An Anniversary of Sorts

This weekend, the 24th and 25th of Janbuary is the one year anniversary of my Stem Cell Harvesting.  It's been an odd year full of blessings and love.

We were sure that we were harvesting stem cells and getting them back in the fall of 2014.  However, the Fall of 2014 has come and gone and my stem cells are still in a freezer.

I look back and see all we have been through.  The  massive chemo that cost me my hair for the first time.  The growth hormone shots to force my body to make many more white cells and force them into my blood stream.  The port that needed to be sewed into my neck because my veins were not big or strong enough to handle the machine that would suck the stem cells out of me.  The harvesting itself which was harder than I hoped it would be and was as hard as I was told it could be.

I look back at how hard it was to gain my strenght again, to get back to work.  How hard it was to play with my grand girls or even sit at a birthday party and not cry.

It's been a year of up and downs, of illness and health.  Of good days and bad.  Of weeks of sleeping and days of energy.

It has been a year of watching my husband do it all, from cooking and cleaning to shopping and laundry.  Driving me everywhere and holding my hand while I slept.

A year of both dogs sleeping on me, near me, checking on me throughout the night.

A year of co workers helping out, doing my job, taking over at times and wishing me luck all the time.

A year of back and forth to doctors for things not really connected to cancer but still somehow connected.

A year of friends taking me out to dinner, lunch, and breakfast to talk, laugh, ask questions and just enjoy each others company.  A year of gifts, calls, emails, cards, funny stories and prayers.  Lots of prayers.

A year of leaning on God to do what I couldn't and to meet my needs.

It's been quite the year!  I have hair now, I have energy now, I have things to do and places to go. I have a job to keep up with and friends to laugh with.
I have a husband I can cook for, and clean up after and even take care when he gets sick.
And someplace up north are my stem cells, frozen. They can stay there for 30 more years.

WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE!

Joyce had a good time coming up with these questions by the look of them.  She has a funny sense of humor.  Join the fun.

1. American Idol is back for a 14th season. Are you watching? Have you ever watched? If you were to audition for the show (or were made to audition), what song would you sing?
I'm not sure I ever watched American Idol from start to finish, ever, in the 14 years they have been on.  I know that I've watched as they got to the final 4 or close to the end.  I'm not a huge fan of the show.  There was a time when the contestants were not very good and were still put on TV to show just how bad they were and for the judges to tell them that they were not very good and I didn't like that.  
If I was were ever forced to audition for the show, I would most likely sing something from Whitney Houston.  I loved her voice and her songs. 

2.  Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first." 

So when did you last have to 'eat a frog'? Or two? How'd that work out? 

So I'm guessing  this means to do something that you don't like to do and do it first thing in the morning.  That I do agree with.  Get it over with as fast as you can.  The last time I ate a frog?  Last Saturday, the house really needed cleaning.  I got up and got right at it instead of sleeping in.

3. If you were going on safari, what is the number one animal you'd want to see?

Giraffe. I would love to see one up close.  

4. January 21st is National Granola Bar Day. I know. Do you like granola bars? Chewy or crunchy? Your favorite flavor? How about regular granola? Let's exhaust this topic in honor of the holiday okay?
I don't eat granola bars too often but I do like the chewy ones and ones with raisins and dried fruit.  I do like regular granola on yogurt and cereal.

5. If only_Life was as simple now and it was when I was a kid.  

6. You can add one item to your bedroom. What will it be? Keep it family friendly please.

A Fireplace.  I would like a fireplace in our bedroom. It doesn't have to be big, but just having one would be so nice. 

7. What is one thing you've enjoyed about winter thus far? If it's not winter in your corner of the globe, what season is it, and what is something you've enjoyed about whatever season it happens to be?

Lack of snow!  I can handle the rain, the cold and even the icy roads but oh how I hate a ton of snow.  We have about maybe 3 inches of the stuff that has frozen to the ground by now.  I like not having a lot of snow!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
It's been just about a year ago that I had my stem cells harvested and frozen for future use.  At that time, we were thinking we were getting them back in the fall of 2014.  Well the fall has come and gone and stem cells are still in the freezer.  I hope they stay there for 30 years.  I hope I continue to do so well, that I don't need them back.  No one fights Cancer alone.  I have Hubby who takes over and runs the house and everything that goes along with it when I can't.  I work for a Company that allows me to do whatever I need to do to allow me to continue to earn a pay check. I have friends who keep me laughing and keep me sane and on top of it all I have a God who has given me all of the others who keep me going.  I feel blessed.  

