Sis Boom Ba !!

Community...ours is pretty special.  Last night's basketball game at good ole MCS. was amazing.  The bleachers were full of boisterous fans who were there to support a really good bunch of guys...and their coaches.  There were fans who were barely months old to those who could barely climb to their seats....all with smiles and the best of intentions to cheer on their home team...and cheer they did.  I'm an old cheerleader.  I hung up my pom poms over four decades ago  but I think I could still out-do these cheerleaders...I know Title 9 did nothing for the sport of cheerleading in small rural districts....but holy cow....no smiles, little organization, and mouths that may serve some of them well should they decide to become truckers....(no offense truckers.)  I'm pretty sure that if B.J. Parker were hovering anywhere remotely close to MCS the last few games, she didn't stick around long.  There's a pretty vociferous group of guys (and gals) that picked up the slack and did a great job.  # 1 fan, Todd's Mom (Tammy Langtry), was the official WAVE runner and I even saw some burly, ref monger men mouthing the words to some cheers.  Bottom line is, the cheerleaders need to practice, find some leadership, add some testosterone to the mix and do their jobs.  I really hate to bash any group but pitiful comes to mind with this one.  There are a few gals that "get it" but the majority need to brush up on Cheerleading 101 get their act together for the Arena on Saturday.

On a kinder note:  Congrats to Dylan Powers on achieving 1010 points scored at a sport he loves.  Congrats to Coach Mulvaney on his 100th win and how much fun is a win like that on your birthday. It was also one of the refs birthday and we're sincerely hoping his cards were filled with cash to buy those new glasses he so desperately needs!

See you at the Binghamton Arena on Saturday afternoon.  Go Devils:-)

Don't worry..Be happy!

It's never too late to be happy....really....What most of us would think is success is not even remotely close to what makes most of us happy. When we're in our 30's and 40's we're just trying to raise a family and keep up with our bills....we're not always happy even though we tell ourselves we are. Life is short and nobody gets out alive... A friend always says, "do it", you're dead a long time! We can all improve our happiness:

• Where we choose to live is one of the biggest things that determines our happiness. Neighborhoods with sidewalks, meeting places, and other characteristics that nudge us to socialize tend to make us happy.
• We can be much happier if we are financially secure...Less worry may mean less stuff! Unless it's a car or a house, if you can't pay for it.....you don't need it... (Thanks Buzz for that lesson.) The "thrill" of something new is short lived.The joy of security lasts forever!
• A great morning!  A good night's sleep is a must but a great morning is mandatory.  Eating breakfast can boost your energy for the day and 30 minutes of exercise (any kind) gives you fuel for 12 hours.
• Less TV time.... ( ok, scratch this article I'm referencing!!!!)  It says "The happiest people watch less than an hour of TV a day. Wow...it says pare down to one TV in an out of the way place... I guess mine, randomly spaced every 20 feet, is not what the Dr's ordered.  He explains that advertising and programming are designed to make us want things that make us feel unsatisfied with what we don't have.  Nope!  I'd be unsatisfied if I didn't have TV...It's a weakness I can live with!
• Get a daily dose of friends...You betcha! "If you choose the right social network, bliss can be contagious."  Each happy friend that we connect with helps our happiness flourish by 9%...not 10 but 9...WTH.... but I think they're right!  Happy people make me happy and making people happy makes me happier.....That's a whole lot of self made happy!
• Finding your soul mate helps.  Long term relationships suffer less stress, live longer and have fewer diseases...(please be right)  Marriage isn't always bliss...if it makes you happy...keep working on it..believe me it's always a work in progress.  If you're not happy and you've given it the old college try, move on....Life's short!
• Meet. Pray, Love...lots of reasons why faith can make you happy. My stand is the old saying.."Being in a church doesn't make you a Christian any more than being in a garage makes you a car! I pray nightly, for me, for my family and for my friends.  I never forget to be thankful for all the good things too... I hate for him to think I was a needy, whining prayer!
• Create a sunny escape..make a nook where you can do the things you love, read a book, play music, play a game and spend time with family.. Hello Culture Cottage.
• Peace with a pet..  Owning a pet lowers your blood pressure and calms stress. Often pets relieve stress more than spouses or family. Makes perfect sense to me until they poop on the floor, pee in the car and puke in the kitchen. I have actually been contemplating a small pooch... One that can snuggle with me in my chair, ride with me in the car and travel with me in the motor home.  One that eats a little, poops outside and sheds minimally...I'm thinking maybe a teddy bear:-)
• Tap into your compassion...Giving is good....and it really makes you feel good.  It has been proven that altruism (giving) stimulates the same pleasure areas of our brain in the same way as sugar and cocaine....Now there's some food for thought!  And...it doesn't have to be money you give. .. it can be volunteering, listening, sharing special times and just giving a little bit of you...

