Contrasts

My niece sent me this picture taken on my brother's farm near Richmond, KY. They still have no electricity there. They have an old fashioned cook stove and are using it to cook and keep warm too, so it has come in real handy. It is pretty isn't it? Those weeds bent over look like hoola hoops to me! You can click on it to enlarge it some.






I have another brother in Richmond and they had no electricity yesterday and I don't know if they got it back today or not. Then my other brother lives in Frankfort, KY and they still have no electricity. They were all hit hard. I just thank the Lord that it missed us!

If you read Judy's Blog she lives in that same neck of the woods and she may not have electricity and service restored either. I'm sure as soon as she can she'll post on her blog.

Some people have no electric, no water, no phone, no internet.....it's like living in the dark ages!! Actually, I'm sure it is to many people, especially the younger ones! That first day we had no phone service, no internet, and lots of the cell phones were not working. There was an editorial in the paper about it saying that some of the younger ones at the newspaper office were very distraught that they couldn't call anyone on their cell phones, send a text message, and they had to actually get up and walk down the hall and deliver a message instead of e-mailing it!

They would never survive if they had to live like we did growing up. No inside bathroom. You got up shivering and shaking and ran to the Warm Morning heating stove, that your Dad had gotten up earlier and got the fire going in, so it was nice and warm. Then you turned and warmed your front and then turned and warmed your backside! Back and forth! Usually we got into our clothes right there in front of that stove. Then we usually washed our hands and face in cold water. I don't recall that being a big deal. But for a bath I wanted warm water, which had to be heated on the stove first. Mom always had a nice breakfast cooking, usually with sausage or bacon, eggs, biscuits, and gravy. There was some sort of sweet goodies to put on your biscuit if you had a sweet tooth, usually jam, jelly, syrup, or honey. All good!! Ah, the good old days!!

Kids today would survive it but it'd sure be a drastic change for many of them!

I'VE SEEN ICE AND I'VE SEEN RAIN

I'm sure most of you have heard about the ice storm moving across many states and causing havoc. We lucked out here so far. We live in the southern part of KY and the bad stuff went just north of us. Last night we got sleet but not too much. I did see a few limbs that had broken off around town today, but nothing major. I'm sure last night the roads here were terrible for anyone out there on them. It warmed up today and changed to rain and it's been raining all day long. Our phone and internet was out today and then came back on late this afternoon. They are saying we will get rain and then it'll change to snow tomorrow and we might get 2 inches.

I'm thankful that it wasn't worse here but I feel bad for those that got hit hard and that covers a big territory. Those ice storms are awful with the trees breaking and falling and you can't walk or drive on ice. Just a total mess. Then the electricity being off for days sometimes. We do have a fireplace with an insert but the blowers wouldn't work with no electricity so I guess it'd heat some in the living room, but I really don't know how it'd do. I did bring some wood and kindling up just in case!

Tonight I made cupcakes for AWANA tomorrow night at church. If we get the snow then they might call AWANA off. I'll try to get my cupcakes delivered to the church early tomorrow before any snow falls, but I'll have to wait and see.

Hope everyone is having a good week and keeping safe and warm. I'm thinking about all my blogger friends that are getting hit hard with this ice storm and hoping you are all okay.

Sunday Signs Plus

This is something to think about when negative people are doing their best to rain on your parade.

A woman was at her hair dresser's getting her hair styled for a trip to Rome with her husband. She mentioned the trip to the hairdresser, who responded: "Rome? Why would anyone want to go there? It's crowded and dirty. You're crazy to go to Rome. So, how are you getting there?'

'We're taking Continental,' was the reply. 'We got a great rate!'

'Continental?' exclaimed the hairdresser. 'That's a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and they're always late. So, where are you staying in Rome?'

'We'll be at this exclusive little place over on Rome 's Tiber River called Teste.'

