Not Working

I did try to make it to work today. The car first got stuck in the driveway. Tom got it out and pointed down the road in the right direction. I made it to the big hill... and picked up unwanted speed. I was NOT going to brake if I could help it. The car spun to the right... spun to the left, spun to the right again... before I got it headed straight. Since I had not yet had enough fun on the snow, I continued towards work. I made it to the top of the second big hill. There is a stop sign there, and knowing if I stopped, I would be dead in the snow, I just hooked the corner. (I was going slowly!) I didn't have enough momentum, and high centered on the deep snow. I rocked back and forth and spun my wheels awhile. I got out and kicked snow from around all four tires.. I rocked back and forth some more... then called Tom and Tim. (Tim is my boss.)

Tom said he would come rescue me, Tim said if I got unstuck, just head on home.

I DID manage to get going in reverse, and headed home without further incident. The road has since been plowed. But that means I worked ONE hour this week. (Not counting having Matthew.) The new responsibilities need to kick in soon, so I can get some hours in!

Mr C was feeling bad last night. I think he caught the flu bug I had last week... or was it the week before? Anyway, the boys and I have barked on with lingering coughs and sore throats, but otherwise feeling better. Tom is still in the achy joint miseries, and also a bad case of cabin fever. Just so you know, this is day two of his normal three day weekend. He came home early on Thursday with the flu. He will be crazy taking a stay at home vacation for 11 days next month. I sure hope he decides to go on to Ohio and see his brother, or to Texas to see Becky and Tommy.

My Dad and brother are "hanging in there" in their respective hospitals. Brother was diagnosed with pancreasitis, and then blood clots in his legs. He will be in the hospital til Monday at least. Dad's doc decided he had had a minor heart attack and Dad will also be in the hospital until Monday or Tuesday. Both are doing well, but anxious to go home.

Thank you for praying! Have a blessed day.

Winter Mix

The winter mix hit us yesterday afternoon, with a good coating of freezing rain. The rain rapidly turned to sleet, and remained a sleet/snow mix all night. Mid-morning saw the mix turn more to snow/sleet, and finally to snow. The snow is supposed to continue through midnight. It is really coming down out there.

The boss called me off work today, which I really expected. Suits me fine to stay inside and watch the snow come down. Thankfully, the ice didn't bring down our power.

I got a call yesterday... my Dad had been taken by ambulance to the hospital. Yesterday, the doctors were disinclined to call it a heart attack, but due to a subsequent rise in his enzymes, they have decided he did, in fact have a mild myocardial infarction. He remains hospitalized for the next few days. Meanwhile, my brother remains hospitalized in Tennessee. He was taken in earlier this week with chest pains... but heart attack was ruled out as his diagnosis. The doctors still haven't figured out WHAT his health issue is, so he continues to be tested. Please keep the two Robert B.'s in your prayers.

Our high speed internet equipment has arrived, but will not be in effect until Monday. I can hardly wait! Meanwhile, we will be cleaning and re-arranging our equipment.

I was just about to kick the twins off the TV and get them started on some additional school work, when I stopped to look at what they were watching. "Modern Marvels"! It is chock full of history... today they are exploring modern harvesting equipment. It is more educational than anything I had planned for today. My kids... I think they spend more time on the History and Science TV channels than on any type of entertainment stations.

Wow. The snow is POURING down! And supposed to keep up for the next 12 hours! Just, WOW.

Have a blessed day. Thank you for your prayers!

Last glimpse of the Sun

It was sunny here just half an hour ago. The preliminary clouds marking the winter storm are now overhead. It is 28*, so if it starts raining, we will get ice. Ben and the twins headed for town to get a container of gasoline for the generator. I thought of something else to have them pick up, and called him. Apparently there has been some sort of accident ahead of them, and traffic is at a complete halt on the highway.

The Weather Channel featured Ben's Wal~Mart in Bentonville this morning... shelves completely bare! Ben said he is glad he is off yesterday and today, as the stores were jam packed with people preparing for the storm. Folks around here have dealt with ice storms often enough that we lay in supplies to last a few days when the power inevitably goes out. Which reminds me, I better get a load of white clothes washed!

The cold front has hit here, temperature dropping before my eyes. The moisture line headed up from the south looks like it may be just a couple of hours south of here... we are going to be pounded. What I will miss most is probably internet, LOL!

