Seems like Winter Again. Just started sleet and Snow!!

 I'm one of those who don't mind winter or cold weather.  BUT: Got up this morning to the temperature in the mid 40's-- and it is dropping slowly.  I knew the temps would drop all day and we will be in the very low 20's at dawn tomorrow  Had to go out a while ago and cover the camellia and gardenias again!  Thought that was over.  My roses were fiery red with new leaves and  now, they are turning green.  Poor guys will be frozen again.  Roses are hardier and I haven't had to cover them.  But then, they were bare.  But now they aren't. Hoping they stay well off.  So, in other words I guess I  am ready for Spring.  Cold beats sweltering in the heat sweating like a person laying railroad railings. Or something.  Awful grammar there! 

Made some soup a few days ago.  Sectioned it into containers and froze.  Have some each day.  Yum if I say so myself.  A version of hamburger soup. 

Got busy yesterday.  Cleaned and shined up that wood floor in the kitchen.  Stood out there just before cleaning the floor and shook the four kitchen scatter rugs  in beyond gale force winds..and man, the dust and cat litter I flapped out of them was a LOT. I always shake the rug in front of her box daily but her walking through the kitchen multiple times spreads all that  litter stuck between her toes all in  and on the other scatter rugs.  :-( 

I was sleeping like gang busters last night and woke to gale force+ winds.  VERY loud...and hammering rain. You'd have wondered if it would break the window!  Thunder, lightening..and a cat who was hollering in the living room... then at the far end of the hall.  Thought she might be afraid-- so I kept calling her.  She finally came in.  Got on the bed and laid at my feet.  When I woke I saw she had brought in Donkey and THAT was what all the hullabaloo was about!  Man. She outdid herself announcing Donkey this time! Whew.  Took me a bit to go back to sleep.  

I LOVE corny stuff like this! 

Wonder if any restaurant out there still makes actual and real waffles any more?  Not pancake batter (ewwww) thrown in the waffle iron and getting pancakes with holes in them.  Waffle House has been using pancake batter for YEARS!  I left my order lying in the serving plate and left.  Had to pay for it, but I don't like pancakes..they are hard on my digestion and their texture is heavy, like poured concrete.  I'll never go in there ago. Bought me a waffle iron and made my own light crisp golden waffles. Lotsa syrup.

My middle son will be here at the end of the month for his nephew's 11th birthday, (my grandson) and I will get to see him 1, 1/2 days and night.  Going to make him some cinnamon crunch cake. 

This is boring to you all.  I'll quit for now.  

Stolen from another blogger's blog yesterday.  So funny.  

My Valentine

 My Valentine was dressed in an elegant Tuxedo, all ready for an evening of food and scintillating meows and talk.  I begged her pardon for my gown however as we slipped into the restaurant where she had made reservations.  It was long and made from flannel.  But, it had a lower than usual neckline with lace edging  If I had thought to cinch it at the waist I may have carried it off.  She was charming and did not show any untoward behavior (though I did per my attire.)  I could have told my glamorous date that my dress was an evening gown.  Wait!  It was an evening gown of the first order wasn't it?? One she is most familiar with. 

We retired when we got home.  This precipitates my asking you if you have a cat and experience like mine.  Where it is time for bed and I am in it, covers drawn up, awaiting my bedmate still wearing the Tuxedo...(never let them see you she believes, not glamorous.) For me, if my cat does not wish to come to bed once the light is off, I have a very difficult time falling asleep.  I will, on such occasions fruitlessly call and call again- but I am ignored.  

However, the more usual is-- as I am trying to get settled between the sheets and blanket, she tries to crawl on my chest.  After much spoken and ignored direction from me, she settles on my chest.  We have petting and a little pillow talk.  Then, the light is turned off.  Within a few moments, she steps between the pillows and turns to face my head on my pillow, placing her chin on my upper arm and putting her face, tickle whiskers and loud purr right into the crease of my neck and shoulder.  And I am asleep within seconds. 

Sometimes she parks in such a manner that I hear her heart beating right in my ear.  Can't go to sleep with Xavier Cugat revved up with his Conga Drum in my very ear.  Or with my ear pressed to her satin side with purring sounding like a tornado that has traveled to the outside of my house in the night.  But her whiskery face inserted between my neck and shoulder...no balm beats that unless I can hire a professional massueur to only rub my back from neck to just below the shoulder blades.  I would go r-b a bank to have the wherewithal to hire such a pro masseur for a month of back rubs!  Too bad such a bevy of male back-only back rubbers don't exist.  Dang it! Males have more textured hands and a larger area of palm width etc.   Ooooh my, what a back rub.  I oughtta get married again. 

However I will take the purring little sweet face by my own face.  That's pretty special too.  

The More Things Change...

 You probably know the rest.  "The more they stay the same." Well, the thing that seems to stay the same right at this hour is, people aren't very nice many times.  

I okayed a plumbing inspection a couple of weeks ago and the plumber, from the company that services my HVAC unit-- who wasn't very nice-- tried scare tactics on me.  After a while, I told him "I don't care easily." He was trying to pressure me into things I didn't need and at great expense. I had my HVAC guy who came for the winter inspection trying to do the same thing last month.  I also told him that I don't scare easily.  And that a second opinion would be necessary.  He was an OK guy with that from me...and quit trying.  But the plumber...he went under the house, that part I knew, and while there he bent my copper water pipe.