                                 When it comes right down to it... You can make you happy!

Simply...plagerism

A few days ago I blogged about the words you choose when speaking to children.  Today I'm borrowing someone else's. I love stories that teach, those that have a lesson.  Here's a wonderful one.
Thanks, Kay, for sharing!

To A Child, Love is spelled

T-I-M-E

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

It's as simple as this: Love is one investment that will never fail you. And to a child, that investment is spelled T-I-M-E.

In the faint light of the attic, an old man, tall and stooped, bent his great frame and made
his way to a stack of boxes that sat near one of the little half-windows. Brushing aside a
wisp of cobwebs, he tilted the top box toward the light and began to carefully lift out one
old photograph album after another. Eyes once bright but now dim searched longingly
for the source that had drawn him here.

It began with the fond recollection of the love of his life, long gone, and somewhere in
these albums was a photo of her he hoped to rediscover. Silent as a mouse, he patiently
opened the long buried treasures and soon was lost in a sea of memories. Although his
world had not stopped spinning when his wife left it, the past was more alive in his heart
than his present aloneness.
Setting aside one of the dusty albums, he pulled from the box what appeared to be a
journal from his grown son's childhood. He could not recall ever having seen it before,
or that his son had ever kept a journal. Why did Elizabeth always save the children's old
junk? he wondered, shaking his white head.

Opening the yellowed pages, he glanced over a short reading, and his lips curved in an
unconscious smile. Even his eyes brightened as read the words that spoke clear and
sweet to his soul. It was the voice of the little boy who had grown up far too fast in this
very house, and whose voice had grown fainter and fainter over the years. In the utter
silence of the attic, the words of a guileless six-year-old worked their magic and carried
the old man back to a time almost totally forgotten.

Entry after entry stirred a sentimental hunger in his heart like the longing a gardener
feels in the winter for the fragrance of spring flowers. But it was accompanied by the
painful memory that his son's simple recollections of those days were far different from
his own. But how different?

Reminded that he had kept a daily journal of his business activities over the years, he
closed his son's journal and turned to leave, having forgotten the cherished photo that
originally triggered his search. Hunched over to keep from bumping his head on the
rafters, the old man stepped to the wooden stairway and made his descent, then headed
down a carpeted stairway that led to the den.

Opening a glass cabinet door, he reached in and pulled out an old business journal.
Turning, he sat down at his desk and placed the two journals beside each other. His was
leather-bound and engraved nearly with his name in gold, while his son's was tattered
and the name "Jimmy" had been nearly scuffed from its surface. He ran a long skinny
finger over the letters, as though he could restore what had been worn away with time
and use.

As he opened his journal, the old man's eyes fell upon an inscription that stood out
because it was so brief in comparison to other days. In his own neat handwriting were
these words:

Wasted the whole day fishing with Jimmy. Didn't catch a thing.

With a deep sigh and a shaking hand, he took Jimmy's journal and found the boy's entry
for the same day, June 4. Large scrawling letters, pressed deeply into the paper, read:

Went fishing with my dad. Best day of my life.
As parents, we all have many priorities competing for our time, but there's nothing
more important to remember than ~ 'To A Child, Love is Spelled T-I-M-E.'

