Groundhogs, Losers and Crazy Drivers

Cheers for our local weather predictor Shubenacadie Sam for predicting an early Spring.  I sure hope that weaselly rodent knows what he's talking about. 

But I'd rather believe he is correct than consider the alternative.  Winter is not my favorite season so any sign of an end to it makes me happy.

And today was the last offical weigh in at work for our wellness challenge.  I'm a loser.  Yay!!   Only a quarter pound this week but thats better than gaining.  So for the month my grand total was a  whopping 2 and a quarter pounds.  Not fabulous but still - down is down irregardless of the number.    Of our little group the total was 77 and a half pounds.   I think I'll celebrate tonight with a bag of chips :)

Now the driving part of this post.  This afternoon I was heading back to work after picking up Mom at her adult day care. I admit - I was in a hurry as usual.  I get to an intersection and I'm waiting for this black car to go.  Its just sitting there.  So I figure - If you're just gonna sit there and miss your turn, I'm gonna go.  So I whip out .......... and guess who it was?   Deanne.   And even worse, she knew it was me.   Ooops, sorry honey but she who hesitates is lost (or last)  Lol.      I'll buy you a glass of wine Friday night.

I admit it - I'm a crazy driver!

A Snow Day

It's rare to get a snow day once you become an adult.  I remember snow days as a kid.  If you heard it was supposed to snow the next day, you went to bed and prayed for school to be cancelled. 

Unlike today, back in those days school was rarely cancelled unless it was a major blizzard.  Nowadays 4 flakes fall from the sky and school is cancelled.  Sheesh

But work is almost never cancelled - Except for today at noon.  I would say that if I had waited another hour or so, it might have been difficult to get in the driveway without getting stuck.  A free weekday afternoon with no chores.  It was heaven. 

I hooked away on my new rug for most of the afternoon.  Well, except for a few times that a jealous little dog required some attention.  It's hard to hook when something is staring at you and head butting your arm.  But I would be lost without her :)

The snow stopped around supper time and I shovelled for about an hour.  It wasn't that bad actually.  It was still the light and fluffy kind so I didn't mind it as much as usual.  I can't believe I just said that, but it was kind of refreshing out there tonight. 

I added a pretty new teal strip to this rug project.  Not a great picture but once the rug is finished I will post a proper picture.

February is off to a roaring start.  I wonder what the Groundhog will have to say?

A White Christmas

This is what I woke up to this morning.

 Nothing better than a White Christmas



A box of sunshine

Don't let that innocent looking box deceive you.  Its contents were pure sunshine.  And trust me, after the last 24 hours, a little sunshine is desperately needed.

Yesterday and overnight we had snow, wind, rain, freezing rain, wind, snow and wind.  In that order.  So that meant a mess of ice to chisel off the cars and walk ways.  But even all that could not bring down my mood today.

I bet you are wondering what could possibly be in that box that is so special???

WOOL

Yards and yards of beautiful Heavens to Betsy wool.    I could hardly contain myself!! It is almost to pretty to cut up.  I think I'll just keep it and admire it for awhile.  Here are a few close ups

OOOOH.....

AAAAAHHHH......

Now.....what to do with it ?   The future rug ideas are spinning.

Blue Bird of Happiness ??

BLUE BIRD OF HAPPINESS, MY ASS!

It's Friggin' Freezing. There's snow up my ass, all the food's covered with

3 feet of this white shit, and you want ME to sing?

What?? Anne Murray's "Snowbird"? Piss Off!!

Next year, I'm flyin' to Jamaica, and smokin dope!!

Due to the fact that we are AGAIN in the middle of ANOTHER storm, I thought I would share with you this message I received today.  LOL

Happy things

Despite a few bumps in the road this week, there have been lots of happy things to report.  One of those things is all of you.  Your comments and emails have been wonderful and it reminds me of how important friends are - near or far. 

Another happy thing is looking out the upstairs windows onto a bare (almost) snow free roof.  It may not seem like much but it really made me happy.  And I hope I don't jinx it - but it hasn't snowed a flake since Tuesday.  That makes me REALLY happy!

Then a family friend arrived at the door with a beautiful bouquet of pink tulips.  So springy and cheery.  I keep them on the kitchen table so they are the first thing I see when I walk in the door.

And last night was the event in honor of my friend who died of cancer.  His sister organizes the event to raise money for the Palliative Care unit at the hospital.  Last night over $4500 was raised and I am thrilled to say my hooked rug donation to the silent auction raised $205.   The only other thing at the auction that raised more money was a hockey jersey actually worn and signed by Sidney Crosby.  So considered the hockey fans around here I am very pleased.

I am also happy that Mom's swelling is down a bit more.  Still not back to normal but it isn't getting any worse so that's great! 

And no post on happiness would be complete without a  mention of sweet Millie.  She always makes me happy.

I hope you are all having a happy day too.

Hit and Miss Project

I have been without a hooking project all week.  Last weekend I didn't want to start a new project because I had signed up for a 4 week class at Deanne's to work on a landscape rug.  I was supposed to start last Wednesday but of course last weeks storm delayed it by a week.  And then the rest of the week was taking up with shovelling (and moaning about the snow).  I managed to amuse myself with knitting and blogging all week but by last night I couldn't stand it anymore.

