Catching Up!

Catching Up!

My "Weeds" ~in Wintertime~
hehehe

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Good Morning All!

I am late once again; having (finally) begun my Christmas cards very early this morning.

I have so much 'catching up' to do, not only with this Christmas preparedness, but online too.

First of all to let you know that, for the most part, we are shoveled/plowed out. Sam (my little Miss Valeries' daddy), got here around 3:45 with the plow and only got a bit stuck once! hehehe
But it is safe to be going out and coming back in the yard anyway... He even plowed out the mailbox; (the mailman is such a wuss if there is snow anywhere there)...

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Every time Casey tried to make a snow angel, the dogs went and messed it up.
hehehe
Here she is giving them a stern talking-to about staying put.
(It didn't work)...

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Milly had to go to her kennel, and Punk indoors before it was "safe" to make another angel. Casey will have to blog about her snow angel!

But before that, Miss Millys kennel needed to be shoveled out...

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I have never seen this much snow in there; and all the way in.

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Miss Milly has a roof on her kennel, and it is enclosed on 2 sides.
There was snow on the sheltered side of the roof of her house!!!

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Milly watched from a distance, and Punk watched close enough for a picture.

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Wishing she had opposing thumbs to help me shovel I'm sure...

(How CAN that possibly be warm enough to lay on anyway)???

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Milly decided that she didn't want to be back in her kennel and promptly took off for the woods. (Punk impatiently watched her go).
But she came back soon enough...
Too much excitement in the yard I guess; (if you're a dog anyway)!

Casey shoveled and shoveled- It was SO heavy. She dug out in front of the garage for me... All that is hard work, and now we are wondering if anyone is hungry?

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Unlike you Folks in Texas that can actually locate your grills year round,
I was having a problem finding mine!
hehehe

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But all is not "Snow~News" either.

My niece, my RubyBlue, had her baby boy last Wednesday morning! He is absolutely most gorgeous. Babies never cease to amaze me that something so very tiny is so very alive and already has personality plus! How precious is that!!!

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Please CLICK HERE to congratulate her! Her hubby, Peter, is still in India, but had sent a package to arrive exactly on time for Tanya and the baby!

Master Harman arrived exactly to the day of their first wedding anniversary!
Perfect!

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CaseyAnne and I went to the hospital to meet Tanyas new son. And I even got to hold him!

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He is not even half a day old yet!

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Sadly, I had to hand him back too...

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hehehe

Well, soon as he started fussing!

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Just kidding!!! He wasn't fussy one little bit; but the nurse insisted he was hungry.
Darned nurses...
My own motto is such that if a baby is asleep, you leave them that way!

Of course I gave birth to 4 of those noisy little humans; so it came as no surprise that by the time Casey, (my #4), came along, she slept on the couch for 8 hours before she awoke. That, when she was less than a day old too.

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Hmmm... Come to think of it, she STILL sleeps just fine on the couch.

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As does Miss Punk!
hehehe
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Hope you are all having a wondrous Monday!
***Don't forget to visit RubyBlues page!
CLICK HERE! (Well, after you say hi to me)!

Love to all!

XOXO
Anne

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Originally posted Monday December 3, 2007 - 11:12am (CST)

It Came...

It Came...

Good Sunday Morning All; (At least I think it is)?

Even though it is still dark outside, I know that it is much too white for me...

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What began as a smattering of flakes around the door...

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And on Caseys car...

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Quickly turned to TOO MUCH!!!

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From the front yard... (Pictured at top)

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Through the back yard...

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And to the garden...

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Old Man Winter has combined with Mother Nature;
(and between the two of them, they haven't missed a single spot)!

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Sing with me now...

"It's beginning to look a lot like "White~Out"...

...la la la humbug...

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I am off to shovel.

The coffeemaker has just gurgled, telling me it is done brewing. I shall fix a thermo cup (with an added spoonful, or three, of hot cocoa too), and bring it out with me.

Casey went to bed real late so I shall let her sleep a bit.
The dogs have offered to help, (they just don't know it yet).
And now, all that is holding me back is the willpower needed to psych myself up and get out there already.

And yes, Miss Beep, I know I should have done all that changing out on the Cub Cadet a while ago...
But I didn't.
(And I still haven't)!
Please refer to my use of the word "shovel" above. Sad, isn't it?

Need I say "UGH"???

Have a good one... And do think of me every once in a while. (Especially those of you that live south of that good old Mason~Dixon Line)...

Love to all!

XOXO
Anne

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Originally posted on 360 Sunday December 2, 2007 - 06:32am (CST)

Dogs. Cats. And Poisons.

For Your Furkids...

