Bear With Me, I Have A Lot Of Stuff To Tell You

First of all as you may have heard, somebody mistook Mississippi for Minnesota.  It has been down in the single digits here.  And the bad thing about it, we didn't get any snow to speak of.  It snowed for a few minutes and stayed on the ground for a few minutes.  At work we were hanging around the windows ooohhing and ahhhing like crazy.  The lake behind our house had a thin sheet of ice on it, and our neighbor who was living here when the lake was built said this was a first......15 some odd years and it has never frozen.  It is slowly going away now.  Yesterday morning when I woke up, I saw geese sitting in the middle of the ice and since I couldn't see them moving, I thought they had frozen to death in the ice over night. Dummy.  I got out my binoculars and I could see them moving their heads...so I thought they were trapped in the ice.  Dummy.  And of course when I looked later they were gone.  Dummy.  They had just been enjoying themselves.  Here are some pictures of the lake.

 

 

Now the other thing is this.  The central unit that heats the west side of the house is out.  The heating dude came over and said blah blah blah warranty yada yada yada parts in Tuesday blah blah blah...Long story short we go get two electric heaters because the west end unit heats the living room and the two guest bedrooms and DIL and 2 gchildren are coming to go hunting. (Crazy in this cold)  She wants to prove to son who is now back in Iraq that she can kill a deer.  (I hate hunting, but there is nothing I can do about it..why can't they hunt with their cameras?)  Still the temperature in the house has never gotten above 64 with the east side unit going semi-full blast.  Had to be careful, we didn't want to burn up the fan motor or something.

Also the Christmas decorations are still up.  And I'm not going to sweat it.  David has to get the boxes down out of the attic for me to pack them up.  And he has to move the tree out.  Remember, nothing is more important that hunting.  I'll let you know when I finally get them down.

Now the other thing to tell you is that my mother's house has sat empty since my uncle went to the nursing home 3 months ago.  My Mama has been dead for 3 years.  For the first year I wouldn't even go in the house.  I just pulled up to the house and my uncle came out, and he visited me.  The second year I would go in for a few minutes maybe, but he mostly came to my house.  Only after he went to the nursing home would I actually go in there and look around.  The house was just like they left it.  They both could have walked right back in and picked right back up where they left. Sigh.

I knew it was wasting money not to rent it but I was procrastinating about getting it ready.  Last week I got a call from friends of an elderly couple that their house had burned.  Friday night David, Amber and I put all the keepers in one of the bedrooms, bagged up all the junk and then yesterday Cassie and I (#2 gchild) cleaned up the kitchen and vacuumed etc.  They moved in last yesterday afternoon.  It was bitter sweet.  And it was time.  It was just what I needed to get me motivated to do it.  They will only be there 2 months, but the money will help me pay for my uncle's private room at the nursing home.

Cassie was invaluable to me.  She could reach all the things that I couldn't--like in the corners of the bottom cabinets.

As I was cleaning, I turned on the cassette player and there was a tape of Mama and me singing...I listened and smiled.  It was such a sweet memory.  And then as I listened further, there was more on there of her singing Amazing Grace a cappella.  I called my brother and played it for him.  He was speechless. 

Another sweet thing happened Thursday.  I met the gas man at the house on my lunch hour so that he could turn the gas back on.  I went into one of the bedrooms and opened a file cabinet..and there was my baby book.  I opened it and found this picture...it had been years since I saw it.....and it is the only picture I have of her holding me as a newborn.

Some of the treasures that I found.

 My Grandmother's butter bowl and my Mama's juicer.

 

My Mama's cranberry sauce server.

 

 Almost like new Faberware-that I really needed.

 

Brand new iron. Sigh......it makes me wonder if she put it up under the cabinet and forgot about it....I just don't remember her using it....
I guess I have goofed off enough and now it's time to get moving........more later.

A Funny Little Bedtime Story

Last night David, the puppy girls and I were all snuggy bugged down in bed. We had said our good nights to each other when I noticed GinGin (the one on the right) rooting something with her nose.  Hmmm, it's pitch black dark and as I picked it up, I thought this is cold, limp and wet just like a piece of raw chicken, and at the same minute I thought where on earth did they get a piece of raw ccchhhiiiccckkkeeeeeennnnnn!!!!! SSSSSCCCCEEEEEEAAAAAAMMMMM!!!!! WhenI realized that it was a dead mouse, I threw it.  That's right, I threw it.  I got up turned on the lights and of course I couldn't find it.   And of course David hasn't moved and is lying there snickering.  GinGin and I saw it at about the same time.  She nose dived off the bed to retrieve her mouse, snatched it up and under the bed she went.  By this time I was cussing a blue streak.  And freaking out is putting it mildly.
My dear David who sleeps in the buff, had yet to move.  Soooo, I snatched the cover back, smacked him on his butt and said....no screeched..."get your nekkid @$$ out of the bed and get that /)@^^# mouse!
I tricked GinGin out from under the bed with a puppy treat, while David searched for, found and replaced the batteries in the only flash light, got the little dead mousey out from under the bed with a broom and deposited him in a plastic bag outside in the garage.  (Oh and he did all of this still in the buff.  I wanted to take a picture of him buck nekkid on his hands and knees looking under the bed.....)
But I was still beyond upset....here is a sound bite....it's all your fault blah blah blah....'cause if you had just got the mouse traps earlier this week like I asked you to blah blah blah..........but noooooooo.....nothing is more inportant that hunting....yada yada yada.....
Sigh.

