It was cold but still warmer than the past few days, with a sprinkling of new snow that was melted off the driveway/roads by the time Church was over. Sunday School went well – Cody and Jackson were setting up blocks like dominos (Although they didn’t know what dominos were!). They did very well with their craft papers, and devoured the snacks. I took them some of the chocolate covered pretzels I had made and Max thought he had won the lottery! He loved them!

We had a guest speaker this morning, and he talked about ‘Rated R’ – Biblical instruction for maturing readers. The main point was that whatever fills you is obvious, and controls your actions and conversation. What we feed grows. We should be watching out for each other, and ask ‘How’s your Heart?’ We need to use our resources; acknowledge that God’s instructions are required; expect results; anticipate rewards.

Deb lent me her collection of DVD’s for Anne of Green Gables. I had some quiet work to do so I stuck the first one in after lunch. Trouble is, my DVD remote broke about a year ago, and if you shut it off in the middle of a movie you have to start at the beginning. So that isn’t good. Ugh.

Mid- afternoon I went over to Kathy’s, and we made some reservations for motel rooms for our Biltmore trip in April. We also got our tickets to tour Biltmore. It sounds like a small step, but it took over 2 hours! Paul ordered Fox’s pizza which was yummy. Thanks, Paul!

Today is Autmn’s 21st birthday. I haven’t talked to her but I know they had plans for this afternoon at 814 Lanes and Games. Nate was watching Cameron for them. She’s coming up tomorrow so I can get all the details (and baby hugs) then.

Calendar trivia (from my Sunday School calendar):

Birthdays, etc, for January 21st: 1824 – Stonewall Jackson; 1940 – Jack Nicklaus, American golfer; 1942 – Mac Davis, American country singer; 1921 – Agatha Christie’s first novel published;

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW January 22nd is:

National Polka Dot Day; National Sanctity of Human Life Day; Celebration of Life Day; National Blonde Brownie Day.

“It was an itsy bitsy, teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini…” God bless…

The sun was at least out this morning which made getting up feel a little cheery. I changed and washed the sheets and had breakfast. I needed fortification of hot tea to brave the outdoors.

It was cold outside but I was busy and didn’t feel it too much. Once I finished my driveway I saw my neighbor Karen out doing hers. Her husband is the one who was so sick right before Christmas and is very limited in his activities. So I went over and helped her clear off hers.

Then I saw my neighbor across the street cleaning off her car and driveway. Her husband (Mr. G) just had rotator cup surgery yesterday so he’s out of commission. I went over and helped her before coming in. A hot shower felt good, then a cup of hot tea and a cookie and a few chapters in my current read.

I did laundry, made some notes on my writing project, and did more research. Then I bundled up (differently) and buzzed over to Dollar Tree and Walmart. Bought 6 items total! Including bacon. Tomorrow I will make a breakfast sandwich with fresh rolls, eggs, and bacon. Once I finish this I will make supper – probably leftover potato soup! I’m all ready for my Sunday school lesson – Moses.

Oh, and I saw a post that Mary’s friend shared on their cruise. They had a towel animal in their room, and stickers on their door. It was cozy warm, but freezing and windy on the deck. The further south they get I’m sure it will be balmy and warm!

Trivia: Today gave us a listing of categories for grocery shopping. It wouldn’t work for me. But it’s a good idea.

Birthdays, etc for January 20th: 1930 – Buzz Aldrin, astronaut; 1961 – JFK sworn in as the youngest president; 2015 – HAMILTON premiers;

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW January 21st is:

National Hyaluronic Acid Day; National Granola Bar Day; National Hugging Day; Squirrel Appreciation Day.

I can honestly say I’ve never appreciated a squirrel. Hugging is very therapeutic so I recommend that for tomorrow! It’s also Autmn’s 21st birthday so we WILL celebrate! God bless…

We got up this morning to SNOW. It was heavy and a challenge to shovel. Nate txt me that he would come help after he took Chris to work at 2pm. So I busied myself doing laundry, writing, research and some cleaning.

Of course Nate made short work of helping clear everything off. We finished the driveway, the back steps and deck, and the front deck and walk.

I wasn’t inside very long when it got dusk and started to snow again! Big fluffy flakes that covered everything! So I guess in the morning I’ll have to get out there again!

Autmn is going to her mom’s tomorrow, so I won’t see them until Monday. I’m looking forward to THAT! I am glad, however, that they are tucked in safe at home (as I am!) and not out in this. The roads could not be clear.

The answer to yesterday’s trivia is:

Here’s today’s health tip: Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, and exhale through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeat this pattern three more times.

Birthdays, etc, for January 19th: Today is my friend Lynne V’s birthday – happy birthday Lynne – miss you!; 1807 – Robert E Lee; 1809 Edgar Allen Poe; 1939 – Phil Everly (Everly Brothers – singers); 1943 – Janis Joplin, singer; 1946 Dolly Parton – did you know there is a Little Golden Book about her life? I saw it at Walmart yesterday; 1953 – Desi Arnaz Jr.; 1982 – Jodie Sweetin, actress – Full House and Hallmark.

