Hanging Out & Hanging On

Dreaming...dreaming...dreaming

of the hot summer day 

when hanging out in the pool

will feel much better than shoveling snow.

We finally had a break in our cold spell,

experiencing temps. above zero, 20 degrees instead

of the bitterness and bite of minus-50 windchill.

It felt so good, I shoveled the steps off in my short 

sleeves this morning. 

We did get another 4-5 inches of snow during 

the night so my man was out plowing once more.

The piles are getting higher and higher, one has

completely covered a Bluebird house that rises a couple feet above the top of the fence.  It's getting deep as we hang on.

The ground was saturated when the first snows fell

in Oct. so I can only imagine how the creek will rapidly flow come spring.  For us, that will be about the end of May or early June.  I recall snow and ice on Murray Creek one spring that did not melt until mid-June.   This may well be another one of those springs to wager our bets.

Enjoy what sunshine you see.

I will continue to dream.

Until next time,

have a fun weekend.

\o/

/\

BlessYa

Lists

Do you write lists?

I am guilty! It's my attempt at staying organized.

My poor Bill has a list in front of him that is intended for the year.  It was my 'gift list' to him .

I was kind.  There are only 10 ' chores ' to do.  There is no particular order, but I am hoping that at least a few of the 

 ' to do's ' become reality.  You need to understand that this man is a workaholic.  He loves to stay busy.  Now that he's retired, that's a bit easier than years past.

1. fix the kitchen problem...we get ice jams that have created a hole in my ceiling from leaks~~~major problem

2. finish wall in spare bedroom

3. replace bathroom floor, mop-board, window trim

4. sunroom......please?

5. baseboard trim in family room

6. paint basement floor

7. finish deck stain....(he ran out of stain, weather changed, 

    so it's now another yrs. job)  We're so used to this.

8. finish roofing the house and hang gutters

9. hang patio swing under treehouse

10. extend garden #2 for raspberries & blackberries

11. purchase and put up new wire fencing around #1 and #2 gardens...with new gates....please?

As resourceful as what my guy is with his time, he should have no problem accomplishing these little/big projects with a little help from lil ol' me, right?

Of course there are my lists too.  

I make ' to do ' lists for myself as well....all the time.

I have furniture to down-size, books to pass on as well as  stacks of magazines.  There are cabinets to rummage through and move 90% to the Hospital Auxillary Resale store, the Christian Mission and St. Vinnies.

The closets....oh, dear, that's going to take forever.

I intend to move what has not been used in the last couple of years.  WHY does a person keep so much?  I need to adapt the habit I ' used to ' have.   ' Out ' with as many things as  I carried ' in ' from shopping and garage sales.  It kept the clutter in control.  I am on a mission to reclaim my home from all the congestion.  

There will be walls to wash and wood to give a good cleaning with Murphy's Oil Soap so it can breathe again.

There is painting to do.  Anyone want to help?

When, and there will be a ' when,' the snow melts and the ground can be worked, there will be flower bulbs to dig and new flower beds to place them in.  I know the iris will not stand the foot traffic from treehouse dwellers, so they need to be divided and moved out of their space.  

Did I mention the file cabinets?  I'm still working on those.

So, you see, I have been making lists in my mind, on paper and here, as testament to what needs to be done.

Some of these should keep me quite busy for awhile.

First thing in my day, groceries.

I best not forget my ' list.'

Have a productive, happy week.

\o/

/\

Don't forget to

DANCE!!!

Under Cover

SOMEWHERE under that pile of snow is a Taurus.

 There also rests for the winter, a 79 Chevy pick-up named Buttercup.  She's nearly a'drift like anything else left out for the Winter.

 The bit of yellow you see here, is just one of 3 flying saucers and snow boards forgotten in the growing snowbank.  They were dug out this weekend so the grandson's could go to ' the big hill ' with their cousin and dads.  Those little rascals pray for more of this snow while....

 Grandpa is wishing it would all ' go away.'  He's getting tired of pushing and pulling it out of the way.  Besides, he's now suffering from the ' Plowman's Neck.' .... kinks to the right from always looking back while piling it ( I don't want to say it), higher.

 Somewhere under the bird feeder roof, is a fifth of the days supply of small black oil sunflower seed.  The birds are constantly coming and going for ' freebies 'to the feeders.

 Last, I had considered swinging for awhile but did not think it was worth climbing through the snowdrift in front of the swing to plop my hinny in another one.  

We definitely are getting our share.  My guess, ' it ' won't be gone anytime before the end of May.  Afterall, it's only January!

So it goes where we ' choose ' to live.  I wouldn't have it any other way....well....maybe at least another month of fall.

Thanks for stopping by.  I haven't been around much lately, but all is well.  I just must have needed a break.  I appreciate your visits more than you know.

|o/

/\

It's Time

It's been bitter cold out and there is not a blade of green grass to be seen.  I am craving the warmth of the fire.

I am wishing for the feel of Winter Rye running through my fingers, and garden soil under my fingernails.

 As beautiful as the winter scenery has been as the snow refuses to melt off the trees giving hope of a warming trend,

personally, I think it's time ~ time for it all to go away.

Leave us with puddles to jump, grass to run freely in,

and flowers to smell once again.

I am not ungrateful.  Our trees and ground have needed the moisture so we have been blessed with plenty of snow that will melt into quite a spring drink, come May.

It just gets so long, our winters, and this one is not quite half over.  We do love at least ' something ' about the 4-Seasons we experience each year.  I love the beauty and walking the yard on warm days above zero, Bill loves to plow and plow and plow, and the grandloves Love the piles of snow Grandpa makes for their tunnels and sledding.  

It's been unnecessarily icy cold this week so I'm grumpy.  Do you know how unpleasant it is when you step outside and your nostrils literally freeze together and the icicles hang off your eyelashes?   Don't breathe too deeply or your lungs will feel like an instant brain freeze.  Now,  That's miserable.

If you really MUST go out in this unbearable stuff, do bundle up and move quickly to your vehicle that you have had previously warmed.  

( our last New vehicle purchase before my guy retired, was a Ram truck.  One of my requirements actually came with the truck.  Since it's so blasted cold some winters, and so long~I wanted to be able to start the truck from in the house with one of those double clicky things on my key.  Do you have one?  It's the best thing ever, going to a warmed truck rather than sitting there with my knees knocking together and my teeth clicking while I wait for the truck to warm...I know.  but it IS great. )

   That's the way we do it up north.

Stay warm the rest of your winter, and Happy New Year!!!

Now to find a toasty fire.... If Bill were to read this, he'd suggest I go fire up the wood stove.