Just Hanging Out With the Scots

What a lazy day today! I have just been taking it easy....still! This is OK, I guess, but sometimes I find myself getting a bit stir crazy!

Last week, I was supposed to go in to the dentist for a cleaning. When I "mentioned" this in passing to Carly, she advised me NOT to go! She explained that since the DR was concerned about an undiagnosed heart murmur, I should wait until after the echo cardiogram. The DR said she could prescribe an antibiotic that is taken an hour before the appointment, but since I wasn't feeling so hot, Mark and I decided it would be best to just reschedule the appointment after we finish all of this nonsense!

All that said, I cannot believe that yesterday, I developed a *toothache*! I have never had a toothache before, and the timing on this is ridiculous. The echo cardiogram is scheduled for May 1, so I am planning to hold out till then. It isn't a "pounding" ache...it just hurts when I eat. So, I have not been stuffing my face. THAT is a good thing!

This afternoon, Michelle took a picture of me with the Scotties. She refused to try the Nikon, so she took the picture with my old Olympus.

Vanilla, of Course!

I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to discover that I am not the *only* person who favors the flavor vanilla over chocolate! Lisanne, I have found out, loves vanilla, too! It just seems like so many people call themselves chocoholics, and I never quite understood what all the draw was to that "brown" flavor!

When Lisanne told me that she really enjoys a white cake with white frosting, I giggled, as I *always* am excited about my birthday, because I know what is coming down the pike....white cake with....you guessed it! White frosting! I made a cake a couple of weeks ago, but it was not "plain" white cake. Somewhere along the line, I saw a recipe for a "poke cake" that you use a fork to make holes in the cake and then drizzle jello over the top. I only had lime flavor jello, so it was kind of ho-hum. But, the frosting was a hit!

This "icing" recipe is one that my mom has used since before I was a teenager! It isn't so sugary it makes you want to gag, but it is a recipe that can be used for very special occasions!

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French Creme Icing

1 cup milk

4 Tablespoons flour

Mix milk and flour well, then boil until thick. (My mom always used a Tupperware "shaker" to blend the milk and flour together. If these two ingredients are not well blended, the frosting will be a bit "lumpy"...like gravy! I would love to use an immersion blender for this, but mine is used for.....soap....)

Set this aside to completely cool.

Cream and beat well:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

Add the cooled milk and flour mixture, then 1 teaspoon vanilla (or twice as much if you are me!)

and beat until the mix is the consistency of whipped cream.

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If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it!

*Captured!*

Yesterday, I decided to try out the Loreal haircolor kit I bought at WalMart a few weeks ago. I have been feeling so "off", I just didn't want to take the time to use it before this! So, after doing the base color, highlights are kind of "painted" on.

I have NEVER done anything like this before! I always just did a basic color......

Michelle helped me place the highlights, which was very useful as I do not have eyes in the back of my head. (in spite of the fact that I always tell Ben I do!) When I was done, there was still a lot of the mix left, so I told Michelle she could do her hair. When I tried to snap her picture today, she took off, fleeting like a gazelle! hehehe GAZELLE MICHELLE

Little did she know....I am ******fast******* or, at least my Nikon is!!!

The Results are In!

The doctor called our house early this afternoon to tell me that the bloodwork results were now in and they were (as she put it) "picture perfect". She told me she could not have asked for better numbers. So, the possibilities of anemia and thyroid have been ruled out. The next step is an echo cardiogram that will be done on May 1. I am praying that the results will be as excellent.

There is not much happening here. The doctor had ordered me to take things easy, and that is precisely what I am doing.

Yesterday, Carly "borrowed' Ben for a few hours to help demolish her basement. Oops! Did I say *demolish*? Actually, Ben helped Carly and her son, Kyle, take down some walls in the basement! The former owners of this older home decided to build a room in the basement. The mode of doing this was haphazzard at best, and somewhat illegal. As Carly showed me electric wire hanging in mid air hidden behind paneled walls, I couldn't help but wonder what the building inspector that looked over her home before they purchased it might have said were it exposed...For insulation, the technique used was to place the insulation into plastic garbage bags and throw them into the walls. Ugh....

Carly met us to deliver Ben back to us, and her little dachshund, Joe came along for the ride.

Mark snapped this picture.....doesn't it look as though he is just hanging out, listening and taking everything in?

He is such a cutie...but he was thinking it was time to start heading on home. As we chatted, he began to think perhaps he needed to take matters into his own "paws"!!!!

Take a Deep Breath.....

YES! I have been breathing *much* better today. No yawning and making silly faces, trying to swallow a big gulp of air! Ah, it feels so much better. I don't even have to open my mouth to breathe, matter of fact. Gads, it is hard to even imagine such a thing unless one experiences this!

And, I hope I *never* do again!!!

I called my father this morning and talked to him for awhile. He was telling me how nice and warm it was at the house. I laughed, thinking he was pulling my leg. Mark took the phone and talked to him for a bit, and as they were talking, I could see the sky beginning to change....there was some blue sky poking through. As the day progressed, we found ourselves bathed in golden sunshine...the temps were a good deal cooler than yesterday, but it was a stellar day!

Please bear with me, but once again, I was having some fun with the camera. I caught Doe as she was passing through our property........

Okay, so you are tired of seeing Doe and her little ones. So, how about................................

A *STINK * bug I caught as he was walking across the concrete sidewalk.........OR,

A pretty Robin redbreast sitting in the tree at the park?