"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of
house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, how I entertained myself. . .
But the world may be different because I was important in the life of my child."

Take a moment today in prayer, asking the Lord to strengthen you as a parent.
Ask Him for patience, kindness and understanding with your children and most
of all time to spend with them teaching them God's word. Make every moment count!

Humbling

Well, I am humbled beyond words (which doing anything to stifle my words is an undertaking) by a post addressed to me last week. I am not one to pat myself on the back (mostly because my arms are too large to get even remotely in that area) but I was taken back when I logged on to Face Book and saw a post that an acquaintance shared about and to me:

Sandy you are such a kind soul~I am always reading your posts of encouragement and you are always so happy for your FB friends when they share great news. I see the posts of your donations or gifts for friends~where u never really wanted acknowledgement for your kind deed. I know we don't know each other well but you really are such a special woman!

I admit I do shed tears during corny, chick flicks.  My eyes well up when my granddaughter says "I love you Grandma" for no apparent reason and I sniffle a bit at commercials with mean Joe Green and his football jersey!...............and sometimes I even choke a bit at random Face Book pictures and posts. That one turned my internal faucet on to a slow drip.  I'm a firm believer that we can never say enough kind things.  Maybe it's human nature to be able to verbalize what makes us unhappy, sad or mad but not to, as quickly, be able to say something nice.  I'd hate to think kindness was out of
date:-( One of my Grandpas always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!"  From his lips to everybody's ears.  We're all in the same boat.  We all have things bothering us whether it be financial, health related or even a challenging personal issue...Nothing, and I repeat nothing feels as good as a kind word.  I can't tell you how many times over the week-end I thought about these kind words. Compassion is an acquired trait.  You can't teach it but you can sure give it and when it comes back, you've hit the jackpot!  This week-end, I was rich beyond words!

 

 

A Word to the Wise

Sometimes , as adults, we're able to filter our words when we are speaking to adults.  (not the easiest thing for me)  That filtering isn't always there when we are speaking to children, but it should be.  Parents Magazine explains that there are few things that really shouldn't be said to kids....

1. Leave me alone - ...........pretty self explanatory........even with the best of intentions, this just tells them that we don't want them around.....
2. Don't label - She's my shy one..He's my smart one (really)...Believe it or not this puts unnecessary and even inappropriate expectations on their very young shoulders.  (They're way more intuitive than we give them credit for.)
3. Don't cry! -  You're really telling them that their emotions are meaningless.  It's often OK to be sad or scared.  (we are!)
4. You're just like your sister - comparing siblings or even friends is just plain wrong.  Individualism is so important. Kids don't need to dress the same, color or write the same, even like the same things....A whole row of identical kids would be oh so boring!!!!
5. You know better than that - well, no. sometimes they actually don't.  A better way of teaching and making your point is "I'd like it better if you did it this way!"
6. I can't believe you did that! - or ( It's about time or can't you do anything right)......pretty self explanatory
7. Wait till your Dad gets home - Eventually they realize that Mom's not going to do anything about it and they stop listening to her!!  (I tell you, they're smart!!!!)
8. I'll give you something to cry about -
   Threats, usually the result of parental frustration, are rarely effective. We sputter warnings like "Do this or else!" or "If you do that one more time, I'll spank you!" The problem is that sooner or later you have to make good on the threat or else it loses its power. Even with older kids, no discipline strategy yields surefire results right off the bat every time. So it's more effective to develop a repertoire of constructive tactics, such as redirection, removing the child from the situation, or time-outs, than it is to rely on those with proven negative consequences, including verbal threats and spanking. I've seen such good results from the time outs followed by a short discussion of why you were put there and what you should change...it works!
9. Hurry up - kids often end up feeling guilty for making you feel frustrated and rushed...There's nothing motivating about these words.
10. Great Job... believe it or not.   It's much better to praise the behavior than to praise the child.  Be specific.  "I love the bright, happy colors you used.  I'm so happy you remembered to hang up your coat. I love that you drew a picture about the story we read this morning."