Bark Softly and carry a BIG Stick!

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Good Morning Everyone;

I had fully intended to have this up long before this hour of the day... Didn't work out that way though... I was going to expand on what I had written last year. CLICK HERE for my previous blog...
And to link to ANNIES BLOG too about these sad animals. CLICK HERE

And to always reiterate that ANIMALS ARE NOT PRESENTS!

(I will get back to that idea in a later blog)...

As I tried to get my thoughts and reference pages together this morning, those same web pages screamed out to me that I must be a horrible person.
~I have been heartsick ever since too.

As I was reading about all of the toxic things, (foods, plants), that can harm/kill your pet, I realized with a sinking feeling that there is new info out there this year; and that info NOW includes garlic.
I give both Miss Milly and Punk a sprinkle of this, knowing full well that there is garlic even in store~bought dog treats for Petes sake.
I will not be doing this any more.
While the sites do NOT list amounts, I have read that this can actually build up in your dogs system and harm them anyway. Since neither dog seems to be ill, or showing any propensity to be ill, I will just hope that they are fine; and that they would have to ingest a LOT bigger quantity of it too...
I almost immediately dialed up the vets office~ They had not heard of this; but like I said, I will NOT be sprinkling their food anymore.

Please say a little prayer for my pups?

Have a wonderful weekend!
Love to all.

XOXO
Anne

PS
Yes, our snowstorm is coming... Casey will be heading into town shortly to get a few groceries and such. Randy called a few minutes ago willing to do a grocery run for us. YAY!

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http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_poisonsafe

Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pet
- Alcoholic beverages
- Avocado
- Chocolate (all forms)
- Coffee (all forms)
- Fatty foods
- Macadamia nuts
- Moldy or spoiled foods
- Onions, onion powder
- Raisins and grapes
- Salt
- Yeast dough
- Garlic
- Products sweetened with xylitol

Warm Weather Hazards
- Animal toxins—toads, insects, spiders, snakes and scorpions
- Blue-green algae in ponds
- Citronella candles
- Cocoa mulch
- Compost piles Fertilizers
- Flea products
- Outdoor plants and plant bulbs
- Swimming-pool treatment supplies
- Fly baits containing methomyl
- Slug and snail baits containing metaldehyde

Medication
Common examples of human medications that can be potentially lethal to pets, even in small doses, include:
- Pain killers
- Cold medicines
- Anti-cancer drugs
- Antidepressants
- Vitamins
- Diet Pills

Cold Weather Hazards
- Antifreeze
- Liquid potpourri
- Ice melting products
- Rat and mouse bait

Common Household Hazards
- Fabric softener sheets
- Mothballs
- Post-1982 pennies (due to high concentration of zinc)

Holiday Hazards
- Christmas tree water (may contain fertilizers and bacteria, which, if ingested, can upset the stomach.
- Electrical cords
- Ribbons or tinsel (can become lodged in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction—most often occurs with kittens!)
- Batteries
- Glass ornaments

Non-toxic Substances for Dogs and Cats
The following substances are considered to be non-toxic, although they may cause mild gastrointestinal upset in some animals:
- Water-based paints
- Toilet bowl water
- Silica gel
- Poinsettia
- Cat litter
- Glue traps
- Glow jewelry


Dogpack. com http://www.dogpack.com/health/poisonplants.htm

This may not represent a complete list of all poisonous plants.