Well, those *were* my offerings for today. Then, I came up into the bedroom and saw the sun setting through the bedroom windows!

I love how the light cast the shadow of the lace curtains in the windows and the little red glass Scottie that sits on the window. Forgive the mess all over my desk. I so need to clean up some, but *how* does one decide what to keep and what to get rid of? Such a dilemma....so many treasures remind me of the kids and it makes it so hard to even think of ridding the house of them! Believe me, I have never been a packrat! But......

As I began to make way across the room to pack up my camera, I looked up to see the picture of Brewster. ......

Brewster belongs to a dear Scottie friend, Ruth Wynne. Ruth and her husband had five Scotties at one point, but three of her dear little Scots have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Well, yesterday, late in the afternoon, Ruth was walking Brewster and his "sister", Molly. Suddenly, a large German Shepherd appeared and grabbed hold of Brewster! Ruth pushed and scolded the shepherd, but he refused to stop. He attacked Brewster and left several bites all over his back, base of his tail, and his hind legs! Poor Ruth called for help, and when the shepherd's master heard, he merely called his dog home, leaving Ruth and the petrified Scotties with no help. Ruth immediately rushed the Scots to an emergency veterinary center. Molly was fine, but little Brewster had to stay behind. He was treated for multiple bite wounds and was released home early this morning. What a terrible experience for Ruth. She assured those of us on the CyberScots forum that little Brewster will be just fine.

I hope all are enjoying the fine spring weather, wherever you might find yourself. This winter arrived so late this year and seemed to linger on and on. We are anxiously awaiting all of the buds to pop open and spring to go full steam ahead!

Four in a Row!

Nice days, that is! I cannot believe the contrast from one week ago. Today, as I was walking outside in the sun, I felt faint from the heat! Wow!

While Mondays are usually hurried and crazy, today was relatively quiet. I enjoyed that and made the most of it. The only plan for today was that Michelle was going to meet with a friend she met at her Bible study. This friend and her family had moved here eight months ago. Her step dad was going to open a restaurant.....they had bought a lovely house and had so many plans. Unfortunately, no one knew that within just a few short months, the step dad would pass away at a young age. It was so sad, and now the family is moving back to where they previously lived. Michelle and her friend went to Penney's and looked around a bit. When they came back to the car, Michelle took a set of "bangly" bracelets from a bag. She cut the tag that held them together and gave her friend half of them and kept the other half....I thought that was so cool...Michelle would remember her friend and vice versa, every time they see the bracelets!

I am in awe of the way all of the flora bounced back after the terrible storm that passed through here last week. One week ago, I was concerned that the lilac bush was going to split in half under the weight of the wet, sticky snow. Now, the buds and leaves are growing larger in size by the day!

The peonies that had begun to poke through the soil shortly before the storm also seem unscathed by the heavy snow that not only surrounded them, but pinned them down to the ground. These peonies are pretty special, because they are from some that my grandmother had planted many years ago.....

I had titled one entry in my blog (April 14) I Want to be a Daffodil. I photographed my miniature daffodils then, after they had been frozen solid, blooming their cheerful bright yellow flowers! Well, nine days later, after being totally buried, they are as beautiful today as they were on that day! The regular daffodils seem to have been ruined by the weather, but not those minis! I need to check out the bulb sellers to see if I can get more of these hearty little buggers. I would love to have them everywhere!

When we were in town today, we went down by the lake to spend some time while waiting for Michelle and her friend. There were three men sailboarding (not sure of the name?) but by the time I thought of photographing them, rain began to fall and they came in from the water. The lake looked so *angry* as though it was lashing out at the shore! A little later, the thunder began to rumble, then we got some downpours.

The weather calls for some rain and coolers temps over the next few days. That is OK, though....after all, April showers bring May flowers!

A Spectacular Day!

Wow, another wonderful, glorious, gorgeous day! Thinking back to one week ago, we were waiting out the pending storm and watching the sky! Hopefully, *that* weather is now behind us!

It was such a nice day, I just couldn't resist taking a stroll down to the camper to open the windows to allow the fresh air to flow through. Of course, once seeing that the floor was kind of messy, I needed to run an electric cord on down so I could run the little vacuum cleaner! I cannot believe how dirty the floor and carpet were, but when I consider we always close the camper up in October, when the weather is kind of wet and muddy, I guess it makes sense! A good run with the vaccum cleans everything up quickly, and it doesn't take much to make the little camper sparkle!

That was about all I accomplished today. I think we were all a little tired from our *almost* overnighter. Even the Scotties seemed kind of "mellow" today. So, we kind of took it easy. Mark and I spent some time looking online at various refrigerators. The one we have now is an Amana we bought while building our house. It was a good refrigerator, but it was greatly abused. As the kids got to the "age of exploration", they both discovered that Mom often hid things atop the fridge. Well, the shortest distance between two points, we have all discovered, is a straight line.

And, the straightest line merely required opening the refrigerator door, and climbing the shelves until the top of said appliance could be reached! It is a fact that both of my kids got reprimanded for such actions, but when it comes to strong-willed children, nothing short of binding them up will stop the unquenchable drive to attain *success*!

