The New Era starts here.

My first blog was 49-forever. We all know that's a misnomer, so I started this blog, in honor of the "other side" of the hill. It's time for a change again. I'm now entering a New Era. I'm a double-nickel, a great-aunt, I have less than ten years to retirement, I'm farmer Pete, I have cats, I'm going to have a dog and a burro. I get senior prices at the movies and I drive a bright red car.

Blogger's changes also caught me. My archives are still around, but hard to reach. There has always been a bit of a problem with the underscore in other_side, causing some folks to have trouble accessing the site.

My friend Deb showed me where this cool barn and silo were located on Grand River, near Portland. A little backstory on New Era potato chips is here. I think it is a good symbol to use for a switch of blog sites.

Trouble is, I always like to give challenges. My new blog is listed in the blogroll. I'll give you 'til Thursday to find it. You'll know you've found it 'cause this silo will be there too. Julie already accidentally did. If you find it before I post its new location on Thursday, and send me your snailmail addy, I'll send you a "finder's prize". (And I know, Julie, I still owe you some books.)

The Other Side will stay up. It's where I've met so many of you. We've shared so much: love and babies and vacations and work and loss and life. I shirley hope y'all join me in the New Era!

Just finished an interesting im with an old friend.

What is art?

note: comments says archived, but it is a glitch. Comment away, they will be recorded.

Contentment: playing on the computer while a storm threatens outside. Sierra in her basket atop the computer desk hutch. Snuzzles in his basket by my feet. Tummy just right after a light lunch, followed by one perfect Godiva chocolate.

And it's time for the Unconscious Mutterings!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Soldier :: On
2. Lipton :: Tea
3. Reason :: for the Season
4. Terms :: of Endearment
5. Positive :: Negative
6. Example :: "for instance"
7. Legacy :: "gift" to the future
8. Solo :: violinist
9. Instrument :: Violin
10. Later :: 'gator

I made bird treats today. The cats were hoping they were for them.

Edit: oh great! I was so sleepy when I was posting this that I somehow didn't add the picture. Sheesh!

A Different Outcome.

This old house has the same layout as the farmhouse in which I live. It makes me realize what a blessing I have had, being able to live in the home my great-grandparents built.

We're waiting on another possible winter storm tonight. *sigh* I thought that was the end of that. Silly me.

Sending prayers for Susan and her mom today.

Anyone who

has never

made a mistake

has never tried

anything new.

~~Albert Einstein

According to experts, my personality type is : Village Idiot Other people like me display these traits. They smell like cucumbers They have 6 fingers on each hand They suffer from road rage They have webbed feet Take the Ink Blot Personality Quiz at JokesUnlimited.com

There you go. An honest ink blot test.

You are most like: You are Brown
Earthy and humble, you are often mistaken for being plain, when you are actually quite interesting. Your gentle spirit causes you to be very attractive to others who are searchng for genuine friends.
Take this quiz: Which Crayola Box of 8 Color Are You?
Visit Toys For Your Blog.com for more blog quizzes

It's time for some more favorites from flickr. I am in awe of the talent I see over there every day. Click through to get the links to the photographers represented here.

What would you

attempt to do

if you knew

you could not fail?

~~Dr. Robert Schuller

Whoa! Awakening to temperatures above freezing: now there's a thought!

It's funny. I keep my house temperature between 68-70 F. It is so comfortable at that temperature this morning, but when it is 0 out, it is so chilly! The cold seeps into the walls, I think. Anyway, I'm glad.

This is Fat Tuesday, and happy celebrating for those who do so. It's Paczki day here in Michigan. The boss has ordered enough for TWO for each of us. Yikes!

And a Happy Tuesday to you all!

Heat Wave!

We actually may get above freezing today. It seems like it has been forever since we've seen that temperature, though I think it probably is just since January.

Julie asked about the movie Music & Lyrics. Now, I tend to be a sentimental sap, so I absolutely loved it. Adjust your expectations according to your own personal sap factor. Hugh Grant is pitch perfect as the over-the-hill, one hit wonder, aging pop-star. Drew Barrymore plays quirky and vulnerable better than just about anyone going right now. And their chemistry works.

My new favorite restaurant is the Red Cedar Grille. Menu here. Deb and I ate there for the first time after seeing Music & Lyrics yesterday afternoon. Now, we like to gab when we get together, so we were enjoying our soup (she had the tomato, I had yesterday's blackbean) and chatting. The waitress apologized that our food was late coming up: Deb's steak salad came up first, then got cold while they were waiting for my Cubana sandwich to come up. We didn't care, we were relaxing. Next thing we know, the waitress is apologizing again, and says: "I've talked to my manager about this wait, and he said we could do one of two things. Either you can have dessert on the house, or I'll take the price of the soup off your checks."