Anyway, time to gather a few things I just reminded myself of... like candles and matches where I can find them! Have a blessed day, and stay warm.

Lost Time

Here it is Wednesday already! We are preparing for another blast of very wintery weather. The Weather Guessers are saying it isn't a question of IF we will get ice and snow, it is a question of how much of each we will get.

So I will head off to the grocery store some time today. Or make a list and send Ben. Maybe let Dan and Sam go do their library volunteering today, because I sure don't plan to get out tomorrow.

I had to ask Matt's Dad this morning, about a statement Matt had made to us. I had made Matt a grilled ham and cheese sandwich for lunch... and he asked me if I would please put peanut butter on it. I told him No, peanut butter is not good on ham and cheese. Matt tells me, Yes, he likes peanut butter and ham on a sandwich. Mommy makes it for him at his house every day! His Dad laughed when I told him, we wonder where kids come up with some stuff.

I just can't believe this is already Wednesday! I did go in to work at O's yesterday... setting up the new sale in record time. I was done in an hour. The new sale had just a few changes from the old sale... all of the banner sales remained the same, so I didn't have to change window clings, nor the marquee.

I am trying to think of something to "look forward to". At the moment I am coming up blank. Mr C is taking off work from the 12th to the 22nd of February. He isn't sure if he is going anywhere... which means I am NOT looking forward to having him home every day. It is hard to get the boys lessons done around him. Dan and Sam are supposed to join their sister in a 5K run in early March. I do look forward to seeing the grandbabies then, assuming *I* get to drive the boys to San Angelo.

I suppose I better get them started on today's lessons, then try to put out a hotspot or two in the clutter here. Have a blessed day!

New week

Saturday afternoon was grandson Connor's birthday party at Fun City. It is sort of like Chucky Cheese. I think Connor had a good time. I was very moved when one of the very little kids there was upset because he wanted to open presents too. Connor went over and hugged him really tight and told him that his birthday was coming soon, and not to cry.

As Dan and Sam and I were preparing to leave, I was looking for Alana to get another picture of her out having fun. There were probably 500 people in the place- I never did find her. But I did find a small boy crying. No one was paying the little guy any mind at all and he looked terrified. So I asked if he was lost. He was.
I took him to the main desk host- figuring that a place as huge and crowded with children had to have some sort of system for dealing with lost kids. The guy just took the little one and started wandering around looking! It was only a minute or two until we found a desperate daddy. I'm sure the poor little guy was probably so traumatized he will hate crowds forever. Really, though, I would have expected a more elaborate system in place for dealing with missing children. The place was so chaotic that anyone could have snatched the kid and been out the door with no one the wiser.

Here is a Link to Connor's Party pictures. Some are a bit blurry. On a couple, I took the pictures through the glass of the claw machine Connor was using. They didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. Connor got to spin the birthday wheel of fortune, and won the top prize of 1000 tickets! I haven't called him to find out what prize he went home with.

Daniel and Sam had a good fair time at the party. On the way home, they were talking, and one said to the other: "If you ever think you want to have kids, you should go to a place like that for a few hours. It would probably cure you of wanting kids in a hurry."

We don't have any big plans for this week. Just school work and putting out a few 'hotspots' around the house where clutter piles up. D&S cleaned their room yesterday. It wasn't exactly a voluntary cleaning. I ended up with an extra six loads of laundry- mostly pillows and blankets.

Mr C DID it! He signed us up for DSL internet! We will have the equipment in a few days. Down side is, it pretty much commits us to be here in this house for the next two years. (There is an early cancellation penalty).

But knowing we will be here that long, I am going to plant me some flowers. Maybe even some of those tall skinny trees that grow really, really fast. I would plant the trees where my view of the pond is blocked. I want to add some rose bushes to the side of the porch. And hang my pictures back up on the walls!

May you have the very best of days today!

(Updated) Good Morning from the Library

Dan and Sam are volunteering this morning. I figured I would spend their first hour here on the computer, then run some errands. One errand was already thwarted. A place I intended to get a gift for Connor's birthday was gone. Guess I have to re-think that one, and quickly! His party is Saturday.

