This morning, I headed off to exercise on my own. Elegante Mother is a little under the weather, and wanted to stay home out of the rather inclement weather. I didn’t blame her. We had winds so high I was do-si-doing with garbage cans as I drove down the street. I think some of the residents are going to have to travel to the next county to find their garbage cans!
It was windy all day, with periods of higher gusts. It began to “rain” snow in early afternoon. When the wind died for a bit, the snow looked more like fog. There wasn’t much accumulated snow, probably less than an inch. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any melt-off today We have ponds of melt water in the swales along the road that are freezing, but they didn’t get any larger.
Our driveway is a MESS! We have an old gravel drive that needs to be reconditioned, that is 220 feet just to the edge of the house. There’s probably another 100 feet from that point north. Dear Husband had that accident almost two months ago, and the front of his truck was damaged. It wasn’t damaged enough to keep him from driving, but he couldn’t use the snow plow, so ice and snow have built up on the driveway. THIS WEEK they called to say the parts are in, and they’ve had the truck hostage all week. It’s a very strange way to do business: making the owner of a brand new truck wait two months for parts and repairs!
At any rate, I think we are going to have to wait for all this ice to melt. I doubt the snowplow will be able to do anything with it. So, we very carefully drive the ruts down the drive, and wait until all the traffic has passed, both ways, before trying to get onto the road. I didn’t think I’d ever say it, but I’d be happy to see Spring!

Hi, all! We’re back. Actually, we returned Monday, and this is the first time I’ve been able to blog. I’ve worked through a mountain of laundry, and am back in the office. I’m back on schedule as Elegante Mother’s chauffeur, too.
We took off a week ago, on Thursday afternoon for Florida. We left O’Hare about the time a warm front was coming in. I was disgusted. At the very least, the weather could have stayed cold while we were away! *G*
We had a good flight, landed at Orlando International, picked up a rental car and made it to our motel in good time. Dear Husband’s daughter, son-in-law and our not-quite-three-year-old granddaughter all stayed at the same motel, and Friday morning we had breakfast and headed off to the Magic Kingdom. It’s always wonderful to see a child’s first visit with Mickey and the gang. As always, the people at Disney made our experience move smoothly. We arrived some time between 10 and 11:00 and stayed well into the evening. The fireworks went off at 7:00 and we were still going strong. Our granddaughter was frightened by the fireworks so her parents took her on “It’s A Small World.” DH and I, who have been on that ride, chose to watch the last of the fireworks! *G*
Saturday, the guys participated in the golf tournament named in memory of Dear Husband’s oldest son. DH doesn’t golf, but he was game to join the tour. He got off several good shots, I’m delighted to announce. One of the tournament organizers assumed that my step-daughter and I were there to drive the carts with water and beer. We were rather surprised that he was insistent that we take on the chore. I have never met a man as sexist as this one. We acquiesced, but my step-daughter was really offended.
Saturday was a little cool, and very windy. The serious golfers were not happy campers. It was too cold and too early for beer, so for the most part we handed over bottles of water. We were on the course for about five hours. Lunch and awards followed at the sports bar that hosted the tournament, followed by naps for our entire group. (All that fresh air….)
Dinner Saturday night was Greek food. It was excellent! I had pastitsio, and a Greek salad, and I may have had the best meal at the table. I was even complimented on my pronunciation of “pastitsio,” which took me by surprise.
Sunday, the kids went back to Disney, and DH and I drove east to the Atlantic. One of my all-time favorite Florida activities is walking at the edge of the Atlantic. We found a lovely public beach at Smyrna Beach and walked for an hour or so.
We were trying to find Turtle Mound, but our map wasn’t adequate. Ultimately, we began winding our way back to the motel on a little two lane highway through a marshy area. Like Elegante Mother, I really enjoy seeing the wildlife, and egrets are among my favorites. It was a nice trip. A storm was beginning to come in. The clouds were as fascinating to watch as the ocean had been. We made it back to our room and napped a bit more. By 7:30 I assumed that the kids had eaten at the Magic Kingdom, but DH said to wait, and he was right. At 8:00 they called and asked us to order pizza.
The baby was out for the night, but the four of us shared pizza and watched the first half of the Oscars. That was about all we had the patience for, given that we needed to be up at a reasonable time on Monday to make the plane.
Our flight home left 15 minutes late and got in 3 minutes early. If I have the time I’ll tell you more about that. We had a tiny bit of turbulence over Indiana, otherwise it was a smooth flight. Too bad we came back to four or more inches of snow!
It’s nice to be back. I wish we could have stayed longer, but I’m happy to be back. I hope you all had a good weekend!