Things I Bought At The Auction II

I told you I would share the other things that I bought at the auction.  At the end of the auction the auctioneer called for us to bring up things that we would pay $5.00 for.  And then he asked who brought it up, you raised your hand and your bid started at $5.00.  I got this vintage Monopoly game for $5.00, the tag on it states that it dates from 1951, it has the wooden pieces, money cards etc.  As far as I can tell it is all intact.  Some are selling on  eBay for around $15.00.  I wanted to start a little business selling some of my stuff on eBay, but I never have and David said a big no to this---so I guess I'll keep it.

 

I also bought this other vintage game. "Cootie"  The tag on it says that it dates from 1941 and the pieces are there...except one of the cootie eyes...but it may be in the bottom of the box.  I'll have to give it a better look.  The bidding started at $5.00 and somebody kept bidding against me and ran it up to $9.00.  I didn't care I wanted it...and it came home with me!!

 

This one of the plates I bought, it too was $5.00 ( with the stand included), it has a gorgeous thick gold rim.  I bought two others for $5.00 each, one has an etched magnolia and the other has flowers too.  Things ran a little high, normally I would have expected to pay $2.50 for each of them...but it's okay.  I wanted them!!

Let me know what you all think.  Did I do good?

Things I Bought At The Auction

I can't think of a better way to start the new year than by attending an auction.  As you can see here, the fun is just about to begin.  I was running late so I didn't get to look over everything as I usually do, but sometimes when they bring up the unexpected it is even more fun.

This is the first thing that I bought.  I had one just like this when I was a kid, in fact I think I got it for Christmas.  I think that it was a surprise, because I don't remember asking for it...or now that I think about it, it may have been a hand me down from a cousin.  But anyway this one is very similar, right down to the dents

t

This is the next thing that I bought.  I spotted it right away.  Of course I was very cool when I looked it over, you must never ever let 'em see that you are interested.   It is a very large platter and the picture is the capital.  It appears to be quite old, with crazing and cracks...but I don't care.  I love it.  The picture below is an enlargement of the scene.  And the eagle and inscription is on the back.  There is also an hallmark that I can't read.  I'm going to try to make a rubbing of it to see what it says.  Do any of you know anything about this or have seen one like it?

 

I also bought some plates, but they are still in my car and I didn't take a picture.  I'll post pictures later.  Oh yeah and I bought a vintage Monopoly game and a vintage Cootie game.  I'll post pictures of them later too.

After the auction my friend Judy and I went to the Salvation Army and of course the obligatory late lunch at the Krystal.  (She loves those little bitty burgers as much as I do.) 

The perfect day...an auction, the Salvation Army and the Krystal......

The Best Is Yet To Come!!!!

Arfy New Year!!!!

Scenes From Our Christmas "Wild Rumpus"

 

 

 

 

 

My Little Chrismas Story

One day last week I woke up overwhelmed with all the things that I needed to do.  Get ready for a Christmas party....decorate....and many other things. Normally I am a very happy glass is half full type of person, but this morning I was not in the best frame of mind.  I was feeling sorry for myself and in an ill mood.

As I was driving to work it occurred to me that my days are numbered.  No I don't have a terminal disease, but my days are numbered and only God knows how many I have.  I should live in the moment and rejoice in every single day.  As the scripture says; Rejoice and again I say rejoice. (Philippians 4: 4)

So during my short drive to work, I prayed to God.  I always use ACTS  for my prayers. A--affirmation--give God glory and praise, C--contrition--ask for forgiveness, T--give thanks for your blessing and S--supplication--give God your cares and ask for His blessings and grace.  My short version of this is: I love you Lord, forgive me Lord, thank you Lord and help me Lord.  

This particular morning I asked the Lord to help me be joyful, to live the day as if it was my last, and to inspire others with my attitude.  I finished up my prayer as I walked toward the hospital. As I walked up toward the canopy, something made me look up.  I saw a little feather floating down just above my head.  It landed gently at my feet...I think He heard me...don't you?