Burrrrr, Out Like a Lion

The net says it is 12 degrees this am.  About like it has been here since Christmas.  Yesterday was a little warmer, but tonight is supposed to not have any temperature. That is cold.  My house thermometer must have frozen to death, as it is not waking up this am.

Meet Pepper, the boy's new blue healer pup Tony gave him for Christmas.  This was his favorite present.  Although he has since tried to share it with Hannah to get her to help take care of him. 

It was also her favorite present, but she says it is entirely brothers job to clean up after it.  He is going to be an outside dog, but it is jsut too cold outside right now for a pup with no mom to keep him warm.  

Christmas Eve, I went by to check on George's grave.  I have his stone purchased, but they will not be able to place it till it gets a little warmet than this.  

This was Christmas morning.  

George would have been excited.  Our kids are growing up as they were not up at the crack of dawn to see this.  They did not get up Christmas morning until after 9 when Helen broght their new pup down.

This morning, when I tried to start this old computer, it did not want to wake up.  My task for the last day of the year is to get all my photos off this machine and onto the big backup drive Helen bought for me almost a year ago.  All that is on here that needs to be saved, is those thousands of photos that do not exist any where except on this hard drive.  Today is now or never.  Get er don.

Ring in the new year with some good words...

“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan -- to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”


A. Lincoln 1865

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, the truth;
Where there is doubt, the faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying
that we are born to eternal life

St. Francis of Assisi

Two more days

Till this is over for another year, and Christmas Eve Eve, note the 2 Eves, is white.

Just a sprinkling, but everything is dusted with white sparkles.

It is supposed to be cold for the rest of the year.  Son JR went off south to the sunshine state with his friend, his daughter and her friend to escape the cold.  I guess they are having a time.  Not sure when they return.  It will be just us 4 and Helen for Christmas.  I am  planning a sparse menu, but Helen has a ham.  I asked her for pumpkin pie and rolls to go with her ham.

Yesterday, as I was looking in my closet for the presents I had hidden, I found Christmas clings for the Windows I bought over 2 months ago because I thought Hannah would enjoy decorating with them.  She was at her friends yesterday, but I have laid them out for her.  Then, as I was going through the Christmas box looking for ribbon, I found a pink watch I bought last year.  I don't remember if I forgot to give it to her or if she just did not want it.

This year I have her a fitbit that she asked for.  I was going to try to set it up yesterday, but my  net was down.  Maybe I will try again today, or just let her take care of it.

I did not get glasses afterall, only a piece of paper so I can get glasses sometime within the next year.  I either have to go next week or look at our new insurance and see if it still pays the same on glasses next year.  Or, maybe just take my changes.

Not sure what I will do today.  Maybe nothing.  I have been doing  lot of that lately.

On my agenda today

Glasses.


I am going to Harrison this afternoon to get and eye examine and maybe new glasses, depending on what DR says.

And then I am going to do a little shopping.  Hannah has given us a long list of junk just last night, but I am only looking for a radio and converse high tops.  The list had about 25 or 30 items on it and I am really through shopping for her.

On the other hand, I don't have much of anything for the boy as his Peterbilt hat he asked for will not be here til after the 25th.  His Dad got him new Xbox, so I may just get him a game for that.  I wish I could find him a truck shirt, but I doubt I have any luck with that.  I guess he will get what  he gets and not throw a fit like he told the Preacher to do last Sunday night.

I will not be gifting him any socks. 

Merry Christmas from the hillbillies at Coin Church

Last night was the Christmas play.  Sister Joyce's story this year was about a hillbilly family celebrating the day.  Hence the children are not well dressed.  Sister Helen was in full costume.

I am just glad it is over.  Today I go to Branson shopping as I have 1 present for Hannah and only clothes for Robert.  You know clothes are not really presents.

