We Dodged Another Bullet

 Stormageddon started rolling through here at about 9:00 last night, and didn't move out until after 1:00. It was rough here during that time, but fortunately for us, we didn't have any tornadoes near us.  I want to give the county emergency management folks a big thank you for the civil defense sirens they put up about a quarter of a mile from The Compound.  You had no trouble hearing them during the storm.

Now we get to have more less-severe storms throughout the next four days, along with a forecasted 7+ inches of rain.

Stay tuned. 

Batten Down The Hatches Again

 I am sorry to report that once again, the weatherazzi says we will have bad ass storms tonight.  They've bumped our area to the "moderate risk" area.  They said the big storm should start to move through the Ville at around 8:00 tonight and should be on through by midnight.  As if that isn't bad enough, another storm front will move through tomorrow, and it will stay right over our area until Sunday.  The weather models predict a total of about 8 inches of rain between tonight and Sunday.  As I felt on Sunday, I'm more worried about the flooding than I am the risk of tornadoes and hail.  

Stay tuned. 

I Miss You, Mom

 Today was my Sweet Mother's favorite day of the year - April Fools Day.  She would get up before I did in the morning, and be ready to get me.  Usually within two minutes of when I walked into the kitchen, she would get me.  I will attribute that to not being fully awake.  But the pranks would continue all day.  She would always catch me off guard.  She would call me at work a time or two and once again, Naive Puddin would fall for it.  

April Fool's Day hasn't been the same without my Sweet Mother. 

We Dodged A Bullet

 We dodged a big bullet last night.  The first round of bad storms missed us, and the second round hit us but it was earlier than the weatherazzi had predicted.  It was pretty bad for about half an hour, with tornado warnings all around us.  But once again, we were safe here in our little spot close to the Ohio River.  We didn't get any of the big hail, either.  

Now to get ready for the monsoon that is supposed to start Wednesday.  As of yesterday morning, the weatherazzi are predicting 6 - 7 inches of rain.  Wish us luck. 

Batten Down The Hatches

 The weatherazzi is calling for big ass storms tonight.  Unfortunately, the Ville is right in the center of the most severe weather, calling for tornadoes and hail.  In Kansas, this storm has already produced 2.5 inch hail.  Hunker down and remember to keep your cell phone charged up today.  

Flashback Friday

 The Old Man and I were watching an episode of MASH the other day.  Col. Blake's wife mailed him her cancelled checks and check stubs, for him to reconcile the checking account for her. That immediately made me think of what happened to cancelled checks?

Of course, the obvious answer is today's technology.  But I remember back in the day when your bank or credit union would mail you the cancelled checks that you wrote in the previous month.  I realize that there is a generation (or two) today that have no idea what I am talking about.  I can vividly remember my Grandmother and Mother at the kitchen table with their checkbook registers (another thing that has gone by the way) and going over the cancelled checks to reconcile their checking account.  And when I had my first checking account, I did the same thing until everything went online.  Today's generation are lucky to have all of this taken care of for them. 

Play Ball

 Today is the Old Man's favorite day of the year - MLB opening day.  I printed out the Reds schedule for the season in a spreadsheet for him to keep track of the games and more importantly, of their wins and losses.  In keeping with our opening day tradition, we will be wearing Reds t-shirts and have ballpark food for supper: hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn and a good cold beer.   Go Reds. 

Welcome Sunny D

A month ago, our neighbors lost their awesome and gorgeous rooster, Duke.  Things were quiet around The Compound until this morning.  As I was walking out to the garage to leave for my BSF group, I heard a rooster crow.  It sounded very very close. I knew immediately it wasn't from the farm a few houses down.  This afternoon, I was happy to find that one of the neighbor's chickens passed adolescence and is a full-fledged rooster.  His crow was music to my ears.  Welcome, Sunny D.   

Updates From The Compound

 The Old Man is happy today - first, because he is over his nasty cold he had for a week, and second, because MLB opening day is on Thursday.  I just printed out the Reds schedule spreadsheet that he follows every game, and we have provisions for our traditional opening day supper - hot dogs and nachos.  It's on.  Now it's just up to the Reds to win.  

What A Great Day This Is

 What a great day this is!!! First of all, the Old Man is over his cold and feels great.  Second, the sun is shining and no rain in the forecast today.  Thirdly, I got my first Social Security "check" today.  Life is good. 