'Don't go any further. I know that place. Everybody thinks it's gonna be something special and exclusive, but it's really a dump, the worst hotel in the city! The rooms are small, the service is surly, and they're overpriced. So, whatcha' doing when you get there?'

'We're going to go to see the Vatican and we hope to see the Pope.'

'That's rich,' laughed the hairdresser, 'You and a million other people trying to see him. He'll look the size of an ant. Boy, good luck on this lousy trip of yours. You're going to need it.'

A month later, the woman again came in for a hairdo. The hairdresser asked her about her trip to Rome .

'It was wonderful,' explained the woman, 'not only were we on time in one of Continental's brand new planes, but it was overbooked, and they bumped us up to first class. The food and wine were wonderful, and I had a handsome 28-year-old steward who waited on me hand and foot. And the hotel was great! They'd just finished a $5 million remodeling job, and now it's a jewel, the finest hotel in the city. They, too, were overbooked, so they apologized and gave us their owner's suite at no extra charge!'

'Well,' muttered the hairdresser, 'that's all well and good, but I know you didn't get to see the Pope.'

'Actually, we were quite lucky, because as we toured the Vatican, a Swiss Guard tapped me on the shoulder, and explained that the Pope likes to meet some of the visitors, and if I'd be so kind as to step into his private room and wait, the Pope would personally greet me. Sure enough, five minutes later, the Pope walked through the door and shook my hand! I knelt down and he spoke a few words to me.'

'Oh, really', the hairdresser said, 'What'd he say?'

He said: 'Where'd you get the UGLY hairdo?'
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SUNDAY SIGNS

Beware Where You Go!

AKRON, Ohio (AP) - A northeast Ohio man who was smacked in the nose by a stripper's platform-style shoe is suing a nightclub for $25,000 over injuries he says will require surgery.
Yusuf Evans says in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was seated near the stage at the XTC nightclub in Akron last year while a stripper nicknamed "Tiara" performed her routine.
Evans says demonstrative kick caused the stripper's 1970s-style thick-heeled shoe to fly from her foot and into his face. He says he's had trouble breathing ever since.
Evans' lawsuit in Summit County Common Pleas Court says XTC management allowed dancers to wear improper attire and required strippers to perform dances that made the stage "a hazardous area."
Evans says he doesn't normally frequent strip clubs, but made an exception when a cousin visited.

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I say it's a good thing he wasn't hit with this shoe. How many agree with me that this shoe is ugly?? Hey, if you like it that's fine. I'm just giving my opinion!

Sunday Church Sign

Here it is the start of another week. I did mean to get a post up this week but it didn't happen. It's been sort of crazy with my husband being confused and not sleeping, which means I don't sleep either. Then he had those red hot spots again with a fever. Thankfully I was able to get antibiotics the same day so he's better now.

It has been COLD!!! Now I know some of you have much colder temps and are used to it, but usually our winters are mild. So mild in fact that this year I decided not to dig out my electric blanket. I have it in the storage building somewhere and now I think it might have been a mistake not finding it before it got so cold. Not it hasn't been below zero yet, but it's been in the single digits at night and that is cold to me! I'm sure in northern KY it's been below zero but we are way to the south, closer to TN, and it's usually milder here. I have seen those cold temps on the weather channel and living where it gets -40 is just so cold it's downright scary!

I must apologize for not getting around to blog reading and commenting this week. I will do my best to catch up ASAP!

This Christmas I got a zip lock bag with a pack of hot chocolate mix, some miniature marshmallows, a candy cane, and a poem, from my niece. I had never used candy canes in my hot chocolate before but once I tried it...I loved it!! It gives the hot chocolate a little "Omph"!! So at the after Christmas sales I stocked up!



I do hope everyone is keeping warm and doing better than great!!!









SUNDAY SIGN

Sunday Sign

SUNDAY SIGN

TIS TAT and TOTHER

No real blogging news from here, thus my title which means this, that, and other. At least to me it did!