Our 15 year-old refrigerator served us well, but methinks it is definitely time for retirement to that big scrap pile in the sky! The poor thing....every single shelf designed for the door was long removed,or should I say "destroyed, save for the butter keeper. The fruit and veggie drawers defy gravity, somehow hanging in their appropriate spots, support broken many moons ago. The plastic cover for the bottom vent was finally pitched last year after Mark's noble effort to piece the many, many puzzlelike pieces together ended with the thing becoming UNglued. Little shoes had gotten wedged in the slots a long time before, breaking the plastic which I usually placed into a large ziploc bag. Oh my....the handle on the door began its slow degrading process ages ago and was finally totally removed only a few short months ago.

It is time for a new refrigerator, to be sure!

While looking at pictures I have taken recently, I came upon this picture of Angus. As we were getting ready for out little trip on Friday, Angus was watching over what was going on.....surveying all the activity, and making it known that under no circumstances was he to be left behind!!!

And another picture of Angus "sitting pretty" for my father. Whenever Angus wants something from a human, he strikes the "sitting cute on my haunches" pose, hoping that the viewer will take pity on the sweet little lad and hand over the booty...er, cookies!

I am praying to hear good news from the doctor tomorrow, but I guess I had better not hold my breath....no pun intended. I have been struggling for the past several days to take a deep cleansing breath. The doctor didn't tell me the timeframe for getting test results, so I will just patiently sit back and await the results. No news is good news, correct?

Sun-Saturated, Satisfying Saturday!

The kids went to Splash Lagoon last November, and at that point, we decided not to stay at one of the expensive hotels nearby. We would rather save the money for a camping trip with our camper. So, after the kids reemerged shortly after 3 am, we went on down the road to Sam's Club. Sure enough, there was a big class A motorhome, slides out, parked in the lot. We simply pulled up behind them.

After getting Mark and Ben all set in the truck, Michelle and I took Murphy and crawled into the back of the truck. We placed a sleeping bag on the Bedrug, and then snuggled in for a few hours rest under a down comforter.

Michelle woke me up at 7, showing me how little Murphy was enjoying being placed under the comforter after waking up shivering! He never allows us to cover him up, as he would rather sleep down by our feet. Not being an *outdoor dog*, he obviously could not stand the "cold" temps in the 50's!!!

I couldn't believe how blue the sky was, nor how beautiful it appeared outside! People with business memberships could be seen in the distance, entering Sam's. I called Mark and woke him up. We went in Sam's for a bit, then called my parents to tell them we were coming back to visit today.

We had yet another day of relaxation and fun visiting with my parents and brother, Randy. We were able to spend the entire day outside! And, the most strenuous thing I did today was take pictures of some of the visitors to the bird feeder! (we are unable to have a feeder.....just last Thursday, one of our neighbors called to warn us a black bear had been wandering about our "neighborhood". It had upset their feeder, as well as a birdbath!) So, I must enjoy the birds at homes other than my own!

We reluctantly left for home, arriving here at about 7 pm. Only a little snow remains on the ground from the piles we shoveled to nearly 4 feet tall! As always, it was good to arrive home again after our little outing, but there is so much to do!!!

Frenzied But Fabulous Friday!

I was going to tell all that has been going on the past couple of days in one entry, but decided it was too long. Sooo....

Yesterday morning, (Friday) I had an early appointment with the doctor at 8:30 am. Since last August, I have had a number of instances where I have a bit of difficulty breathing. I will be fine, then I will find myself having a tough time "catching" my breath. It is as though I can breathe deeply, but am unable to feel "refreshed"...it is as though the air is not entering my lungs. A little difficult to explain.

Given the fact that my older brother had to have open heart surgery last June, and my father recently had a pacemaker/ ICD implanted, I decided that perhaps I needed to have the doctor at least look at me....

I am generally on the low side when it comes to blood pressure. You cannot imagine my surprise and dismay when the doctor told me that my blood pressure was 180 over 100! She took my family history, and examined me. Upon completion, she decided that I needed to have bloodwork done and a cardiogram. When asked what her thoughts were, she said it could be heart, but she wanted to rule out anemia and thyroid problems.

I don't know exactly *why*, but I was relieved after the doctor visit. She asked me to have my blood pressure checked a couple of times this weekend, and I will tell you that the readings were considerably lower....in the range of 122 over 76.

After finishing up, I went in to a lab up the road and had blood drawn. The receptionist was a little different....she asked if I was fasting. Well, no, I had a cup of tea with a teaspoon of sugar and some milk......she released a heavy sigh as though insinuating I was a dummy, but the joke was on her....I had NO idea I would be having bloodwork done!

The doctor admonished me to "take it easy" and not do anything strenuous, nor anything that would cause stress. A bit hard to do, but we had some plans......

We finished up in town, then headed home to pack our bags! After an extremely disappointing cancellation of a trip to Splash Lagoon in Erie, PA last month, due to *extreme* weather, the time had finally come for the kids to go! The real "trick" to this whole event was that it takes place from 11 pm until 3 am! It is deemed an "almost overnighter"!

We left early, right after noon, as the kids had done their schoolwork ahead so they could have a day off. We went to my parents' home, as they are along the way. We had such a relaxing visit including a wonderfully delicious meal at the Lakewood Rod and Gun Club. The club is exclusive...you must be a member, and sits on Chautauqua Lake. Mark and I had their fish fry, and the meal was so fantastic! What a memorable evening this was!

We went back to my parents' house and visited some more until it was time for us to get on our way.

We arrived in Erie and dropped the kids off. We parked in the lot and Mark and I both immediately fell asleep! We had planned to go inside and take some pictures of the kids and just hang out, but our plans changed! Mark awakened me at about 2 o'clock, saying he was cold. I gave him a blanket, then sat and waited for the kids to come on out.

