My toes are cold

Brr. . . talk about frigorific. My toes have been cold all evening . . . and I have socks on. I think I will have to pull out my woolies. Mmmm . . . just thinking about it is warming them up.

I have fresh bread baking in the oven. If thinking about that doesn't make me feel warmer I don't know what will. Oh wait, maybe my blanket fresh from the dryer will!

I have to think warm or I will never get through the next couple days of negative 20 to 50 degree wind chill.

On a side note:

The sister's current outdoor temp: 23 degrees (that's positive 23 degrees) or 18 degrees wind chill (again positive).

The brother's current outdoor temp: 48 degrees (not even freezing!).

I think I'm going to cry . . .

Snow Day

My co-worker came back from lunch today saying she it was snowing so hard that she had trouble driving across town. That along with the weather forecast forced the decision to close the library early today. I acquiesced to this decision quite readily even though I usually don't mind the weather -- I only live six blocks from work.

It is still snowing . . . and starting to blow.

Plus it is getting colder.

When is spring again?

---

Word of the week: acquiesced

Here comes winter

We had flurries and sleet here yesterday.

Can you believe it? Flurries and sleet.

Granted, it wasn't a measurable amount but it dusted the grass.

And it was cold enough that my car still had some on the hood this morning when I left for work.

I don't think I'm quite ready for winter to be here.


I am ready for . . .

hot cocoa

kitties that warm my feet

hot tea

kitties that cuddle

the end of lawn mowing season
(although this leads to snow shoveling season which I am NOT ready for)

Christmas :-)

There will be some things I miss (until next summer) . . .

the smell of freshly mown grass
(I know that sounds slightly demented due to my previous statements but it's the truth)

being able to step outside without a jacket, parka or snowsuit

a warm breeze blowing through my window

So I guess I'll be trading one set of joys for another. :-)

Changing of seasons

The time has come . . . I turned on my heat last night.

The furnace only kicked on a couple times, scaring the cat, but it marks the end of summer for me.

It is the beginning of:

• Hot cocoa

• Blankets, blankets, blankets, and more blankets

• Crisp, cool evenings

• Frosty mornings

• Kitties that snuggle (when of a mind too, that is)

• Leaves that crunch

Photo from www.nationalgeographic.com!

Fighting a cold

One thing about the change of seasons -- I am more prone to catch a cold during this time. Seems that fall has arrived because . . .

I have been fighting a cold the past couple days.

After church yesterday, I came home and napped under two blankets. It seemed to help. This morning I was feeling better but made a quick stop at the pharmacy to pick up some throat drops.

It probably won't help that I am going to bed at 11:30 tonight but I plan on sleeping in a little so maybe that will offset getting to bed later tonight.

I hope anyway.

I'm off to take a drop and go to bed.

Look at this . . .

KIDDING . . . I am so kidding!

• I did close my windows today though. It is starting to get cool.

• I have started wearing sweats to bed and piling on the blankets, quilts, and other assorted covers.

• Cleo is beginning to curl up instead of sprawl out. She is also starting to cuddle in my lap again. (She hates to cuddle when it's warm out.)

• It is beginning to be dark out when I finish work in the evening.

• I've worn pants to work every day this week (I even wore a sweater today!).

I think autumn is peeking out its head.

Lovin' summer

This summer has seemed to fly by! The school year is looming . . . cooler weather . . . falling leaves . . . first snow . . .

Okay, maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

I have to say though, I have really enjoyed this summer. The weather has been exceptional despite the week's worth of rain in the beginning. The humidity hasn't been horrible and I haven't used my a/c!

I have helped with VBS, gone to TX, been on a business trip to Des Moines, church picnic, a cookout & fireworks, game nights, movie nights, been to the zoo, visited old friends, went to the fair, and probably a lot of things I have forgotten!

I can't wait to see how this summer finishes!

Animal Menagerie

These are some baby robins that were living on my friends balcony this spring.

Cleo enjoying the spring weather . . .

Signs of spring

I have been meaning to get some photos and video up on my blog but the couple times I tried they wouldn't up load so they will still be coming.

Even though it hasn't quite felt like spring yet (only one day in the immediate past that was warmer than 70 degrees), there are signs around.

Yesterday I was looking out my window as I was getting ready for work and I saw a mother robin instructing her baby robin on the finer points of worm-hunting.

I could tell it was a baby robin because its feathers were all puffed out and its head was still sitting on its neck. No rubber-necking yet.

And every time I step out doors I smell lilacs!