New Year, New Me.

New Year, new Me.  Time to get rid of all those pounds I gained over all those sick weeks when all I did was sleep, eat, cough and craft.  Time to get back on track.  Like so many of you right?  Here is one of go to breakfast's that fill me up.

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Muffins

I love these easy to make muffins that are packed with wonderful goodness! They fill me up and help me to stay trim. I also love how easy they are.  I have a small 6 cup muffin tin that fits perfectly in my toaster oven so I make 6 at a time for Hubby and me.

Here is what you do

6 eggs
2 slices bacon
Heavy Cream
Cheese of your choice ( I like cheddar cheese sliced thin)

Spray the muffin tin with spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the bacon anyway you want to and drain on a paper towel, and then break it up into small pieces.
Scramble the eggs in a bowl with the heavy cream and a little bit of water.
Pour the egg mixture into the muffin tin and place your cheese of choice into the mixture. Evenly place the bacon bits into the mixture as well.

Bake for 12-17 minutes (again I used a toaster oven so if you use the big oven, watch them). It's done when a tooth pick comes out clean.

Let cool a few minutes and for the eggs to settle and then take them out and place them on a plate.

Each muffin has 1 carb. But more importantly, it's So good!

What are you doing in the new year?

A FRIGID END TO A WARM YEAR!

This is the last Hodgepodge of 2014!  Where did the time go?  Joyce has done a fantastic job putting together the questions for us all.  She has a busy life and still, she found time to do this.  I'm impressed! Join us will you?

1. Share a favorite moment from your Christmas holiday celebration.

The favorite moment from this Christmas was when our grand girls saw their "Frozen Body Pillows" and curled up on the floor with them.  Later, I got a video of them sleeping on them for the night.  It made me very happy that they liked them so much.

2. What would you say has been the biggest news event during your life so far?

So far, I think that traveling in space has been the biggest news event during my life.  The fact that we traveled to the moon, and have landed on Mars with the Mars Rover to cover the planet in search of anything.  I love that someone has the guts to ask the question "What if?"  And then come up with a way to answer it.  I love the science news that we hear so often.
YUP Space Travel is the event that fascinates me.

3. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2015 is Marsala. What say you-like or no like? Would I find this color anywhere in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in this shade to either?

OK, I had to look this up because I didn't know what the color was.  It's beautiful!

It's a pop of neutral and I really do like it.  I don't know if it's in our home but I will get some tops in this color.  Reminds me of blush make up from the past.  

4. Would you rather meet your ancestors or your great grandchildren? Explain why.

WOW that is a hard question.  Meeting my ancestors would allow me to fill in the blanks as to why I am the way I am but meeting our great grandchildren would allow me to know if any of us is in them.  I choose both.  It's my blog, I get to pick the both.

5. Share one life lesson learned in 2014?

Good Health is something that I took for granted.  When the doctor tells me that I'm healthy I still laugh.  Healthy?  Then why am I sitting in the Oncologist office talking about living with Cancer.  Define Healthy Please?   So the lesson I learned, I'm better off than many and not as well off as some.

6. What was your best or favorite purchase made in 2014?

We didn't buy a lot of things this year.  We don't need a lot to make us happy so I guess the purchase we made was our vacation in the fall.  The kids were all back to school (no lines), the weather was warm (unseasonably), and the company (Hubby and dogs) was the best.  It was relaxing, refreshing, and just plain wonderful.

7. What is one thing you're looking forward to in the new year?

Getting back to my pre-cancer weight.  I have a plan and pray that God will bless it and allow me to get back into shape. I also want to get back to blogging on a regular basis.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

We don't have any snow, and the last few weeks it's been down right warm (in the 40's) for NH.  However, it's NH and so the cold weather will return.  In fact it did on Tuesday and will remain with us all for awhile.  But you don't shovel cold and we have the pellet stove going keeping us all warm.

WINTER'S LAST HODGEPODGE !

Thank you Joyce for the last hodgepodge of the winter.  

1.  Thursday marks the first day of spring...to celebrate would you rather plant a garden or go for a walk in the woods? Would either of those activities be possible on Thursday where you live?

Plant a garden!  However we have 2 feet of snow on top of frozen ground so it will have to wait.  I hope that Thursday it's nice enough to go for a walk.

