Extra Post for Today, March 31, 2010

Here are some photos that I took from my television of some of the flooding here in New England. Parts of some of our major highways have been closed off because they are under water. Several towns are mostly under water. Here are photos of Freetown, Massachusetts and Warwick Mall in Rhode Island

In Freetown, the only road going in and out of town was washed out and under water. People were stranded on both ends of the road. The National Guard was called in to shore up the road and rebuild it. They also used heavy transports to carry people into town.

At Warwick Mall, the parking lot was flooded and there was several feet of water inside the buildings. One security guard refused to be evacuated so that he could maintain the security of the building. However, when the water was chest high on him, the Warwick Fire Department sent in a rescue boat to bring him out.

Parts of I-95 (a major highway that goes the whole length of our country North to South are under water, causing major traffic snarls. Large sinkholes have been popping up everywhere. That's where large sections of ground just open up and everything falls in.

So if you can hear us singing "Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day...." you'll understand why. The good news is that it looks as if most of the rains have stopped.

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1 - Large sinkhole at side of main road.

2 - Main street in many towns.

3- Main road going in and out of Freetown, MA.

4 - National Guard shoring up and rebuilding that road.

5 - Parking lot at Warwick, R.I. Mall

6 - Parking lot at Warwick, R.I. Mall - note the cars under water. (white spots)

7 - Security guard at Warwick Mall standing in windows inside mall.

8 - Warwick Fire Department Rescue Boat to rescue that security guard.

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Yippee!! The Trees Are Budding!!

March 31, 2010

Well, we made it to the end of March. This morning on our way to the hospital, Tootsie and I saw some trees already budding, and one tree had huge white buds on it. In front of a library, there was a long row of daffodils in bloom. These are all very welcome signs of hope that the Spring weather is on it's way.

The water is slowly going down in the cellar. Poor Moo has been working round the clock to make sure it doesn't get up to the furnace and water heater again. He went out to try to buy another pump to put in the cellar, but there were no pumps available anywhere. Gee whiz!!! I wonder why that is!!!!!

At least, this morning it isn't raining. It may yet, but it isn't at the moment. We are supposed to be getting some nice weather pretty soon, and I for one can hardly wait!!! We have just set a record for the month of March with 14.83 inches of rain. This is also the second wettest month ever!!

I don't have a new slide show for you yet for the April Daily Download kit. Snowy's schedule has been a bit hectic and she hasn't had a chance to get it ready. I'll put it up as soon as it is ready.

There's not much for news today. I'm just checking to make sure I have everything I need for my tax accountant. My appointment is tomorrow, and I will be glad when the tax papers are all done. Golly, I think I'd rather do housework than my taxes, and I do not like housework at all.

Today's photo is of a rather large lizard. I took the photo through the aquarium glass (you can see the reflection of the words on the side of it on the bottom of his rock). He certainly doesn't look too thrilled at the all the attention he is getting from the tourists.

Now it's time for me to get some us some lunch. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Four And Twenty Blackbirds....

March 30, 2010

Well, it looks as if March is certainly not going out like a lamb. Yesterday, it rained all day and night, and today we are going to get more heavier rain. It was already coming in to the basement last night. Moo has been trying to keep ahead of it, but it's not easy trying to win against Mother Nature.

Several towns and cities around us are already under water and a lot of homes have been evacuated again. Our state has been declared a disaster area. So many people have lost most everything they had. Let's see how soon the Federal government will come to the aid of it's citizens.

On a brighter note, I did finish up one of my Daily Download kits. I chose the month of September to make a title and color swatch for, and yesterday I finished my part of the kit and uploaded previews to the forum. I must say that I was quite pleased with it.

I also finished the Brush Challenge, and made a mini paper pack with it which I will give you as a freebie at some point. Today I have a couple more of my Florida photos to share with you. These are of the beautiful black bird that I can't quite put a name to.

The photos and descriptions in my bird books are not cut and dried. They focus on three black birds. The Raven, the Crow and the Brewer's Blackbird. The Brewers Blackbird has yellow eyes, the Raven is a larger rougher version of the Crow. So I will have to just call my bird a Blackbird. If you can tell the difference, let me know.

