S-N-O-W ! !

Our first snow of the season . . . I left for church at 8:37, it was snowing. I came home at 12:10 and it was still snowing. It's 1.33 right now and it's STILL SNOWING! YIPPEE !

I love to watch snow falling and the silence it creates.

I took the above photo early this a.m. There's quite a bit more snow on the ground now.

I hope it continues all day.

Update

Happy Thanksgiving.....a day late. We hope you had a lovely day wherever and however you spent it.

I wanted to update you on Sweet Man's condition and catch up on a few 'Life' questions.

First, we received a phone call from the cardiologist this a.m. and Sweet Man has a clean bill of health. He had a nuclear stress test done on Friday last and all is G-O-O-D! He has no problems anywhere in his heart. He will have scar tissue from the stent placement but that will be no problem.

He is feeling really good and says he didn't know how bad he felt before until he got 'fixed' and now he feels so much better. He is on several meds for a while but will be weaned off them in a bit. His BP is doing great too.

Thank you for your prayers we appreciate them very much.

Here are a couple Life questions so we can get on with our journals.

17. What pets have you had?
18. Who was your favorite school teacher and why?
19. Where were you when President Kennedy was assassinated?

A Close Call

A week ago today, early in the morning, I received a telephone call from Sweet Man's boss. He told me Sweet Man had had a heart attack and was on the way to the hospital, he didn't know where. The boss gave me the destination of the drop so I got on the PC and looked up the town he would have gone through to make the drop. I found it and talked with a nurse in the ER who informed me there was a male heart attack on the way. ETA, approximately 2 minutes, she called me back in 5. Sweet Man was air-lifed into Madison, WI. He survived the heart attack with no residual effects, at least non manifested as of yet. The cardiologist placed a stent in a coronary artery and he is doing well.

I drove up to Madison to be with him and brought him home the third day. We know it was through the intervention of our Heavenly Father and the skills He gave to those who worked on him that he is here today. Everybody was in the right place at the right time and to me that is not a coincidence.

We don't know when he will be going back to work. He sees the local cardiologist tomorrow, hopefully we will know more then. Please keep us in your prayers. Our names aren't important, Heavenly Father knows who we are. Thank you so much, we appreciate it.

I will include the next two questions for our Life History Project:

15. What is your favorite food and why?
16. If you have a spouse what do you love about him/her?

Cindy Louise

Cindy,
I was looking back on older posts and just found a response you gave about your surgery. I assume by this time you have totally healed and back on your feet.

Yes, your boys are growing, they'll be men before you know. (I'm sure they probably think they are...smile)

I have never received an invite to your blog. Please send me one, I would love to have a look-see.

Did you folks get to see up close and personal the Telly extravaganza in your area? I watched it a couple of times on the news.

If you don't have my e address call me and I'll give it to you. #'s in the book.

Nan

Life Questions 13 and 14

13. Write about receiving a long awaited letter. If not long awaited, how you feel about receiving snailmail in the height of the electronic mailing generation.

14. Tell about the day you were baptized.

Christmas Cactus, Fall Color and a Coopers Hawk

We spied this Coopers Hawk atop a pole surveying the farm fields in search of 'lunch'. There are a lot of these birds in our area and it's always exciting to see them doing their thing.

Leaves I've picked up and saved under the oilcloth on the kitchen table. Makes an interesting piece of art. The leaves represented here are from Maple, Oak, and Tulip trees. The small red leaves are from a Burning Bush. Handsome, eh?

I call this my 'Christmas' Cactus but I should rename it my October Cactus. I have no clue why but it blooms every October. I can force it to bloom again if I keep it in the dark but it seems to take a toll on the plant. I bought this as a spindly little piece nearly dead at the end of the season a few years back uncertain of it's future but here she. Pretty, isn't she? I've started other plants from her and they bloom later than this one but never in December unless forced. Anyone know why they're called Christmas Cactus?

It's Tuesday

'Tis Tuesday and election day. I hope everyone who has the privilege to vote will get out today and exercise that right.

Here are life questions 11 & 12:
11. Tell a frustrating experience you've had with a car.
12. What was your very first job?

Yesterday was my bosom buddy's birthday celebration. Her birthday was Saturday but Sweet Man was home so we celebrated Monday. We've been the best of friends for 12 years, we've hung out, cried, played detective, done genealogy, visit taught, taught each other, libraried, junqued, templed, movied, shopped all night at Wal-Mart, rode all over, oohed and aahed at nature, been through good times and bad together.

The Birthday Girl and I have a tradition. It is, we take who ever's birthday it is to lunch and then open our gift/gifts at the restaurant. We don't spend a lot of money, which is not important anyway, but the gifts are thoughtful. Yesterday after lunch I took her to the Big City and we cruised that French Boutique, you know the one, Target. (pronounce that in French, emphasis on the last syllable, so you get the full effect...Tarche) and then to Barnes and Noble where we perused a few volumes. We then headed back to the country and to our library to pick up movies and for me books on tape. We had a lovely day Mother Nature cooperated blessing us with a temperature of 72, unbelievable for this time of year. I hope 'Mother' doesn't go ballistic on us by the end of the week.

Sweet Man just called me, he is headed for North Carolina this morning. He's made 3 drops since Monday morning, this should be his final before heading home. (I hope)

After stripping the bed this a.m. I've washed and hung the bed linens on the line and am off to vote. Have a lovely day and be happy.

Funeral Week

We had bad news this past week....two members who previously belonged to our branch, passed away within 3 days of each other. They were mother and daughter, the daughter passed first which was a surprise and then the mother. Other members of their family are buried here as were they. Our branch did the first dinner on Wednesday and the second on Friday.

It really touched me to see how everyone came together and made these two dinners happen for the family. The mom and daughter lived about 85 miles from here and were members of a large ward. For the second funeral the RS President sent up food which was really nice, her first counselor also helped out. Both dinners turned out very well with food left over to send home with the family.

I have a great Compassionate Service Leader who takes direction well and knows how to delegate. She makes my job easier and I thank her from the bottom of my heart.

Today is Fast and Testimony meeting. I was spiritually uplifted by all who bore their testimonies. Relief Society was realllllly great. Sister T. taught us about the Second Coming and the Millennium. My spirit was fed for the week with that meeting I'll tell you. We have some amazing sisters in our branch.

I hope y'all survived Halloween and the ghosts and goblins. Won't be long until Thanksgiving and then Christmas. I don't know where the time goes. Remember when everyone was making a big ta-do over the year 2000? Here we are nearly 9 years past it.

Signing off for now, I hope you have a wonderful and productive week.