Taxes~n~Mountains~Windsocks ~n~ Stuff!

Good Morning Friends, Freaks, Wenches, and Family!

(Oh wait, the 'family' part might just fall under ALL of the above)!! hehehe

I absolutely HATE it when I have no idea where my blog might take me... But only have a few random thoughts as I type...

The first of the title here.

"TAXES"... (Yeah, death is inevitable too)! And I see that some are already getting this awful matter over and done with...

To those, I say... WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU THINKING??? (You will now have nary a thing to worry about come April 15th)! And yes, we LOVE to pick on the procrastinators of the bunch too.

Sadly, I fell into that procrastinating category last year... And hit that link to 'send' to the irs just before midnight on the 15th. Having put them off until the last two weeks, I then had to run home from the hospital and try to get them finished up by midnight.

Casey had been hospitalized (at that point with severe pancreatitus)... Nasty that, her pancreas was digesting itself because her poorly behaved gallbladder had been inserting crystals into her pancreas...

But last July this offensive gallbladder was promptly kicked out of her little body! (Serves it right, don'tcha think)?

But back to death and taxes... Taxes suck...

But the same as when I ran the drive~up window at the bank, and also was the proof operator, I could balance any customers' checkbooks in record time, but of course NOT my own! Taxes are like that too. I can do most everybody elses, but shudder to do my own... What's up with that?

Now on to death... Sad this. I received 2 emails on tuesday telling me that 2 of my very close friends had lost loved ones the day before... I have 2 funerals tonight and tomorrow to attend.

As my friend Kelli said, 'the real bitch of getting older is to be losing people' ~And yes, it is so true.

I find that even within my own classmates from way back... some have passed on, and it gets one to be thinking how on earth one has been spared... and why? Yet, I have never thought that to be mine to 'question' either...

But I do think of how very closely I came to losing my sister Mary... That she had almost died from the toxic damnable effects from her own chemotherapy... That her white counts (and all the rest too) were so low at that point, they did not know how she survived... But with her spirit firmly intact, she pulled through~ It clearly was NOT her time to go home. The next Spring, she had taken an old sock that had fallen off my clothesline; and put it on my driveway marker, stating that NOW I had a windsock! (That old sock remains there to this day; and I do wonder what some visitors think)!

That great spirit of survival... Those giant leaps of our own Faith that keep us going and going. I have known a great friend through this 360Wonderland, who has beaten so very many odds here. Please visit DeeAnne's pages if you would like to know exactly how courage and determination are defined

My friend DeeAnne IS a survivor in every sense of the word, in every conceivable definition as well... And yes, she has climbed her own mountain now! (Literally and figuratively)! Please congratulate her efforts and her soul!

And back now, to a few more old snow shots, just to let everyone know that it is truly "Winter" here! That same crispy crunchy snow that squeaks and crumbles under your feet.

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It was that same snow that had completely covered the "doggie~doo~doo" area at Petco yesterday too. But that didn't bother my little Punk too much- She had quickly made her own little place! While there, I purchased an extra~large safety seat support harness for her. This was to accomodate dogs up to 110 pounds. I got it home, put it on her, and it is too small. (And no, she does NOT weigh that much)! The adjustable part is all the way open, and still too tight around her ribcage... I shall return it and try another on her before I buy again.

Oh, she LOVES going to Petco too... and even got to pick out a toy of her own, and a bag of bones too. It is like she actually KNOWS which bag she preferred too, and she carefully sniffed around, settling on some hocks. (No, I will not be cooking sauerkraut and sausage to go along with these bones)! I had received a very nice gift certificate to Petco from Zoe and Eric for Christmas... (THANK YOU ZOE & ERIC)!

Punkie says "thank you" too!!!!

(She really says "ARF"; but we ALL know what THAT means)...

I am going to try to steal back a picture that Jennifer had used on her own blog. I took this shot last year too... Casey (once again) had been released from the hospital and felt the need to run about and play! I sure don't blame her!!!

Here Casey is, fresh out of the hospital, in her robe; beaning Jenne with a huge snowball... (GREAT ARM, CASEY)!!!

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Look closely... and you can see the 'snowball splatter' flying off of a direct hit to Jennes face!

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And so now it is WAY past time for me to be getting in the shower- Even Punkie came down about an hour ago already.... and is wondering what is keeping me from getting off my (now numb?) backside! hehehe... But you are ALL so interesting and intriguing to read about too!

Like a very good book, my 360 is hard to put down!!!

Have a HAPPY Thursday!!!

XOXO
Anne

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No Heart~Attacks Here...

Good Morning Everyone!

Sorry I didn't write yesterday; (I think it has taken me the last day and a half just to thaw out, after moving that snow)! But I sure had fun too. I spent about an hour with the shovels; and a couple more hours with the pushie~thingie on the front of the cub Cadet. (And way too much adrenaline, ~yokes~, when a semi came over the hill while I was clearing out at the end of the driveway)!!!

When I know that the snow is coming, I always plan ahead, and park the old Buick Roadmaster on the concrete apron in front of the new garage. Then I just drive it onto the lawn and push the snow off there. This also cuts down on the amount of snow have to shovel off the apron! (My exboyfriend/plumber~man told me that was just one of the things he liked about me, that I was always thinking)!!!! hehehe

But anyway, back to 'Snowstorm Barbara'~ ...I always wear my old hunting suit when I clear snow. It is one~piece, (and works quite nicely so I don't get wind where the wind shouldn't be)! But so much warmer that way too! I am thinking too, that my old snowmobile boots have exceeded their own 100,000 mile mark. The soles are so worn out that they are smooth; (easier to be sliding around, and yeah, having fun), but harder to be shoveling with them on too. Which does prove to be a bit exciting! ...But I am quite happy that I seem to be left with a decent sense of balance... (yet)!