Updates From The Compound

 I am happy to report once more that the Old Man is feeling and sounding better.  I just asked him and he said that other than feeling drained from being sick this week, he feels pretty good.

An update on my Crazy Daisies pictures:  production is still going strong to build up inventory for the April 12 craft bazaar.  Today's project is to screw in cup hooks on a 3-foot piece of 1-by-4 so I can have a way to display the banners.  Stay tuned. 

Flashback Friday

When I was growing up in the 60's (damn, that sounds old) stores and gas stations in our area would give their customers Top Value stamps.  Some stores here gave out S & H Green stamps, but in keeping with the family tradition, we only saved Top Value.

When Dad would put gas in the car, the attendant handed him Top Value stamps.  When we bought groceries, the cashier would give us stamps from a dispenser that sat beside the cash register.  When Mom and Grandma changed purses, a few Top Value stamps would fall out, stuck to a Kleenax or a Certs wrapper. When I would go with my family to get gas or groceries, if I behaved and didn't act up in the store, I would get the stamps.  That was incentive enough to be on my best behavior.  As soon as we would get home, I would run and get the cigar box from underneath my bed that held the priceless stamp books, and the pasting would begin.  I still remember what was at the top of each page - "Paste one single stamp in each of the fifty blocks on this page or paste one Top Value 50 here."  The coveted 50's!! I usually had singles, but they all added up.  I remember how if I didn't move fast enough, the stamps would start to dry after I licked them, and then I'd have to get the glue. You had to be very careful when using the glue, because it would seep through the little perforations on the stamps and before you knew it, you'd glue the pages together. 

When I thought I had "enough" books, Mom and Grandma would take me to the Top Value catalog store, where I could buy something with my books of stamps.  The store clerk carefully inspected the books, counting points per page to catch any attempts to defraud Top Value.  I still have one item I bought with my books of stamps - a shiny copper cookie press. 

Shopping with stamps wasn't the only way to acquire sixtie's era stuff without paying for it.  We had a set of drinking glasses from the gas station whose value rested on the number of gallons purchased.  At today's prices, they should hand out Bacarat crystal.  And we owned quite a few towels that were included in boxes of Breeze detergent, so happily advertised by Dolly Parton on "The Porter Waggoner Show."  People went after this stuff the way kids paw to the bottom of a box of Cracker Jacks looking for "the prize."

I like remembering that I was once so young that my most immediate goal in life was to fill five books of Top Value stamps.  I'd like for things to be that simple again, even for just a little while. 

Update From The Compound

 I am happy to report that the Old Man is feeling much, much better this morning.  He had a good night's sleep, and even slept in a bit.  More good news to report: so far, I haven't caught his cold. 

Update From The Compound

 It's been a rough week here at The Compound, faithful readers.  The Old Man caught a cold, and has been sneezing and coughing since Monday morning.  I knew he was feeling bad when he willingly and quickly took the first does of cold meds I gave him.  He hasn't had a fever, and I am happy to say his coughing has reduced bigtime since Monday.  As I type this, he is dozing in his recliner.  I hope he will have a good long restful nap. 

Stay tuned. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Top o' the mornin' to you, ladds and lasses!  Here's one of my all-time favorite jokes, that just happens to be an Irish joke.

Paddy O'Bryan was not home at his usual hour, and his wife Kathleen was fuming, as the clock ticked later and later. Finally, about 3:00 AM she heard a noise at the front door, and as she stood at the top of the stairs, there was her husband, drunk as a skunk, trying to navigate the stairs.

"Do you realize what time it is?" she said.

He answered, "Don't get excited, I'm late because I bought something for the house."

Immediately her attitude changed, and as she ran down the stairs to help him, she said, "What did you buy for the house, dear?"

His answered, "A round of drinks!"

Flashback Friday

 As I was working on my bottle cap pictures yesterday, I glanced down at table and saw my glue gun resting in an aluminum pie pan  I couldn't help but think of Gram.  

Heaven forbid if you threw away a pie pan or smaller pot pie pan - she had a special spot in a cabinet for those so she could reuse them.  I would use the small pot pie pan for melting butter on the stove to pour over popcorn.  And if my old memory is right, I'm pretty sure she even washed out and saved aluminum TV dinner trays, too.  I remember her putting leftovers in the trays and putting them in the freezer to make her own TV dinners.  

