It's beautiful outside. Cold but beautiful. Apparently it snowed some last night and the snow settled on the ice already on the trees. With the sun shining the trees look like they are covered in white lace. I'd include a picture here but my camera is packed and I'm not unpacking it.
Day after tomorrow my daughter and I will be on our way to warmer climes via cruise ship. Perhaps the warmth and sun will lighten my mood. For whatever reason, I get somewhat depressed at the end of January and during the month of February (I call it Febru-ugly). Getting away from here for a while helps since when I get back I have the feeling that Spring is just around the corner. Just how far away that corner is is a guess (I've seen it snow here in April), but it's there.
Looking forward to warmth and sunshine......

Brrrr

It rained last night, then froze. The trees are covered with lacey ice crystals. While beautiful, it's also dangerous. Because we have had so much rain, the ground is saturated. I'm waiting to hear the craaaaaaack, boom of a shallow root tree falling. At any rate, guess I won't be going anywhere this morning unless it warms up enough to melt some of the ice on the roads. Remember, I live in the country and not all roads are salt and sanded. If I do venture out, I'll take the truck (4x4).

Something to think about: go to YouTube and look up Sky Pilot's "What Do You Bring?"

Have a warm cozy day.

Some things to ponder....

Marshall's Memorandum to Vice-Presidential Aspirants. There were two brothers: One ran away to sea, and the other was elected to vice-president - and nothing was ever heard from either of them again. (Vice-President Thomas R. Marshall)

Baker's Byroad. When you are over the hill, you pick up speed.

Conservative/Liberal Razor. A conservative sees a man drowning 50 feet from shore, throws him a 25-foot long rope, and tells him to swim to it. A liberal throws him a rope 50 feet long, then drops his end and goes off to perform another good deed. (U/TCA)

Worry

Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday. What?! Me worry? Nah, what's the use of doing that? All it does is put more wrinkles on top of the ones you already have. 'Course if you worried enough you might not eat, thereby losing weight (even if you don't need to). Then you'd have to go out and buy all new clothes 'cause your old ones wouldn't fit any more. So then you might not have the money to take that trip you wanted so much. So then you'll start worrying again about how you're going to be able to save enough money for the trip. And then you'll start losing weight again until.............you no longer exist.

OMG...where did that come from? I promise there was nothing in my coffee (at least nothing I put in there).

Have a fun day.

woo-hoo

The sun shines yet again! It's still nippy out there, though. Only in the mid 20's when I arose. I am happy to see the sun. I'll be even happier next week when, at this time, I will be on board ship, ready to sail off into the sunset heading for warmer climes and more sunshine. This voyage I am going to try for a tan. I'm tired of looking at my pasty skin in the mirror. 'Course, I don't like looking in the mirror anyway but, it's necessary if one wishes to coif.
Off to buy yarn today to make a baby blanket for daughter's best friend. Since she is having a boy I reckon I'll play it safe and buy blue. It's going to have hearts. Awwwwwww. No need to gag. It will, at least, give me something to keep my hands busy when I'm lolling in the sun, especially since the class I'm taking isn't until 2 days before we get back. One of these days I'm going to learn how to put pictures on this here blog and then I can bore you to tears with all my accomplishments and places I have travelled.
It's off to go do something, even if it's wrong so y'all have a clear day.

Crisp

Hooray, another day of sunshine! But it's a bit nippier this morning. All of 30 degrees when I got up and stumbled half asleep downstairs. The air is still although the wind is supposed to pick up a little later. That's okay with me as it will, perhaps, dry the ground out a bit. I had standing water in the driveway yesterday and it was still wet when I took out the trash this a.m..
Daughter and J and the Evil Genius are coming up today. I'll walk J around and show him what I want done in the yard. Daughter has an appointment so the Evil Genius will stay here and help J with the yard work. Good for him to get out in the fresh air. I'm so glad he (the EG) doesn't get to sit around all day watching TV or playing video games. Yes, he's home 'cause he's home schooled and people can tell he is (maybe because he can carry on an intelligent conversation with adults).
Only 6 days to go before I get the heck out of here and into the sunshine. I need to stay busy. Daughter says she is half packed already! Me, I'm going to try very hard to use the middle sized suitcase, not the big one. I've pared down the outfits since I'm not going to try to impress anyone with my style and have decided that wearing the same outfit twice or thrice won't kill me. Fashion maven I'm not. During the day...jeans or bathing suit. That takes care of a lot of it.
My computer is going with me but don't expect anything. The cruise line charges an arm and leg for the air time. It's just going so daughter can download pictures from her camera so she can take more pictures (which I sure she will post some of when we get back).
Have a clear day.....

