about it warms me up.

STILL CRAZY (IN LOVE) AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!

Yesterday Don and I celebrated 43 years of wedded bliss. I met Don when I was 16 and fell madly in love with his sweet smile and his happy disposition. He has been a sweetheart over the years and still looking at him makes me so happy! Like every couple we've had ups and downs but we have always relied on our love to carry us through. I can't begin to tell the ways that Don makes me happy. There is not another man on the planet who could do more for his wife. I love him more each day.

the Option House

You will see no pictures for awhile on my posts. My polaroid camera decided not to work. When you turn it on all you see is a black screen. I called and had to send it back for repair. The funny thing is this is the second camera that has done this. Am I cursed? So while I'm waiting I'll use my old reliable Kodak.
Today was Red Hats. As a Red Hat group I think we are pretty lax. For the most part, not very many girls wear their red hats and purple shirts. We just love to get together. Wearing the outfit at first was interesting, but now that we are just going out for lunch in our own town it isn't necessary. We did have a tour of one of our local establishments..the Option House. It is historic and in it's heyday was a popular hangout. It had gone downhill over the years as many places in this town have. But Sam Slyvester bought it and completely renovated it. It is going to be the pride of this town when it is completely finished. It has huge crystal chandeliers, a huge long bar, original woodwork and new moldings painted gold, faux finished and stenciled walls . The upstairs is called Peacock Alley (original name) and features six smaller rooms for dining which are painted in peacock colors. Today they got their liquor license and as soon as they get a chef will open. It is meant to be a high class place and will feature tapas and microbrewed beer. I can't wait until it is opened. It will be a place to have our Red Hat dinners.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRIEND

My friend, Yrsa, will be 65 on January 24th. I can't believe it. Sixty five is old. She doesn't seem old, and neither do I. It just seems like yesterday we were classmates in elementary school now we are lifelong friends. I wanted to do something really special for her birthday. I bought a really great book about Living ARtfully and the book gave me a great idea. It talks about how to make your life special. At our age another gift is nice, but it would be much nicer to have a kind word. Yrsa has gone through some things lately that make her feel down and she could use something that would make her feel great. I made her a book. I asked all her friends to give me one words that described her and tell why. I got many responses and the words were so flattering. When she sees the book she will know how other people feel about her and how she enriches their lives. I found the perfect poem for the beginning of the book. I can't wait to give it to her.

I searched among the card displays,To see if I could find

,A little something that would sayJust what was on my mind

However there was not a one,That captured it just right,

For no one else can understandJust what I'd like to write.

I even find it difficultTo try to write it down,

For how do I portray to you,The love that I have known?

I close my eyes and what I see,Is someone I adore;

A person who is beautiful,Right down into their soul.

Mere words cannot describeThe many qualities you show

,The love and caring nature thatYou share with those who know.

Your kind and gentle temperament,Your sweet angelic smile,

Your softly spoken sentiments,That reach across the miles.

Your smile and laugh that sparkle withThe softness of your sighs,

The way your face lights up a room ...That twinkle in your eye.

The loving gestures through the years,That quickly come to mind,

For always you've a gentle wordTo calm and soothe I find.

I struggle and I search to tryTo find some words anew ...

And yet I cannot captureAll the things that make you you.

I shall therefore, be satisfiedThat you must simply know,

Just how we feel about you,and how we love you so.

UNEXPECTED COMPANY

Last night I had unexpected house guests. My friend Kay and her husband Tom have a very old house and due to the extreme cold temperatures their pipes froze. No hot water in the sink and no water to flush their toilet. Besides that they don't have very good heat and they were literally freezing yesterday. So I asked them to spend the night with me. They had such a good time they didn't want to go home tonight. We had waffles and sausage for breakfast and a full ham dinner complete with a homemade apple pie. Their beds were toasty. I enjoyed having them except for their tiny poodle who despite being seven years old is not housebroken yet.
Sad news...my aunt Gladys who was 96 passed away on Friday. She had fallen and broken her hip and just couldn't recover. That lady had Betty Grable legs, even in her old age. She was my dad's sister and he was very close to her and her husband.

SNOW POETRY

Falling, falling, ever falling, never-ending

Gracefully, delicately, carefully, beautifully,

It drifts down with the greatest of care.

Each flake has its own place and it knows just where to go

Together the flakes form a soft, white blanket

That covers everything in sight

As if tucking the whole world in long and cold night

It makes even the garbage cans become

Amazing, perfect, white sculptures of snow

It evenly glazes every rooftop

To look as it they were perfectly iced gingerbread houses

Bare skeletons of trees are transformed

Into another masterpiece of the amazing snow

At first you might not hear their sound

But if you wait and listen carefully

You can hear the music they make

Twinkling, shining, glimmering, drifting, sparkling

Are you keeping warm?

The icicles are hanging long from the roof and the temperature is hovering very near zero...yes it's January in Bradford. Everyone's complaining about the cold spell but I think it's just a good excuse to eat hot soup, drink cocoa , and kick back and do nothing.