I know you can still find the aluminum pie pans,  but gone are the days of the pot pie pans and the TV dinner trays.  They were helpful while they lasted. 

Welcome Spring, Not So Much

We have had high pollen alerts here in the Ville for the past three days.  And not surprisingly, for the past three days I have been coughing and sneezing.  I don't have a fever, and last night even used a Covid test and was negative.  So I am chalking this week's ailment to allergies and the pollen.  I don't feel bad - just sneezing and a bit of coughing, thank goodness. 

Stay tuned. 

Update From The Compound

 I am happy to report that it got up to 78 degrees yesterday, with nothing but sunshine.  The weatherazzi is calling for the same today.  I am just happy that there is no snow or rain. 

The Old Man aka The Boss is on me hot and heavy to keep cranking out the painted bottle caps and pictures.  I'm glad he feels spunky enough to encourage me to keep on keeping on on my crafts.  For that, I am happy. 

Update From The Compound

 Unfortunately Neighbor Nick wasn't able to fix our front storm door Friday.  So Saturday morning, he set out to Lowes and then to Home Depot, but they both didn't have the assembly we needed. So he did the next best thing:  Amazon.  He was able to find the locking mechanism that was sticking, and I ordered it and it will be here in a few days and then he will have us ready to go.  In the meanwhile, he put the old mechanism back in.  This means that the door sticks and nobody inside or out can get in, so we are safe.

Stay tuned. And I am still thankful for our great neighbors. 

Easy Like Sunday Morning

 I've been crazy busy the past few days since I amped up my bottle cap flower production to get ready for the craft bazaar in a little over a month.  If I'm not fixing something for us to eat or cleaning up a mess in the kitchen, I'm painting and gluing.  I'm taking it easy this morning and am relaxing and reading until our church service comes on.  After church, I'll be back at it again.  As the Old Man says, the bottle caps aren't going to paint themselves. 

Ohio Valley Weather Update

 Well, we had a couple of hours of light snow last night after supper.  That's all I got to say.

Wow. Just. Wow

 We had a high wind advisory yesterday, and it continues till tonight.  Yesterday around lunchtime, I went out on the front porch to get a package that Amazon had just delivered.  The package was right by the door so I just stepped out on the porch while holding the door open with my foot.  A huge gust of wind came through, blowing the door open as far as it would go, causing it to slam into a heavy long concrete flower box on the porch.  Believe me when I tell you it was nothing short of a miracle that the glass in the storm door didn't break - it knocked the concrete flower box about a foot and a half, almost knocking it off into the yard.  

The wind is still heavy today. But we have battened down all of the hatches.  We're good for now. 

Apologies

 I apologize for no posts for the past few days.  Other than being busy painting bottle caps, I have no excuse. 

I will say one thing today - we have a high wind warning from now until tomorrow evening, and I am thankful that Neighbor Nick had the two big trees between our two houses all trimmed down a few months ago.  Not having to worry about limbs from those old trees fall on my house is a big relief. 

Flashback Friday

 I remember when I was a kid, Gram would make sure nobody in the house threw away an empty coffee can.  She had one on the counter top close to the stove, and she would pour grease into it after frying bacon, chicken, etc.  Grandpa would use the empty coffee cans out in the garage for nails, screws, bolts, etc.  Grandpa made me "stilts" using two of the cans with rope handles on them to hold onto.  I will go on record and say that I could walk much better on the coffee can stilts than I could on the wooden stilts he also made me.  But I digress.  Coffee cans can be difficult to find these days.  The coffee I buy at GFS is a big can, and I'm thankful that I saved a couple of the cans, because now GFS coffee comes in a recyclable cardboard box.  As soon as I open a new box of coffee, it goes straight into the big coffee can.  And I have a smaller can by the stove for grease, just like Gram. 

Pray For Me, America

 For the past two days I have been struggling with an issue with a second cousin.  Political party differences aside, I have a big problem with her posting something on FB and dropping the F bomb frequently, and then in a next post she will post a Bible verse.  I'm not a prude but I don't watch TV shows or movies that continually drop the F bomb and I don't want to read it on FB.  I like FB to see pictures of my friends kids and grandkids, and to get updates on what's going on in their lives.  But I have gotten to the point where I have no tolerance for FB posts that spew hatred or hypocrisy.  I am on the fence about emailing her and telling her I am unfriending her and giving her the reasons why.