Remember the nursery rhyme "Sing A Song Of Sixpence"? I looked it up on Google, and found that the history of this rhyme goes back to Medieval times.

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Now we're off to keep Tootsie's chemo appointments. Much as we do not want to go out in the rain, we have to. Enjoy the bird photos and the nursery rhyme. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay dry, and have a wonderful day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Frogs And Snails, And Puppy Dog Tails...

March 29, 2010

Ah, but it's a gray, rainy good morning to you. Next month (in just a few days) we will call these "April Showers" but now they are just the wet ravages of March. March supposedly comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Well, it has been ravaging the country all month with extreme weather. Let's hope it really does go out quietly.

I will say one thing for this dismal weather. Not being able to do things outdoors leaves more time to stay inside and play on the computer. And that I have definitely been doing. I've been working on my freebie QP's, trying to get a few of them stocked up. The upcoming holidays make it easy to have fun making these QP's. But we will save the Easter ones for later in the week.

This week, I would like to finish up my Daily Downloads. I started them, but then I get easily side-tracked. Plus, this week I have my appointment with my tax accountant, and another appointment with my lawyer. We need to look into setting up guardianship papers for Howie. His Alzheimer's is progressing, and he will have to stay in either the hospital or another nursing care facility. Otherwise, he is doing just fine. Moo visits him two or three times a week, and usually one of the dwarfs goes along too.

As for me, I am enjoying my visit with my son. Those of you who are mothers will understand how no matter how old your children get, they are always your babies. My son is still my "little guy" although in reality he is a 47 year old husband, father and grandfather. And although his hair is turning a bit gray and some worry lines have popped up on his face, he is still my handsome little guy. Here's a layout that I made with a photo I took of him yesterday.

Later I shall make another layout without the humorous little frog and snails inference, but I was in a humorous mood yesterday when I made this layout. Credits for resources used are: Scrap Elements by Lena (frog & snail) and Granny Art (dog).

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Now it is time for me to start my day. I shall leave you with another new QP freebie. My inspiration for this one came from some old music sheets. Anyone out there love trains? Hmm? Ok, now I really must go. Till tomorrow, Y'all stay dry, and have a fantabulous day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

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"QP - 018"

And here is your download link for "QP - 018"

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Our Shop Is Down Temporarily

March 28, 2010

Tis a rather gray Sunday morning here, and it feels a bit cool. Somehow my flowers don't seem to care. They keep pushing up through the dirt. They are determined to bloom!!!

Well, my son finally got here last night. It was a bit later than expected because of the trains that were still not running because of the recent floods, and he was exhausted by the time he got here. So of course, he was in bed early. But today we shall have a really nice visit. It's been too long since I last saw him. I guess I'm going to have to do more traveling. I miss my kids when our visits are so far apart. sigh.

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For those of you who visit the store at Magickal Scraps, you will have noticed that it is not open. Some over-exuberant hacker has decided he has nothing better to do than to destroy our store. Snowy will be trying to re-build, but it will take a bit of time as she has to first learn how to do it. None of us has this particular skill. So be patient, our store WILL be back.

I do have a photo to share this morning. I believe these are Canadian Geese, but please correct me if I am wrong. One of them was intent in getting his point across to the other one, and was quite verbal so I took a few photos of them.

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I also have another cute picture that a friend sent to me, and I thought you might enjoy it.

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Now I think I'll leave you and have myself another cup of coffee. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a really fantastic day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

My Brain Malfunctions!

March 27, 2010

The sun is shining gloriously, but it is a bit cool. It will only be in the high 30's today, according to Mr. Weatherman. It's supposed to warm up a bit next week and be nice for Easter. He also says that this is National Earth Day and we are supposed to be turning off all our lights for one hour tonight at 8 p.m. This is to show our concern about cleaning the air that we breathe.

Wowee, yesterday's weather was really something! First it rained like the dickens, then it snowed for a couple of hours, then the sun came out and shined all the rest of the day. It was cool, but not uncomfortable. We here in New England have a reputation for uncertain weather, and yesterday proved it.

