It's a stay-at-home-and-read-in-bed kind of day today. Bitter cold outside, and I have not one, but two coldsores! TWO! Right smack dab beside each other! I look beautiful..... Note the sarcasm. But, the sky is a pretty blue with scattered fluffy clouds here and there. It's always nice to have the sunshine when it's cold outside. It's so deceiving. I have a craving for butter tart muffins. I haven't made them for so long, I'll have to dig out the recipe again. YUMMERS!

Working on the master bath, stripped wallpaper, put up Hardibacker board, purchased tile and plumbing fixtures, picked out paint. Today we will wash the walls to prepare for Redgard, which is a water proof membrane you paint on the walls of the tub/shower area...

One foot after the other...I will post a pic when it is finished.
Have a great weekend, go Peyton,
Sid

One of the local grocery stores had frozen turkeys on sale last week. With the weather as cold as it has been, roasting one helped to warm the house the other day.

I just finished stripping the meat and the rest is in the pot, almost ready to come to a rapid simmer. In an hour or two, I'll have the beginnings of some home made stock.

With some of the meat, I'll make turkey burritos using some salsa verde I made from tomatillos, onion and garlic from the garden.

Having finished shoveling the drive and walk this morning, the freezing rain has convinced me to go nowhere today. College basketball is on, I'll spend much of the day watching that. And...occasionally checking on this to see if anyone cares what I do today!

Jim

I'm disappointed. I bought several items of food for the grill this weekend. It's windy. I don't want to start the neighborhood on fire. I guess I'll go make the beef burgundy for lunch instead...not that that is a bad substitute.

My spring allergies are starting to show up so I may not be able to exercise today. We'll see.

Need to clean house. Started Thursday. Went upstairs to get vacuum and got side-tracked by dd's room. I spent the whole day cleaning and organizing in there instead. Dd didn't know where to put stuff since the move. I was able to remove some things she needs gone, but didn't know how to handle. Hopefully, we now have a workable system. I need to go help my middle child also. He's holding onto old uniforms and underwear that is too small.

Also need to finish painting the powder room. Dd wants an art gallery for her art. The bathroom is one area where I have room to showcase and don't mind spending a little on nice looking frames. Who knows, maybe she will become famous some day.

Just sitting around going back and forth between computer, t.v. and book. I have lots of things I could be doing but am upset about Georgy. Took her in for her shots yesterday ($225.00â¦it's not cheap owning a dog, but that's not what I'm upset about). She's had a reaction to them and is not feeling so great today. I did talk to the vet, so she's aware of what's going on. Poor Georgy, a very active Golden Doodle, is just lying around and has even gotten up on the sofa. She never gets up on furniture except to sit in our lap. It's very upsetting to see her so lethargic. Looking for improvement by tomorrow. If not, the vet did give me her E-mail address so I could get in touch with her. I hope to finish my book today (Rules of Civility) and get something positive accomplished like making chili for tomorrow.

Sorry Oldfixer that you're having so much snow. Ours should be gone by Monday. A blast of warm air due to arrive for this weekend. You can't rely on Phil. It always amused me when we lived in Pittsburgh that in February the sun rarely shined but come Feb. 2nd there it was waiting for Phil. LOL

Started the day listening to a favorite radio program that originates from the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. Runs from 6am to noon. Today's show is featuring Pete Seeger.
It is helping to ease my mind a bit regarding my dearest friend who is fighting to live after an thoracic aneurysm burst during a heart cath this past Thursday. This family has been through so much medical trauma in recent years...it just isn't fair! Why does a merciful God dump so much in one place. These are wonderful people who don't deserve yet another test of their faith. They have held steadfast through it all. I am having a hard time with it.

Sunny and 40s here in WV, finally! But, our shower drain is still frozen, so I had my daily "sink bath". Getting tired of that. Need to do a wash, and bake something for DH, he always wants something sweet, but me too! We have leftover potato soup or pizza for lunch, so all I have to think about is dinner. Also reading on my iPad, that's a daily happening.

Been lounging and reading, just ate half a liverwurst sandwich and I'm off to meet my niece who has 20 free storage boxes for me to pass over to my son who is widowed. He's moving from his huge house and going to buy a smaller one but hasn't decided where. Then he and I will grab lunch and he'll go his way and I may go to see the last of Oscar candidate movies as I've seen all the rest. DH is staying home and doing outside work as it's 40 here in Ma. today. Tomorrow will be close to 50.