2. When did someone last spring something on you? (or when did you last spring something on someone?)

I have a coworker who surprised me a prayer blanket.  It was a nice thing to do for me and I use it when I'm cold (which is often). It was a nice surprise.

3.  We often think of spring as a time for new beginnings. What's something you'd like to start doing this spring?

I really want to walk every day. I would like to travel more as well.

4. Where do you like to sit in a movie theatre? When did you last sit there, and what were you watching?

I am married to a man who is 6' 3" tall so we always move to the last row right over the steps so that Hubby has leg room. We don't to movies often (too loud!) so the last movie we went to was Iron Man 3.

5. When you meet someone for the very first time, what do you want them to think about you?

I hope they know that I really do want to know about them and I am interested in them.

6. March is frozen food month (yes, really!). Besides ice cream (gotta make you think a little) what's your most often purchased frozen food item?

Frozen veggies.  I like frozen veggies.

7. What's something you avoid?

Getting sick again.  I avoid people who are really sick. I don't want to get an infection of any kind. Cancer will do that to a person. My immune system is compromised, it will be for the rest of my life.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Today is the last day of winter.  BYE  WINTER

Now it's your turn. Come play.

What NOT to say to someone with Cancer

I lost a friend this past weekend to cancer.  He had Leukemia.  He found out after I found out about my cancer and went into remission before I did. But he was not a candidate for Stem Cell Harvesting or a candidate for a Bone Marrow Transplant from a donor.  He was told in December that he was out of options and he was out of remission.  We would sit together on Sunday and share a blanket to stay warm.  We called each other from time to time to check in and we went to the same Norris Cotton building for treatments so we saw each other there as well, each of us having chemo. He wished me well as I was getting ready for my Harvesting. Cancer patients share a special bond. I know we did!

I remember talking to him about what others say to us without a clue as to how it sounds.  Some were funny while others sounded not so much.

Here is a partial list of what we have been told or asked: Please don't say these things to other cancer patients...

1. "WOW you don't look sick!"  I'm glad that I don't look sick so thank you but one day someone is going to tell me this and I will just loose it and say: "Thank you, we do make the best looking corpse you know."

2. "I've never heard of that cancer, is it one of the bad ones?"  Is there a good one?  For the person who was just told they have cancer, it's bad!  It's the worst kind of bad!  Yes, all cancer is bad!

3. "My (Grandfather, Aunt, Sister,___(fill in the blank) died from that."  Unless the story has a happy ending, don't start with this.  I've been thinking a lot about death. I really don't want to hear your death story thank you.

4. "How long do you have?" I've actually turned over my foot and looked at the bottom of it and said "No expiration date there, don't know."

5. "You're lucky, your cancer will not leave a scar" Well not one that you will see on the outside, but there are plenty on the inside.

6. "I thought Chemo was suppose to help you lose weight."  I did answer this one with "Thanks for letting me know that, I'll be sure to tell my doctor that his chemo isn't helping me lose weight."

7. "Better you than me, I couldn't handle this. You are such an inspiration" I said "Thanks, glad I could help."  I've never so admired anyone that I was glad for their misfortune because it made me feel better.

So I celebrate my friends finishing the race, his graduation to Heaven where he has a new body, a new life, a new health. He also has no more silly statements or questions to deal with. I know he is laughing over the things we talked about. I also know that I will miss him!

Spring is in the Air!

We may have over 2 feet of snow on the ground but Spring is definitely in the air.  How do I know?  Good question.

First, my spring allergies are in full bloom.  Allergies trigger my asthma so I'm using a lot of allergy meds to stop my sneezing, clear up my watery burning eyes and headache.  I love spring, even with the allergies.

Second, coyotes are out and around our home.  Just the other morning, I let the dogs out while it was still dark.  August started to run down the stairs to the back yard and then stopped and looked back at Becke.  Becke was on the deck, making herself as tall and wide as she could, staring into the back yard and not moving at all.  August turned around, came onto the deck, walked up to the grill and piddled on the grill cover.  August then came into the house, Becke then turned around and came in after him.  As I was closing the door, I heard the coyotes talking to each other.  They were very close, just behind our fence.  It's a scary sound and I'm so glad that neither dog made a sound and stayed close to the house.  YUP, Spring in the NH countryside.

Third, the skunks are out.  When we drive down the highway, we can smell them.  We can smell them on the roads. So far, the dogs have not been involved in anything that makes them smell.  I am thankful for that.  Spring.