What a crazy but fun day!!! The kids had a delightful time and they were so excited but tired!

BIGFOOT Was at Our House!

If Ben sees this, I hope he can smile at it instead of hitting me over the head with a baseball bat! I just could not resist....ever since Ben was a little mite, he always went outside in the snow barefoot. This is something I could never have *ever* done.....my toes would have FROZEN!!!

Sunny Days Ahead!

After this latest deluge of snow, I was thrilled beyond words when I looked at the weather and saw that the temperatures are going to *soar* into the 50's today! The sky looked rather pretty this morning....not dark and foreboding! We are fortunate that in this late snowstorm none of the trees near the house look to be badly damaged. As soon as the snow melts, we will be doing a lot of yard cleanup as there are little branches everywhere!

When the snow came down, the ground was warm and as it fell, it melted. Thus, I guess it would be better to say we received almost a foot of "slush" than snow! The Scotties and I had a blast going out in the morning. NOT! On Monday, the snow was so deep, the boys made *me* walk in front to make a path for them! By Tuesday morning, enough snow had fallen after being cleared away that it was up to their shoulders. (OK, so Scotties have short legs, but there was a good 4" of snow there!) I am grateful for warmer weather ahead, as shoveling in April seems like such a tiring task!

Last night, Michelle had her Bible study. I dropped her off at the church and then went to the lake. This town is located about 16 miles northeast of us, and they have no snow! What a contrast to see vibrant green! I drove around near the head of the lake and it was so beautiful. People were walking everywhere! As soon as the weather makes a turn, people get out!

I stopped by Wendy's and got a Frosty (Lisanne, are you reading...I didn't get the float,though.) and sat by the lake just enjoying it and the peacefulness around me. The sun had come out yesterday afternoon, and it gave the lake an almost "hazy" surreal look as it streaked through lingering clouds. I could have sat there a long time but I went to Lowe's and looked around instead.

This morning when I took the Scotties out, music filled the air! Birds are chirping and singing so loudly. I am sure they are also happy for warmer kinder weather! Last week, I was so excited as I spotted an Eastern Bluebird in a tree at the end of our driveway. Since we are in the woods, a bluebird is an unusual sight, but I know that people further up the hill have nesting boxes for bluebirds in their open fields.

I am anxious to get out and take pictures of something other than snow with my camera! I think it is time to get some *colorful* pictures, as opposed to monochromatic ones!

A Word to the Wise

I have finally reconciled myself to the place that I can talk about this.

Several weeks ago, I was in the Dollar Tree with the kids. I was just looking around and I remembered that I wanted to buy the Tylenol equivalent as I thought it might be a good idea to alternate that with the ibuprofen that I had at home.

I rarely ever take anything. I am of the mindset that when sick, it is better to let one's system go into overdrive to rid any illness than to cover it up with meds. Having said that, when I get a head-throbbing, cannot concentrate headache, I need to take something to get rid of it. I do not have the luxury of lying down until it passes. (and frankly, lying down usually does little more than make it worse!) So, while at the Dollar Tree, I grabbed a bottle of acetaminophen and brought it home, placing it in the linen closet.

A week ago this past Sunday, one of those headaches struck. I woke up with it. After a few hours of thinking it might go away on its own with no success, I grabbed the little box out of the closet and opened the bottle, mindlessly taking one of the pretty blue caplets.

After taking the pill, i noticed I was having a terrible time trying to stay awake. I did manage and as the headache subsided, then left. I forgot all about this.

Move ahead to Tuesday. We had to run to the city, and while there, we stopped at Carly's to drop off a dresser. I mentioned in passing that I had this annoying rash on my elbow that was driving me nuts. I also had little red pimply spots showing up on my body...mainly my extremities. Carly said she had hydro cortisone cream, but I told her that stuff never helps. She said she also had some Claritin that I might like to try as it sounded like an allergy. I thought a bit, then took one of the pills.

After taking one a day for three days, the rash finally quit appearing and by Friday, it was actually getting better.

I kept wondering what caused this rash, but couldn't think of anything. No new detergent. No new soap. Nothing new.

It was only a couple of days ago that I thought about that acetaminophen. I grabbed the bottle out of the closet and alas! It was a PM version with a sleep aid. I told Carly about it later and she went nuts! Right away, she KNEW that it contained the same substance that Benadryl contains. Huh? I have been allergic to Benadryl for many years! And, every time I tried to take it (only twice) I ended up with a terrible rash! The dosage for Benadryl is usually 50-100 mg. The pill I took only had 25 mg. Carly scolded that I should never take "that stuff" again.

So, from now on I will try to remember to READ the label....IE, I WILL take the reading glasses out and be assured I am buying what I *think* I am buying! And, I will order a medical alert tag saying that I am allergic to Diphendydramine AND penicillin.

So, as the saying goes, "read the labels"! Might I add, "know your enemies, as well"!

Just A Little Bit More Encouragement......

You cannot stop spring from advancing! So says my lilac bush from under its heavy burden!

If This Was November or December.....

I think I would have turned cartwheels! I love snow for Thanksgiving or Christmas. But this...well, it is a bit hard to swallow......

I decided to wander out for a few pictures, as it seems that people living only a short distance from me have not had the pleasure of dealing with this wet, heavy snow!!! So, here goes!