Am I the only one working today? It is my turn to sit the showroom while the boss is off skiing w/ grand kids. It has been crazy busy this week. We sold a huge display last week. It was un-installed Sunday, wrap and pack cabinet movers were here to deliver it (3 hours to pack the truck!), then the installer was here the following day to do sheetrock and prep for the new display. He was here the following day to install the bases. Now I need to get to the granite yard to select a top. The template will be here Monday. The boss has been leaning on me to take more responsibilities around here. The plan is for him to do less and me more. It does keep the payroll coming in. But he doesnâÂÂt want me to take my comp day (for working Saturday), so I will only have Sunday off. Hopefully we will continue to be busy and the business keeps rebuilding from the recession.

A week and half ago, our oil line at home froze. DH says that there is no break in the forecast to get it defrosted⦠so he installed a tank in the basement. It can be hard to get things done with both of us working on different shifts. We are only together on weekends to get stuff done. Finally the tank was filled on Thrusday, so we are off the temporary 30 gal barrel sitting next to the boiler.
Today it if supposed to get up to 40⦠I donâÂÂt care if it is cloudy, anything is better than the 20s weâÂÂve had. Tomorrow I plan on washing the car to get rid of all the salt.

We finished the apple pie from last weekend⦠Ohhhh it was Yummy! DH suggested I make a pumpkin pie rather than the cherry I was thinking of. He doesnâÂÂt care for cherry apparently. I am craving chocolate⦠maybe a batch of choc. Chip cookies.

I really need to go to the grocery store, but it's yucky outside, and I don't want to. But, must at some point as there is no milk in the house.

We got a good snow earlier this week, and yesterday it came down some more. I had to take the cat to the Humane Society surgical center to get neutered. Had to be delivered between 7:30-8.00, and it was snowing. Oh, and the Humane Society is on the OTHER end of town from where I work. So..got to work, and it was snowing AND foggy at the same time. That was strange. It snowed all day, we had so many staff out sick, but I HAD to get off work at 4 in order to pick the cat up between 5-5:30. I got there with 4 minutes to spare. I was a bit worried because the freeway was moving at 2 miles per hour. I also got stuck behind 2 separate vehicles stuck on hills......thank goodness my car does well.
We were supposed to video an arts/music awards show that evening. Bunny was there with helpers @ 4 setting up the cameras. By 5:30, they realized so many people were NOT going to be able to be there, and had to postpone. So, at least I didn't have to drive down there, because I got the text before I left to bring the cat home. I was able to come home and get right into my jammies. :)

We hunkered down and watched a couple of old movies. "Toytown" with Laurel and Hardy. OMG....I'd never seen it before. BIZARRE! I would LOVE to see this remade with popular actors. We spent the movie picking actors to play the various parts. Then we watched the restored silent movie "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari" Another totally bizarre movie.
It helps that we live in Colorado.............

We watched an episode of House of Cards (love it!) with coffee this morning, then I did my workout tapes and walked a dog while DH plowed us out. It was lovely out there, about 10 degrees ABOVE zero and very little wind. With the new snow everything was muted, white and clean except for the gang of snowmobilers riding around in circles on the lake. Must be some contest out there. Just finished breakfast and maybe will do some shopping today, not sure. Maybe more HOC.

Forecast of 5" of snow today and it's been falling steadily all morning. We both went out and shovelled the sidewalks and driveway for the landlords. I enjoy shovelling and like to help out when I can.

Cleaned the bathroom which was badly needed, and did 2 loads of laundry. They're on racks out on the balcony. Not drying, obviously, but they'll have a nice cold fresh smell when we bring them in to dry.

We just had pancakes for lunch, and I'm going to make some oatmeal cookies. I have some chicken breasts that need to be frozen, so am wondering what to do with a couple, for dinner. No idea, as of yet.

I'm just sitting down, watching America's Test Kitchen, haven't seen it in so long, and we enjoy that show.

This is my last weekend in my own apartment. On Monday I'm headed to Florida to spend the rest of the winter with my new boy friend at his home on the east coast. The longest time we've ever spent together is 10 days so this will be a true test of how compatible we are. My daughter was home for a couple of days and we had a nice visit. Just dropped her at the bus station. I had one last session with my fitness trainer this morning and I'm doing laundry and getting myself organized. Must decide what I can and cannot live without. Have to remember that they do have stores in Florida. In mid-May bf and I will drive back up north and resume our four days together, three days apart schedule as he has his own house here. I'm not ready to give up my own living space completely so will keep my apt. indefinitely.

Jim! Of course we care! Keeps us on our toes, hearing the homey and work accomplishments. I could use some of your broth; woke with a sore throat -- probably too dry in the BR with the A/C on.