When I was done clearing the snow, I came in to warm up; and after I had gotten undressed, I realized that I had left the old Buick on the lawn. Afterwards, I went back out to move it off the lawn. And I realized that the temptation to have a bit more fun was just too great! ...I fired it up, and drove it down the road long enough to charge up the battery. When I pulled back in the yard, two words began going through my brain...

Those two words??? "Fun" and "Cheerio" These words are, to me, temptation at its finest! (And I'm more than happy that the old Buick has rear wheel drive too)! hehehe... Yeah I pretty much tore up the yard, but fun too. (And oops, I almost hit the house at one point)! I should have shown the brake marks in this picture- Suffice it to say they were about 20 feet long!

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Miss Punk lying in those tire tracks; later, at dusk.

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Back when the girls were little, we lived in the town homes in Ashwaubenon. These apartments were located on a block that, at that time, had virtually nothing else there... (and kind of in the middle of the hill). All cars back then had rear wheel drive, so it was great fun to drive around the block, and fishtail more than a little bit! My girls would all say "Do it again, Mama!" ...(Of course, nowadays, you get arrested for doing this)!

I can remember one time having to give Casey and Jenny Mella a ride to band practice... Because of the snow, they hadn't had school that day, and the lot was not cleared off. When we pulled into the parking lot the car had started to fishtail... Casey wanted to have some fun, and Jenny Mella said she'd never done Cheerios! Needless to say, I had a couple of delighted and squealing girls in my car that night!

But back to Snowstorm Barbara (once again)... Miss Punk and Miss Milly had a great time rolling around in the snow... and of course fighting!

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But at least their tails were wagging, so they were having fun.

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Miss Punkie ............................and...............................Miss Milly

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And yes, it does sound as though Miss Punk is becoming more than a bit territorial when it comes to 'her' house. She is probably thinking that since she cannot go in Millys kennel, then it is not fair if/when Miss MamaMilly comes in 'her' house. Now Miss MamaMilly has her own food outside; but wants to eat a bit of Miss Punk's while she is inside, thus begins that "battle of the snouts"!! But this is without any malice on either of their parts. (Funny how Punk does not worry about her food supply... only her 'toys')!?!

I believe she just has to learn to be a bit more accommodating is all.

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Oh, Miss Punk was so tired that night!

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Actually, I think we all spent the better part of Monday outside.

Roberta, Gabriel, and Casey came out later for dinner. And Mmmm; I had cooked up some elk meat, made some baby carrots (with brown sugar and butter), and some mashed potatoes too. It all tasted wonderful, if I do say so myself! Even Master Gabriel loved it!

It is currently 6°, the snow is so noisy and crunchy when walked upon. And I don't think I ever even got the mail yesterday...

Speaking of mail, I am almost finished with my Christmas cards! hehehe (Better late than never, and as they say)!!!

I do try to finish these up before Casey's birthday... which we will be celebrating this Saturday at the Olive Garden. Ever since she was teeny-weeny, she has only wanted to go to the Olive Garden for her birthday. And so we do! Sometimes everybody comes back here afterwards to play a game or so; and sometimes we all go bowling. (Her birthday is not until the 26th, but she will be down at Wisconsin Dells that weekend. Her state FFA friends have a get~together every January; so weather permitting, she does love to attend that also).

My 'baby' will be 20 years old this year!

She started back at college yesterday, and is beginning the same courses she had begun for the first semester. (If you remember, it was only a few weeks into the semester when she had to have her lung surgery). So I am thinking that these first few weeks are going to be a bit boring and repetitive for her... oh well. She will do just fine, I am sure.

I have been playing on the computer for quite a while, and found a real interesting website about towns. CLICK HERE (I just had to check out Green Bay, and what a wealth of information I have found)! So please go check out mine, and your own town! You can check out the links: Top 100 Lists (where you can find lists of the top 100 cities and pertinent information like the highest income, the least crime, the newest houses, the most females, the shortest commute, the best educated residents, etc.) and Random City Pictures. I sure had fun learning on that site!

I'd better close for now though- I hope you are all well, warm; and that you all have electricity and heat... This whole "winter" thing sure has hit hard and fast!

Stay safe!

XOXO
Anne

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PUNKIE Here... Hey, Where DID My Paw Prints Go????

ARF!

(Yes, it's me, Punkie)!

I have missed you all terribly! (Did YOU miss ME)?

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This is what it looks like now; and the pictures below (of me and my mama) is what it looked like just yesterday morning!

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Me................................................ Mama

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Me and my mama got into a whole bunch of trouble yesterday... and my 'her' got really upset too; and just because we were fighting in the house. 'She' sure is mean like that! And 'she' made my mama go back outside, and then 'she' tells me "oh, go lay down."

Phhhhlllltttt!!! (So I did).

Later then, Roberta, along with that little guy Gabriel, Casey and Derek came to visit. Mama Milly came back in to see everyone too. Mama and me played for a while, (kissed Gabriel a whole bunch of times), ate up a whole bunch of food, (and then got in trouble a second time for fighting in the house)... Mama Milly is back outside in her kennel now, and everybody else is gone too. So it's pretty quiet here; 'cept for the furnace, and that seems to run a whole bunch.