I discovered something terrible last night!
The hair has fallen out of the concussion knot on the back of my head!!!! I have a shiny bald spot as big as my thumb! I am glad my hair hangs down to cover the spot. I don't know if it is common for this to happen, or whether the hair will eventually grow back or what.

I know there was something else I was going to blog about this morning, but it is escaping me at the moment, and I am distracted by talking to Becky on Facebook. So, Maybe I will blog again later. Have a blessed day!

500!!!

This is my 500th post on Blogger.com . Wow. Who knew I was so full of hot air? Would it really be hot air, since I am not, in fact, actually talking, but typing?

Today is my grandson Connor's 9th birthday. I really wanted to call him this morning, but figured he was on the bus by the time I was awake enough to remember this is his birthday. I will try to remember to call him this afternoon. I remember seeing him born. In some ways, it seems like just a few weeks ago, and in other ways, I would think he ought to be 20 by now. And was it just 9 years ago that Sam asked me, on my return from Connor's birth in Claremore, "Now that you are Grandma... who is going to be our Mom?"

It is a gorgeous, sunny day here. My plants are out on the porch for a sunning and watering while we clean in here. My big tree is pushing against the ceiling. I left it in here because it is just too big to tote in and out. (Laurie, are you still willing to give a tree a dome? er, home?)
The warm weather has brought us hundreds of flies swarming the porch, and coming in every time someone opens the door. We spent a good while this morning killing the flies that had already made their way inside.

Days like today make me think it is time to start gardening... but I know good and well we have plenty of winter left to endure. So I suppose we will just stick with our spring cleaning for now.

As usual, I really don't have much to say. Same old day to day here. Hope your day is blessed!
~Tammy~

Tuesday

Today I am feeling better. At least well enough that once Matthew was picked up, Dan and Sam and I went to the library. So anxious were they to get started volunteering, we ended up staying awhile so that they could take a grand tour. We go back Thursday morning for their orientation and first tour of duty. It was very interesting learning about the volunteers jobs.

Since we did stay at the library longer than *I* had intended, we had to think of something fast for supper. Taco's sounded good to me. We stopped at the local grocer in Centerton for ingredients. When we run late coming home from town, we often co-ordinate chores on the way home so that everyone is working together to have supper on the table before Mr C gets home at 5:45.

It was 5:15 when we pulled into the driveway. Books and groceries were unloaded and put away. One boy chopped veggies while the other set out things like cheese and salsa. I cooked the tortillas and hamburger. Dinner was ready in short order. VERY short order... like, by 5:30. Since Mr C isn't particularly fond of tacos (he is weird like that!), he got to decide whether he wanted flour or corn tortillas for his meal. He had one flour tortilla and one "taco" wrap... using a lettuce leaf instead of a tortilla.

I am already zonked... I feel better than I have for several days, but I am just worn out.
Hope you had a good day!

Where has the month snuck off to?

I have hibernated the last couple of days. I don't know if I have a cold or a mild case of flu. I have spent about 21 of 24 hours in bed... maybe more. Barely put in an appearance yesterday. Today I am "up", but I can't say "at 'em". I have been alternating between freezing and sweating. The bedcovers are soaked on my side.

Daniel and Sam are out running. Becky asked them to come to a 5 K run in Snanjlo on March 6. That is my Dad's birthday. Granddaughter Alana will be 7 on the 5th. This month... this WEEK! Grandson Connor turns 9. My BIL Bob has a birthday as well. Anyway, That would mean getting Dan and Sam to Becky's sometime during that week.

Eagle is doing a shift change next month, so Mr C's days off are going to change slightly. He will be off on Mondays instead of Fridays. He may take advantage of the shift change week, which will give him 4 days in a row off, add in a couple of "must be used by March" banked holidays, and maybe a vacation day out of his 5 weeks of paid vacation... and take off. I asked him what he planned to do? (Oh please please please please do not use 11 days off to hang around the house when you are bored to tears with just your 3 days a week off!) He may go visit his Mom and brother in Ohio. The way he said it, "I would feel bad for leaving everyone here." I took to mean we are NOT invited to come along.

We are supposed to have a warm, partly sunny day today, in the 50*'s. Tomorrow and the next day offer a 60% opportunity of rain. Our driveway looks like the 'county road' at Becky's. Ben's truck was stuck almost to the axle... in the DRIVEWAY! (Our house is practically ON the road, like houses in town. There isn't a lot of driveway there. We are parking the vehicles right in the mouth of the drive. Tom spent Saturday (after moving Ben's truck... Ben ended up taking my car) filling in ruts. It is such a gooey mess out there.