We have had rain with more on the way....100% chance tomorrow. Now that's a darn good chance that it definitely will rain. Then it'll turn colder of course. It's nice being outside in the winter with short sleeves on. The other night I was outside on the porch at 1:30 in the morning. It was pretty cold and I just had on my pajamas (short sleeved) and barefoot. I was thinking at the time that if my mother were alive she'd say, "You'll catch your death out there barefoot!"

You might wonder what I'm doing on the porch at such a time of the night but I normally sit up late and if I hear a noise outside I'll go look out the front door. Usually it's the cats or raccoons. This time it was raccoons. I got some bread for them and naturally while I was out there I had to pick up the kittens and hold them for a few minutes.


I was trying to spell a word a couple of days ago and it just wouldn't come to me and that reminded me of when I was working at my last job. I worked in a doctor's office and I did all the transcription, which does get boring. I really got sick of sitting there typing all day with earphones in my ears typing about people's sickness and problems. Most things were pretty repetitious but sometimes he'd come off with a word that I could not make out. Then I'd have the office manager listen to see if she knew what he was saying. One day neither one of us could figure it out. I let him have a listen and he couldn't figure out what he was saying either!! So much for that. But...getting back to my point....there were lots of those big words you had to type like epididymitis, epididymo-orchitis, orchiectomy, nephrectomy, cystoscopy, etc. (I worked for a Urologist). Those were not usually the words I had trouble with, but he would come up with words that I had never heard of before. The computer also had a great spelling help and it would pop some words it thought you were trying to type into a little box and you could just click it and it popped right in there! Ain't technology amazing!! When it came to spelling a word, if you asked me, I might have trouble spelling it. However, let my fingers get on the keyboard and it would just come to me. It's like my fingers know how to spell but my brain doesn't. I know that might not make any sense to anyone, but it certainly seemed that way. I know my brain is telling my fingers where to type but it seems like my fingers are doing all the thinking and the work! It still seems that way as I'm typing this. The fingers just know where to go without me really thinking about it!! Now have I thoroughly confused everyone, or maybe you know exactly what I mean!


My sister in law sent me an e-mail saying that her niece's eye had fallen out at school and the teacher stepped on it and cracked it. The little girl has a wooden eye and it does occasionally pop out. The teacher immediately called the mother who rushed over with a spare eye and put it in. Apparently the eye socket is not supposed to be left empty for no longer than absolutely necessary. The eye was only chipped a little and can be easily repaired. I'll bet that teacher felt awful, even though it was no fault of hers. I'd say she will be glad when the school year is over and that child moves on to the next grade!


The Goody's in our town is closing. I like that store. Hate to see it closing. The economy is taking a toll all over it seems. I saw where some Macy's were also closing, but we do not have one of those here. I do hope it gets better before it gets worse. Money that is invested makes you ill when you get the statements and you see how those figures have dropped faster than rain falling..or so it seems. Just down right depressing it is.

Gas has crept back up to $1.89. The cheapest I got it this past year was $1.34, which was with the 10 cent Kroger discount. I liked the cheaper gas better!

It's late and my bed is calling my name. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Springy Weather and Sunday Sign

Today was stormy and more like a spring day in regards to the weather. While in Sunday School this morning it thundered and we all paused and looked at each other and said, "Is that thunder?" We had just been discussing God's beautiful work and wonders of nature and here he was giving us another one! When church was over it was pouring down. Driving home I had to slow down to a crawl at one point since it was hard to see the road with my windshield wipers flying at their fastest speed.

Here's a nice picture of the lake, which makes me think of spring. You don't see that now but this summer you will. You can see how low the lake is. The lake level was lowered since they are working on Wolf Creek Dam, which will take them a few more years to complete. Still lots of water out there for boating, even with the lower level! You can click on it to see it larger.

SUNDAY SIGN
(I did generate this from the church sign generator, but I saw one with these words at a local church here this week.)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful New Year so far!!!