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Berta and Gabriel ....................................And he always brings me my bone too!

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My her was on the computer after they left, and then I heard her call KC and tell her about a "winter storm warning" that was posted. (Now I'm not too sure what this means, because I'm only nine months old, but she sure didn't sound too happy). She told KC that it's going to snow and blow until late, late this afternoon; and that we should get about 8 inches of snow! For some silly reason I sure am glad I do not have thumbs, or I would have to help shovel. I would much rather just play in it... maybe even with my mama! 'She' also told KC about some bad windchills. Once again, I am not sure what that means, but I think she said it was "dangerous".. (and THAT sounds pretty bad).

I sure wish the little one still lived here, and my lady wouldn't have to worry so much about everyone.

My 'she' keeps telling me that I am a 'teenager' now, because, she says I act like one! (I really don't know if that's a compliment or an insult)!?!? Hmmmm... And 'she' also says that I am full of piss and vinegar too!

She says stuff like that but I know she still loves me just because I'm so darned lovable!

Yesterday morning Miss Kelli walked over with Mr. Miller, and I got to play outside with Mr. Miller while Kelli and 'her' stayed in the kitchen and talked for a while. This was a whole bunch of fun for me because I haven't seen Mr. Miller in a very long time! (He is very cool, and 'she' says he's just like my daddy)! Mama Milly and Mr. Miller like each other too; and we all have fun when they come to visit.

Miss Kelli and Mr. Miller walk a real long way to come over. They leave their own house, walk up the road and across the river, through the woods, cross the river again over the old snowmobile bridge; and then finally come up through the woods where we all play... Then they just have to climb the hill and walk out across the field to get here. Now I know they could get here a lot faster just by walking up the road, but then Miss Kelli says that Mr. Miller does not get enough exercise.

"Exercise"???? I'm not sure if I know what that is. But Miss Kelli says that Mr. Miller is too fat and too lazy. I guess maybe that's why he didn't want to play a lot when I was outside with him and Mama. But I like it when they come to visit and we can all sit outside too; but 'she' says it has to be warmer to do that. ...(Guess maybe she's fat and lazy too)! Ya think? (Ha ha, I bet I'll get in trouble for that one)... oh well...

We haven't gone down to the river in two whole days, (and that's a long time for me)... But I'm thinking that maybe we won't be going down there for a while, because 'she' told KC not even to go anywhere tomorrow! But I know that KC has to work, and then goes back to college on Tuesday. But by Tuesday, 'she' said all the snow should be pushed off the roads.

Now 'she' tells me I can't go by the road, (and I don't). But then tell me why she can! And she walks right across it too! Sometimes she brings stuff back with her, taking it out of the green box across the road. Sometimes this stuff makes her real happy, and at other times she just mumbles and throws this stuff on the table. (She's kinda weird like that). The stuff that ends up on the table usually gets put through this grinder~thing later. This grinder~thing makes a really loud noise and scares me. It's kind of like that other machine she pushes around the house, and it sucks up all my fur. That machine has two big white eyes, and I guess they just look everywhere for my fur. The machine finds it and then it just disappears! One day she opened up this machine, and took out all my fur and just threw it the garbage! That was kind of sick looking, kind of like she was throwing a "Baby~Me" in the trash. But 'she' wouldn't throw me away because like I said, I'm so darned lovable... hehehe!

...(Er, ...I mean "ARF")!

Now hang on for a minute folks, I have got to go outside. I will be right back...

... Okay I'm back!

It's getting a little chilly out there right now, so I guess it's not getting warmer yet...

...Since "she" hogs the computer all the time, I haven't written a blog in awhile... and so I haven't written about that big huge day we had...

...Lots and lots (and lots) of people came over that day, and they all brought their little people too! A couple of those little people were scared of me, so mostly I had to stay in the entrance, (but everybody else that came in or went out talked to me and petted me). Again, I wasn't too sure exactly what was going on, but I know that my person was really really happy!

... and Ha ha,. Get this, 'she' even brought a tree into the living room! I think this is really crazy~funny, because there are so many trees everywhere outside. (She really must like those trees a whole lot to want one on the inside too)!

And then she put a lot of shiny balls on it! It looked really pretty... at least I thought so... But she must not have agreed with me because now it's gone again. (I wonder if when she gets another tree and brings it in the house that maybe all those people will come back)? It was so much fun! ... and my house smelled just like Doggie~Heaven! And, there was food everywhere!!! I got to clean the floor, and I also got leftovers! (My mama and I usually get leftovers, and I guess that's pretty nice of 'her' to share)...

Anyway, the night before everyone came over I saw the strangest thing...

... After my people had gone to sleep, I thought I had heard something... I came downstairs, and there was a big fat man in a red suit, in the living room! (I was so doggie~shocked that I didn't even bark)... He was really really big, and he had a full lot of fur on his face too! He gave me a treat, (and I knew then it was a very good thing that I hadn't barked ~or growled). He put all bunches of pretty boxes under that pretty tree; (and even some for me and my mama too)! It was really cool, and when everybody woke up the next morning, they saw that the man had been there, and they were very happy.

It was the best day ever!!!

(Like I said, I hope she brings another tree in the house, and soon)!

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Okay, it is much much later now... I just came in from outside again, and that white stuff is falling from the sky; and a whole lot of it! But 'she' wouldn't let me stay out there, and even though I "woofed", she wouldn't let me go back out.

...Like I have said a hundred times already, she's mean! Mean! MEAN!!!