Yesterday, I experienced a small brain misfunction. As you all know, my son was going to be arriving last night for a two week visit. Well, Moo and I planned our schedule around this, and then sat back last night and waited for his call to say that he needed to be picked up at the train station.,

Well DUH!!!! When I hadn't heard from him by 8:15 last night, I called his cell phone to ask where he was. He said he thought he might be somewhere in Georgia. WHAT???? That's when I pulled up his travel itinerary and took a better look at it. DUH!!! He arrives TONIGHT! I didn't read it correctly the first time, or I'd have known this! Where is my brain? What made me think he could get here in one day traveling by bus?

The good part is that now I have something nice to look forward to tonight. You know, it's not easy being beautiful and smart all the time. (Oh Lordy, did I say that?) I think maybe I need another cup of coffee. Tootsie and I slept late this morning, and it felt so gooooood!!! But now I really should get dressed and pretend to get some work done around here.

I do have another QP freebie for you. It's a bit magickal and I hope you like it. It's lunchtime now, and Tootsie is sitting here waiting patiently for her lunch. So till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

Hugs, Edna B.

"QP - 016"

And here is your download link for "QP 016"

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Here Comes Peter Cottontail

March 26, 2010

Wow! Do you realize that in another week and a half, it will be Easter? Where is the time going? At this rate, I'll be old and I won't even know it!! I'm not ready for my bunny duties at all. I know, there aren't any little kids here anymore, but in reality, we don't grow all the way up. Even us big kids need fun things like the Easter Bunny. So I will have to pick up some egg decorating stuff and some little baskets this weekend and get hopping!

This was my first night back to work, and it wasn't bad at all. I'll be going home in about thirty minutes. Later this morning I am going to need a power nap!! During the night, I did get some designing inspiration so I was able to work on the Daily Download kits. I must say that I am quite pleased at how they are turning out. Want to see a peek at one day in April? Special credits will be listed on the TOU when you get the download.

It's now 8:10 a.m. and I'm home. Today is going to be quite chilly. The weatherman says the temperature will only get up to about 38 degrees, and it has been raining all night and all morning. Brrrrrrer!

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I do have some nice photos to share today. I think that Flamingos are really gorgeous, and I took tons of photos of them while I was in Florida. This one particular Flamingo seemed to be dancing in the water (actually, he was just hurrying back to the rest of his group) and I got several shots of him.

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Flamingo Dance

Now I think I'll make myself a hot cup of coffee and play with Tootsie a while before nap time rolls around. I did not get any winks during the night so I really do need a little nap this morning. My son is arriving tonight for a two week visit, and I want to be perky when it's time to pick him up at the train station. So till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and dry, and have a fantastic day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

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p.s. I thought you might find this interesting -- it was pouring rain just a few minutes ago, and now it is snowing. How about that!!!!! Good ole New England weather at it's best!!!!!

Have You Sent Back Your Census Form?

March 25, 2010

Today is just heavenly. It's bright and sunny, and the temperature is supposed to hit 70 degrees. It's only going to last one day for now, but it is just wonderful. It's a good day to pay the bills and fill out the census form. So I did just that, and popped it all into the mail.

What do you think of this new census form? At the very end of it, there is a little paragraph that says "Don't worry, everything you tell us is confidential." HA HA HA HA. It's not good enough that they want your name, address, age and sex. Now they also want your date of birth and your telephone number (in case they want to call you). The next one will probably be asking for your income and verification of that income.

Maybe it's just me, but really -- why do they need my phone number? And if I tell them my age, why do they need to know my birth date? I honestly feel that they are asking for more than they need to know. The one thing they did not ask was what country I was born in, and when I moved here. Now that, I should think, would be an important thing to know on the census form.

Now on to brighter things. This week, I made new background papers from some of my photos. I thought that some of them would be good for scrapping the men in the family. Here's a peek at one of them.

I also made some new QP's from these new papers, but I will save them for another time. Now I want to focus on finishing up my portions of the upcoming Daily Downloads. I still have to finish the months of June and September. I have all the papers made, so now I will work on the elements.