Hope everyone is well. Have a blessed day!

At Our house

I took the boys ice skating yesterday. Other than the time we went at Thanksgiving, this was the most crowded I have seen it. The boys met another home school kid, from Huntsville. I think they had a good time. We listened to a Mozart CD on the drive. Sam says, "You know, I think I am growing rather fond of classical music."

This morning, Ben is sick and stayed home from work. Dan and Sam were telling Ben and Mr C about a TV program they had seen, where a person was discussing building a time travel machine. Time dilation was discussed. Since this isn't the first time dilation discussion to be had here, everyone was pretty well up to speed on the theory. Time travel discussion went to Star Trek, Star Trek went to Star Wars, and then to light sabers.

Almost in stereo, Dan and Sam are telling why light sabers would be impractical and dangerous weapons, even to the wielder. "All of the weight is in the handle! You'd be as likely to cut yourself in half as to injure your opponent!"
I suggested, "Maybe they practice with the saber set to "stun".
"Mom! You CAN'T set a light saber to stun!"
Tom suggested it would be a good idea if they could...
Ben remarks, "That is what STICKS are for!"

OK. I'm fixing to head out for another fun filled day at O'Reilly's!
May your day be blessed!

Hodgepodge

Yesterday Sam was finally ready for the next step in tanning the rabbit hide from the bunny he shot several weeks ago. It had been soaking in a tanning solution. I refused to let him bring the bucket of solution into the house. (I'm mean like that.) He needed a safe place for it to soak. I suggested UNDER the house was less likely to freeze than any other spot I could think of.

Sam dragged the bucket from under the house, where it HAD frozen. (We have had 3 weeks of sub-freezing temperatures!) He saw that the soak liquid had not frozen solid. He got the ice out of the bucket, and broke it open. No rabbit hide. He smashed every large piece of ice, to no avail. His hide had been stolen! The only critter I can think of that would take something from "water" in a bucket would be a raccoon. Sam is pretty disappointed.

Sam and I went to the library yesterday. On the way to town, he asked if he could become a volunteer at the library. While we were there, we looked into it. We picked up applications for both Sam and Dan to apply as volunteers. I am thinking volunteering will be very good for them. Get them out of the house on a regular basis, interacting with others.

The weather made it up to 40* yesterday, however briefly. It was great. In places where the sun reached, the snow melted. The ground is either still frozen, or saturated, because the melted snow water remains in squishy puddles until night, when it refreezes into slick spots. The brilliant idea of filling the puddle in front of the porch with sand, backfired. The saturated sand turned to an ice brick.

We are expecting this week to have good weather, in the 40*'s until sometime next week. I am so happy about that! Maybe things will pick up at work and I will be working Friday and Saturday. Chances are, though, I will only work one of those days, or maybe only a part of both days. And I am off Sundays... Yay! The downside of my hours being reduced, is the pennies will be getting pinched! I have time off to DO stuff, but no wherewithal to do it with.

Matthew is up. His Daddy brought him with McDonalds for breakfast. Just what he needs after puking all over the kitchen during lunch yesterday: A sausage McGriddle and chocolate milk. I don't know if his Daddy knows it or not, but Matthew seldom eats the sausage. Guess I should get off here and get busy. Ben wants to go antiquing today, and I am sure the twins will want to go with him, so they best be doing their lessons right away.

Have a blessed day!

Cake

This is the cake my beautiful and talented Mom made for my niece (her grand daughter) Tammy.

01 11 10

Today has an interesting date... it reads the same forward as it does backwards! A palindrome!

I woke this morning half an hour before Mr C had to be out the door. (He usually wakes me when he leaves, so I will be ready when Matthew gets here.)

We had a funny Matt Moment yesterday. Daniel and Sam were making almond bark pretzels. I offered one to Matthew. He looked at me like I was crazy, and shook his head no. I ate the pretzel. Matt looked at me like I was out of my mind. I put a pretzel in his hand, and ate another. Matt stared at me suspiciously. I told him to eat the pretzel. Matt says, "Me Tammy, that white stuff for BONES!"
I cracked up. Matt's Mom had made dog bones dipped in white chocolate as holiday treats for her dog, and for her friends' dogs. Matt wasn't about to eat dog food.

