Got my heating pad out, set it on low, and got me feet warm. Slept very well, thank you.
Vewy vewy cold. Was 45º down here when I got up. Hasn't reached freezing outside yet. Got the oven on, and it's up to 54º already, so good to go. But bright, blue, and very sunny!
Pitfalls for procrastinators: waited too long to take my bath, and now it's too cold to do so, ack. Think I'd learn, eh? And too cold is clearly relative, lol!--I remember standing on my deck about a decade ago, at 20º buck nekkid with sleet hitting my back, taking a bucket bath. . . . Though I did resolve that though it was doable in snow, sleet should be a deal breaker, grin.
Merry Christmas to my Deaniac companions. Lovely here in Seattle.
Daughter #3 got us a gift certificate at a wonderful restaurant and we spent the evening (Our 20th anniversary as well as Christmas Eve) being pampered by a wonderful wait staff. When she called the restaurant to get the certificate, she had mentioned that it was our anniversary and everyone was extremely solicitous. Lovely evening. After which, I slept 'til noon today. A personal best!
My lovely neighbor, Nancy, brought me a Christmas dinner plate, with an assortment of homemade cookies, and one of those wondrous chocolate oranges. And of course a bone for Beau. Altogether fine! Cappy hamper here.
* The Merriest of Christmastide to each and all of you!! *
And the Sweetest Anniversary Blessings upon you whitznd! ♥♥
The ice here still holds…and the snow atop it. More snow expected tomorrow, along with the first round of wind above 10mph. This could get dicey. We sort of expect to lose power again. No real melting in sight beyond a few hours at 34F over the weekend. Heh.
We always celebrate the Christmas eve anniversary of the Magic Kiss. We didn't actually totally commit until Ground Hog Day 1995 (well him anyway, I'd committed LONG before that)
Beau's in the RIVER!!??? Dang he must be freezing!
You can take the Golden Retriever out of the white dog, but you can't keep the white dog out of the river. . . . He's inside now, and the ice on his pantaloons melted. He's warm and drying.
Musta been a heckuva kiss, Barb, lol! Long may they last!
Congratulations Barb to you and Burt. Twenty years of caring for each other, living together, and growing in understanding is wonderful. I think love changes over time, revealing a coat of many colors : patience, deeper understanding of self and other, spirituality, recognition of the differences in our personality. All take effort and attention.
We went to Loveland to see the Hobbit yesterday, but had the time wrong. We would have had to wait 3 hours to see the 3D version, so came home.
Puddle, I picture Beau racing in from the river. So glad you have each other. I'm not sure I'd want ever to live without a dog.
Boy left at about noon, and two hours later, I collapsed into a nap. Amazing to me how tired he makes me but not himself, lol! Got 2/3s of the bedroom wall dry walled. One that's waited almost twenty years for the pleasure: weird not to see the wires any more, grin. And the water tank full, and garbage burned, unburnables hauled away, and this time, a defective heater returned to John, a refund received.
Got a replacement for my beloved blue speckled enameled coffee/hot-water heating pot which due to overwork burned out six weeks ago. He got my 1880 Morgan silver dollar, which I've had since forever.
We also had a grownup and no tears discussion about how long I am likely to be able to stay here, and where next. . . . for now, I'm staying right here, and he's going to keep worrying.
Quick note before bed. What a great son you have, Puddle. Glad everything is in order and progressing. The issue of living independently, down sizing, getting assistance in ways we need involve all of us. Never easy decisions, but we'll manage, all of us.
Puddle, what a Worker Bee Kiddle you have! I am happy all the jobs were tackled, completed, plans made for completion. I am delighted the important discussion was initiated!!! Congratulations!
This time between Christmas and New Years is ALMOST my favorite time of the season. Decorations still up, working folks and helpers may have a little more time off, and folks still enjoying themselves before we dive into the dead of winter!
What a day!! There *was* a prediction of rain, and most areas around here got about an inch or inch and a half. This little corner got 3.45"! Woke to major flooding. Nancy's company got an extra night, as they couldn't get across the bridge. Still over as dark fell.
How close did the river get to your car this time?
We seem to have been spared the worst of the latest storm, but will know for sure come morning. One more branch fell into our driveway on Sunday with several more perched ready for a wind to send them down. Heh.
The bent trees are still bent but we did have some melt off at least. About to head to serious sub zeros, though.
Flooding seems almost the worst weather of all. Here in GSO we were predicted to get some rain from the tail end of this storm-we ended up with A bit of cool down and some drizzle.
Son in Michigan got power back on in live bait business In Michigan so he could shut the generator off, but power only slowly being restored a few miles away where he lives.
listener, flood got about two feet from the tires, not unusual. Though had I known, or had it been predicted, I for sure would have moved the car up hill. This area is more prone than any where I've ever lived for micro storms imbedded. This one seemed *very* localized.
Glad that I got my water tank filled just in time, lol! AND I finally got the illusive bath! Feels wonderful to be all sparkly clean, it does.
Glad to hear you are in good shape and that you weren't flooded.
A bright shiny day today and I go through piles of magazines, papers, books. Greed isn't just about money, but also for me books, a passion to know, to read, to understand. But, I have promised myself I can do this, and I will. I have to say to myself, we own nothing, not even the second that we breathe. It's all a gift and I'm going to pass on my books to the libraries.
We lost power again for a few hours early this morning, but no problems from it.
Six year old VT*Grand was here for three days and two nights. I'm tired, but oh we had fun! I was even able to take a nap today with her playing quietly nearby! A first!
Shirlee, it's just old. :-) Middle English, actually:
chirk (chûrk) tr. & intr.v. chirked, chirk·ing, chirks To make or become cheerful. [Middle English chirken, to chirp, chirrup, from Old English cearcian, to chatter, alteration of cracian, to resound; see crack.]
It's been a good day. I slept in! Then I made a big decision to postpone a trip to the NH border for meetings on Friday, as temps will be subzero all day, and may be about -15F the night before. I made the decision to postpone by a week, due to the ineffectiveness of road salt and the time-critical aspect of mishaps at such low temperatures. Home now with my Sweetie now, watching A Christmas Carol starring Sir Patrick Stewart. :-)
As I go about organizing and selecting what to give away in my library, I came across a folder called Politics. All the Dean stuff, buttons, bumper stickers, brochures, pamphlets, fact sheets, meetings, and of course my hat from our canvassing in Des Moines, Iowa, The Perfect Storm. I intended to dump it, but just couldn't, so put it back into my book shelf.
And our friendship extends from that, 2003 or maybe earlier in 2002. What a gift.
My hope is that we begin to hear in the political discourse The Common Good once again, that ideology is muted, and common sense, fairness, looking to the future, and ethics are the focus.