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Today I have another QP freebie for you. This one has a nice Spring feeling to it. I hope you like it. Now I'm off to make Tootsie's lunch. She has been sitting here quite patiently for me to finish posting. Y'all have a fantabulous day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

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"QP - 015"

And here is your download link for "QP 015"

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Friends Are Treasures

March 24, 2010

I'm watching the weather channel on TV, and the forecast is rather gloomy. It looks like we're only getting two days of sun and all the rest rain in the next seven days. Yish!! I thought I saw specks of sunlight when I looked out my window, but I guess it will only be peeking in and out between the clouds today. I know, count my blessings! This is definitely better than heavy rain!

Yesterday, I received another beautiful award from Norene at Cajun Design Scrapz. Do check out her beautiful designs at http://cajundesignscrapz.blogspot.com/. Her bows and doodles are exquisite. Although I already have this award, it puts a smile on my face and makes my heart happy. Thank you Norene.

In the past, I've passed this award along to most of the blogs that I visit daily, so I'm going to pass it along to just a couple. Both of these ladies have fantastic blogs, and I'm so glad to have them as friends. They both generously share their scrapping knowledge and their beautiful family stories. When you stop by their blogs, take your coffee and settle in for a really pleasant visit.

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Davonna @ http://chroniclesofnani.blogspot.com/

Su @ http://www.suruha-freespirt.com/

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The rules are simple: Acknowledge where the award came from, pass it on to five others, and notify each recipient at their blog.

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Last night I finished a new layout for the color challenge at GDS. Their forum address is: http://www.godigitalscrapbooking.com/. The photo is of me and my friend Mary Ann, and was taken at our visit to Animal Kingdom. I also made a matching QP and will offer it to you this week as a freebie.
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As I look at this photo, I realize that a third of my hair is quite gray!! Hmmmmm! I wonder if I should try getting rid of the gray with the help of some coloring. Hmmmmm! I will have to ponder this for a while.

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I'm getting ready to pack up the rental lens and mail it back to the store. But first let me share another photo I took with it. This photo was taken of the shore way over across the pond. I was very pleased with the amount of detail it shows. Still, I don't think I will rush out to buy the lens, as it too heavy for me to carry around.

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I got a late start today, but now it is time for me to make lunch for myself and Miss Tootsie. She must have a little stomach cold, and could not keep her chemo appointments yesterday, so they are rescheduled for next Monday and Tuesday. Seems like the stomach cold bug is catching up with all of us here in turn.

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Now I really must get going. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a beautiful and sunny day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

More Rain And A Video For You

March 23, 2010

Good morning. It's 7:30 a.m. and quite gray, dismal and rainy outside my window. Tootsie's next round of chemo starts this morning, so we had to get up a bit early today. In a few moments, she will have a "quickie" bath, and we'll get ready to leave for her appointment.

After yesterdays post, I realized that I should have explained a little bit about the movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy." If you've never watched it, there's a good reason. It was produced in 1942. It was a magnificent biographical film about George M. Cohan. For more on Mr. Cohan, try Google or Wikipedia. He wrote a lot of great music, including "You're A Grand Old Flag," "Mary" and "Give My Regards To Broadway."

If you'd like to see snippets from the movie, I am going to attempt to upload a small video for you to watch. If I'm successful, it should appear right about here. Don't forget to pause the music player at the bottom of the page. Just click on the large middle button on the left side of the player. Otherwise, it will play all through the video.


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Now it's time for us to leave for the hospital. Enjoy the little video. If it doesn't show up, I'll try to fix it when I get back home. Y'all stay dry and have a great day.
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Hugs, Edna B.

Here Comes The Rain Again!!

March 22, 2010

This morning is starting out rather gray and cool. We are supposed to be getting more rain today and tomorrow. Oh goodie!! The insurance adjuster is here and being quite nosey. Not quite sure why, but he is even measuring the house and the yard. The company probably wants to raise my insurance premiums because I called them to file a damage claim.

