I painted a pottery piece -- a bowl -- about two weeks ago at the Glazey Days studio.
Since then it has been glazed and fired.
I got to pick up my bowl this morning!
Here are the photos I promised.
I painted the number and my initials on the inside to commemorate how old I'll be in a couple months!
I'm not a great artist, so my bowl isn't perfect. But I like it a lot. It makes me happy. :)
(Three things: 1. The rain has turned to snow. 2. Two dollars is correct. 3. Enjoy Dad's post! -- Tracy)
Derf Here! From the snow-covered Northeast. Today, however, it is just raining along the coast. Perhaps we'll get the snow this afternoon. Hope not! Weatherman said it could be heavy. We'll see.
Well, as I see it, the weather inland must be snow. All schools just west of the coastline are off today. The prediction is up to one foot of the white stuff. Hope it doesn't make the coast. We have had enough already! About 8 feet so far this winter. Last year we had less than 3 feet. And most of it before Christmas. This certainly is not like last winter. And I, for one, am ready for spring to arrive. Everyone out and about that I talk with agree with me. TURN OFF THE SNOW MACHINES! PLEASE! There, that should solve our snow problems. I'll let you know what happens weatherwise next week. Stay tuned!
How many out there have heard of the Nielsen ratings for television viewing? Well, about a week ago we participated in this process. Tracy brought us the necessary items to fill out. So for one solid week we kept track of all television shows we watched. We had to keep a record of the shows on both televisions. It was quite a project. We were very careful to show who watched what, when, channel number, etc. Now when we see the Nielsen ratings, we can relate to the "how and where" they came from. If I'm not mistaken, I think Tracy was paid for the participation. I believe the outrageous fee was two dollars. What a deal!
I filled up both our car and pickup yesterday in preparation for the big storm. The gas price was the highest I've ever seen here in Maine. It was $3.80 per gallon. Just think, I remember when we paid around 25 cents per gallon. I must admit that was a while ago. I'm not sure those were the good old days, but I certainly liked the gas prices back then.
More on my Diet Pepsi to water change coming next week!
I am having trouble coming up with something to write to continue the blog. I'm not doing well so I'll quit for today.
Still requesting prayers for sister Jean as she continues to recover from recent surgery. All thoughts and prayers are appreciated. Thanks again! They make a difference!
Until next time!
Toodle Pip!
Derf!
I'm tired of you, Snow.
I hear you're back tomorrow.
You wreak havoc with the roads.
(I dislike it when you do that.)
So please come again... NEVER!
This is the third Sunday in a row that snow has affected our church attendance. Some people live close enough to venture out, but others live far enough away that they should stay put.
Next week is our church's annual Chili Cookoff after the service, so I'm praying for good weather! It is such a fun event -- one that's enjoyed by the whole church family.
But perhaps the most important question for next Sunday isn't about snow....
Who will win the Chili Cookoff and get to take home the coveted Golden Ladle?
Lew recently heard about the 5:2 diet on Rush Limbaugh's show. My very basic understanding of this is that on five days of the week you eat normally. On the other two (non-consecutive) days you eat a maximum of 600 calories. That's for men; for women, it's 500 calories.
I just found an article on wiseGEEK that might help Lew on the low-calorie days:
Yikes. Some of those portions are not happy ones.
Best wishes, Sweetie!
(Here's the URL to the above article: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-200-calories-look-like.htm )
Today I finished preparing my fourth and final individual income tax return for 2012.
I had already done the returns for 1) us, 2) Matt & Emily, and 3) my parents. Today's was for 4) Lew's mom. Hers was the easiest to prepare.
After I finished today, I did one last thing on my laptop regarding 2012 taxes: I moved the TurboTax shortcut from my desktop to the recycle bin. That gave me great satisfaction.
Lew and I will go see Verlie tomorrow. I will present her with her completed tax return.
And I will do a cartwheel... in spirit, at least.
Last week I wrote that I may try to add something for Lent instead of give something up. The possibility I suggested was to get up earlier in the morning.
I have done okay with that, although I've had at least one morning when I needed to catch up on some rest. Lew almost passed out when I was down at the breakfast table with him on a couple weekdays!
