Hacienda in the Snow

Here it is...New Year's Eve....and it's snowed (lightly) all day.  Not that I was planning on going anywhere.  I gave that up years ago.  It's nearing dark but it looks like the snow has pretty much stopped for us, so I went out to take a few pictures.   Here's the hacienda (and the woods out back) in what little snow we've had.

I know it's not much snow....but we've had so little moisture the past couple of years, we're just happy to get ANYTHING!  BTW...if you click on that third photo, you can see my guy in the woods...big like a tree, dumb like a board as my sis would say.   Have a happy new year....and stay safe!!!  Count your blessings!

Christmas Eve...and Waiting........

Well...it's nearly time.  That jolly old fat man should be on his way.  Here I sit, eating fudge (and then I eat Ritz crackers to counteract the icky feeling from eating too much fudge)...and waiting...and waiting...and waiting.

I'm only writing this because I thought it was only fair to forewarn the world...should that jolly old fat guy show up here and happen to be that Santa guy on the Chevy commercials....well, he's gonna be runnin' a little late for the rest of the world.  WOOF!

Ok...well...back to waiting and watching.....  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Almost Christmas.....

Well...here it is...almost Christmas!  Hard to believe...and even somewhat hard to act like it's Christmas.  I'm curious about how people in warm climates "do" Christmas.  Most of our days have been in the 50's and 60's...that's not Christmas weather.  We're supposed to be cold and snowy by now!!!

Actually, we did get about an inch of snow this past Wednesday/Thursday. I went to Joplin to visit my sister on Wednesday and the roads were clear.  I came back on Thursday and there was a little snow here and there.  Between Potwin and Burrton there were beautiful big drifts in the ditches.  The old crops could still be seen with snow settled in the rows, but the wind had made huge drifts in the ditches.  I heard later that Newton (right in between Potwin and Burrton) had had 2" of snow...Hutchinson only had 1".   Hutchinson had 1" of snow...and about 6" of salt!  My car (black) was dirty from the trip...very dirty...so I went and washed it.  Tried to get home from the car wash place without getting dirty.  HA!!!  Wound up wiping it down again with wet towel and Windex and it now looks pretty smeared...and that's inside the garage.  Bet it'll be a mess when the sunshine hits it!  Hutchinson is well known for it's salt mines...and believe me, we SALT the streets!

Today is supposed to be back up in the 50's and then turn cold, so I really should try to get in another bicycle ride before year end.  I'm at 4,218 miles for 2012.  My friend/co-rider has nearly 7,000 miles!!!  I was so pleased with my total (the most I've done in several years)...but WOW!!!  Carol has truly "gone the extra mile."  She does things like heads to Partridge for coffee...then decides maybe Arlington for lunch instead!  That's about a 60-70 mile ride from her house.  Back in the old days we did that...but I haven't done it for a long time.  I admire her for her endurance!

I hope each of you have a great Christmas!  May all your Christmas wishes come true.  And God willing, I'll see you all after the holidays!  Count your blessings...say your prayers...and be a good little boy or girl.  Santa Claus is coming to town!

Gimme the beat, boys!

This just says it all!!!!!

Long Time, No Write...huh?

It's been so long since I've posted to my blog that I nearly had forgotten my password.  But, lucky you...I remembered it!

'Tis the season for lots of craft sales for me...as a vendor...and December 8, as the promoter of my own show.  This will be the 4th year.  Years 1 and 2 were held in my home;  year 3 was at the Boy and Girl Scout buildings on the fairgrounds (3,000 sq. ft in 2 buildings - and we were practically stacked on top of each other); and now year 4: the Encampment building at the fairgrounds.  We'll have 6,400 sq. ft...and just for what it's worth:  I have a waiting list of over 20 people and tried to rent the other half of the building a few weeks back.  Couldn't get it as it's going to be used for the police department's Christmas party that evening.  So...we're still limited this year...but at least the vendors I do have lined up will have plenty of space.  And next year - second Saturday in December (Dec. 14, 2013) - I have already reserved the Domestic Arts building...that's 13,000 sq. ft.  I truly love doing this...both getting the show together, etc., as well as participating as a vendor.