...But it was really weird this time was when I went out there, that white stuff completely covered up all my paws; and I guess it is pretty cold too.

Uh, Oh... I have just peeked out the door in the entrance, and I can't even see my pawprints anymore!!! I wonder where they went???

It's all white, all over. Pretty cool huh?

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And now it is morning... But it is not light, so I am going right back upstairs after I finish this and go sleep some more...

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I went outside again, and there sure is a lot of the cold white stuff out there. "She" has the "talking picture box" on, and it keeps going 'beep'! (Guess that has something to do with the white stuff outside). And my mama won't even come out of her cozy house to see me, so I just peed, pooed and came back inside.

I had to sniff the white stuff, and sneezed a whole bunch when I came back in. And then 'she' has to flash me again...

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Am I cute enough with some white stuff on my nose???

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I don't know where it went either, maybe I licked it off, but it is gone now; so like I said, I am going to go back to sleep!

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...And I am going to stay right there until I hear my 'she' gets ready to go outside.

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...Then I will go out with her, and maybe we can play. (Maybe my mama will come out of her house by then too)! I can't wait! But first to go back to nap!!!

A very big "ARF" to all of you today!!!

Love Always,

The PUNK!

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Yup, this is me and my "she"...

See, I told ya!!! I am just SO darned loveable!!!!

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NOTE: (SNOWSTORM "BARBARA") ...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS NORTHEAST WISCONSIN THIS MORNING... THEN GRADUALLY DIMINISH TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES LATER THIS AFTERNOON. AN ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION AROUND 2 INCHES IS EXPECTED...BRINGING THE STORM TOTAL TO 4 TO 7 INCHES. NORTHERLY WINDS GUSTING CLOSE TO 30 MPH WILL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY. A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

PS The little one has just called, and is safely at work...

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Horses and Tigers and Dogs!

Oh my!

Good morning everyone!

Having woke up about midnight, and gone outside with the Punkster, I realize that even 21° isn't so bad without that darned wind blowing. I actually enjoyed walking around, and hadn't even put a coat on! There is not a single star in the sky; and was ever so peaceful too. Miss Milly will not even venture out of her dog house in the middle of the night! But she sure wanted to come inside once Roberta and Casey came to visit yesterday afternoon...

Roberta is off of work until Wednesday; (still having pain in her tummy). She was at the hospital, the emergency room, on Friday night. She did end up having to leave work early, AND her regular boss was off for the night. She called him after asking a different team leader if she could just sit down for 15 minutes... and was told she would get written up if she did?!? It was at this point, that her pain became worse and she could barely stand up. Calling her regular boss then, he told her just to leave. The doctor at the emergency room wrote her off until Wednesday. She has a sonogram already scheduled for Tuesday to examine her gallbladder. Her regular boss also said he would take care of any incident reports, and make sure her file was clear. He told her not to worry about it.

As you all know, Casey and I have already lost our gallbladders. (Now that just sounds WRONG, and as though we can 'find' them somewhere?)... Removal was not due to gallstones, rather to gallbladder disease. Gallbladder disease is only passed on from mother to daughter. (God has a strange sense of humor, and gave me four daughters)! If this is what is causing Roberta's pain, it sure wouldn't be a shock to anyone! Tuesday will tell... Please wish her well.

Gee, that would leave only Zoe and Jennifer. Uh-oh...

No river walks yesterday, Milly and Punk were both inside, and just wanted to fight over a few toys! (Oh, and they also wanted to fight over the food and water). Funny to watch! Punk is never hungry or thirsty until Milly wants to be hungry and thirsty... and then they have both their snouts in the same bowl at the same time! They still get along fairly well. And there were only a few low growls that we heard. And they weren't even serious about that. Miss Milly suddenly looks so small next to Miss Punk. When did that happen? Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that Punk was just a little newborn puppy late last March...

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Berta, giving a treat to Miss Milly...

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Afterwards, Casey and Roberta were on their way to the mall to do a bit of shopping. And after that they were going bowling with a bunch of friends. Hopefully, they all had a great time... even with all the gutter balls! Casey and Roberta are very good at getting gutter balls... Hehehe.

I used to bowl in a league many moons ago. I never was much good, (at bowling), but I sure had a good time! And no, I haven't bowled in a couple years now.

Back to the weather... I have been reading about so many terrible weather related problems. Our 1/4" of ice means nothing compared to what some of you are going through! But we did have a few snowflakes too. Nothing that accumulated, just enough to hide that ice... and barely any flakes that are left, anywhere. So... like I say, this is nothing compared to other places. I hope you are all safe and warm. What a wierd winter!

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a very FEW snowflakes remain...

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I think I love my inbox here on the 360 too... having received the following note yesterday... "I took-up your suggestion, followed your link, and discovered that you're a prolific blogger! And good writer. And pretty ;-) " .

How cool is that? And yes, of course it goes right to my head!!

Every now and then somebody will be bold enough to tickle this girls heart. (And I am finding that I really do like those moments)! hehehe ...And especially after my posting last week about that so-called dictionary! I am still getting jerk~mail from that. But that's okay, those notes are written by people that do not even make an attempt at capitalization or punctuation. That tells me exactly what type of pride and intelligence I am dealing with... so it's really no big deal.

Oh well... like I now know, I very MUCH prefer to be tickled! Hehehe!

I had better close for now, but before I do, I am going to attach my Chinese astrological sign. (Surprise surprise, I am a 'dog')! ...And I kinda like what it says about that. Just one question though??? Would anybody know a 'tiger' or a 'horse' then?