I also am reading a lovely devotional book during Lent: Small Surrenders by Emilie Griffin. I highly recommend it. You can see from the title that perhaps I am learning to give up some things after all.
(Postscript: I started a 42-day fitness challenge this week. I am not doing this for Lenten purposes. The timing just happens to coincide!)
(I think I understand the "unstuck" explanation. Enjoy Dad's post! -- Tracy)
Derf Here! From the great Northeast. Only one more week and March will be here. Fantastic! The snow is really melting fast. However, in the big mall parking lots the snow mountains remain and parking spaces are limited. These mountains will be here for several more weeks. My guess is into the Spring. Deep into the Spring! I'll let you know when the snow is completely gone. It will be a while.
Last week I told you about getting AAA to tow my plow truck out of my driveway as I was stuck. As I read over the blog it sounded like I was trying to plow my driveway as I was being towed. Not true! I did have the plow raised while towing. Lew and I did have to shovel a lot as the snow was so high that it was still plowing while being pulled out. I was smart enough to have the plow raised as I was being "unstuck." I hope that makes sense.
I'm becoming quite savvy with technology. This past week I have had the opportunity to watch several tournament basketball games on my computer. The local paper streamlined the games and I was able to figure it out. Prior to this I could barely turn my computer on and off. I've come a long way! Also am able to watch Kim and Joe's Eureka, Illinois church online each Sunday as their service is streamed online. Fascinating to me how this technology works. Better minds than mine are figuring out how to do this. So much for my computer viewing.
I will now take a break as I do my elliptical work!
{Interlude}
Two hours have passed and I'm back. I might add that I'm quite refreshed. An afternoon exercise time and shower works wonders. However, during the exercise time I'm not so positive about being refreshed.
School is out here this week and the remainder of the basketball tournament games are on television. I am watching as many as possible. I find myself rooting for the underdog. Human nature? I don't know!
Not a very good blog today. Hey, I can't be at the top of my game every week. I'll try to do better next time. Soooo....
Until next time!
Toodle Pip!
Derf!
Lew and I made the most of the Presidents' Day holiday.
We had a leisurely morning, ran some early afternoon errands, paid a visit to Matt and Eli, then ate dinner at Red Robin.
But does anyone know how Presidents' Day really should be celebrated? Is there some tradition that we're not aware of?
Judging from the newspaper inserts, it appears that everyone should have bought a new car today....
We didn't do that.
Some good church friends moved about a year and a half ago. They still live in Maine -- about an hour's drive from us -- but it's far enough away that they began going to a different church.
We still make an effort to see each other. In fact, Julie went with me to see Les Miserables a few weeks ago. We made plans at that point to try to have lunch at Cracker Barrel soon.
The Cracker Barrel lunch was subsequently scheduled for today.
We woke up to snow and heavy winds. As Lew and I were driving to church, we figured we might have to reschedule with our friends. They were the ones with the long drive to our lunch place.
Partway through our church service we looked up to see our friends walking in! Their own service had been cancelled so they decided to drive up and join ours.... They got a chance to see quite a few "old" friends today!
Lunch was scrumptious. We had a great visit. Everyone got home safely.
It was a wonderful day!
This afternoon I joined 13 other gals from church at an area business called Glazey Days.
We spent two enjoyable hours together while we each painted a ceramic bisque piece.
I selected a bowl with handles. Emily chose a flower pot. Laura painted a large bowl, and her mother painted salt and pepper shakers to match it. Other pieces painted included a piggy bank, a star-shaped bowl, house numbers, plates, mugs, and more bowls.
Next up for my bowl: glazing and firing. (The Glazey Days staff does that.)
The finished product should be ready in about a week.
If I like how it looks, I will post a picture of my bowl.
If not, I still may post it! :)
This is my sixth year using TurboTax to prepare our income tax returns.
I always start by putting my data into an Excel spreadsheet to determine what I think my tax situation will be. (The first year I used the spreadsheet, I took great pains to build the calculations properly. So now I just need to copy it from year to year.)
After completing my spreadsheet, I then input the data into TurboTax.
If the TurboTax result matches my spreadsheet, I scream "Hooray" and do a cartwheel. (Okay, so I only do the screaming part.)