The Sun!

Hooray, the sun is shining and I see blue sky. My spirits rise.

Another gray day

Another gray day to contend with, although my mood this morning is much better than yesterday. It's one day less that I have to wait before the big trip, to which I have looked forward for what seems forever. I may actually get something accomplished today, who knows. Mayhap some cleaning, if the back allows. It doesn't seem to want to cooperate.

I went to a baby shower yesterday afternoon. Possibly the longest and most crowded I've ever attended. The mom-to-be is one of the pharmacists at the drug store I use for my 'scripts'. When I received the invitation I saw the daddy's name and should have known there would be a crowd. You see, the name is Hispanic. I met him and he is nice. And, of course, they are all about family so that's why the crowd. She is happy and that's what counts. I try not to be prejudiced, but it's hard when there are so many bad ones in the area. Every time I read the paper I see that there are a number of hispanic names in the arrest reports. I watch as their kids run rampant through stores...no discipline. Trying on sunglasses in preparation to stealing them. (Seen it) At least the daddy-to-be speaks English. I won't even get started on that subject or my computer might burst into flames.

Rain, rain, go away!!!!

Blogspot is resisting me this morning. I can't seem to get to my favorite reads. Everytime I try the little indicator just turns and turns and turns and the green bar at the bottom of the screen doesn't budge. Soooo, I guess I'll wait until later and try again.
Meanwhile, back here at the ranch, yesterday I successfully finished all the sewing on the challenge block and will now endeavor to embellish it. The fabric I used for sand loves to fray so I had to put stuff on the edges, otherwise whoever wins the thing won't be able to sew that particular area as there will be nothing but threads hanging out. Like I said before the fabric sent to me did not inspire, but I have persevered and I hope the winner of the challenge will be able to do something with it.
It's another gray day, dammit. Hope yours has some sun.

My daughter says she's hitting the wall. This weather has me wanting to run away or get into bed and pull the covers over my head. I have no get up and go, instead it got up and went. I was going to knit night yesterday but instead came home and took a long nap. Too late for me to go anywhere when I woke up. I watched a couple of shows on TV then went to bed to sleep some more. This morning is gray, just as gray as my id. Can't think of what I might want to do except go back to bed. Guess I could go pay for my business license. Whooopeeee. Guess I could work on the challenge square (oh joy oh rapture) that does not inspire me at all right now, but it has to get done. Not a winner this one.
Daughter sent me an email with 5 "Fours". I couldn't figure out how to copy and send it elsewhere so I'm going to post them here. Feel free to answer them yourselves.

1. The four places I go over and over: Grocery store, pharmacy, gallery, crazy.
2. The four people who email me regularly: Daughter, brother, Joke, Denise
3. My four favorite smells: baking bread, burning leaves, sea air, baby
4. Four places I'd rather be right now: anywhere but here, anywhere but here (but warm), anywhere but here (with sunshine), with family
5. Four people I think would respond: haven't a clue
6. Four current TV shows I watch: Bones, Leverage, NCIS, The Mentalist

There you have it. A small glance into my fours. What about yours?

blessed be

Rain....incessant noisy rain. It's supposed to rain all day. What a bummer. Yesterday was such a pretty day until mid afternoon. And warm. Now it's damp and dull and dreary. I sooooo look forward to traveling to sunshine and warmth. I'm off to the gallery today. Think I'll work on the challenge square, maybe some knitting. Just don't feel like working on jewelry. Besides I need to get that blasted square done and over with. Then I can give thought to what to pack. Yeah, yeah, I know it's still more than a week away, but careful thought must be given or I might pack too much. Never too little.
Haircut was successful and I'm happy with it. Daughter now has her blue hair and it looks really good. It's a nice shade of blue. When people comment on it she says "a girl has to accessorize". I'm a little jealous 'cause my hair won't hold color. It has to do with the pigmentation once it turns silver, or some such.
Well, off to do something, even if it's wrong. Y'all have a dry day.

