Sunday, January 5, 2014

* 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!

Friday, January 3, 2014

* I'M BACK *

Hello Everyone!

I have my laptop again! My oldest son (the computer guru) kept it for a couple of days, and brought it back yesterday afternoon. All I can say is....What would I do without him??

Plus -- I would have lost everything had I not had my off-site backup system that he installed for me a few years ago! Whew!  

Not sure when I'll post again, or be able to read other blogs and leave comments, but I'll be back as soon as I can. Thank you to everyone who left encouraging comments!

* I wish everyone All Things Wonderful in 2014 *
 
                  
 

 "We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential." -- Ellen Goodman



Monday, December 30, 2013

Laptop Crash

My laptop "crashed."  I'm posting this using my Blackberry.
 Not sure when I'll be back online.  :(
 Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

* MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM VERN & FAMILY *


Merry Christmas Everyone!

(Vern and I chose the following photos for today, and he told me what he wanted to say. So this is his Merry Christmas post to all his blog friends and fans!)

Don't I look dapper in my warm, red coat?!



I'm sleeping peacefully on the daybed next to Mom's desk, while listening to Christmas music, and dreaming of doggie treats and rawhide bones and flips.


I was beside myself with love and excitement when Mark stopped by for a visit!


Mom made me watch some of the Charlie Brown Christmas show with her. 
I did like Snoopy, though.


This was pretty funny. Justin Timberlake dancing and singing as a soup can! 
Mom laughed out loud, a lot.


This was taken when we got all that snow a week or so ago. 
Mom and I were out walking in it. 
If you look at the sky, really close, you can see some snowflakes falling on us. 


This is me in December of 2011. 
I look so cute in this picture, I wanted to show it again.


Same as above!



Sourch - Pinterest

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas! 

A delightful incident happened to me yesterday morning. I got up early, wrapped and packaged three copies of my memoir, grabbed some Christmas cards I still hadn't mailed, and drove to my nearby post office. I got there about 10 minutes after they opened, so there was No Waiting! Yippee! (No, that's not the incident I was referring to.)

On the way home, I went to a well known fast food Drive-Thru to get a cup of coffee, since I hadn't taken the time to make any at home....yet. When I pulled up to the window to pay for it, I was informed by the young employee that I didn't owe anything...that the driver in the car in front of me paid for it! Which then prompted me to want to do the same. I didn't have a whole lot of money with me, so before I automatically declared I'd pay the total for the car behind me, I asked how much it was. (What if the driver was picking up a breakfast order for an entire office??) The total was something like $4.60, so I said, "Okay. I'll pay for it!" 

Something as simple as that, gave me such a smile on my face and joy in my heart. I wonder if the trend continued until that particular group of cars were gone? I'm sure many of you have done the same, or have wanted to. 

Random Acts of Kindness
Nothing is too small or insignificant


"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone." -- Charles Schulz

Sunday, December 22, 2013

* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

It's Time For Another Nostalgic Sunday



I'm sharing some photos I've posted during past Decembers.....


These are from 2011, but I baked the [same looking] cookies for a cookie exchange earlier this month. The difference between then and now is that these were made from a Betty Crocker sugar cookie package. The ones I made this year were made from scratch! Yes! I haven't done that in quite a few years, and I also used a recipe I'd never tried before. Pretty brave, daring, or just plain idiotic when participating in a cookie exchange....with people I didn't even know! (except for ONE woman!) Yikes! BUT, I did have a "back up plan," a package mix in the pantry, just in case! 


But, everything worked correctly and this year's batch was just as pretty and tasty as 2011. I keep saying I'm going to make more, so we'll have some to take to others, and still have some to hide share at home. I better start today, dont'cha think??



I also posted this in December of 2011. It's a Christmas card holder that I made. (Yep, another astonishing fact!) But, before you start applauding my "talent," let me say that it's a "no-sew" project, and I used my hot glue gun. When I was a little girl, my mother made a couple of these "boots," but they were more elaborate with rick-rack and were actually sewn together. (I mention these in my memoir.) She let me help with some of it and I loved them so much, I decided to make my own. The back material is green felt, and the pockets are light-weight, cotton fabric pieces. Then, just glittery glue for the names.


This is Vern from last year. I've taken new photos, but just haven't gotten them uploaded yet. When he and I were out early this morning, it began to flurry on us, which made us both Happy! (See that wad of peace signs behind him? That's one of his very own blankies!) 



"It's true, Christmas can feel like a lot of work, especially for mothers. But when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you'll find you've created family traditions and lasting memories. Those memories, good and bad, are really what help to keep a family together over the long haul." -- Caroline Kennedy

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Thursday Potpourri -- Part Two

Well, here it is about12 hours later since I wrote Part One. So much for sharing updates, huh? At least I have good reasons. I DID get a lot accomplished today!

But, I'll write about that tomorrow because this evening I have a reminder, and an announcement:

Reminder -- To be entered in my book giveaway at Jennifer Shirk's blog, you must leave a comment before midnight tonight, EST, which is about half an hour from now...(11:30 EST)
Thank you again, Jennifer!  * The winner on Jennifer's blog is.....Karen Walker! Congratulations, Karen!! You'll receive a gift wrapped book in the mail asap.*


Announcement -- The very lovely bestselling author, Michael Lee West, just posted her weekly Foodie-Friday; and along with that, a warm and charming post about my memoir & me, and a book giveaway, (to be announced Monday, Dec 23rd). Please stop by and leave a comment, even if you don't care to be in the drawing. She is always so kind and gracious, has an amazing home which she is renovating/decorating, a marvelous cook, creates fabulous tablescapes....and still has time to write! AND shares photos and recipes! (There she is....way up high on the right sidebar!) Thank you very much, Michael Lee!

* Dec. 25th: Winner of memoir giveaway on Michael Lee West's blog, Rattlebridge Farm, is......Rettabug! Congratulations, Retta!! I'm so happy that you're excited about winning! 


Oh, and her blog, Rattlebridge Farm, is listed on my side bar under OTHER FAVORITE BLOGS.




"It's hard to explain your passions, but sometimes it is harder to live them." -- Michael Lee West, She Flew the Coop: A Novel Concerning Life, Death, Sex and Recipes in Limoges, Louisana

* Thursday Potpourri -- Part One *

Hello family & friends! I have such good intentions to accomplish tremendous amounts of stuff today. I'll be back, off and on, to give updates. Hopefully, I won't be embarrassed by my [lack of] achievements....

Until then, enjoy looking at these beautiful ducks geese, who semi chased me to my car on December 4th!

I attended a cookie-exchange in Illinois, and totally forgot to take any photos (typical...) until I came outside to drive home! These guys were next to the parking lot where my car was.

See the one on the right charging toward me?! I jumped into my car, rolled down the window, and took this so fast I'm surprised it's not blurry! 

I'll be back later!