If it doesn't match, then I figure out why. Usually I need to make some adjustment to my spreadsheet.
You may wonder why I input the data twice -- once into Excel, and once into TurboTax -- instead of just trusting TurboTax.
My initial answer: It helps me understand the tax calculation. (I also prepare my parents' return and Matt & Emily's return, and I like to be able to explain why things come out the way they do.)
The most truthful answer: Obsessive-compulsive disorder. (I am the poster child!)
Lew and I paid homage to Valentine's Day by exchanging mushy cards this morning. (We both received a card from our cats, too. LOL!)
We exchanged our almost daily text messages of "Smooooooch!" (Lew to me) and "xoxoxoxo" (me to Lew).
When Lew got home from work he gave me a small heart-shaped box of chocolates. And I had another card for him -- a funny one this time.
Lew made a scrumptious dinner of tuna fish sandwiches with a side of potato chips. Our plates were garnished with dark-chocolate-dipped strawberries -- compliments of my sister Debbie.
While dining we watched last night's episode of "The Middle." It was a Valentine's Day theme, so it was timely viewing.
But my favorite thing about Valentine's Day is knowing that it's not really necessary.... Lew makes me feel special every day. (Thanks, Sweetie!)
He is pretty special, too.
(My father's "storm adventure" was a great source of entertainment; I had a wonderful view from our living room window! Enjoy Dad's post! -- Tracy)
Derf Here! From the great Northeast. Another gorgeous day out there. The second one in a row. After the worst storm ever. Some people say this as we received officially 31.9 inches at the jetport. This beat the old record by almost 5 inches. This storm was followed by another couple inches two days later which ended with sleet and rain. The great weather yesterday has melted most of the slush. Today and tomorrow should complete the melting. Might have another storm this weekend. Time will tell.
And now a word about my storm adventure. I waited until the storm was over before attempting to plow the yard. However, the snow was so high I couldn't move the truck. After trying to plow my way to the road, my truck slid off the driveway and got stuck. So, what did I do? I called AAA for a tow. Well, the tow truck arrived and we finally got my plow out to the passing road. I might add that we had to shovel a lot as it was difficult to plow while being towed. We also had help from a neighbor (the son-in-law of Bailey's seafood restaurant down the street) who had a high Michigan type bucket vehicle. He pushed tons of snowbank out of our way, and this allowed us to reach our street. Even refused a tip!
To say the least, this was a very embarrassing situation for me. I don't think Lew was embarrassed, but he certainly got a workout shoveling. Our cleanup went well after our escape from the driveway. I kid you not! The snow was waist deep throughout our driveway. Caused by heavy snowfall and high winds. Am I glad that February is half over. Worst storm I remember since living here. Been here since 1974! I hate winter!!! Not kidding! Please turn the snow machines off! Thanks!
I've got to leave now to have our six-month visit to the friendly dentist office. Another cleaning is planned. Spouse will have no cavities. I hope I have none also. We'll see! I'll let you know when I return home.
{Brief Interlude}
Well I'm back from our dentist appointments. Here are the results. Spouse: no cavities. Moi: must return next week to replace a filling that I must have brushed out. Not too serious. Will take care of Tuesday.
After our dentist appointments, we went to eat at the buffet. Very enjoyable!
Must now run some errands! Will skip my elliptical today. Sounds good to me. (Not for me, however!)
Until next time!
Toodle Pip!
Derf!
People are talking about what they are giving up for Lent. I feel like I should think of something, but it's difficult to do with my stuffy nose. (I'm hoping that I'll be back to normal in the next day or two.)
Perhaps I should decide on something to add during Lent.... for example, getting up a little earlier to get my day off to a good start. I could use my early morning time to do my daily devotion and other reading.
Additional ideas, anyone?
1: Perry Mason episode watched
2: glasses of water spilled
45: minutes of napping
83: approximate tissues used
1: miserable cold
Our church worship gathering was cancelled for today due to plowing and parking issues.
Lew and I were well on our way to spending a second consecutive day as slugs.
But then Matt called and suggested we all meet at Grammy's and get Amato's for lunch. (I guess he and Emily had a touch of cabin fever.)