Dang, but we felt almost guilty! We hadn't realized anything was amiss. Minutes later, the manager came over and introduced himself. We decided, after our wonderful entrees, to continue with the carrot cake dessert. It's a shared dessert. Ha! It's a baby carrot cake! We each had ample servings, and half was STILL left over. Deb took it home for her husband Joe.

What a place. It's been years since I've felt so pampered at a restaurant. If you're in the mid-Michigan area, I heartily recommend it. There is one at the Lansing Mall and one in Williamston. You're in for a treat!

Deer Crossing.

If you've come to the other side for any length of time, you may have picked up that I like deer, and I like to photograph deer. Out here at the farm, there are deer, but they live in the woods to the east and west of me. During this cold spell, they have hunkered down in the woods, and I haven't even seen their tracks in my backyard. What to do? What to do? I needed my fix of deer. I know, I said to myself. I'll go to Fenner Nature Center on my lunch.

The south-east side of Lansing has an abundance of interconnected parks and golf courses, which abut the Michigan State University farms. This has created a huge "no-hunt" haven for deer. I have counted up to 33 in an evening in a two mile stretch. Chasing those deer around to get their pictures helpmed me to understand how much much I love the outdoors, and how perhaps I could handle life in the country. So I have a very special feeling about this area, about these deer.

The deer didn't disappoint. I saw three as I pulled into the parking lot. (They were on their way to the birdfeeders, I think.) They faded back into the woods as I got out of my car, which was fine by me. I headed up a trial where I was pretty sure I would find more. However, something made me look back as I hit a small rise. The rascals. There they were, behind me. Got 'em!

and now, let's Unconsciously Mutter:

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Threshold :: Door
2. Jason :: Argonaut
3. Suspicion :: Suspect
4. Tender :: Love me
5. Tempted :: and tormented.
6. Crimson :: Red
7. Repulsive :: Ogre
8. Bulldog :: Winston Churchill
9. Garage :: I leave my door open
10. Racket :: Tennis

Blog Post 4000.

Why I blog: For the love of it.

Thank you all!!!!

Tuesday's storm.

We had a snowstorm Tueday night that brought winds from the north-east instead of our prevailing winds from the south-west. Boy, did that cause me grief out here at the farm. Michigan farmhouses tended to be built in stages. The one I live in is no exception. There is an upright section and a flatter section that were built in 1908. The kitchen and laundry were added on to the east side in the 30's. In the 60's, what had been the woodshed was turned into a "breakfast" room.

These back rooms don't get as much weather exposure, so when the winds came, chinks and cracks were exposed. I put a blanket over the far back door in the breakfast room, and put a rolled towel at the floor. In the laundry room, I duct-taped the north door. Though that door isn't used now, the wind was seeping right through it. There is also a cute little window in the laundry room: icy! I duct-taped newspaper over that.

Mom put in new windows in the kitchen. There is still a little seepage on the north-one, so a rolled towel also went there. There was also a lot of seepage from the kitchen door, even though it faces south. I think I had a wind tunnel going, or something. Also, the door has about a 1/2" gap at the top. So I stuffed newspaper into all the gaping holes.

It still was mighty cold, but we made it through the night. And the furnace kept on chugging. Oh yeah, I forgot I was going to tell you about that, too! I had trouble with the furnace a couple of weeks ago, and a wonderful technician from the HVAC company I work for came out and cleared the intake duct of ice and debris. Well, the darned thing did it two more times! Fortunately, I knew what to check for, and sure enough, SNOW had packed the intake enough to keep the furnace from igniting. (The intake is on the left.) One time it failed at 4:00 a.m. in the morning. It was 0 degrees out (that's Fahrenheit). Being the farm woman I am, I pulled on my boots, threw on my coat, grabbed my spotlight, and headed out to fix the situation. The world I headed out into was a wonderland. The hoarfrost was just beginning to form: each tree had a hundred or so little diamond points on it. The sky was clear, and the night stars were shining like bigger diamonds. It was incredibly beautiful. So wonderful to have such a blessing as I was on my furnace-fixin' mission.

Sheesh. Another long post. This is getting to be a habit!


Happy Saturday!

Even when we're
most sure
that love can't
conquer
all,
it seems to anyway.

~~Anne Lamott

Reason #4082732 I like to live in mid-Michigan.