So the day light gets longer and longer, the sun coming in the Windows feels good and warm. The air is still cold, the temps are in the 20's, and there is always the threat of more snow, but Spring is definitely in the air!
Achoo!!

1. What's the biggest change since your childhood in the way people think or act?

More and more people stay inside on the computer, TV or phone, so few are outside playing in the snow, or grass or anything.  So the biggest change is people are inside more and more. It will lead to being overweight, depressed, alone, and sad.  GET OUT THERE PEOPLE!!

2. The Olympic Biathlon involves cross country skiing broken up with either two or four rounds of target shooting. Which part of that would stress you out more? Or would you love them both equally?

I would not like either part of this at all!  I don't like being out in the cold, let me go shooting in the summer and I'll be fine, but outside in the cold --- no thank you.

3. February is National Canned Food Month...what is your most often purchased canned food item?  What was in the last can you opened?

Canned soup - Progressive soup in fact. the last can I opened was cream of celery soup making tater tot diner.

4. What river (anywhere in the world) would you most like to cruise?

Mississippi in this: Just look at that ship!  

5. It's the middle of the night and you can't sleep...what do you do? Count sheep? Toss and turn? Watch television? Or do you get up and do something productive?

Depends, sometimes I turn on the TV and watch something boring, other times if it's really early (3am) I'll get up and work on the computer.  I'm still breaking up my job between some hours at the office and other hours from home.

6. How important is keeping your cool?Do you mean my temper? Than yes it's important. I tend to jump into the dark side fast and have to remind myself that I need to hear the other side of the story before I judge.  If you are talking body temperature, I am rarely cool, I am most often very cold and want/need outside sources of heat to warm up.  My body temperature is normally about 95 degrees.  

7. I've got white stuff on the brain so why not run with it? White lie, wave the white flag, white knuckle it, white wash a situation, or white as a sheet...which phrase could most recently apply to your own life in some way?

Wave the white flag because we are getting more snow and there is nothing we can do about it except shovel - Well hubby shovels, I watch as he doesn't want me out there in the extreme cold temperatures we are having.  It's just too cold out there!!!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

This is the floor of our deck, it's about 8 inches deep and we are still exxpecting another 4 hours of heavy snow. 

It weights down the branches and hangs there waiting for the wind to blow it off the branches and into your face, were it stings!  

So I've decided to take down all the snowman decorations and put up all the summer ones (yup, I'm skipping right over the spring ones) in hopes to get the point out there that we are done with winter.  That is my plan over the next few days.

Ok - your turn.

SWAT TEAM RESCUE FROM WORK HODGEPODGE

WOW more questions from Joyce!  She sure does have a lot of questions for us, I wonder where she comes up with them all.  Come join the fun. By way of explanation for the name of this post, I went in to work for two hours today. At two hours and five minutes some big guy came in and took me away!

1. Are we always responsible for our actions? Are there any exceptions?
I do believe that we are responsible for our actions but sometimes we are backed into a corner and so our choices may be limited.

2.  Has anyone from your home town become famous?
No not from the home town, but a few from the State of NH. Here are just a few of the huge list that I found.
Christa McAuliffe first teacher in space (Challenger)
Alan Shepard Astronaut, one of the first Mercury Astronauts
Franklin Pierce 14th U.S. President
Mandy Moore singer, songwriter, actress
Bode Miller olympic medalist in Skiing

3. January was National Slow Cooker month. Do you own a slow cooker/crock pot? Did you use it last month? What's a favorite dish you make using a slow cooker or crock pot?
I own 3 crock pots of different sizes and I did use them all a few weeks back.  I love beef stew in the crock pot.

4. How do you feel about private companies collecting data about you?
I really do not  like the idea of any company, private or public, collecting data about me. My business!! Leave me alone!

5. The Games of the 2014 Winter Olympics kick off with their opening ceremony this coming Friday....will you be watching? Which Winter Olympic event would you most like to see in person? Have you ever been to Russia? Any desire to go, Olympics or otherwise?
I will most likely not be watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics live but will watch it on the news or some other cable channel later on in the day.  I would like to see the figure skating in person, drinking hot cocoa, covered in a blanket. No, I've never been to Russia and have no desire to go see it.

