A Very Interesting New App For Your Smartphone

January 20, 2015

Good afternoon.  No, I did not sleep in this morning.  Rather, I had a few phone calls to make, received a couple of calls, and then had to write out some checks to pay bills and get them in the mail before the mailman got here.  Phew!! 

Before I could post, I needed to check my profile and figure out how to add an email to it so that folks can contact me if they need to.  This was in response to Beth's question about how to send me photos to share.  You can contact me, and send photos, by using the email in my profile at the top right side of this page.  I would love to see your photos.

Yesterday I had an appointment with my eye doctor, and all the news was super good.  I have 20/20 vision and no eye diseases.  Woo Hoo!  The only reason I'll be getting new eyeglasses is because the ones that I'm wearing are really old.  I need them for reading small print, plus I have Transitional lenses to keep the light away from my eyes.  This was definitely great news.

It seems as though I've been up for a whole day.  Mr. Pogo decided it was time for breakfast quite early this morning.  He woke me at around 5:30 to let me know that he was hungry.  I decided to get up and make breakfast for both of us, with hopes of going back to sleep after we ate.  Which I did, for about an hour an a half. 

Today I have an interesting newspaper article to share.  This a new app called "Pager" that allows patients to order a house call from a physician using their smartphones.  At the moment, the service is available on a limited basis in Manhattan and Brooklyn (New York), but it could spread to other cities this year.

Is this not cool?  Remember the good old days when your doctor actually came to your house when you were sick in bed?   It would mean not having to get out of a sick bed and traveling to the ER just to sit in a waiting room with a lot of other sick people, and quite possible getting even sicker.   Hmmm, now I'm wondering what this service will cost. 

It's getting late and Pogo is patiently waiting for his lunch, so on that note, I'll take my leave.   Till tomorrow, Y'all have a fabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Congratulations New England And Seattle

January 19, 2015

Good morning.  This will be a fairly short post as I have a morning appointment with the eye doctor.  It's been at least two or three years since my last eye exam.  I've been wanting to get new glasses, but not until after a new exam. 

This morning on the Weather Channel they are showing all the recent vehicle pile-ups due to icy roads, plus they are re-hashing several of the other really bad pile-ups from this past week.  I am just so amazed at how many people will insist on being out on the roads during freezing rain. 

Any time it rains and the temperature is below freezing, the roads will be icy.  Is the almighty dollar so important to us that we will risk our lives and the lives of others by travelling on unsafe roads?  I'm thinking that a lot of accidents may have been prevented if people had waited a few hours to travel to their jobs or destinations.  Maybe I just think too realistically.

At 3:30 this morning, it was 43F degrees.  At the moment, it is 33 degrees, with a promise of maybe getting up to 40 degrees later today.  The road near my house looks dry, but I will leave a bit early for my appointment just in case.  If I find the roads looking a bit iffy, I'll turn around and come back home and re-schedule my appointment. 

Well, Deanne and Eddie are beginning to feel better, DIL Janet is over her bout with the flu, and Kevin is hanging in there till his upcoming doctor appointment.   Hopefully they will all be healed and feeling normal really soon.

Congratulations are in order for all you Patriots and Seattle football fans.   Your teams will be facing off in this year's Super Bowl.  Good luck to all of you, although I'll be routing for the New England Patriots, of course.

Is anyone other than me trying to do that 365 day photo project?  Are you having as much difficulty as I am trying to match a photo to the daily words?  I may end up making my own word list in order to make the project more fun.

In that case, today's word will be "water".  I've taken a photo of our new bird water bowl.  It's outside my window where it is protected from bad weather.  Also, I can just open my window to fill the bowl with water. 

Well that's all my news for this morning.  It's time to make breakfast for my little guy before I have to get ready for my appointment.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day and please stay off the icy roads.

Hugs, Edna B.

A Mini Heat Wave

January 18, 2015

Good morning.  It's getting close to noon, but I tried sleeping in this morning.  Earlier I had to get up because Pogo was insisting on breakfast, which I got up and made for him.  Then I crawled back under my cozy afghan and tried for a few more winks.  However, there wasn't much sleep coming.  Once his belly was full of food, Pogo now wanted to sit on my lap and play. 

So we played a while and watched a bit of  Square Pants Sponge Bob (I think that's how you spell it).   Finally, Pogo managed to coax me out from under the covers.  What would I do without this special little guy? 

