It's above freezing..feels like Hawaii

Ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little but 37 degrees feels warm to us. The sun was shining and some of the snow on the highway melted off.  In our book that's a good day.  I took a quick trip to Olean to Kohl's and found some clothes for the little ones Valentine package. Then off to Literary Club. A local doctor was instrumental in starting a free clinic here in town. It serves about ten to twelve people a week but its a start. He was very vocal about praising the generosity of our community. For a small town we are givers. There is not a lot of industry in Bradford and small businesses are struggling but our slogan is...cool hands, warm hearts. 

  

What winter does to my car

One thing that southerners probably can't fathom is how dirty our cars get in the winter. My gray van looked practically white with salt residue from the road.  The car washes have been closed because of the below zero temps but today it warmed up to thirty one and Don took it to the car wash. Now if only I could get the inside cleaned out. 

Life at minus eleven

Brrr..it's cold. But did it stop our brave coffee group from meeting this morning? Oh, no. There were five strong women who came out in below zero temperatures to meet and talk. We have been doing this for eleven years since I first retired from teaching. It has been my salvation to have such a wonderful supportive group of women in my corner. It felt good to get out. Even though the restaurant told us when we got there that the heat was broken and they were in the process of getting it fixed. 

 It was a soup day and I made a vegetable soup for dinner. I am still eating soft foods since I choked on January second. Next week I see a specialist and hope I can get some answers. 

 I know the south has really had a horrible time with the storm today but really..it's hard to feel sorry for them when the temperature on Saturday will be sixty. Poor babies. 

Life at five below

The bed felt so warm and cozy this morning and I could hardly bring myself to getting up. I laid there soaking up the warmth while Top Gun sat patiently beside me waiting for the movement that would indicate that I was finally getting up. It wasn't always that way. He used to stand at the foot of the bed meowing continually until I yelled at him to stop.  Then he changed his tactics and jumped up on the bed and nibbled at my exposed fingers and used his claws to try to pull the covers away from me. I wasn't so keen on that either so now if he sees my eyes closed..sometimes I just pretend to be sleeping..he walks on top of me and lays down beside me staring into my face. But as soon as he sense wiggling he bumps his head against my face in an attempt to get me moving. 

  While all this is going on Sadie is content under the covers. She used to tunnel her way out and chase Top Gun down but with these cold mornings even her jealousy can't get her to move from her comfy state. 

  Then I get up and both animals hop out of bed and follow me to the bathroom rubbing my legs while I am on the toilet and fighting with each other to see who can command my attention the most. Then we walk toward the kitchen and ritually Sadie goes outside and Top Gun heads toward his dishes for his morning feast. 

   The thermometer read five below this morning and Sadie didn't stay out long. On most mornings she comes back in the house and hops up on the back of the couch in the sunroom to spy outside and look for activity. But today she immediately ran back to bed with Don and nosed under the covers once more. 

   Coffee with my friends was cancelled this morning because of the cold but I am going out for a doctor's appointment this morning. Later on I might make some vegetable soup from a recipe I found this morning on a blog. 

   It will be another cold day here. I'll be the one curled up with my blanket and reading a book. 

I hope that wherever you are that you are warm and entertained today. 

Shadows

'The sun was out today but temperatures were still cold. Right now it is seven degrees. I'm ready to hibernate until spring. Even the south is in a deep freeze. My motivation is low and I don't seem to be accomplishing anything of significance. Can we say bored?

Do you have cabin fever yet?

cabin fever n. Boredom, restlessness, or irritability that results from a lack of environmental stimulation, as from a prolonged stay in a remote, sparsely populated region or a confined indoor area. Yes, it's that time of year again. The holidays are over and the weather is keeping us indoors. There is little to do and a person can go a little crazy. I hope you are finding ways of entertaining yourselves these days.

Snuggling

Yes, even Sadie is snuggling in the afghan today.  I finally took the Christmas lights off the baker's rack and put away the pine cones. It seems so bare in here now. The snow is blowing around outside but it is nice and warm in here.  I decorated a metal wreath that I bought at Hobby Lobby with some ribbon and flowers and hung it on the back door. I think now ill have a cup of hot chocolate and cuddle. 

