Seven Days to Blast-Off

The first week of February has just flown by. It began with a somewhat sleepless night though I was only up for about an hour from 3-4 am and then slept until 10 which is almost unheard of for me. Although the car was to be repaired by the 1st, Johnny didn't like how the new paint looked with the original so he repainted it.

 I made an appointment with Troi, our hair-dressing neighbor to cut, color, highlight this old mop in preparation for going out into the real world.

Feb 2 was cold and blustery and lack of sleep caught up with me--I read and took a nap on the couch with Misty. She was thrilled and decided that my luxurious blanket was a fine replacement for the bakery shirt on the floor.

Received Big Bend info for which I'd sent a couple of days before.

No Groundhog shadow but I forget what that means, exactly. I think nothing, actually.

Thinking of leaving for Fl on the 14th ipo of 19th. Bets going to NYC on the 10th 'til the 13th

Feb 3--Last year's --or was it two years old?--white amaryllis in bloom. Terribly cold day and I found myself spending it on the computer. Not so good.

Feb 4--Decided to leave on the 15th and told the Doyle's we'll be there by the 18th. We don't rush when travelling. Slept well last night and finishing the fluff of Killer on a Hot Tin Roof.

Feb 5--Hooray, Giants!!!!! Typical Sunday--paper, puzzle, reading, munching all day. Betsy here for the game. Johnny Blake sanded and salted the ice rink out back, better known as the driveway. Put the creche away--always makes me a little sad.

Feb 6--Sunny and warm--in the '40's!! I love it.

Bets put insurance on Red--almost hers.

Down with the tree! Makes me even sadder. I LOVE my ornaments and hate to see them in storage for 11 months--some of them are true works of art--others whimsy--all sentimental.

Ordered some new clothes from LL Bean for the trip.

Gorgeous full moon!!!

Feb 7-- Gray and colder. Couldn't sleep--up at 6:30 am to a fine drizzle of snow? sleet?

Plans for trip moving along.  Set up billpay at CU, put Doyle's numbers in cell phone, sent out emails to see who wants to continue on roadies list, got directions to Doyle's house.

Sun by afternoon and Bill's chicken salad for lunch. Perfect

Feb 8--Traumatic start to the day. Awake at 3:45--moonlight bathing our bedroom, black tree limbs against a clear silver blue sky--beautiful

Betsy mouthy today--doesn't want to do oil change on car today but Bill can get an appt first thing this morning. It will be done when they get back from Springfield where she will register Red in her name, now that I've signed over the title. AND I refuse to call the insurance company for her to check about her back that hurts from the accident. I've been asking her for weeks to get it done and now she wants me to do it. NOOOOOO!

Upon return--they DID drop the car off for oil change--a birthday gift from her Father--she informed me that to be favorite parent I would have to spend $34. on her since it cost him $33. Said I was fine being second class parent, but thanks for the opporchancity for advancement.

She on the other hand is over $600 poorer, among registration, taxes and insurance---welcome to the grown-up world, my sweet!

Which brings us to today--woke up again at 3:30. Since the moon was so beautiful decided to photograph it to moon set, some beautiful shots and some not so great--but fun until 6 when I returned to sleep until 730. Clothes came from LL Bean so I'll have to see how they fit--have my fingers crossed. Not sure yet what my agenda is for the day--but getting out the lists from prior trips is definitely planned. From there I may start gathering things together and also doing some laundering of clothes stored since last year's trip. I have tomorrow through Sunday pretty much to myself so that is good--will get everything done except what Bill needs for the trip and we can get that organized on Mon and Tues. Wed, weather permitting, looks like a go. We might even be able to do something for Valentine's Day. Dinner out?

And here, to finish up today--are the Photos A Day for the beginning of Feb thus far:

Feb 1, like every first of the month, finds me paying the bills!

Feb 2--Couldn't find a ground hog but my gray squirrel did not see his shadow.

Feb 3--Red returns as good as new.

Feb 4--The third amaryllis in bloom this year--and it is beautiful

Feb 5--Super Bowl watching--have no idea how this double exposure happened--used timed release on a tripod. But, Betsy's change after the Giants first score is priceless.

Feb 6--Aufwiedersehn, Tannenbaum :(

Feb 7--Flex-a-min for achy legs that have been waking me up lately and American Roads recent issue on Florida.

Feb 8--Jazzy me--signing away Red to DD

Feb 9--Full moon embraced by the tree limbs in the tree line outside our bedroom window at about 6am

Catching up on January!

Took a long shot trying to capture the heavily falling snow and saw a blotch in the photo. When I cropped it I found that I'd captured the flight of a junco trying to get out of the storm!

One of my favorite breakfasts: a quarter cup of cottage cheese, fresh Florida strawberries, two tablespoons of slivered almonds and a packet of equal served in a beautiful pedestal dish.

Dropped my camera!!!!! Must have done something to the lenses. I feel crippled!

Every so often I just have to wash away the gray. Daughter loved sneaking this shot in.

Dad's 109 birthday! Born Jan 17, 1903!

Hubby and daughter playing catch the grape. She got him in the eye a couple of times but he DID finally catch one!

One of our raised beds covered in snow that is capped with shiny ice.

About the only place in this house that is organized. Bought the new utensil tray and love it.

Is she ticklish?  Darned tootin', I am!

Bill's sister, Sally, dropped by to pick him up for a sibling day of sorting Mother's boxes of pix. Better them than me--I've got plenty of my own to sort.

Poor baby, Red, off to the car doctor's for a fixin'!