Woo Hoo....getting a haircut today. It's been two months since the last one and my hair has grown at least an inch. Now...to some people that's a good thing. For me, no. I can't do anything with it except let it just sort of lie there. What I want is a haircut I can do something with. Something short, something fun! The reason for so much time in between cuts is because my former hair person had a baby and took two months off. And now one has to make an appointment at least three months in advance. Besides which I have to drive 30+ miles to get there. Soooo....I am trying someone in town today. Someone with whom I don't have to make an appointment so far in advance (how do I know what I'm going to be doing 3 months from now?). Daughter is coming with me to have the blue put back in her hair (this for the cruise). It's my treat 'cause I know she can't afford it and she really misses the blue.

Daughter's Someone (who I will refer to as J from now on) and son (the Evil Genius) are coming with her. J is hopefully going to get some yard work done for me. I'm sure the Evil Genius will want to help and it will be good for him to be outside in the fresh air. Hopefully my friend R can help fix the tiller that J seems to have killed. It's borrowed so I'm sure he wants to return it in good shape. Daughter was going to call R to see if he would be willing to look at it and fix it if possible. If it's possible he'll do it...he's that kind of person.

I always look forward to mother/daughter time and today is no different. We'll be sharing hair fixing time and maybe a quick stop into the yarn shop (not that either of us needs any more yarn). We don't get much time together without the Evil Genius. We cherish every minute. That's one reason I am looking forward to this trip we are taking.

The day awaits....hope yours is wonderful....blessed be.

Warmth

Wow, it was in the low 60's yesterday. Felt almost like summer. Went down to the pond after getting a new thermostat put in the van (that pesky light came on again and I wasn't going to take any chances) and made sure the overflow pipe was clear...it was. The water lilies were below the surface and I'm hoping the ice killed them off. Probably not so I'll have to take care of that in the spring. Yeah, yeah, water lilies are pretty. They are choking off the pond, though, and the poor fish won't be getting any O2.
If it stays like this I may get some yard work done. Not today.....it's guild day and that takes up most of the day.
Have things to do so.....

Hope you have laughter in your day.

Reading others' blogs is how I start my day. I don't follow many....I don't have the time. Well, actually I do for the most part, but I choose not to spend hours at this machine. When those whose I follow don't write for a day or two I miss them. I guess reading them somehow brings them into my life as if they were family (some of them are). Perhaps they write what they wouldn't necessarily say otherwise. Sometimes it's easier to put things in writing since you can pause and think first. And sometimes it's easier to say something on paper than it is face to face. I know there have been times when I would love to vent about certain things, but fear if I do it face to face, I'll say something I'll regret. When I was much younger and living with my father and stepmother I learned not to air my feelings because I was always told by my stepmother that that wasn't how I REALLY felt. Then she would proceed to TELL me how I felt. To this day I still have trouble opening up to other people. I've gotten better at it, but......

So keep those blogs coming, folks.

Blessed be

Rain, rain, rain. Boy did it rain last night! It's going to rain again today. Drat! Wish it was snow. Looks like I'm going to have to go down to the pond to check on the overflow pipe there was such a downpour last night. And wind, lots of wind. I suprised I didn't hear the crack of trees falling. Poor trees. The ground is so saturated that those with shallow roots just can't hold on when a big wind comes along. The pines, especially.
Daughter and her Someone came up yesterday afternoon. We played a rousing game of triple Yahtzee, then went out for BBQ, only Someone had catfish instead. Back home it was time for football. I left them watching some game or other and read for an hour or so. Think we'll go have brunch somewhere (they're still asleep) then watch another game this afternoon although, quite frankly I couldn't care less. Too many commercials. All sports on TV have too many commercials. And as far as I'm concerned the athletes are paid way too much. But then again, so are many CEO's. I don't have any favorite teams but do sort of favor the Atlanta Braves and Falcons....not that they are stellar.
It's off to other places in the great blue nowhere......have a dry day.

