Finally, I think

Well, it seems that the snowy weather and the bitter cold we've had since early December is finally taking its leave of our area. Predictions are for our temperatures to rise to the mid-50s next week. We haven't seen the mid-50s since late October. Basically we went from summer to winter, as far as temperatures go. And the fall leaves were not very colorful. Now, however, I'm looking forward to the warmer temperatures.

Oh, I love the snow. I really do. But this year I found out that I don't like the cold as much as I thought I did. And you have to have cold to have snow. The cold has done terrible things to my joints, and have laid me low on more than one occasion these past few months. My doctor agreed with me, the best place for me to be in the winter is either in Arizona or Florida or the part of Texas that didn't get the cold winter blasts this year. Were there any areas of Texas that were spared?

Well, my spending December through February in warmer climes is not going to happen. So, I'll have to wrap up again next winter and stay indoors.

Happy days are here again as I notice that there are more minutes of daylight. In the morning there is a dim light in the east around 7 a.m. becoming full sun by 8 a.m. Yeah! And, in the evening, we have light until after 6 p.m., even on cloudy days. So the extra 3-4 minutes per day of added sunlight is becoming more evident each and every day and I'm loving it.

The only drawback is that I'm used to cooking dinner in the dark, not the light, and so our dinners are getting later and later. I'll catch up in April, I suppose. I do every year.

Tonight is our annual Valentine dinner for the community. It isn't just for couples. The whole community is invited and lots of singles enjoy the dinner along with the couples. The social committee sets the tables with our good china and silver and stemware and we enjoy an evening with our neighbors and each other (Alan and I).

I suppose that other than noticing that the weather is improving and the hours of daylight are expanding, the week has been rather dull. I'm certain it's my fault. In trying to keep off my feet and minimize the pain in the joints, I really haven't done much this week except to make sure the valentine cards for the grands were written out and mailed. They should get them today or tomorrow.

TTFN from a room in which the temperature hasn't gone higher than 60 degrees all winter. The heat needs a boost from a space heater, which I do have in my office, but mostly forget to turn it on until I'm ready to leave the room. Senior brain drain -- that all I can say.

Birthday #2

Today is my oldest grandchild's birthday. Happy birthday Shandon.

Alan and I went over to visit with Shandon, and the rest of the family. We didn't stay real long, but it sure was nice to see the grandchildren -- 6 of them -- again. The baby, Jack, is very shy, but today he let me get close and actually touch him. I even got him to giggle. Wow!

Ellie ran up to her grandfather and gave him a great, big hug. That made Alan's day. I got and gave hugs to the birthday boys (I finally got Jonah's gift to him, two weeks late). And I got hugs from Toria and Adam. I love grandchildren hugs. They don't hurt, not even the big one from Shandon.

It was quite chilly outdoors, and it was snowing most of the time we were out and about. Af, ter the rain yesterday washed most of the snow away, now we've got another covering. We still have mounds of snow all over our property, just to make sure I remember that it's still winter. Well, the darkness reminds me of that fact. I don't need any more cold or snow to remind me.

We also went to see The King's Speech. I enjoyed the movie very much, but I had seen something similar on PBS a couple of years ago, so the subject matter wasn't new to me. I did enjoy it, though, and so did Alan. Next week maybe we'll go see, True Grit, the remake. I don't know if it will compare favorably with the original one with John Wayne. I mean, how can someone else play Rooster Cogburn? I'm told by my children that have seen it, and by other folks that it's really good. However, these folks have never seen the one with John Wayne. In fact, the younger ones asked, "Who?"

And, of course, I forgot my camera!

ttfn

35 plus winters

Alan and I have lived in the Cincinnati, Ohio area for 35 and 1/2 years and have lived through 35 and 1/2 winters. And this winter is really not much different from the first 35.

On the third weekend of January we are blasted with cold, cold air, and usually snow. Sometimes it's a lot of snow, usually, just enough to be a nuisance and a school-closer for one day.

This year is no exception. It's cold outside, and therefore, it's cold inside. You see, we have a heat pump and heat pumps are designed to work most efficiently (I am told) between 25 and 85 degrees F). Forget about 0 degrees or even 10 degrees. So, we have small space heaters and they are keeping us warm in our offices and our bedroom.

I remember when we first moved to Cincinnati, and were going through our first winter, I was amazed when I went to church on the third weekend in January and was told that the outside temperature was nine degrees below zero and would be warming up to three below. I have never been in below zero temperatures before, I don't think. Maybe once. New Jersey from whence I came, didn't have Winters that cold. New Jerseyians complained when the temperature got below 20. But this winter (1975) was the first winter we experience such cold, and then the next few winters were even colder.

In the mid-'80s global warming hit and we didn't get much below 10 degrees above freezing. A real balmy winter. Then again in the early '90s we went through another spate of below zero days. This year? It's [the tempearture] hovering around the zero degree mark and has been for many days since the beginning of December. Tonight? We might get down to below zero. But the wind child is way down there already.