PEANUTS Thought for the day:

TOMORROW January 20th is:

National Use Your Gift Card Day; National Cheese Lover’s Day; National Disc Jockey Day; National Buttercrunch Day.

I used to love Dunkin’ Donut’s Buttercrunch donuts. They call them something else now. I should do some research on that. Yum! God bless…

It was nice to wake up to no new snow, and to temps that weren’t -9 through the night. The sunrise was beautiful – and my friend Angie posted one, as well. I was the first one at work – like in FOREVER – and had to wait for Sir Rege to get there. I finished in Jeannette quickly but Rege was working alone until noon, and was moving cars on the lot in preparation for tomorrow’s snowfall, so I stayed and answered the phone.

I stopped at Dollar Tree and picked up a few greeting cards, then went to my chiropractor appointment. Joe and I worked together on a few projects after that and then I headed home. Di txt me to pick up a few items from her, so I grabbed lunch and handled that. When I got home, I swept out the garage, wiped the floor mats in the car, and then came inside and made hot tea.

I have A Biltmore Christmas playing in the background. I sure hope that it becomes available on DVD. A few of my favorites have never been offered. Surely it will!

Calendar trivia: There are two ducks in front of a duck; two ducks behind a duck, and a duck in the middle. How many ducks are there? Answer tomorrow!

Birthdays, etc, for January 18th: 1782 – Daniel Webster; 1882 – A A Milne (author of Winnie the Pooh books); 1892 Oliver Hardy (Laurel and Hardy comedy team); 1904 – Cary Grant, actor; 1911- Danny Kaye – actor (White Christmas); 1955- Kevin Costner (actor).

PEANUTS thought of the day:

TOMORROW January 19th is: National Popcorn Day.

I still have some chocolate covered popcorn left. So I’m set. God bless…

Let’s try this again, for yesterday! I had the entire post done, with photos and color and add-ons, and the internet went out, the site crashed, and I lost everything. So I’ll recap yesterday and then share today.

I knew when I got up yesterday to a cloudy, cold, snowy day that I would not have to go in to work. The guys were all focused on plowing the lot and cleaning off all the cars. I bundled up and forced myself to go out and clean off my own driveway. There was a lot more snow than it looked like.

I had several small projects to get done, including to organize the cords behind my computer desk and wipe the floor. I finally got through to Xfinity tech and they were sending someone out Wednesday. So I was ready! But the whole day was frustrating, and the internet did not stay on, so I spent most of the day watching DVD’s. I ended up watching Under the Tuscan Sun.

When the sun came out and the roads were salted and clear I zipped over to Walmart for some groceries. My milk had expired on January 1st! I got exactly what was on my list and no one extra thing. That seldom happens. But I came home and made Cream of Potato soup – perfect for the cold day – and settled in for the evening.

Today I was up early and getting organized for the service technician. He was early! That was exciting. He checked the modem signal and it was weak, several times over. He checked all the connections and looked for the junctions in the ceiling. Every time he took out a tile it rained that little sheetrock stuff all over everything! But today was cleaning day so no sweat!

Chrissy txt me about noon and asked for a ride to Autmn’s. She was missing Cameron (I am too!) and was going to help Autmn with some projects. I picked Chris up about 1:30, then got Hope (who lives a few blocks from Autmn) and dropped them off. I still felt like I shouldn’t be baby cuddling yet so I dropped them off with instructions for them to send me pictures. Here are a few of the ones I got!! The good thing was that I got in the car in the garage and never got out of the car until I pulled back in the garage!

If the weather holds out I will bring them up for a visit on Friday; if not, then Saturday. Autmn’s 21st birthday is Sunday so we can celebrate!

Trivia: If you have a job that requires sitting for most of the day, try to stand up and move around every thirty minutes.

Birthdays, etc, for January 17th: 1706 – Benjamin Franklin; 1829 – Catherine Booth, co-founder of the Salvation Army; 1899 – Al Capone; 1922 – Betty White; 1933 – Sheri Lewis (Lamb Chop’s mom!); 1964 – First Lady Michelle Obama; 1971 – Kid Rock.

PENAUTS Thought for the day:

TOMORROW January 18th is:

Get To Know Your Customers Day; National Michigan Day; National Thesaurus Day; National Peking Duck Day; National Winnie The Pooh Day.

Winnie the Pooh is great – let’s celebrate him! Have a wonderful day and watch out for the snow. Will we really get more? God bless…

My internet keeps popping off – for long periods – and won’t save my settings. So I have a tech coming tomorrow and will post then! God bless~~~

Even though it was very cold this morning there was no snow or wind. It made getting up for work just a tad easier. I did dress warmly, in layers, and was super glad I have a garage! The Jeep was smiling!

When I got to Greensburg, there was a little bird inside the showroom! We were going to take a picture of him, but when I opened the door he escaped. I felt bad because we did want a photo before he went home to mamma. This was the kind he was. Very cute and small. Ken picked him right up!