And how's your weather?

We're in the deep freeze. Thirteen degrees and bitter. What a good weekend to stay inside. I have no reason to go anywhere so staying under the afghan and reading are on the agenda. How about you?

Beautiful Bradford

Kim Nichols took a great picture of the clock tower in Bradford. My hometown is rather small nestled in the hills. An oil refinery fills the valley. We were once a booming oil town with a flamboyant history. Now a quiet town. We have the University of Pittsburgh campus here which is continually expanding. There are not a lot of activities to do here but people make their own fun  we are known for the outdoors, lots of hiking trails and pristine forests. Nearby is a huge lake and a New York State park.  We appreciate our area. 

Nearby is the remains of the Kinzua Bridge that was destroyed in a tornado several years ago. 

For 48 years

"Chains do not hold a marriage together.  It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads, which sew people together through the years..."

Forty eight years ago today Don and I stood in front of all our friends and family and vowed our love for each other. We had been high school sweethearts and waited until he was out of the navy and I had graduated from college. It was a cold January day and a huge blizzard was on the way. One of the groomsmen was out of town and couldn't make it back for the ceremony. We chose Don's sister's boyfriend to fill in because he fit the tux. Not everyone has a total stranger in their wedding. When we left the church the snow was up to our knees already. I was in wedding euphoria and totally unaware of the blizzard outside until we left and started to the next town to the Castle Inn for our honeymoon night. We barely made it and the next day when we came out of our room all you could see of the car was a huge mound of snow. Did that stop us from going to Niagara Falls?  Oh, no. How brave and foolish we were then. Looking back we made some memories that day. Forty eight years ago and he still brings me roses. Now that's love 

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A quiet house

When it's silent in my house I can hear the ticking of the wall clock counting out the time as it passes. It's not often that quiet here. I like music and most of the time there is a television on somewhere. These January days I feel like a goldfish in a bowl looking out at the world knowing I'm safe and cozy right where I am. There are books to read and household things to do. But I love the stillness of January. Even the birds have left the feeder for their afternoon nap. 

Clean as a whistle

Everyone loves a clean house. Not everyone enjoys cleaning it. But we all know that it has to be done. I don't mind cleaning except for sweeping for some unknown reason structured deep in my DNA I just I loathe sweeping. I do it of course. But I would rather scrub a bathroom than run a sweeper. When I was working most of the weekly cleaning was done on Saturday. One boy would sweep...notice that?....and one would dust while I did the rest. There were times when I had the house to myself to clean. I'd crank the stereo up as loud as I wanted, light some candles, and dance around cleaning as I went. Now that I'm retired I have a rather loose schedule. If it looks dirty or needs organized I do it. It's easier to maintain when I'm here all the time. 

  Here are a few cleaning quotes for you. 

My grandson

This a great picture of my grandson Dan. ...on the left. He met one of his favorite hockey players.  

Don’t you love a monogram?

I love anything monogrammed and this K that Diane gave me for Christmas is no exception. I painted it cream colored and hung it on my square wreath. Love it!
Don has been busy with his new Christmas present a reloading outfit. He is making new ammunition for his rifles.

We are off now to the movies to see Jack Ryan..hope it’s good. Then dinner out.

It's all about making memories

This is a great stage of my life. I'm retired and have time to enjoy the pleasures of life. It's not so much about buying things any more for I have all I need. That's not to say that there isn't something pretty out there for me but its just that I'd rather spend my money doing things. Instead of buying things. When I look back it's the memories that I have made that bring me such joy. I was lucky to go to Europe three times and when I think of a particular day it is as fresh in my memory as the time it happened. I love to travel and it is a joy to visit new places. My sisters and I have gone on trips together to Cape Cod, Savannah, and Charleston and have had so much fun. My family spent a week together in Florida a few years ago..what a blast.  On these cold January days I've been thinking that we need to plan a trip. 

So here's an appropriate quote.  

A few quotes