Reading a comparison between Eastern and Western cultures in The Christian Monitor, the Eastern view is one of relationships primarily; whereas the Western view is one of individuality. May we have both.
HAPPY 2014! We both slept late and had a quiet morning together. So rare these days, and much appreciated.
Awww, Pat. I have that stuff too (except the hat, but my kids have those). Our eldest made a fine wooden case to hang on the wall that is filled with Dean buttons of all sorts and an autographed bumper sticker. It's on the wall in our office. :-)
Quiet day with da boy--on his computed Birthday (got him in June 2011, appx aged six months. . . . ). Several extra bones and extra loving. What a sweet funny boy I live with.
This month marks ten years with Deaniacs. Quite a fine decade it's been! May we continue to be the yeast.
Ah Puddle, what a wonderful phrase, "May we continue to be the yeast!
Indeed! I took back publishing the "Demogram" for our Legislative District. It had gone from a vibrant 8 page newsletter to 4 pages of barely relevant.
Going to take it back up to full size again with small articles on individuals and events in the District as well as the critical things that need to be public for 10 days before we hold a vote on them. Our people are important, too!
Deanlandia is wicked cold today! At 8am it was -9F, but by noon it had warmed up to -5F. The Arctic front sitting over us is keeping the strongest snows to our south. The trees sure don't need more weight on them, but neither do they need this cold. Still, every year I hope for a couple weeks of subzeros to discourage various poisonous critters from migrating north.
5 and a half year old granddaughter here tonight and tomorrow night. Non stop energy. She dances, sings, conducts with her Cinderella baton, draws, plays hide and seek, plays puppets, goes for a walk helps me identify wild turkey tracks and snow hares, tells stories, names things, I know about nonstop energy now, but the question is is mine renewable.
Just a charmer, uses adult language. I have a book on Oceanic Art and she was frightened at the carved wooden face on the cover, then suggested we look at it closely so she won't be afraid. I think at 5 I was just making mud pies and swinging on swings. I didn't talk about clones or what happens to the house when grandparents die. My goodness. If this is evolution the dear planet is going to see some amazing humans.
Congratulations, Barb, and good luck in your endeavor.
Pat, that all sounds incredibly familiar. Our 6 year old granddaughter is the energetic one and our 7 year old granddaughter is the one who asks the deep questions, reads at average adult level, and knows (and can spell) the LATIN names of the dinosaurs! In my experience a grandparent's energy is renewable, but only under two conditions: (1.) The Grand has gone home, or (2) said grandparents take turns napping!! ENJOY!!!
Well, I know that ticks, fleas, and flies are far fewer after a harsh winter. But jeepers, black flies seem to adore cold winters. . . .
Lovely snowy day today--lots of big white globby flakes without too much sticking. Still--gorgeous!
I used to adore listening to my kids making sense of the world. At about six, my youngest did a very long taking apart of super heroes. Three kinds: supernatural, but scientific (Superman); supernatural, but magic (Captain Marvel); normal (Batman). Clothing, too--Superman's made from the blankets in his tiny spaceship, and are indestructible because same reason Superman is. Still, he has to put the uniform on and take it off, whereas Captain marvel says the word and there he is perfectly clothed. Batman's clothes have to be washed and folded and put on and taken off, etc. . . . This deconstruction could go on for hours if he had an audience, lol!
-10F this morning in NW VT. We've warmed up to -7F on the way to our newly revised high for the day of -6F. Then down to -19F tonight. (The record low is -21F for this date, so we'll see how we fare!)
Yesterday we got a new record: the lowest temp ever for a high for the day...which was 5 degrees colder than the previous record set in 1922. But as a result we only got about 3-4" of snow.
Did you know a bottle of wine can freeze solid on an enclosed back porch?
So here's an interesting weather question: How come the Naturally Cranberry juice on my kitchen windowsill froze solid while the White Grape juice, also on that windowsill, has not frozen at all?
(Kinda makes me wonder what's in that White Grape that ought not be there.)
Sunny, bright as can be, and bitter cold. That's January, I suppose. After today couple of warmer days, then back to bitter cold. Waiting for April. . . .
Ditto on the weather here, Puddle. At least the sunshine helps. I have a small electric on in the bedroom to keep the carpeted floor bearable. These restored old buildings can have some weird quirks like cold air leakage here and there. Having a corner apartment may not help--but I am not giving it up!
Six inches of snow and still coming. Granddaughter will spend at least one more night. The weather prediction, true to form, said one half to two inches. Yeah, right.
I enjoyed hearing of grandkids and kids. The imagination, curiosity, playfuness, just wonderful. Right now David and grand girl are watching The Last Unicorn. We've played cards, read a story, watched the birds, and after the movie we'll go for a walk in the snow. I think there's no other priorities when grandkids come to visit. All else is put aside.
Yes, according to my home page, the Midwest and East are experiencing an Arctic Vortex, whatever that means.
Pat, we have a Grand on the premises again, tonight. We had dinner, read a book, watched It's the Best Christmas Pageant Ever!, followed by bath time, then we watched it again, with snacks. Then brushed teeth and I sang her to sleep after storytime.
Tomorrow we think we'll cook Brunch together then go sledding…before the ice storm hits. This one should be minimal at least.
Last night at this time it was -21.4F and just 14 hours later it was +22F. It'll be warmish for a couple days, then coldish again. We hope the birches thaw out fast.
Temperature at 9 degrees F. Cold, overcast, but the access roads should be plowed by 9:30 this morning. We take Grand Girl home, but put plenty of warm stuff in car, two dishes of cat food, take Molly with us in case we can't get back up.
Yes, a smile here, listener, the days with the grands are like that. David kept her up until 9:30 last night, she almost beat him for staying up. I love the fact that children reason, are fair, open, and really interact. I guess that's why I loved teaching because they teach us so much about who we are as humans.
But, we're tired. I don't think we gave our kids even 50 percent that much attention. Must be the reason why we need Grandparents.
On the political front, I'm so pleased and proud of John Kerry for his diplomacy in the Middle East in particular. I think he'll be one of our greats.
And with that, stay warm, and may our new year bring us the courage and insight we need to continue on.
"they checked the weather report on Dec. 26 but that there was no prediction of snow. As they traveled on I-78 through Pennsylvania that morning, intense snow hit about five minutes before the accident"
Small world: This wonderful family is close friends with our family in Kennebunk. Mom Katie was our youngest granddaughter's first teacher (and still "best friend"), 7 yr old Carter is in our eldest granddaughter's class and a student in our instructor son's TaeKwon Do class, 9 yr old Molly (who has a fractured pelvis) is a competitive gymnast, and Dad Justin is a youth pastor.
While traveling over the holidays they were involved in the massive pileup on I-78 in PA. Their car is barely recognizable after an 18-wheeler landed on it, yet the entire family survived and will recover. This hits pretty close to home. I will be making a donation to their expenses.
