Yay!

The good news is that my camera is now working and I have learned a very valuable lesson....namely that batteries exposed to high temperatures lose their charge and can make cameras and other electronics spaz out! I realized that just like my camera, my cell phone suffered from the heat as well. Lesson learned!

We missed a turn to enter the power facility, so we went on down the road a bit and stopped at a park so the dogs could relieve themselves. The power plant was located about 2 miles back, and we discovered that the park not only overlooked the Niagara Gorge, but also the power plant! These pictures aren't the best, as it was gloomy and drizzly on Friday. (At this point, I feel compelled to make a note regarding GPS....it really is a wonderful aid in traveling. However, it has NO concept of overpasses.....this is not the first time we have been told to turn on non-existent roads in the Niagara frontier!!!!)

The thirteen "ribs" are actually huge conduits where water from above falls through, turning the turbines and generating electricity. As we came near this generating plant, there were acres and acres of high tension towers EVERYWHERE!

Stopping along the overlook, Ben, me, and Angus.

We circled back around, and this is the entrance to the facility.

It seems that the voice of "tolerance" calls out so loudly in the streets today, and yet public parks are being forced to remove nativity scenes at Christmas in the name of "separation of church and state". It was very refreshing to see that in the 60's, the Lewiston area churches and synagogues were able to freely display their tribute to the glory of God...a large monument with verses taken from the Psalms .....

As soon as we entered the building, there was a huge desk with some of the friendliest people to direct us and tell us a little about the facility. Everything is based on a self-tour, so the pace is entirely up to you.

Across from the desk is this amazing display! The monitors to the left and right of Ben are actually a camera aimed into the gorge. You can aim the camera in a 180 degree span, looking around the gorge, and into the waters of the mighty Niagara River below. Ben had a ball working the controls!

From the "greeting center", we moved up onto another level on an elevator, then crossed over the highway through a glass walkway....over to the visitor's center. This center is built on a HUGE cement "pad".

Below are several pictures of Mark and the kids checking out some of the many hands-on activities.

Michelle took this picture of Ben....every boy's dream of going up into a cherry picker!!!

And she also took this picture of a colorful mural of Father Hennipin seeing the Falls for the first time.

And this picture of the facility. See the HUGE cement pad the Visitor's Center is on?

We basically finished up our tour by watching a video about the building of the plant. We found out that another plant that was located somewhere else along this area actually
broke apart, galling into the gorge below, and causing a crisis. I think the year was 1959. This facility was then put on the drawing board. It took 10,000 workers and three years to complete. Everyone doubted it would ever be completed on time, but it was! Quite an engineering miracle considering the workers worked right through the winters when winters were REAL!

This was so much fun and I would highly recommend it to anyone as a field trip!

Good News....I *Think*!

Well, Mark is thinking perhaps my camera might just be OK! When we went to Lewiston yesterday, I had placed the camera down on the floor by my feet. This is also near the heat vent.
(As an aside, when we first bought the Explorer, Mark burned the side of his calf seriously enough to land him in the hospital for a few days. Unfortunately, his feeling is not very acute in that particular area.) So, as we drove along, my camera was in the case, baking.

This morning, Mark plugged the camera into the outlet, and it behaved meticulously! He tested the batteries, and they were all "on the edge". Mark said he thinks I fried the batteries!!! I recharged them all again and they are just finished charging. Since it is late, Mark wants to check the camera out in the morning. I did cheat just a "bit" and put a set into the camera to see what would happen....it WORKED!!!!

So, hopefully, after playing with it tomorrow, the camera will work! And, I will (FINALLY) download my pictures!!!

I Think I'm Gonna Cry....

Yesterday, I was digging around through "stuff" in the bedroom and found a pamphlet from the New York State Power Authority. It was something I had picked up somewhere, and it gave info on a power plant located near the American Falls. I told Mark we ought to take a field trip there today, and he agreed.

I packed a picnic lunch and we were off for a day of fun! We stopped along the Thruway and had subs (I actually made them right there in the Explorer!!) and chips. We had to eat inside the car as it was raining. We folded one of the backseats down and I was able to sit back there and make the subs to order! hehehe I even remembered to bring along a sheet of freezer paper to use as a work surface on top of the cooler!

We got to the power plant at about 3. It has lots of interactive and informative "gizmos" and we really enjoyed playing! There was also a short movie (about 12 minutes) that showed the actual construction of the power facility. It was built in only 3 years, and when one considers the amount of WORK that needed to be done, it was nothing short of a miracle! The plant began operation in January, 1961, 2 weeks ahead of schedule!

So, you might be wondering....*WHY* do I want to CRY??? Well, I was careening about, merrily taking pictures when my Olympus camera just quit working. I had charged 2 sets of batteries for it last night. I wanted to be able to take a lot of pictures. When we got there, Mark asked me why the camera was acting "funny".....I tried it out and it was OK, then it just starting doing weird things. The LCD screen kept turning off, then the lens refused to open all the way. Then, it refused to close. I am not sure what is wrong with the camera, but it is 4 years old and I would hate to think that I HAVE to replace it. Mark will take a look at it tomorrow, and perhaps he will see what is causing the flaky behavior.