Humid here. Temp was 80F (indoors) this morning, but now there is a breeze. Looks like rain. As the sun is coming up over the volcano a partial rainbow is developing over the West Maui Mountains across Maalaea Bay.

Yesterday I did some deep cleaning that the cleaner never does, and my hands say they need a day off. We'll run up to the Safeway for a few things and to get a Redbox movie for today's Teatime Matinee. We finished "Jane Mansfield's Car" yesterday. (Don't be put off by the title; it's a Tennessee Williams' style Southern Drama.)

If it doesn't rain, a man is to arrive today to spruce up our courtyard -- little 140 sq ft tall-walled buffer between our BR and the parking area. He's also bringing some soil for new pots and some plants. I have a couple Hou plants and two varigated dracena. Want to brighten up the courtyard and the lanai. The irrigation with well water (saline) has put paid to one big ginger. Maybe some more croton...

How bad IS the snow around Chicagoland, OldFixer?

Here, all clear. It was foggy/misting this morning, but nothing stuck.

I drove over to the bike club breakfast gathering (we just don't ride when it is this cold), and ate there. Oh, reminds me, got to take my pills.

OK, that's done.

After Breakfast I wanted to stop at my favorite grocery store, cause it was on the way... and then parked there, walked back to the off ramp, and helped push someone out/off there, that had car problems. Most people just honked at him. IDIOTS! He couldn't do anything about it... had his flashers on.

Anyway, after groceries stopped at Braums (Ice Cream Store), and got ice cream, in case it gets slick. LOL

now, eating ice cream as I am answering you.

Am supposed to join my gal pals for a birthday lunch... but with the prospect of icy road, I don't know if it will happen. Right now, still clear here, but heard it is icy there. RATS.

Guess I will mud the messy hole closing job from after I had insulation blown in to my walls two weekends ago, and I might even dig out the left over paint, and see if it is still viable and paint? Na, that might be to much work. LOL

It looks like it might be "bad weather" here in Oklahoma again next week, with a possible school closing, which gives me more time off when I prefer not to have it.... I already have to work 5 days during spring break for the time school was closed earlier... and I have to make that time up, or pay back what I got through my salary. :(

Moni

Hi Oldster... fed-up, rather than fixed up

Be careful not to make the groundhog that you're so disgusted with ... mad.

adella bedella,

Did you say that your DD has a good frame ... in the bathroom?

Better to be outside (if it's not so cold/snowy/whatever),

When your oil line freezes (unless it's about 40 or more below) ... it means that there's water in your line.

Son asked yesterday whether I could help him install new battery in his van ... as the store wanted $85.00 to do the job (which, they said, usually means that it's a tough job).

Took my toolbox, but needed socket wrench set, with extensions, which I don't have. He was going to borrow a set, I asked whether he'd like me to bring spare battery and jumper cables, to try to use the extra battery to power the van from the outdoor parking lot at the store to his (warmer) under ground parking, as there was to be snow, turning to rain, possibly freezing rain late in the day, today ... but he thought not necessary.

Tried to contact him today ... cell phone off.

So - don't know whether I'm coming ... or going.

ole joyful

Snowing in Toronto - again - probably will get 10 to 15 cm of heavy snow. I can't stand it! And the current forecase is for another storm to hit on Wed.

Jasdip - you are always welcome to come and shovel here!

Then there is the dog. He had a dental on Thursday (not cheap in Toronto - $1,200). He has to have soft food only for 2 weeks until his recheck - even his post surgery meds are liquid and for a dog that thinks meds are candy this is another issue. He can't have his cookies/treats/lettuce you name it. He is a brilliant dog who is majorly food obsessed and who thinks he is being punished. He has his food routines now pat. I have cooked him squash since I had it, smashed cottage cheese etc. and he has to eat canned food for 2 weeks - I have even gone so far as to soak and mash his kibble. Green beans are next. But these are all extras in his mind. This will be going on until Feb. 15. He is also a snow eater - and doubled-up on his most recent walk because he is being starved. He had better lose those extra 3 lbs. during all of this. Due to the snow I don't want to drive to the grocery store. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I should be cleaning but I am not. Instead I am sitting at the computer with a begging dog glaring at me.

LOL Eccentric! You're painting a fantastic picture of your poor, deprived, unloved, being-punished, mistreated pooch!!!

The way the snow is coming down, guess I'll be out shovelling again!! Heehee

Made my oatmeal cookies and they turned out perfect. Think I'll make quesadillas with the chicken.