Have a great Sunday!

XOXO

Anne

And here is what it says about people born under the sign of the Dog... "In the West, the Dog is man's best friend, but in Chinese Astrology this Sign is a little more unpredictable than that. Dogs are loyal, faithful and honest and always stick to their firm codes of ethics. However, this Sign has trouble trusting others. It's generally quite trustworthy itself -- except for the occasional "little white lies" the Dog tells in order to make things go more smoothly. The Dog makes a wonderful, discreet and loyal friend (despite any white lies) and is an excellent listener. This Sign tends to root for the underdog and its keen sense of right and wrong makes it duty-bound to the core. The Dog's mantra seems to be, Live right, look out for the little people and fight injustice whenever possible.

Dogs can also be rather dogmatic, too. They don't go in for light social banter; instead, they go straight for home, expostulating on the topics that are most important to them. At these times the Dog's narrow-minded or stubborn side can become apparent; this Sign has trouble staying light and calm when an important issue is at stake. This Sign can also be very temperamental; mood swings characterize its emotional life and often the Dog needs to run off to be alone in order to recuperate. Part of the problem is the result of this Sign's load of irrational fears that turn into niggling anxieties that turn into hurt feelings and occasional grouchiness. This sensitive Sign needs to warm up to others over time and gradually learn to trust them. Without that trust as a foundation, Dogs can be judgmental and coarse.

The Dog's discerning nature does make it an excellent business person, one who can turn that picky, guarded nature into a keen sense of the truth of another's motives. Where love is concerned, Dogs often have a tough time finding the right match. They can be so anxious and overwrought in the romance dance that they'll stress their partner to the max! In any forum, this Sign is happiest when able to be quite physically active; at home or at work, the Dog will always be constructing something new or cleaning something up in order to make things better. Dogs need to work on controlling their irrational worries and would also be well-served to relax their mile-high standards, which can sometimes wind up alienating the ones they love.

The most compatible match for a Dog is the Tiger http://chinese.astrology.com/tiger.html or the Horse http://chinese.astrology.com/horse.html.

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Horses and Tigers and Dogs!

Oh my!

Good morning everyone!

Having woke up about midnight, and gone outside with the Punkster, I realize that even 21° isn't so bad without that darned wind blowing. I actually enjoyed walking around, and hadn't even put a coat on! There is not a single star in the sky; and was ever so peaceful too. Miss Milly will not even venture out of her dog house in the middle of the night! But she sure wanted to come inside once Roberta and Casey came to visit yesterday afternoon...

Roberta is off of work until Wednesday; (still having pain in her tummy). She was at the hospital, the emergency room, on Friday night. She did end up having to leave work early, AND her regular boss was off for the night. She called him after asking a different team leader if she could just sit down for 15 minutes... and was told she would get written up if she did?!? It was at this point, that her pain became worse and she could barely stand up. Calling her regular boss then, he told her just to leave. The doctor at the emergency room wrote her off until Wednesday. She has a sonogram already scheduled for Tuesday to examine her gallbladder. Her regular boss also said he would take care of any incident reports, and make sure her file was clear. He told her not to worry about it.

As you all know, Casey and I have already lost our gallbladders. (Now that just sounds WRONG, and as though we can 'find' them somewhere?)... Removal was not due to gallstones, rather to gallbladder disease. Gallbladder disease is only passed on from mother to daughter. (God has a strange sense of humor, and gave me four daughters)! If this is what is causing Roberta's pain, it sure wouldn't be a shock to anyone! Tuesday will tell... Please wish her well.

Gee, that would leave only Zoe and Jennifer. Uh-oh...

No river walks yesterday, Milly and Punk were both inside, and just wanted to fight over a few toys! (Oh, and they also wanted to fight over the food and water). Funny to watch! Punk is never hungry or thirsty until Milly wants to be hungry and thirsty... and then they have both their snouts in the same bowl at the same time! They still get along fairly well. And there were only a few low growls that we heard. And they weren't even serious about that. Miss Milly suddenly looks so small next to Miss Punk. When did that happen? Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that Punk was just a little newborn puppy late last March...

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Berta, giving a treat to Miss Milly...

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Afterwards, Casey and Roberta were on their way to the mall to do a bit of shopping. And after that they were going bowling with a bunch of friends. Hopefully, they all had a great time... even with all the gutter balls! Casey and Roberta are very good at getting gutter balls... Hehehe.

I used to bowl in a league many moons ago. I never was much good, (at bowling), but I sure had a good time! And no, I haven't bowled in a couple years now.

Back to the weather... I have been reading about so many terrible weather related problems. Our 1/4" of ice means nothing compared to what some of you are going through! But we did have a few snowflakes too. Nothing that accumulated, just enough to hide that ice... and barely any flakes that are left, anywhere. So... like I say, this is nothing compared to other places. I hope you are all safe and warm. What a wierd winter!

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a very FEW snowflakes remain...

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I think I love my inbox here on the 360 too... having received the following note yesterday... "I took-up your suggestion, followed your link, and discovered that you're a prolific blogger! And good writer. And pretty ;-) " .

How cool is that? And yes, of course it goes right to my head!!

Every now and then somebody will be bold enough to tickle this girls heart. (And I am finding that I really do like those moments)! hehehe ...And especially after my posting last week about that so-called dictionary! I am still getting jerk~mail from that. But that's okay, those notes are written by people that do not even make an attempt at capitalization or punctuation. That tells me exactly what type of pride and intelligence I am dealing with... so it's really no big deal.