So, there you have it. We enjoyed ourselves today, but I have no pictures. Michelle has some on her camera, so perhaps tomorrow I can see if there are some good ones.

Oh, as an aside....one of the coolest things at the power facility is a camera that is postioned on the Niagara River. The people that work at this facility are so amazing...they were so friendly. One of the guys told us that yesterday there were fishermen down on the river catching Atlantic Salmon that weighed in between 30 and 40 pounds!!! They watched them from the cameras! Mark was able to hone in on some fishermen in a boat....the camera can zoom right in....we were able to see the fishermen up pretty close. Sometimes (when it WORKS) technology is SO cool!

January 4

Since I couldn't think of a more suitable title for this entry, the date shall have to suffice!

Remember Fonzy on the Happy Days tv series in the 70's? He used to have the most difficult time uttering the words "I was wrong". Try as he might, he could only get out the "wrrr" sound!
Well, today, it was "be...be...beau.."......um, it was a nice day! Yeah, it is hard to call a 54 degree JANUARY day "beautiful", but if this was a *typical* January, I guess it could have earned that title! As Mark and I walked out on the porch this afternoon, I could barely believe my eyes as a little honeybee flew past us!

I got a package in the mail from my friend, Linda, from Canada. She sent the family several little goodies for Christmas, mostly FROM Canada! She included two little ornaments that have simply fascinated me. They are created by a Canadian artist named Betty Singer for a company called Samaco.

http://www.samacotrading.com/sites/samaco/collectibles/bettySinger/index.html

Although I could not find these little treasures on the site, they are simply beautiful! The detail is amazing, considering the figures are only about 3 inches tall!

Here is Father Christmas....

And a closer detail of his face and the little Scottie in his arms.

And here is Mrs. Claus.....

In this closeup of Mrs. Claus's face, you can see the detailing.....

And did you catch the little Scottie in the bag near her feet?

Linda says these are from a collection appropriately named the "Highland Collection", and new ornaments are added each year. I will certainly ask Linda to grab a new ornament each year for me.... they are just so sweet!

Hope all who made resolutions are sticking by them, and if not, well....there is always NEXT year!

*Trying* To Be Cheerful and A Walk in the Woods

When I got out of bed this morning, I became acutely aware of the fact that I *can* choose what my mood for the day will be. So, I decided today would be a day to count my blessings! Not too hard to do....any of us living in the US of A has much to be thankful for; we are such a rich nation with far more than our share of needs and desires met.

I went downstairs and washed the dishes...there are ALWAYS dishes in the sink to be washed.....then I sat at the table for a few minutes of what my mother used to call "quiet time"! As I sat down, my eyes landed on a flower arrangement I made on December 30. I had gone shopping at Wegman's for a few things, and (as I always do) checked out the flowers there. I was so drawn to one arrangement. It was simply a few large white carnations with some filler that was dipped in gold "dust". The arrangement just kind of took my breath away! So, I copied it!

They didn't have any of the large white carnations, so I settled for the minis. I bought the same vase, the same filler, and the minis.

When I got home, I was amazed at the GENEROUS amount of carnations I got for $3.99. There were TONS of them! I cut them and the filler, then began placing them into the little vase. Oh, the arrangement at Wegman's also had a few ferns in it, but I figured it would be OK without them. They had tied a narrow golden ribbon around the vase, but I didn't have any gold ribbon.

I settled for a wide white ribbon with golden trees on it. Here is what I ended up with....

The Wegman's arrangement was $14.99, and mine wound up being about $11.00. The difference is that my little arrangement is much fuller! So, I am well-pleased! Carnations always seem to last such a long time, and with these white ones being "natural" (as in, undyed) I think they last a good long time, indeed!

As the temperatures were on the incline this afternoon, I decided that I would NOT complain about no cold weather and no snow. The creepy part, though, about this weather is that it still gets pretty cold at night, so I need to make a fire in the Jotul every morning. The not-so-bad part is that there is literally TONS and TONS of kindling in the woods. We had some pretty wild winds here last month, and the net result is that the woods is littered with treetops and broken limbs all over the ground. They make it a snap to start a fire, so I cannot complain about the work involved!

And, speaking of the woods, as the day progressed, I decided to take a little jaunt through the woods...

This is a little path that winds through the woods, taking us down to the "lower 10" acres of our property. The path used to be much wider, but over the years, with some substantial downpours, the drainage ditch to the right became wider and wider, making the path narrower and narrower! This time of the year, without all the foliage, you can see the hills across the way. It really is quite pretty!

As I mentioned earlier, there are lots of dead branches and treetops that blew down from above, making the job of finding kindling a *breeze*!

As you follow the footpath down the hill, there is this small spot where the land actually is pretty flat. I had always thought this would be a lovely place for a cabin...The land naturally rises a great deal from the road, allowing one to look out and down a bit. It is just one of many pretty little spots on our property.

As you can see in these little pics, we have trees falling over every winter. I guess it was the wind that knocked these down, as there has been no snow to do any "harvesting". We always say that God sends angels to harvest trees for us to keep *me* protected!!!!