Gray (grey?) day.

The sky is gray (grey?) this morning. Looks like snow clouds but, alas, it's too warm for that. So it's probably going to rain. The poor ground is still saturated so this will no doubt make more mud than anything else. I really enjoyed the sunny days, even when they were cold. Guess I'm a sun lover. Too many gray days and my inner self turns gray....and blue...and I don't have any enthusiasm for anything....just want to curl up under the covers and forget the world. Understanding the onset of said grayness I attempt to thwart it by finding something to do. Usually shopping, which is not good. But sometimes I just browse, checking on what's out there. I don't buy clothes. Heaven only knows the last time I purchased any type of apparel. My stepmother would be appalled. I may have to do some clothes shopping for the trip. There's a shop in town that has some fairly inexpensive nice tops. Hmmmmm.
Am working on the challenge square for the cruise. It's difficult going since I'm winging it on the design. The fabric they sent does not inspire me in the least so I have to fight that, too. I'll get it done, but don't expect it to bring oooh's and aaahhh's from the judges. Just...need...to...get...it...done.
Blessed be....

This 'n' that

A late night last night. Nope, not partying. Went to Borders to meet with friends, before which I went to Babies 'R' Us (otherwise known as Babies Are Everywhere) to pick up some items for a friend to whose baby shower I was invited. I also went to Bed, Bath and Beyond in search of coffee for my new Keurig coffee maker....yum. Found what I was looking for there, thank goodness, 'cause everywhere I looked on the internet didn't have it....out of stock. How frustrating. I also bought some for a friend, but found out she already had some so now I have enough for quite some time. Yippppeeeee!!
After Borders it was on to TGIF's for a late repast. I don't really like eating that late but if we hadn't gone there it would have been almost midnight before I ate anything after getting home.h Then I wouldn't have been able to go to sleep, etc. etc.
Must gather things to take to the gallery. I was planning on doing that yesterday. For whatever reason, my brain decided to go on vacation or something 'cause I didn't take anything with me! I did take something to do....just didn't feel like doing it. Rallying, though, I made a pair of earrings for myself. I rarely make anything for me whether it's jewelry, quilt or whatever. 'bout time I say to myself.
'sposed to rain tomorrow. I hope for snow instead. Yeah, yeah, I know....whatever am I thinking? Well the ground is still saturated from all the rain we've had in the past so snow would be a better option since it melts slowly and, therefore, doesn't oversaturate. Besides, it's pretty. At least for a little while. And my grandson could build a snowman....maybe.
All that said.....you have a comfortable day.

Wow, it actually got up to 49 degrees yesterday. Almost summer! The ice is melting on the pond, then refreezing over night. It's in the high teens this a.m. The sunrise is spectacular....red, red, red fading into orange, then blue.
Didn't get much done yesterday except finding out that the "Service engine soon" light was merely telling me that the engine was not up to operating temperature. Huh? I'm told that I don't need to worry about it especially since it didn't come back on. Well, I'm confused (and not just 'cause I'm female, dammit. I have taken an engine apart and put it back together...properly...with the help of a friend). I just didn't know that a car engine had a proper operating temperature. And you think I'm going to ignore that light? Oh, no. It might not be the same thing if it comes on again. The first time it was an O2 sensor failing. (Just for your edification, the O2 sensors have something to do with rich and lean mix and when they fail you don't get much gas mileage). If you want to know more ask your local service technician. Sooooo, if it comes on again I will take my van in again.
Going to the gallery today to make more jewelry. The knitting has been completed so I can get back to business. Guess it'll be more earrings. If you want to see a sample my daughter Kyddryn has some pictures on her Etsy site. I'm going to give her more to put on there in hopes that something will sell.
That's it for today......blessed be.