According to my phone, it is 44F degrees outside, sort of a mini heat wave.  So far, it is not raining.  However, we do have lots of rain on the way.  At least that's what the weather man says.  I guess the rain will arrive later this afternoon in time for the football game.  I'm not a football fan, but I'll be routing for the Patriots because my family and friends will be watching the game and hoping for the Patriots to win.

Remember how I mentioned how nothing is too sacred to be advertised on TV?  Well the other day I saw a commercial that I thought was totally disgusting.  It was for Poise Pads, and the last line of the ad was "How would you recycle your period pads?"

Are they kidding?  I'm all for recycling as much as possible, but give me a break!  Poise Pads?  I assume they are not referring to brand new ones.  I mean, why would you bother to buy them if you were only going to put them in the recycle bin or create something new out of them?  YUCK!

On that note, how about a few birdie photos.  These were taken through the kitchen window.  The window could use a washing, but not in this cold weather. 

Yesterday, I gave Joe two bowls of peanuts to spread around outside for the birds and the squirrels.  I tried to get a photo of the squirrels eating the peanuts, but they would rush in, grab a peanut and run off with it.  Oh well, at least they were enjoying them.

I have no special plans for today.  Somehow, when I plan exactly what I will do for a day, I usually get sidetracked.  So today my plan is "whatever will be, will be".   Right now, I'm thinking about what to make for lunch.   A grilled cheese sandwich sounds yummy, but then I still have to come up with something tasty for Pogo.  Hmmm, I'll have to think on that for a while.

On that note, I think I'll have me a cup of coffee, and see what's in the refrigerator.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day. 

Hugs, Edna B.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Bluebirds Fly

January 16, 2015

Good morning.  I'm off to a bit of a late start today, but I just did not want to come out from under my cozy covers this morning.  I finally had to give in to Pogo's antics.  He woke up quite hungry this morning, and was insisting that I get up and make him some breakfast.  So, like a good mama, I did just that.  Gosh, that little fellow has me tucked right under his thumb.  Er, I mean his paw.

On the weather channel they are discussing how we are all enjoying the "January thaw".  I wonder if any of those folks have actually visited my little part of New England lately.  I always thought that the temperature had to get up over freezing for the "thaw" and stay there for a while.  So far, we're not doing so good in that department.

We are expecting a day that reaches 40 and a couple days in the mid 30's soon, but until it actually happens, we can't count on it.  The weather becomes crazier every year now.  It must be quite difficult for the meteorologists to give accurate weather forecasts.

As to the 365 photo project, I'm having a problem with some of the topics.  So I think I'll just get the ones that I can, and try to catch up with the missed photos whenever I can.  The word for day 16 is "impact".  Last night while I was watching TV, I heard a really loud BANG! 

I got up and looked out to see what appeared to be a nasty auto accident, and so I called the police to report it.  Next thing, all the traffic started backing up with a lot of vehicles turning around in my driveway and heading back in the other direction.

Soon the whole area was flooded with flashing blue and white lights followed by flashing red lights.  Several cruisers, an ambulance, three tow trucks, a ladder engine and goodness knows what else was all outside in front of our yard.  I did not go out to look, but I know it was serious because three cars were taken away on trucks, and at least one person left in an ambulance.

Here are a few photos that I took through the storm door. (with my phone)   The last photo shows the EMT's who have just put someone into the ambulance.  The photos aren't great as it is dark and I'm shooting through glass and screen with no flash.  But they surely are colorful.  These are for "Impact".

My next photo is for Day 1 - "First".  This was the first auto accident that Pogo has seen.  He was quite excited with all the action taking place on the street in front of our yard.

I do have an update on Audrey's auto.  The insurance company called her to say that the car was totaled.  Sadly, this was a nice little car, but now it's time to think about a new one.  Hopefully, things will all work out and she'll soon have a new set of wheels to get around in. 

An update on Jazzy's rehearsals for the musical Wizard of Oz, her director said that she was so happy with how Jazzy sang "Over The Rainbow".  When Jazzy was done singing, the director told her "that's why you were chosen for Dorothy".  That's awesome, Jazzy!!!!!  We are all so proud of you.

Well, now it's time to get dressed.  The oil delivery man will be here soon.   Also, I see the mail truck pulling up in front of the driveway.  Be right back.

Oh goodie!  A couple of days ago, I ordered some new memory cards for my camera and they are in today's mail.  Woo Hoo!  I'm already preparing for my upcoming vacation.  I don't like to be caught without extra memory cards.