ARE WE TIRED OF IT YET? yes!!!!!

If the snow wasn't so beautiful.... yes, it snowed again. It just keeps getting deeper and deeper. It isn't a surprise, after all it's January and we can expect it. And we hardy Bradfordians do not let the elements stop us from doing anything. Today I had a dentist appointment in Warren, an hour away. (great checkup,, by the way.) Off we went in Don's new four wheel drive truck despite the cold temps, eleven degrees. But of course Don had to get the ice from his windshield wipers before we could set out. You people in the south have no idea how the winter here requires so much preparation.( IT's the coats, and the scarves, and the gloves, and...well, you get the picture.) The upside was that we ate lunch at Applebee's (they have weight watchers meals and points calculated) and stopped at Aldi's (love the brand...fit and healthy...good food and good for you...how many points in those snacks?? ) before coming home. I was glad just to get home to have a cup of tea and get warmed up. spring is really not that far away (is it???).

Yes, Top Gun, the most loving cat in the universe got himself in trouble. His most favorite thing to do is to get up in my lap when I am talking on the phone. He knows that I will be sitting for awhile and I pet him and love on him the whole time I'm chatting. We have a MagicJack phone hooked to our computer and he came running into the computer room and jumped right up between me and the keyboard. Unfortunately I had a full glass of water sitting there which spilled all over. It got on and under the keyboard. I wiped it up quickly but not in time. My whole computer went out and I could visualize a costly repair to the CPU. My computer continued to emit a continuous beeping sound that I knew wasn't a good sign. After researching it at the library on their computers I discovered that the beeps were codes and that one meant that there was something wrong with a peripheral that was attached to the computer. And of course it was my keyboard since the beeping immediately stopped as soon as I unplugged it. So this morning I'm back in business with a new keyboard.

This was a busy morning with Weight Watchers first weigh in...I'm not elaborating but it was a good one (not as good as previous first weeks, but I'll take any loss), Curves (they are starting a new challenge so I entered...hey, what the heck!), Walmart (to get the new keyboard and the WW cookies for one point that actually taste good) and up to the hospital to see my friend Kay (doing well, might be coming home today). Very snowy today and slippery roads. It's good to stay in. I rented a few movies so that's on the agenda for the rest of the day.

A WOMEN'S HAIR

I am sitting here at the computer for a few minutes on this snowy Saturday waiting for my hair highlights to complete. We women...how our f eelings are so tied up with how good our hair looks. Or maybe some women are just lucky. They have this amazing hair that never seems to need any primping. They just either have thick, curly hair which holds any style they want or long hair which can be conviently pulled back into a ponytail when they are headed out of the house quickly. Then there is my hair...thin and fine. It's a lot of work to keep it looking good..perms and coloring and time in front of the mirror every morning. How tempting it would be to have a pixie haircut like a boy's. Do I have the courage? I did one year when I went to Denmark on vacation. I wanted something that I didn't have to style because with the difference in electricity I couldn't use my curling iron or dryer. How nice it was just to wash and comb it. The freedom...the freedom!

RYAN'S A DADDY

I always knew that Ryan would make a great father. He has a kid-like quality about him plus an outgoing humorous personality. He has a way with children that puts them immediately at ease and trusting in him. When he taught classes at the swimming pool in high school and worked with disabled children he enjoyed it so much. Later when he worked for the Boy Scouts he was involved with boys of all ages in camping situations. Then he taught young children to swim at his Tennessee job. But he always wanted a child of his own. Now that he has Sean he is totally in his glory. He is such a wonderful father with just the right amount of patience and understanding and the ability to teach Sean what he will need to learn about life. I love these pictures that show Sean and him after a shower.

SEAN IN WINTER PHOTOSHOP PICTURE

Wasn't I just saying I'm not going to talk about not having enough time? Well, I'd love to have more time to spend on Photoshop. Here is one of the pictures of Sean and I that I did. I need to get these on a disk and take them to Walmart...wait a minute....I think I could do this online.. Just send the pics through email and they can send them back to me. Or to Snapfish. Then I wouldn't have to go out in the cold, snowy, day. .....hmmmmmm....

Too Cute!

How cute is she???? Don and I have been contemplating getting a puppy for a few years now. Our darling cocker/terrier mix, Athena had to be put down after 15 years of devotion to us several years ago. It was the first time in our lives that we did not have a dog. We went a few years without an animal and then brought home a stray cat from Diane's house in North Carolina. Yes, we love Top Gun and he is very affectionate, but he. is. not. a. dog. We are feeling the pull to have a dog in our life. There are pros and cons....pro...the love, the companionship, the fun con...the care, the walks, the training, the fact that we travel. I saw a Westie on a program last night and fell in love. Is there a dog in our future?

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Here is a picture taken in Tennessee of my wonderful family. How good looking are they?

I guess this cartoon didn't come out as large as I wanted it to. The two girls are admiring the guy's body..the third has her eye on his ice cream cone...guess which one I am? Today is the first day of Weight Watchers. it's good to be back but daunting to know that I have to be that disiplined.