My "Service Engine Soon" light came on the other day (my van's, not mine) so I made an appointment to get the vehicle checked. Yesterday it wasn't on. Hmmmm. Going to get it checked anyway this a.m., so no time to chat.

Y'all have a pretty day.

Another day, ho hum. I wish it was February already. It will come soon enough I know and the time away from here will fly.

Didn't get much done yesterday as I was expecting someone to come pick up a couple of pieces to go to auction. And I had a suspicious looking mole cut off my shoulder. That was successful but the auction guy never made it. Hopefully he's coming this morning which means I may miss my Art Bee meeting. Oh well, I don't know that I really wanted to do what was planned anyway. I miss almost half the meetings 'cause I'm away at that time. I might be able to hop over there for a little while even if I don't participate. It's nice to visit with fellow (should I say fellow when it's women? What would that term be?) quilters.

Need to get something done today so I don't feel like I'm in quicksand and sinking fast.

Blessed be......

Again with the below freezing temperatures. Brrrrr. Although not good for the citrus growers in FL I believe this weather is good for some of the fruit trees here in GA. At least that's what I've been told by some of the old timers in the area. Too bad I don't have fruit trees. I used to but the tree rats, I mean squirrels, ate everything before I could get anything. So, between the tree rats and the deer, I can't grow edibles dang it. Hmmmm, I wonder how much it would cost to put a 10-12 foot high fence around the garden?
It warmed up enough yesterday afternoon for me to take down the Christmas lights on the porch. I must say they did put out a lot of light....moreso than the ones I have for everynight use on the stairs. They're definitely keepers for next year.
I'm beginning to get everything together for our classes on the cruise. Less than the last time, thank goodness. It's interesting that they want all sharp instruments at the top of a checked bag. Can't blame them really. One can do a lot of damage with a rotary cutter. I've cut myself accidently with mine by just brushing against the blade. (Obviously I wasn't paying too much attention 'cause I know just how sharp the blade is.) Anyway, I'm beginning to get excited about the trip. It will be nice to have the mother/daughter time.
I've managed to iron on the label on the quilt and have the first shawl blocking. Wooo hooo! Can't wait to get the second shawl done.
I'm off to do something.....even if it's wrong. Have a good day, y'all.

Brrr...

It's in the teens again this morning and my poor heat pump is struggling away...again....while the meter thingy turns at a gazillion miles an hour. When, oh when, is the temperature going to get back up to where it belongs? It's weird......one year we had daffodils blooming at this time it was so warm. I feel for the citrus growers in FL. But I got my honeybells! Yum, yum! Glad my brother remembered and glad the weather held long enough for them to be harvested. Since I do only get them once I year I very much appreciate their yumminess (that is so a word).
It being Sunday, I think I'll take it easy. Maybe even go shopping....for fabric. Not that I don't have any. I have more that I know what to do with at the moment. However, what I have is not what I need to make a particular square. Isn't it always that way. And I'm hoping the print shop is open tomorrow so I can get some drawings enlarged. These are part of the square I'm putting together. Ahhhh, paper piecing. A wonderful challenge....speaking of which....this is why I'm putting this particular square together. It's for the challenge on the cruise I'm taking next month (I wish it were here NOW). Yup, my daughter and I are getting away.....into the sun (we hope) and warmth. The Evil Genius stays home this time with a friend who is willing and up to the challenge of keeping him safe and entertained. Maybe next time he can come with but it's going to be a while before a next time.
And now on to the day.......

Wow....16 degrees this morning. Snow is still on the ground, especially in shady areas and my pond is almost totally covered with ice. The heat pump is trying to keep up but not doing a very good job of it. I hate to think what the electric bill will be like next time. This time was bad enough, but I had to take into consideration that a new system was being installed and the heat strips were in use while all the duct work was being completed. I hate heat pumps! If I'd known my daughter wasn't moving up here with me I'd have had gas put in. Granted, it's just as expensive but at least the heat coming out of the vents feels warm, not tepid. Heat pumps just can't get enough warm air out of the atmosphere when it's this cold. Hmmmm....a fire in the fireplace might be in the offing this afternoon. If there is global warming I'd like to know where. Just glad I'll be heading for the tropics next month. In the meantime, I'll put on lots of warm clothes and keep my hands off the thermostat no matter how tempting it is to set it higher than 68.
Drat...my feet are cold. Time for a warm soak in the tub.