The weather! That's right. We have four seasons here in mid-Michigan. However, there is a buffering action somehow, and the mid-section of the state gets less severe weather. We're far enough from the Great Lakes to miss the Lake Effect snow. Also, in recent years it seems that the big sweeps from the prairies have somehow been diverted, following the I-94 corridor east-west across the state and leaving the Capitol Area with less precipitation. I, of course, have a theory about this. I call it the thermals theory. We human beans give off heat, approximately 1200 BTU per hour. Areas of high congregations of people would give off a dynamic amount of heat, causing thermals to rise from that area. These thermals can deflect and alter weather flows. This theory was first established after being at yet another football game where the weather threatened, but held off until game's end. Eighty thousand people X 1200 is a lot of BTU's. (Yes yes, I know it doesn't always work, but sometimes the weather front is just tooooo powerful. Only goes to prove the theory.)

In the case of Lansing getting less severe weather than say Jackson, which is 30 miles to the south, it is my belief as part of the "thermal theory" that Chicago and its environs produces enough rising heat to deflect the sweep of weather off the prairie, sending it down I-94. That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it. Remember, you heard it here first. (Though I can't believe ANYONE would get this far into this goofy post. My family has been hearing my theory for years: now I'm passing it onto my blog family. Love ya!)

For all Costner fans:
Julie found this funny site.

I was taking pictures of Great-grandma's sewing machine when Princess Sierra Pinknose popped up. She is my curious cat.

If you have

no regrets,

you need to

get out more.

~~Stacey Donovan

Valentine's Day tends to make my cranky. *pout pout*

Great-Grandma Alta's sewing drawer.

Your Vocabulary Score: A

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person.

How's Your Vocabulary?

Kevin Costner is expecting a baby. Wow!

Dwell in

possibility.

~~Emily Dickinson

The question has been raised: Does a beach guard do lifeguard duties, or do they guard the beach?

Whoa! Would you pay $25,000 for this meal?

This is one of the "faces of Michigan" to me. It's the original beach house at Gun Lake State Park. I've known it for over 50 years now. There are three newer beach houses, but I hope they always leave this one standing.

Sunday, the Unconscious Muttering time.

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. The best thing :: in the world
2. Hold :: 'em or fold 'em????
3. Rapture :: Bliss
4. Cover :: of a magazine
5. Restrictive :: ahem. bra.
6. Baker :: Grandpa Shirley
7. Author :: Writer
8. Pill :: Medicine
9. Months :: Days, years, calendar
10. Valentine’s Day :: February 14th

File this under "good advice".

How to get a human when you call for customer service. US numbers only, it looks like.

Okay, it was too cold to make a snowman today, so I hopped in the car for a little roadtrip. I checked out a couple of off-the-beaten track barns I've photoed (ew, how do you spell that word? is it a word?) photographed (Julie made me change the wording) and then I went to the Yankee Springs recreation area. Pictures were taken. First, a barn in the trees that I like.

4 things to do on a cold winter day:

cute.
cocktails.
craft.
create.

"Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together."

~~Vesta M. Kelly

Friday fill in (on Saturday)

My apologies. I mangled this from the original intent, but oh well. I never could color between the lines! Swiped from Julie, courtesy of Percy.

1. The last thing I took a picture of was .... my cats.
2. Love... is like oxygen; you get too much you get too high, not enough and you're gonna die. (I think this was supposed to be a lyric)
3. One of my favorite scents is .... Tresor.
4. My cats ... make me laugh A LOT.
5. When I daydream it's usually about .... I'm not telling!!!!
6. Lions and tigers and ... Redwings! All fine Detroit teams! This was supposed to be a movie quote but . . .
7. This weekend, I want to .... make a snowman that will feed the birds, ala Carl Sams (my very favorite wildlife photographer). I don't think the weather will cooperate.

When the heat goes out!

As most of you know, this is my first year living in a house as opposed to an apartment. The learning curve has been wild and erratic (as most things are with me) and last Saturday night, oh wait, it really was Sunday morning, another element was added. My furnace makes three sounds as it comes on: air intake, ignition, blower. At about 12:30 a.m. I realized it was sucking on the air intake, and then cutting out. Ut-oh. I had become that grim reality: a NO HEAT!

Not to worry though, as I do know a good heating company. (Yes, I work for it. No, they didn't install the furnace. End of disclaimer.) I picked up the phone and dialed. The way our system works, a service takes the call and the tech calls you back within a half hour to phone-diagnose and make arrangements. Jeremy called right back. He was out on a call, but he was finishing up, and he would head my way shortly. Oh yay! As it was, the temperature in the house fell six degrees in the hour it took for him to get out to my place.

I was so hoping that there wasn't a part failure. With the furnace not being one of ours, there would be no way we would have the parts in stock, and I would have to wait until Monday for a fix. Fortunately, it was a problem with a blocked air intake line. There were leaves on the furnace side, and when we went outside to check the intake the trap had frozen on that side, blocking air passage. Jeremy removed the trap as a temporary fix, and voila! I had heat!

It's good to know a good heating company!

