* COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING *

* Countdown to Thanksgiving *
This is a reprint from a previous Thanksgiving post.

 

 

One of my Four Freedoms plates, by Norman Rockwell

 

I never spent Thanksgiving at my grandparents' home when I was a little girl. I'm sure it was because they lived hundreds of miles away from us and time just didn't allow it. I sometimes wished we could be there with them, and would go around our house singing the song in the You Tube video.

 

And of course, my wishes also included

the snow and the horse-drawn sleigh! 

 

 

 

 

"I suppose I will die never knowing what pumpkin pie tastes like when you have room for it." ~Robert Brault

https://rbrault.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

(Ahh, my friend Robert Brault has written more amazing words of wit and wisdom than anyone else I know! His books can be purchased on Amazon, and of course many other places.) https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=robert+brault 

* MY COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING - DAY 2 *

* Countdown to Thanksgiving *

 

 

 

I never spent Thanksgiving at my grandparents' home when I was a little girl. I'm sure it was because they lived hundreds of miles away from us and time just didn't allow it. I sometimes wished we could be there with them, and would go around our house singing the song in the You Tube video below:

 

 

 

And of course, my wishes also included the snow and the horse-drawn sleigh! 

 

 

 

 

"I suppose I will die never knowing what pumpkin pie tastes like when you have room for it." ~Robert Brault http://rbrault.blogspot.com/

 

(Ahh, my friend Robert Brault has written more amazing words of wit and wisdom than anyone else I know! His books can be purchased on Amazon.)



* MULTIFARIOUS MORSELS *

Ah yes, it's another fun day in my Midwestern household. It's bright and sunny, which I'm very happy to see as I look out my large window, although I know it's cold. At the moment, Vern is snoozing on the day bed next to my small kitchen table which has been my fill-in desk until I can get the one I really want. More about that another time....

 

 

There's been a bunch of workers outside since about 7:00 am this morning, trimming trees, with chain saws and making a lot of loud noise. I can't see them from where I'm sitting, but I certainly can hear them. Anyway.....just a few minutes ago, Vern and I both heard a

Huge Ka-Boom!

 

and felt the house shake! That's when I jumped up and looked out and realized they're not only "trimming," they are sawing down a tree or two. The BOOM was obviously when a large trunk slammed onto the ground! Did I mention we live in an area with lots of OLD trees? I just love it in the summer because there is so much shade. I do know, though, that the two they took down were in bad shape.



 

By the time it occurred to me to grab my camera, the huge trunk had been sawed into smaller pieces, and transported away, until there was just the stump. That, too, was dug out and removed.

 ~~~
 

Well, it's now hours later since I started this blog post. Life happens! So, now onto a different subject...

 

Yesterday I spent more time in my car than usual, and most was while driving on highways. Whoa! Look out! I usually remember to bring along some CDs to listen to, but I forgot. There's a surprise. I switched around radio stations, trying to find the right music to "drive to." I came across "Evil Woman" by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and immediately drove a teeny bit faster. J That reminded me that I should put together my list of Top Ten Songs For Fast Driving (which I'll have to really put some thought into!) The only other one I could think of at that time was "Lake Shore Drive," by Aliotta, Haynes, Jeremiah. There's nothing like a hot, sunny day, speeding down the highway, and blasting that song from my car's speakers! I still love it, and I wonder what much younger drivers think when they see this little old lady behaving like a 20-something! LOL         

What about you? What are some of your favorite "driving songs"?       