6. Share a good or bad sports related memory from your childhood or teen years.
My mother made me take skating lessons when I was little. I tried to tell her that I didn't like it because it was too cold in the building, she didn't care so finally the class had a recital to show off our skills. My parents came to watch me.  All the other girls were in cute tights and little dresses while they skated but I was in sweats pants, sweat shirt, gloves, coat, hat and scarf.  They finally got the idea that I was way too cold to look good on the ice.  I got to quit..

7. What's a must have song for you on a work out play list? If you don't work out, run, swim, bike, walk, or anything else that could be construed as 'exercise', then what's a song that motivates you?
High School Musical "Bet on It"  I like the fast beat of the music and the message that we sometimes find ourselves in a place we don't want to be, but we can bet on ourselves to get out and do what is right.  When I'm trying to work out, or walk or lose weight I find that I have become lazy at times and need a kick to get going.  This song does it for me.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Well the news around here is SNOW and lots of it!  As of 4:57pm on Tuesday evening this was what we were told we would get.

We are in that 7-14 inches section!  Not fun since we still have snow on the ground and we are suppose to drive up north to Lebanon for a follow up on my stem cell Harvesting.  Don't think we are going to risk it....Can we have a phone consult please?  I so want Spring to show up soon. I'm so tired of winter.

For the Last Day of Winter!!

SNOW!  Yup, today is the last full day of winter and we woke up to 4 inches of it at 5 am.  Old man winter is hanging on in these parts! What made it worst is that the weather man was showing video from last year on the same day.  We had temps in the 80's and the video was of people on the beech!

This is what is coming! We are in the 8-14 inches purple section!  By the looks of it coming down, we will get that easily.  So I'm working from home today and we are all set in case we loose power.   Becke has gone out twice so far, not happy with the idea at all BTW. August went out once so far and now just walks to the door grumbles through the slider and walks back to us.  I think even the little one is DONE.

I do believe that  "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary" really got it very wrong this year.  Very, Very wrong.

Why elope? And Parents Reaction!

I mentioned last week that hubby and I eloped. We didn't start out planning that step but it's one that I have yet to regret.

When hubby and I were planing our wedding it was in the 70's, a time when many marriages were held on the beach, barefoot...

Or under an arbor in someone's back yard,

With folding chairs...

Or in an open field under the stars,

Wearing wide brim hats

Or a ring of flowers!

We wanted something simple in the back yard with the priest there and a few friends and family.We wanted one person to stand with us and finger snacks afterwards.

We wanted to have music playing from a the record player playing songs that were meaningful to us.

My mother was not going to have any of that! We were willing to pay for it. Again, NO

She had to invite hundreds of people we didn't know so the gifts would be good. She had to have a church full after all!  She had to rent a hall, cater 3 different food choices for them to pick from. She had to have a live band and She had to have certain songs to dance to.

I had to wear my sister's dress!

I had to wear my sister's shoes!

I had to wear my sister's veil!

Now my sister had a beautiful wedding dress but she is 6 1/2 inches shorter than me!

She also has tiny feet!

I don't know about the size of her head.

I had to have my sister's wedding.

It was big and showy.

It lasted all day long.

She was sick by time it was over.

I know because I held her dress while she threw up so nothing would land on it.

I had vowed to myself that I was not doing that for anything.

I didn't want my sister's wedding.

Why you ask? Why must I have a copy of her wedding?

Well the dress and shoes and veil were costly and my mom wanted her money's worth and no one would know it was her dress anyway. Plus she still had all the receipts so she knew who to call and wouldn't have to relearn how to plan a wedding.

Again, we told her we did not want a big wedding and urged her to just let us have what we want.

She told us that what we wanted was not nice enough and looked "poor".

However every day I heard about the cost, the time involved, the list of people coming, the cost had gone up a lot in 4 years since my sister's wedding, the time and over and over agin how I was not worthy of such a great wedding.

My future farther-in-law tried to talk to her. My sister tried to talk to her. 

She didn't care, she was going to recycle my sisters wedding for me and complain the entire time.

Finally, we decided that if we were going to break fee from her grip, we better do it right off the bat.

So under the guise of babysitting for my sister, I left the house and went to my sister's house but it was not to babysit!

We gathered my sister, her husband, their child, my future-in-laws, and Hubby's favorite uncle and aunt. They all were told it was going to happen, they were all glad for us.

We gathered at the office of the Justice of the Peace, exchanged vows, and became man and wife.

My future father in law made last minute arrangements at our favorite restaurant for a nice meal. When they heard of the reservation, they made us a wedding cake.