Your past life diagnosis: I don't know how you feel about it, but you were female in your last earthly incarnation.You were born somewhere in the territory of modern Central England around the year 975. Your profession was that of a jeweler or watch-maker. Your brief psychological profile in your past life:
Such people are always involved with all new. You have always loved changes, especially in art, music, cooking. The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation:
The world is full of ill and lonely people. You should help those, who are less fortunate than you are. Do you remember now?

Swiped from Julie.

My Alan Rickman Story. In which I prove that I absolutely CANNOT tell a story linearly.

My friend Deb is an amazing person. About four years ago she decided she wanted to write a screenplay about her mother's struggles with dementia. She caught the bug, and she's been working on screenplays since. None have sold, yet, but it is only a matter of a time. She has an agent, and she has a writing partner in England.

Deb asked me a few months ago, "Have you ever heard of Alan Rickman?" Now, most normal people would say, why sure, he's in the Harry Potter movies. I'm a bad aunt. My nieces LOVE Harry Potter. Glory told me the first book, the whole first book, when she rode with me from Great Falls Montana to Glacier Park. Here we are, driving alongside some of the most beautiful mountains in the world and I'm going "lookee, lookee, lookee," and she's going "yeah, they're nice" and continues on with the book. (She was ten at the time.) I tried to get into them, but something didn't click, so I haven't seen the movies either. However, I HAD heard of Alan Rickman. He was the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves! Doesn't every Kevin Costner fan know this???? The little rascal stole the show from Kevin.

Anyway, it turns out that Deb's writing partner is a contemporary of Rickman's, and they studied at the theater at the same time. Too cool! Deb was able to get a signed photograph for her nephew who is a big Potter fan, and she made me a copy. Yay!

The facets of Saturday's storm. It was cold, around 10, with windgusts up to 45 mph. Just a couple of inches of snow.

Normal Day,
let me be aware
of the treasure
you are.

~~Mary Jean Iron

ROCKWELL, Eleanor Lynn - 53, Halifax, passed away February 3, 2007. Lynn is survived by her mother, Eleanor; daughters, Jennifer Lynn, Lindsay Sara; and her grandson, Noah David. She was predeceased by her father, David. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, February 24, in J.A. Snow Funeral Home, 2666 Windsor St., Halifax. In lieu of flowers, donations may be to the Lung Association of Nova Scotia or Canadian Cancer Society. E-mail condolences to: snowfh@alderwoods.com

White-out conditions were the norm on Saturday.
By the way, this is a corn-crib, NOT an outdoor privy.

Life on the internet brings us many friends and acquaintances. Death also comes to the internet, and takes some of those wonderful friends away from us. Lynn Rockwell was my first blogger friend. She passed away today. She will be deeply missed.

Okay, I had to do some finagling, but I did get my 26things completed. The set is here.

Roscoe also had this quiz posted:

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

The Challenge is on!

Oh, and Karen has moved her blog, and . . . She just had a milestone birthday! Happy Birthday, kiddo, the best is yet to be!!!!

Just call me the Saturday blogger! A little more time is available on Saturdays, I think. (Especially when it is 12 degrees and the wind is blowing the snow so hard that I can't see down to the next house.)

Roscoe posted this dating quiz. Hmmmm.

Dating Strengths	Dating Weaknesses
1. Independence - 85.7% 2. Spirituality - 84.6% 3. Intelligence - 71.4% 4. Adventurousness - 66.7% 5. Open-Mindedness - 63.6%	1. Appearance - 88.9% 2. Financial Issues - 54.5% 3. Shyness - 54.2% 4. Insecurity - 53.8%

Dating Strengths Explained
Independence - Your strong sense of independence comes in handy while dating. You are not held back or tied down; you are free to pursue your interests. Spirituality - Your spiritual side brings you peace and balance, and keeps you grounded. This is attractive, as you can help reinforce this quality in other people. Intelligence - Your sharp intellect is a valuable asset. Use your intelligence wisely; avoid condescension. Quiet, confident intelligence is very attractive. Adventurousness - You are willing to try new things and be spontaneous. You want to get out there and really live, and you will attract people with a similar love of life. Open-Mindedness - You are open to trying new things and entertaining new ideas, and this widens your pool of available men.
Take This Dating Quiz

I acutally edited it some. I didn't want to go into the details on the negative stuff. Silly me.

Kim has moved to Nevada, and has moved his blog here.

Your Hidden Talent

You are both very knowledgeable and creative. You tend to be full of new ideas and potential - big potential. Ideas like yours could change the world, if you build them. As long as you don't stop working on your dreams, you'll get there.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Stopped at Cindy Loo's for this one. I think I've done it before, but I was in a different mood then. **smile**

Just a note: I can't always get into folks' comments, due to my slow connection out here at the farm. I do try to visit everyone, and I've so often wanted to leave comments, but I get the old time-out error often. Sorry about that!

brrrr. It's a little chilly out there! The weather bug says 4 degrees F, which would be about -15 C.