~~~

 

Now for more exciting news.....  A BIG winter storm, Titan, is supposed to drop snow, sleet, and possibly some freezing rain, beginning sometime tomorrow, and lasting through this coming Monday. Where I live is in the 5" to 8" range. Will winter ever end? Will warmer/hot temperatures ever return?? Can most of us take any more of this?? Accckkkkk!

~~~

 

** Welcome to my newest follower, Julie at Empty Nest Insider. I hope you will stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you so much! **

"When Chekhov saw the long winter, he saw a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope. Yet we know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. But standing here among the people of Punxsutawney and basking in the warmth of their hearths and hearts, I couldn't imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter." -- Phil Connors (movie Groundhog Day, with Bill Murray)

* It Ain't a Fit Night Out for Man or Beast! *

We're in the middle of what could be a record breaking day or two of snowfall amounts and cold temperatures. I'm not unhappy about it since I love snow, especially watching the snow coming down, and I don't have to drive anywhere today.

Pertaining to the snow "coming down," though.....it's more of a sideways, up and down, twirling around, blowing in the wind, kind of snow!

Poor Vern doesn't quite know what to do when he goes outside, poor guy...and in this weather, all I ask of him is to do it fast! Brrr....

Stay comfortable wherever you are! 

~~~

For the past 50 years or so, (can it possibly be that long ago?!) every time we have really cold days, those words in my blog title pop into my mind. It's a line from a 1933 W.C. Fields movie, The Fatal Glass of Beer. In the movie, W.C. is in a small cabin during a blizzard, with various people coming and going. Every time he opens the door, he says, "It ain't a fit night out for man or beast," and someone off screen belts him with a bunch of fake snow.

And just why do I remember all this? When we were kids, my brother Mike clowned around a lot, and he would imitate W.C., reenacting that scene and always got laughs from everyone around.


P.S. One of my favorite movies is Heidi, from 1937, with Shirley Temple. The first time I saw it, I fell in love with snow globes!

Packing and Getting Ready to Go!

While The Ronald and I pack, Vern sniffs around on our deck. 

I have no idea what he found, but his head is completely in the snow!

One of the trees in our front yard.

The birds kept coming to the feeder all day long. The one on the right, about half way up the pole is in flight. He's in the air, not on the ground!

We're so excited about downsizing. I can't wait to get moved into our new home and begin this next chapter in our lives!

* TESTING FOR BLOG UPDATE *

I just changed a setting on my blog, hoping it took care of my blog roll problems.......

Why am I feeling negative about this??!!

YAY IT WORKED! Thank you, Kathy M. for pointing me in the right direction to find the answer!! 

And now....I can say Nighty Night. 

We're expecting a pretty big snow storm here over the next 24 hours or more. Wherever you are, and whatever weather you're having, I hope you have a restful, peaceful Sunday. 

Ahhhh, Vern knows how to take it easy!

He's sleeping with his little stuffed animal here....awwww!

“Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer.” 
― Dean Koontz, False Memory

* I WONDER *

It's time for another

I Wonder:

created by Rose Petals from Heaven

I wonder why all the other big winter storms have been given names, except for our Midwest storm. Did you see what our storm was called? We were given The Letter Q. Huh? Yes, not even an entire name; just the letter "Q"......Weird!

I took this photo when we were getting huge flakes and they were coming down so fast. It was beautiful, but I obviously don't have the right camera for it! Although "Q" lasted for HOURS, it varied between huge flakes, tiny flakes, sleet, and a little freezing rain.

Poor Vern! Wouldn't you hate to go outside in the cold and snow to use your bathroom facility? This was when it first started.

This is part of our front yard, taken at 4:00 pm today. The sun finally came out for a while, although it's still cold. I just love the long shadows showing on the snow. 

Here's another looking out our front door and up the street. Although the official snowfall for our town is 6", I think we had 4"-5". Because of the sleet and freezing rain, the top really glistens and sparkles, and holds weight for a while before feet crunch & sink in!

I wonder about all the different types of precipitation. It's one of those subjects I can just get lost in, thinking about this majestic world we live in. What about you? Do you ever "I Wonder"?




"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." -- John Ruskin

* IT'S A SNOWY NEW YEAR'S EVE *

Well, I didn't get my wish for a White Christmas, but I was surprised to see snowflakes this morning! Not a whole lot has fallen yet, but it's coming down pretty fast. 

Here's a couple of pictures I just took from inside my house.

Deck

 Can you see the flakes falling?

I love this one!

Our mailbox and my "Fa La La & Mittens" flag

Wishing everyone a safe and fun evening, no matter what your plans are! 