Well that's the news for this morning.  So, till Sunday, Y'all stay warm and have a beautiful weekend.

Hugs, Edna B.

A Belated Christmas For Janet And Me

January 15, 2015

Good morning.  Today is cloudy and it's 25F degrees.  At some time during the wee hours, it must have snowed for a while because everything outside is covered with a layer of snow.  I'll have to run the car for a while to melt all the snow off it before going out to do errands later.

I did finish making the corn chowder yesterday, and it was delicious!   I like my food plain, so there's not a lot of ingredients in my chowder.  Just potatoes, whole kernel corn, creamed corn, onions, canned milk, whole milk a dash of salt and a sprinkling of pepper.  If I'd had any bacon, I'd have put in a little bit of that too just for flavor.

I spent a few hours on the kitchen project yesterday, mostly deciding what to toss and what to keep.  Of course, anything that I would keep also needed a new place to live.  I was going to work more on it today, but I think I'll take today off. 

As for my 365 photo project, sad to say I did not finish getting my two photos for days 14 & 15.  Some of the topics listed are just not as easy, at least for me.  My mind isn't as creative as it used to be in it's younger days.  However, I will try to get them done.

Remember back before Christmas that I spoke of our local Ace Hardware store's pet food drive?  Well it seems to be getting better every year.  I received this thank you email from the hardware store.  I wish a lot more stores would do this, and it doesn't have to be just at Christmas time.

Last night DIL Janet came by after work, and we finally got to open each other's Christmas presents.  Janet has been sick since before Christmas, first waiting for an appointment for a root canal (for some reason, all the dentists in our area were totally booked until after the holidays) and then later with the flu.  It was good to see her well and smiling again.

 

This afternoon, I have to make my shopping list.  Later, when Joe gets home from work, we'll be making a trip to the market.  I mostly just need a few staples plus a few tasty meals for Pogo.  This is always a challenge, trying to figure out what he might actually eat.  He's such a picky kid.  He likes hamburgers, but if I cook two at once (one for today and one for tomorrow) he'll only eat it on the day I cooked it.  Now where did that come from? 

 

A few days ago, I order myself a "spin mop" from a catalogue.  It arrived yesterday afternoon, so either later today or tomorrow I'll get to try it out.  I have trouble wringing things with my hands, so I thought that this might make it easier for me.  If it works, I'll get another one for out in the house. 

 

Audrey is on the mend, but Dee Dee, Eddie and Kevin are still a bit under the weather.  Hopefully, they'll be well really soon.  As for Audrey's car, it was being towed away this morning by the insurance company.  Now we're just waiting for the decision - is it totaled or shall we fix it?

 

Well, that's all the news for this morning.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all stay warm and have a fantabulous day. 

 

Hugs, Edna B.

Do You Want The Good News Or The Bad News?

January 14, 2015

Good morning.   At the moment, it's 18F degrees with hopes of getting up to 30 degrees later today.  Tomorrow is supposed to get a couple of degrees warmer.  So that's the day I'll do my errands and the food shopping. 

For now, I'll continue to stay indoors and putter around the house.  Actually, yesterday my puttering managed tot get a lot accomplished.  I got my my little drawer units moved from the kitchen into the pantry, and I got my microwave all cleaned up and moved over to its new spot. 

This all happened because I went into the kitchen to make a pot of corn chowder.  As usual, I got side tracked and ended up cleaning instead of cooking.  So the chowder will be first on my to-do list this morning.  To make sure it gets done, I've already started peeling the potatoes.  Now I have to finish it!

Yesterday I mentioned a new photo project that my friend Mary Ann had told me about.  It's a 365 day photo project started by the Photographers Society of America (PSA).   One has to be a member in order to browse their website, so I'm in the process of applying for membership. 

Meanwhile, I have the list of suggestions for January and February.  For those of you who would like to give this a try, I'll try posting a couple weeks suggestions at a time.  Seeing as how we are already half way through January, I'll post the whole list for January. 