I see on the blogger dash that there is a scheduled outage for 11AM PST. Oh good. I better not try to post this afternoon!

Kathryn has moved! A couple of years ago she moved from Texas to California. This move was within the same area. That's one of the cool things about internet friends. They can take us right along with them, wherever they are!

Swiped from bryn, keeper of the full moon lore:

FULL SNOW MOON - FEB. 2, 2007 1245 A.M.

SNOW MOON: According to folklore, tonight's full moon is the Snow Moon. February moonlight floods the snowy terrain of the north, making the night unusually bright. Step outside and enjoy the view!

Full Snow Moon - February Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the north and east most often called February's full Moon the Full Snow Moon. Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult.

Julie in Australia found this cool US map quiz. It's timed, and I was a little slow, but it is great fun!

whew. It's Friday. It's been one of those interminable weeks, and I almost thought Friday would never come.

My poor kitty Sierra. I went out onto the back porch about 9 last night to turn off the porch light, then cuddled up in bed with a lot of blankets. (I had been working in the warehouse yesterday afternoon, and it was COLD out there.) I fell asleep. I got a call at 10:00 p.m., then went out to the kitchen to get some water. Snuzzles had been sleeping with me, and he followed me out there. I couldn't see Sierra anywhere, but that's not unusual, as both cats have a few hiding places they use. As I neared the sink, I could hear her meowing, but it sounded faint. What the???? I glanced out on the back porch door, and there she was! She had snuck out when I turned the light off. And baby, it was cold out there! She scurried back into the house as soon as I opened the door, and I'm wondering if she'll be quite so quick to take-off next time. Poor baby!


Snuzzles, l and Sierra, r

oohkay. So I upgraded to the new blogger too! I'm gonna have to clean some stuff up, I can see. And it appears my Archives may have gone AWOL. Ah well!

*rant*

I don't watch Grey's Anatomy anymore. I find the show to be terribly bigoted. The case that sent me to the off switch: There was a 17-year-old female patient who had spinal problems that left her walking bent at almost a 90 degree angle. The beautiful blonde doctor felt she could be helped by Dr. McDreamy. He felt he could help her, but the surgery was risky. The patient's mother didn't want to give permission, but the patient said, "Mom, there are worse things than dying." Slam. Bang. Take that, you handicappers of the world. You're better off dead.

So I don't watch Grey's Anatomy anymore.

*end of rant*

Bears or Colts?

Your Bumper Sticker Should Be

Anything worth taking seriously - is worth making fun of

What Bumper Sticker Should Be On Your Car?

I've been meaning to ask, but I keep forgetting:

What are gas prices in your area?

We recently were down to $1.81 per gallon, but I see we're back up to $1.95 today. Howsabout you?

I posted this on January 21. Since then, our prices went back up to 2.15, but they're down this weekend again (and on the weekend, no less) to 1.91.

Here were some of the comments from around the world on the first post:

$0.81 per litre... better then .97 as it has been, but still WAY too high. Canada
about $1.10 a litre. That works out at about $3.50US per gallon. Approx. Australia
$2.71 a gallon here in the Bay Area, sometimes a little lower or higher. California
It was 90p ($1.80) a litre back in England at Christmas (or $6.66 a gallon), but St Louis is around $1.89 a gallon. It's good to be home! UK & Missouri

What are the rates in YOUR area?

And a morning Unconscious Mutterings today:

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Limit :: "The sky is the limit", actually, that really isn't true. We all have some limits.
2. Voice :: Music
3. Change :: of clothes
4. Expression :: on your face
5. Tailor :: Suit
6. Lemonade :: Stand, pucker
7. Thought :: process
8. Phoebe :: Aunt
9. Impression :: dent
10. Sister :: Nancy, best friend

Folks seem to be doing quizzes, so Monkey see, Monkey do.

Found these at Julie's:

Your Ideal Pet is a Cat

You're both aloof, introverted, and moody. And your friends secretly wish that you were declawed!

What's Your Ideal Pet?

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

And Julie, just because your life is way more valuable than mine, don't let it go to your head *grin*

Your Life Is Worth...

$298,500

How Much Is Your Life Worth?

Found this one this time at bryn's, but I've seen it as Roscoe's also:

You know the Bible 100%!

 

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

Thie one is nabbed from Roscoe:

What Your Dreams Mean...

Your dreams seem to show that you're a bit disturbed... but nothing serious. You may have a problem you're trying to work out in your sleep. Overall, you are very content in your life. Your dreams tend to reflect your insecurities. You have a very vivid imagination and a rich creative mind. You secretly want to hide your dreams from your waking mind.