And then there's one thing you should always say... A lot!  I Love You......no matter what!  I'm sad to admit that I only remember hearing that from my parents after I had become an adult...In fact, only after I had my family. It may have been that our parents and generations before them didn't display their feelings in words. I'm sure I knew my folks loved me but it just wasn't verbalized.........at least at our house.... Today it's said so much Bailee sometimes stops me in mid sentence and says, "I know, you love me!!"  Yep, those are 3 wise words....anytime♥

The rest of the story......

I've always heralded small towns.  I love ours and feel so comfortable when I journey through them on my travels.  This morning I read another local small town story.... (Yep, I read it in the Thursday Post Standard..one of only 3 editions published weekly:-)

Fashion guru Tommy Hilfiger's roots are firmly entrenched in Elmira, New York. Who'd have thought that sharply dressed Hilfiger began his career in Small Town America.  He was always looking for an "exit strategy"...an escape from the small town where everybody knew everybody, everyone went to church on Sunday and everybody went to the local ballgames.  He changed his mind and ,with two classmates, opened a store in Elmira.  His fashions were flared jeans with accessories like candles and incense.....it was the early 70's you know and some were firmly still entrenched in their Woodstock mode.  The People's Place was a hit and he opened more in Ithaca and Cortland....college towns! Ten years later he was on his way to Manhattan to redesign his trademark "preppy with an edge" style fashions. He credits his Dad, Richard Hilfiger with his appreciation of "tweeds, tailored suits, beautiful shirts and very nice ties."  when his dad passed away 10 years later, he acquired a tie from his closet...his "lucky tie" and what still ties him to his roots and his hometown of Elmira, New York.  He shared that his lucky tie "reminds him of growing up in Elmira" and "there being something endearing about it..this feeling of being very, very safe!

                             Sound like something you might be feeling?   Me too!!

Bone Soup?

Well, if chicken soup can be good for the soul, why can't bone broth be good for the....you guessed it, bones!  One of my favorite go to periodicals is the Farmer's Almanac.  It tells me when the sun's coming up, how long the days are, when the full moon will rise and oodles of other practical, nonsensical and often hysterical information.  Today I learned that bone broth is hearty and oooooo so good for our old bones... and believe me, my bones are old...Lately I have aches and pains in my hands, my feet, my shoulders, my back and my ass.....Oh, the pain in my ass is actually better (he's in Florida!)  So Bone Broth looks like a pretty good remedy to lessen the pitfalls of old age.  We're meat eaters around here so bones are not in short supply.  We have a stove, two to be exact . We have water and vegetables are readily available.  Simple ingredients to be bone healthy and then we're actually using every single bit of our purchase or "slaughter"..whichever the case may be. Vitamins and minerals are water soluble and we lose so much when we boil vegetables and meats and just throw the water away.....but not with soup.  Those nutrients are the soup!!!These nutrients are returned to us in a simple, yummy, digestible way! These very same nutrients help build our cells and give us the ability to renew and heal all parts of us!!!

The recipe is easy:

Use a large pot or crock pot
Add bones. (chicken, turkey, beef, lamb...)
Add healthy vegetables including the greens.
Add a small piece of liver ( I know, but you won't taste it and it'll add a huge amount of vitamins and minerals)
A dash of white wine or vinegar will get the gelatin from the bones into the soup
Even add pan drippings
Fill with cold water and simmer..............................................................................
Cook on low for 48 hours   The longer it cooks, the more gelatin gets into it!
The soup will be dark and rich and full of healthy "bone fixer".

What you'd normally throw away

Just plain goodness

Yep, that's liver

Looks delish

Looks way better than medicine!!

Pour through a colander, add a dash of salt and if you wish to freeze it... pour through a strainer and keep the broth for next time.

Going Green

My St. Patrick's craft project

A few gold coins, an orange box and a mug full of shamrocks!