Day 01 First                                       Day 17 Expand
Day 02 Impossible                             Day 18 Border
Day 03 Roof                                      Day 19 Dazzling
Day 04 Guard                                    Day 20 Control
Day 05 Small                                     Day 21 Dust
Day 06 Moment                                 Day 22 Hope
Day 07 Allowance                             Day 23 Shave
Day 08 Island                                    Day 24 Aquatic
Day 09 Repetition                              Day 25 Flower
Day 10 Faint                                      Day 26 Towering
Day 11 White                                    Day 27 Weak
Day 12 Choice                                   Day 28 Lead
Day 13 Smash                                   Day 29 Smoke
Day 14 Fluffy                                    Day 30 Old
Day 15 Rude                                      Day 31 One
Day 16 Impact

I just started this project yesterday, so today I'll post two photos for Day 13, of part of the 193 vehicle "smash up" that took place a couple of days ago in Michigan. (I think that's the location.  I forgot to write it down.)   I took these photos with my phone while watching the news on TV..

Today, I'll try to catch up with photos for day 14 & 15.  When I can, I'll try to get caught up with the first part of the month.  Give it try and have fun.

While checking my email yesterday, I got an email from one of my favorite catalogues, asking me to check out some of their new items.  So of course I did.  They always have such cute things to look at.  However, one of their new items caught my eye.  TV seems to be advertising a huge array of feminine products lately.  Now, finally, there is a product for the guys. 

It's amazing how far society has come with their attitude on personal products.  Used to be, it was embarrassing to even try to buy personal products at a store.  Now they are blatantly splashed all over the TV and in all our magazines.  I suppose the good side of all of this is that folks really don't have a reason not to be clean. 

Back to the weather, we do not have any ice outside here or on our roads, but a huge portion of the country is covered in ice.  If you are in any of these areas, please do be careful if you have to go out today.  If at all possible, stay home and let the highway department try to melt some of that ice. 

My daughter Audrey called me last evening after she had arrived back home from work.  She started the conversation with "Do you want the good news or the bad news?"   Well, the good news was that she was okay.  Oh boy, now I'm getting nervous.   The bad news was that her car might be totaled.

On her way home, a huge buck ran into her car, and then managed to run off into the woods.  The car, however, was heavily damaged.  Even the driver's door was jammed shut.  Through it all, she managed to keep a sense of humor about her.  She said "Mom, this was not how I wanted to get my deer".   Later, hubby Mac and a friend went off into the woods to look for the deer to make sure it was not lying wounded somewhere.

Audrey, if you take a photo of your car, you'll have your day 13 "smash" photo.  Just thought I'd mention that.

Well now it's time for me to get back to those potatoes that I started peeling before they turn black.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all be safe and have a wonderful day.

Hugs, Edna B.

A New Footwear Craze?

January 13, 2015

Good morning.  Wow, it was quite warm all through the night (in the low thirties) and by morning it has cooled down quite a bit.  It is now 22 F degrees and getting colder as the day goes on into night.  Yesterday's nasty weather did not quite make it here.  We mostly had a very light rain for about half of the day. 

However, a lot of other folks are getting a lot of icy roads today and tomorrow.  I've been watching the Weather Channel to see how close this ice gets to my daughter Audrey.  She does not like driving on major roads, and the ice will make her drive to work (and back home) very treacherous.  Be very careful Audrey.

I have an image that I borrowed from the web of some rather interesting footwear.  They are called "Hillbilly Shoe Covers".  You can buy them from a catalogue "The Lighter Side" for only $32.98.  Wearing these to work should make one's day quite interesting!  You put them on right over your boots. (or shoes too, I guess)   Could this maybe be the start of a new footwear craze?

News flash!!  They are reporting now on TV that a 3.3 earthquake happened yesterday morning in the Plainfield, Connecticut area.   So far, no injuries have been reported.  This was the eighth earthquake in this area in just a week.  Gosh, this is very unusual for this area.  What in the world is happening in the weather realm???  (TV says this earthquake was this morning, Google says it was yesterday.)

I promised you a photo of my "Sunshine" afghan.   I took the photo with my phone last evening while I had the afghan on my lap.  (working on it)  When I have more of it done, I'll  take another photo.  The colors are hard to capture under a regular lamp light.  I'll try taking the next photo in daylight to see the difference.

I have another photo project to share, but first I need to check with a friend to see if it is okay to post it here on my blog.  After all, it is not my own idea. 

Today, I was hoping to get out to shop for a new tree and more birdseed, but I may wait till tomorrow or Thursday when it is warmer.  We'll see.  I'm thinking that today is a good day to stay indoors and make a pot of corn chowder.  Yup yup, I think that's what I'll do. 

Well that's my news for this morning.  Now I think I'll have me another cup of coffee while I do a bit of blog reading.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all do stay warm and have a wonderful day.

Hugs, Edna B.