What Do Your Dreams Mean?

One problem with January is that I go to work in the dark and I come home in the dark. My office is an interior office, so I seldom see the light-of-day. (How I envy you your view, susan-on-the-other-side-of-the-world!) So on clear sunny days I've been taking myself to the Nature Center on my lunch hours.



Of course, the one drawback is that clear means cold here in mid-Michigan. It was 10 degrees Fahrenheit today. Brrr! (Might have slowed the birds down, though. There's always a bright side!)

I saw a wonderful picture of marbles on flickr earlier today. Did you play them in your younger days? How about jumprope, and four-square, and . . . what is the one where you make the circle in the snow and then make wedges . . . is that fox and geese or something? What do kids play these days?

Hump Day Hump Day. YAY!

Oh, now isn't THAT intelligent????

Okay. Now you all know how much I love living out here at the farm, right? Well, I do. It's the best place on earth for me. However, Paradise Farm is not without its trials. The biggest one? The basement cellar.

The house was built in two parts. The first part has a cellar that is lined with field stone. The second part's cellar has cut stone lining, but it is still dank and dreary. The two are connected, and the furnace is situated close to the opening between the two. It scares the heck out of me to go down there, but I'm a farmwoman now. So: Sunday morning, before I even got dressed, I put on my long mucking boots over my pjs, turned on the lights in the pantry and kitchen, turned on the cellar light, and proceeded down the tumbly rickety steps. Fortunately, there is a hand rail. I replaced the decon, changed the furnace filter, and put another 50 pounds of salt in the water softener. I looked around, a little bit, because each time I go down there I try to get more familiar with the place. And then I scurried back up the stairs.

We farmwomen are brave. Yeah, right!

Close enough:

You Should Drive a Saturn Sky

You're sleek and smooth, and you need a car to match your hot persona. Besides, sometimes you want your top up - and sometimes you want it down.

What 2007 Car Should You Drive?

Saturday was such a sunny day! We don't get a lot of sun in mid-Michigan. Being surrounded by big lakes on all sides can sometimes create cloud pile-ups. But Saturday, oh Saturday! Sunshine, clear, cold, but a great day for a walk!

There are woods at the back of the farm property. Deer hang out there, so down the cornfield I went. So bright!

I've been meaning to ask, but I keep forgetting:

What are gas prices in your area?

We recently were down to $1.81 per gallong, but I see we're back up to $1.95 today. Howsabout you?

Good Sunday Morning! Let's Unconsciously Mutter!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Audition :: American Idol
2. Urgent :: Request
3. Lunch :: Hour
4. Adult :: Bookstore
5. Mug :: Shot
6. Awful :: Terrible
7. Comics :: Roscoe
8. Damage :: Storm
9. Kicks :: Boxes
10. Experience :: Good

This week's Newsweek has an adaptation from Sara Davidson's book LEAP! WHAT WILL WE DO WITH THE REST OF OUR LIVES?, due out in February. Davidson was a successful television writer who, at 57, found herself alone and without work. The book describes the transition that many make in their fifties. It's an interesting exceprt, but I'm bummed in that her blog has two entries. Two?! Hmmm.

I am surrounded by lightness.

There is snow on the ground and there is sunshine on the snow. Acres and acres of light.

Flickr'ing is kind of like blogging. It's fun to upload your own pictures, and it is even more fun to travel around flickr, sampling other folks' pictures. If you click through on this, you will get the links to the individual photographers.

For those of you in summertime, maybe this will help you cool off?

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, whether they're on the finger or dangling from branches.

Swiped this from Julie, who swiped this from http://www.fondofsnape.com

1. I enjoy ... more than anything else.
2. Blogging satisfies my need for ... .
3. When I look at a full moon, I feel ... .
4. I like to listen to music when I'm ... .
5. My favorite ... of 2006 was ... .

I enjoy being home more than anything else.
Blogging satisfies my need for blogging. Blogging is one way to reach out, to share pics, to share parts of me.
When I look at a full moon, I feel hopeful. I also think of Johnny Cash. We went to a Michigan Fest concert years back where he was performing. It was an outdoor concert, and a big full moon was coming up over the MSU campus. He had us all howl at it. Cool.
I like to listen to music when I'm driving.
My favorite day of 2006 was June 17, when I watched 8 kids chase the fireflies down the cornfield to the woods.

Okay, first things first. I'm home this morning, because the window man had to come and adjust the kitchen window which was installed last October. It wouldn't latch. He was able to fix it just like that, so now I have the rest of the morning to play. Yippee!!

But as I said, first things first. Kevin Costner is 52 today.