Yes, Listener, I understand. Too close to home, but grateful they are all right. I find as I get older I'm aware of how precarious life can be. An old high school friend had a heart attack playing tennis. We knew each other from first grade through high school graduation.
Driving Grand Girl home, it took about two hours when it usually is about an hour and 15 minutes, but the roads icy, snow laden, and almost a white out. I felt so grateful that we were able to bring her home without incident.
And so we go on, knowing how precious life is and how important caring about each other and helping when we can is.
Cold, cold, cold, and we're going to have popcorn for dinner and watch the new Superman movie.
I know you all have colder weather than GSO-- but just now it is 43 degrees and rainy. Today it is predicted to drop hour by hour, clear up and by tomorrow morning we are predicted to be at 8 degrees and clear! I know clearing and colder often go together-- but this is enough already!
oh Shirlee, we are prepared for frigid weather, so many who are experiencing it are not! I am so worried for them, cold homes, no power, freezing pipes, impassable roads - this is a crisis in so many places. I hope you stay warm and safe!
I am loving all of the grandchild stories, keep them coming!
we're at 48 degrees right now - up from more than 20 below a couple of days ago and dropping back into single digits later today. guess I'd better go chip away at some of the ice that has been on my driveway for a couple of weeks, it may be my only opportunity for a while@
Oh, thanks Jo. I am safe and warm, no need to go out Brenda brought groceries in yesterday and made some home made soup. I am just spoiled after 14 years on the TX Gulf Coast and always surprised when NC gets this unusually cold.
We have a fairly large homeless population here, many ethnic groups, but their are enough homeless shelters So that folks can stay inside both day and night in this bitter cold. Combination of churches, non-profits and individuals pool resources and open up unused areas.
Well, the good news is that we're already 10º above today's predicted high, so maybe they'll be equally wrong about tomorrow's predicted high of 3º. . . .
Yesterday was warm and melty and the phone line didn't like it so never did get online.
Last week VT*Grand was interested in Grandad's Leatherman tool. He showed her how it was pliers, screwdrivers, knives, scissors, awl, can opener, etc., all in one tool. This week she wanted to see it again and asked, "Grandad, where is that Transformer thing?"
Temps here stayed in the 40's overnight. It was 48F at 1am and about 5am it was 43F with rain and wind. I got up to check and [wait for it...] our birches are standing up again!!! They'd been bent clear to the ground for 15 days! There was also a big branch down in the driveway.
It was 42F at 9am. Not much precip today except for some rain showers. Temp dropped to 33F around 2pm and is now 32, and we even saw a peek of sunshine. We still have about 3" of what I'll call Ice Cover, since it's really not snow as much as ice!
I spent some time chipping away at the ice and setting down Ice Melt near the house as well as sand further out on the driveway. I have no intention of falling again, having slipped while out sledding yesterday at the Round Church in Richmond. I was walking downhill on a 40degree slope, stepped and my foot just went right out from under me; landed whump on my back and a second later the back of my head hit the ice.
Just so folks don't worry, please know I never blanked (or even blinked) out, can remember everything, mental faculties acute. I did not grow nauseous and didn't even get a big headache. (Head injuries are usually worse from the side than from the back, so I was lucky.) Today I'm a bit sore, but so is Bill! Ha! I have a soft tension headache (so, yes, it was a mild concussion), and a touch of ryeness to my neck. But my back is fine and the rest is nothing to write home about. If I'd had one extra symptom beside a mild head and neck ache, I'd have gone to the ER or the doc. All good. But do be careful out there, folks!
Take care listener. The one time I went down on my back and head on ice, I also landed on an elbow and it was mightily bruised for a very long time. Hurt to put my elbow down. The head, however, was just fine.
The last time I went down on a 1/4 inch of snow, I broke my leg bad enough to require surgery. :o( But all is well now.
You all be careful up there, falling can be dangerous and deadly. I try to take NO chances now. I have a full hip replacement which is now 25 years old, if it goes there is Zip, Zero chance of successful replacement. I was mighty lucky this spring when I fell on my left hip which only has a plate in my upper thigh from a crack in 2010. My Ortho doc here did point out that a screw in that plate kept the cracks I received in my pelvis this year from being worse. Anyway, be careful!!!! Love to all.
The very young doctor-- youngest in the practice did my right hip replacement in 1988. The day I was discharged he said "I put that sucker in there to stay." He did indeed--he was part of a sports medicine group practicing near Michigan State University. One subsequent doc doing x-rays to determine how stable It was declared "we ought to send that guy a pint of whiskey for Christmas. By then I was in Texas and had lost touch with the young doc.
Odd--I have a tendency to fall forward. Last time I fell over backwards, I was fourteen and broke my coccyx.
My favorite fall was in China. Bicycling home just after a big snow. Hit an ice patch, I went ahead forward and bike skidded off to the right. I must have sledded on my tummy a good twenty feet. So bundled up one gets for being outside in China, I felt like a toddler! It was absolutely wonderful!!
Puddle, so great that you can laugh at falling and sliding on your tummy. You probably could not have had that great a ride if you had been trying! I love your sense of fun with life.
Take care all of you! Want to see this blog all thru the winter will all of you still intact!
The wind is driving me nutso: there's a big hemlock *very* close to the east kitchen corner, which keeps banging against the house, and shaking it. Prolly making everything feel colder, too.
+8F here, Wind is 9mph with gusts to 17mph, so wind chill is about -5F. We got a light dusting of snow overnight. We also had a little Hunca Munca mouse on our back porch late last night, just trying to get out of the wind. Our two indoor kitties were beside themselves! I tossed her out a handful of nuts. Poor creature. I don't appreciate rodents or greedy Starlings in my yard, but I never ever turn away a creature in need in weather like this. It's no way to die.
I'm on the mend, but still opted to take a Sick Day today and rest. I have a low grade but persistent headache and a little bit of neck ache. I'm concentrating better, but don't think I'm quite ready for five hours of multitasking at the Library. Plus, our substitute's easiest day to sub is Tuesday, so it was a perfect match. I haven't taken a sick day since they reset last July 1st, so I guess it was about time. Nap coming up soon.
A delight to read your comments, and how wonderful for Ally Mae!
I'm glad you took the day off, Listener, and Puddle, a grin here. Yes, in China, we all dressed very warm. In Kunming, I wore my down jacket, scarf, hat, and boots to bed in February.
A joy to read Phil's poetry.
Overcast, gray, a quiet day here, a chance to do some reading.