Smells of spring

Walking to and from work today, I enjoyed the smells around me. The lilacs are just starting to bloom. Lilacs are one of my favorite smells!

A couple people were mowing their lawns. I don't know what it is about freshly mown lawn that I enjoy so much. Maybe it's just the freshness of it. Or maybe it reminds me of the smell of freshely mown hay -- a sentimental odor. Who knows!

I can hardly wait for the peonies to pop out. That is one of my all-time favorite smells!

Vegetable gardening

This summer I am growing some vegetables in my parents garden to freeze and can.


Some baby green beans . . .

And baby zucchini . . .

I'm also growing some corn and some broccoli. Yummy!

Party central

This past weekend was graduation. I went to 4 open houses and worked at one of them.

Yesterday's was island themed. Everyone got a lei.

I gave mine to Cleo.

She seems to like it. :-)

Poppin' so no more peepin'

The leaves are finally popping out on the trees in my front yard. So now I don't have to worry my neighbors peering at the trees out front.


BTW -- Ignore the poor quality, I wasn't paying attention to my camera settings. :-P

It is actually a beautiful sunny day and there was not a blue tint in the air!

Almost perfect

The last couple day have been almost perfect. The temperature has been just right and there has been little or no humidity. I waited to rain yesterday until after dark.

It seems that once the weather turns spring-like we all crawl out of our hidey-holes and walk everywhere.

Yesterday afternoon I was walking home from work and a block ahead of me I saw a mother and her two daughters walking with a stroller and their dog. Apparently the youngest was extremely impatient for summer because she was "wading" through the water running down the gutter.

Just after I passed them, I heard the mother scolding her daughter . . . "No! Keep your clothes on!"

Very impatient little girl. :-)

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

It as finally reached a temperature above 50 degrees! Actually I think it is close to 70 today!

I am gonna go home and either start raking out one of my flower beds or start cleaning out my garage. I haven't decided yet. Such decisions . . .

Walkin'

Yeah! I've started walking to work again. As soon as I woke up this morning I stuck my head out the door. Cleo ran and hid when I did a jig and sang "I'm walking to work today!"

The last couple weeks it has been too wet to walk. Not that I will melt in the rain but I really dislike getting all damp and having people endure looking a my wet puppy dog look all day.

That may be a little vain but that's the way it is.

I am still anxiously awaiting my trees to start budding. My neighbors must think it strange to see me peering at my trees every time I walk out the door.

Tomorrow I am going to get my lawn mower ready to use on Friday. I can't wait for the smell of freshly mown grass!

5 things . . .

5 things I like about winter:

1. a little bit of snow -- especially when I don't have to go anywhere!
2. Christmas.
3. frost designs on my window panes.
4. seeing all the kids bundled up in all their winter clothing -- with rosy cheeks and noses!
5. cuddling up with hot cocoa (or tea when the occasion calls), a book, and Cleo for a nice evening in!
   

Snowfall silence

I got off of work this evening and as I was getting into my car I thought I saw a snowflake. I slammed my door shut and held very, very still.

It was a snowflake!

After, our "measurable" snowfall last week, all the snow melted and we were back to dreary winter brown. All the leaves have fallen, the grass is no longer green, and everything is, well, brown.

The snow continued to sprinkle down. I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home and stock up. When I walked out of the store the snow was coming down harder and my car had a lovely white dusting.

This is my favorite kind of snowfall -- gently falling. And there is a snowfall silence about me.

Back in the swing of things

So I had a great Thanksgiving holiday. The sister was here from NY -- she is back in NY, left this morning. We had a good time. And it is only three weeks until she will be home again--and the brother too!

I am getting back into the Christmas season--after the Thanksgiving break. (In fact, I am listening to Christmas music as I post this!) I put away my fall decorations, sad as they were:


And started putting up my Christmas decorations. All of my nativity scenes (one from my Gramma, one from my Grammy and one I got for Christmas one year from my mom!)

And, I got my Christmas tree and put it up with lights.

BEFORE: It's even beautiful without any decorations!

AFTER: ::Sigh:: Pretty.

Tomorrow, I will be putting up my outdoor lights (hopefully) and decorating my tree. In the mean time I will have to walk around the boxes of decorations! Such trials! :-)

Snow!

Ah, the first measurable snow the the year! Yeah! (From today on I will probably be complaining about the snow, but I will try to keep it to a minimum.)


I can't claim my poor camera skills for the poor quality of these photos. It's dark! Blame the darkness, I do!

Isn't it pretty!