This post was edited by jasdip on Sat, Feb 1, 14 at 15:23

Chose to hit Safeway "early". Superbowl crazies were already filling their carts, as well as first of the month check getters..
So my quiet 10 am shopping trip had me waiting in line and dodging carts through the store.

Came home and put some bacon in the oven. We just finished..I guess "brunch".

Hubby is out front shop vac-ing the little Jetta, it has a leak and the driver side back floor board had an iced over puddle when I took it out this morning..lol..the usual driver has been out of town for the week, so it sat in two days of rain. By the time I came home, it was melted and soaking the carpet on that whole side.

The sun is shinning the sky is a beautiful shade of blue..

I may go finish wrangling my blackberry brambles..and then pick up the downed branches and burn. Nice breeze..very light..so shouldn't smoke out the neighbors.

Or I could stay in and bake, clean and play on the ipad.....

We shall see...

Hi Terry ... in (snowy?) PA NW,

Do they have turning signals on your grocery carts?

Brakes?

(Horns)?

o j

Going to head downstairs to make what I call Mexican Spaghetti Casserole. I adapted a chicken spaghetti casserole when my daughter was allergic to poultry. Thought a half recipe would make a good lunch for a few days.

Then I need to get to work attaching motifs to what will be the top of a lace tablecloth. Hope I find I can sail right through that with no glitches.

Our weather here in Nor Cal is the opposite of all of yours. It's sunny, in the 60's. We are in desperate need of rain, Gov. declared a drought emergency. Nothing in the forecast...sigh... Fire season is fast approaching.

I've had a ton of energy today (thanks caffeine) and have scrubbed all the bathrooms from top to bottom. Went to Costco early to avoid the Superbowl crowd, but everyone had the same idea. What a mess!

OldFixer you said "NO ONE ELSE has any of this information, and it's running the risk of being tossed in a dumpster. Let's get copies of it into the hands of someone else so it's not totally lost again. "

Who are you going to give it to? I can't get ANYONE to care about everything I have. I'm here reading this afternoon because I had a HOT lead three days ago, answer to a brick wall prayer, and it fizzled. I want to cry but it makes my nose run. I've started writing each couple's story but it's going to take about 2 years. I have my tree at ancestry if anyone would ever be looking. And if they are looking I hope they find my tree first because the ones I've looked at to see what they know.......have wrong kids, incest, impossible births and deaths, etc. And NO documentation. And I really need to get everything on CD, too. It's all going to end up on a hay rack at my estate sale.

OJ - I was referring to picture frames. I bought something nice to frame up dd's work there because I want her to have confidence in her abilities. I also want my guest bathroom to look nice, I may not spend as much money on picture frames for her hallway gallery...not as many people to impress. ;)

I have not accomplished much today. I visited with my son for some time when he came over. It has drizzled all day and is at 39 now. I have been having problems getting some prescriptions to like me, so other than doing laundry and taking a nap that has been my day. Bright day was my package from Susie 53 and a birthday card from Gadgets. Sweet friends.

Sue

No OJ..zero snow here..well at sea level any who.. 44F for the high..worked up a sweat plucking up those blackberry brambles and totting them off to the burn pit.

Hubby has the need to fry some chicken pieces..He's got my stock pot on the grill burner filled with peanut oil..

Sipping a nice fresh cuppa Brazilian Dark Roast...mmmmmm....mmm

Will be heading back to the kitchen..to make the guys a gallon of sweet tea..and make some Macadamia White Chocolate Chip cookies..

It was a simply lovely day here..we even have the front door open letting the afternoon sun come in the glass storm door.

I kind of wasted a nice day. It went up into the high 40's. I thought about going out for a good long walk but there is still snow on the ground. If I walk along the street, I get splattered. Excuses, excuses. Mostly I fiddled around on the computer. I did a load of wash, washed some dishes. An article came up on my FB feed about how bad it is for you to sit all day. Oops. So, I walked around the block twice, then I stood up and walked in place and did stretching exercises while watching an episode of Homeland.

I have leftover chocolate chip loaf from book club which I picked at all day, along with some cookies I bought at Whole Foods. I also polished off the rest of a small bag of chips. That pretty well wiped out any benefits of exercising. I simply cannot have that stuff around.