We have snow! Not much, just enough to cover the ground, but it sure is pretty. Should stick around for a while (at least a day) since we have had temps in the teens at night and below freezing during the day. We'll see. It's supposed to go up into the 50's over the weekend. See-saw weather. At least it wasn't ice. I confess I am not overly fond of ice storms. They tend to knock out the power, etc. The schools closed early yesterday, just in case. Can't say as I blame them. Nothing like a school bus not being able to get to where it needs to go to drop of the kids. It was a hassle for some of the working parents....but better safe than sorry.
It's cold today but the sun is shining (at least for now). I haven't seen a weather forecast and won't simply because there is nothing I can do about it and frankly don't care what it does as long as it doesn't rain. The ground here is absolute saturated and can't take anymore. Of course, part of that problem comes from "paving paradise and putting in a parking lot" down in the big city and environs. But even here in the country where you would think there would be enough run off room it's a problem. So no more rain for a while, please Momma. Snow, fine. I'll just snuggle up and stay warm.
Can't really decide what to do today. Think I'll work on putting the furniture back in its place now that the tree is gone and the hols are well over. And I have a label I need to make for the quilt. Laundry awaits.....alas.
Whatever your day brings, I hope it is pleasant......
Oh, with the temps being what they are everywhere (well under the average for this time of year), tell me....are we still under global warming?

My butt muscles hurt. Must be all that climbing up and down the ladder to cut in. Whew! Glad that's over. Maybe that would be a good exercise to get me in shape?!

We had a very important meeting yesterday. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) we will be losing the gallery as the power company that has been kind enough to let us use it for the last 12 years has given it to the state and the state is going to use it for a welcome center. June is our last month there. In the meanwhile we will be looking for other quarters and, perhaps, some benefactors that would like a nice tidy tax write-off. The reason I said maybe fortunately is because things were beginning to look stale. Granted we have many artists with their works there, but the atmosphere I guess you could say, was lacking something. A fresh start somewhere else may be the answer. At any rate, the building will look as good as we can make it when we leave.

We are supposed to get snow this afternoon. The county has already made the decision to close the schools early. Let it come. I have firewood for the fireplaces and woodstove so I'll keep nice and warm if the power goes and I have my 4-wheel drive pickup truck if I absolutely need to go anywhere (which I doubt). I'll just snuggle up in my chair, do some knitting or such, and watch the flakes come down. We don't get snow as much as in the past so it really an event now. I do feel sorry for the citrus growers in Fl. I just hope the weather hasn't affected the Honeybell oranges my brother ordered for me. I look forward to getting them every year they are so scrumptious.... and you can only get them in January.

Must get ready to go......have a peaceful day.

My daughter told me that I could make it easier for people to follow my blog. Sooo, I played around a bit this morning, but don't know if I made it any easier. I may do some more fooling around with it later today. Have to go to the gallery again. Did I mention that I was probably going to be the one to do the cutting in? That's what I did yesterday. Luckily we aren't doing as much painting this year or I might have opted to go out of town. What is kinda sad is that it is always the same people who show up to help. Shoulda known. Anyway.....I fixed up some beef stew the night before in the crockpot and took it in to feed those who did show. It was a success. One of my friends there is gluten intolerant and I'm glad I called her 'cause I was going to use certain ingredients and found out I couldn't so I really had to wing it as far as any kind of juice. Ended up using plain old water and lots of herbs instead. Who knew there was gluten in caramel coloring and why would they put that in beef bouillon cubes?

Poor daughter was sick all day yesterday. Grandson was sick the night before. Don't know what could have caused it unless it was something they ate. Grandson was okay yesterday, once everything had left his system. Hope daughter is okay today.

Heard the pres wasn't happy about security. Duh...it's been a joke ever since it was begun. I don't watch the usual stations for news. When I do watch I watch BBC America. It's a different point of view. Try it sometime.