This is a maple tree located about 20 feet from the front porch. I have never seen the branches hanging down so low. When we bought this property, we experienced the ice storm of 1991. The branches of trees were encased in a glaze of about 3/4" of ice. It was terrible and we lost a great deal of treetops. This storm, I do believe we will also lose many branches, as they cannot hold this much weight. Ususally, by midday, the snow has fallen to the ground, but the wet snow just keeps on coming, and the branches are getting heavier and heavier. In spending a couple of hours outside shoveling this morning, I heard many sounds of splitting trees in the distance.

The term "whiteout" has taken on a new meaning! *Everything* is white out!!! I was going to venture further down the driveway to take a broader view of the house, but after shoveling through several inches of what felt as heavy as *stones*, my energy level was vastly diminished!It is easy to see that everything is now white!

When I awakened this morning, the trees were swaying back and forth as though the winds were gusting heavily. Praise God, they have lessened and it is rather still outside right now. We are so grateful to have received *only* about 8 inches of this snow, as we were told the potential was for amounts of 2 FEET! Considering the great effort Mark put forth to clear our driveway, I think any more than we had would have been nearly impossible to clear out with the ATV.

As I looked into the woods, it seems like I was surrounded by a sea of white!

I got to thinking about those pioneers who came to this country to settle it so many years ago. Today, with our Doppler Radar and (fairly) accurate forecasts, I cannot imagine how disheartened those folks must have been to see a day such as this. Just think....if their firewood supply was running lean, how would they have felt, wondering if they might freeze to death as they could not get out to cut? The burden of shoveling this messy snow today was greatly lightened by reading the forecast.....highs into the 50's by Friday, and into the 60's on Sunday!

This is looking into the woods where I photographed the deer late yesterday evening. It changed so much in just several hours!

Lastly is the lilac bush in the side yard. Poor little bush looks so forlorn as it sags under the weight of the snow.

So, if you are one of the fortunate ones who did NOT have to shovel your way out the door today, consider yourself lucky! And for those like me, well, brighter *warmer* days lie JUST ahead!

Unfinished Business!

This morning, I was barely able to post the pictures of the snow coming down because of issues with my laptop. The processor was running out of control, and it took forever to even TRY to do anything. Since then, my computer guru hero, AKA my hubby, Mark, took care of business and I am once again *in* business!

I wanted to post a picture I took yesterday of a little Junco bird that was nestled in the lilac bush on the side of the house....

And, I was excited to tell about a new soap I unmolded last night! One of my Scottie friends I met online is from Arizona, and she ordered some Lemongrass Soaps made with my Scottie mold. She had fallen in love with Lemongrass while visiting in London. I decided to add a little of the herb to the soap as well, (just a tiny tad) and it gave it depth, texture and character....I love it and the scent is so fresh!

So, that was my unfinished business from yesterday! Last night was such a bust, as the Sabres lost to the Islanders. I was so bummed, but the Sabres were outplayed AND the refereeing STUNK! I always smile and tell Mark the refs always SAY they are going to call everything.........against Buffalo! Yes, I am biased, but even were I not, I think anyone can see that many of the refs just do not want Buffalo to win.

Today was spent lazily lounging about. Yes, Mrs. *Busy* took a day off! I am so tired. I think I didn't sleep well or rest well because of the game last night. Mark keeps telling me not to get so worked up...hehehe

I made Zatarain's Cheesy Jambalaya for dinner tonight. There is a recipe on the back of the box for stuffed green peppers using two boxes. Well, since I only had one huge green pepper, I cut it into small pieces and added it. The recipe on the box also calls for sausage, which I detest! So, I use ground beef and I used Habanero pepper instead of the jalapeno it called for. This is one of those recipes that is guaranteed to clear sinuses, but if you like *hot*, it is SO tasty!

As I was cleaning up in the kitchen, I caught sight of Doe, Re, Mi, and Fa out on the back hill. I was so excited because they lingered on and on for some time....then, they actually bedded down for a bit.

You can see the size difference here....Doe is on the right, and one of her youngsters is on the left side. It was difficult taking these shots because, 1. once again, I had to shoot through the french doors, and, 2. it was snowing like crazy! I just knew that were I to open the door, the youngster definitely would have bolted into the woods. Doe is much more at ease with humans!

Here is Doe lying in the snow.....

And here, Doe got up to graze a little bit more while her youngster remains resting.

A closer look at the youngster. This was such a wonderful way to end a lazy day!

Yes, Snow....

I live in the woods. When we turn off the lights, it is very dark. Last night, however, when I woke up in the middle of the night, I could see outside, so I knew it had snowed or was snowing.
This morning when Murphy insisted it was time to get up, I opened my eyes to a world of what looked like black and white. I decided to just open my window and take three pictures, each in a different direction.....

Hey, wait a minute! These pictures all look the SAME! Yes, they do, and yes, it DOES!

We are being blessed with *really* heavy wet snow right now. In looking at the radar and maps, it looks like the east coast is going to be getting the brunt of this beast. I imagine lines will be going down, as this is seriously heavy stuff, and we are only getting the fringes of it!

It is hard to believe that yesterday I was outside taking pictures in my flip-flops! This morning, I had to grab my Crocs with no holes in them before taking the boys out. Those flip-flops would have left me with FROZEN toes!

I Wanna Be a Daffodil!