 Found THAT out when I called a stand-alone plumber who came out Saturday to repair something in the bathroom.  He'd gotten under the house for that problem and found a severe crimp in the water line.  I know for a fact it wasn't there even three weeks ago...as I was over there looking at the water heater.  So while I can't prove it, it was the unpleasant plumber who was here being disrespectful.  Things were remedied.  I would write more paragraphs but I will spare you. 

See what I got myself for Christmas in November?  These are pink pearls, real ones, and almost too big for my ear lobes.I took this in the car before starting home.

Colder'n kraut out there today~ but it is January after all.  I was going to take a long walk, but I think I will just double up on aerobics instead. 

Look at the flowers....wish they were actually blooming here but...again, it IS January after all.  

Well, trying to get up the impetus to get UP and start exercising.  Join me?  

Oh BOY!

 Guys, Ladies, doggies and Kitties!  This cake looks home made, and no attention to smooth icing, it's all just slathered on.  Ooo la laaa!  The boys licked the beaters and the big bowl I made it in.  I scraped off what would be a tablespoon full of icing from the bowl sides before I handed it over.  I know *I* made it..but I don't care!  I outDID myself with that icing.  PERFECT balance of chocolate, real butter and peppermint.  Whatta woman!  Sure not looking magazine worthy but, oh MY! My My MY!  We will all have it tomorrow.  I tried to make the cake tender and moist. 

The cake is bustin' out with peppermint inside, baked in, and the icing...same thing.  

I am looking forward to having Christmas dinner at one of the kids' home...opening presents there, and hoping I don't bust wide open from eating too much!  

Tonight I will make this boy staying here for the week marinated pork chops...marinated with a rub..bought already put on the chops..I have only to cook it.  Strictly Southern sides to go with it......you don't wanna know.  We don't do 'fancy' in this house or try to imitate being chefs, or adding odd stuffs like leafed greens, and other not liked stuffs around this house, in it. Fancy cook I certainly am not. :-) 

This is in the Fridge so it doesn't decide to slide the top layer any from nascent heat still in the cake part.

Now.  I hear my son chopping vegges so I am headed to the kitchen.

Merry Christmas to those who come to see me.  XX

Look! Sound asleep after baking in the window ledge. 

 
 

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Hope you'll click and read.  Included comments. From 2012

 Howdy!  Think I mentioned that I always host Thanksgiving and my youngest and his wife always host Christmas.  This is a fun and successful Holiday for us...and we ate well.  I thought I was never going to quit cooking!  I took the easy way out and made boxed brownies with ice cream if anyone wanted that with them. 

I totally hate that stupid gizmo Google put in here right on the page you are typing on so that you might accidentally hit it..hooray for Google!! Or, make a typo that you can't see to correct because it obscures that part of the page.  I will never use it!  I wish they'd get flippin' rid of it. 

In this part of the Country it was exceeding hard to buy a turkey- or a turkey breast.  And when a few of each were available, they were of an unknown brand and extremely costly!  A 7.7 pound breast was a couple of cents under $20.00.  May as well say $20.00. I bought it as they were having a sale..saved me a couple dollars, and it was not really meaty (I try to buy larger,  up to 9 pounds but this was the heaviest one I could find in all three grocery stores.) The turkey breast when carved revealed not what I expected for the breast meat,  puny and pale; and it was not meaty elsewhere either.  We're tired of ham...one of the kids detests roast beef...sigh....things will likely be better next Thanksgiving.  The bird flu was blamed.

 I took this in an acquaintance's yard.  The deer were in there eating them almost faster than I could get out there and take some pictures.  

Don't be sad seeing these.  I think they were dear, and worth seeing.  It is what we wish so much; depicted to express what cat parents feel like.  And dog parents too  of course.   Oh. can you imagine the joy if that happened? 

Peace at Last

 Almost called you all "Kitties!" as I just finished helping Angel Admiral with hers a few minutes ago and Katie had my strict attention with hers early about 0900 this morning as well.

This title is meaningful.  ALL the work in and on the house is finished, thank YOU!! all of the people I managed to get to show up.  AND I may actually be getting the $400.00 extra I had to spend because the "workers" who brought the washer and dryer didn't do anything but get it in the house and filthy up my carpet and wood floor with muddy dirty boots.  I had to hire someone in town to come and do a job, like I didn't know  I needed doing the cleaning of the dryer vent. I hired them in their second job to install said machines and level them.   I complained in a reasonable and polite way both to the seller- who was not at fault and the installer.  I enlisted the seller  manager to please call the other manager in Nashville as I knew HE could get in touch whereas me, I would be lucky to talk to him at all  to the delivery management in Nashville.  (I always spell it Gnash-ville and just did!  Had to stop and change it.)  It's been quiet again after three weeks of upheaval. 

I have a new TINY camera.  First one that isn't a Nikon, ever.  I feel nekkid without one, but my youngest advised me to get this one.  There is a learning curve for me.  It is still a technical camera.  It is mirrorless...so no long lens on it as with my Nikon Digital.  It is amazingly small.  I  took it out to take pictures--- and came straight home after the drug store. Furthermore, left it in the car for pity sake.  I'll go get it in a second.  They're going to be my always closeups, but not like the ones with my good trusty Nikon DSLR. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!  

I'd move here to Charlotte in a heartbeat if I could

This is true.  Every word and one of THE single most amazing acts there is on technology.