Oh well... like I now know, I very MUCH prefer to be tickled! Hehehe!

I had better close for now, but before I do, I am going to attach my Chinese astrological sign. (Surprise surprise, I am a 'dog')! ...And I kinda like what it says about that. Just one question though??? Would anybody know a 'tiger' or a 'horse' then?

Have a great Sunday!

XOXO

Anne

And here is what it says about people born under the sign of the Dog... "In the West, the Dog is man's best friend, but in Chinese Astrology this Sign is a little more unpredictable than that. Dogs are loyal, faithful and honest and always stick to their firm codes of ethics. However, this Sign has trouble trusting others. It's generally quite trustworthy itself -- except for the occasional "little white lies" the Dog tells in order to make things go more smoothly. The Dog makes a wonderful, discreet and loyal friend (despite any white lies) and is an excellent listener. This Sign tends to root for the underdog and its keen sense of right and wrong makes it duty-bound to the core. The Dog's mantra seems to be, Live right, look out for the little people and fight injustice whenever possible.

Dogs can also be rather dogmatic, too. They don't go in for light social banter; instead, they go straight for home, expostulating on the topics that are most important to them. At these times the Dog's narrow-minded or stubborn side can become apparent; this Sign has trouble staying light and calm when an important issue is at stake. This Sign can also be very temperamental; mood swings characterize its emotional life and often the Dog needs to run off to be alone in order to recuperate. Part of the problem is the result of this Sign's load of irrational fears that turn into niggling anxieties that turn into hurt feelings and occasional grouchiness. This sensitive Sign needs to warm up to others over time and gradually learn to trust them. Without that trust as a foundation, Dogs can be judgmental and coarse.

The Dog's discerning nature does make it an excellent business person, one who can turn that picky, guarded nature into a keen sense of the truth of another's motives. Where love is concerned, Dogs often have a tough time finding the right match. They can be so anxious and overwrought in the romance dance that they'll stress their partner to the max! In any forum, this Sign is happiest when able to be quite physically active; at home or at work, the Dog will always be constructing something new or cleaning something up in order to make things better. Dogs need to work on controlling their irrational worries and would also be well-served to relax their mile-high standards, which can sometimes wind up alienating the ones they love.

The most compatible match for a Dog is the Tiger http://chinese.astrology.com/tiger.html or the Horse http://chinese.astrology.com/horse.html.

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GRRRRRRRRRR.... Mea Culpa!

Good morning Everyone!

Did you miss me? I have had tons of problems with my e-mail, and a with remaining online... I believe that I have those issues fixed now; at least I hope so!

I have been able to visit blogs, and to be able to read but a few before getting disconnected. I have also been able to leave but a few comments on your blogs. Some still will not show up. To add insult to injury, my e-mail has been so screwed up that I could not send anything out, either. Unca BoBBie has called twice now just to check on me...

Anyway, at about three o'clock yesterday (Friday) morning (as in A.M.), I spent over an hour on the phone with Yahoo, and tried to at least get my e-mail fixed. The CD I had was not working, and I had to download new software from online. (Guess this Yahoo CD was absolutely prehistoric)! hehehe (I know people like that)!!!

Now you guys know that I have dial-up service (coupled with these ancient telephone lines); so this process alone took well over 2 hours. After that was done, and after restarting my computer, damn, it still refused to work right! And so I spent almost all day trying to fix this darned thing... (Knock on wood, I believe everything is working fine now). Hopefully, anyway!

... As of about 3 a.m. today, I believe I can post, maybe leave more than a few comments before I choose to go offline, (and whoa, perhaps even forward an e-mail or two)! ...Oooh; do wish me luck!!! We shall see.

It is currently 12° (f) on the farm here, with the wind chill near to ZERO or below.

( CLICK HERE for the windchill chart. info on blizzards, and winter in general).

We have been so very spoiled by the weather, but I guess winter is finally here. There is at least a quarter inch of ice covering everything this morning. I shall have to spray de~icer on Millys kennel door and latch too.

But my little Miss Punk knows what to do when the weather gets like this...

and yes, she snores too!

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I have not yet begun to scrape or salt anything; and had to take baby~steps just to get out to that kennel; (and to cross the road to get my mail)! It is always so darned icy on the road in front of my house as the trees block any sunlight warmth that would possibly dry the road. As such, there have been winters that have put many cars into the ditch here... Although thankfully nobody's been killed or hurt seriously outside our home. ...(Only the deer! So many trees to hide in, and so many cars flying by to spook them out and into danger).

Back when we were little, each year there were accidents at the top of the hill by The Ryan Family home, (and not only in the wintertime)... There was a bit of an imperfection in the road as you drove eastward, and if you were not familiar with the road you would be hurt... (badly). I remember one accident that left a mother of four little ones dead. She was from DePere and had never been on our road before. She had a tiny Volkswagen BUG, which provided little safety for her in the event of an accident. But I remember that day because mom and dad had to call the police, and the ambulance; (and tried very hard not to let us kids know what had really happened). After that, I remember being very scared every time we would come home from Pulaski.

I can remember another time that we had gone to go visit my Aunt Lu. She lived next to the Mountain Bay railroad tracks in Kunesh, and her road at that time was under construction. When we were done visiting, my mom took another way home. About 20 minutes after we were all home, the phone rang. It was my Aunt Lu, and she was so very near to hysteria. Apparently there had been a terrible car accident on the next road over, (the very same detour mom had taken). A mother and her two children had all been killed when they had been struck by a oncoming train. The car was a white Ford. At that time, we also had a white Ford, and so my aunt had thought this accident had killed her sister and her two nieces...