Now I think I will watch Blue Jasmine. Tomorrow I MUST get out and move around since we are to have snow Monday and Tuesday and other than shoveling, I'll be trapped inside. Ugh.

lov_mkitchen..........a lone family member interested in the WORK of genealogy only comes every 50-75 years! We must be cursed to have accepted the challenge. I'm personally satisfied to have succeeded, and even walked in the German church where my grandfather was baptized in 1861.
There are 2 people willing to "accept" the data I have. Neither will continue research. But, they are willing to make an attempt to "preserve it" for future generations, somehow. (In 25 years, CD's will be obsolete, who can see the data??) I have printed trees, and donated them to the 4 major libraries where family lived. Should do more. A web site at Rootsweb/Ancestry may be around a while. May consider Ancestry "One World Tree", which will put your info in their database. Also contribute to the LDS site for the same reasons. Consider the Allen County Public Library (Ft. Wayne, IN) (largest genie site behind LDS). Submit your tree, stories, pictures, documents, ANYTHING to them. They will print a hard-copy book, put it in their archives, add it to the database, and give you a copy...... FREE! Now that's preserving data. Phooey on the relatives. I wish you good luck in family research.

Beautiful sunny and warm day today, a real relief for those of us not used to freezing our behinds off! We had a great breakfast at the Blue Plate Cafe, ridiculously good omelet and cheese grits.

Afterwards, we hit the back country roads for a ride. Between northern Alabama and Tennessee, we probably saw every form of livestock known! Beef and dairy cattle, many kinds of horses and ponies, goats, sheep, llamas, emus, pigs, chickens, geese, and a sign pointing to an ostridge farm. I'm sure that they were all happy to be out in the fields after so many days of single degree temps.

Finishef out the day with a few housekeeping chores and tossed some chops on the grill.

As far as preserving the genealogy info, I made scrapbooks in the fall of 2012 with the information and pictures I have. Gave one to each of my four children, one to my mother, one to my mother-in-law and kept one.
They are 12 x 12 pages. There are pages with family tree charts, pages of old photos with descriptions and pages with stories about people. I also have pages with headstone photos and copies of obituaries. I created it digitally and bought a wide format printer so I could just print 7 copies of each page. I think there are 47 pages.
I called it my opus. I had retired in August that year and had time to do it.

dedtired -- Did you like "Blue Jasmine"? I've been avoiding it because it sounds like such a 'downer'. We started "Flight" this afternoon. So far, so good. A cup of tea and a big Costco chocolate chip cookie helped.

jasdip - I found the dog about to jump on to the kitchen table to eat the papers that were on it. A 25 lb. Eskie can seriously jump - there is a reason why we did not put him in to agility. And did he ever scarf up the snow last night and today. It is just awful. Unfortunately all of the cooked squash and green beans etc. I am making to give him in addition to his canned food and meds and soaked kibble are just extras in his mind - and he sits for hours staring at his cookie jar. He is trying to hard to be cute (and he already is a hot looking boy) to get food. I just wish I could explain the whys of it all to him - not that he would agree. He is constantly licking the floor - and my housecoat and my hands - anything. It is only Day 3! But no way am I showing up for his follow-up having not followed our vet's instructions to a T (okay, she doesn't like green beans but there are 3 other vets in the practice and they do) - and I won't be telling.

Your oatmeal cookies sound wonderful. I might have to make oatmeal for my husband's lunch - most things at the store the other day looked horrible or were stale dated and I don't want to take the car out. The roads are icy - actually the car was covered in ice.

So, see, your shovelling skills would be much appreciated. I just wish we had an enterprising kid in the neighbourhood. We have kids, they just stay inside while the old folks shovel.

Here comes the starving dog now. The fact that he is 10 but looks 2 and I want to come back as my dog means nothing - he is ready to phone the SPCA to report us - those Eskie paws are very handy.

Well, I'm dodging bullets here when I tell you it's going to be 80 degrees today. I have the doors open to air out the house. So nice. I need to get off here and go to the grocery. The grandkids just left and I sent any and all leftovers and all the nuts and sweets from the pantry with them. They're on their way to Disney World for 3 days with friends before heading back to CA.

A wide format printer, Rose??? I am and have been "stalled" for 2 years now wanting to have some of my 12x12 albums scanned... no one on a telephone will tell me they can do it, and I never dreamed you could own a printer that would do 12x12. I am scurrying away NOW to check the web for one. I hope...hope...hope. and Thanks!!!!

Hi adella bedella,

Somehow I had a feeling that the "frame" in the bathroom wasn't quite the one that your daughter inhabits, herself ... but one to hold the flat stuff that she makes ... or does she work in 3-D?

But it looked like it had the makings of a good play on words/story.

o j

Nanny98, my printer is an Epson Workforce 7510.Also scans. Was $179 at Office Max in the fall of 2012, but I saw it in one of their ads fo the same price about 2 weeks ago. You could scan or just copy a 12x12 page with it.