And, just a couple of pictures looking up into the woods. As you can see, we really do have an endless supply of firewood. No matter how quickly we process the wood, there is always more waiting for us to discover it lying on the ground or leaning against another tree!

I think I mentioned on my blog before about how the oak trees here just do NOT want to give up their leaves....I think I can *hear* this particular tree uttering, "I will NOT go nekkid!!!!"

To end my little walk in the woods, I came around to the front of the house. There, the little stream was merrily winding its way down through its bed....the light of the sun was playing on the water, nearly blinding me as I looked!

As I entered the house, it really didn't seem so important anymore that there is no snow.....And, I was able to count many, many blessings!!!

Happy New Year!

I thought I would post a "happy" picture to welcome in this new year. No, this isn't my house....it is a house across the street from the home of my parents. We welcomed in the new year at my parents' and I could not resist snapping this winter (WHERE?????) wonderland of lights!

Last year seems to have flown by so swiftly. I am not sure where it went, nor what I was doing as it passed by so quickly, but I am learning with each passing day that time is certainly not much of a friend! It neither stops for us, nor allows us to catch up with it!

I have made no resolutions for the new year. I always disliked doing so, as they usually fall by the wayside. I don't like making plans and not being able to follow through because of my lack of "sticktoitiveness" or circumstances beyond my control which cause my plans to be put on "hold" ......better to just try to be and do my best with each passing day! I know there are many attributes I need some work on, so I will merely strive towards those. The Lord knows I have so many faults and I pray He will help me overcome some of those in this new year!

I got up early this morning, and my mom was already up. We took the dogs for a walk, and that was a really great way to start 2007! It was something I so appreciated, as it is terribly hard to walk in my neck of the woods. It was nearly 50 degrees when we took this walk, and that just seemed so bizarre. Usually, January brings REALLY cold weather, so this was almost surreal!

Well, here is to another new year! May you be blessed richly with peace, love, happiness and all things good!

SNOW! Well, at least a LITTLE!

Yesterday, as I looked outside, I wondered where the expression "green Christmas" came from....here is the Bristolwood, it was more like UGLY gray and BROWN! This was the view from the side of the house......


Even my little stream that cheerfully wanders in the front yard was looking pretty frumpy!

Well, I guess in looking at this picture of the house, you CAN see SOME green..................

I was going to upload these pictures and use them yesterday, but then felt a twang of guilt....shame on me for feeling SO sorry for myself...after ALL, it is ONLY *S-N-O-W*! Then, when I woke up this morning, the pallette was "changed"!

Here is a picture from the front porch.

And, the back yard!

Yes, this little "dusting" of snow made me feel a WHOLE lot better! And, I felt more "Christmasy"! hehehe Too bad this wasn't here two days ago. Ah well, we did get SOME snow!

As I was snapping pictures, I took a picture of my "Scottie Wreath". I made this about three years ago, and I love the way it adds so much color to the door!

If anyone can tell me exactly HOW to do a NEAT blanket stitch, I would greatly appreciate it! I made the little Scotties for the wreath out of black felt, stitching around the edges, and lightly stuffing each little fellow! Here is a closeup of one.....

You can see my stitching skills are lacking!

Late this afternoon, we met Carly. I had some soap I wanted to give her for her new pup, Joe. Carly said the little fellow needed a bath, and she wanted a mild soap. I had made one up for my boys, and I figured she might like it. I also packed up a couple of small oxtail bones to greet the new man. Oh, is he DARLING!!!!!

Carly brought Joe out to meet us. Poor little boy began to shiver....Carly said he is NOT fond of the cold, so her daughter, Sarah, grabbed a little blanket to wrap him up! He is so cute and you can tell he is very trusting and sweet!!!!

Now, tell me....does Carly look HAPPY??? She is just totally taken by this little guy. Does it matter that he wet on her son Kyle, her NEW chair, and her yesterday? NOPE....it was an accident! Does it matter that he spent 2 1/2 hours HOWLING last night? NOPE....he was LONELY!!!! The whole family is SMITTEN with this fellow, and he already has EVERYONE wrapped around his PAWS! I am so happy that Carly and her family and Joe found each other!

The kids all told me the BEST Christmas present of all is Joe!

The Day After Christmas

Well, today is the day after Christmas and we still have no snow! Over at the mountain, the snow must have degraded quite a bit. There was no activity on Christmas Eve and the lights were out last night as well. We have lived here since 1992, and there has never been a year like this.

The weatherman had promised some snow last night and today, but the forecast was changed to all rain today. Everyone talks about a "green" Christmas, but here in the Bristolwood, everything seems to look gray and brown!

The good news is that Carly must travel today, and the rain will be easier for her than snow! She has been nearly BURSTING, as she awaited yesterday to announce the good news to her kids. She made a card and hung it on the Christmas tree....inside was a picture of a little black and tan Dachshund. She wrote that his name is Joe and tomorrow he is coming home to live with you!
Carly said it took a minute for the message to register, then the kids went NUTS! Her middle child, a daughter, was reduced to tears! The kids have been wanting a dog so much, but the timing was just not right.

