Let it snow!

I am spending the week in Colorado Springs with my daughter and her family. Today there is at least 6" of powder snow on the ground. Oh my, is it beautiful. The older girls are outside making snow angels and trying to shovel the sidewalk.

It has been a busy vacation for Emmalena and her dad. On Thanksgiving they went on a 5K run. Yesterday, they went skiing at Keystone, in the middle of a blizzard. They had to shut down the gondola it was so windy. Emmalena and dad had to ski down a very steep blue grade mountain. According to who is telling the story it was totally awesome or terrifying. Mom and Grandma have a few new gray hairs.

This morning the girls put on a play about the Menorah and Kwanzaa. Even Ali sang a song. Needless to say it was precious.

Grandchildren are the blessings of life.

Samaritan's Purse

Today, several of us packed shoe boxes for operation Christmas Child.
Here is a link to their web site and how to pack your own box:
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/

This is a great thing to do with your kids. And what a great way to teach about giving to others. We packed coloring books, crayons, beanie babies, socks, washrags, soap, tooth paste and brushes, balls. It was amazing what we could get in the shoe boxes.

A taste of freedom

Well, Miss Belly Fringe has a new nickname - Miss Escape Artist. After I fixed the screen, she ripped it opened!

So I went to Lowe's and bought a screen door kick plate and threaded it through the security bars. Voila I thought. She won't be able to move this.

Wrong!!

When I woke up from my retirement nap, she had moved the kick plate and was gone!

So then, I secured it with twist ties. Now she can't get out and sits in front of the door and howls. Ah, that taste of freedom! But at least she has been able to find her way back. That is the good news.

Not pretty, but it is working. Look closely and you can see the twist ties.

Who said necessity is the mother of invention!

Election Day

Did you?

What a day!

The day started with me moving all the movable furniture and stuff so I could get the carpets cleaned. Boy, do they look great. They have been beaten up by several years of pee, poop and puke ( as my daughter says) thanks to the furry residents.



Thank you Stanley Steemer!











Well, needless to say, this upset the gang. Lucky just disappeared. Carlie we locked in a room but she managed to find her way out.


The weather is finally nice enough to leave the back door open. Thanks to a streak of laziness on my part, the screen had an open corner that Lucky uses (used) to come and go. Never did I dream that Carly would get out. But out she went. I caught her once, but before I could fix the screen she was gone again.


This time she went over the fence and I couldn't catch her. So.......I sat in the back yard and called her. Visions of signs on mailboxes, neighborhood searches, trips to the pound danced in my head. I don't think she has a microchip.
Well.......... she came back. By this time the screen was fixed. But she is working on going out again. Ah, that taste of freedom. The bottle water is loaded and ready for use.





Here are some pictures. Doesn't she look innocent.











Here is a picture of her belly fringe which I have nicknamed her -"Miss Belly fringe"

Cousin, Identical Cousins

Last summer, I had an opportunity to see some of my cousins that I haven't seen in a while. (Of course we are not identical, I just couldn't get the song out of my head.)

In August, my dad had his 90th birthday. Here is a picture of my dad on his big day, my sister Sally, my cousin Charlie and my cousin Marilyn and myself.

Then in Sept. I went to Portland for my granddaughter Lily's 6th birthday. While I was there, I got an opportunity to have dinner with my cousin Leslie and her husband John. Below is a picture of Leslie and John and my son Rob and my grandson Luke and myself. We had a great time.

It is really nice to be able to connect with family. We were all close as kids before every one started getting married and moving away.