My sister did my hair.

In a total act of rebellion I wore pink! I have told you I'm Scottish right? I thank my dad for that.

From the Left, my neice being held by her mom (my sister) with her husband behind.
Me and Hubby
Uncle Al and his wife Terri
My new In-laws on the far right.

So I had the small wedding I wanted. We had the ones that were most important to us there. We had a nice meal and a surprise wedding cake.

My parents were married in a big church wedding-they had a terrible marriage.

My sister had a big church wedding- it dissolved a long time ago, they were miserable.

I kept the promise to myself and didn't have that.

I am glad I stuck to my guns.

After the wedding and before the meal, we stopped by the house to tell my parents.

 My mothers first words to us, and I kid you not,

"Why didn't you tell me you wanted something small and easy?"

Cross my heart - true!
And that's one of many reasons why my mother really disliked Hubby and tried to poison him a few years later....but that is yet another story another time!

Marching on with Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. Do you play games of luck/chance for money? Have you ever played bingo for money? Visited a casino? Placed a bet on a horse? Bought a lottery ticket?
I have bought a lottery ticket in the past, when the jackpot is very high but other than that - no.

2. Will you be preparing and/or dining on the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage meal this St. Patrick's Day? Mashed-baked-hash browned-french fried...your favorite way to have potatoes?
I don't like Corned beef  so----- no. I do like Cabbage and sweet potatoes cooked anyway at all but that is not much of a meal so not sure yet what I'll add to it....maybe chicken, I like chicken.

3. What's the last thing you felt 'green with envy' over?
I'm not the envous type very often. I am very happy when good things happen to others but if I had to pick something then it would be "craft room envy" have you seen some of those craft rooms on Pinterest? Oh my, that would be loverly

4. What's at the end of your rainbow?
HEAVEN

5. March 12th marks the anniversary of the death of Anne Frank (June 12, 1929-March, 1945). Anne's diary detailing her time spent hiding from the Nazi's during the war ranks as one of the best selling books of all time. Besides your blog, do you keep any sort of diary or journal? Was this a habit you developed as a child or is journaling something new for you?
I have a spot in my iPad where I write (maybe jot down is a better word) things that have happened to me.  I do believe that everyone has a story in them.  It's just getting the story out that seems to be the problem with me.

6. What's an item in your home or closet that contains every color of the rainbow?
Oh My, I really don't think I have any one item in my home or closet that has every color of the rainbow but I do have this hanging in my craft room/home office that I love.

7. Write a limerick with you as the subject. You can do it!! Just remember this is a family friendly blog...don't make me get out my wooden spoon.

OK here goes:
There once was a girl named Lynn
Who wanted an identical twin
Oh the schemes they would pull
And be a hand full
We would get under our mother's skin

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I finally dowloaded the novel Polar Night by Julie Flanders.  Oh My! this novel his her debut novel and it grabed me in the first few lines.  This novel has just about everything, a greving cop, a cold case, a missing girl, a mystery that goes back 100 years, and...well I would hate to give it away for anyone still reading it.  Julie has a blog and she is very talented.  If you are looking for a great mystery with lots of subplots - consider getting this one and then staying up late reading it because you will not be able to put it down.  Oh, Julie - this would make a great movie!!!!!!! Not that I'm hinting at anything mind you but the visuals of the Northern Lights!!!

Marching into the Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. My real life friends came through with another question this week so thank you real life friends. When you've eaten in a restaurant do you complete their comment card? Do you take online surveys highlighted at the bottom of store receipts?

If the service is either really good or really bad I will complete the comment card and take the survey on line. But if it is average, then no I don't.

2. The (US) ban on women in combat was lifted at the end of January. It will probably be next year before specifics are worked out, but its been reported over 200,000 front line positions will eventually open up to women. Your thoughts?

Personally I am against this but since so many woman wanted it and now have it they better shut up if the draft ever comes back and they are drafted. And they better shut up about signing up for selective service when they turn 18. You can't have the privileges without taking the responsibility

3. In looking back at all the blog posts you've written, what's your favorite post title?
One is the Loneliness Number, it was about summer-I love summer!

4. What's worse-overly permissive parents or overly protective parents? Did your own parents lean more to the permissive or the protective category? If you're a parent where do you fall?

