New Habit!

 I'm starting a new habit!

I'm going to call and chat with Mom EVERY TUESDAY MORNING

at 8:30 Tucson time.

(That's 9:30 WaKeeney time, for those who are wondering...

like ME..... lol.)

Sondra and I have been chatting 

EVERY THURSDAY MORNING for.....

decades.

I remember chatting with her when I was working

in Melbourne at MIMA.

That's been FOREVER ago.

It's a good thing to look forward to.

(And if she doesn't call, Kyle reminds me that 

she doesn't love me anymore... lol.)

(Soni doesn't read my blog... ha!)

Anyhow!

I'm looking forward to chatting!

I mostly write my blog for Mom.

(It started for fun, then morphed into a way

to stay in touch with Rod while he was on the road,

but Mom has been my most consistent reader.)

But, there's just something about an actual

VOICE chat.

And.......  tomorrow I have NEWS!!!

So.

Cliff Hanger.

Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a fun picture.

The boys found a long lost cousin.

The weather was warm, but it was windy here today,

so it felt cooler than it really was.

Tomorrow they are predicting WIND.

(65 - 75 mph... mild hurricane winds...)

Should be fun.

Kyle was "home sick" today.

He did drywall all last week and stressed the muscles

in his left shoulder. And then he tried to stretch it

out and felt it go POP.

So... now it's heating pads, massages, and lots and 

lots of comfrey and arnica.

And fingers crossed it gets better quickly, 

because he REALLY wants to finish his house!

But it was good to take a day off.

(or two... or three... or whatever it takes.)

Good Trip!

 It was a good trip!

We got lots of questions answered,

and I think we have a plan moving forward.....

And,

we had a FUN visit together!

It was good to see Jim!

He and Kyle got to spend some time together.

I'm looking forward to Jim & Sabrina joining us

in the great midwest...

Just finished our first new YW Presidency meeting.

And now I need to get ready to start tonight's class.

Rod and Kyle are at the farm working on the house.

Beau is in his bed next to me,

snoring his head off...

So

All is right with the world.

Springfield, MISSOURI

 We had a good, relatively uneventful drive out here.

The new car is very comfy.

But either the people out here can't drive,

or they don't care for Ford Escapes.

THREE different drivers nearly took off our

bumper as they were passing.

Practically clipped it right off....

Sheesh.

But, we got here to the Angler's Lodge across from

the Bass Pro Shops. (Same as in November...)

And five minutes after we got here...

Not bad considering he drove for 18 hours and

we both arrived at nearly the same time!

We stopped at a rest area in Kansas...

never stopped here before.

They had cool buffalo heads on the wall...

I didn't get a great picture...

There was a guy standing right there and I didn't want him to

think I was taking a picture of him... lol.

Look where we turned!!!

Once we got here, we walked up the street to a 

burger joint called Braums.

And saw some of the locals...

This morning after breakfast in the hotel lobby,

we headed to the Vital Farms meeting.

It was good! They upgraded their presentation and

I felt like we got lots of answers to questions.

But it was COOOOOOLD in there!

Then it was back to the hotel so I could teach.

The guys went across the street to Bass Pro to check out

the gun museum and then back across the street to a pool/bar

and played a couple games of pool.

Now that I'm done teaching, we are going back to Braums 

for a milk shake and then it's bed, because

we all have to head home again in the morning.

So.......

it was quick, but FUN, and we got a lot accomplished.

NITE!

Glad I'm NOT in Florida Today...

 I got a text early this morning that woke me up...

The morning instructor teaches a live class in Tampa

and then gets up Monday morning and drives to her

house which is about an hour and 45 minutes away.

So she got up and headed out from her hotel,

and as soon as she got on the highway...

UGH!

She said it was raining, but there were three major

wrecks on the highway, involving life flight helicopters.

Her GPS said she would arrive at her destination at 10:00.

We visited while she parked and crept 3/4 of a mile in 35 minutes.

But I started her class for her.

She just finally arrived at her house and logged on.

And after all that, there is only ONE student.