Alphabetical listing of poisonous plants by common name

Poisonous Plants by Category

• Bulbs: Amaryllis, Autumn Crocus, Daffodil, Day Lily, Elephant Ears, Gladiolas, Hyacinth, Iris, Lily of the Valley, Narcissus, Orange Day Lily, Tulip
• Ferns: Aparagus Fern, Australian Nut, Emerald Feather (aka Emerald Fern), Emerald Fern (aka Emerald Feather), Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern
• Flowering Plants: Cyclamen, Hydrangea, Kalanchoe, Poinsettia
• Garden Perennials: Charming Diffenbachia, Christmas Rose, Flamingo Plant, Foxglove, Marijuana, Morning Glory, Nightshade, Onion, Tomato Plant, Tropic Snow Dumbcane
• House Plants: Ceriman (aka Cutleaf Philodendron), Chinese Evergreen, Cordatum, Corn Plant (aka Cornstalk Plant), Cutleaf Philodendron (aka Ceriman), Devil's Ivy, Dumb Cane, Golden Pothos, Green Gold Nephthysis, Marble Queen, Mauna Loa Peace Lily, Nephthytis, Peace Lily, Red-Margined Dracaena, Striped Dracaena, Taro Vine, Warneckei Dracaena
• Lillies: Asian Lily (liliaceae), Easter Lily, Glory Lily, Japanese Show Lily, Red Lily, Rubrum Lily, Stargazer Lily, Tiger Lily, Wood Lily
• Shrubs: Cycads, Heavenly Bamboo, Holly, Jerusalem Cherry, Mistletoe "American", Oleander, Precatory Bean, Rhododendron, Saddle Leaf Philodendron, Sago Palm, Tree Philodendron, Yucca
• Succulents: Aloe (Aloe Vera)
• Trees: Avocado, Buddist Pine, Chinaberry Tree, Japanese Yew (aka Yew), Lacy Tree, Macadamia Nut, Madagascar Dragon Tree, Queensland Nut, Schefflera, Yew (aka Japanese Yew)
• Vines: Branching Ivy, English Ivy, European Bittersweet, Glacier Ivy, Hahn's self branching English Ivy, Needlepoint Ivy
• Misc/Uncategorized: American Bittersweet, Andromeda Japonica, Azalea, Bird of Paradise, Buckeye, Caladium hortulanum, Calla Lily, Castor Bean, Clematis, Fiddle-Leaf Philodendron, Florida Beauty, Fruit Salad Plant, Golden Dieffenbachia, Gold Dust Dracaena, Heartleaf Philodendron, Horsehead Philodendron, Hurricane Plant, Mexican Breadfruit, Mother-in-law, Panda, Philodendron Pertusum, Red Emerald, Red Princess, Ribbon Plant, Satin Pothos, Spotted Dumb Cane, Sweetheart Ivy, Swiss Cheese Plant, Variable Dieffenbachia, Variegated Philodendron, Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow

Note: I have always heard that pointsettia plants are harmful to our animals.
Oddly enough there is a difference of opinion on these pages about that this year...

XOXO
Me

Not sure which plant is which?  Most plants above should be clickable!

B~12. Blindsided. Bruised. And Battered.

B~12. Blindsided. Bruised. And Battered.

Photo stolen from here

Good Morning Everyone!
I am, by NO means an armchair quarterback; (coulda's, woulda's and shoulda's really have no place here now anyway). But I do have a few comments about my Pack.
Am thinking it wasn't enough that our defense has been ailing a bit, but now our offense, and most specifically Brett Favre?
Dang. And Double DANG!
Not surprisingly though, "Mr. Rodgers" stepped up to the plate, and surely was amazing. What a neighborhood we had on the field! hehehe

Surprising to me though was Mr. Romos' great sense of humor when interviewed afterwards. When asked something about what his thoughts were about playing against such a great quarterback, he replied, "I thought Aaron Rodgers did a very good job." (It was midnight, and I was laughing out loud in the living room).
Guess you had to be there...
hehehe

And about your ability to watch... (Miss BEEP <<click there<<, watched it on her computer). I am not sure how many households were affected by the blackout of this game, but I think these words sum it up perfectly...
"It's a shame most of the country missed seeing this game because it sure was worthy of a bigger audience than the NFL Network can provide."
Quote stolen from HERE

After coming on here this morning I was intrigued by a blog from the UK. Written by a man; and with a mans chronicled perspective on his diagnosis and treatment for hypothyroidism.
I too have been hypothyroid since Casey was born, and forgive my language, but it's a b*tch to treat correctly.
He has written many interesting tidbits of info since learning of his hypothyroidism.
>CLICK HERE< to read his blog. He is a great writer!!

~~From there, (and after reading too many medical pages), I went to another website to find out a few things about Vitamin~B~12...
SO MUCH INFO there. (For a site that just wants to sell B~12 skin patches).

>CLICK HERE< to read about B~12 deficiency...

What I'd found most interesting was the possibility of not only my thyroid being affected by such a deficiency, but perhaps even Caseys chronic pancreatitis disease as well. (And it would make sense that we would share a common dietary deficiency as we eat the very same things).

Here are just a few people who need a bit extra B~12 in their diets.

Vegetarian and vegans

People over the age of 60

Individuals with pernicious anemia

Individuals with Chronic Fatigue

Gastric bypass, and gastrointestinal disorder patients

Athletes

Autoimmune disease patients

Chronic pancreatitis patients

Crohn's disease patients

People with Malabsorption syndromes

Thyroid disease patients

Individuals with symptoms suggesting multiple sclerosis (ms4a)

Containing many articles of research from Canada, Colorado, Wisconsin, Turkey, Australia, Maryland, Sweden, New York, and Belgium, it also has lists of BOTH physical AND psychological symptoms, and exactly what can be relieved/allieviated by getting an adequate amout of this in your diet.