I wonder why we pay them all that money in the first place. If we could just put all the money we pay them every year into the bank, we would have plenty of money to pay for all the damages and still have lots left over!!! Beats me!!

On to some fun stuff now. Last night I finished another challenge. This one was for the Favorites challenge, and this month we are doing our favorite movies. There are a lot of movies that I really like, but my all-time favorite is "Yankee Doodle Dandy" starring James Cagney. If you're 50 years old or younger, you probably don't recall this movie, but it was, and still is, quite memorable and enjoyable. Here's my layout.

I have another photo to share today that I took at the park this weekend. This one is a Canada Goose who is displaying a bit of attitude, and showing off his beautiful great wingspread.

As always, click on the picture for a larger view. Now I must do a bit of work here. I need to straighten out a few things before I start back to work. Yup, this week I get to go back to work, but only for one night. I still have my cast on, and that's all the doctor will let me do so far. But it will feel good to be back there, even only part time.

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As promised, I'm posting the links for parts 3 & 4 of "Winter Fantasy." Till tomorrow, Y'all have a great day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

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"Winter Fantasy"

And here are your download links for Parts 3 & 4 of "Winter Fantasy."

http://www.4shared.com/file/214599478/a4b0a67a/EB_-_Winter_Fantasy_3.html

http://www.4shared.com/file/214601109/d40dfaf0/EB_-_Winter_Fantasy_4.html

A Great Day For Ducks!!

March 21, 2010

Good morning!! It's a bit early and still a bit cool, but it's good to look out my window and see signs of Spring. Crocuses are blooming, trees are beginning to bud, and green leaves and sprouts are pushing up through the dirt.

Yesterday was heavenly! The temperature reached about 72 degrees, and the sun's warmth felt really good. Janet, Tootsie and I went to the park and had a grand time taking photos, and watching people feed the ducks (and geese and swans and gulls). Tootsie enjoyed seeing all the dogs. I don't remember ever seeing so many people walking their dogs through the park. But after a long winter and a nasty flood, it was a fantastic day to be out walking the dog.

I had a problem setting up my tripod, so I just tried hand-holding the huge rental lens. The close up photos didn't come out so good, but it took great shots of the background way over on the other side of the pond. After a short while, I resorted back to my own 70-300 mm lens.

Before I share some photos, let me tell you about the electrical inspector's visit yesterday morning. I paced the floor and held my breath while he was down in the cellar checking out the hookup for the hot water heater and the electrical box. Finally, he came up from the cellar, and smiled and said "Everything's just fine, Edna." Phew!!

Sounds a bit dramatic, I know. But until this new water heater was installed, I never knew that the old one was never grounded. Things could have turned out much worse than they did. My guardian angels were watching over us.

How about a really cute photo of a couple of ducks playing in the pond? They raced around in circles and splashed away just having a grand time for themselves. Lookee here. (I meant to mention quite a while ago, but forgot - By clicking on any photo, you can see a larger view of it.)

And here's a nice closeup of another little duck who was busy splashing in the water.

And now I have a freebie for you. I made this kit, "Winter Fantasy," for the color challenge last month. I had to divide it into four folders, so I'll post two of them today, and two of them tomorrow. Hope you like.

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Now I think I'll have another cup of coffee, and start my laundry. Maybe even run the vacuum around a bit too. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a great day.

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Hugs, Edna B.
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"Winter Fantasy"

And here are your download links for the first two parts of "Winter Fantasy."

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HAPPY SPRING!!!

March 20, 2010

Spring is here and my flowers are beginning to come up. Yesterday I raked a few old dry leaves from my little garden area, and lo and behold!! There were flowers pushing up through the ground. Maybe later today I will do a bit more raking.

This morning, my daughter in law is going to the park with me to shoot some bird photos. There is usually a large assortment of ducks, geese, swans and gulls at the park. This week, I have to return the lens that I rented, so I would like to use it a bit first. It's the Canon 100-400 mm, and it's really a great lens, but it is just too heavy for me to carry around.

There are some other great lenses that I would like to try, so I will rent another one when this first one is returned. What a great idea - renting lenses!! Some lenses are quite expensive, so it is great to be able to try them out first before spending lots of money.

