A Walk Down Memory Lane

January 23, 2014

Good morning.  The sun is shining, but it is cold here.  At the moment it is 22F degrees, but it is supposed to warm up to around 38F degrees.  At least that is what the weather man is saying.  We still have some nasty winter weather coming, but I'm not sure what or when.  I'll tune in to the Weather Channel in a little while to see they are saying now.

Let's get right to the Day 23 word "Shave".  This is something that Pogo and I don't do, so I have no items for shaving lying around.  I almost decided to use an alternative word for today when I remembered something that I bought at the supermarket yesterday afternoon.   I just got out the package of Shaved Pastrami and took this photo.  Hmmm, good thing I bought it!

I also have a photo for the Day 5 word "Small".  I took this photo of Pogo as he was waking up from a nap on the sofa.  He is very small, only six pounds which is two and a half pounds more than he weighed when I first got him.

I also have a photo for yesterday's word "Hope" that was sent to me from Beth, a fellow blogger.  The symbol for breast cancer is on this image, and it is an inspiration for hope that we will find a cure for cancer.  Thanks for sharing, Beth.  It's more fun to do this project when someone else is doing it too.

Well, yesterday after Joe got home from work, we left to go grocery shopping, after a stop by the bank and the post office.  The highway is close by the Post Office, so we decided to shop at Market Basket instead of Walmart.   This was good because it gave me a chance to pick up a few different items that Walmart does not carry.  Like the shaved pastrami! 

 

I love this on-line shopping.  A couple of days ago, I ordered a book for daughter Audrey, and yesterday morning I received an email telling me that it was already shipped and on its way to her.  I think that this is one of the better things that came out of progress.  Not only do I not have to leave the house to make a purchase, but I also don't have to make a trip to the Post Office to mail it to anyone.   Definitely good progress.

 

I sometimes wonder what my memories will be like if I live to be 100 or more.  Right now, I can remember so much in the way of progress.  Recently I watched a commercial for a new toilet.  It had a sort of laser flush on it.  You just pass your hand in front of the flush button, and it does the job itself. 

 

 My memories take me back to the day when there was a three seater with no flush at all, and then to a "modern" toilet with a wooden water box high up on the wall and a long chain hanging from it to pull for a flush.  After that came the "all in one" unit with the flush handle attached to the tank on the back of the toilet, and now one that flushes itself.  Amazing!

 

I also remember the cobble stone streets, and my Grandpa coming to visit in a horse drawn surrey.  The roads changed from cobble stone to black  tar, and now a type of cement pavement.  The horse drawn surrey soon became an automobile, to a beach wagon, to a modern new car.  More amazing memories.   There are so many more, but they can wait for another day and another post.

 

The update for this weekend's weather so far is a little snow tonight, and then freezing rain and snow for an icy tomorrow.  Looks like a great day to stay indoors and maybe crochet a while.

 

Now I think I'll make me a hot cup of coffee and see what's for Pogo's breakfast.  So till Sunday, Y'all stay warm and have a fabulous weekend.

 

Hugs, Edna B.

Winter Storm Iola On Her Way Here

January 22, 2015

Good morning.  I'm watching the Weather Channel, and I guess January is not going to go out without dumping a ton of snow on us.  Or maybe lots of rain?  Or maybe both.  Either way, something is on its way here probably by tomorrow or Saturday.   And maybe even more next Monday and Tuesday.  We'll just have to wait and see.

All of this means that I definitely have to get out today to do a couple of errands and pick up a few groceries.   Once the storm Iola arrives here with her wintry mix, Pogo and I may not go back out for a few days. 

The word for Day 22 is "hope".  I thought about what to photograph until I realized I had the perfect subject.  I recently placed an order for a couple of things, but needed one more inexpensive item in order to get the free socks that were being offered.  (I'll get back to the socks in a later post.)  Well, my order arrived yesterday, and this is the extra item that I had ordered.  It's a "Pumpkin Starter Garden".  I have "hope" that Spring is coming, and we will be growing pumpkins in our garden soon.

Per a request in the comments, if anyone needs information or help on making a Blog Book, just send me an email and I'll be glad to help you. You can find my email in my Profile.  Once you get started on these wonderful books, you'll get hooked.  But they are a great way to leave behind a bit of your life for your family.

Yesterday, SIL Eddie came by and got my new oven all set up.  We only ran into one problem.  He will have to come back in put in a new outlet for my microwave.  I do not like having the oven and the microwave sharing the same outlet.  But, Eddie is an electrician, so he can take care of this for me. 

Today I have another interesting article from the newspaper that I thought cat-lovers might like.  Did you know that there apps for your tablet that lets your cats play all sorts of fun games?   Among these new apps are "Paint For Cats", "Game For Cats". "Catzilla", "Pocket Pond" and "Cat Fishing".

Two years ago, the SPCA in Los Angeles received a couple of used tablets, and downloaded "Paint For Cats" to see if any of their homeless cats were hiding inner artists.  Two of them, dubbed Pawblo Picasso and Frida Catlo, created abstract art that looked like fuzzy circles, and the organization turned it into sellable notecards.

So, folks if you are thinking of trading up to a newer tablet you might consider donating your used device to an animal shelter.  Think of all the fun these poor homeless darlings could have playing on your old tablets.

Well, that's about all my news for this morning.  I'm going to enjoy my cup of coffee while I think of what to photograph for tomorrow's word.  So till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day.

Hugs , Edna B.

My Photographic Dust Bunny

January 21, 2015

Good morning.  I've been up a while, but I've been busy photographing a piece of dust and then playing with it in Photoshop.  Imagine.  At my age, playing with a piece of dust! 

The Day 21 word is "dust" so this explains my weird behavior this morning.  First I had to negotiate with the dust bunnies to find out which piece of dust they would allow me to photograph, then I had to get their permission to post the photograph here on my blog.  Dust bunnies are very particular about their privacy.

So here's my photo (a close up) of a really handsome piece of dust, followed by a bit of dust photo art.  I must admit this was rather fun.

Pogo is being very playful this morning, crawling all over my lap while I'm trying to type.  So I have to keep stopping to play a bit.  This is okay though because he is such fun to play with and he gives me so much joy.

Yesterday I got a nice surprise in the mail.  My newest Blog Book arrived.  This one covers the last six months of 2014.  Gosh, now I have fourteen of these books.   Two days ago was my seventh anniversary of blogging.  It doesn't seem possible that I'm now in my eighth year.   Here are photos of the new book.

Today we are back to cold temps, only reaching about 30F later today.  At least the sun is shining, so that makes it somewhat better.  SIL Eddie just called and is on his way here to help me set up the new oven.  I have a spot all ready for the oven, but now I want to give it a last once over with the wash cloth.  Later, I'll have to sit down and read the instructions on how to use the oven.  I've never had one of these, so this should be interesting.

On that note, I'll take my leave.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a beautiful day.

Hugs, Edna B.

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.