Stay tuned. 

Go Away Black Cloud

 That Black Cloud is around us again this week.

First, a co-worker from back in the day and a fellow church member is being laid to rest today. She suffered so much over the past two years. But now she is able to have a disease-free and pain-free body up in heaven.

Second, a friend from church is in the hospital with heart issues. This woman is the best servant I have ever known.  She goes out of her way to take friends to doctor appointments, and she regularly visits us to check in on the Old Man  Now it's time for her church friends to rally around her and lift her up in prayer.

Third, our former neighbor and long-time friend Painter Steve is having his second chemo treatment today.  The first treatment two weeks ago kicked his butt.  The Old Man and I have stepped up the prayers for him and his precious wife Bev.  

I could list more people that are struggling and suffering right now, but I will stop. 

Thank You, Mother Nature

 As I type this post at 2:30 in the afternoon, it is 72 degrees and sunny. You can't ask for much more than that for the end of February. 

A Little Good Luck

 We had a little good luck today at The Compound.  We had to have the gutters on the front of the house replaced, and got a heck of a price and very fast and great service.  We are happy.  And hope the happiness continues. 

Farewell, Roberta Flack

 I am sad to report that Roberta Flack died today.  She was 88, and had suffered from ALS for the past few years.

She was one of my favorites. "Killing Me Softly" is one of my all-time favorite songs.  I remember back in the day when the song was popular, the Old Man had the sheet music for it, and I loved to hear him play it on our Hammond organ.  She won three Grammy awards for that song. Pretty darned impressive if you ask me.  

You will be missed, Roberta.  

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

 I was up very early this morning, and it was 11 degrees here at The Compound.  As I type this, it is a balmy 29 degrees and sunny.  We are still expecting temps in the 50's for over a week.  I sure will take it. 

Enough Already, Again

 When I got up this morning, it was 11 degrees.  Once again, we got more snow last night.  According to my Precip app, last night's show was about half an inch.  Lucky for us, as of today, there is no snow in the forecast for the next two weeks.  I sure hope the weatherazzi is right.  

Enough Already, Again

 When I got up this morning, it was 15 degrees and we had 2 inches of new snow.  It's up to a balmy 18 degrees now, but at least we have the sun shining.  

Enough Already, Again

 According to my Precip app, we had 2.3" of snow today.  It's pretty cold - as I type this it's 20.  I bundled up and did some not pleasant but needed outdoor chores this morning, but they are done and now we're waiting for the next round of snow starting tonight. The weatherazzi is calling for 2-4 more inches from this storm.   

I used to like winter because I liked the cold, but not anymore.  After supper tonight, I'll take my bucket of rock salt and go sprinkle it on the front porch steps and on the back porch ramp and hope for the best.

Stay tuned. 

Enough Already, Again

 When I got up this morning, it was 17 degrees.  A few hours later and it's up to a balmy 23.  I'm waiting till it "warms up" a bit before bundling up and putting on my snow boots to go out and feed and water Marge.  

The weatherazzi is getting worked up over snow starting late tomorrow night and going into Wednesday - they are calling for 3-6 inches here in our area.  That's pretty vague, and I am hoping the snow will be closer to the 3 inch range.  

In preparation, I went to Hobby Lobby this morning for more paint for my bottle cap boards, and stopped at Kroger for the obligatory milk and eggs, which I did need.  

Enough, Alreaady

 It was beautiful on Friday.  Yesterday it poured all day long and ended up with about two inches of rain here at The Compound.  There is flooding all over the state.  Then this morning, we woke to about two inches of snow.  More snow is in the forecast for Tuesday-Wednesday.  Enough, already. 

Flashback Friday

 

It's Valentines Day, and I am flashing way back to my elementary school days. 

Valentines Day required a lot of preparation.  First of all, you had to pick out the perfect pack of Valentine cards.  I was partial to Disney characters. And you could count on at least one classmate to give cards with a small heart-shaped sucker stuck in it.  Once the cards were picked out, the real work started: decorating a box to hold the cards you would get.  I can't remember if we worked on the boxes in class or if we did them at home. But I digress. Most kids used a shoe box with a slit cut in the top of the box. I remember one year I couldn't find a shoe box, so Gram found the next best thing for me to use.  She took the bag of Special K out of the box, and I used that.  She wrapped the box in some butcher paper, and I had a ball decorating the box. 

After the cards were delivered, it was time to party.  The "Room Mothers" would hand out decorated cupcakes or cookies, and would give each kid a Dixie Cup full of cherry KoolAid.  Good times. 

Snack Thursday

 The Old Man and I curtail our snacking, but for some reason, this afternoon we are in a very snacky mood.  He is happy with Lays BBQ chips, and I am happy with Frito Flavor Twists.  There are no rules when you are retired and want to snack.   

Thank You, Mother Nature

 According to my pretty accurate precipitation app, we had 2 inches of snow yesterday. But thanks to the warm temperatures we had early last week, the snow didn't stick to the roads or driveways.  For that we are very thankful.  

More Snow

 The Weatherazzi was calling for 2-4 inches of snow here today, but here at The Compound we got about an inch and a half.  It was a "good" snow - it didn't stick to driveways or roads.  But unfortunately the roads were slick around here and there were two fatalities.

Praying for clearer and less-slick roads tomorrow for all that have to travel. 

Super Bowl Review

 First and foremost, I was happy that the Eagles won and the Chiefs lost.  It's no secret that I do not care for Mahomes and Kelce.  So I was happy with the Eagles winning.

Second, in my opinion, the half-time show sucked beyond suckdom.  There will never be a half-time show that can hold a candle to when Prince performed.  My second favorite half-time show was when the Rolling Stones performed, and you had to wear cardboard 3D glasses to watch the special effects.

Third, the commercials were lackluster.  My favorite was Bosch tools, with Antonio Banderas and an actor playing awesome WWE wrestler Randy "Macho Man" Savage.

Better luck for viewing pleasure with Super Bowl 2026.

Super Sunday

 It has been a great Super Sunday.  The Old Man and I both had a great night's sleep and slept in a bit this morning.  We enjoyed blueberry muffins and awesome coffee while reading the newspaper.  We watched a great live-streaming service from church, and then chilled.  We had one of the best thin-crust pizzas for late lunch today and now we are chilling again.  I hope we will not be too full of pizza to have homemade queso tonight, but if we are, no big deal - we will have it another time.  It sure has been a relaxing Sunday. 

Ten Actors Who Had Great Success In Two TV Shows

 1. Andy Griffith - The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock

2. Carrol O'Connor - All In The Family and In The Heat Of The Night

3. Annie Potts - Designing Women and Little Sheldon

4. Bob Denver - Dobie Gillis and Gilligan's Island

5. Bob Newhart - The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart

6. Jim Garner - Maverick and The Rockford Files

7. Tom Selleck - Magnum PI and Blue Blood

8. Mary Tyler Moore - The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show

9. Jack Klugman - The Odd Couple and Quincy M.E.

10. Raymond Burr - Perry Mason and Ironside

Good Luck Day

 I am very happy to report that I was in and out of the County Clerk's office this morning in 55 minutes.  I got the Ranger and Odyessy tags renewed and got the Old Man's handicapped permit renewed at the same time.  I was expecting at least a two hour wait, but was happy when they announced "rapid renewal" for people that just needed their car registrations and handicapped permits.  Thank you to Bobby Holsclaw, our Jefferson County Clerk for having efficient and fast offices. 

Typical Luck

 Pray for me, America.  Tomorrow morning I will be at the County Clerk's office when they open at 8:30 to get everything taken care of for my vehicle registrations and for the Old Man's handicapped parking placard.  I called the clerk's office yesterday morning, and was told I could just scan and email my proof of insurance cards to them and all would be good.  Not so.  I emailed them to the address the woman gave me and it was kicked back twice.  I did an online chat with the Clerk's Office, and they said they can't accept the insurance cards online.  Believe me when I tell you I wanted to shoot the laptop.  But I digress.  I will be there when they open at 8:30 tomorrow morning and get that taken care of, along with renewing the handicapped placard.  And rest assured I will be for sure masked up as I sit in the waiting room. 

Stay tuned. 

Quiet, Please

 All morning and afternoon we have been annoyed by the incessant crowing of the six roosters withing a half mile from us, and from the loud dog barking from next door.  If it weren't for being able to hear the Old Man if he said something to me, I'd for sure put in my ear plugs.

I think it's going to be a long afternoon and night. 

Go Back Home, Phil

On the news this morning, they reported that Punxutawney Phil saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter weather.  Phil needs to get back in his hole or else he's liable to find himself full of buck shot. 

Where Did The Month Go?

It's hard to believe that this is the last day of January.  Where did the month go?  Here in the Ville, most of January was consumed by 13 inches of snow and ice, and a week and half of single-digit temperatures.  But all in all, this first month of the year went by very quick.  I am hopeful for February to go by just as quick.

A Day Of Rest

 Three days of birthday partying wore me and the Old Man out.  As soon as my Favorite Cousin and her Dear Husband pulled out of the driveway, we were in our LazyBoys resting, where we stayed the majority of the rest of the day.  My cousin texted me last night and said they were tuckered out, too, but it was a happy tuckered.

The Partying Continues

 The birthday partying continues.  Yesterday, my Favorite Cousin made my requested spaghetti with her Dear Husband's family recipe for spaghetti sauce.The recipe is over 100 years old, But I digress.  Today the attention will be on the Old Man as we celebrate his birthday. 

Let The Partying Begin

 My cousin just texted and said they are about 30 minutes from The Compound.  So on half an hour, the birthday celebrations will officially begin.

Stay tuned. 

I Called It

 I sure called it: it was in the low 40's when I went to the grocery store this afternoon, and sure enough, I saw couple of guys wearing shorts, one of which was wearing sandals.  There are no words.

I don't know why this bugs me, but it does - the girls wear Ugh boots when it's 60 degrees, and the boys wear shorts when it's 40.  

Let The Partying Begin

 My friend Becky and her therapy dog Waffles came over this afternoon for a birthday visit.  Before that, the Old Man and I got hair cuts so we will look good for our birthdays.  But I digress.  Becky gave me one of the coolest bracelets I have ever seen, and gave the Old Man a 10 year bottle of favorite Bulleit bourbon.

After Becky and Waffles left, I did some preliminary cleaning in preparation for my cousins' visit on Sunday.  All is going according to what I have planned.  For now, any ways.

File Under: WTF?

 Once again, I have to say WTF.  I had to go to Tractor Supply this morning to get feed for Large Marge.  It was 8 degrees at 10:30.  I shook my head in disbelief as I saw people going in and out of Tractor Supply and the next-door Planet Fitness in hoodies, and some even in shorts.  There are no words.

File Under: WTF?

 I braved the 14 degree temperature this morning to go to Lowes to pick up a box of Duraflame logs, which the Old Man said that was the only thing he wanted for his birthday.  As I was in the curbside delivery parking spot, I noticed a disturbing trend.  In the fifteen minutes I was waiting, the majority of the people under the age of 30 were going in and out of Lowes were just wearing a hoodie or sweater. Most of them didn't even have their hoodie or sweater zipped up.  Us old folks were bundled up appropriately.  I am going to get off of my soap box and go get in my LazyBoy with my Snuggie. 

Deep Freeze Again

 It was 5 degrees this morning when I got up.  As of 2:30 right now, it is a balmy 15 degrees.  But we are safe and warm here in the house.  I got up a bit before the Old Man this morning and after I made coffee I lit a fire in the fireplace to have us cozy and warm.  I will light another fire after supper to make us once again cozy tonight.  

My heart goes out to the electric company, water company, and other workers out today in this cold.  

Trying To Do Better

 A couple of weeks ago, the Old Man and I chipped in and bought an Elipse electric leg exerciser.  From all of the bizillion commercials we've seen for it, it seems like it would be beneficial for us to use; we could use it while we are sitting in our LazyBoy chairs watching TV.  It was supposed to be delivered a week and a half ago but due to Snowmageddon, it was delayed and we got it Friday evening.  

Of course in our typical (or should I say a-typical) luck, we had to put it together.  Fortunately, we just had to put the pedals on.  We tackled it yesterday afternoon, and low and behold, it works just like they said in the commercials.  The Old Man did ten minutes first, then I took my turn and did ten minutes.  After he pedaled for a minute, he turned it off and took it to the dining room - it works much better for us sitting in a dining room table chair.  You can feel more "action" in your knees and legs if you have it directly under your chair.  

We're going to use it every day and hopefully work out way up to twenty minutes a session.

Stay tuned. 

Flashback Friday

 Twenty years ago today, this fine young man came into the world.  My TWIT post on his birth was one of the first posts I made in TWIT.  It's hard to believe that J.T. is all grown up.   He was on the tennis team during his high school years, and is now on the tennis team at college. 

I talked with his Dad this morning, asking for permission to post J.T.'s picture, and he said that he is as proud and happy on his 20th birthday as he was on the day he was born.  

Another Bright Sun Shiny Day

 It got up to 41 today, and best of all, it was sunny all day long.  When I go out in the morning to get the newspaper and mail, it is great to see a little bit more grass every day.  I just hope the snow keeps on  melting. 

Brrrr Again

 I was up earlier than usual this morning to go to my weekly Bible study fellowship group, and at 7:30 it was 9 degrees.  I'm home now, over 6 hours later and the temp is just 19 degrees.  But we are comfy and warm here at The Compound.  I made a fire this morning before I left, and I am getting ready to make another now.  

Brrrr

 It was 11 degrees when I got up this morning, but thank goodness the sun was shining and continued to shine all day.  It's supposed to get down to zero tonight.  That's pretty darned cold even for hot-blooded me.  

Sunny Monday

 We sure are glad to see the sunshine this morning at The Compound.  And are even more glad to see concrete instead of snow on the driveway.  The temps are supposed to go down during the afternoon, to a low of 9 degrees tonight. But we are happy seeing sun and seeing snow melting.

On a down side, it seems the Old Man has caught the cold that I had.  I just gave him a dose of Coricidan, which his primary care doctor recommended, so hopefully he will be on the mend soon.  

Hope For The Brief Future

 When I got up this morning, I checked the driveway and was very happy to see that over half of it was clear, thanks for the sun and above-freezing temps.  It's supposed to get to 42 degrees today, so I am hoping for more clearing this afternoon.  I called our grass cutter and told him not to bother coming today.   Before supper this evening, I am going to go out and clear a path down the back porch ramp and a path to the garage.  Don't worry - I just push the snow shovel; I don't actually shovel.  I'll get in the garage and get a bucket of rock salt out and put it on the ramp just in case any remaining snow refreezes tonight.

Now we have crazy low nighttime temps the next three nights - the weatherazzi is calling for single digit temps.  Not looking forward to that, and will keep thanking the Lord for our furnace.  

Stay tuned. 

Snowmageddon 2025 Continues

 Yesterday morning when I got up, it was zero degrees.  Yep, zero.  It "warmed up" to 29 yesterday afternoon.  Unfortunately, we got more snow yesterday - an additional 3 inches. For two days, it was nice to see my long driveway clear.  But never fear - our grass cutter called yesterday and said he'd by here today or tomorrow to clear the snow.  

Stay tuned. 

Snowmageddon 2025 Update

 When I got up this morning, it was zero degrees.  We remembered and left the cabinet doors under the kitchen sink and the two bathroom sinks open to help the heat get to the pipes.  But now it's time to get ready for another round of snow.  The weatherazzi is still calling for 2-5 inches here in our area starting tomorrow morning, but thankfully there is no forecast for ice.  As soon as I post this, I am going to bundle up and go to the grocery and pick up the Old Man's prescriptions and then I will get back in the warm house.

Stay tuned. 

Snowmageddon 2025 Update

I am very happy to report that Joe's Lawn Service was here this morning, and in a half an hour, the three guys had my long driveway, porches, and ramp cleared.  Two guys worked on the porches and ramp while the other guy operated the very powerful Bobcat to clear the driveway.  Tonight, it was as clear as a bone.  Now to wait for the second round of snow coming on Friday.  At least there isn't any ice in the forecast - just 2 to 5 inches of snow.  

In the morning, I am going to pick up the Old Man's prescriptions and get a few things we need from Kroger and then we will once again hunker down.

Stay tuned. 

Snowmageddon 2025 Update

 We got an additional inch of snow yesterday morning, bringing the total here at The Compound to 13.8 inches.  Yes.erday morning they announced schools would be closed today (duh) and tomorrow.  I can't imagine they would be open the rest of the week.

I was walking past the living room and looked out to find Neighbor Josh out there.  He and his wife noticed the fallen garbage can yesterday morning when they were taking their dogs out, and he came over and picked the can and a couple bags of garbage up.  And he pushed the can away from the road so the plows wouldn't knock it over again.  

The snow removal guys will be here today, hopefully.  They only have a quarter mile to go from their shop to The Compound, so maybe they will knock a bit off of the price.  We are stocked on food and drink, so I don't need to go out for anything, but I still want my driveway and porch ramp cleared off just in case.

Stay tuned. 

Snowmageddon 2025 Update

 As of 9:15 this morning, we got 12.8 inches of snow here at The Compound.  Fortunately, the freezing rain didn't last very long.  Another 1-2 inches is expected today. The city and pretty much half of the state is shut down today.  

We've made it through the storm with only one incident: I thought I was doing something sensible when I took the garbage can out to the curb Saturday night.  It was fine yesterday, but we're guessing when a snow plow came through during last night, it knocked it off the driveway and half-way in the ditch.  I texted Neighbor Nick and told him I needed a big favor.  He immediately replied and said he'd be happy to help us and pick it back up. We are thankful this is the only storm-related incident so far.

Stay tuned.  

Snowmageddon 2025 Update

 As of 5:00 this evening, we have a bit over 9 inches of snow here at The Compound.  Unfortunately at about 6:00, it transitioned over to freezing rain, which they are expecting 3/4 of an inch of.  Not looking forward to this, faithful readers.  I just am praying the power stays on so the Old Man and I can stay warm. 

Stay tuned. 

Snowmageddon 2025

 The weatherazzi was right - they said the snow would start at 8:00 and it sure did.  It has snowed hard until about 1:30.  I'm guessing it's taking a break to get ramped up again.  As of 1:30, we have 4.5 inches here at The Compound according to my weather app.   We have a cozy fire going, and I am undecorating the little Christmas tree while the Old Man is napping in his LazyBoy.  As soon as I get the ornaments put away, I plan on doing a little napping in my LazyBoy, too.

Neighbor Meg next door texted and said she was going to take a ruler out when she takes their dogs out later and get an accurate measure for here at The Compound.  

Stay tuned for updates.  

Snowmageddon Update

 The first round of snow in the winter storm is expected to start around 4:00 in the morning.  After that, there will unfortunately be freezing rain and sleet, followed by more snow later tonight and Monday.  According to the Accu Weather app I use, we are expecting 5-6 inches of everything by the time it moves out Monday morning.  

We are as prepared as we can be.  I went to Lowes earlier and got two huge boxes of Duraflame logs for the fireplace if needed, and we have plenty of food and jugs of water.  Neighbor Josh came over earlier and salted the front porch, front porch steps and the sidewalk so I will be hopefully able to get out tomorrow morning to get the newspaper for the Old Man.  And he even came over when I got back from Lowes and carried the 40# boxes of logs in for me.  A great neighbor.

After the kinfolk left this morning, I started taking down Christmas decorations.  I didn't do a whole lot of removal, but got the fireplace area cleared up so I can make a fire for the Old Man.  I will be able to get everything down tomorrow and Monday since we will probably be snowed in.  

Stay tuned. 

Snowmageddon Is On Its Way

 The weatherazzi is getting everyone worked up over Snomageddon 2025.  It is supposed to hit the 'Ville Sunday morning and go through Monday morning.  As of an hour or two ago, they are calling for 2-5 inches of snow here, but unfortunately about a half an inch of ice.

Two neighbors texted earlier saying Kroger was impossible - if you were lucky to find a parking spot, there were no shopping carts and shelves were bare.  Unfortunate for me, I had already planned to do my weekly shopping after the kin folk left tomorrow morning.  But we switched to Plan B.  My Favorite Cousin and I ran up to Dollar General Store, and got all of the canned goods I had on my list, as well as a fresh loaf of bread and milk, which I needed.  Then we went up the road to the new Mexican grocery store, and got a pound of ground beef and fresh fruits and veggies, which were about half of what Kroger charges.  Other than a trip to Lowes tomorrow to get a box of fake logs, we are good to go.  

Stay tuned. 

Starting Off The New Year Productively

 My Favorite Cousin and her Dear Husband will be here early afternoon for their delayed Christmas visit. I have busted a move the past two days cleaning, sweeping, mopping, dusting and decluttering.  I am happy to say my microwave is as clean as it was the day we bought it, and the stainless steel top on the kitchen island is so shiny you can see your reflection in it. Everything is ready for their visit, with the exception of a trip shortly to get some adult beverages. 

Happy New Year

TWIT and I would like to wish you, faithful readers, a very Happy New Year.  I hope 2025 brings you good health, happiness, and no drama.  

My New Year's resolution is to do anything I'm big enough to do.