Our lucky mantle

I'm embracing the "Change"....we're heading out of Valentine red and pink into St Patty's green and orange!

The wearin' of the green

Bailee's cottage tree

We all have a different idea of St. PATRICK (from Sponge Bob)

Lovin' the green!

The "Old" Days

Who doesn't need a good "pick me up" on a cold, Monday morning. This will do the trick........until you realize that you're no longer the ones on the bench but the old geezer in the car.  I had a 1964 Chevy Impala convertible (45 years ago).  I've been tossing around the idea of buying a brand new one next year...for old time's sake and to celebrate it's 50th anniversary. Lots of good times in that ole Chevy! I remember boys in the backseat and babies in the front (no, one didn't produce the other).  We survived without seat belts and car seats.....and we could search our pockets for gas money and and still have enough left over to buy some burgers at Carroll's. Our attention wasn't diverted with cell phones and texting and we usually inserted our 8 tracks into the player (if we were lucky enough to have one) before we headed out on the highways.  Top down (on the car, of course), Woolly Bully blasting through the speaker (only one) and usually a scarf holding our bouffant hairdos in place. Those were definitely...The Good Old Days!!!!

Wright or Wrong

Is the work of Steven Wright......Wrong?  Thinking is one of my favorite pastimes. I actually think it should be a worthy subject taught at all levels of education.  I think it's actually what's wrong with the world.  We have doers, we need more thinkers.  Unfortunately many of the doers seldom think beforehand! I think one of my favorite things about Bailee (among the thousands) is she actually does think..Occasionally she is assisted by the thinking chair in her classroom or even the time out stool at Grandmas but nonetheless it facilitates thinking......and it works!
This morning I like the thinking of Steven Wright and I'm sharing....it's Friday and my thinker is tired.

                    The Work Of Steven Wright

If you're not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he's the famous erudite scientist who once said: "I woke up one morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen and replaced by exact duplicates". His mind sees things differently than most of us do. Here are some of his gems:

1 - I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.

2 - Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back.

3 - Half the people you know are below average.

4 - 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

5 - 82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

6 - A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.

7 - A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

8 - If you want the rainbow, you've got to put up with the rain.

9 - All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand.

10 - The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

11 - I almost had a psychic girlfriend...but she left me before we met.

12 - OK, so what's the speed of dark?

13 - How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?

14 - If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

15 - Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

16 - When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

17 - Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.

18 - Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.

19 - I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

20 - If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

21 - Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

22 - What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

23 - My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."

24 - Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?

25 - If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

27 - Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

28 - The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.

29 - To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research. ( just ask the VP......and me, today))

30 - The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.. (♥)

31 - The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.

32 - The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on it.

33 - Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film. (love this one)

34 - If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights 

And One of my new favorites from Sandy Right is: If your 1 a day vitamin bottle directs you to take 2 daily...is that an oxymoron?

OK...here's # 26 (did you think it was missing?) and my Friday way of thinking.....

26 - A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking!

                                    Happy Week-end all ♥

My Valentine

Just change the "she's to he's" and this is my favorite  love song... 34 years ago today we brought Jeff home! I remember it like it was yesterday.  Wendell and Nancy usually headed south before this date but they waited to meet their newest grandson.  It was quite a day for friends and family to stop and meet the newest "Hatfield!"  Sleeping with his little "heart on" he definitely stole ours that day♥  Every year since, on Gotcha Day, he's received a Valentine basket, bag or box of goodies from us to celebrate not only Valentine's Day but him!  He called to thank me for this year's box and remarked how times have changed.  "I used to get candy and games and lots of toys, this year's box held muscinex, vitamins and mustard!"  That was then and this is now but he'll always be "My Valentine♥"

Jeff, wearing a little heart, on Gotcha Day......1979

More change....

I heard this last night.... Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes.........Unfortunately I didn't hear this on the SOTU message but rather, The Following....(A creepy, had you at hello, weekly suspense drama!) Regardless, it's a statement with merit.....whomever uttered it.