Winter cometh

Every other Friday night my brother Chris and I go to my Mom's for the 9:00 p.m. movie on the community college television station. They are old movies, and I'm getting quite an education. This past Friday night was the 1950 movie Rocketship X-M. It is billed as the first of the space movies. Fifty-seven years ago, space exploration was all conjecture. The "pilots and scientists" were giving a secret press conference fifteen minutes before liftoff. You could hear the count-down in the background. At six minutes, they headed aboard the spaceship. They had lab coats as uniforms, and they did strap themselves into bunkbeds for take-off. I can't tell you more, because I'm sure you're going to rush right out and see it. Right?

One thing that I thought was cool is that the spacecrew did include a woman. Here is a sample from imdb.com of the dialog she had to endure:

Dr. Karl Eckstrom: With that differential of six over N to the thirtieth power the halfway check result is two hundred and sixty-two thousand to three hundred and forty-one thousand both using tangent E, correct?
Dr. Lisa Van Horn: That isn't the result I have.
Dr. Karl Eckstrom: They must be the same. There is an error there.
Dr. Lisa Van Horn: [defensive] I have made no error, Doctor Eckstrom.
Dr. Karl Eckstrom: I have to say that you have made and error and to discard your figures. I'm sorry.
Dr. Lisa Van Horn: [sarcastic] Don't be.
Dr. Karl Eckstrom: Surely you are not going to let emotion enter into this?
Dr. Lisa Van Horn: [dejected] Certainly not.
Dr. Karl Eckstrom: We will continue computing using my results as a basis.
Dr. Lisa Van Horn: Yes, I... Except that I feel very strongly I should say we should try both.
Dr. Karl Eckstrom: We can't. To complete either calculation would take six to eight hours; we can't afford the time. It's either one or the other, Doctor Van Horn.
Dr. Lisa Van Horn: [pleading] But it doesn't have to be. You can't be arbitrary about imposing your will when these people's lives are at stake, don't you realize that? And you speak as calmly as if you were saying 'Pass the salt.' Aren't you human? Are you made of ice?
[brief pause as she collects herself]
Dr. Lisa Van Horn: I'm sorry, I apologize.
Dr. Karl Eckstrom: For what? For momentarily being a woman? It's completely understandable, Miss Van Horn. Now shall we go ahead?
Dr. Lisa Van Horn: Yes Doctor.

Added: I forgot! Lloyd Bridges, Hugh O'Brian, and Noah Beery are three of the stars!

Kathryn tagged me in December, and somehow I missed it! Eek! Anyhoo, here are the rules.

“THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the ‘6 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.”

So, six weird things about me.

1. I'll eat almost any vegetable raw, but the only cooked vegetables I like are potatoes, peas, corn, and beets.

2. I have seven nicknames: Shirl, Pearl, Shirts, Speters, Spud, Owwee, and Farmer Pete.

3. I know all the names of the Presidents of the United States in order. (Not sure if that is weird, but it does seem odd.)

4. I bought my first NEW car at 54, and it is a bright red!!!!

5. This isn't weird yet, because I haven't done it, but I aim to get a burro this year.

6. To connect to the internet I have to string 50' of cable through the office, dining room, kitchen, laundry room to hook into the phone jack. I then connect on dial-up at a very SLOW minimum rate. Now THAT is weird.

Okay, I'm going to tag Susan and susan and Julie and Roscoe and Diane and bryn.

Introducing Caleb Jeffrey.

Well, let's do some Unconscious Mutterings, shall we?

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Episode :: Star Wars
2. Source :: Code
3. Jerk :: Steve Martin
4. Introduce :: Bring together
5. Ralph :: Jeffrey
6. Stare :: Glare
7. Cast :: of thousands
8. Scenario :: Possibility
9. Flu :: Cold
10. Mad :: Cow disease

Lynn has received some serious news. If you know her, please stop by and give her a hug or three.

Well happy Saturday afternoon! We were supposed to have crappy weather today, so I wasn't sure if I would be able to get to Jackson to see my brand-new great-nephew. However, the weather held, and my brother and I drove down to see the next generation. He is adorable! I'll post pictures later, however, I have to apologize now. They're blurry! I guess I was TOOO excited. As further proof of my giddiness, as I was backing out of the driveway, I ran into the fence around Andy & Bryn's tree. It was a gentle bump, but STILL! And just now, for supper, I put a D'Giornio pizza into the oven. Sad thing is, I didn't take it off its cardboard tray. It was a wheat crust multi-cheese pizza, and the whole thing fused into one gloppy mess. So excited? Who me????

How's your Saturday been?

The Next Generation!

It seems like not so very long ago that my first niece was born. She's a honey of a girl. She's had some extraordinarily bad things happen to her through the years, but she somehow has always landed on her feet.

Yesterday something very very good happened to her and her husband. Their first son was born! Welcome, C. J. (Can you tell that this is my first time being a great-aunt???) I'll see the little shaver this weekend!