I had a nightmare about grand girl, I had let her drive the car, and every few minutes she would get out and go off somewhere. Good Grief, what was I thinking of!
oh dear, hope you feel better soon listener! and to think that Ally is turning 7, what a blessing. thank you for sharing her journey with us and thank you puddle for making sure we knew what was happening. if her candle page is still active I would love the link, I lost track of that with a computer crash some time ago.
love you all, thank you for being here. be safe and well this new year. my wish for us all is a return to sanity in the halls of our Congress and success in winning the battles for those who really matter, our people. <3
Thank you, Jo,for providing this comfortable space for a group of friends--all originally and still Deaniacs! It is lovely to actually take part in the conversation!
US trade deficit smallest in four years; imports weak 7 January 2014 - The US trade deficit fell to its lowest level in four years in November as exports hit a record high and weak oil prices restrained import growth, the latest evidence of strengthening economic fundamentals. The US economy appears positioned to shift into higher growth this year, with data ranging from employment to manufacturing and consumer spending suggesting it ended 2013 on a solid footing. http://www.globalgoodnews.com/business-news-a.html?art=138910797319066928
Triple star system 'can reveal secrets of gravity' 7 January 2014 - Astronomers have discovered a unique triple star system which could reveal the true nature of gravity. They found a pulsar with two white dwarfs all packed in a space smaller than Earth's orbit of the Sun. The trio's unusually close orbits allow precise measurements of gravity and could resolve difficulties with Einstein's theories. http://www.globalgoodnews.com/science-news-a.html?art=138905672916838370
Ally has been so well for so long that I'd almost forgotten about her candle page. But her grandparents have not. Every day they light two candles for her…!!
Ah, Jo, goodnesses upon you and upon us all this year! I too am deeply grateful for this blog and for getting to know each person here better.
My Christmas gift from Bill was art lessons this year. So I have signed up for 12 weeks of watercolour classes locally (at CVU), and will receive some tutoring as well from my wonderfully creative friend Ginger. Class runs February 5th to May 7th. I greatly prefer oil paints, but as our "wild girl" Grand is here every weekend, it's not very practical. So I am reverting to watercolour to see if an old dog an learn new tricks, and to see if I can then show some of what I learn to our Grand (who has great raw artistic talent).
The instructor is VT artist Ginny Joyner: http://ginnyjoyner.blogspot.com
She teaches watercolor, but she also does oils and photography, as do I, which helps me feel she will be able to translate for me well. I like her style very much!
This Sunday I will be at the Library in the afternoon as I am in charge of a program going on at that time. We are having VT artist Barbara Pafume to speak on The Creative Process. Her watercolour paintings are hanging on exhibit at the Library all month. (Come if you can, Jo! 2-3:30pm Sunday or to see the exhibit any time the Library is open.) www.drml.org
I think humans do very well with *always*--it's these brief violent excursions into very different that are hard to cope with. But I have wondered at the pure misery life has always pretty much been for most of the human race until about the last hundred years (for a few of us).
I remember distinctly touring the emperors' quarters in the Forbidden City, wondering at how very poorly they lived! Inch thick walls, stone floors, paper windows. . . . Dressed all winter in furs. Fur turned in to try to keep warm.
My plane to China stopped for a couple of hours in Karachi--It was about 130º at one in the morning. And wondering why the ancestors didn't just keep trekking rather than stopping to build a city there.
Listener--thanks for the link to your library. I have been curious about it. Seems like an active place! It reminds me very much of the first library I worked in. No degrees then, just an interested young Mom with kids who treasured "going to the library" on Saturday afternoons. I think we have some photos of you here?
listener, in case you haven't seen this yet, this was via front porch forum:
First Congregational Church of Burlington, Vermont, United Church of Christ is pleased to announce that Governor Howard Dean will be a special guest during a unique conversational Forum on Sunday, January 12 at 11:15am - immediately following their 10am worship service. The focus will largely be on building a positive bridge between our faith lives and our political and civic lives. All are welcome and invited.
Awww, jo!! I'd go in a heartbeat!! But we have our 6 year old Grand that day *and* I have to run an afternoon program at the Library. Oh my oh my oh my! Will you be able to attend? I'd love a report!
Shirlee…no, I don't think I'm in any of the photos, since most of them date back before I came on staff. The person who looks a little like me is our Director. :-)
Well, puddle, quite a few people built in odd places primarily because that's where their ship landed and they'd had all the travel fun they could stand. I recall one story in the Anne of Green Gables series about a woman who came to Nova Scotia from Scotland and had been sick the whole trip. They were on land a short time when her husband advocated moving on to a different place and her words, which later became the epitaph on her tombstone, were "Here I Stay"!
101 comments:
Howard wishes you a Merry Christmas!
and we thank Howard for being first. Merry Christmas my friends!
Merry Christmas!
Here are some links to photos of:
ICE STORM
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152207848516754.1073741891.637766753&type=1&l=679ce913b3
CHRISTMAS AT LAREAY FARM INN
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152210386026754.1073741894.637766753&type=1&l=18bd206f46
LAREAY = LAREAU
Merry Christmas all, Bright blue sky over GSO this morning and total quiet out on the street! Everyone
home with their families. Have a lovely day!
And thank you for this only new thread, Puddle.
..should be SHINY new thread... Sorry!
Got my heating pad out, set it on low, and got me feet warm. Slept very well, thank you.
Vewy vewy cold. Was 45º down here when I got up. Hasn't reached freezing outside yet. Got the oven on, and it's up to 54º already, so good to go. But bright, blue, and very sunny!
Merriest of Christmases fellow Deaniacs!
Heating pads are great bed companions! Happy Day!
Pitfalls for procrastinators: waited too long to take my bath, and now it's too cold to do so, ack. Think I'd learn, eh? And too cold is clearly relative, lol!--I remember standing on my deck about a decade ago, at 20º buck nekkid with sleet hitting my back, taking a bucket bath. . . . Though I did resolve that though it was doable in snow, sleet should be a deal breaker, grin.
Merry Christmas to my Deaniac companions. Lovely here in Seattle.
Daughter #3 got us a gift certificate at a wonderful restaurant and we spent the evening (Our 20th anniversary as well as Christmas Eve) being pampered by a wonderful wait staff. When she called the restaurant to get the certificate, she had mentioned that it was our anniversary and everyone was extremely solicitous. Lovely evening. After which, I slept 'til noon today. A personal best!
Christmas greetings to all. Love and hugs!
My lovely neighbor, Nancy, brought me a Christmas dinner plate, with an assortment of homemade cookies, and one of those wondrous chocolate oranges. And of course a bone for Beau. Altogether fine! Cappy hamper here.
* The Merriest of Christmastide to each and all of you!! *
And the Sweetest Anniversary Blessings upon you whitznd! ♥♥
The ice here still holds…and the snow atop it. More snow expected tomorrow, along with the first round of wind above 10mph. This could get dicey. We sort of expect to lose power again. No real melting in sight beyond a few hours at 34F over the weekend. Heh.
