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.

Waaay Behind

Hello Folks,

Wow, I'm so far behind, sorry about that.
It's been a busy week or so with little time for blogging. It's still hectic so I will post life questions 8-9-10. I will catch you up on life in a few days

8. What is your least favorite job around the house?
9. Tell about a special date.
10. Where were you when the first man landed on the moon?
Happy journaling.

Life Questions 6 and 7

Good morning one and all here are your questions for today. Sweet Man is home one more day and we're going to check out some country roads for photos. Have a lovely day.

6. Who was/is your best friend and why..

7. Why is your dad special to you..

Quiet Day

My honey and I went to the big city today to purchase another cabinet for the bathroom remodeling job. We have decided on combining two 30s with a an 18. Because this house is over 100 years old NOTHING and I do mean NOTHING is square. Sweet Man has had to make an adjustment about every 6". Everything looked square before he started but we have found that plaster hides a myriad of imperfections. Maybe we should have re-plastered instead of drywalled. Alas, it is too late, we'll have to ride the horses we saddled so we may as well make the best of the ride. Sweet Man is incredibly patient with the whole thing, yep that's how he rolls.

It's dark, rainy, and chilly here today. I hope it's about over, I don't like dreary. There's corn and soybeans in the fields and this rain isn't helping the farmers. Maybe Mother Nature will cooperate and sun a breeze will prevail so they can get their crops out of the fields.

Many of the trees are in their full glory and look like Cinderella going to the ball. I love the way the Lord gives us one last look of those lovely colors before winter arrives. I must say though I do enjoy the winter trees with their limbs and trunks exposed. You can get the look and feel of their strength and resiliency. I don't even mind the cold as long as the sun is shining.

Speaking of cold....I have to make new rice bags this year as I mine have been heated just about as much as they can stand. I can't get through the cold without them. If I'm sitting still for any length of time, which isn't often, I have one on my lap and one behind the small of my back. I sleep with two at my feet at night. When the nights get really cold I drag out the electric blanket but still start out with a bag at my feet.

Sweet Man needs an opinion so will sign off for now. Hope you're having a lovely day wherever you are.

Life History Questions 4 and 5

Questions for today:

4. How do you feel about your country or serving your country?

5. Tell about an experience you've had with each of your grandparents.

Checking the Competition

I thought you might like to see my 'cooking' friends Rudy, Roger, and Robert checking out Patch, my one-eyed little hedge hog friend I brought home from Enrichment night. Because of Patch's chubby size they probably think he'll eat more cheese than they're willing to share. OR, they could be eyeing that cookie the fat boy is sitting on. M-m-m-m-m

Life Questions 2 and 3

Good Morning Family and Friends,

Here are questions 2 and 3.

2. Tell about getting your driver's license.

3. Who are your grandparents?

With #3 include names (maiden for grandmothers), dates and places if you know them. Stories are wonderful if you know any. Ask questions of those who are living who know or knew them. Some questions just demand detail, eh?

Today is a brand new day with no mistakes in it, smile and be happy.

Life History 101

I have worked on my family genealogy for years and can think of no other pursuit of mine that has given me such satisfaction. My mother was the 9th of 11 children which spread out over a period of 22 years. Therefore, all of my first cousins save two are old enough to be my parents. The two cousins who are not are 12 years older and 1 year younger. My youngest cousin and I missed out on a lot because we were so far behind the others and didn't have the same family assocations as the older cousins.

I never knew my maternal grandparents or paternal grandfather. I saw my maternal grandmother twice and the second time was in her coffin. I have longed to 'know' who they are.

In our church we are counseled to journal and write our life histories so that when we're gone those who knew us while living can relive memories of us and those who were yet unborn can come to know us through our writings. We do this because we believe we exist beyond our mortal deaths and can be with our families for eternity.

At an Enrichment meeting a few months back Peggy introduced us to the Journal Jar. This is not a concept that's new or that Peg came up with....it was a borrowed idea. Nevertheless, it's a fun way to get started on your life history if you don't know where to start.

There is no order to this so don't feel pressured.

1. Get a nice notebook and and pen. (Doesn't have to be anything fancy, notepaper and a 3-ring binder will suffice and an ordinary Bic pen)
2. Come here every day for a question or two.
3. Write the question in the notebook and the answer under it. (This lets the person know who may read this why you're writing about this subject.

If you prefer to do this on your PC in Word, or whatever program you use, you can organize it later if you like or leave it hodge podge.

I hope you will find this fun and enlightening.

Here is your first question, and only one for today because this takes a bit of pondering.

1. How do you hope to be remembered?