I've talked before about change, about the demise of printed news and about the joys of small town living.  This morning all three were wrapped in a nice 32" package for the patrons of Barb's Diner, our local (Locke) diner.  Since we no longer have a printed Post Standard each morning, we're still able to gather the local news at the counter and the state and world news on the TV.  No need to wonder about the weather either.....just turn to the weather channel or CNY Central and we're in the know!

It's a comfort place that serves comfort food and we're just plain treated to comfort.  Our table provides our own mugs (with no hassle), we ask for strange breakfast concoctions (with no hassle) and now we even have a ringside seat to morning TV!!  If someone doesn't show up at their table at their usual time or day, we all worry...that's just the kind of place it is.  Lucky us!!

Honestly, Abe:-)

                                    Happy Birthday Abe !!

The 16th president of the United States was born on the morning of Sunday, February 12, 1809, in a one-room, 16x18-foot, log cabin with a dirt floor. Called Sinking Spring Farm, the land was situated near Hodgenville, Kentucky. Abe's father, Thomas, was a farmer and carpenter, and his mother, Nancy, was a seamstress. His sister, Sarah, was 2 at the time. Abraham was named after his paternal grandfather. A complete time line of Lincoln's life is posted at The History Place. In addition to his more famous achievements, Lincoln is the only U.S. president to have received a U.S. patent, for something he described in this way: "A new and improved manner of combining adjustable buoyant air chambers with a steamboat or other vessel for the purpose of enabling their draught of water to be readily lessened to enable them to pass over bars, or through shallow water, without discharging their cargoes." 

I'm anxiously waiting until the movie "Lincoln" is out on DVD.  There have been lots of Lincoln/Seward stories floating around locally since the movie's release.  One interesting tidbit is that Lincoln's wife, Mary, journeyed to Moravia for seances. I should have purchased a Ouija Board so we could celebrate in Abe and Mary fashion tonight.....(it's not too late) Once I finally see the movie, I think I'll journey to the Seward House in Auburn again.  I can't remember if I went with one of the kid's classes or if it was really 52 years ago when I was there last. It's sad that it's taken me 1/2 a century to appreciate history.  I'm going to try and make it fun for Bailee.....maybe we need to wear top hats and beards for supper tonight.... Afterall:

“ In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.

It’s the life in your years.”

–Abraham Lincoln (1809–65)

The EAGLE has landed..

Sitting proudly in their nest

getting ready to take flight

 I never would have dreamed that the eagle's nest was so close to us.  For some reason I was sure they were living on waterfront property along the inlet but assumed it was much farther toward the lake.  You know what assuming does?  Their home is very near the ice cream shop (Dee Dees) and therefor just out of sight from my porch.  When the leaves return in the spring, their maternity ward (hopefully) will no longer be a vantage point for nosey neighbors.  Never fear, short of building a tree house, I will find a new perch to pursue picture taking!
I am always excited when birds flock around my feeders and I enjoy them all from chickadees to pileated woodpeckers. I even marvel at the avian cycle of life.  I have seen a bird abducted by a hawk from a front porch feeder, the instant evidence of a red hawk's fly in breakfast (that put the entire dove population in "mourning") and the daybreak discovery of a mutilated red tailed hawk on our smoke house. After a little CSI, in the nearby woods. death by owl was our COD...Who says karma isn't everywhere..even in the bird world!
Last year's discovery of our two (maybe 3) eagles has lightened our wallets with the purchase of prime field glasses and a new 200X zoom camera.  If only my excitement would allow these old, arthritic, hands to calmly and steadily photograph my subjects, I'd have clearer photos to share. I promise I will practice with my new equipment so I can document these lovely creatures.

One has left the nest and sitting to the right

Getting ready to take flight..wings spread

Have I ever mentioned how much I love living here?

A Numbers Game....