Fortunately, I can stay inside and keep my heater pointed at me in order to keep warm.

Right now I'm going to get into bed with a couple of down quilts on top of me. I'll be really warm for a while, anyway. More snow on its way for tomorrow, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. That's as far out as they go with our weather future. Yippee!


ttfn

Happy birthday Jonah

Jonah Stamper is 9 years old today. He is my youngest child's (Cyndi's) middle child, sort of. He was her fourth. And he is the sweetest, most affable child ever. He always has a smile on his face, and even if he doesn't he has smiling eyes, so he looks like he's smiling even if he isn't.

He looks like his mom and therefore, he's very, very cute -- I have to say cute because he's too young to be handsome like his big brother. And he's a boy so I can say he's pretty or beautiful like his mother. So, I'll leave it at cute. Judge for yourself from the picture.

ttfn

I did it again.

How dumb can I be. I picked out a color for my hair -- second trial -- and yuck. Last time it was too light and too yellow. This time it's too dark and red. Next time? Maybe I'll get it right. Meanwhile, I'm stuck with dark red hair, sort of this color. I don't like it. Alan doesn't like it. But it didn't look this dark in the salon, and when I picked it out it didn't have any red in it at all.

So next month's trip -- and it might be sooner, rather than later -- hopefully, I'll get it right. A little lighter. I think I need some platinum strips in it and it will be fine. I don't want blond, I don't want dark red, I want a nice comfortable shade of light brown, no red, no yellow. Is that too hard to get? If it is, I'll just go back to my old self and become a blue-haired old lady again.

I have to admit that the darker color does shed off the years, but as Alan says, "It just isn't you."

He like the previous color, but I didn't. We'll keep at it until we get it right.

Ta-ta for now.

Today is Sunday, right?

Wrong. It's Saturday. But all day I was thinking it was Sunday. I don't know why, but I suspect it was because my son came over to watch football with his father, and he always does that on a Sunday, except this time -- he came over on a Saturday.

And while I was waiting for him to arrive I was wondering why my sister didn't call me. Duh! She calls me on Sunday, and today is Saturday.

Also, I usually do grandchildren on Sundays, and David joined me today for a cooking lesson. He's good at it, too! But, I had to remind myself that it wasn't Sunday.

And finally, I was waiting for Iron Chef America to come on. Duh! That's on Sunday, not Saturday.

TODAY IS SATURDAY. Well, the 13 minutes that are left of it.

check out updated Runnemede Remembered

ttfn

A little late -- Family Christmas party

Read this part last......
This is Rachel with her Ariel doll. She loved it. Does she look happy?
Read this next to last ......

Annie wanted Lincoln Logs. I recall loving to play with my brother's logs when I was a girl. I loved building houses.

Read this FIRST ..... and continue until you see the memo at the bottom to go to the top.

Our annual party was held on Sunday, January 2. We had to schedule around the work schedules of the adults this year.

My son, Phil, pictured here, is smiling. Why is he smiling? Because he has a job that he loves. That's why he's smiling! Also, he just received a gift certificate to Amazon books. He loves books. But he doesn't have a Kindle. A Kindle would certain say him space in his tiny house.

Daniel Ford (Becky's son) just posing, I guess. I have to admit that I didn't take the pictures this year, one of the children did. I also didn't do any editing this year, either. I'm assuming this is just after Dan received his gift, but I'm not sure, because whatever he's holding is hidden.

A group picture. I have the children gather around before we read the account of Jesus' birth from Luke 2. You'll notice that in the center of the picture Rachel is posing. Rachel is always posing. She's a cutie. After I read the account of Christ's birth, I had several games for the children to play. Of course there were lots of prizes. I don't remember which Ford won the money game, but it was definitely a Ford who won. The children sure did put down low amounts this year. There was $18.01 in the coin jar this year. Not bad for only collecting for three months. I didn't get started early in the year keeping change in a can for the coin game, the amount it ususally three times that amount. Maybe next year.

This is a pre-party game of Euchre. Dan really likes this game, as do most of the children, and pop-pop loves it. In fact, Alan (Pop-pop) plays with the community Euchre players each month. He usually loses. This particular day he won. I guess he needs to take some of his grandchildren to the Euchre games with him each month. Odds are he might do better than last.

Grace, Dan, and daddy Quinn (Ford) along with Solomon playing Euchre. We had two tables going.

Okay, now go to the top and read about the first two pictures. I haven't figured out how to put a second grouping into the mix in the order in which I want them to be.


We had a really good time. And Memom (that's me) had a really good, relaxing time as well because I had my friend Tamara serving, making sure the plates were filled, cleaning up, and that the children with sodas sat on the kitchen/dining room floor and not on the carpet -- not that my carpet is that great, but it has to do for a few more years. Anyway, I didn't have to do a thing but enjoy, which was a big plus as far as I was concerned.

Until next year.

TTFN (Christmas)