Yesterday was a day of removing nails and spackling. Today it is probably on to the painting. Ugh. I usually get the job of cutting in. Maybe 'cause I'm good at it? Don't know why but I have had a lot of practice at various and sundry places. Guess it would come in handy if I had to get a job.

Another beautiful day. We may get some snow later on in the week. Wouldn't hurt my feelings at all. And if the power happens to go out why I won't worry at all. I have fireplaces and a wood stove to keep me warm and I can cook on the wood stove. I reckon I'm all set so bring it on!

Time to get more coffee and get ready to paint. Y'all have a beautimous day.

I think my grandson's birthday was a success. At least none of the cried and they had a good time whacking at the pinata. As for me I was exhausted when I got home, not because I did a lot, but because of all the noise. Makes me glad I'm no longer the parent of a young person. Oh, I'm still a parent and always will be. That's just it. Sometimes I wonder if I want to be still a parent. Sometimes I want to run away from home. Even though I live by myself...lol.

It's off to the gallery today for clean-up. Every year at the beginning of January we take everything off the walls, spackle the nail holes and paint, paint, paint. This year we may not do as much painting since it is unsure if we will be in the building after June. The company that owns the building and has let us use it for the past 10+ years may be giving it to the state to use as a welcome center. It will be a shame if we lose it as there is no other place for us at this time and a lot of artists would lose a place in which to show and sell their works.

So....the president is ending his vacation in Hawaii. I hope y'all enjoyed paying for it.

Have a good day.

I'm off to help celebrate my grandson's 7th birthday. Y'all have a good day.

Okay, so I checked out those two headlines as best I could. The one about the no cooking with fat had to do with banning the use of artificial trans fat in restaurants. I can go along with that. There were a lot of articles pertaining to the no smoking in public. Most of them talking about the right to property. Personally I don't think it's anyone's business if a person chooses to smoke. I chose to quit. Yes, it's addictive and difficult to quit but it's a personal choice. Look what happened when the government tried to ban alcohol. Enough about that.

It's a beautiful day. The sun is shining and the sky is blue. It's Saturday and I may or may not go to the gallery. Depends on whether anyone else shows up besides J. I don't like J being there alone. There is always the chance that someone will come in thinking there's a lot of money in the till. There isn't 'cause sales have not been great and most of them are on credit cards. Still....
Besides, what if J became ill or something?

Tomorrow is my grandson's 7th birthday. Where does the time go? It's landmarks such as this that make me more aware of my age. Not that I want reminding, thank you. I am glad I don't think old. I'd probably stay in bed under the covers rather than get out and do things.

Much to do whether I go to the gallery or not so...... 'bye.

It's a new day in a new year. Hopes are high that this will be a better one. Don't count on it. Until those in D.C. realize they work FOR THE PEOPLE and not for themselves and anyone with enough money to "contribute" to their agenda, we the people are going to pay and pay and pay. Doesn't anyone realize where the money for all these bailouts is coming from?

"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human hisory, the stage of rule by brute force." -Ayn Rand

While I did not read the story behind the headlines, what I saw was scary enough. One was about banning smoking in public. Now, I am an ex smoker and I don't like walking through a cloud of cigaretter smoke any more than another non-smoker. However, if a person lights up in the middle of a parking lot, well, that's a public place and I support that person's right to do so. What about cigars and pipes? I really dislike the smell of cigar smoke which seems to linger a lot longer than that of a cigarette. Pipe smoke, on the other hand, can be quite pleasant. Where will it end?
The other headline said something about banning the preparation and/or serving of certain foods. I think it was food that had fat content. Telling me what I can or cannot eat? Nuh, uh. People need to take responsibility for their own actions. If a person wants to live on junk food, fine. Just don't try to sue the companies selling it because you put on weight and look like the Michelin man.
I realize I'm going off on something I just had a glimpse of so I'll try to find those two articles so I know exactly what they said. Amazing what just a headline can do, isn't it?

The government cannot protect us from terrorists because it refuses to profile and yet it wants to tell us how to live our lives. It needs to mind its own business.

'nuf said....oh, yeah....happy new year