As most of you "hookers" know, the pile of wool worms seems to multiple worse than rabbits!  So last night I gathered up a big bunch - threw them in a pile - and just started hooking on a piece of blank rug warp.   No plan, no lines except for a rough border.   It felt great to just do whatever - no stress of drawing and color planning - just grab a handful and GO.

Plus, a new project will be a nice distraction tomorrow.......during another 25 cm snowfall!  No, I am not kidding!   And just to add insult to injury I have a nasty leak in the window in the pantry.  The ice and snow has collected at the eaves of the house and created an ice dam.  It has nowhere to go and is seeping in around the window.  I have a collection of towels and tupperware dishes lining the window sill.  My handyman is  "supposed" to come over tomorrow and try to do something.   I hate winter.

On a happier note - don't forget to enter my giveaway.  Click here.    Remember, your gift credit is good for any of the CSN stores.  There are hundreds of items at every price point and lots of cute things to get with $40.

Happy weekend.

Wednesday Word of the Week

This week my choice of "the word" changed several times a day - I suppose with my mood.  But now the time has come to pick one and this weeks word is:  OBLITERATE

ob-lit-er-ate  (uh-blit-uh-reyt)

- verb (used with subject), -at-ed, -at-ing.
1.  to remove or destroy all traces of; do away with; destroy completely
2.  to blot out or render undecipherable (writing, marks, etc); efface

Any trace of pavement has been obliterated since the snow started today. 

Any trace of my driveway or the bench in my backyard has been obliterated.

My patience and sense of humor about the weather has been obliterated.  Last night the stupid weather girl on the news called the storm "Magnificent".   What a bitch !

My hopes and dreams of Spring are slowly being obliterated.  I no longer am convinced that it will actually arrive this year.  The 3 1/2 feet of snow in my yard has obliterated the concept of Spring from my mind.   This image now is just a fantasy of days gone by....

I fear that soon this may be the only mode of transportation I have to get to work....

And lastly, some of you may be thinking that my sanity is slowly being obliterated.  And you may be right !

The Ugly and the Very Beautiful

I think its best to start with the ugly part and then soften you up at the end of the post.  So here is the ugly

This is the mountain of snow at the end of my driveway.  As you can see it is getting quite high.   The next photo is what is behind that mound.  If you look just above the word "bench" you will see just the top board at the back of the bench peeking out.

Isn't that pathethic?  There is so much snow back there I think it will be June before it melts enough to see grass again.   Now do you understand why I am so fed up?

Now its time for the beautiful part.  Tonight I had to go to the florist to send a plant to a sick relative.  There was an old guy in front of me.  Well, you know I am chatty so of course I started talking to him.  I guess I have a thing for old guys.  Not in a Anna Nicole Smith kind of way - I just think they are adorable.   Lol

Anyway, he was buying red roses.  And he was being very careful to ensure he had some greenery and baby breath to make sure they looked extra pretty.  I thought it was so cute the attention he was paying to selecting the best flowers.  So I started to tease him and ask him if he was "in trouble".  He had a great laugh and said he was much to old to get into trouble.

I was noticing the florist was making 2 bundles, one with a dozen and another with only 6 roses.  He then pointed to the dozen and said his wife was in the hospital and he was taking them to her.  Awwww, how sweet is that!!  Then with a very straight face he pointed to the smaller bundle and said those were for his girlfriend!   OMG.....I tried not to react too much but I am pretty sure that my mouth flew open and so did the florist.

Then the charming old bugger grinned and told us his wife had a room-mate in the hospital who didn't get alot of visitors so he was giving her the smaller bundle.

AWWWWWW, isn't that the sweetest thing??  I was so touched that he would be so thoughtful.  I think the florist and I both wanted to give him a hug.  He certainly did warm this old, cold, snowy heart today. 

My audition for The Mob

It has been quite a day.  Snow, wind, sleet.....yuck.  I patiently waited for my phone to ring this morning announcing work was closed.  Everything else in town was closed.  But the call never came.

I dug my disgusted Butt out and got to work.  After we were all there for an hour, the decision was made to close.  Geez,  but Whatever!!

The snow plow was in our yard twice and the drifts are all back again.  For the 3rd time in a row, we have had a significant snowfall on garbage night.  We have large wheeled compost bins that are collected every two weeks.  After I dug it out of the drift tonight, the friggin wheels were frozen.  Dragging that thing up the driveway was like dragging a dead body.  (or so I would imagine hehehe)  I imagined myself as auditioning for The Mob.  Don't they always make you whack someone before you can join??

OK, OK It is clear I am getting a little squirrelly from this weather.  LOL  This afternoon I did do something productive.  I made these yummy Honey Bran Muffins.

 They were very tasty with a nice Cinnamon Danish coffee.  Just what was needed on a storm day.