My "real" work was as an accounting manager for a small (65-70 employees) company here in Hutchinson.  I liked it a lot...but I never really had to interact with the public very much.  For the most part, I really do enjoy that part of the craft market.  Once in a while one get's somebody that's a major pain (first name Martha!!!)...I had one last week end.   Not going to go into it here, but afterwards while I was feeling rather guilty and like an outcast, several people came to me and said they were behind me all the way.  I lost a $77 sale....but it was worth it to let the bitch know I was on to her!   Oh well....life goes on. 

Two more shows this year.  One at Lyons on December 1 and my own on the fairgrounds on December 8.  So far this year they've all been very good shows for me.

I've kind of quit blogging for awhile because I figured everyone is sick of hearing the same stuff over and over....but guess what!  Here it is again!!!

Still biking nearly daily.  Weather has been incredibly beautiful here for this time of year.  Upper 60's the past few days.  Today was a little windy and everyone had "stuff to do for Thanksgiving" so we didn't ride today.  But..so far this year...I have 4,084 miles!   I really considered getting out today and just cranking around the neighborhood 'til I rolled up 16 miles to get that 4,100...but I didn't.

Tomorrow (Thanksgiving) I'm going to go out for dinner with one of my ex-neighbors.  She came by the craft show I was at last weekend and asked what I was doing, and we decided to go out to eat.  Started out we were going to each cook....then decided how much easier just going out would be!  'Course, that means no leftover turkey.  I may still wind up buying a small turkey just so I can have turkey sandwiches.  And I have everything to make cranberry relish to put on a sandwich.  And I have everything to make a pumpkin log cake.  And I have everything to make Snicker bar cookies.   Here's a puzzle for ya:  what's missing????  Oh yeah....veggies!  Once again!  Some things never change.  Maybe I'll eat A veggie tomorrow...it won't be green beans - they're a waste of time in my opinion.  I don't dislike them...they're just a zero.  I like corn and peas and cauliflower and broccoli and even brussel sprouts...but not green beans....and NOT turnips!!!  Turnips are NOT a zero...they're a negative 100!!!  As are their red (sometimes white) cousins: radishes.  Yuck.   When I was a kid (been a while) everyone knew there were 3 foods I simply could not even be forced to eat:  Turnips, tapioca pudding, and warm cereal  (my mom was big on cornmeal mush...and if it didn't get eaten for breakfast, she put it in a can, cooled it, then sliced it and fried it in bacon grease for supper!  OMG!!!!)

With that happy thought (gag), I'm going to wrap this up.  Here's wishing each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Please be sure to count your blessings!   I guarantee I do count mine OFTEN!!!  They're many.   In fact, here's a recent Hobby Lobby purchase of mine. I say it all the time and when I saw the metal piece I knew I had to have it.

Lookin' Out the Back Door

Should've taken "before" photos...but didn't.  Just overnight the trees have started dropping their leaves like crazy.  Fall has fell!  They're coming down like big yellow snowflakes. (These pictures were taken about noon today...and we've had some pretty good wind all day - 25-35 mph with gusts to 40 is what Channel 22 was reporting - so I'm betting the leaves are considerably deeper now.)  The weird brown box on the right edge of the second photo is the corner of my neighbor's house.  That wall is actually straight up and down...the photo's crooked...new camera, ya know.  (We all have weird brown boxes that we live in....AND I LOVE IT!!!)  There were two bright red maples in the easement out front...but they're now just sticks, no leaves.

It's been really pretty here.  I hadn't ridden for a couple of weeks because I was babying an eye issue..but last Sunday Carol and I rode to Nickerson (32 miles) and Monday Carol, Mary, and I rode to Partridge (43.84 miles!!!)   So pretty much Monday was kind of "lost" after that.  Had a shower, had some soup, that about covers it.  I hadn't ridden much in the past two weeks and it pretty much used me up.  Sure felt great at the time though.

We didn't get in a ride yesterday as I had an eye appointment (and got a good report on healing.)  Carol and I had planned to ride this morning and a big dark cloud was looming overhead, so we didn't.  By the time the clouds passed (and a tiny dribble of rain), the wind was up.  Tomorrow maybe.

More about "The Dog"

I've said it more than once...even more than twice:  She's gotta be part cat!!!

I said, "There goes the trash truck..." and this is where she decided was ok to go to see out.  And then she stayed there for awhile.  Goofy, huh?  No...that's Schiz...also apropos.

Update on Schiz face!