Dear Husband and I will be flying to Florida tomorrow for a long weekend. DH is going to play in the Charity Golf Tournament named for his son. I will be swanning around in a golf cart, shouting encouragement.
Do you know how difficult it is to decide what you’ll need for Florida the last weekend of February, when you live in the Chicago Suburbs? I ordered a few things from catalogs, and picked up a few things on Tuesday. I was concerned that I didn’t have a windbreaker until I saw the weather report for the Orlando area. It’s going to be in the upper seventies, with a possibility of rain on Sunday. That’s one less thing to pack!
Dear Husband has learned that I can’t share a suitcase with him unless we’re only going to be gone for four hours. I generally need to have the entire house with me when I travel. Cop Car and I were talking about making a trip to England and Scotland last year. It’s probably just as well it didn’t pan out. She said she never packs more than she can carry. It occurred to me that she might not carry my suitcase for me…
My-Sister-The-Nurse is going to stay with Elegante Mother while we are away. She hopes that she will be able to watch Oprah, read, go out to dinner and sleep a lot. I’ve left her a two page letter if information (I wouldn’t think to “instruct” her), filling her in on the temperamental microwave, and the key situation. Thank goodness the phone was repaired today or that letter might have stretched to three pages.
I’ve had a list going for the past week of things I wanted to get done before we left. There’s office stuff, house stuff, tax stuff, quilting stuff, cleaning stuff, shopping stuff….you get the picture. Monday, Edward Scissorhands went for his annual physical. The doc was satisfied, and said he could eat what he wanted to eat. EM and I saw the dermatologist Tuesday morning. I have to go back in two weeks. There’s a precancerous spot on my nose that needs to be frozen. My dermatologist is the most wonderful woman. She understood that I didn’t want to have a clown nose for this weekend, so we put it off for a bit. Dear Husband had his quarterly toof cleaning on Tuesday night (Oh, joy!). Tuesday afternoon, I did a little shopping. I picked up T-shirts, linen over-shirts, and soft pants, casual stuff all.
I rose at five this morning, cleaned the kitchen, and started laundry. I think I folded thirteen loads of laundry and put away all but two of them, which belong to our son. I have sensitive skin, so I very rarely wear something until it’s been washed at least once. As things came out of the laundry, they were either put away, or folded to be packed. I have two over-shirts yet to iron, and three things to pick up at the dry cleaners tomorrow.
You know know you find things to do to avoid things you know you SHOULD be doing? I have this list of things I want to finish. I have very carefully buzzed my way through this list today, trying not to see: Replace the cat litter, Empty out the veggie bins, and pay the bills. My time is limited tomorrow before we leave, so I’ll have to give up and do a couple of these tonight.
I’m going to pamper myself and have a pedicure tomorrow morning in return for getting those chores done! *G*
I hope you all have a safe, warm weekend. I’ll stop by to see what you’ve all been doing when we get back on Monday.