OK, so I don't really want to be a daffodil, but how about resilient like a daffodil? I worried so about these miniature daffodils as they were frozen solid last week. They were rigid and even looked freezer burned! But, alas....they are FINE! Now, THAT is resilient!

I took this picture of the little stream....I loved the little bubbles!

I couldn't help myself when it came to this picture! Michelle was lying across my bed with Murphy, upside down, next to her. It was too funny....Michelle's feet hanging off the bed, and Murphy's up in the air!!!

The sky is presently blue, and the weatherman said to get out and enjoy today as the temperatures climb well into the 40's. Of course, tonight the wild wintry mix is supposed to begin, so I think I will head outside, SOON!

Such a Grand Night!!!

Last night, I was so excited about the Sabres game! Yes, it is Stanley Cup playoff time and the Sabres played their first game of the first round against the New York Islanders. The game was so exciting as the Sabres just played so well and scored over and over.

During the last five minutes of the game, I told Mark I really had to run and take a bathroom break, as I felt as though I was going to burst! He told me to go ahead....he has a DVR, so he could record the last few minutes and we could watch it together. Ben was in the dowstairs bathroom, taking a shower, so I bounded upstairs.

Since I was in such a hurry, I only pulled the door behind me, not latching it. Within a few seconds, the door came flying open, and there was Murphy. Not too far behind came Angus. As soon as I was done, I grabbed my camera, as these little boys meant business!!!

Can we PLEASE have a drink of water?

By the time I came back with my camera, Angus was actually IN the tub! He loves to go in there and have someone "drizzle" the water out for him. He happily laps it up, saturating his little beard and paws!

As I took his picture, Angus decided he was going to have to possibly SIT down and wait for his drink of water! He sat there looking at me!

In the meantime, Mark commented he wondered what took so long!

The Sabres won this game 4 to 1! If they could just play like this throughout the playoffs, they would definitely win the cup! Each round is potentially seven games....whomever wins four advances to the next round.

Gooooooooooooooooooooooo Sabres!!!

On a less *stellar* note, as I listened to the radio this morning, I just found out that we are expecting a Nor'easter this Sunday and Monday! And yes, they are saying this is going to be a "juicy event" with lots of snow. Hmmmm.....isn't this April? Yikes!

Going to the Birds?

Well, no not really....

I was sitting in the truck while waiting as the family was in the grocery store. I just thought it was so cute the way these sparrows were playing in the parking lot! Sorry the pictures aren't that great. I was disappointed with the gadget bag I got with my Nikon, so I sent it back and was awaiting the new one. In the meantime, I wasn't about to carry the new camera without a case.
So, I was using my old camera....

And, when I got home, the new case was there!

Searching Out the Beauty

Yay, I am finally back. Yes, perhaps you didn't know I was gone, but I was! I tried so hard to submit an entry to my blog last night and this morning, and my poor laptop would just freeze up and the hard drive spun so loudly, it sounded as though it might just lift off the desk!

Yesterday, I was so discouraged by the cold. Every time I looked out the window, there was a fine snow filling the air. It never amounted to anything but it was just becoming, well, depressing! After seeing my poor daffodils and tulips lying down on the ground as though they had fainted from the bitter cold, I decided I could choose to bemoan the damage, or, look for the beauty....

And so I grabbed my camera and went on a little hunt. I honestly didn't need to venture too far, as it seemed as though beauty was calling out to me! Just look at these little Columbine plants. I do believe they are bigger than they were last week!

If you look at the frosty snow surrounding those little diehards, you can see it is that sparkly, icy cold kind of snow that is *so* cold!

As I walked along the banks of our drainage ditch where water runs down across our land, something caught my eye....perhaps it is the bit 'o Irish in me, but the intensity of the green called out to me! As I moved in closer to observe, the ice that had formed from the unusual cold snap we have been experiencing was drip, drip, dripping ever so slightly onto the bright green moss underneath it. Such a contrast was so beautiful! And the green just makes the heart hopeful for the good weather that is just around the corner!
And although nearly all of our hearts are longing for fresh spring breezes and warming temperatures, this little formation of ice caught up on the grass is undeniably beautiful!

Last week when we enjoyed some warm and delightfully great springtime weather, the sheets of rain that accompanied that weather caused the volume of water running in the ditches to increase enormously! As I walked along, I couldn't resist photographing this little "bowl" that was created in that massive overdose to the little ditches that usually carry just a small amount of water!


I was so happy to enjoy all of the beauty that is ours for the looking! By going out with camera in hand, I really did feel so much better!

Last night, just before the sun was setting, Angus went totally nuts! He growled and barked and basically made me feel crazy! I called for Michelle to take Angus upstairs, as in looking out the french doors, I saw nothing unusual. A little later, I did see Doe, Re, Mi, and Fa partaking quite zestfully of the new blades of grass that have poked through the earth.

Angus positioned himself at the top of the stairs and began to take his singing to a new level. At this point, he was inconsolable, making so much noise, he was really driving me crazy. The hair stood up on his back and he eventually moved his way down the stairs. Michelle came and grabbed him to lift him up and in so doing, looked out the window. Surprise, surprise! Yet another visitor to add to our ever-increasing menagerie of wild critters! No wonder poor little Angus was getting so stirred up! He sensed this fellow barging in on his territory!

I went out on the back deck, much to Michelle's dismay to chase this masked fellow off! I hissed at him and commanded he leave the premises at once! He turned and looked at me, then slowly moved away into the woods!

Good Monday Morning!