Becky sent me this photo which she based the painting on...even better, huh???!!!!

Cousins Visit

My cousins, Shon and Becky (sisters) came to visit today.  One from near Manhattan, the other from near Topeka.  Both are extremely artistic and talented.  They brought me a house-warming/birthday gift...one, a bottle of chocolate wine that looks and sounds delicious...and two:

Becky  hand-painted this picture of Schiz!!!  And she NAILED it!!!  Here's a shot of Schiz with a little longer hair about a year and a half ago

Isn't this just great??  I love it!!!  Thank you!

After lunch at the Anchor Inn, a stop at the DQ for sundaes, and a great visit with lots of laughs and memories, they had to head back home.  I could spend a lot more time with them...we never run out of topics to discuss!!!

Count your blessings....you'll be amazed!

Mission Desk

Ok...here's my latest project:  sorry if the picture is small...it's the best I can do!  Now...just so ya know...I ordered this and received it back in July.  Since then I've moved and am beginning to get settled so today I decided to open the box.  When one orders something like this and it arrives in a 90 lb. box that's not over 6 inches thick, one should probably have a clue.  Well...actually...I did...even before I ordered it!  There are 162 pieces of hardware and 37 pieces of wood...all "to be assembled."  Nothing is together.  Currently it resides in/on the dining room table...and all around the dining room walls.  Tomorrow's another day!

I'm beginning to get fairly well settled in my new home.  And...I love it!  For the past three days I've been cleaning windows (inside and out) and wooden venetian blinds.  Lots of them!  8 windows in living room, 7 in master bedroom, 1 big wide double window in dining room and 1 in kitchen.  All that's left is the guest room...and it'll just have to wait.

Well...it's now 24 hours (or more) since those first two paragraphs were written...and my how stuff changes!
My camera decided not to work...wasn't batteries...finally got it to turn on...took pix...thought I was downloading them...but now can't find them. Got message "no new photos"...and my sweet disposition thought:  Oh my...maybe I need a new camera.  SO.....I went to Wally world and bought a new camera.  Not a real high dollar fancy job...that would be a waste for me...but a nice little Nikon.  SKINNY!!!!!  I'm still learning but I think I like it.  So..now I'll try to add some photos to this post:

Photos1 - 2 - 3 above..add about 4 hours time...and you get photo 4!!  Wasn't too tough at all...once I figured out that #6 screws are not #9 screws.  Kept thinking "well...these aren't gonna be big enough to support this...", then figured out I was using the wrong hardware!  DUH!

 
 These are living room windows...now clean inside and out and wooden blinds wiped down individually with a damp rag...sorry, but Swiffer just doesn't do it for me.

And hidden behind these drapes are three more just like the living room windows...these are in the master bedroom however.

And this one is in the dining room...and there's another one in the kitchen (and two more in the guest bedroom..but they aren't done yet!)  Remember "back in the old days"...ever go to the library and look something up on a fish (fiche???)...and after awhile you feel like you're going to tip over and fall off the chair?  Well...cleaning blinds does that too!!!

And the latest news of the day:  someone (much nicer term than I've been using) hit my mailbox and polycarts in town at "my other house"...the one that is sold and we close on Monday.  WHY couldn't they have waited one more week?  Anyway..no great damage other than I need to get a new mailbox post and mailbox put up for the new owner.  Tomorrow.... already got the handyman lined up.

If I'm not drunk Monday evening I'll not know why!  This has been the most frustrating house sale I've ever been involved with...and I've been in a few.  More on that MAYBE after I have her money in my hands!  Ok...one short story....long small window beside front door...frosted design but one can still see through it...I'd had plain white contact paper on it, but had removed it when I put the house up for sale.  I mentioned that to the buyer at the time of inspection (as she'd commented that she'd need some covering on that window)... So....she called me...asked if I still had that contact paper!  HUH?  Yeah...sure...No, I threw it away.  Then she wanted to know if I had anymore and I told her no....and the beat goes on!  See, I told ya so!  Come on, Monday!!!!!

Count your blessings.... I do.  Oh yeah...been a little rainy or rainy-ish here...haven't ridden much in the past few days...but I have about 3600 miles for the year so far!  And I've lost a few pounds too..and with my diet that IS amazing!!!  Micky D's   3/$1 chocolate chip cookies...VERY familiar with those!