I'm also including my post from December 31st of last year:

One of my favorite movies is "When Harry Met Sally." There are so many great scenes and dialogue in it, but for tonight I must post a very appropriate one. It's at the New Year's Eve party. Harry just told Sally how much he loves her and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. After a little while, it's midnight and people begin to sing "Auld Lang Syne."  Following is their dialogue:

Harry:  My whole life I have never known what this song means.


Sally: I know exactly what you mean.


Harry: I mean, should old acquaintances be forgot. Does that mean we should forget old acquaintances, or does it mean if we do happen to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we forgot them…..


Sally: Maybe you're just supposed to remember you forgot them, or something – anyway it's about old friends.

~~~~     ~~~~

Happy 2013! May it be a blissful one for all of us!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

* Silver and Gold....&....Snow Men *

Who remembers that song from the 1960's animated special, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?  

♫♪  Silver & Gold ... Silver & Gold  ♫♪

Those are the only words I remember from the entire song, but I certainly remember the tune, and the voice of Burl Ives singing it!

 (I thought I'd do another Christmasy post tonite! You can always click on the photos to make them larger.)

This is a large glass bowl on our mantel. I filled it with plastic silver and gold ornaments and tied a silver ribbon around it. Not too shabby, huh?!

This is that $15.00 tree I mentioned in a previous post. It's about 6' tall, and has multi-colored lights. I added a string of white lights and it was just right (light-wise!)

Every ornament on the tree is plastic and bought from either Hobby Lobby or Dollar Tree. Wow, I'm a big spender, aren't I?!

BUT, it does look like I missed a spot or two, or three! I sure didn't notice it until I looked at this picture. 

I particularly like this one. 

.. And here are the Snow Men..in the half-bath ..

Whoa...I didn't realize that sink was so ugly, until I saw it in this picture, too. 

It must actually look much better in person!

The snowman soap dispenser on the left came from Kohl's a few years ago. I was thrilled to find it because my color scheme is blue and white! To the left and behind that snowman is a glass bowl with a few blue and gold plastic ornaments and sparkly stars.The snowman on the right is plastic and from Dollar Tree. He's adorable and his hat looks like it's real yarn. 

And a white hand towel with snowmen on it!

More snowmen. Another blue and white duo, on a sled. One under a candle lamp, and a little guy on skis. 

And another hand towel 

* Please don't forget about my Kickstarter Project. Thanks so much *

*I'm dreaming of a White Christmas* because we had a dusting of snow today and some fierce winds that are still blowing. BUT, according to the weather prognosticators...it's not going to happen. :(

* This is Only a Test *

Which of the following statements are true?

• Today is The Ronald's birthday.
• The Ronald has spent the last two days in bed with a terrible cold.
• When my beloved dog Vern and I were on our walk yesterday afternoon, a dog came out of nowhere and attacked Vern.
• Today's high temperature was something like 65° Fahrenheit. Tomorrow's high is expected to be 46° and a low of 27°, with possible snow flurries. That's St. Louis weather for ya!
•  I'll be taking a Week-Long-Blog-a-Vacation, beginning Monday February 27th, and my e-mail correspondence will be minimal, too. See you again around March 5th.
• (Answers: They're all true. When I return, I'll explain about the dog attack. Thankfully, neither Vern or I or the other dog were hurt. But it sure scared the you-know-what out of me.)

Welcome to my newest followers, Peaches Ledwidge and Protector of Vintage. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see. Thank you!

“Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”
― Mark Twain

* This 'n That on a Wednesday *

Yesterday was Coffee & Critique day. Every Tuesday morning from 10:00am to 12:00 noon, a few of us local writers get together for....you guessed it: Coffee (or whatever drink of choice) and Critique. We meet in a cafe and most times stay for lunch as well. This is the only critique group I've ever attended, but from hearing about others, I know it is a quality one. We are an "open" group. No requirements or invitations. We do have some Guidelines. You bring something to read if you want, but you aren't required to. No one gives unkind remarks. We're there to give suggestions and advice. I am positive I have become a much better writer since being part of this wonderful group. And you know how we writers are. We love being around each other, talking about writing. We "get" each other. And boy, do we have fun!

I found The Cutest To-Do List at Jenny at The Modest Peacock. She shared it on her blog. Click on the link:  http://themodestpeacock.blogspot.com/2012/01/thought-id-share.html 

I printed one copy at home and took it to Kinkos and made 10 more. (I didn't want to use up all my color ink.) Each page is one day. I've tried making my own To-Do Lists, but they've never worked. This one just fits me. It even reminds me to drink my 8 glasses of water a day...which is something I've never done!

This is what I saw when I looked out my windows this morning!

 We've had barely an inch of snow all winter, which is so different from the last few winters. The two photos with the plant on the window sill were taken from my kitchen. The other one is in my neighbor's front yard.

My alloted blog time is over now, so on to other tasks! Thanks for stopping by and please don't forget my give-away. (See Monday 2/6 blog post)

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." -- Robert Brault (http://www.robertbrault.com/)

* Nostalgic Sundays *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday

I can't believe it is January 2012. Where the heck did 2011 go? Oh well....no sense wondering. 'Tis a new year and a new day and a new ME!

BUT, although I'm evolving, discovering, and achieving new things, I still love to reminisce. And so on New Year's Day 2012, here is my last Christmasy post for the season.

This is my brother and me in front of our tiny house in Illinois. Since the date stamp says January 1956, I'm not sure if this was actually taken in December or January. The ones I've posted lately seem to have been developed the month following the event. Either way, here we are enjoying a bit of snow during Christmas time.

My brother, Mike again. Looks like he helped shovel the sidewalk!

I'll have to dig out the original photo and see if there's a date on this, but it's definitely around the same time. Were we adorable, or what?!

 

This is another old ornament hanging on our 2011 tree. My mother bought a "collection" of these in the mid 1960s, when she worked at a downtown St. Louis department store called Famous-Barr. I'm sure she got them after Christmas one year, to save even more money in addition to her employee discount. Famous-Barr at that time was our version of Macy's. Very nice clothing, shoes, and notions...my favorite part of the store! (I don't remember everything in that section, but I'm pretty sure the beautiful stationery was sold there.) The less expensive clothes were in the Bargain Basement! Do you remember those days? The "Pay Toilet" also was around at that time.