Carly's husband told her a couple of weeks ago that she might have to pick out her own present this year. She called me and told me she had an inkling that perhaps he was speaking in "code" and maybe he was going to get her a new dog? She took him lunch later in the day, and he finally told her that was his plan.

Carly needed no further words....she went straight to work, fixing up some little things that needed done and cleaning up all the floors and rooms in her house! She went through her closet, ridding out things that hadn't been worn in ages. I think the thought of a dog catapulted a whole lot of nervous energy, as she moved through her house like a tidal wave!

She called a breeder she had previously spoken to and asked if she still had a certain little fellow. He is almost 2 years old (his birthday is December 31) and has been to obedience classes. He sounds wonderful and is all housebroken. With her busy schedule, Carly was thrilled beyond belief when the breeder said, yes, Joe is still available.

Carly and her husband went out last Sunday to meet Joe, and it was love at first sight for all involved. The kids knew nothing about the covert meeting....they were told their parents were Christmas shopping!

The kids wanted to know if anyone else knew about Joe. Carly told them yes, EVERYONE knew! She had told the people at Starbucks, her in-laws, and we all knew! She went on to tell them that our kids knew about Joe, too. HOWEVER, they were instructed that under penalty of DEATH they were NOT to even HINT at this! The youngest looked Carly right in the eye and said, "Your mother is quite harsh, isn't she?" When Carly told me this, I nearly fell over laughing!

Well, Santa was very gracious to our family, bringing lots of goodies and things that we need! We were supposed to travel to visit with my parents, but with Ben coming down with whatever it was that Michelle had, we stayed home. Thankfully, I had taken a turkey breast out of the freezer a couple of days ago. Our Christmas fare was small, but tasty! No one complained, and it was very informal and nice.

After we had opened our presents, we watched the movie The 12 Dogs of Chrsitmas. It was cute, and I never tire of watching Christmas movies. They are the best in my opinion! Too many movies today leave you feeling uninspired and with a sick feeling....I love Christmas movies because they always seem just the opposite! I guess I am a sucker for happy endings!

It seems like Christmas came far too early this year....how can we possibly be heading into 2007?

Am I Brave, or What?

Ah, yes. Late yesterday afternoon, I did something I have not done in years and years! I braved the world of the SHOPPING MALL! Wow!!! OK, so I have been to the mall, but not three days before Christmas!

I had several things to do before I could leave....I set Michelle up with the vaporizer. She said her throat felt tight and dry, so I filled the vaporizer and set it up for her. As I thought about it, I asked if she might like some Vick's or perhaps some Eucalyptus EO in the air. She opted for the EO, and within a few minutes, her room smelled so nice.

I had made a meatloaf in the Crockpot around noon, so it was nearly done. I put it in a 5 quart oval pot and it looked and smelled so GOOD! I have been using the same Crockpot recipe for years, and it is always good. Mark said he never really liked meatloaf until he tasted this one!
The recipe is from the book Crockery Cookery, which was published in 1975! I poured the ketchup-based topping on it, and set it to warm, hoping it would be good when we arrived back home.

I quickly wrapped up a parcel I intended to send after Christmas, but hey, I am AHEAD for once! Ben grabbed three letters that needed to be sent, and we were off! We HAD to be to the post office (about 15 miles away) within 25 minutes, so we hustled along!

We made it to the post office with about 3 minutes to spare! It was totally empty and it was a quick stop! Hurrah! Off to the mall!

When we arrived at the shopping mecca, I felt my hands grippping the steering wheel tensely. WHAT was I thinking? I caught myself and took a deep breath to try to relax....We pulled in and even though the line of headlights looked as though it went on ad infinatum, we found a parking slot about 10 spaces from the mall entrance. It was pouring down rain in sheets, so we scurried to the door!

At this point, I must interject that Ben is a serious shopper with an intensity....he knows exactly what to get everyone, and he hones in on gifts as though being driven by a homing device! Last Sunday, I bought a paper, and before we knew what hit it, he had cafefully cut out pictures and descriptions of each item he intended to purchase.

We walked around the mall, finding several items we thought would be good to buy. We went inside a few stores, combing the aisles, and although there were many, many people, it really didn't seem too bad! We spent about an hour and fifteen minutes at the mall, then decided to leave.

Ben had only eaten a cookie yesterday. He was excited about going shopping, so I picked him up a sandwich from Wendy's for which he was immensely grateful! We headed home and arrived at nearly 7:30.

As soon as I was in the door, I took the boys out into the downpouring rain. (WHY couldn't it have been SNOW!!!!) After they finished, I grabbed a bag of red-skinned potatoes, and cut them into small pieces and boiled them for mashed potatoes. I loved mashed potatoes, but I really don't like them "plain". I looked up a recipe on the internet for Applebee's Garlic Mashed Potatoes and they suggested adding roasted garlic to the potatoes. Well, I don't always have roasted garlic, or the time to roast garlic. So, one day, I decided to just add freshly minced garlic to the potatoes. They were GREAT! So, last night as I hustled to prepare the potatoes, I was a little annoyed when I found no half and half to add. So, I grabbed the heavy cream, adding very little....OH WOW! I ground fresh pepper and sea salt....added a dab of butter....YUM!

