We had such a fun week...

We went to Lexington and kept Ben while Ryan, Lindsay and Abby were at Disney and oh, what a sweet little boy this little guy is.  LC and I were a great team, taking care of him, but Ben led the way.  He’s a great communicator, and told us what he wanted.   Second children don’t get to be the center of attention for extended periods of time, and he loved it.

He brought back so many memories of our boys at this age.  If it doesn’t have wheels or bounce, he has no use for it.  He played with his balls and his trucks, and his favorite bulldozer constantly.   Abby has been such a revelation to us, because never having had a little girl, she was the complete opposite of what we were used to.  Ben, however,  just brings the boy’s childhood back.  At this age Abby was very  focused, putting puzzles together, playing with toys that required skill beyond her years, and he’s just all Action Jackson, on the run all the time, squealing and clapping his little hands, loving anything that makes a motor noise.

 The weather was not good while we were there, an ice storm, a power outage, so we were housebound, but it was a great experience for us, because Ben was our focus.  I think he enjoyed it as much as we did, and when we left yesterday, I kissed his little head, and he leaned into me and said “more” wanting me to kiss him again.

The weather forecast yesterday was for snow, and then they changed it to flurries, but we decided to come home last night just in case.  It was a lovely drive home, a bright, moonlit night, and the snow and ice on the trees just glistened.  We played The Fresh Marked cd that I talked about in an earlier post, if you ever find one on ebay, I suggest you snap it up if you’re a fan of classical music.  It’s one of those cd’s that you can listen to over and over, barely recognizing that it’s playing, but it’s uplifting music that’s good for the soul, and our time on the road (3 hours+) went quickly.

We’re glad that we made the drive, because we got an inch or so of snow last night, and it’s snowing this morning, it would have been a slick drive had we waited until today.

So life goes back to normal for us, but with such good memories of time spent with a precious little boy at such a special age.  Life is good, I’m so blessed...

Abby is at Disney

Princess Abby is having a blast!!!!

 

 

Meanwhile,  back at the ranch, we had an ice storm last night and a power outage for a few hours.  Ben is being an absolute joy, though, he’s such a good little boy, we’re having a really good time taking care of him.  

Grammie is tired of hearing herself complain about the weather, though, as is everybody else.  But darn, this is absolutely awful!  Even my friend, Jean, who loves snow and loves cold weather is over it.  C’mon spring!!!!!!

 

 

California Dreamin'

 

I’ve been humming this all morning as we face yet another significant snowfall.  It’s an oldie but goodie.  Always one of my favorite songs...

Here’s the lyrics, if you want to sing along...

All the leaves are brown
(All the leaves are brown)
And the sky is gray
(And the sky is gray)
I've been for a walk
(I've been for a walk)
On a winter's day
(On a winter's day)

I'd be safe and warm
(I'd be safe and warm)
If I was in L.A
(If I was in L.A.)
California dreamin'
(California dreamin') on such a winter's day

Stopped in to a church I passed along the way
Well I got down on my knees
(got down on my knees)
And I pretend to pray
(I pretend to pray)
You know the preacher likes the cold
(preacher likes the cold)
He knows I'm gonna stay
(knows I'm gonna stay)
California dreamin'
(California dreamin') on such a winter's day

{Bridge}

All the leaves are brown
(All the leaves are brown)
And the sky is gray
(And the sky is gray)
I've been for a walk
(I've been for a walk)
On a winter's day
(On a winter's day)

If I didn't tell her
(If I didn't tell her)
I could leave today
(I could leave today)
California dreamin' (California dreamin') on such a winter's day
California dreamin' on such a winter's day
California dreamin' on such a winter's day

The Purina Dog Food Diet

My friend, Barb, sent me this, it’s so funny, just had to share...

Yesterday I was at Sam's Club, buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Owen , the Wonder Dog and was in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog. What did she think I had an elephant?

So because I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse, I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a Perfect Diet and that the way that it works is, to load your pants pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete, (certified), so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care, because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I had stopped to pee on a fire hydrant and a car hit me.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard. Sam's Club won't let me shop there anymore.

Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say.

I love The Fresh Market...

Oh, I really enjoy shopping in this store, it really is special.  Lindsay and Ryan have been shopping at The Fresh Market for years, and while I always enjoyed the ambiance, I was appalled at the prices.  