Have I mentioned this year, how happy I am to be homeschooling my kids?
I was reminded of it this morning. I offered to start Mr C's car while he got his shoes on, once he reached his critical juncture this morning. (Every morning, he gets up waaaaay early, then dilly dallys until it is past time for him to go. He says, without fail, "I've got to Hur- Ray!" as he scrambles to finish dressing and gathering his necessities.)

It was still very dark as I started the car.
But I heard kids scuffling and talking... the neighbor kids were out at the end of their driveway, awaiting the school bus. They have to be out at the road, in the dark, at 20 til 7 in the morning. It is less than 15* out there, the driveways are still snowbound, and you can't see your hand in front of your face beyond the reach of our land light. I didn't actually SEE the kids until the bus came by and I saw them climb aboard. It is almost 4:30 in the afternoon when they get home.

We have to go to the library today. School will take up half the morning. The boys can do Math, Science, History, Art, Reading, Spelling, "Building Thinking Skills", Computer, and all the other sundry subjects, in just a few hours time. They don't spend three hours every day on the bus.

They can prepare meals, do laundry (under duress), go paintballing, ice skating, shooting their potato cannon, hunt squirrels and rabbits. They can shop, mail packages, buy money orders, wash cars and pump gas. (Recite "pi" out twenty-something places for fun....) Yep. I am so glad to be home schooling.

My "new" position at Oreilly's has been approved. However, with the extreme weather, sales have been down to the point that the boss has been sending EVERYONE home early. I worked two hours this week. The new position has to be put off until business picks back up. While batteries, wiper blades and water pumps have been selling like crazy... they aren't enough to keep everyone paid. I didn't even get my cash drawer out for the two hours I worked Saturday... I was just training on the new routine.

Today is supposed to get up to 40*! The yard will probably turn to muck.
Hope you have a great day!

Loooong Weekend

It seems like a long weekend anyway. With unexpectedly getting the day off Friday, and being sent home early on Saturday, I have hardly been out of the house all week. Yesterday everyone pitched in and we deep cleaned the living room. The plants were watered; floor swept & mopped; everything from ceiling fan to picture frames and mini blinds were dusted.

My niece Tammy got married yesterday to Chris, a high school friend of my two oldest sons. I hadn't taken the day off, as I have missed so much work lately... then ended up not working anyway. The poor weather between here and there would of kept me from going, even if I had taken time off.
Poor weather caused my DIL to have a car wreck on her way to the wedding. She was not too far from her home when it happened.. but she hit a patch of ice and spun off the road, breaking a tie rod. She hurt her foot, and DGD (dear grand daughter) got a black eye... otherwise they were all OK. I am thankful that it wasn't worse for her and the three grandkids with her. The accident caused her to miss the wedding.
My brother had also taken time off work to see his eldest daughter wed. However, the ice/ snow storm had him trapped at his home... couldn't get out of the driveway for the 20 hour trip. (There is one more reason January is not the greatest month for weddings!)

My mom made Tammy and Chris a beautiful wedding cake.

I've read almost all of my library books. Cabin fever is setting in among the cow crew... Ben had today off but took off this morning "to get new tires on his truck". We are left to presume he has gone to his friend's house as well... since he could have had new tires put on five times by now. I'm glad he has friends!

Today it MIGHT get up to 33*! That is above freezing. Hooray! The ground is still covered by the snow that began falling Christmas eve. It may get a chance to melt off this week, with temps SOARING into the 40*'s!

That's all for now!

Unexpected Day off

The boss called me this morning, and said the store has been dead for 2 days... and today is even colder than it has been all week... so I am getting the day off! The weatherman expects us to reach a high of NINE today... and that is not factoring in wind chill. So far we are up to 1* or 2*. BRRRR.

Mr C and the boys had to change a flat tire on Tom's car. Not fun in the best of times, and really unpleasant today.

Yesterday I made chicken and dumplings for supper... a suggestion from Seneca! Today, I have a hearty soup on, plus Grandma Ruby's Hot Rolls on the rise. It is so cold, they are rising very, very slowly.