Well they are both pretty terrible aren't they?  I mean I've sat in restaurants with those overly permissive parents and wanted to slap them for allowing such terrible behavior from a 3 year old.  No the kid should never throw food on the floor just because it's fun to play with food.  I've also see those "Helicopter" parents come with the college kid to a job interview and not just sit outside, but come INTO the interview with the kid and answer the questions!  Oh my, they are both terrible!
My parents were neither. I grew up at a time when we played outside all day and any adult would yell at you if you were doing something wrong so you everyone raised every kid in the area. I fall a bit over the middle towards over protective as our kids were not healthy kids so I did hover a bit if they were sick.

5. Candlelight-moonlight-firelight-bright lights in the big city...which one's your favorite?
Candlelight for me. Or firelight (fireplace or pellet stove light)

6. Dr. Seuss's birthday was celebrated on Saturday. What's a favorite book you remember (Seuss or otherwise) from your own childhood? Did books play an important role in your growing up years? Explain.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know.”

― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

We didn't have a lot of books at home. My parents didn't read much at all. If we wanted a book to read we went to the library or the bookmobile that came around to the schools. If my parents saw us reading, it was a sign that some house chore was not getting done so we got yelled at for not doing something other than sitting around. They grew up in the depression so "work" was more valued than "reading".
7. To quote Dr. Seuss...
"From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere."
from One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
Share something funny you've recently read, seen or heard.

Have you seen my Hubby? He is a source of laughter all the time! He gets me laughing or smiling or rolling my eyes every day!  OK what I find really funny to see is him walking August.  See Hubby is 6"3" tall and August is 11"tall and yet Hubby walks August.  It just looks so funny to see a tall big guy walking the smallest skinniest dog we have ever owned.  It makes me laugh all the time.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
While looking back at our older post for question #3 I noticed  I talk about our winter weather A LOT!  Well this is NH and so weather is what we have a lot about in the winter.  We have another storm coming Thursday morning....Really?  Again? I'm hoping the weather man is wrong and it all blows out to sea.  I'll let you know.

Welcome to a New Month and New Attitude!

I am in love with March!  I know that Spring starts in just over 2 weeks - well officially at least.  And although it may not feel like it, Spring is nonetheless getting closer and I can smell it in the air.
I plan on taking all weekend and putting away all the winter decor.

Putting away this:

And this:

And even this:

And putting up all the spring and summer decor.  I hope to air out the house, and put away my long johns. They have served me well but I long for flip flops and shorts.

Have a great weekend all, Lord willing, I'll see you Monday. HAPPY MARCH

Snow, Sleet, Rain, What did we get?

It's hard to see but it's raining out there - hard!

I got a few messages asking what we ended up with, snow, sleet, rain what????
The answer is YES we got it all with high winds tossed in just in case we missed it.

I woke up at 3am to see nothing outside so I went back to bed. By 5 am we already had 3 inches of the heavy white stuff. I bundled up and went outside to shovel off the deck and stairs for the dogs.

By the time I got done with that, the snow had turned to sleet and it was coming down and the steps began to freeze.  Hubby went outside to help Becke get up them since her legs were going out under her.

August ran back in, jumped on the bed and burried himself under the covers. His opinion of the mess was very clear. Once he got out he decided to watch it from on top of the toy chest.

By 6:20am it was snowing again, big large flakes, heavy wet flakes. The local TV station asked people to stay off the roads as they were slippery and cars had run off the road.  That did it for me!

I called work to find out that they were having all rain and that it was fine if I stayed home and worked from there. I can work from home so I logged on and did all that I could do from there. There were phone calls to make and emails to answer.

Then it turned to sleet!  Oh good, just want we needed, crunchy snow as the sleet froze the top layer of snow that was on the ground.

Becke gave up drinking so she wouldn't have to go out anytime soon. She climbed on her bed and decided it was a nap day (untill Spring)

August emptied his toy box trying to entice me to play with him since he was missing his agility class and playing with his 4 legged friends at day care.

Then the wind blew - and blew - and blew some more and I expected anytime to look out our window to see the wolf blowing our house down.  But it stayed upright, and the power stayed on.  Thank you Lord.

Sleet and rain followed by....

Then it got very quiet and I was sure it was over. I even thought about going in to work on a project that had come over the work email.
That thought didn't last long as it started all over again.

Snow, more snow and wind again.

Becke's face says it all don't you think?

Today is the official last day of February - I'm so glad about that. March will be so much better, brighter, warmer, and I'm pulling out my Spring/Summer decorations.