Coming home last night, there were two deer playing in the field JUST north of my house. What a good ending to the day!

Ack! I need to change the header picture! We had a green Christmas. *sigh* There were actually a few dandelions sprouting. However, January is back to normal. Temps below freezing, white stuff on the ground.

Playing with Photoshop. I never was too good at cutting.

No Sunshine?
Here's a suggestion. Take pictures of an orange. Then eat the orange. Instant sunshine! (For the 26things project for January. The picture, that is.)

Monday Monday!

Haven't had a work Monday since December 18th. Haven't had a five-day week since the week of December 1st. oohboy.

In the year 2007 I resolve to: Eat more boogers. Get your resolution here.

Not really, of course. I just saw it over at susan's and had to swipe it. The first one that came up was that I would get the chick next door pregnant. Uhhhhhh....

True resolutions:
Lose weight. (here we go again)
Continue enjoying the farm and expanding my horizons. (Funny how going back to the past has been so opening and so freeing.)
and a few others.

Why, Patti! . . . I'm the Nile too!

Which Extremity of the World Are You?
From the towering colossi at Rum and Monkey.

This and the previous Yin/Yang have been swiped from Gabrielle:

Capricorn - Your Love Profile

Your positive traits: You are serious about relationships and ready for a commitment. You tend to help your partner attain the success they dream of. You are a rock. Relationship problems don't seem to phase you. Your negative traits: Sometimes it's very hard for you to accept your partner's past. You are emotionally reserved, and difficult to connect with. You expect your partner to take care of you - and make cheat if they do not Your ideal partner: Is incredibly powerful and well respected. Is often older than you - and could be a superior at work. Has a good amount of money... or the ability to be rich someday. Your dating style: Practical. A "get to know each other" coffee date is just fine by you. Your seduction style: Bossy - you like to be the one in charge in the bedroom. Slow and patient. You know that good sex takes time. Calculating. You'll use sex to get ahead, if necessary. Tips for the future: Open up. A little emotional expression is a good thing in relationships. Leap before you look. You don't have to run a cost benefit sheet on everyone you date. Enjoy the now. No need to worry about marriage on the first few dates. Best color to attract mate: Dark green Best day for a date: Saturday

What's Your Love Profile?

You Are More Yin

Feminine,Devoted, Forgiving, Fall, Winter, Afternoon, Moon, Time, Passive, Metal, Honey

Are You More Yin or Yang?

Unconscious Mutterings! Maybe I'll be first this week!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Incomplete :: No resolution
2. Bobby :: Kennedy
3. Chopstick :: Chinese
4. Trauma :: Damage
5. Hesitate :: Stutter
6. Leap :: Year
7. Magnify :: Enlarge
8. Yards :: Lawns
9. Alexander :: Graham Bell
10. Fracture :: Break

What would the world be like if there were no children? If the youngest person in the world was 18?

Yes, I saw Children of Men tonight. A very thought-provoking movie. Edit: It also stars Clive Owen.

And it was my first night using a Senior Discount. Saved $2.

My Farmer's Almanac says that January in my region is supposed to be snow on the first, then cold through the sixty. Today we were in the 50's. Oops.

If you have ever done a 26 Things photography hunt you know how much fun they are. Tracy has a flickr site for them now. Here is the January list:

Happy hunting :)

# photography
# soft
# small spaces
# light
# dance
# opposite
# blur
# fruit
# travel
# 2
# in the sky
# mirror
# keys
# season
# sports
# remote
# chocolate
# in my bathroom
# temptation
# still life
# round
# everyday
# water
# red
# newborn
# a bridge

Hallmark still does know how to say it. My friend Janet got me a birthday card that said this:

If fireflies are as magical to you now
as they were when you were four, then you
are very lucky.

Very.
Happy Magical Birthday

And so begins the "Double-Nickel" year!

At least, that's what Roscoe called 55, and I liked the term.

I'm from Michigan. The television is turned on to the news from the Grand Rapids station, which is about 45 miles west of me. Sixty thousand people are in line to pass by President Ford's casket. The wait may be up to eight hours.

President Ford represented Michigan as a congressman. However, he retired to the western part of the country. It is interesting that he is now coming home to Michigan.

Saying good-bye to Christmas. The tree is coming down this afternoon.

Lake Superior State University, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, presents its 32nd Annual Banished Word list here. I have to agree with them.

Funny EBay Auctions collects weird auctions. Fun read.

Happy New Year!!!!


It's a different New Year's Eve for me. Normally, I'm anxious to dump a year and get on to the next, but 2006 was very good to me. This year, for once, I am excited about the New Year, but am reluctant to close out the old.

Sending you all good thoughts, and hoping that this is 2007 is your best year yet!