I am in between hooking projects so I decided to practice my punching skills.  I still don't have a large selection of chunky wools yet so my options are limitied.   But I was in the mood for thinking Spring so I drew out this little primitive bunny.

Looks like I need a bit more practice on my letters.  There is a yarn sale at Zellers this weekend so maybe I can pick up some more colors.

I really hope I don't have to shovel again tomorrow.  Good night friends.

Jamaica me crazy

Oh wouldn't it be nice.  White sands, soft breezes, warm sunshine,

tropical drinks with tiny umbrellas......

Well, not for me.  I'm stuck here while more snow is falling outside.  But I am so

sick of snow and cold and January in general.

It is Jamaican me crazy!!

Since a tropical holiday is out of the question I guess I will just have to settle

for a short 15 minute virtual trip as I sip this coconut coffee and

imagine I'm on a beach with a cute Cabana Boy catering to my every whim.

Hmmmm, somehow the sound of icicles falling off the side of the house is ruining my vibe.

 

SIGH.........

Nothing to do now except settle in for the night and hook.

My word of the day

Today it seemed that the one word that crossed my mind, passed my lips, or was sarcastically muttered under my breath was.....WHATEVER. 

Yes I know, not the most mature of words.  Perhaps it is just the "January Blahs" that has taken over me.   I am tired of winter for one thing.  I don't enjoy the cold or the snow and ice.  And I have never understood winter sports.  Skiing???  Since when is strapping two sticks to your feet and hurling yourself down the side of a mountain a sensible thing to do?    It will sound cliche, but I'm the type who thinks it is more fun to dress up in cool ski outfit, toss some loose snow on yourself and then head into the lodge and take up a chair near the roaring fire with a nice drink! 

I think maybe my tolerance level gets short (OK, shorter) this time of year.  I can't get wrapped up in O.P.M's (other people's moods) either.  I have too much going on at home and work to get  caught up in someone elses mood.  By mid morning I was scared that my "Whatevers" might escape my mouth at the wrong moment so I spent most of the day with my door closed.  I actually got alot of work done that way.  But I find it tends to make people nervous when HR has the door closed.  I could almost hear some of them thinking..."What is she up to in there?"  But today that just added to the entertainment!  (I know, mean!)

Or perhaps it was the early morning shovelling that made me feel like someone peed in my cornflakes this morning.  We did keep our electricity last night but a fair amount of snow fell.  I took these pictures last night around 9pm from my back door.

Just so I end this post on a positive note --  I tried the milk toast.  Not bad at all.  I opted for the sugar version as opposed to the pepper. (Yeah - big surprise I opted for sugar....lol)

Mid week report

Not a great week so far.  After going to bed Sunday night, I was visited by "the stomach flu".  Finally started keeping food down yesterday afternoon.  The only positive thing is that I lost 3 pounds but would not recommend this as a diet plan.  


Now we are awaiting another un-welcome visitor - The snow storm that has battered New England for the past 24 hours.  It is already in parts of Nova Scotia and is supposed to arrive here in a few hours.   Did I mention I hate January??

Whenever it starts to snow I think about my Grandmother.  She would always insist someone take her to the store for "Bread and Milk" as soon as she heard a weather report calling for snow.  She always said we would be OK if we had enough bread and milk for a few days.   I always teased her  but it has become imprinted in my brain.  So at lunch time......I went and bought bread and milk!  I'm sure she is looking down and laughing at me.

As I am typing I see a few stray snow flakes falling by the window.  Better dig out the candles just in case.  We have already lost our electricity 3 times this winter, so I think -- better safe than sorry.

Snow Angel

No, I didn't go outside today and make a snow angel - but I could have.   We got dumped with more snow this morning.  This is the 5th Monday in a row we have had some kind of nasty weather event.

And my snow plow driver went AWOL.  He is supposed to be here first thing in the morning.   Maybe it is because Mom is sick but I get a little antsey when I think I can't get the car out of the yard.  And shovelling my entire driveway is out of the question.  My friends call it a parking lot.  You can park 3 cars across and 3 deep - without crowding. 

I waited until 1:30pm and decided if I made a few tracks it would melt faster etc.  (You know what's coming next, don't you.....)  In an ironic twist of fate - I got stuck!  Arrrgh..... But then my friend Alan drove by the house with a plow on the front of his truck!  He saw me and pulled in and rescued me.  Yippee, my very own Snow Angel!  Ooooooh, and the best part -- Auntie didn't see me get stuck so it is like it never happened!  Baahaahhaaaa

I started another little rug.  For now all you get is a little peek.

I am desperately trying to stretch out the last few hours of vacation.  It is back to work tomorrow.  Sigh....  Vacation days seem to only have 10 hours and back to work days seem to have 39 hours and January seems to have 110 days.
Groan........

SNOW

I suppose since we had a snow-free Christmas, Mother Nature decided to give us an extra portion today.   Snow, followed by freezing drizzle makes a mess.  The roads are covered in a heavy slush and many of our backyard trees are bent over from the weight of the heavy snow.

I took these photos this morning in my backyard.

So that means there is nothing to do today except eat more leftovers (and cross my fingers that the power stays on).