So Lew and I both took showers, put "real" clothes on, and got out of the house for a bit.
At least we did something productive today. ;o)
I haven't heard the official measurement for Scarborough, but I think we got over two feet of snow.
The wind caused the snow to drift so that it seems like more than two feet in some places.
And after all the plowing, snow blowing, and shoveling is done, the snow banks around town are going to be even higher.
I've laughed a lot today while reading Facebook posts by dog owners. In most cases, "Fido" was not excited about having to go outside to take care of business!
I'm glad we have cats.
It's been snowing all day. Lew's place of employment closed at 2:00 PM, so I'm glad he's home early.
We are going to spend the rest of today and tomorrow eating comfort food, reading, and watching TV.
The good news: We don't have to fill out our Nielsen TV diaries anymore! Mom, Dad, Lew, and I took part in the TV survey for eight days; yesterday was our last day. We had diaries for five different TVs and we had to log who watched what and when.
The bad news: You know the blizzard? The real one isn't even here yet! We might get close to two feet of snow between now and tomorrow afternoon....
Ugh.
Today I am linking to Barry's most recent blog post regarding our dear Suzy. This is not the news I hoped for. Please keep precious Suzy and her family in your prayers. Thank you so much.
(I agree with Dad's assessment of the halftime show. Enjoy his post! -- Tracy)
Derf here! From the great sunny Northeast. Cold – but nice day. Only three weeks until March. The experts are predicting a snowstorm this weekend. We'll see! They have been wrong before.
Well the football season is finally over. The game was close and could have gone either way at the end. Prior to the power outage, the game seemed like a runaway. Certainly the outcome was in doubt until the Ravens got the ball back within the last two minutes. Congratulations to all who made it to "the Game".
I have never liked to watch the Super Bowl halftime show and didn't watch it this year. The game should be played strictly as a game. It needs no extra activities. I believe I heard yesterday that next year's Super Bowl will not have a worthless halftime show. The game will be in the Meadowlands so it will be cold. Could be a nasty day (perhaps a storm). Hopefully the NFL powers will follow this up with no more halftime shows. Play the game! Only!
My request for continued prayers for sister Jean remains. It is a slow process. Thank you for your concern. It is appreciated.
I am on my "no Diet Pepsi" routine. I drink only water throughout the day now. A large orange juice in the morning and skim milk on my cereal in the morning and sometimes during the dinner hour. I am really trying to regain my "Greek god" figure. Actually, "regain" is not accurate as I never had the image prior to this time. It sounds good to me, though. Bear with me!
My editor has some company today so I have been told to make this early and short. Because I follow orders, I say…
Until next time!
Toodle Pip!
Derf!
I decided to post before the Super Bowl because I may be too tired to after it.
Lew and I are hosting a party for our church family. And, yes, "hosting" means the party is actually at our house.
Several people have told us they are coming, but I really have no handle on how many folks we'll have here.
The house is clean and ready for lots of company. Kurt and Jerry have been banished to the guest room until after the festivities.
Everyone is supposed to bring food to share.
And now....
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?! :)
The Batgirls got together at Krista's house tonight.
We ate too much and laughed too loud. (In other words, we had a great time!)
When we got together 25 years ago, we would eat and laugh late into the evening... usually until at least 11:00.
Tonight we were saying our goodbyes at 8:30.
Our last conversation centered around whether we liked to nap in the afternoons.
We're getting old...er. That's right. Older. Not old.
We decided that 50 is the new 30. I like it... although I'm glad I still have a few months to go!
I had lunch with my friend Trista today.
While driving to meet her, I began to plan the rest of my afternoon. My biggest dilemma was whether I wanted to stop at the gas station on my way home.
I'm meeting another friend next week, and I knew I would need to gas up before then. Today might be my last chance to stop. But then again, maybe Lew and I can take my vehicle to breakfast tomorrow and fill the tank afterward....
.... And while going through this thinking, I drove past the exit I needed to take in order to meet Trista!
I was a few minutes late to lunch, but Trista understood when I told her what happened. (I got the distinct impression that she had done the same thing before! LOL!)
Oh -- and yes -- I did stop for gas later.