Now for the good news!! Y-E-A-H"!!! We have heat and hot water again!!!!! The dwarfs were ever so happy to be able to take nice hot showers again. And no more heating a pan of water on the stove to wash the dishes either. There is still a lot of work to be done in the cellar, but we can't go much further with it until after the insurance adjuster comes. Why, I don't know, but we will humor the man.

Uncle Moo has worked tirelessly through it all, and really should rest up this weekend. What would I have done without him? Thank you Moo.

Today I have a photo of another unidentified bird. So again, if you know what it is, please let me know. This one is quite unusual, yet rather pretty.

That's all for today. Now it's time to get ready to go out and play with the big lens. Y'all have a fantabulous day now.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Oops! I've Lost My Lens Cap!

March 19, 2010

The sun is shining, and the weatherman says it is supposed to be nice all weekend. And guess what??? Yup Yup Yup! SPRING starts tomorrow!!! At the moment, I am watching the weather channel on TV, and it is showing the snow falling in Denver. Oh my!!

Remember my little squirrel story? Well in all fairness, I should tell you my lens cap story too. When we boarded the Safari truck in Animal Kingdom, I got my camera ready to shoot some photos. I put my lens cap in my purse, and held on tight to my camera. When the trek was over and we were getting ready to leave the truck, I could not find my lens cap.

We searched everywhere, turned my purse inside out, checked every nook and cranny on the truck where I was seated, and even the attendant checked. My lens cap was not to be found anywhere. Oh well, at least I had an extra one at home. Later, I reached into my pants pocket for something, and oh oh!! Guess what I found? Yup! My lens cap was hiding safely in my pocket. DUH!!!

Now for an update on the storm damages. To start with the insurance company called to say that nothing was covered. So what else is new? Then yesterday the furnace guy came and replaced everything inside the furnace - motor, wires, etc. While he was doing that, I went out and bought a new water heater which will be delivered and installed later today.

I also bought a couple hundred pounds of kitty litter, which Moo spread all over the cellar floor to sop up a lot of the left over water. Turns out it was not enough, so he has just left to go buy some more kitty litter. Then to top it all off, the insurance adjuster called me this morning to say that he would be out Monday morning to assess the damages. What for??

Soon, we will be getting a dumpster. Everything that was in the cellar has to be thrown out. I feel bad because all of Moo's record collection was down there, along with lots of other things. We sure don't want to see any more rain storms like this one for quite some time.

How about a couple of photos before I leave to get dressed? I wasn't able to get any good photos of the tigers or the meerkats, but I'll share what I did get. They're not great, as they were taken at a bit of a distance, but I'm glad to have them.

Now I really must get going here and get some stuff done. I did manage to finish washing the dishes. I heat a big pan of water on the stove and I'm good to go. It's sort of like camping out, only we do it indoors!! Till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Thank You Moo.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Good morning!! At the moment, it's still rather gray outside my window, but it is still a bit early. It's supposed to be sunny and warm today (about 67 degrees Farenheit). Golly, I hope so. It seems we won't be getting any heat or hot water for a while yet. We still have a bit of water in the cellar, but God bless Moo, he has been working tirelessly to get rid of it and most of it is gone.

The burner man came to assess the damages to the furnace and the hot water heater. Both are ruined and have to be replaced. I called to see if they are covered by my house insurance, and now I have to wait for an adjuster to come out before I can start the replacement work. I am not a very happy camper at the moment. As you know, I just replaced both of these units not too long ago. Now it has to be done again.

I guess my only consolation is that it really could have been worse. Some folks lost everything. Not in my town, but two towns over things are devastating. Some folks are still using small boats, cars are still sitting in tons of water, electric power is out and homes are destroyed. Here are two photos that I took off the TV. They aren't very good, but you can see what I mean.

These photos were taken after the waters had already started to recede. Some of these vehicles were almost totally covered by the water. Is it any wonder that the insurance companies are overwhelmed and don't want to deal with us homeowners? How do I know this? Because my insurance company is looking for ways not to cover anything. Absolutely disgusting!!!!