Dan and Sam have been doing schoolwork... and as much of it as they can do under their blankets on their beds, they have done there. Sam has just finished the latest book in the Warriors series... and Dan has begun a different serial book. We have been hunkering down!

Hope everyone has a great day. Stay warm!

Casserole

Last night, I was trying to think of some way to serve up some left over ham. It was way too much for just a pot of beans. (I did save a very generous amount to go in some future pot of beans.)

What I did was to grease a casserole dish, and put a couple of good sized 'globs' of the jelled ham juice into it. Then a layer of very thinly sliced potatoes, and a layer of chopped ham slices. Next was another layer of potatoes, and some shredded mozzarella cheese, and a can of cheese soup. (I would have used nacho cheese soup, if I had it. What I had on hand was broccoli cheese, so I used that.)

Another layer of chopped ham, another layer of potatoes. Next, I poured in a pint of half & half, and a cup of water. I used some soul seasoning, then sealed up the casserole dish with foil. I baked it at 375* for about an hour and 15 minutes. Then I removed the foil, added a layer of shredded cheddar cheese, and put it back into the oven until the cheese was melted. I removed it from the oven and let it sit about 10 minutes before serving.

It was REALLY good... got 4 of 5 rating. The only one who hated it was Sam. Sam doesn't like ham, period.

Normal is so over-rated

Today, no snow is in the forecast

However, it is currently snowing.
The weatherman is predicting NEGATIVE 4 tomorrow night. And keeps revising the number downward. (First it was four, then zero, now -4....)

Pictures out the back, near sundown last night.



BRRRRR!

One of THOSE days...

I didn't sleep well last night, acid reflux so bad it felt like a heart attack... except when I would sit up, it would reduce.... and having been on the drugs for the AR in the past, I know what it feels like. Guess I ought to break out the bottle of liquid chalk again. And I won't be having any more of my chili for awhile.

I got up when Tom was leaving for work, expecting Matthew. Here it is 10:30, and I JUST realized he isn't due back until tomorrow. Duh! I could of slept in!

We got another blanketing of snow last night and this morning... The snow has stopped and it is sunny out now, though frigidly cold. That should be all of the snowfall until day after tomorrow.

Daniel and Sam are working on their school lessons. I need to go to the bank, and the library. But I probably won't do it, at least not today. Maybe tomorrow after Matt heads home.... if the roads are clearer. I have a bad case of hibernation. Or maybe I WILL go this afternoon, Dan just asked me if we could.

My niece Tammy is getting married this weekend, to a young man my two oldest boys graduated high school with. She met him through her cousins. That is pretty cool.
Both of my parents and their spouses are going to attend the wedding, as well as several of my children. I have to work, so those of us in this house won't be able to attend. The weather both here and there has been frightful, and it promises to be worse here by the weekend.

I was going to post a few snow pictures in the blog today... but that would mean actually going outside and TAKING some pictures. I did go out early this morning (waiting for Matthew) and sweep the snow off the porch steps and a path to the front door. I tried taking some pictures, but it was overcast and gloomy... just nothing to really be interested in. So, no pix on this post.

However, Becky did start a "project 365", chronicling the new year in pictures . The address for that is: Becky's Project 365 (A clickable link!)

Guess that's all from me for now!
Have a blessed day!

Happy new year... with more snow

Today is my Granny's birthday. I believe she is 95 today. Yesterday was my Mom and Ralph's anniversary- their 23rd, I think. Happy new Near, Happy Anniversary, Happy birthday!

And snow. We got 2 1/2 to 3 inches last night. It is still coming down. More snow predicted tonight, and tomorrow. There is no snow in the forecast for Tuesday, but there is for Wednesday and Thursday. Looks like the guy with the solar flare activity affecting the winter weather patterns theory was pretty much on the money!

The pond next door has been frozen over, with the temperatures in the low 20's and teens for over a week. (We did get up to 40 for a couple of hours one afternoon.) The snow is piling up on the ice of the pond. I'm sure northerners are laughing at me... but we just don't see this much snow in the south. (I was surprised to learn Arkansas is considered SOUTH... it has always been NORTH to where I lived!) This snow is more packable than the last one, so the boys may be able to build a snowman, or have a snowball fight.

I am thinking chili for supper... or maybe stew.

Have a blessed day, stay warm!