After a rather leisurely restful day, it will be hard to get moving and into gear! I have already been up for a couple of hours, but was busy washing dishes (that seem to multiply every night under the cover of darkness) and laundry. I will not even comment on the (endless) amount of laundry I do!

Mark had rented a documentary from Netflix that he thought I might enjoy. It was entitled Devil's Playground ; it turned out to be a very disturbing look at the Amish custom of "rumspringa". This is a tradition that when a young person turns 16 years of age, they are released into the "english" world to experience sex, drugs, alcohol, smoking, and whatever other unsavory vices they might like to try....thus, the title.

As I watched this documentary unravel, there were a few kids that were the "main characters". My heart grew so heavy at some points and I found this so upsetting. The fact that these people keep themselves so set apart from the world, only to release their youngsters into it so they may "sew their wild oats" before joining the church seems so ludicrous and without wisdom to me. I find it amazing that the parents can simply turn their kids out without holding back. I could never do that....

I lived in a town where there were a great number of Amish families and I had never heard of this custom before. I do know that there were dome rather humorous stories about the Amish and some of the things they did, but they were "harmless" and funny! One of them involved a certain "rabblerouser" Amishman who happened to own a car. Seems he kept it in his barn and whenever he wanted to drive it, he would don a football helmet and drive on down the road so as not to be recognized by his peers. I have no idea if this was true or not, but the kid who told me happened to be the son of the police chief in the small town, so it could quite likely be true!

I guess that the bottom line in this documentary is that people are people, and will seek after destructive behaviors if left on their own with no accountability. After watching the entire story, I went back and re watched it with the director and those involved in making the story talking about it as it ran. In the end, one of the youngster's pretty much ruined his life and is now serving time. He was a rather remarkable young fellow....charismatic, charming, and so much going for him. In the end, it seems part of his destruction was his indecisiveness.... he could not choose whether he was Amish or "english".

After watching this, I came down and we watched the Sabres vs the Philadelphia Flyers game. It was a little disappointing, as the Sabres lost! (to the last team in the east?) Ah well, it was OK, because in watching the game, it became obvious to me that none of the players were going to get rough....with the playoffs beginning this week, all of the players need to be in top physical shape. To get injured in a game that really didn't even matter....well, why bother? It was an entertaining game, as the goalie for Philly was just recently sent there from the Sabres so they could pick up Danius Zubrus.

After the game, we had our dinner and spent the rest of the day just relaxing. Oh, as I was preparing dinner, Mrs Doe, Re, Mi, and Fa were outside the kitchen window, grazing like crazy on the new shoots of grass. I was making broccoli, so I went to the french doors and calmly talked to Doe. She wasn't afraid at all and watched as I pitched the stem her way. After I was inside the house, she went over and looked at it, but passed it by. Phooey....I thought she would eat it!

I hope you enjoyed your day! It looked more like a Thanksgiving or Christmas Day here with the sudden spritzes of snow!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Yes, Jesus is risen, He is risen from the dead!

When I think of "Easter", I don't think of bunnies and eggs and baskets and all the other things. Instead, I am grateful for the Lord and that He laid down His life for all. We have never been big on all the candy and stuff, but we did buy some jelly beans and candy for the kids.

Last night the kids went to a teen skate, and while they were there, Mark and I went to a little WalMart Superstore. YIKES! It was nearly filled to the brim with people! This store has been rather traditionally quiet on Saturday nights, but last night it was packed with folks. I am not sure exactly what the occasion was....perhaps buying goodies?

When we left the store (we were in there for probably about an hour and a half) the snow was falling ever-so-softly in those pretty wet big flakes that were accentuated by the parking lot lights. It was so beautiful...and yes, I know it is April! It really was stunning and I do agree that I would have been much more impressed had this been around Thanksgiving time!

We picked the kids up at 10, then headed home. Hmmmm....Mark took the path less traveled. Oh, AND this path just happens to wind through the "higher elevations". And, if you live in the Northeast, you just KNOW what that means! Yes, we were greeted by completely snow-covered roads challenging Mark to figure out WHERE the road was!

As we drove along, I kept asking Mark if his knuckles were white yet! I could sense his great relief when we finally reached the little valley town just a few miles from our house. The snow was greatly reduced to just fine little flakes in the headlights and I think I actually heard a huge sigh!

I was awakened this morning to the sound of the snowplow coming up our hill, and when I saw the trees outside my window frosted in white, I just wanted to close my eyes and roll over. But, I did indeed get up with the boys and we went outside into the 16 frosty degrees. Wow! To add a bit of insult to injury, the weatherman announced this morning this day shall be colder than our Christmas Day was! Hurrah, hurrah....

We didn't make plans with my parents to get together, so our day will probably entail spending a leisurely day grateful for a warm hearth! I do have a Honeysuckle White turkey breast that I will roast later in the day, along with lots of sides to go with it. I always stand amazed that I forget to plan meals for holidays. But, there is plenty in the pantry and refrigerator to make for a delicious meal!

To you and yours, Happy Easter!

And the Winner IS!!!!

Woo hoo! Am I psyched? You had better BELIEVE it! This afternoon, the Buffalo Sabres made history in clinching the President's Cup. This is a prestigious award in the NHL, going to the top team in the league!!!

The Sabres have one more game to finish off the season. It is tomorrow afternoon and will be shown on NBC tv at 1:00 pm, EST.

After this, it is on to the STANLEY CUP!

