Five on Friday!

Greetings All! Hope you are enjoying some nice weather and the end of February! NO MORE SNOW PLEASE!! With that in mind, I have my occasional list of FIVE ON FRIDAY!

1. Nice Weather! After those weeks and weeks of way below-zero temps and way too much snow, we have been blessed with temps getting into the 40s this week! And loads of sunshine! It's been so welcome and has improved everyone's mood so much! The outlook for March has some days in the 50s!! Bring it on!!

2. Birthday! My oldest son's birthday is on Sunday!! Happy Birthday Philip! He's going to be 36! Wow -- how in the world did he get to be 36?? The day he was born it was 68 degrees! Sooooo nice! Of course, I think there was snow on the day we took him home from the hospital. We have missed celebrating so many birthdays during this long shutdown and hope that will change soon. I think Rickster and I will be up next for vaccinations. Fingers crossed. Philip loves crazy socks and I found these on the wonderful Amazon!

3. Powder Room Refresh! We have a small powder room on our main floor. The tile in it has bugged me for the last 20 years - it's ok -- it just looked like bathtub tile! Anyway, the Rickster knows a handyman who I contacted and he's re-tiling with subway tile. I LOVE it! It's a small room, so he should be finished today - I hope!

4. Maddie Update. I don't think I've updated anything on Maddie in a while. She's doing well and working so hard on her courses at Southeast Community College in the Health Sciences Division. She's looking forward to nicer weather so she can get her camera out again. There was a sweet profile of her as a young photographer in our neighborhood newsletter recedntly.

5. Meteorological Spring. Yay -- Monday starts Meteorological Spring! The official spring is later in the month -- but we are just so happy this year to get through winter that we are celebrating March 1 and Spring! Happy Spring friends!

Temperature Thursday!

On my word -- we have been having such a brutal cold and snowy time for at least the last 4 weeks! Every. Single. Weekend. More snow and cold! I think we are up over 25 inches and for the last week, the highs have been zero and lows bottomed out one day at -24 not even counting the wind chill! BRRRRRRRRR!!! It's not like Texas, but we did have rolling blackouts the other morning due to the heavy usage of power. Praying for relief for Texas and everyone there! It gets cold inside the house fast when there is no heat! However, our temp is supposed to be maybe 18 today and maybe 30s on the weekend, so we feel like celebrating!!

Last year at this time, Maddie and I were in Orlando on a quick trip! We were so happy to have some nice sunny days and enjoy our favorite place. And after we returned home, the shutdown occurred, so we were doubly happy to have had a little getaway before that happened.

We are definitely hoping for another trip there later this year.

Stay warm friends!

So Long January; Hello February and other Miscellaneous Stuff

Yay - January has FINALLY ended! Don't you feel like that month goes on and on and on and . . . on!!! We are so happy to get it over and done with. Welcome to lovely short-month February!

Maddie and I decided to try and take back some of the joy that covid stole from us during most of 2020. So, we joined a gym again. We had given up our membership up when the pandemic started and most places had to close here. The one we're going to is nice and has great cleaning protocols plus it's fairly quiet. Yes, I am the old lady that does not like noisy, crowded gyms with music blasting and millenials running from machine to machine and room to room for their workouts. At one gym, I was nearly knocked over a couple times. I swear I was the oldest person there. Now, I'm definitely NOT the oldest. Anywho, M and I like to use the treadmill, elliptical and bicycle at the gym. She is definitely the Youngest person to go there and she is happy to excerise and listen to something on her headphones or watch one of the tvs. We are both feeling better from the exercise. Of course, we had planned to walk outside, but the cold and snow and cold and more snow prevented us from doing so. I wish I was one of those people who exercise outside, all year long, but no, we are weather wimps!