>CLICK HERE< for those research columns...

"There is little question that many patients exhibiting symptoms of Alzheimer's actually suffer from a vitamin B12 deficiency. Their symptoms are totally reversible through effective supplementation. A low level of vitamin B12 has also been associated with asthma, depression, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, tinnitus, diabetic neuropathy and low sperm counts." (Quote from above web page).

'Diabetes, ulcer meds, (and acid suppressing drugs), breast cancer... gastric bypass, vegans' and others absolutely need to know this all. Please read and forward these links on to your friends/family who may be suffering needlessly.
And yes, on my last trip to Bay Natural Foods I did pick up a bottle of the sublingual tabs. I have NO idea WHY I picked them up either...
I have not begun to take them yet, but I sure will today! As will CaseyFace.
(Sublingual, under the tongue, because this is a very difficult vitamin for your body to process if eaten).

OK. Off my soapbox now...

And on to shoveling... Wait, WHAT????
My windy, cold, and blustery forecast came complete with a Winter Storm Watch this morning. Blah. Blah. Blah.

• They are still unsure of how much snow we will get, but they guess anywhere from 4" to 10" by the time all is said and done.
  It is to start tomorrow.
  Methinks knowing this all, that I should be outside getting the little plow on the Cub Cadet, and putting those chains on the tires too.
  Damn anyway, it is only 13 degrees...

• And so, I am gone to freeze my fingers off!

Love to all!

GRRR...I can't make these stupid bullets go away.

XOXO
Anne

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Originally posted on Yahoo 360, Friday November 30, 2007 - 09:38am (CST)

The Dope Sheet! ? !

The Dope Sheet! ? ! ?

Green Bay Packers Fight Song

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stolen from here

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Go! You Packers Go!

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Hail, hail the gang's all here to yell for you,
And keep you going in your winning ways,
Hail, hail the gang's all here to tell you too,
That win or lose, we'll always sing your praises Packers;
Go, you Packers, go and get 'em,
Go, you fighting fools upset 'em,
Smash their line with all your might,
A touchdown, Packers, Fight, Fight, Fight, Fight!
On, you Green and Gold, to glory,
Win this game the same old story,
Fight, you Packers,
Fight, and bring the bacon home to Old Green Bay.
- - - by Eric Karll, 1931

stolen from here

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Good Game Day Morning to ALL!

Yes, this top picture is of our hallowed ground of Lambeau.
Somewhat akin to "The Frozen Tundra" this morning as we have all of TEN degrees here.
The sun is shining, but sure isn't doing much good (save for the light).

How I wish the Packer game was in Green Bay tonight... hehehe

This 'wait' for kickoff will be a long one... And I shall have to nap before the game, as I have been up since 2, with not too much sleep before that...

.-With a win this past Thursday over Lions, the Packers are off to their best start since 1962, when the team also started the year 10-1. That season, Vince Lombardi led Green Bay to a 13-1-0 record en route to its eighth world title in franchise history. The best start in franchise history came in 1929, when a 10-0-1 record led Green Bay to its first NFL title under team founder Curly Lambeau.

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How do you like me now?

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And so, without further ado...

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.The Packers and Cowboys represent two of the proudest and most popular clubs in the NFL.
They have combined for 17 NFL championships (Green Bay 12, Dallas 5) ~and eight Super Bowl titles.

.-There is no disputing the most memorable game between the two clubs. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Ice Bowl, the 1967 NFL Championship, played between Lombardi's Packers and Tom Landry's Cowboys. It is widely considered the greatest NFL game of all-time.

Love to all!

XOXO
Anne

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If you would like to read a bit more about my title, please CLICK HERE !

Two years after he co-founded the Packers with Curly Lambeau, George Calhoun began writing a piece called The Dope Sheet, which served as the official press release and game program from 1921-24...

Do the click above, it's all a great read about both teams!!!
(Lots of links too).

**** All italicized is also stolen from there.

Originally posted on Yahoo 360, Thursday November 29, 2007 - 08:37am (CST)

Ours

Ours

Good Afternoon!
Thankfully Miss Kelli has called and woken me up from a nap or I swear I would have slept 'til the New Year...

Am thinking I spoke too soon yesterday. (Hence the title today; to follow up from yesterdays' blog title).
I woke about 2 this morning. Casey was up til after 4~ She put Punk out and says, "Mom, it's snowing!"
(And even in that wee hour I had the sense to grab the camera)...

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Punk.
Not too sure what to make of it all;
'cept that her paws were a bit cold and she made hasty~waste to get back inside!

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Yes, well you get the picture...
(And I shall never again blog about someone elses snow if we have none)!