Life sure is a numbers game.  Today at Millard Fillmore Elementary school they're celebrating the 100th day of school.  Well actually the 99 & 1/2 day of school as the early dismissal notice just went out.  Everybody's heading home at 1 o'clock because a storm is heading our way.  The huge totals for our area are 4-8 inches.....OH MY!  It didn't seem like a big issue when we got that a few times earlier this winter.  Unless you recently moved here from Belize, it's just another upstate, winter day.  The groundhog didn't see his shadow so an early spring is right around the corner...Not even 6 more weeks of winter....yeah right!  The grocery stores are buzzing and the gas stations are guzzling (even at prices nearing $4 per gallon) and the chatter is all about the big storm of the century....just how many big storms of the century can one century have?  The National Weather Service has dubbed this blinger, "Nemo"...yep, that adorable, harmless, little orange and white fish....oooooo he's so scary. If you wanted to frighten us with the storm's propensity, why not call it Sasquatch or Orca?  It does look a bit more ominous on the coast... 1-2 feet out there...........but we're not out there.  We're right here in little ole upstate NY where by morning we might have donut making parking lots, neighbors shoveling their walks, walking their dogs and the hardier among us out for their daily jog. Tomorrow will be just another day here in Motown....If there were school, it'd be day 101 with 79 more to go:-)  Just another number:-)

Cost of Living

February is the time of year when the cost of living goes up....at least mine.  It's chilly, often snowing and not exactly sit on the porch and read weather.  It's the time of year when the wheels in my head start to turn a little faster......time to conjure up a project.  Projects cost money..at least mine always do.  It starts out as a little do it yourself task that almost always turns into writing a check to somebody for something that we all said we could do ourselves!!  As I mentioned yesterday, I'm contemplating a puppy...I know, they pee, poop, puke and shed.....but so does Lee and he's still here!  I'm mulling over other critters.... we've discussed cows, pigs, goats and even alpacas.  We may have jointly moved to the option of turkeys, ducks and pheasants.  The larger species would have needed living quarters and as much as I loved decorating the cottage, I decided that a new barn size shed might be cost prohibitive.  I would love the fresh milk (to go with my fresh eggs) but I don't think I could ever eat the giver itself....especially if it had a name, nuzzled me even once and I had brushed or petted even part of it.  So we're back to fowl! I guess I can live with the circle of life in that species.
But...maybe I should do a different type of project....like maybe a swim spa or a hot tub.  I ruled out the pool..been there done that but a nice little warm, swirling oasis in the back yard sounds very tempting................................till I found the price of the spa.... Just exactly what I want.......................when I win the lottery.
I can't believe that I have even entertained the idea of remodeling anything in the house.  Holy cow, we've yet to have our 5th anniversary here and I want to change something? Ya think?  Why I didn't put 2 more sliding door panels along the west wall is a question I ask myself every time we sit down to a meal....or in this house twice a week !!! We love watching the falls, the turkeys, the deer, the squirrels and the birds so why did I not think we'd also like to watch them during meals?  My bad! (did I really just type that?)  The main bathroom is big enough for a bowling lane and has a bathtub that fits a munchkin. Another great architectural marvel...Who designed this place anyway? Oh, that'd be me:-( I see one of those walk in spa tubs that accommodate old folks in the near future.
We do need a carport of sorts as the garage serves as not only a port for my car but home to a mini kitchen, animal food storage, freezer area and space to keep picnic tables, and all other amenities that need cold storage......Lee's truck, therefore..remains in the cold. cold storage area....outside!
So those are on my "what's next" list.  You can see that nothing is free and without it's negative side. Everybody says I should just head south and forget staying here in the cold and snow but I'm thinking that would really affect my COLA (cost of living allowance.) Naaa, I'll just stay here, the place I love most and plan my next move.As Hannibal Smith would say:

Shhhhh

                        I'm thinking about becoming a dog whisperer....Shopping today! Shhhhhhhh

It's Over :-(

If you're not a football fan, hit the X !  Today I know how those afflicted with bi-polar issues deal with life.  I retired last night with a bit of football euphoria surrounding my every move...even party clean up wasn't a chore as I reveled in the victory of my Baltimore Ravens.  (well almost all of them...I'm not a Ray Lewis fan and the only good part of his story is that he's retired and we shouldn't have to hear the hur-Ray story before, during and after each Baltimore game next season.) This morning, however I'm bummed!  It's actually over:-( but as some do on December 26th with Christmas, I am already doing in preparation for September 5th @ 8:35 p.m. o NBC. Yep, that's the official beginning to the NFL's 2013/14 season.The Ravens will take the field to defend their title....(Lewis-less:-) Here are some things to look forward to when we kick off !