And, what do you do when you don't like the family photos? We had some scheduled for outside in July and then October and November and our photographer cancelled each time. So, we found someone else. She was very nice, but . . . not fans of the photos. Maddie and Connor were also there, but they didn't like them either and will be mad if they find out I posted any. But seriously, look at me and my turkey neck. Couldn't the photographer have suggesed I put my chin down or something to minimize that gobble gobble look??? I guess we can all get a laugh out of those. Wish I would have thought of My Big Greek Wedding and how the older ladies stood together and pulled each other's necks back! Do you remember that? Brilliant!! I do like my cute jaunty hat and have made a big note to myself -- wear more turtlenecks!! And really, does anyone want to see old folks like us kissing??? I don't think so.

On another note, I must get back to work. Yes, I am still working in Rickster's office. It's ok, but let's just say I enjoy my part-time seasonal gift wrap job more! Happy February!

Happy New Year and Happy Snow DAYS!

Hello friends! Happy New Year! One of my goals is to update the blog more - and I'm getting a bit of a late start to that! Hope you all had a great New Year's and are looking forward to good things this 2021! I know I am looking forward with bright, hopeful eyes. But, I do have that little thought sneaking in that even though 2020 was not the best year, 2021 will probably have it's own challenges!

Anywho -- the latest here in Nebraska is the incredible snowstorm we just had and are trying to work through! Oh my word - over 15 inches! We haven't had this much snow all at once since 1965! And guess what, I remember that one because it was a blizzard! My twin sister and I walked to school (yes, it was a mile away and mostly uphill). A kid in our class yelled out the door at us that we were stupid to go to school. My twin yelled back - "you're the stupid one!" Well, we got to Mass and school was called off after Mass. The happy news was that we were allowed to ride the school bus home -- not to our door -- home was a half-mile home from the dropoff - but better than having to walk all that way.

So, we've spent a lot of time the last few days digging out. We have the best neighbors -- everyone on the block pitched in to help others. I usually do scoop our front walk and the neighbors when we have a couple inches, but that 15 inches was so heavy there was no way I could get that done. And, I had to shovel paths in the yard for Frannie! She doesn't seem to mind the snow -- she's a dog that pretty much loves everything. And Rickster still has a cast on his hand/arm from his Christmas surgery, but he was able to the snowblower going to finish our driveway. Guess what -- today we woke up to another couple of inches of snow! I believe I am definitely ready for spring now! Sending good wishes from snowy Nebraska!

Frannie and the Snow!

After some wonderful, wonderful warm days last week (60 degrees plus) -- we are now back to more normal winter weather -- snow and 5 degrees! However, there is almost always a bright side -- having Frannie run around in the snow and wear herself out!

A tired dog is a good dog! I think this dog will be a puppy for many, many years! She hates wearing a sweater -- heck, she hates wearing a collar and putting on a leash for a walk! However, she kind of loved the snow.

Run Frannie Run -- her ears are flying behind her -- not sure how Maddie got this photo -- probably had a cookie (treat) for her.

Hope your December is going well. Are you like me and breathing a little sign of relief that the election is over and the vaccine is being distributed. Next year -- all good things coming up - right!!

Friday Memories - Mom Fails

Hello Friends -- it's time once again for another installment of my "Here's What I've Been Thinking About" series - this one about Mom Fails! For your viewing enjoyment (and mine) - here are some photos that are from this same time of year (Thanksgiving) from 2008 on to 2014 (i think). Photos have nothing to do with text -- I know, I'm weird that way.

1. Killing the stinking gecko . . . by accident! My sons had the stinkiest gecko when they were growing up that somehow fell to me for care for most of the time. I did draw the line at hand feeding it live crickets, so they did that, but the yucky crickets lived in the refrigerator next to the milk. GROSS! One bright, sunny warm spring day, I figured the gecko would LOVE to be outside in the sun. After all, I had to buy a warm rock for it to sit on in the house, so a bright sunny day sounded perfect. So, I put it on a little table on a deck in its glass container. The deck was black and I suppose reflected the sun back up into its glass home. Guess what was a crispy critter when we got home from work!! Yep -- that disgusting gecko! It looked worse than an extra crispy burned piece of bacon. Bye bye stinky gecko. Truly was an accidental killing as I figured that geckos like the heat in Arizona, why wouldn't it enjoy it on my porch in a glass container on a black deck???