Kiddle's late, but has begun the trip. I've still quite a lot to do before his arrival.
Pretty day, but cold.
Barb, congrats to you and Burt. Christmas is a good time for beginnings--it was Christmas that Edwin and I decided on the living together thangy.
Boy's here, and Beau's in the river! The holiday begins!
We always celebrate the Christmas eve anniversary of the Magic Kiss. We didn't actually totally commit until Ground Hog Day 1995 (well him anyway, I'd committed LONG before that)
Beau's in the RIVER!!??? Dang he must be freezing!
Happy Holiday with your Kiddle and others:). Good neighbors are a wonderful gift.
You can take the Golden Retriever out of the white dog, but you can't keep the white dog out of the river. . . . He's inside now, and the ice on his pantaloons melted. He's warm and drying.
Musta been a heckuva kiss, Barb, lol! Long may they last!
Yeah, we both walked away from that one reeling! Still makes my heart skip a beat when he walks into the room.
Think I'll keep him...
Winner, sound like! Yep, keep him Barb!
We had a 10% chance of snow today, so said the forecasters.
It snowed for 5 hours leaving an additional 2.5" of snow on everything.
Bummer--so what do forecasters know:)
Good Morning,
Congratulations Barb to you and Burt. Twenty years of caring for each other, living together, and growing in understanding is wonderful. I think love changes over time, revealing a coat of many colors : patience, deeper understanding of self and other, spirituality, recognition of the differences in our personality. All take effort and attention.
We went to Loveland to see the Hobbit yesterday, but had the time wrong. We would have had to wait 3 hours to see the 3D version, so came home.
Puddle, I picture Beau racing in from the river. So glad you have each other. I'm not sure I'd want ever to live without a dog.
Have a good day today.
Boy left at about noon, and two hours later, I collapsed into a nap. Amazing to me how tired he makes me but not himself, lol! Got 2/3s of the bedroom wall dry walled. One that's waited almost twenty years for the pleasure: weird not to see the wires any more, grin. And the water tank full, and garbage burned, unburnables hauled away, and this time, a defective heater returned to John, a refund received.
Got a replacement for my beloved blue speckled enameled coffee/hot-water heating pot which due to overwork burned out six weeks ago. He got my 1880 Morgan silver dollar, which I've had since forever.
We also had a grownup and no tears discussion about how long I am likely to be able to stay here, and where next. . . . for now, I'm staying right here, and he's going to keep worrying.
Quick note before bed. What a great son you have, Puddle. Glad everything is in order and progressing. The issue of living independently, down sizing, getting assistance in ways we need involve all of us. Never easy decisions, but we'll manage, all of us.
Good Night, Sweet Dreams
Puddle, what a Worker Bee Kiddle you have! I am happy all the jobs were tackled, completed, plans made for completion. I am delighted the important discussion was initiated!!! Congratulations!
This time between Christmas and New Years is ALMOST
my favorite time of the season. Decorations still up, working folks and helpers may have a little more time off, and folks still enjoying themselves before we dive into the dead of winter!
Love to all---
What a day!! There *was* a prediction of rain, and most areas around here got about an inch or inch and a half. This little corner got 3.45"! Woke to major flooding. Nancy's company got an extra night, as they couldn't get across the bridge. Still over as dark fell.
Yikes, puddle!!
How close did the river get to your car this time?
We seem to have been spared the worst of the latest storm, but will know for sure come morning.
One more branch fell into our driveway on Sunday with several more perched ready for a wind to send them down. Heh.
The bent trees are still bent but we did have some melt off at least. About to head to serious sub zeros, though.
Flooding seems almost the worst weather of all.
Here in GSO we were predicted to get some rain
from the tail end of this storm-we ended up with
A bit of cool down and some drizzle.
Son in Michigan got power back on in live bait business
In Michigan so he could shut the generator off, but power only slowly being restored a few miles away where he lives.
Here is to warmer, drier weather for all!
listener, flood got about two feet from the tires, not unusual. Though had I known, or had it been predicted, I for sure would have moved the car up hill. This area is more prone than any where I've ever lived for micro storms imbedded. This one seemed *very* localized.
Glad that I got my water tank filled just in time, lol! AND I finally got the illusive bath! Feels wonderful to be all sparkly clean, it does.
Glad to hear you are in good shape and that you weren't flooded.
A bright shiny day today and I go through piles of magazines, papers, books. Greed isn't just about money, but also for me books, a passion to know, to read, to understand. But, I have promised myself I can do this, and I will. I have to say to myself, we own nothing, not even the second that we breathe. It's all a gift and I'm going to pass on my books to the libraries.
Have a good day, friends.
We lost power again for a few hours early this morning, but no problems from it.
Six year old VT*Grand was here for three days and two nights. I'm tired, but oh we had fun! I was even able to take a nap today with her playing quietly nearby! A first!
puddle, it chirks me up considerable to read what your son does for you. And I love thinking of you with life's little improvements!
So glad your car came through!
Love the word"chirk", Listener. Is that a Listener term, a local one, or a northeaster:)?
Shirlee, it's just old. :-) Middle English, actually:
chirk (chûrk)
tr. & intr.v. chirked, chirk·ing, chirks
To make or become cheerful.
[Middle English chirken, to chirp, chirrup, from Old English cearcian, to chatter, alteration of cracian, to resound; see crack.]
It's been a good day. I slept in! Then I made a big decision to postpone a trip to the NH border for meetings on Friday, as temps will be subzero all day, and may be about -15F the night before. I made the decision to postpone by a week, due to the ineffectiveness of road salt and the time-critical aspect of mishaps at such low temperatures. Home now with my Sweetie now, watching A Christmas Carol starring Sir Patrick Stewart. :-)
Waiting on the new year, contemplating this last one. What I most love doing this time every year.
Have a Happy New Year, all! <3
Also, here--wishing all Blog Buddies the bet for the
Year ahead!
..ah, the BEST....
Happy New Year friends.
As I go about organizing and selecting what to give away in my library, I came across a folder called Politics. All the Dean stuff, buttons, bumper stickers, brochures, pamphlets, fact sheets, meetings, and of course my hat from our canvassing in Des Moines, Iowa, The Perfect Storm. I intended to dump it, but just couldn't, so put it back into my book shelf.
And our friendship extends from that, 2003 or maybe earlier in 2002. What a gift.
My hope is that we begin to hear in the political discourse The Common Good once again, that ideology is muted, and common sense, fairness, looking to the future, and ethics are the focus.
Reading a comparison between Eastern and Western cultures in The Christian Monitor, the Eastern view is one of relationships primarily; whereas the Western view is one of individuality. May we have both.
Happy New Year Blog Friends!! Just stopping in to say hello and to wish you all a great 2014!! Keep up the good work!!
Brenda
Shirlee's Daughter
Happy New Year, friends. May 2014 be a grand one for you and Democrats in general.