Goooooooooooooooooo Sabres!!!!!!!

The Great Weather Challenge

I have decided that living in the Northeast means that each and every day *is* a weather challenge! Especially this time of the year. The weather "turns the corner", so to speak, and everyone gets ready for the new season. Then....kaboom! The weather returns to its former state and we are left wondering....

Yesterday, I decided to return the large bag of soda cans and several smaller grocery bags of soda bottles and cans to the store. I crawled up into the truck, gathering them more towards the back so I could hop down onto the ground and grab them out. (I guess it is pertinent to mention that at five feet, one and one-half inches tall, it is a bit *hard* to reach things from our four wheel drive Silverado truck if items are not close to the back.) So....I hopped down after getting the bags readied, and walked about two feet from the truck towards a shopping cart to carry the bags.

Suddenly, this ***HUGE*** gust of wind (Mark, who was sitting inside the truck, called it a sudden hurricane-force wind!!!) caught the smaller bags and they were lifted into the air and sent sailing across the parking lot! I chased and caught up with two bags, but two others landed probably a good three hundred and five hundred feet from the truck. I felt so silly...I just took my two bags I had in my hands and walked back towards the truck. Ben had jumped out and raced after the farthest bag, then a young guy who works at Wegman's grabbed a shopping cart
(HOW did he just happen to have that cart right there?) and gathered the bottles and cans from the other bag. Within about, oh, five minutes, all of the bottles and cans were back in my possession. I thanked both Ben and the young man....profusely.....then headed into the bottle return area of Wegman's.

This morning, we are nineteen degrees with a bitter wind that would chill a snowman's heart! The forecast calls for one to two inches of accumulation (yes, of sn*w!!!!) AND 20 degrees below *normal* temps. Hmmm...so, what IS normal?

Well, no matter whether this weather is agreeable or not, we gotta take it!

Ever Feel Like Eve?

You know, in the Garden of Eden? This morning, Mrs. Doe came back again with Re, Mi, and Fa. The youngsters bolted off into the woods, but as I spoke to Doe, she actually turned around in her tracks and walked a few steps towards me! I was standing on the back deck....does she look frightened?

I was anxious to take some pictures today, as the woods is beginning to "brighten" up a bit. AND, I am so antsy to try out the new camera in lots of different modes with different lighting and such. My biggest problem right now is that the current lens I am using doesn't do so well in low light situations, and I am awaiting a new lens. So, while waiting, I will be patient and make the most of what I have.

As I was getting up this morning, I noticed that my (other) weird Christmas Cactus had such a pretty blossom on it, I just needed to take a picture. I love the colors in this one....the streaks of color are stunning! Oh, and now my Christmas Cacti have bloomed for Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and you had better believe there are going to be even MORE flowers for Easter!

After taking pictures of the deer and plant, I decided to go outside and take some pictures.....Hmmmmm......what can I take pictures of? Let's see....

Ah yes, this morning, my little miniature Daffodils were nearly blooming! How exciting!

And how about this? I had two very perplexed and frustrated black-bearded little boys looking longingly through the french doors as I walked outside to snap a shot of their morning offering. There is their special ground turkey meatloaf, ground green beans, a few blueberries, cranberries, a small spoonful of virgin coconut oil, topped with a teaspoon of flax seeds! What you cannot see is a bit of olive oil and fish oil drizzled over the top. As I made my way back inside with the dish, I was seriously thinking I was about to be mugged, but the little boys were gentlemenly. Well, until I put the food into their bowls!

This afternoon, Ben wanted to ride his bicycle on our road. Where we live is so steep, there was no way he could ride it unless he had worked at it for quite some time! So, we loaded his bike into the back of the Explorer and I drove up to a more gentle incline. Ben was so happy to ride along and I followed behind. As Ben rode, you cannot imagine my delight when I saw man walking a Wire-Haired Dachshund!

What was humorous about all of this is that I was on the phone with Carly, who owns the cute little Black and Tan Dachshund, Joe! I stopped the car and got out to talk with the man. You see, Bob the UPS man had already told me who this man was, as I had seen him walking this pup several months ago and inquired. It is so rare to see one of these dogs, so I asked Bob and he knew exactly who this was!

I got out of the car and introduced myself and asked if I could take pictures. Of course! This neighbor is so proud of his little girlie. She is of European lines and is a licensed "Deersearch Dog". When a hunter injures a deer and cannot find it, he can notify this pair, and little Karma may then search the woods until she finds it. I learned that they were featured last fall on a page of the local newspaper!

Isn't she a cutie? I love the way her paws turn out and that little beard! As I bent down to say hello, she came right to me and smothered me in kisses!!!

I caught up with Ben and he rode on and on for awhile. Near the end of his ride, there is a big hill. Ben loved gliding down the hill. So much so, he went back up the hill and rode down once again!

When we got home, I was surprised to see that my mini Daffodils were now blooming!

You cannot know how much the sight of those three little flowers made my heart sing! We got up to 60 degrees this afternoon, and tomorrow, we are supposed to be warm once again. Until the afternoon. Then, our weather is supposed to degrade to the point that the temperatures drop into the 30's by evening! The weatherman says "snow" in the forecast....well, with Easter around the corner, what else should we expect? We *are* in the Northeast, after all!

I went inside the house, and in looking out the french doors, who should I spot grazing up behind the house once again? Yes, Doe, Re, Me, and Fa! Just like the Garden of Eden, I tell you!!!