Robert Sez

Robert and Hannah need Christmas themed sox for their gift exchange at school.   Hannah had to pick her own but Robert did not even want to go.  I could not find boys Christmas sox, only ordinary packages of boys socks.  I picked a pair sorta like the ones above, grey and white stripped with a maroon top from the women's socks.  I showed them to Robert and asked if they would be alright for the class gift.  Without even taking his eyes off his game he said, yes, fine.  I asked again if he really thought they would be alright for a boy.  He said, again without looking, I don't thinks socks are a Christmas gift anyway.

Merry, Merry, Merry

Miss Merry Christmas...

Stone

This is the stone I picked for George's grave.  I plan on having the 11th cav horse

It will be a solid background, not colored, and a cross maybe with a Lilly on my side.  When they send the mockup, I may change my mind.  Usually grave markers are symmetrical.  If it looks odd to me with different emblems on each side, I will go with crosses on both sids.

I am going to go by Monday and tell them I want vases on each side.  I have to go by because I am not sure what vase I want so I can't just tell them on the phone.

They had a fund raiser for me an work and go $1100.  I am going to pay that on the stone so I will know where it went.

I actually like the grey stones better than the red, but the other family stones are red and I decided they needed to be more or less the same.  And the grey was less expensive, so I thought I was being chincy with a once in a lifetime purchase.  We have red.

We did not get a truck yesterday.  The one I liked George Jr. did not like.  The one George Jr. liked, I did not like.  I am going to give up on the truck by Christmas deadline so we can have time to find one that is just right.  It would be easier if it did not have to be a Ford F150.

Today, Hannah and I go to Fayetteville to spend her Birthday Money.  

And, Emmy is Miss Merry Christmas!!!!  I have no pictures, yet, because I did not go.  Greg took the kids.  Jr took  my camera so he may or may not have pictures.

EOWW, HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!

That is End Of Work Week.


So, Wednesday, we got a new washer....
And I love it. It is the largest capacity top loader I could find.  It holds a LOT of clothes.

I am going to teach Hannah and Robert to do their own washing.  They are NOT excited about that.

Today, when I get off at noon, I am going to the Alpena monument place and see about a grave marker. Tomorrow, I have to take Hannah to the mall in Fayetteville to spend the birthday money her Daddy gave her.

Then, I am looking for an older Ford F150.  I found one at Harrison, so latter I am going to call.  JR will go with me to look at it if they still have it.

Going to be a busy weekend, but I will be glad to get out of here.  We are in startup mode for the new place and sometimes it does not go as planned.  Today is better than yesterday anyway.

1961

Happy day at Wild World with Wild Girls

Today in history

Walking

I have been attempting to get back to walking daily with very limited success.  But, at least I did make it out for good walks Friday and Saturday morning, leaving the house before daylight and making the top of Meek Hill by sunup at 7 am.  Today, it is just 34 degrees, so I am going to try to walk this afternoon.  During the week, it is hard to get started in the evening, but maybe today will be better.  It is supposed to be in the upper 60's this afternoon.

Just before sunrise this am, I saw a dark spot down by the corner fence going to son's house.  I got the camera and say a young deer.

I went down by the goat pen and took several more pics.

Even after I turned the goats out, the two deer hung around in the road.

They did not leave the road for the other pasture until I came back to the house because of the cold.  Just now, I see two down in the valley next to Marr's.  Could be the same two, or not.

Today, I have plan on cleaning up the old laptop.  I need to get a lot of pictures off it.  It is so full of files that it bearly works.  I have cleaned the house, now I guess I will clean the machine.

Yesterday, I took the kids to the movies and stopped by Home Depot and bought a new washer.  They are going to bring it out and install it for free on Dec. 6.  I plan on start teaching the kids to do their own laundry.  They are not enthused, but it will be good for them.  Yesterday, I had Hannah help wash the dishes.  She was not happy, but she did it.  My job is to help these two kids learn to live in the world without me, one step at a time.  Robert says he is too big to sit on  my lap.