HAPPY 2014!
We both slept late and had a quiet morning together. So rare these days, and much appreciated.
Awww, Pat. I have that stuff too (except the hat, but my kids have those). Our eldest made a fine wooden case to hang on the wall that is filled with Dean buttons of all sorts and an autographed bumper sticker. It's on the wall in our office. :-)
Hey, Brenda! HNY to you, 2!!
Quiet day with da boy--on his computed Birthday (got him in June 2011, appx aged six months. . . . ). Several extra bones and extra loving. What a sweet funny boy I live with.
This month marks ten years with Deaniacs. Quite a fine decade it's been! May we continue to be the yeast.
Ah Puddle, what a wonderful phrase, "May we continue to be the yeast!
Indeed! I took back publishing the "Demogram" for our Legislative District. It had gone from a vibrant 8 page newsletter to 4 pages of barely relevant.
Going to take it back up to full size again with small articles on individuals and events in the District as well as the critical things that need to be public for 10 days before we hold a vote on them. Our people are important, too!
Good for you, Barb-- Deaniacs still at work.!
Deanlandia is wicked cold today!
At 8am it was -9F, but by noon it had warmed up to -5F.
The Arctic front sitting over us is keeping the strongest snows to our south. The trees sure don't need more weight on them, but neither do they need this cold.
Still, every year I hope for a couple weeks of subzeros to discourage various poisonous critters from migrating north.
What??? We in the mid to deep south have poisonous critters :) Are you thinking of flying or crawling critters?
5 and a half year old granddaughter here tonight and tomorrow night. Non stop energy. She dances, sings, conducts with her Cinderella baton, draws, plays hide and seek, plays puppets, goes for a walk helps me identify wild turkey tracks and snow hares, tells stories, names things, I know about nonstop energy now, but the question is is mine renewable.
Just a charmer, uses adult language. I have a book on Oceanic Art and she was frightened at the carved wooden face on the cover, then suggested we look at it closely so she won't be afraid. I think at 5 I was just making mud pies and swinging on swings. I didn't talk about clones or what happens to the house when grandparents die. My goodness. If this is evolution the dear planet is going to see some amazing humans.
Congratulations, Barb, and good luck in your endeavor.
Whoops, she's calling me now.
Shirlee, I'm referring to Black Widow Spiders, Scorpions and all sorts and conditions of bugs and other pests…including some Republicans. LOL!
Well done, whitznd!!! I nominate you for a Howardly!
Pat, that all sounds incredibly familiar. Our 6 year old granddaughter is the energetic one and our 7 year old granddaughter is the one who asks the deep questions, reads at average adult level, and knows (and can spell) the LATIN names of the dinosaurs! In my experience a grandparent's energy is renewable, but only under two conditions: (1.) The Grand has gone home, or (2) said grandparents take turns napping!! ENJOY!!!
Well, I know that ticks, fleas, and flies are far fewer after a harsh winter. But jeepers, black flies seem to adore cold winters. . . .
Lovely snowy day today--lots of big white globby flakes without too much sticking. Still--gorgeous!
I used to adore listening to my kids making sense of the world. At about six, my youngest did a very long taking apart of super heroes. Three kinds: supernatural, but scientific (Superman); supernatural, but magic (Captain Marvel); normal (Batman). Clothing, too--Superman's made from the blankets in his tiny spaceship, and are indestructible because same reason Superman is. Still, he has to put the uniform on and take it off, whereas Captain marvel says the word and there he is perfectly clothed. Batman's clothes have to be washed and folded and put on and taken off, etc. . . . This deconstruction could go on for hours if he had an audience, lol!
-10F this morning in NW VT. We've warmed up to -7F on the way to our newly revised high for the day of -6F. Then down to -19F tonight. (The record low is -21F for this date, so we'll see how we fare!)
Yesterday we got a new record: the lowest temp ever for a high for the day...which was 5 degrees colder than the previous record set in 1922. But as a result we only got about 3-4" of snow.
Did you know a bottle of wine can freeze solid on an enclosed back porch?
So here's an interesting weather question:
How come the Naturally Cranberry juice on my kitchen windowsill froze solid
while the White Grape juice, also on that windowsill, has not frozen at all?
(Kinda makes me wonder what's in that White Grape that ought not be there.)
Sunny, bright as can be, and bitter cold. That's January, I suppose. After today couple of warmer days, then back to bitter cold. Waiting for April. . . .
listener, I would suspect sugar. No proof, of course, lol!
Ditto on the weather here, Puddle. At least the sunshine helps. I have a small electric on in the bedroom to keep
the carpeted floor bearable. These restored old buildings can have some weird quirks like cold air leakage here and there. Having a corner apartment may not help--but I am not giving it up!
It was -20.4F at midnight.
Supposed to be +41F on Monday.
High of +7F on Tuesday.
Crazy!
Good Morning,
Six inches of snow and still coming. Granddaughter will spend at least one more night. The weather prediction, true to form, said one half to two inches. Yeah, right.
I enjoyed hearing of grandkids and kids. The imagination, curiosity, playfuness, just wonderful. Right now David and grand girl are watching The Last Unicorn. We've played cards, read a story, watched the birds, and after the movie we'll go for a walk in the snow. I think there's no other priorities when grandkids come to visit. All else is put aside.
Yes, according to my home page, the Midwest and East are experiencing an Arctic Vortex, whatever that means.
Stay warm.
How's this for a great New Year's resolution?!
"Less crankiness, more marveling."
from Jessica Hagy's How to Be More Interesting
I'm stealing. . . .
Pat, we have a Grand on the premises again, tonight. We had dinner, read a book, watched It's the Best Christmas Pageant Ever!, followed by bath time, then we watched it again, with snacks. Then brushed teeth and I sang her to sleep after storytime.
Tomorrow we think we'll cook Brunch together then go sledding…before the ice storm hits. This one should be minimal at least.
Last night at this time it was -21.4F and just 14 hours later it was +22F. It'll be warmish for a couple days, then coldish again. We hope the birches thaw out fast.
Have a Grand time! ;-)
Good Morning,
Temperature at 9 degrees F. Cold, overcast, but the access roads should be plowed by 9:30 this morning. We take Grand Girl home, but put plenty of warm stuff in car, two dishes of cat food, take Molly with us in case we can't get back up.
Yes, a smile here, listener, the days with the grands are like that. David kept her up until 9:30 last night, she almost beat him for staying up. I love the fact that children reason, are fair, open, and really interact. I guess that's why I loved teaching because they teach us so much about who we are as humans.
But, we're tired. I don't think we gave our kids even 50 percent that much attention. Must be the reason why we need Grandparents.
On the political front, I'm so pleased and proud of John Kerry for his diplomacy in the Middle East in particular. I think he'll be one of our greats.