And what a day yesterday was...
Still fuming mad about how it began.

On these colder days, I always leave my dishes 'til the next morning because doing said dishes then always warms me up. I have been dumping my kitchen sink water because the darned drain never works right. And have been doing this for a couple weeks now.
Not too sure how it is all connected, but when I dump my sink water there are times that it comes back up through the drain in the back entrance; and gets that laundry room floor all wet.
No biggie, but I was tired of carrying my water either outside, or down the toilet.
The drain was plugged and it was high time to fix it again.
And so I rolled up my sleeves and got busy.
I pulled the drain in the back entrance, poured about 3 gallons of boiling water down it. (If you heat the drains/pipes up, the drain cleaner works much better). I also poured a bunch of boiling water down the kitchen sink drain...

Going to the shelves over the basement stairway to get my magic bottles of drain cleaner, I hear a noise in the basement...
(NOTE: This noise fell under "wtf" when I realized I was hearing water, dripping).
(Knowing full well that I wouldn't like whatever I saw, I went down there anyway). And I had a little puddle of putrid water that I did not want to contend with...

So the heck with my little project. I will deal with it later; (and 'til then I shall carry my stupid dishes water outside).

Just about that time, the oil man came, (leaving me grasping my heart and staggering like Redd Foxx)...

There was a time (in the not too distant past I might add), that I could heat my entire home for less than $500.00 season.
That time has passed. (Thanks GW).
With this heart~attack~bill I realize it is already 30% higher for this first fill alone!

So now I have half my dishes done, and a huge oil bill. (At least my hands were warm).
My plumbers wife was diagnosed with MS and he has little time left over to be putting new pipes in an old house. I hate that it is cold (and that I hate plumbing in the first place).
And I especially hate knowing how messy it will be to pull those pipes apart and to replace them all. (That and the fact that my house was smelling like 'drain' after I had dumped that hot water down).

Give me a damn break already!!!

And with that, the phone rang...

A perfect breath of fresh air as that call was friend of mine from this wonderful 360~World! Visiting Chicago, and told me she was on her way up here.

But NO!!! My whole house stinks! ...(That ain't gonna work).
YOKES!
hehehe

She didn't have the time to get here, visit, and then get back to Chicago; so Casey and I met her halfway!

Whew...

How cool is this???

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What a wonderful 'break' we got from this stinky house!!

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We had a grand time visiting, giggling like a bunch of schoolgirls, until she had to get back to Chi~Town.
(Much too short of a visit, but plenty wonderful too)!
She is wonderfully warm and ever so funny!
We even chattered long enough for my Xanax to wear off. And I had a nasty time getting back home, but absolutely worth every second of that too!

Didn't sleep too well last night, but at least got a few hours in. And with Kellis call earlier came a favor to run down there and to check on the water for the horses. Seems her tank heater decided not to work last night and she was trying her level best then to get them water for the day. Casey and I will go check that out shortly for her.

Life. ~Ain't it grand?!? ... (even if your home is a little stinky)...
hehehe

XOXO
Anne

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Originally posted on yahoo 360, Tuesday November 27, 2007 - 02:27pm (CST)

Not Ours...

Not Ours!!!

Good Monday Morning All;

We took the above photo as we headed down to "Milwaukesha" on Saturday.
hehehe
...But the trip was not all "hehehe" either, as these damnable panic/anxiety attacks of mine seem not be going away anytime soon. And we have been informed that this IS inherited stuff too... (Too bad KC gets them).

The snow you see begins about 60 miles south of here, and even more southward.
So the pictures here are NOT our snow. We have been so fortunate.
~So far...
Am I lazy or what? But truly, I do not really feel like shoveling.

I keep hearing thoughts that we are IN FOR a nasty winter.
I just hate that no one has the 'nads to define "nasty" for me though...

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  Would that be 'nasty' as in I will be shoveling until next August?
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  Or will it be 'nasty' as in I am certainly going to freeze to death?

Hmmm.....
....................Please let me know.

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A few more shots out the window...

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And then Lake Butte des Morts, with its ice forming even in the sunlight.

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And yes, it is the same bridge from where I had taken this picture in August with all the lilypads in bloom...

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sigh

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My heating oil will be coming today. I am thankful for that. I am also very thankful that I have sweaters and such to pile one on the other. That way I can keep my (own) pipes from freezing, AND still be a bit of a tightwad with my precious oil.
It is 26 right now, looking forward to a high in the mid 30's.

Time to fly!

Have a grand day!
...And do let me know wich "nasty" that might be?

XOXO
Anne

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Originally posted on Yahoo 360, Monday November 26, 2007 - 07:46am (CST)