By 7:50, we were finally eating! We had the meatloaf, potatoes (I leave the skin on and use the "wire whip" on the kitchen aid mixer...it does a terrific job of mincing the skins into small pieces) and brussel sprouts. For dessert, we had Shortbread Scotties from the mix my Secret Santa had sent. They were such a tasty way to end the meal! Michelle came down and only ate a cookie, saying her throat was too sore.

This morning, when I checked on Michelle, she said she is feeling a bit better. She has spent two days in bed, sleeping. She has eaten precious little, and I was worried about her. Well, she wanted to know if there was any food left over from last night. I assured her there was, except the potatoes were gone. She sighed, and I assured her I would make some for her!

Last night when we had returned home, the wind was absolutely HOWLING! Today, I grabbed my winter coat and took the boys out. I was shocked....it was so WARM! When we got on the porch, I checked the thermometer, and it said 40! The stream in the front yard is running quite well, and everything looks so clean! And, it should! With the RAIN we have been getting instead of SNOW!!! I did hear the weatherman say there is a chance we might get some "measurable snow" on Christmas Night. Ah well, I guess we take what we get, eh?

The First Day of Winter

The calendar proclaims (rather boldly) that today begins the first day of winter....the shortest day of the year, and the *coldest* weather? Today we are told we will be reaching into the 40's. I do NOT live in the Carolinas for pity's sake!

Yesterday, as I was walking around the house, something caught my eye....the poor daffodils have obviously mistaken the warm weather as the heralding of SPRING, and have sent up beautiful green shoots!

As I closely observed the garden, I also saw that the Columbines were tricked as well by this freakish weather we are experiencing! Cruel, I tell you...pitifully cruel!

We went out into the amazing world of holiday retail yesterday afternoon. I was nearly fearful at what we might find, but instead of crazed shoppers with eyes glazed, frantically digging through merchandise, I was surprised to find many civil, smiling faces!

I had to run to the post office to ship a box and add some postage to a Christmas card filled with images of our Murphy...I just KNEW that the breeder would love to see how the little fellow has grown into such a charming young man! She only lives about three hours from here, so I am sure the card will reach its destination in good time! The box was for a friend. I had made her some soap specifically for her, but getting the box to the post office was so hard! I always send out UPS, as it is much easier, but this box was light, and needed to be sent postal. The worker there was apologizing that the box might not reach its destination in time for Chrsitmas. I assured her that was OK, but she suddenly smiled and told me that many post offices hire extra workers to help push through express and priority boxes at the last minute. Perhaps the box MIGHT get there before Christmas! Either way, it was refreshing to see someone who was so concerned!

As we spent time running around, it was obvious that Michelle was not feeling well. She had awakened with a cough and sore throat yesterday morning, and it was making her slow down. She and I sat in the truck while Ben and Mark shopped....at one point, she was so chilly, I covered her with a blanket, and she fell asleep for a little while as I tuned in the radio to some "Traditional Holiday" music. The dogs were up front with me, and it was so cozy! The darkness had set in, and it was rather fun watching shoppers hustle along with their packages.

When we arrived home, we put things away, and Ben and Mark stayed outside for some time. I thought perhaps they were out in the garage, planning a project or fixing something. After about half an hour, Ben came in the house and asked me to come outside. He and Mark had picked up some multicolored net lights, and Ben decorated our two Dwarf Alberta Spruces! They are so pretty. I am a TOTAL nut when it comes to Christmas lights. If I had my way, I would spend hours, days...driving about, looking at the lights!

After our busy day, we came inside and Ben turned on the television. TNT happened to be on, and of all things! A Christmas Carol happened to be playing. Funny! I had bought a small paperback of this work yesterday at Border's! We watched this version, circa 1999, and once again, enjoyed it. We had watched the Muppet version the previous night. I will never tire of this classic....

And, as Tiny Tim exhorted, "God Bless us, everyone!"

I'm Screaming for a White Chrsitmas!

Just like the ones I used to know................

Well, I gave up crying and feeling badly about not having any snow. I haven't mentioned it in DAYS! I tried to even FORGET about thinking about snow! But....as I passed the ski area tonight, I witnessed snow blowing about and people swishing along down the hill. As I watched, it seemed so surreal....so artificial. I mean, there is no snow anywhere else...just those silly trails coming down the mountain.

I know that the weather we have been "enjoying" has made a lot of people happy. They are thrilled to not have to deal with slippery roads, wet clothing, and cleaning the ice off frozen vehicles.

I don't know if it has to do with the fact that I hurt my back, or if it is the weather! I am so crabby and miserable! AND, I admit it!

I have done precious little shopping and it really doesn't seem to matter. Somehow the missing element....SNOW!....has left this year feeling so "UN" Christmaslike! I know that Christmas isn't about the weather, but it just doesn't seem like Christmas without snow.

A couple of nights ago, the weatherman said that we *might* be able to observe the Northern Lights. I anxiously searched the skies, but nada....