And with that, stay warm, and may our new year bring us the courage and insight we need to continue on.
"they checked the weather report on Dec. 26 but that there was no prediction of snow. As they traveled on I-78 through Pennsylvania that morning, intense snow hit about five minutes before the accident"
Small world: This wonderful family is close friends with our family in Kennebunk. Mom Katie was our youngest granddaughter's first teacher (and still "best friend"), 7 yr old Carter is in our eldest granddaughter's class and a student in our instructor son's TaeKwon Do class, 9 yr old Molly (who has a fractured pelvis) is a competitive gymnast, and Dad Justin is a youth pastor.
While traveling over the holidays they were involved in the massive pileup on I-78 in PA. Their car is barely recognizable after an 18-wheeler landed on it, yet the entire family survived and will recover. This hits pretty close to home. I will be making a donation to their expenses.
a href=http://m.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article ?aid=%2F20140102%2FNEWS%2F140109950&template=wapart
Yes, Listener, I understand. Too close to home, but grateful they are all right. I find as I get older I'm aware of how precarious life can be. An old high school friend had a heart attack playing tennis. We knew each other from first grade through high school graduation.
Driving Grand Girl home, it took about two hours when it usually is about an hour and 15 minutes, but the roads icy, snow laden, and almost a white out. I felt so grateful that we were able to bring her home without incident.
And so we go on, knowing how precious life is and how important caring about each other and helping when we can is.
Cold, cold, cold, and we're going to have popcorn for dinner and watch the new Superman movie.
Night friends.
I know you all have colder weather than GSO-- but just now it is 43 degrees and rainy. Today it is predicted to drop hour by hour, clear up and by tomorrow morning
we are predicted to be at 8 degrees and clear! I know
clearing and colder often go together-- but this is enough
already!
oh Shirlee, we are prepared for frigid weather, so many who are experiencing it are not! I am so worried for them, cold homes, no power, freezing pipes, impassable roads - this is a crisis in so many places. I hope you stay warm and safe!
I am loving all of the grandchild stories, keep them coming!
we're at 48 degrees right now - up from more than 20 below a couple of days ago and dropping back into single digits later today. guess I'd better go chip away at some of the ice that has been on my driveway for a couple of weeks, it may be my only opportunity for a while@
or wait a week - I see that it will again be in the 40s next Sat thru Monday! sheesh!
Oh, thanks Jo. I am safe and warm, no need to go out
Brenda brought groceries in yesterday and made some home made soup. I am just spoiled after 14 years on the TX Gulf Coast and always surprised when NC gets this unusually cold.
We have a fairly large homeless population here, many ethnic groups, but their are enough homeless shelters
So that folks can stay inside both day and night in this bitter cold. Combination of churches, non-profits and individuals pool resources and open up unused areas.
Good luck with the ice chipping!
...ah, brain freeze...."there" not "their"!
Well, the good news is that we're already 10º above today's predicted high, so maybe they'll be equally wrong about tomorrow's predicted high of 3º. . . .
Yesterday was warm and melty and the phone line didn't like it so never did get online.
Last week VT*Grand was interested in Grandad's Leatherman tool. He showed her how it was pliers, screwdrivers, knives, scissors, awl, can opener, etc., all in one tool. This week she wanted to see it again and asked, "Grandad, where is that Transformer thing?"
Temps here stayed in the 40's overnight. It was 48F at 1am and about 5am it was 43F with rain and wind. I got up to check and [wait for it...] our birches are standing up again!!! They'd been bent clear to the ground for 15 days! There was also a big branch down in the driveway.
It was 42F at 9am. Not much precip today except for some rain showers. Temp dropped to 33F around 2pm and is now 32, and we even saw a peek of sunshine. We still have about 3" of what I'll call Ice Cover, since it's really not snow as much as ice!
I spent some time chipping away at the ice and setting down Ice Melt near the house as well as sand further out on the driveway. I have no intention of falling again, having slipped while out sledding yesterday at the Round Church in Richmond. I was walking downhill on a 40degree slope, stepped and my foot just went right out from under me; landed whump on my back and a second later the back of my head hit the ice.
Just so folks don't worry, please know I never blanked (or even blinked) out, can remember everything, mental faculties acute. I did not grow nauseous and didn't even get a big headache. (Head injuries are usually worse from the side than from the back, so I was lucky.) Today I'm a bit sore, but so is Bill! Ha! I have a soft tension headache (so, yes, it was a mild concussion), and a touch of ryeness to my neck. But my back is fine and the rest is nothing to write home about. If I'd had one extra symptom beside a mild head and neck ache, I'd have gone to the ER or the doc. All good. But do be careful out there, folks!
Take care listener. The one time I went down on my back and head on ice, I also landed on an elbow and it was mightily bruised for a very long time. Hurt to put my elbow down. The head, however, was just fine.
The last time I went down on a 1/4 inch of snow, I broke my leg bad enough to require surgery. :o( But all is well now.
Everyone take care in this severe weather.
You all be careful up there, falling can be dangerous and deadly. I try to take NO chances now. I have a full hip replacement which is now 25 years old, if it goes there is
Zip, Zero chance of successful replacement. I was mighty lucky this spring when I fell on my left hip which only has a plate in my upper thigh from a crack in 2010. My Ortho doc here did point out that a screw in that plate kept the cracks I received in my pelvis this year from being worse. Anyway, be careful!!!!
Love to all.
The very young doctor-- youngest in the practice did my right hip replacement in 1988. The day I was discharged he said "I put that sucker in there to stay."
He did indeed--he was part of a sports medicine group
practicing near Michigan State University. One subsequent doc doing x-rays to determine how stable
It was declared "we ought to send that guy a pint of whiskey for Christmas. By then I was in Texas and had lost touch with the young doc.
Phil Specht
Sundog Day
Due east at dawn
light breaking the horizon
wrong place for sunrise
did I hibernate til equinox?
No. Ice crystals, fool.
Sundog rising
marking earth's tilt,
months before spring.
4 hours ago
Odd--I have a tendency to fall forward. Last time I fell over backwards, I was fourteen and broke my coccyx.
My favorite fall was in China. Bicycling home just after a big snow. Hit an ice patch, I went ahead forward and bike skidded off to the right. I must have sledded on my tummy a good twenty feet. So bundled up one gets for being outside in China, I felt like a toddler! It was absolutely wonderful!!
My hat's off to your young doctor, whitznd!
puddle, you could not have fallen forward with my caper. I was walking downhill on ice. Imagine a heel sliding at that angle! Ally oop!
0.3 °F
Clear
Windchill: -17 °F
Puddle, so great that you can laugh at falling and sliding on your tummy. You probably could not have had that great a ride if you had been trying! I love your sense of fun with life.