When I mentioned to Ken about my printer issues he did a quick research and told me what to look for. He also fixed my password issue on my Comcast account! So that was good to go. I stopped at Best Buy on the way home but I was there 15 minutes and no one came over to help me. So, on to Walmart! The guy there was very helpful, in that he not only helped with what I needed but also with what I knew I didn’t need! I bought a Canon (brand I had before). I plan to take the other ink that I just bought (unopened) back and exchange it for what the new printer will take.

I had some rearranging to do as the printer now didn’t make sense up on the shelf on the desk. You couldn’t read the screen. I also was able to disable and remove the old printer and connect the new one, but it would not set up. I had been talking back and forth with Mark about some trailer titles and mentioned my issues. He popped over and within five minutes had everything done! I was so grateful! Electronics stifle me! I was ready to take a bridge! Now everything is set up!

Next step will be supper. I’m not really hungry but I’ll find something small.

Answer to yesterday’s quiz was – 2004. Today is a quote: Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King Jr.

Birthdays, etc, for January 15th: Joan of Arc – 1412; 1906 Aristotle Onassis; 1929 Martin Luther King Jr.; 1951 Charo; In 1974 HAPPY DAYS premiered (11 year run);

PEANUTS Thought for the day:

TOMORROW January 16th is:

National Nothing Day; National Without a Scalpel Day; National Religious Freedom Day; National Fig Newton Day.

Nothing! OK! God bless…

I was glad I had opted to stay in again today. I still am dealing with a productive cough although much less intense. And there was a coating of snow on the driveway. After I got a shower and had breakfast, I bullied myself into clearing off the incline section of my driveway, and throwing salt. The sun was bright, temps were still in the 20’s, and no wind. It didn’t take very long and I wasn’t even cold. Then when I came in and changed, I noticed that the rest of the driveway had melted itself! Go figure!

I then got inspired to bake a batch of cookies. Not sure why. It took me hours. While they were cooling I got the meatloaf in the oven and it’s still baking. That will be supper today and tomorrow and Tuesday and….

Christina and Hope were outside yesterday and took a picture of a snowflake on Chrissy’s sweater! I don’t know how they did that! Chrissy loves her photography and does a great job. Look at the detail of that little flake!

Today’s trivia is: What year was Facebook created? Answer tomorrow!

Birthdays for January 14th: Mark Anthony – 83BC; Benedict Arnold 1741; Faye Dunaway – actress, 1941; LL Cool J – rapper 1968; In 1952 TODAY Show premieres; in 1960 Elvis was promoted to Sergeant.

PEANUTS thought for the day:

TOMORROW January 15th is:

National Bagel Day; National Martin Luther King Jr Day; National Strawberry Ice Cream day; National Hat Day.

So… have a bagel, with strawberry ice cream, and wear your hat! And maybe you have the day off in respect for M L King Jr. God bless…

This is the first time since the pandemic that I have stayed inside so many days in a row, and have not done any projects or been busy all day. I continue to feel better hourly but the motivation and energy is lacking. So I’m binge-watching HOME TOWN TAKEOVER with Ben and Erin Napier, sneezing, and drinking lots of liquids.

This morning the sun was shining with an intense brightness and reflecting off my bedroom wall. It didn’t last long. Within the hour the day has turned gray, spitting snow flurries almost like clouds. Again, I stayed in. I did force myself to walk up for the mail – junk mail, of course!

Now if I only had a cook, I would probably order up something tantalizing and yummy and devour it slowly and happily. Alas, I will probably have leftover soup and a muffin!

Calendar trivia is a tongue twister: Top chopstick shops stock top chopsticks. Go figure….

Birthdays, etc, for January 13th: 1979 – Jill Wagner, American Actress (Hallmark); 1930 – Mickie Mouse comic strip first appears; 1962- Chubby Checker’s THE TWIST goes #1.

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW January 14th is:

National Sunday Supper Day; Ratification Day; National Dress up your Pet Day; National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day.

I should tell Jen to dress up Piggy Smalls! THAT would be cute… God bless...

What a day – feels like OZ out there. We’re not in Kansas anymore!

Although I still have a ways to go I feel much improved. Still coughing and sneezing and my neck and shoulders ache, but I am breathing easier and resting well. It’s boring being sick! So many things I want to do and here I sit! So I’ll catch up tomorrow and hopefully have something exciting to report.

Before signing off I need to send a big birthday wish to my favorite Skunk Hollow Cousin who’s name starts with a ‘B’! Happy birthday Beth! Hope your day was happy and warm and that those around you made you feel loved and special, which you are! Sending love and hugs! And blessings!

And also happy birthday to her daughter Sabrina! Hope your day was happy and bright! Love you!

Calendar trivia: Plan your meals each week to avoid overspending on groceries.

Birthdays etc for January 12th: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (developed Transcendental Meditation and was actually a friend of the Beach Boys!) born 1918. In 1966 BATMAN debuts. 1995 OJ Simpson trial begins.

PEANUTS Thought of the day:

TOMORROW January 13th is:

Korean American Day; National Sticker Day; National Vision Board Day; Stephen Foster Memorial Day; National Peach Melba Day; National Rubber Duckie Day.

Ernie from Sesame Street loved his rubber duckie. I used to be the sticker lady at work – I had a box of them and the kids would come in to see me and make pictures! Have a great Saturday. God bless…