We’re having a quiet evening. Dear Husband is watching “Cast Away,” and surfing the t.v. guide. I’m going to finish a book this evening.
I was out late this morning for a hair appointment, and returned home about 12:30. We had lunch and I went to sit in the rocker for a few moments. Right…a few moments! I was out until 4:30!
I’m trying to decide just why I’ve needed so much daytime sleep lately. There are a number of possibilities. I’m trying to shift around to earlier morning hours. By itself that wouldn’t be a problem, but I need to be asleep by 9:00 at night to get up at 5:00 the next morning. I’m getting the early morning part down, but I need to work on getting to bed earlier. To that end, I’m going to ask my stepson for lessons on how to tape programs using our VCR.
It’s possible that the medication I take for neuropathy is working against me when I’m short on sleep. I tend to think it aggravates an existing situation rather than being the primary cause. Should I have to increase the dosage, I’d expect to be snoosey for a while, but I’ve been at a static dosage for some time.
It’s very possible with the bitter cold and snow that I’m not getting enough exercise. The exercise might tire me out enough to put me in bed at the right time, whether there was a program I wanted to see or not, so I need to get to a regular daily plan.
So….I’m trying to put it all together. I figure that it’s going to be small changes here and there that lead to a better life. It would be nice to have things straightened out soon, so that I have the energy to get out and work on the grounds as the weather improves.

You Are 0% Massachusetts

You Yankees loving homo! You probably think Starbucks coffee tastes better than Dunkin Donuts.

I’ve been adopted into the Bogie–WichiDude–CopCar family. I noticed over at Bogie’s that she is disgustingly Massachusetts oriented, so I went to take the test to save the family honor.
Ya don’t get any better than THIS, Bogie! *G*

…that the deer found the seed and corn that I put out yesterday. You can see the tracks through the snow where several of them came into the yard from the north, and then circled around to the back door. They didn’t eat everything. There was a little left for our early morning visitors.
I have an older feeder that has four vertical posts, wrapped with a length of close-weave hardware cloth. I filled that for the birds this morning. The cardinals were just coming to check out the seed when I left the kitchen to work. We’ve had several hawks hunting though our grove. When the trees are suddenly bare of birds, we know to look for the hawks. Yesterday there was a VERY large hawk sitting on a branch close to the ground. The only part of him that moved was his head, as he watched for prey.
I have more ear corn to share with the wildlife. I’ll have to toss it to an area that doesn’t have the big drifts, or it will be there until spring. The walkways of the herb garden were filled with snow yesterday. If it weren’t for the wind currents creating drifts, you might not know the raised garden was there.
The temperature has dropped. In return for a beautiful sunny day, we have frigid temperatures. Right now it’s 8 degrees F. and it’s only supposed to get to 12. I’d be surprised if it warms up more than 2 more degrees today. My area of the Chicago suburbs has been cooler than the rest.
I’m thankful for small things. We didn’t get a foot of snow. I don’t think the faucets have frozen. It’s sunny outside, and no matter what the weather, I get to go OUT tomorrow. I think cabin fever is already setting in! *G*

A major snowstorm is headed our way. It’s supposed to move in this evening and drop up to a foot of snow on parts of the Chicago area. We’re hoping that we will end up in the six inches or less part of the storm. Of course, the snow plow on Dear Husband’s truck is still not repaired, so we’ll be up to our ears in snow. That’s the one bad thing about having a driveway that is more than 200 feet long.
We’ve been craving comfort food lately. I was planning to make a new soup featured in Rachel Ray’s magazine. It’s a tomato based soup with crab, leeks and corn. But, I ended up cooking what Rachel calls “Chicken a la Queen,” a version of Chicken a la King, with a LOT of veggies, and a lighter sauce. Both Dear Husband and Elegante Mother liked the meal, but they’d prefer that I thicken the sauce, and DH would like to leave out the tarragon and use more black pepper. I was very satisfied with dinner, but next time I’ll probably dice the chicken smaller than a one inch cube.
I plan to hole up in my office tomorrow and fly through a load of paperwork that needs to be done. I expect to stay in until Wednesday morning at the very least. I don’t have the appropriate clothing to be out in the cold for any length of time.
I’m in count down mode for our trip to Florida. There are a number of things that have to be done before I can go, so one of the things I’ll do tomorrow is to make a check list. I feel better when I can see in black and white that things have been accomplished. My-Sister-The-Nurse is on vacation at the moment. (She threatened us all…..told us NOT to get sick while she was away). When she returns, she’ll come to stay with Elegante Mother while we are in Florida. I want to be sure that there’s nothing extra for her to do while we are away. She’s planning to go out to dinner each night with EM so nobody has to cook OR clean up! Smart woman!
Spring must be just around the corner. I have this urge to buy new things for the house, and read nursery catalogs! Like clockwork…..that urge hits me every year. Janet was moaning about the need to clean out “STUFF” at her house, and I told her that we could sing a duet. I’ve GOT to clean a two by two square of the basement a day or it’s NEVER going to get done!
Remind me….I need to make arrangements for a rental car, and make a vet’s appointment for Ed.