Take care all of you! Want to see this blog all thru the winter will all of you still intact!
Hugs to all!
The wind is driving me nutso: there's a big hemlock *very* close to the east kitchen corner, which keeps banging against the house, and shaking it. Prolly making everything feel colder, too.
How is everyone today?
+8F here, Wind is 9mph with gusts to 17mph, so wind chill is about -5F.
We got a light dusting of snow overnight. We also had a little Hunca Munca mouse on our back porch late last night, just trying to get out of the wind. Our two indoor kitties were beside themselves! I tossed her out a handful of nuts. Poor creature. I don't appreciate rodents or greedy Starlings in my yard, but I never ever turn away a creature in need in weather like this. It's no way to die.
I'm on the mend, but still opted to take a Sick Day today and rest. I have a low grade but persistent headache and a little bit of neck ache. I'm concentrating better, but don't think I'm quite ready for five hours of multitasking at the Library. Plus, our substitute's easiest day to sub is Tuesday, so it was a perfect match. I haven't taken a sick day since they reset last July 1st, so I guess it was about time. Nap coming up soon.
Today marks 4 years of Remission for Ally Mae!
She turns 7 years old later this month…!
A delight to read your comments, and how wonderful for Ally Mae!
I'm glad you took the day off, Listener, and Puddle, a grin here. Yes, in China, we all dressed very warm. In Kunming, I wore my down jacket, scarf, hat, and boots to bed in February.
A joy to read Phil's poetry.
Overcast, gray, a quiet day here, a chance to do some reading.
I had a nightmare about grand girl, I had let her drive the car, and every few minutes she would get out and go off somewhere. Good Grief, what was I thinking of!
It's great to be with you all.
Time to trim that branch, puddle. Best add that to Son's job jar. ;-)
oh dear, hope you feel better soon listener! and to think that Ally is turning 7, what a blessing. thank you for sharing her journey with us and thank you puddle for making sure we knew what was happening. if her candle page is still active I would love the link, I lost track of that with a computer crash some time ago.
love you all, thank you for being here. be safe and well this new year. my wish for us all is a return to sanity in the halls of our Congress and success in winning the battles for those who really matter, our people. <3
Thank you, Jo,for providing this comfortable space
for a group of friends--all originally and still Deaniacs!
It is lovely to actually take part in the conversation!
Stay warm and safe everyone!!
And now…a little Good news…
US trade deficit smallest in four years; imports weak
7 January 2014 - The US trade deficit fell to its lowest level in four years in November as exports hit a record high and weak oil prices restrained import growth, the latest evidence of strengthening economic fundamentals. The US economy appears positioned to shift into higher growth this year, with data ranging from employment to manufacturing and consumer spending suggesting it ended 2013 on a solid footing.
http://www.globalgoodnews.com/business-news-a.html?art=138910797319066928
Triple star system 'can reveal secrets of gravity'
7 January 2014 - Astronomers have discovered a unique triple star system which could reveal the true nature of gravity. They found a pulsar with two white dwarfs all packed in a space smaller than Earth's orbit of the Sun. The trio's unusually close orbits allow precise measurements of gravity and could resolve difficulties with Einstein's theories.
http://www.globalgoodnews.com/science-news-a.html?art=138905672916838370
Ally's Candle Page:
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=Allys
Ally has been so well for so long that I'd almost forgotten about her candle page. But her grandparents have not. Every day they light two candles for her…!!
Ah, Jo, goodnesses upon you and upon us all this year! I too am deeply grateful for this blog and for getting to know each person here better.
My Christmas gift from Bill was art lessons this year. So I have signed up for 12 weeks of watercolour classes locally (at CVU), and will receive some tutoring as well from my wonderfully creative friend Ginger. Class runs February 5th to May 7th. I greatly prefer oil paints, but as our "wild girl" Grand is here every weekend, it's not very practical. So I am reverting to watercolour to see if an old dog an learn new tricks, and to see if I can then show some of what I learn to our Grand (who has great raw artistic talent).
* an learn = can learn
Anyway, I'm pretty excited about the class! :-)
The instructor is VT artist Ginny Joyner:
http://ginnyjoyner.blogspot.com
She teaches watercolor, but she also does oils and photography, as do I, which helps me feel she will be able to translate for me well. I like her style very much!
This Sunday I will be at the Library in the afternoon as I am in charge of a program going on at that time. We are having VT artist Barbara Pafume to speak on The Creative Process. Her watercolour paintings are hanging on exhibit at the Library all month. (Come if you can, Jo! 2-3:30pm Sunday or to see the exhibit any time the Library is open.)
www.drml.org
Hmm, let me try that again:
http://www.drml.org
All the way up to 24º!! Feels *wonderful*. . . . Amazing to realize that about the only thing I've done for forty-eight hours is try to keep warm.
Same here, Puddle. Warming here now, but from last week-end through yesterday was Miserable!
I think humans do very well with *always*--it's these brief violent excursions into very different that are hard to cope with. But I have wondered at the pure misery life has always pretty much been for most of the human race until about the last hundred years (for a few of us).
I remember distinctly touring the emperors' quarters in the Forbidden City, wondering at how very poorly they lived! Inch thick walls, stone floors, paper windows. . . . Dressed all winter in furs. Fur turned in to try to keep warm.
My plane to China stopped for a couple of hours in Karachi--It was about 130º at one in the morning. And wondering why the ancestors didn't just keep trekking rather than stopping to build a city there.
Tired...and hungry?
.
Listener--thanks for the link to your library. I have been
curious about it. Seems like an active place! It reminds me very much of the first library I worked in. No degrees then, just an interested young Mom with kids who treasured "going to the library" on Saturday afternoons.
I think we have some photos of you here?
listener, in case you haven't seen this yet, this was via front porch forum:
First Congregational Church of Burlington, Vermont, United Church of Christ is pleased to announce that Governor Howard Dean will be a special guest during a unique conversational Forum on Sunday, January 12 at 11:15am - immediately following their 10am worship service. The focus will largely be on building a positive bridge between our faith lives and our political and civic lives. All are welcome and invited.
Awww, jo!! I'd go in a heartbeat!! But we have our 6 year old Grand that day *and* I have to run an afternoon program at the Library. Oh my oh my oh my! Will you be able to attend? I'd love a report!
Shirlee…no, I don't think I'm in any of the photos, since most of them date back before I came on staff. The person who looks a little like me is our Director. :-)
Well, puddle, quite a few people built in odd places primarily because that's where their ship landed and they'd had all the travel fun they could stand. I recall one story in the Anne of Green Gables series about a woman who came to Nova Scotia from Scotland and had been sick the whole trip. They were on land a short time when her husband advocated moving on to a different place and her words, which later became the epitaph on her tombstone, were "Here I Stay"!
Nice warm thread, hot out of the oven!
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