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On a brighter note, my friend Kyra has not been feeling so well lately, but says that now she is feeling a bit better. I do hope so. She is like a ray of sunshine, and is missed when she is not up and smiling. Stay well my friend.

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I have another bird photo for you. I have no idea what kind of bird it is, so if you know, please let me know. There is nothing in my bird books about this rather strange looking bird.

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Now I think I shall get ready to start my day. I see a bit of sunshine peeking through a corner of my window, so at least it will be warm today. My electric fireplaces have been a godsend this winter. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

March 17, 2010
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Golly, time is flying and already it's St Patty's Day. Hopefully, the rains and flooding won't ruin too many parade plans. We won't be going to any parades today. We're still working on getting the water out of our cellar. It seems there was more water than we thought down there. At least a foot and a half.

The pump that Moo's friend lent us has been doing a great job, but it finally got clogged up (with floating debris) and Moo had to shut it down last evening. This morning he will get it up and running again. Thank goodness for that pump!! The burner man said it would have been more than a couple of days before they could have come to help us with the water. So there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel. (barring any further little upsets!)
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How about today I share a couple of nice Bald Eagle photos? That is one beautiful bird, and I don't get many opportunities to photograph it. This one was part of a spectacular bird show that we watched while we were at the Wild Animal Park.
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Wow, now that is one powerful looking bird!! I am so glad that I had the opportunity to visit Disney's Wild Animal Kingdom. I may even have to go back there again some day. It was such a treat to be able to see and photograph the animals in natural looking settings.
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Today, I have a doctor appointment. That's when I get the progress report on my foot. I have made my peace with the cast, and have been getting around pretty good. Hopefully, I'll even be back to work soon. My friend has been covering for me and must be pretty exhausted by now.
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It's time now to start my day. Here is your freebie for today. It's the Iolite QP. Iolite is an absolutely gorgeous blue-violet color. Hope you like it. Till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantastic day.
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Hugs, Edna B.
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"QP 014 - Iolite"






















And here is your download link for "QP 014 - Iolite"
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It's Good To Be Home!

March 15, 2010

Yesterday was a long day for traveling. I only slept about an hour during the night (anxious, I guess) then had coffee and toast and packed up the car to leave. I was on the road at 8:45 am, first to return the rental car, and then to the airport. OH MY!!!

The airport was a disaster happening!! Obviously, a lot of flights during the last two days had been cancelled due to bad weather, so there were thousands of people waiting in huge long lines to check in their luggage and get boarding passes.

I stood in the lines for about an hour and a half, finally got a wheelchair assistant, and we were off to the departure gate. Here I waited again. All the flights were running late. But it wasn't too bad, my flight was not quite two hours late. Finally were up in the air. Yeah!!!!!

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The flight was good, and about 5:30 we landed in Boston. Now just to wait for our luggage, and hop a shuttle bus to Braintree, where Moo would be waiting to pick me up. I got home somewhere around 6:30 last night, and my little girl was right there at the door waiting for me with licks and kisses. I really missed that!!!!

I unpacked, and Tootsie and I had a bit to eat, then turned in early after calling all the kids to let them know I got home safely. Then I slept till 11:45 am this morning!!!!! The rain hasn't stopped here, and I will have to get some photos later on. My yard is halfway to needing little boats to get around.

I have some photos to share with you today. I love flamingoes, so I took tons of photos of them. One of my favorites is of a lone flamingo wading in the water with beautiful reflections showing everywhere. The other photo shows a group of them in a small cluster.

I also have a rather different photo to share. Thursday night, during a lull in the rain, I took this photo of the lamp post across from my door. It cast a golden glow on the trees and the rain, which I thought was quite pretty. I hope you like it.

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That's all for today. I did receive a lovely award, but I will save that for tomorrow, so that I have time to think about who I shall pass it along to. Y'all have a really great day now, and stay warm and dry!!

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Hugs, Edna B.