I did manage to sit down and actually watch a Christmas special on TV! OK, so I wasn't "sitting"...I was lying down! My back is finally feeling much better now!!! YAY! Oh, the special I watched was on PBS. It was called Christmas by a group called Tonic Sol-Fa. This group does all of their music a'cappella and they are fantastic! Here is their their URL:

http://www.tonicsolfa.com/

If you take a look at their website, there is a comprehensive listing of dates, times, and channels that broadcast their special. I *HIGHLY* recommend this one.

Perhaps I am not alone in my "melancholy"....I have been thrilled by the SINGLE blossom on my Christmas Cactus. As I looked at the plant today, I did notice there are several buds coming along, but it seems this plant is only allowing a single blossom at a time!!!

Only six more days...

No Need to Fear!

Yesterday afternoon, I decided to take the boys up to the woodpile...once again...to take some pictures of them wearing their snazzy new caps!

HOWEVER, we started off AGAIN just like the last "photo shoot"!

I just cannot BELIEVE these little *monsters* do this to me! I can hear them laughing...YOU look THAT way...and I'LL look THIS way....hahahahaha!!!!!

I AM the *alpha* dog, however, and what *I* say, goes!

After I scolded the boys, making them know I was thoroughly dissatisfied with their Scottitude, they decided to cooperate at least a LITTLE bit. Murphy wanted to know if I could perhaps "adjust" his cap?

After a slight adjustment, Murphy is looking so handsome in his new chapeau!

Of course, Angus assures Murphy that if he cooperates with me on this, there *will* be a payment due......

Suddenly, Angus jumps as something catches his attention! Alas, it is merely a squirrel romping about and rustling leaves.....

Okay, once the boys realized just what is expected, they began to watch diligently...WHERE is that sleigh with the "jolly old elf" and eight flying reindeer?

Well, rest assured! All children of the world will be able to sleep peaceably on Christmas Eve, as Angus and Murphy, members of the Chimney Watch Santa Patrol, shall be on guard, watching to make sure all is well!
Of course, there shall be TWO plates left tableside this year.....one for the jolly old elf, and one for the two sweetest little Scottie fellows in the world! Well, at least in the Bristolwood!!!

A Rather Exciting Day!

This week has been kind of somber....I guess the death of my uncle touched us deeply. Also, being "home" really left a kind of melancholy feeling with me...I have always been happy where I am, but this past time, seeing all of my cousins and their families, made me feel a little homesick.

This morning, I heard a light tapping at the door. I have been moving a bit slowly as a few days ago, I did something while lifting a box that sends an "electric" feeling up my back. This is not a good feeling at all! So, I nearly missed the FedEx guy! He had left two packages on the porch in front of the door!

Thinking perhaps Mark had ordered something, I hauled the boxes into the office. As I looked at the labels, I got so excited! My Secret Santa gift arrived! For the past three years, I have joined in this exchange on the CyberScots list. I got so excited, and so did the whole family, Scotties included!

The generosity of my "Santa" was just so amazing! Kathy is from Texas, and I guess she is compelled to do things "big!"

I wasn't sure I could get a picture of all of the goodies, but this is what I got! Let's see....there was a Scottish Terrier "The Dog" calendar, an ADORABLE Scottie garden weather vane, (the Scottie part is in front of the calendar), a game of Dogopoly, a tin with Licorice Scottie candy, a box of shortbread mix complete with a Scottie cookie cutter, a remote-control car for the Scotties to CHASE!, a Scottie nightshirt, 3 really cute ornaments, a special "Santa Watch" hat for Angus and one for Murphy, a cute little Jim Shore Scottie figurine, and five Scottie linens!Phew! That is so much booty!!!!

The flowers in the background were from Angus's birthday party on Monday night. The party was short because we needed to scurry to get our sleep for our travels on Tuesday.

Here are the linens. I love the little old-fashioned Scotties on them! Aren't they cute?

I just HAD to post a picture of the Santa Watch hat! These are made so incredibly well! We put them on Angus and Murphy, and I cannot wait until it is light out tomorrow so I can get a picture of them wearing their caps!

After all of the sadness of the earlier part of this week, this package was just such a pressure relief! We had so much fun looking at everything and "oooooohing and aaaaahhhing!"

I always tell Mark I would not even care if I never got a gift in return...I have so much fun wrapping my Scottie goodies for my recipient....but my Santa far exceeded anything I could have even imagined!

Thank you, Kathy! Ever think of moving to the North Pole?

Another Sad Manelick Gathering...

Yesterday, we made the drive to Pennsylvania to attend the funeral service for my Uncle Nick, who passed away last Saturday evening.

Mark, the kids, the dogs, and I all made the trip this time and it was a beautiful day for traveling. There was no precipitation and the roads were clear the whole way there and back again.

The service was held at the funeral home, and it was so wonderful. My uncle had insisted on a closed casket, and it was draped with an American flag, as he had served in the Army Air Corps during WW II. The flowers were all in Christmas colors of red, white, and greens. There were pictures of Uncle Nick throughout his life. A few people related some great memories and it was a time of warmth and comfort at a hard time.