~~~~~~

That's it for Christmasy Nostalgic Sundays until November and December of 2012!

Welcome to my newest follower, Accidental Writer...... my 280th follower!! That number doesn't seem possible, but I know many bloggers have thousands of followers, and they haven't even been blogging nearly as long as I have. The numbers really don't mean anything to me. It's just fun to see them add up and meet new people! Anyway, I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you!

"We do not remember days; we remember moments." --Cesare Pavese



** Almost a White Christmas **

Just a couple of days late!

 

The weather prognosticators said we might get enough snow overnight

for just a little dusting on the grassy areas.

Vern's first experience with snow at our house.

I think he preferred looking at it from the inside.

I slept later than usual today, so I missed the huge, wet flakes that came down sometime between midnight and 5:00am this morning. Most of it melted by this afternoon, but it's very cold again and the roads and sidewalks will be freezing.....Not a good thing, obviously.

We had a very nice Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with family and friends.

Then, The Ronald and I rested yesterday.....a lot!  I'll post more about Christmas soon.

"They say that every snowflake is different. If that were true, how could the world go on? How could we ever get up off our knees? How could we ever recover from the wonder of it?" – Jeanette Winterson





** It's Begun **

This is the little picture that my AOL Weather Box has on it for today. I've never seen so many different symbols for ONE DAY of weather before! I think the weather forecasters just may be right. It's already begun sleeting and freezing rain here. I'm all nice and warm and safe inside. Got lots of firewood, my little transistor radio, pens and pencils and paper, flashlights and candles. What more could a writer ask for?? Well, I also have water and diet soda....OH, and wine.....ooohhhh, I better make up a few pots of coffee and tea, and try to keep them warm, too...Just in case, ya know!  

Wherever you are.....Stay warm and safe and blissfully serene!