Back then, very few railroad crossings were marked with anything more than the white 'Stop Look and Listen' "X's". Driving into Pulaski, there was the railroad track right before the stop sign; (and many sumac trees that obscured the view). I remember one time that Mom had just crossed those tracks when a speeding train crossed right behind us, literally by only a few split~seconds... She remained at that stop sign for many minutes, (I believe thanking God for sparing our lives)...

But back to my blog here, and the weather. It is the ice today that will cause many accidents. I just wish everyone would remember to drive slowly and carefully; but they never seem to do so- (at least most of them seem to forget how to drive carefully in winter). Unfortunately it is those same drivers that kill or maim those of us who ARE traveling cautiously.

Knowing yesterday morning that the ice storm was headed our way, Miss Punk and I had to run into town to get a few things. This did not take long, but the roads sure were slick by the time we got home. Thank goodness we don't have to go anywhere today.

I see that there are many weather warnings out for almost every place in the United States. If you are traveling this weekend, anywhere; please be ever so careful. And DO keep an eye on the other guy as well.

Even the river has funally begun to freeze over...

but it does look beautiful!

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.

The weatherman still predicting a blast of Arctic air for many of us. Please stay warm!

I hope you all are having a grand weekend. I 'should' be able to be around more now... Errrrrr, (and "GRRRRRR"), like I said above, at least I hope so!

XOXO

Anna-Anna

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GRRRRRRRRRR.... Mea Culpa!

Good morning Everyone!

Did you miss me? I have had tons of problems with my e-mail, and a with remaining online... I believe that I have those issues fixed now; at least I hope so!

I have been able to visit blogs, and to be able to read but a few before getting disconnected. I have also been able to leave but a few comments on your blogs. Some still will not show up. To add insult to injury, my e-mail has been so screwed up that I could not send anything out, either. Unca BoBBie has called twice now just to check on me...

Anyway, at about three o'clock yesterday (Friday) morning (as in A.M.), I spent over an hour on the phone with Yahoo, and tried to at least get my e-mail fixed. The CD I had was not working, and I had to download new software from online. (Guess this Yahoo CD was absolutely prehistoric)! hehehe (I know people like that)!!!

Now you guys know that I have dial-up service (coupled with these ancient telephone lines); so this process alone took well over 2 hours. After that was done, and after restarting my computer, damn, it still refused to work right! And so I spent almost all day trying to fix this darned thing... (Knock on wood, I believe everything is working fine now). Hopefully, anyway!

... As of about 3 a.m. today, I believe I can post, maybe leave more than a few comments before I choose to go offline, (and whoa, perhaps even forward an e-mail or two)! ...Oooh; do wish me luck!!! We shall see.

It is currently 12° on the farm here, with the wind chill near to ZERO or below.

( CLICK HERE for the windchill chart. info on blizzards, and winter in general).

We have been so very spoiled by the weather, but I guess winter is finally here. There is at least a quarter inch of ice covering everything this morning. I shall have to spray de~icer on Millys kennel door and latch too.

But my little Miss Punk knows what to do when the weather gets like this...

and yes, she snores too!

.

.

I have not yet begun to scrape or salt anything; and had to take baby~steps just to get out to that kennel; (and to cross the road to get my mail)! It is always so darned icy on the road in front of my house as the trees block any sunlight warmth that would possibly dry the road. As such, there have been winters that have put many cars into the ditch here... Although thankfully nobody's been killed or hurt seriously outside our home. ...(Only the deer! So many trees to hide in, and so many cars flying by to spook them out and into danger).

Back when we were little, each year there were accidents at the top of the hill by The Ryan Family home, (and not only in the wintertime)... There was a bit of an imperfection in the road as you drove eastward, and if you were not familiar with the road you would be hurt... (badly). I remember one accident that left a mother of four little ones dead. She was from DePere and had never been on our road before. She had a tiny Volkswagen BUG, which provided little safety for her in the event of an accident. But I remember that day because mom and dad had to call the police, and the ambulance; (and tried very hard not to let us kids know what had really happened). After that, I remember being very scared every time we would come home from Pulaski.

I can remember another time that we had gone to go visit my Aunt Lu. She lived next to the Mountain Bay railroad tracks in Kunesh, and her road at that time was under construction. When we were done visiting, my mom took another way home. About 20 minutes after we were all home, the phone rang. It was my Aunt Lu, and she was so very near to hysteria. Apparently there had been a terrible car accident on the next road over, (the very same detour mom had taken). A mother and her two children had all been killed when they had been struck by a oncoming train. The car was a white Ford. At that time, we also had a white Ford, and so my aunt had thought this accident had killed her sister and her two nieces...

Back then, very few railroad crossings were marked with anything more than the white 'Stop Look and Listen' "X's". Driving into Pulaski, there was the railroad track right before the stop sign; (and many sumac trees that obscured the view). I remember one time that Mom had just crossed those tracks when a speeding train crossed right behind us, literally by only a few split~seconds... She remained at that stop sign for many minutes, (I believe thanking God for sparing our lives)...

But back to my blog here, and the weather. It is the ice today that will cause many accidents. I just wish everyone would remember to drive slowly and carefully; but they never seem to do so- (at least most of them seem to forget how to drive carefully in winter). Unfortunately it is those same drivers that kill or maim those of us who ARE traveling cautiously.