The international craziness will still be in swing this season - Two games will be played in Wembley Stadium in London and the Bills will return, per their renewed contract, to Toronto. Can't really see the cost effectiveness of the travel but who am I to question.....as long as they're playing!
The 49ers not only said good bye to a championship last night but will only have one more year to play in the infamous Candlestick Park. In 2014, they're off to Santa Clara.  The Vikings will end their play at the Metrodome this season too. They'll settle in for a couple years at the home of the Golden Gophers while their new stadium is being built.  Who said there isn't money in pro football??
All new media contracts will end this season but changes are nil...CBS will still carry the AFC games, FOX the NFC package, Sunday Night, Football Night in America will still be seen on NBC and ESPN will air 17 Monday Night games.  Those NFL Network games just frustrate me as I only have online access to them and it's just not the same:-(
Coaching faces will change!! Another NFL record was set with the firing of 7 head coaches and 5 general managers in one day. That could actually be a very good thing.  My Buffalo Bills may have been resuscitated with the addition of Doug Marrone...we'll see.

April will bring the NFL draft.  Not sure how Manti T'eo will make out (maybe with an imaginary team)..stay tuned...August will send me running for the latest edition of the Fantasy Football Guide.Maybe I'll be fortunate enough to actually compile a team that stays healthy.Before you know it, it'll be February 2nd and we'll all be focusing on the Big Apple (Ok New Jersey) and Super Bowl XLVIII. I can't wait!!

The Change....

I'm really not ready for "the change."  No, not that one....the change from by-products of trees to living in the "cloud!" I'm trying so gracefully (as best I can do graceful) to adapt to so many things in the past few years.  This week's death is sad.  I received my very last printed edition of Newsweek magazine and the local Post Standard is scaling back to printing a paper ..paper just 3 days a week. How will I know more than just headlines of what's happening in the world, USA, state or towns, how will I keep my mind exercised if I don't do the morning Jumble and who/what will keep me company in the bathroom?  I won't know the price of a barrel of oil, what Aries folks are supposed to look forward to or steer clear of each day, who died, went bankrupt or started a new business or if there's even the slightest chance I may make money on my Face Book stock and then there's my Sport's section.... On the other hand, I will be saving $3.00 as I seldom bought a Sunday edition unless it was just before Black Friday.

Change is difficult for old people!  Bailee explained that to me the other day.  I'm trying hard to adapt. I have a Kindle..actually I have two Kindles but I also have a sad library.  I really think my books have banded together during the nighttime and formed a literary sad face.  No one new has joined them in over a year.  I actually went to get a book for a friend and realized that I hadn't even purchased it in hardcover.  It was on my Kindle and floating in my "cloud" but was no longer...a book! Now I was sad:-(
I'm trying to change with the times. Necessity has pushed me a bit. I have been forced to file some business taxes online as well as pay for them directly from a bank account.  I literally thought I would throw up the first time I typed in my account numbers and lingered over the submit button for what seemed like hours....I think it actually was hours before I dared press it.
I think the saying "The more things change, the more they stay the same" is still true. The proverb makes the observation that turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.  After all, a chair make look differently in 2013 than it did in 1813 but it's still a chair. I'm trying to convince myself that although a book's looks may be changing, it's still a book.  It will still enlighten me, challenge me, teach me and entertain me.  It may live in a different place but thankfully one of those places is my mind....Mind over matter.....If I can just get over the issue of having no issues......I will no longer mind and it will no longer matter....   (I'm just such an old dog!)