Today Is A Day For Errands

March 11, 2010

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Today is a rainy, but warm, day here in Florida. It's a good day to do errands, so that I did. First I asked for directions to the Post Office. I was told to go to Celebration and it would be there in the center of town. So off I went to the little Disney town of Celebration. And got totally lost!!

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After several stops to ask people where to find the Post Office, I finally found it. There was no parking anywhere. You just had to find a parking spot somewhere in town and walk. Well that's all right if you're not handicapped, but with a broken foot and a large box to carry, it was not a possibility for me. This was very frustrating.

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Then I couldn't find my way out of there and back to the main road. This was simply not my best morning. Eventually, I got back to the main road and traveled a ways to Walmart. And here, I got directions to the Kissimmee Post Office. Thank you very much. From here on things went a bit smoother.

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My next adventure was to find a gas station to put gas in the car. Once I found one, my next problem was trying to open the cap to the gas tank. These rental cars don't come with their manuals. Eventually, I figured out that problem too. There's a little thingy under the dash inside the car that you have to push to open the gas tank lid. Ain't that something!!

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I think now I had better post my new challenge layouts, as there is a line forming behind me waiting to use the laptop connection. Gosh, I miss my computer room right about now.

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This is my layout for the March template challenge, and features my friend Mary Ann. Special credits go to Snow Raven for the template, and to Granny Art for the floor plant.

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I have more, but it will have to keep till my next visit to the computer building. Now I will trek back out into the rain and head on home for some lunch. Till next time, Y'all have a great day.

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Hugs, Edna B.

More Pics For You

March 10, 2010

Well, I 've made it back here, but I can't stay very long because there is already a line waiting for this "one and only" laptop internet connection. Can you imagine? Almost everybody here has a laptop and there is only one place to hook up a laptop!! You know, my little computer room back home is beginning to look like internet heaven right about now!

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I didn't do much of anything exciting today. Mostly just hung out, watched a bit of TV, read some of my book, and worked a bit on my laptop. Maybe tomorrow will bring a bit more energy and excitement for me. I hate to say it, but I am beginning to get bored here. I don't know anyone here to go out and do things with. Ah well. At least the weather is just gorgeous, and I really do love that part of it.

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I do have some more photos to share. First let me apologize because I do not know the names of all the birds and animals that I photographed, and I do not have my books here with me to look them all up. I could look them up on the internet, but that would use up all of my time, so please bear with me.

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One day when we went food shopping, there were two of the most lovely birds off to the side of the parking lot. Of course, we got out the cameras and had ourselves a grand old time. I'm not sure of the name of the bird, but I do have two photos of it to show you. One a full length, and one a close up.
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The next photo is of a license plate that was a car parked near mine. I just thought it was so interesting, that I had to take a photo of it.

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And last, but not least, I have a photo of one of the musicians that were playing in the park that afternoon in Animal Kingdom. I have smudged out nearby faces for obvious reasons.

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Now, I must leave you. People are beginning to look at me sort of funny. Not to mention, they each have a laptop with them. sigh! sigh! Till my next visit over here, Y'all have a grand evening.

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Hugs, Edna B.

It's Snail Mail or No Mail

March 9, 2010

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Well I made it back over here again (to the computer room). The last time I was here it was so cold that I complained at the office about it. This evening, it is quite warm in here. Seems like you can't win for losing!!

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Today the temperature was in the 70's here, so I went out for a ride and to do a bit of shopping. Every time I go out, I pass a place where you can take a helicopter tour of the area. I am so tempted to try this out. Who knows? Maybe before I head home, I will treat me to a helicopter ride!!

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We have a 30 minute limit here to use the internet connection, so my posts from here cannot be very long. Plus it takes forever to download and upload anything - they have dial-up internet here. For the life of me I cannot understand why they couldn't at least put in high speed service. Oh well, I'll be home soon enough and back to my high speed.

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Today I only have two photos for you, but oh are they ever nice!! They are of a giraffe who was busy having himself some lunch, and didn't mind my taking photos of him. Enjoy.

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That's it for today. Now I shall go back to my condo and scrounge up something for supper. Till next time, Y'all have a fantastic evening.

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Hugs, Edna B.