(A returning student who attends both of our classes...

she has to log off at 10:45 for her 4 year annual checkup.

Her breast cancer is in remission!!!!)

So....

Anyhow.

That was a fun start to our days.

I've got a 1:00 appointment with our town hairdresser

(who is the Primary Chorister)

to get a haircut.

So maybe I'll hop on later with a picture.

Or not...

we'll see.

And then tomorrow, we are off to Springfield!!!

Happy Monday Y'all!

FRIDAY!!!

 It's FRIDAY!!!!!

And I'm teaching a double.

Beth is in Tampa teaching her live class,

so I taught this morning.

And while I was doing that,

Rod drove WEST to Colby for his

6-month eye check-up.

They got WAY more snow than we did!

So good thing he drove our new little All Wheel Drive Escape.

Pretty little thing, isn't it?

And it's a good, safe, reliable vehicle that we know

will get us where we need to go,

even when it's snowy.

YEA!!!

And now I'm going to go grab some Rhodes Rolls

and put them in a pan to rise so we can have

hot rolls and a big bowl of Nancy's corn chowder

for dinner tonight when I'm done with my night class.

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Today is the last of the COLD for a bit here...

so we will have a nice big bowl of soup.

YUM.

THREE INCHES

 We got a total of about 3 inches of snow over 

yesterday and last night.

Before

After.

We are back to a beautiful, white, winter wonderland.

And, it's COLD.

Tonight is predicted to be near record lows.

Should be about -12.

But our furnace is chugging along and we are toasty warm.

Of course, although we only got about 3",

with the wind, there are some good drifts!

My little car got about a foot of snow on top!

He about got buried!

Thankfully, Rod went out there and swept it all

off before the sun melted it into nasty ice.

And then Kyle shoveled the driveway.

While Rod shoveled the back walks.

So we are good again.

Just waiting for it to melt.

Which should start happening on Saturday.

Tomorrow the high is 13.

And then 24 on Friday.

But by Saturday we are in the high 40s and

then high 50's on Sunday and

66 on Monday and Tuesday!

Then we will drop back to a more normal

40-50 with nights above freezing.

So that's good.

But for now, it's pretty.

And Then There Were Two!

 While I've been teaching, I was crocheting

myself a blanket.

It's yummy warm!

It's more a dark salmon than the picture shows.

Anyhow.

It was fun, and warm, and gave me something

to do while teaching THE. SAME. THING. for

the 4th year in a row.

(BTW this month is my 25th anniversary teaching...)

So... I'm bored.

Hahaha.

Anyhow.

I've enjoyed crocheting while I teach.

And since my office gets a little chilly, it was also

nice to have something on my lap.

But then I was done.

And I still had yarn leftover.

So last night I finished a second square basket.

This one has the extra sheets, throw and pillow for the bed.

And there's room for MORE!

WHEEEEEEEE!

Meanwhile, this morning it's chilly.

-3.

And still snowing.

We didn't get a ton of snow.

There's just over an inch out there.

And it's that dry snow.

It's supposed to stop in another hour or two.

And maybe we'll go out and shovel.

Or not.

It's going to be 27 tomorrow.

And 61 by next week.

We might just let it melt.

(We'll clean off the front porch for the

mailman though...)

But check out the nature art though!

This is the back kitchen window.

This one is the top window above my kitchen sink.

And this is the living room window by Rod.

Aren't they beautiful???

I'm ordering something similar in vinyl and

putting it on the bathroom window.

Because our bathroom window faces the street.

And... hello neighbors!!!

It's creepy.

(We have blinds, but like to let the sunshine in...)

Anyhow.

Today is another "hunker down" day.

Maybe I'll make muffins.

I have a mix with berries in it.

I like to add freeze dried cranberries in it.

Or maybe I'll bake some chocolate chip cookies.

I haven't done that in FOREVER and I have a 

package of chocolate chips in my pantry...

Or maybe I'll read a book.

Or we can play checkers.

Or nap.

Aaaaaaah, winter. The possibilities!