Knowing yesterday morning that the ice storm was headed our way, Miss Punk and I had to run into town to get a few things. This did not take long, but the roads sure were slick by the time we got home. Thank goodness we don't have to go anywhere today.

I see that there are many weather warnings out for almost every place in the United States. If you are traveling this weekend, anywhere; please be ever so careful. And DO keep an eye on the other guy as well.

Even the river has funally begun to freeze over...

but it does look beautiful!

.

.

The weatherman still predicting a blast of Arctic air for many of us. Please stay warm!

I hope you all are having a grand weekend. I 'should' be able to be around more now... Errrrrr, (and "GRRRRRR"), like I said above, at least I hope so!

XOXO

Anna-Anna

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Entry for January 11, 2007

Good Morning!

Now first of all I need to tell you this... In that 22 year old journal, I never did get back to that previous Saturday evening; ... so whatever you must have been thinking, you are most probably correct!!! hehehe Hmmm?!?!?!

I see from the Yahoo 360 newsteam that they are diligently working on getting the bugs out of their 'new and improved' updates. CLICK HERE But in that article, to give us hope, I saw absolutely NO mention of 'raid' either. ???

My mouse here has finally come down from its adrenaline/amphetamine high, and is much more "normyl" as of this morning... But when I had shut my computer down last night I did notice that it was doing its automatic updating. Good. (It was driving me MORE crazy than I already am)!

When I awoke earlier it was already 35 degrees. This is acceptable; since we have all been terribly spoiled here. But had the news on the TV on also, and am learning that the high for next tuesday, (Yes, I said HIGH), is to be a mere 10 degrees. (This is UN~acceptable)! ...And I know that I will be fighting with Miss Milly again... She hates to be brought in the house, or even to the garage... That she prefers to freeze to death outside is just silly. But always such a good dog.

When Punkie goes outside and they play, there are times that her Mama~Milly is really mean to her... (A mothers prerogative?)... But payback (being what it is), tells me that Punk is no fool either. Since it has been way too windy to be walking back to the woods, (think windchill factor), the dogs just wrestle up in the backyard until I call them inside. Millys water freezes a bit overnights, but she always has a hole dug in the water pan too.

Yet, when they come back inside from playing, Milly drinks water from Punks dish. (This is acceptable to Miss Punk). ...But yesterday, Miss Milly ventured to eat a few little morsels of food from Punks dish... (Apparently this is UN~acceptable)! Punk pushed her own snout in there, and pushed her mama away. I put a few handfuls of food on the floor then; (knowing that Punk despises food on the floor by her dish)... and sure enough, Punk cleaned the floor while her mama ate the puppy food. Sure won't hurt Miss Milly none, especially with this up and coming arctic blast... Once their bellies were full, they had to fight over one of Punkies toys. (I am sorry to report that the toy died)!

Oh well...

Speaking of death in its very real sense, please visit Miss Vals page CLICK HERE. Her father passed away after being sick for about a week. Any of us who have lost a dear loved one, (parent, child, friend, lover etc), already KNOW how much a few words of sympathy can mean to our hearts and our spirits. Please check in on her and let her know you were there...

Roberta, Master Gabriel and CaseyAnne all were here yesterday afternoon. Berta a bit ill, and she will have her own gallbladder checked out this morning... or at least get the referral to have an ultasound done. Her appointment is shortly before noon. Knowing she has had these problems, I made a pot of soup then. I had taken my steak out of the freezer the day before, and could almost taste it... But decided to use it for soup... (Had to clean the veggies out of the fridge anyway)! And the potatoes were almost ready to 'turn' too.

***Note to Zoe ... Maybe you could write a blog about the potatoes that DID 'turn' back when we lived on Jaworski Road??? (Oh, my poor babygirl)... But now she is bootlegging and making her own brew... (Well, actually that is Mr. Erics recipe)! And he has added blueberries to his concoction too!!! CLICK HERE for Zoe's story of brew!!!

Gabriel would rather eat his own soup, but being incapable yet of holding the spoon, I simply put the veggies meat and taters on his tray. He LOVES his veggies!!! (Quite unlike my Little Isaiah who hates veggies and loves fruit)! Go figure!

After supper, Casey and Gabriel made faces at each other... hehehe... at least it sure looks like that's what they were doing...

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Maybe she spat on him when she blew that raspberry? ..."ewwww"

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GASP!!! and YOKES!!! Master Gabriel found Miss Punks training collar laying about in the living room, and knowing where it went, he simply put it around his own neck!

Smart little boy... but that's kind of scary too...

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He would have shared his Nuk with Punkie, but she wouldn't allow him to share her bone...

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Hard to see in this picture, but she is actually (very nicely) taking her new bone away from Master Gabriel!

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and of course Miss Milly also has a new bone!

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I'd better close and get on with my day here! Have to be getting out to the pumphouse and get the warming lamp plugged in... Seems I like having running water in the house! It hasn't froze in so long... (even when I thought it should have)... But I am not about to be taking any chances either.

Hope everyone is having a great day!!!

XOXO
Anne

Oh and PS... Does everyone realize that your own saliva is powerful enough to digest BONE???

This is true! I have been getting these fragments in my mouth since yesterday, and am thinking that if this keeps up I will be yanking out my ulnas, tib~fibs etc in the coming months! Gross huh? (Yeah, and they CLAIM my mouth is just fine)! Uh~huh...

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