My Uncle Nick was an outstanding man who loved his family so. Unfortunately, when my youngest cousin was only weeks old, my uncle's wife ran off on Christmas Eve, never to return to the family. I cannot imagine how a woman would get through this.....being left with six children to care for alone, but a man? With a tiny baby! Somehow, my uncle managed, and he has five decent, good children as his legacy. One of my cousins, Laura, was killed several years ago in an auto accident.

After the service, there was a gathering for the family at my cousin, Cindy's house. She and her husband have the most charming house I have seen in a long time! Every room is decorated in the most gorgeous designs! Christmas happens to be Cindy's favorite time of the year, and her collection of Santas was astonishing! In every nook....on nearly every wall, there was a Santa!

She has cross-stitched many, many marvelous Santas as well!

Oh goodness! I forgot a picture of our *hostess*

Yes, this is Cindy's adorable and very well-mannered Boxer, Pepper! Even Pepper was decked out for the holiday season with a pretty Christmasy collar around her neck! She was so fantastic, even with a house filled with people!

As I wandered around from room to room, I heard many stories about my Uncle Nick. My father and his youngest brother, Dick, were telling some stories that were so funny! One of them was that after the war was over, a crate arrived at the farmhouse of my grandparents. Thinking it was Uncle Nick's belongings, the family was shocked to find a German Shepherd! It seems my uncle didn't have the heart to leave behind his company's mascot. He decided the dog had better come home with him! What a surprise! Also, he brought home other memorabilia, like shells and bomb housings....my uncle said my grandmother used a bombshell as a doorstop for several years!

Most of my cousins have remained in fairly close proximity of where my grandparents lived. I was one of the few that wandered away. It was so incredible to go home and still be recognized by everyone, and to be hugged warmly. It almost feels as though all the years melt away when with family again.

Although the gathering was for a sad occasion, I am so glad we were able to attend. It is always so good to see family again!

A Little Levity

Sometimes when things get so serious, I need to just "chill out"...I am pretty good at this, so I think I will give a little behind-the-scenes pictures of our little *photo shoot* with the Scotties yesterday.

First of all, let me tell you, when those doggies saw the scarves coming, they were not happy. OK, we can deal with that. So, we set them on a pile of basswood I had cut late last summer.....

Are you ready for the first picture?

Absolutely charming, eh? As soon as the camera came out, they looked away!

This is the second picture I took, and I really like this one. I'm not sure what they were looking at, but I like seeing their profiles.

Michelle was my faithful assistant in this venture, helping orchestrate the whole ordeal. And speaking of orchestration, I told Michelle that perhaps holding a small stick above my head and moving it would get their attention so they would look at me. Sort of like a conductor's baton! Well, Michelle swayed the stick above my head whilst I kept my face to the camera. I was unaware she had picked a L-O-N-G stick until................

Yes, being a diehard Scot involves things like protecting your Mum from sticks swaying over her head! Murphy loves attacking vicious intruders....things like sticks, rakes, vacuum cleaners....you know, things that might harm us!

Note Angus's stance....he was also on guard....however, he was looking to make sure none of those wild squirrely things came near! Angus is much too distinguished to partake in such nonsense like attacking sticks....

I kinda liked the next picture, too, but as I looked, they kinda looked like one big Scottie "blob".

Kind of a Scottie "push me, pull you".

By this point, I was pretty sure that I had at least one good and acceptable picture for my cards. Michelle was still trying to get both Scotties to cooperate. She then stood behind me and mentioned the word, "Cookies!"

Yes, that is Angus's typical reaction to the word! Rather humorous!

You can see that we have some good fun with these little companions of ours! And, if you think *WE* are nuts, take a look here!

http://www.whitehouse.gov/barney/#

Yup, we are *NOT* alone! hehehehehe

Another Topsy-Turvy Day

Yesterday seems like a blur....we spent the day at Carly's house, helping her mount her new Tappan microwave/ fan above her stove. Carly worked like a wild woman, Mark advising her along the way. She scrollsawed and hammered and wired and did all kinds of *stuff*. The net result is great, and we are happy we could at least give moral support!

Today, we went out to the garage to attempt the brakes on the Explorer again. As Mark and I worked, he called me over to have a look....ugh....yet ANOTHER problem. The rear passenger side coil spring was broken. Mark said it looked like it broke very recently. As I looked at the spring, I could see that it was broken in another place. It had snapped what looked like a long time ago as it was quite rusty. This is a little more than upsetting as this is a 2002 model with about 41,000 miles on it. The good news is that the rear brakes are all done and the rotors were in really good condition. No new ones needed! When Mark does the front brakes, he will inspect those rotors as well, but in a glance at them thus far, they look to also be in good condition. Yay, the brake job won't be nearly as expensive as we thought. We will, however, need to have that spring looked at and replaced.

As Mark worked for a little while, I was able to sneak off and take a few pictures of the boys. I finally settled on one and made up oodles of wallet size pictures to enclose in my exchange cards.

Sounds simple enough, eh? NOT! After trying the laser printer and two different inkjet printers, we were finally able to print up the pictures. It *only* took about three hours.....