Edward Scissorhands, the cat who runs this house, has been housebound by HIS choice for the past six weeks.
Ed’s been an “indoor-outdoor” cat all his life, and has seen no reason to change this routine now that he is at least 15 years old. It used to be that Defer, our dog, would bark when Ed wanted to come in, but with Defer gone, Ed has to hope that either EM, or my stepson or I, might be there to let him in when he returns.
When the weather turned so cold and blustery just after Christmas, we would open the door for the cat, and stand there while he tried to make up his mind if he could brave the cold. He’d shake his right front paw and retreat to a warmer spot.
He’s taken up residence on a Christmas tree skirt that partially covers a floor vent. The cat has warm air ruffling his fur half the day.
So, we were incredibly surprised to find him running down the front walk this morning, when the door was opened. We have at least five inches of snow, probably more, and it’s still VERY COLD out there, with a high of 16 today.
Ed made a half-circuit of the house. He checked to see that the birds were still using the feeder, and visited the herb garden to see just who was claiming it was THEIR territory, and then he ran for the back door.
I told him he was lucky he had a grandmother who would open the door for him on demand! *G*
Time outside……maybe five minutes!
Now all we’ll hear is “Let me OUUUUUUUUUWWWWWWWWT!”

I’m taking the day off! I very rarely take an entire day for my own interests, so this feels a little odd.
I rose a little later than usual. Rather than starting my Friday morning at the clothes washer, I jumped into the shower, and then went to exercise.
When I got home, I did a few quick chores. I fed the birds and put out corn for the critters. EM and I planted bulbs that have been waiting for attention, and I cleaned up the mess.
I decided to check my stash for the fabric for a quilt I want to make. I need 22 fabrics in blues and greens ranging from the lightest to the darkest. It’s possible that I have half of the fabrics in my stash, maybe a little more than half. The largest amount of fabric required is for the borders. The fabrics for the design need anywhere from one eighth of a yard to a yard and a quarter. There’s cotton fabric all over my bed!
The design I want to make looks rather like a puzzle. It’s incredibly easy to piece, but selection of fabric is crucial to making it a beautiful quilt. I’m looking forward to a pleasant morning at the quilt shop choosing fabrics to make this top work.
I’ve spent the rest of the early afternoon reading e-mail, and checking on my blogging friends. The sun is streaming in, keeping me warm, and making me think that a nap might be a good idea.
I wonder if I can persuade my family to go out for dinner! *G*
Wouldn’t a soak in the whirlpool, with a good book, and a glass of wine be a lovely way to end the day??

Or, at least, Elegante Mother did!
I was startled to find that my Elegante Mother had her nails polished in navy blue and orange in honor of the Bears going to the Super Bowl. By the half, she’d given up hope and went to bed.
I’m very disappointed. I know I’ve talked about them “winning ugly” this year, but I thought they might have one last game in them, especially when they ran back for a touchdown on the very first play.
Yeah, I know the Colts were a pretty tough team to play, but I hoped we’d be champions once again.
As the Cubs say…..there’s always next year. Good luck, guys!