(And I feel the need to post the same quote as yesterday's. It just fits so well.)

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." — John Steinbeck (Travels with Charley: In Search of America

* The Quiet Before the Storm *

According to every one of our local weather forecasters, and even The Weather Channel, a huge section of the country is going to get pounded with ice, sleet, freezing rain, thunder snow, wind, and blizzard conditions. And that includes where I live. The local guys and gals keep referring to the "Blizzard of '82", and that's 1982, which I definitely remember. And they've also mentioned the ice storm of 2006, which I obviously remember, too. (I'm not totally short term memory challenged!)

Anyway, I'm ready to be inside for the next few days. Writing. Blogging. Possibly cleaning house...but I doubt it. Maybe do a little laundry..maybe. But mostly, I'm going to WRITE. I am so into getting my memoir finished, and now that the Saturday Writers first meeting of the new year is in the history books, I can relax and breathe....at least for a few days!! If you'd like to know more about Saturday Writers, please click on the link and you'll be at our new blog. I'll be updating it while our website is being revamped and brought up to date.

A big welcome and thank you to my two newest followers: Melissa Ann Goodwin & Kim Sloggett! Thanks so much for stopping by and wanting to come back from time to time!

Have a beautiful, blissful week everyone.....and stay warm and cozy...wherever you are!

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." — John Steinbeck (Travels with Charley: In Search of America)

* SNOW, SNOW, SNOW *

Wow! Look at our deck furniture! Isn't it funny? And the cones of snow on the poles?

I took this picture around 8 o'clock this morning.

This is a little blurry, but I thought it was pretty. I took this from inside (with no flash)

around 6 o'clock this morning. The bright light is the street light. We live at the bottom of a cul-de-sac and you can barely tell where the road is and where our front yard is. Can you see the "snow cones" on top of the 2 bird feeders?!

This was also from around 8 o'clock this morning. Another angle of the deck and neighbors' pretty trees.

The snowfall totals really vary around the St. Louis area. This looks like at least 8 inches of snow to me and we're supposed to get MORE! This is really unusual for us. The past few winters we might get snow five or six times, but only 2 or 3 inches at a time.

I plan to enjoy looking out, while I write and clean and maybe bake another apple pie! (Paul Joseph, did you read that last part?!)

*Also, Welcome to my Two Newest Followers: Jan and Darlene! Thank you so much!*

“Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together.” -- Vesta M. Kelly

** It's Christmas Day - 2010 **

 

We have a beautiful White Christmas!

I wish you all a warm and cozy day, wherever you are. And as some of my far-away blog friends say, Happy Christmas!

** White Christmas **

I can't remember the last time I awoke on Christmas Eve morning to the sight of falling snow! I truly believe it probably hasn't happened since my childhood. Yes, I've seen quite a few white Christmases over the years, but snow was usually already on the ground.

(Trying to capture the falling snow. Not too bad considering I took this photo from inside my family room.)

(this is obviously our deck!)

(I took this from inside the laundry room)

I realize none of these pictures portray the real beauty of the snow, nor do they show the 3 inches we ended up with. Ah...but again, the battery ran out of its charge so quickly......

Dear Santa, I sure hope you're bringing me a new camera!! ☺

Merry Christmas, dear friends, 2010.

"Close friends become family and family is the true center of the universe." -- Dave Marinaccio

* Staying Busy & Looking for Joy *

“The key to success is often the ability to adapt.” -- Unknown

                                                                                                         

"Believe in love. Believe in magic. Believe in Santa Claus. Believe in others. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. If you don't, who will?" -- Jon Bon Jovi

 

"Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends." ~Margaret Thatcher

(All photos taken by Becky Dec. 2010)

I'm trying to stay as busy as possible, so I don't have time to sit around and miss Tiger Girl too much. It gets a little better every day, until something happens to trigger a specific memory. I know we did the right thing and she's in a better place....but that doesn't stop me from missing her constant presence. 

I hope to get back to my "normal" self soon.....to post often, to write again, to not have an ache in my heart.

"Dogs are miracles with paws." ~Attributed to Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy