And the north wind did blow…

and we did get snow and it is still snowing. I hate to be a killjoy and keep mentioning it but I do not like snow.  The main reason is you have to clean it off your car and then to get anywhere you have to drive through it.  I didn’t mind it when Jim was alive and I had help plus the car was always in a big garage.  After he was gone and until I moved my neighbors plowed my driveway behind the garage for me.  Here in my new home maintenance will come by after while and will blow the snow off the sidewalk right up on my car so that I will have even more to clean off.  And the beautiful white stuff has this nasty habit of changing to ice.

My car and Deb and Joe’s look very Christmasy this morning.

Next door Deb and Joes decorations and picnic table have a nice Christmasy look too.

Oh well, there is always the thought that a good fairy will come along and give me a helping hand.  LOL  And speaking of good fairies, I had 2 tickets for the lotto last night.  I had 1 number on each ticket and it was not the mega ball number.  So much for that.  I think it has rolled over $500 million now.  So I probably will buy another ticket if I can get my car cleaned off and over to the store.

One nice thing about a snow storm is that it wasn’t an ice storm.  Enjoy today as if it were your last one.  I will be busy cleaning off my car.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

And it is still snowing…

and I am sick of it.  I went out yesterday afternoon and cleaned my car off and I have been out this morning and cleaned it off again.  And it is still snowing.  I am way too old for this.  C’mon spring!!

And all right already, I think it is time for Juan Martinez to wrap up his cross examination of Jodi Arias.  My head was spinning around yesterday.  Court was finally closed early because Jodi had a migraine and the sheriff’s office hadn’t furnished her any lunch.  She has been promised lunch today and court will start 15 minutes early.

The roast I fixed yesterday was really good.  I think I will make some hash with the leftover potatoes and carrots and a bit of the roast.  Just dice everything together and brown it in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray.  I like it with a lot of catsup on it.  Then tomorrow I will make BBQ with the rest of the roast.

I am looking out the window now and the snow is still coming down.  It is pretty to look and that is about all it does for me. 

Along with the trial I am reading another Lisa Gardner book.  She writes great suspense novels with a different twist.  I have ignored any and all cleaning because I figure it isn’t worth doing it in this kind of weather.

Have a sunny snow free day.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Mainstream Services

Mainstream Services

http://www.mainstreamservices.org/

I am so proud of Mainstream Services, Inc.  My niece was one of the original founders and is the current Executive Director. 

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I am in the waiting mode here for the storm.  We have received the freezing drizzle and my car is ice covered.  We have a near 100 % chance of 3 – 6 inches of snow today on top of this.  I hope it all fizzles out!

I have a pot roast in the oven with carrots and potatoes so I am good to go in the eating department. 

I hope it is sunny and warm where you are.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Greetings…

and good morning from the heart of Illinois.  It is the day after the storm that mostly passed us by (Thank you God!)  It is 19 degrees here right now and the new snow on the ground only amounts to about 1 inch.   My son in the Chicago area wasn’t as lucky though as they got several inches.

I do need to go out in a bit and start the car as it hasn’t been started for a couple of days.  I am not planning on going anywhere today though.

You know, I have been thinking after my post a few days ago about rules to live by, and how very important a smile is.  It can brighten someone’s day and it sure is a lot easier on your face than a frown.  I spent many years working with the public, my last years working with the military at an AFB.  In my last position at the AFB I dealt mostly with officers.  Most of them were very nice although I can remember two in particular that were real horse’s patooties.

patootie (plural patooties)

1. (chiefly US, slang) The buttocks.

These two were really difficult to work for although they each were responsible for me getting high commendation letters from HQTRS ATC in Texas.  So the best thing to do in respect to them was just to grin and bear it and get on with the job.  I was the only civilian in this particular office and the work I did was not shared with the others in the office because they were enlisted personnel.  But getting back to the smile; I dealt with quite a few satellites connected to our base.  There was one colonel I dealt with at an arsenal here in IL that often told me I sounded liked I had a smile in my voice.  I have never forgotten that, or that gentleman.  I suspect by this time that he is long gone, perhaps one of my guardian angels.    Heaven knows I need all of them I can get.

Enough nostalgia for today.  I hope you all have a peaceful weekend.  Do try to stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

OOPPS!!  I almost forgot to mention that Spring Countdown stands at 59 days.

Update on Thursday…

My niece came home from the hospital last night and is recuperating at home.  Thank you so much for the kind thoughts and prayers.

Well, we are under another  storm warning for tonight with 6 – 8 inches.  However, I am not discouraged because according to the countdown on my blog it is only 24 days, 11 hours, 15 minutes and 28 seconds until Spring as I am typing this.  Scroll clear down on my blog and you will get caught up on the countdown.

I am heading out to pay a bill or two and check in at the Sears store to see what the markdowns are now.  So far they haven’t been very good.  I also will fill my car up with gas as the prices are going up at the pump again this weekend.  Yesterday they were topping out here at $3.29 a gallon.

Nothing much to get caught up on with me.  This has been a rather blah week filled with a lot of apprehension.  I have been talking that over with God and reminding myself of Matthew 6:34 that cautions me not to worry about tomorrow and to let the days own troubles be sufficient. 

I hope you all are having a good week.  Stay safe and be happy!

  Beth

28 Degrees and what else?

Why it is snowing of course. My car that was all cleaned off yesterday looks like a giant snowball. Some days are diamonds, some days are stones. I left little bitty size 6 & 1/2 footprints in the snow going back and forth to the laundry room. I wanted to get it all done before I go out after while to clean off my car.


My legs and arms are still letting me know that I shoveled snow for a nice period of time on Friday when my daughter helped me to clean off my car. Last winter I shoveled just about every day but I guess I am out of practice.

Is everyone all set for the super bowl? I am not a fan but I hope the Packers win for my friends from Wisconsin. I don’t even have any snacks here but I have got lots of Bones episodes on the DVR to keep me busy. Plus I have downloaded several books on my Nook. I really do like the Nook, but there is one major thing I don’t like about it. I confess to always reading the last few pages of a book first and I like turning back a page or two in case I missed something. That is a lot of bother to do on a Nook. So here I am reading this chilling murder mystery and I don’t know who dunnit. Very frustrating.


I am fixing a roast for today. YES!! I am cooking something again, in fact I have been cooking a lot more lately instead of eating so many TV dinners. I have several containers of chili in the freezer. I think veg/beef soup is next.


I hope you are all having a wonderful day. Please do not OD on Nachos and cheese dip.


Beth

Is minus 6 cold enough for you?

If not then we will factor in the wind chill which is 16 below zero.  Baby, it’s cold outside.  I couldn’t go anywhere if I wanted to, which I don’t.  When our driveway was plowed yesterday I had enough snow thrown behind my car to be above the trunk now.  I thought I had it bad until I received photos from my nephew in northern Illinois.



Not sure about that last picture, but my great niece was having fun with the snow.
I am trying to think of something good to cook on a cold winter day.  I am thinking salmon patties with creamed peas or tuna fish casserole.  Taking votes.  Something different.  I used to make salmon patties a lot because they were one of Jim’s favorite meals.  The cookies are in the freezer as I was enjoying them too much.
Time for me to fix breakfast.  I hope you all have a great day.  At least the sun is shining here on top of all of that snow.
  Beth

Photos from the storm…

My poor car.  Click on pictures to enlarge them.
Just heard from my son in Chicago. They got over 20 inches there. So ready for spring.

The storm is winding down…

and the grand total stands at 16 inches.  It is still gusting like crazy outside and we are predicted 1 – 2 inches more snow before the storm winds down.  Then  the bitter below zero temps move in.  Last night was really something.  We had a lot of thunder snow.  Inside it sounded just like a summer thunderstorm.
I took a picture through the top of my kitchen window a few minutes ago.  I couldn’t get my front door open because of the snow. 

Looking out my back door.


Looking out my front door.  Click on the pics for a bigger view.
The cookies yesterday were delicious and being here alone and in an anxious state I managed to scarf down quite a few.  I love this recipe.  It is on both of my recipe sites.

Dried Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

 
by Beth Marie in Cookies

A recipe from cooks.com
1 1/4 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 c. quick or old fashioned uncooked oatmeal
1 c. dried cherries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; add to creamed butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in oatmeal and dried cherries.
Drop by a rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-11 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then remove. Makes 5 1/2-6 dozen cookies.
When I make these cookies I only get around 3 dozen as I make huge cookies.
Time for me to see about some breakfast.  I will catch you all later.
  Beth

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The lull between the storms..

It is windy and otherwise quiet outdoors this morning.  We got a couple of inches of snow last night and now we are bracing for the heavy snow which is to start this afternoon with total accumulation of 20 or more inches.  The wind is to pick up to 50 – 60 miles per hour and so we are under a blizzard warning.  All schools are closed.  I am in the house for the duration, praying that we don’t lose power.
I have a pound of butter on the kitchen counter softening.  I think I will make some oatmeal/cherry cookies  made with dried cherries.  No telling what else I will make or cook.  I have the iPod hooked to the Bose speaker and I will turn off the scanner and ignore what’s happening outside.  My daughter gave me strict orders  to not try to clean my car off as she will do it as soon as she can get here.  We are under a city wide parking ban until Thursday afternoon.  That means no parking in the street.  I have parking behind my building just a few feet from my door so I am good there.
Bee , my blogging friend, has graciously given me the Stylish Blogger Award.  I told her I was already  a recipient of this same award but I will try to tell 7 more things about me.

1. As a child in a large family that was very poor, there wasn’t a lot of things that I remember from my childhood that were really happy.  I do remember running barefoot all summer long and playing softball in the street with bases made up of anything,  What fun.  To this day I think that is why I am such a baseball fan.  In those days I was a Brooklyn Dodger fan and I had this huge crush on Pee Wee Reese.  My sister Rae, liked Gil Hodges.  After they became the Los Angeles Dodgers it wasn’t the same and I shifted my loyalty to the St. Louis Cardinals, and why not?  My dad was a Cardinal fan and the games were on the radio all of the time.
2. I had an aunt on my dad’s side.  Her name was Alice and I was a favorite of hers when I was a small child.  She would bake a birthday cake for me on my birthday and it would be beautiful with lots of frosting.  I really felt special because none of my siblings received a cake from her on their birthday.  Of course, Aunt Alice has been gone now for many years but I count those birthday cakes as another happy memory of my childhood.
3. Growing older, I remember my teacher from the 5th grade.  Her name was Miss Keithly.  To this day, she is the only teacher from my grade school years that I remember.  She was always so kind to me and praised me for everything that I did right.  I count her as an influence on me that helped me to be the person I am today.
4. Wait, just a minute, I want to go back to the first grade.  That was the time of my first boyfriend.  His name was Harold and he was a preacher’s son.  He was a nice chubby little guy and he had this big crush on me.  He would occasionally bring me a candy bar to school.  I would keep it in my desk and eat just a bite every day.  I didn’t take the candy home with me because I didn’t want to share. Shame on me. 
5. I remember when I was a freshman in high school that my grandmother on my mom’s side passed away in Missouri.  I remember her lying in state in the living room.  To this day that memory is so vivid that I can recall all events from that day.  I really wish I couldn’t remember them so vividly but I do.
6. On to the summer before my senior year in high school. I got a job at the telephone company.  My very first job and the pay was 25 cents an hour.  During my senior year I worked 4 – 9 each evening after school and all day long on Saturday and Sunday.  Yes, you are reading this right, I worked 41 hours each week and still managed to finish near the top of my graduating class.  It was fun though, I finally had money to spend.  One of the first things I bought was a lovely set of dishes for my mom from the Sears store there in town.  Oh my, my mom was so proud of those dishes.
7. I met Jim through a co-worker at the telephone company.  Her brother in law was home from Korea and would I introduce him around to my friends.  I have told this story 100 times or more in my blog.  Long story short, met in July, engaged in September, married on Dec 2nd to the nicest guy I have ever met.

And that is all of the reminiscing for today.  I will visit you all and then I am off to the kitchen to keep myself busy.
  Beth