2. Fireworks! Aren't there always fireworks incidents/accidents with kids? Who could forget the time that I allowed them to have some fireworks when I was at work. Who knew they would chase each other around with a lit punk and a paper bag full of fireworks with 2 neighbor boys?? You can guess where this is going, can't you? Of course, the punk lit something in the bag and loads of fireworks exploded in advance of July 4th - burning a hole through a table umbrella AND a huge burn mark on the patio table! I dreaded the 4th of July for many reasons after that year!

3. Magnifying Glass Incident. So proud the year one of the instructors at the tennis shack called me and Rickster over to say the boys had started a fire! WHAT??? Well, they were doing an experiment to see if using a magnifying glass with the sun focused on old dead leaves would result in a fire -- yep it did. It was quickly put out - but my face stayed red for a long time!

4. Sending kid to doctor on his own. You know how there is so much talk now about adulting and having your kids learn to be adults and do things on their own??? Guess I started early as my oldest was probably 12 or 13. We did not live far from the doctor's office and I had to work. I instructed him to ride his bicycle and go on his own and show them the rash on his legs. I figured they'd give him some lotion or creme and that would be it. Nope -- they got some needles out, dug in and cut into the abrasions on his legs! Who knew?? He rode home for the doc with his legs bleeding. BAD mom!

5. Ear Issues. Another one for the oldest. He had loads of ear infections and problems with his ears when he was young. After finally feeling like his ears were in good shape, I didn't want him getting a lot of water in them when he was swimming one summer. Every time he went swimming, I'd put some drying drops in each ear. Lo and behold, he complained his ears hurt. Took him to the pediatrician who said --"I don't know what's going on, but his eardrums are so dry, they are about to burst!!!!!!!!!" Oooops! Oh dear -- another fail! I threw those drying drops away and never admitted they might have contributed to the dry eardrums . . . until now!

FYI - That's my little sister Amy in that photo with a couple of her coworkers. We both went to parties that weekend (hers in Florida; mine in Nebraska) and I think she may have had more fun then me! :) Wasn't that a fun trip down memory lane? :) Have a good weekend!

It's Election Day - Let's Focus on Something Else!

Oh my word - are you like me and so ready for the election to be done and over with??? Yes! I'm not sure it will be over with after tomorrow, but I hope the constant focus will shift. Let's relax, breathe in and take in the beauty around us - isn't this flower gorgeous!

Just in case you need something else to look at and read about -- I've been wanting to tell you about Maddie's photography. She took up photography a few years ago after she got a little weary of me taking her pictures! So, she's been taking some friend photos, some senior photos, engagement photos and family photos! The family ones are probably the trickiest as there are so many people to focus on, have looking at the camera and eyes open. I, myself, have irritated photographers over the years with closing my eyes when everyone else looks perfect. This was a favorite photo shoot of Maddie's during the summer with Kamree and horse Tommy! Oh my word -- aren't they so pretty together!

One of Maddie's very good friends, Mia, never takes a bad picture. That girl is so pretty and SO sweet! I wish the pandemic was over and would allow the girls to get together more. They both are going to Southeast Community College, but in different classes, so don't see each other much. The college experience with the pandemic is a bit sad if you ask me. No sock hops (I kind of doubt there were sock hops anyway), but no get-togethers like bonfires, hayrack rides, etc. It's a different time. But let's think positive and get through this together. As my son says, we can do hard things!

Taking photos is not as easy as it looks. And she works so hard at editing and making the photos and the people in them look so good. She's also enjoyed taking photos of blooming trees and flowers. At first, she pooh-poohed my suggestion at flowers, but then later decided she liked those too. And flowers are not required to smile or keep eyes open! Anywho, I wanted to show you a few she's taken this year. My good friend's daughter was in town from Denver and asked Maddie to do some engagement photos! It was a very hot day, but they turned out sooooooo good. Best wishes to the happy couple who rescheduled their wedding from June 2020 to June 2021. Isn't she so beautiful! He looks good too, of course, but she is stunning!