My mom called this evening with some very sad news. My Uncle Nick passed away late this afternoon. This is my father's older brother who was 84. My heart breaks for my cousins, as they loved my uncle so much. He spent many years as a single parent, raising six children, five of whom were girls. This family has had so many tragedies in the past several years. I pray God's peace on this family.

My uncle had a misfortunate accident last September, when the vehicle he was driving backed into a pond. My uncle fought with all his strength and stamina to release himself from the machine, and in the process, he took in a good deal of pond water. A few weeks later, he was in the hospital with pneumonia. I had no heard how he was doing.

I am so grateful that I took the time off from my crazy schedule to attend my aunt Doris's funeral, as I got to visit with my uncle at that time. He was such a strong and admirable man.

Lest We Forgot!

A big thank you to all of those who have served and are currently serving this great country of ours! I realize the US isn't always going to win popularity contests around the world, but I would rather be living here than any other place on this big earth......

May we always remember those who have served....those who have given of their time, efforts, and even lives that we may enjoy living in freedom and peace!

God bless the USA!

Grrrr...What a Crummy Day....

I was THRILLED this morning when I got up at 4:30 to take the boys out. It was actually SNOWING! How excited *was* I? Well, I ran and got my camera! I took two pictures...both into the lights and you could SEE the snow!

This one was off the front porch....(I love those little "trailers"!)

And, one from the back door of the garage....

The sad fact is, this is as far as I got in my picture-taking efforts today. Yup, as I was taking these pictures, I had already made plans to drag out the antique sled (that was mine!) and perhaps tie scarves on the boys and seat them on the sled in the snow. Cute, right?

I made a rip-snorting fire in the garage long before daybreak. By the time Mark and Ben were ready to head out to the garage to do a brake change on the Explorer, the garage was warm enough to work in shirt sleeves despite the temps in the high teens outside.

Mark asked me to help him and Ben get the wheel up in the air and set the jackstands under the car. He was going to do one wheel at a time. NOT!

It took all of our strength to loosen the lug nuts on the first tire. Once this was done, Mark began to take the tire off....NOT! That dirty son of a sea biscuit was adhered so tightly, no cranking, banging, smacking, nor kicking was going to remove it. Mark sprayed WD-40 on it, thinking perhaps that might loosen the bugger up. In the meantime, we moved on to the next wheel.

Can you say EXACT repeat of wheel #1? By this time, I was getting so frustrated. It was well after 11 am by this time. Somehow, I KNEW my day was going to be shot....Mark called the Ford garage and the service manager suggested loosening the lug nuts to finger tight and taking the car for a ride. He suggested doing circles....tight ones....to loosen the "welded on" wheel. He advised the best place to do this would be a parking lot.

We drove two miles to the nearest paved lot. We circled....and circled.....and circled some more.

After doing this crazed exercise, we returned home only to discover that the wheel was as snug as before. Mark tried using a hammer to gently remove the wheel, being so careful not to damage the nice aluminum alloy wheels. Still nothing.

Finally, I remembered that the place where we purchased the tires offers free rotations. Mark called them and they said that everyone was coming in to have their snow treads mounted, but they could do it.

I had made a pot of meatballs and sauce this morning, so before we left, I made pasta and we ate.

We arrived at the garage at about 1:45. I had followed Mark in the new truck as we had several things we could do while waiting on the car. We ran to the post office where I was FINALLY able to mail out two packages to a couple of my Scottie friends. And, I got the stamps to mail all of my Christmas cards. Then, off to Lowe's to grab some screws Mark needed and to look around a little. After that, we stopped at WalMart to grab a few odds and ends. Then, on to the auto supply store to pick up brake pads and rotors....to the tune of over $250.00!

Finally, at about 4 pm, the service man called and said the tires were rotated! Hurrah! BUT, did I know that my car was out of inspection? Like, it was SUPPOSED to be done last FEBRUARY? UGH....I have no idea HOW that happened. We made an appointment for next Tuesday, hoping and praying we can get the new brakes on by then!

By the time we got back home, it was dark, so no cute Scottie pictures to send. I told Michelle that we will get up early tomorrow, and as SOON as the sun is UP, we are OUTSIDE to take pictures. She agreed.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I got to do one of my FAVORITE things TWICE today! (NOT!!!!!!!!) On the way to the garage, I had to fill up the Explorer. On the way home, I got to fill up the pickup truck. The gas station is located at the head of the lake and the wind is exceedingly STRONG there. AND, my warm little gloves were at home on my table.......ughhhhhhhh..........I figure the wind chill factor must have been about -45 there as I stood filling the bottomless tank.

OK, I am just going to go hide under the covers and PRETEND this day never happened! I feel as though I was run over by a Mac truck. Sometimes life is just draining, and THIS was one of THOSE days!

Tomorrow, we are going to Carly's house. Mark is going to help her install her new Microwave/fan combo. She bought this on Black Friday and Mark agreed to help her...it will be a nice change after the events of this day.

So much for singing Christmas carols, wrapping presents, watching old movies, baking cookies, and doing all the FUN stuff....oh, how I LONG for simpler days.......And, if you are doing any of the above things, please know I am there in spirit!