Snow, then rain, then freezing rain, then rain--it's a skating rink out there. Crazy weather.

Goldfinch feeding frenzy!

Boring, boring day!

Mom, the eldest of this bevy of beauties and standing first in front of Grandpa and Grandma, would have been 111 today. The only one left is the little girl in front--Aunt Shirl is 89!

Sister Barbara is 66 today. Here we are with Mom sometime in the '60's.

Give Misty a bakery shirt on the floor over the woodstove and there is nothing better in the world!

Going out to dinner tonight so DD parked the car as close to the stairs as possible and sanded the heck out of the ice I'd have to trod upon. Just call me Her Majesty--thank you!

Dawn, a native of Florida, and me planning out our trip to Florida next month. Love the lighting in this shot.

And so , January 2012 comes to a close.

January Photo a Day!

12 X 12 for January

Yet Another Mosaic--The Best So Far!

Week Two of 2012

Ah, what a week it has been!  Loving the wildlife around our house, still enjoying the Christmas tree, experiencing the first real snow storm of the new year--though it is really quite a horror.

Yesterday, the day started with freezing rain causing most schools in the State to call a snow day. It progressed to rather heavy snow right through until late evening. Daughter stayed home from her job since the roads were so terrible.We had a wonderful day--playing Parcheesi, in which she JUST beat me twice, Uncle Wiggly, which I won and Candyland. I then went to my scrapbook workroom to start some absolutely necessary organizing while she watched TV. She also, in an effort to not rush me from my task, made dinner of pork chops and corn. She did a great job--delicious. I cannot believe she will be 26 in a few months. Where has the time gone?

Bill said they were awful going in to work but not bad when he returned home at 9:30. Betsy had gone out on the porch around 8 pm and said it was relatively warm and truly beautiful with a clear sky and starlight. I was watching TV by then so opted not to join her.

Today's is a bit scary. In the early morning we had torrential rain on top of yesterday's 4 or so inches of snow. Then it turned to sleet. By the time Bets had to take Bill to work it was snowing.  By noon, before she got back, the snow was heavily descending in huge flakes. She said the roads weren't that great coming home. Eventually, everything stopped and the wind rose to roaring. Then sleet and rain. Now, the wind is blowing and again the precipitation is doing a cycle--rain, sleet, small snowflakes heavily blowing. I wish she didn't have to go out again, first to work and then to pick up Bill. The only hope is that the road crews are keeping ahead of it and drivers are smart enough to know that four wheel drive or studded tires does not mean they can fly at 90 miles an hour safely. But, I promised not to be negative this year or dwell on stuff and worry so, on with the project report.

I  started playing with making a collage of my approach to Picture of the Day yesterday, which was to take 12 pictures on the 12th. I'm still not totally satisfied with the result, though I do like the shots.

Today for the 13th I decided to focus on finding a shot of something lucky or unlucky, hoping for the former.  I think I was pretty successful. And I also kept to my goal of more me pix this week.

This guy just keeps me so amused all the time!

Love the way this tree was sheared. The cone to the left off center almost looks like a real candle.

Someone needs to tell this flock of robins that it is January and this is Vermont!

Before the snow the lower field looked like early November--love the truck tracks from wood retrieval and the deer tracks to the apple trees.

Sailors take warning!

One attempt at the collage of 12 on the 12th

A really LUCKY shot. Junco through the snowstorm!

 All in all, it has been a pretty good week in every way. I'm happy!

The original shot of the Junco--I wondered what the smudge was.

Another attempt at collaging. I like the other one better but don't know if I want to shell out $40 for the software.

These are the single twelve on the 12th

Looking through the lace curtain of the bathroom window with the glow of the Christmas candle.

The first real snow of the new year. Actually the first real snow of the winter. Even though winter starts officially on Dec 21 or thereabouts, here in Vermont we think winter has begun once all the leaves have left the trees.

Playing with "pieces of me " in the bathroom mirror.

Betsy feeling pretty fine by beating me.

C'est la vie, I always say!

Checking out the backyard before tackling the housework.

What a mess!

Somewhat better--at least there is a surface on which to work.

Stamp sets labeled so I can read them.

The chef! Tres bon!  Bonne?

A New Year Brings a New Project

Though I have not kept up with my writing as I promise myself I would I did finish my Picture of the Day Project for 2011. The last of the pictures have been ordered and I'm sort of in the process of straightening up my scrapbooking room enough to actually get them in an album.  On January 1st I embarked on the same project for 2012. This time I signed up for a class at Studio Calico and am using Shuttercal.com as well as Facebook to save the pictures and journal at the same time. I'm loving the class--it is amazing how similar the objects we photograph out of our lives, no matter our age, occupation or location. The feedback is fun and the comments are so encouraging and inspirational. Of course, this means I spend even more time on the computer,which really isn't a good thing. As one can see--I have not yet read a book and a week of the new year is almost gone.

Well, I'm going to try to post my pictures here,too and hope there might be some comments from my followers. I am planning on getting back to my writing, too and my reading and my traveling and my cooking and and and.....

New Year's dinner

Bill and Misty reading directions for metal detector

Somebody's New Year's resolution

The end of the New Year's ham

Looking over pix from 2011 POD

Kings' Day, Twelfth Night, Little Christmas, The Epiphany

One of my goals is to take more " me " pix this year. The photographer is always missing and with the use of a timer that shouldn't happen. But it is hard to think of oneself as a worthy subject to save for remembrance. I'm going to be more aware of that .