Then The Fresh Market came to Heavensville, and still I didn’t shop there until a few months ago.  Sometimes it takes me awhile, I should have just listened to the kids in the first place.  They kept telling me about their weekly specials, so I signed up for the newsletter and finally got onboard.  I’ve found the meat to be so much better than other grocery stores, and I really do stock up when things are on their Tuesday and weekend sales.  We were shopping Tuesday, hubby was at the meat counter, some lady was buying 30 lbs. of ground chuck in 1 lb.  individual packages.  Obviously there must be no limit.  My favorite food of choice is the Applewood Smoked Bacon.  It’s so good and so expensive, $10 a pound, but every couple of months they have a buy one get one free.  So I buy in quantity, not 30 lbs.:o) but I do buy several packages and freeze it.  I’ve found this to be an acquired taste, this really smoky bacon,  Ryan fixed it for me in the past and I didn’t care for it, but now it’s one of my favorite foods.  I’m such a baconaholic, and living the low carb lifestyle allows me to eat it almost daily.  Yep, I eat it almost every day, I love it that much.  I doubt if I ever quit eating low carb, seriously, just because I wouldn’t be able to have my daily bacon infusement.  Carbs + bacon = major weight gain, unfortunately.

But back to The Fresh Market, I find things there I can’t find elsewhere, and this week it finally dawned on me why I like it so much.  When John lived in Dayton he was just a couple of blocks away from Dorothy Lane Market, which is the most fascinating grocery store I’ve ever been in.  It’s an old store, with brick walls and scarred wood floors, and like Fresh Market they have wonderful treasures not found in conventional markets.  That was always one of the highlights of visiting Dayton, going to Dorothy Lane Market.  

Well, The Fresh Market is very similar.  It’s new, but made to look quaint, and the very best part is the soft upbeat classical music they play while you shop, just like they do at Dorothy Lane.

See what I mean, Fresh Market is very similar to this photo of Dorothy Lane, it’s the quintessential foodie market.

And being the investigative junkie that I am, liking nothing better than scouting out things on the internet. I came home this week from shopping at TFM and searched the net until I found The Fresh Market CD.  I’m thinking that this was not something that was available to the general public, but a CD that they sent to stores because I searched thoroughly and only found one copy of this anywhere online.  It has their logo on it, says established in 1982 and has a listing of classical  music.  And yep, it’s winging it’s way to Heavensville as we speak.  I’m absolutely estatic.  I know, I’m a goober, but I’m so thrilled.  Let’s hope it’s a goodie.  The price was a goodie, too, I got it for $8!

Whoohoooooo!!!!!!

Budweiser Super Bowl Commercial, Puppy Love

 

Oh my, another one that tugs at the heart strings.  Has to be women who write these commercials, has to be…   

What is the best way to sneeze?

 

The answer may surprise you.  I watched this on World News last night, good information now that we are in the height of cold and flu season.  I know I just cringe every time I’m out and somebody in my proximity sneezes.  If you think your best defense is sneezing into your elbow, think again….

Olivia Newton John is looking older...

 

She’s 65 and looks it, and its kind of refreshing, isn’t it?  We’re so used to seeing celebrities with trout lips and stretched skin, it’s nice to see somebody famous that looks their age.  Makes us realize that we’re not alone on this road we all travel to old(er) age.  I think she looks great...

I'm such a fan of morning routine...

 Every morning I get up, come to the sunroom with my morning coffee, turn on NPR, sit and look outside, watching the birds, the horses in the pasture, enjoying the serenity of country life, while catching up on emails.  I love NPR, I’ve been a fan forever, not buying into all of the left leaning that it supposedly has, I just like the news, the familiar voices, I’m a creature of habit.  I don’t want to talk, I don’t want to leave the house, I just want to be quiet and slowly wake up to the day.

So here I sit, listening to the wind chimes, as it’s a blustery winter day yet again, enjoying the familiar voices on NPR, smiling at Maggie as she does her morning stretches at my feet, it’s just the best, my morning routine...

Miss A has many talents...

Our precocious little four year old, now that she has taught herself to read, has apparently figured out the remote. Below is Lindsay’s Facebook post from yesterday.  Ryan told me about her doing this as well, sometimes she just amazes us...

I always thought Ry being in control of the remote was a test of patience. I have discovered it to be nothing in comparison to the power hungry ADD that is Miss A with the remote. She took it upon herself yesterday to teach herself how to use it. Telling me what the buttons say, then pushing them so she could understand their functions. By midday, she was recording her shows and canceling Ry's shows that were in her way. Then going through the DVR and scrolling till she found what she was looking for.

It would have been cute and impressive had she not pointed out to me, several times, that she had to learn how to do it because I don't pay attention like I should and she doesn't want to watch non-Abby shows. 

How about a smile this morning....

 

Yep, more snow in Heavensville last night, just a skiff as mom used to say.  I saw this picture on Facebook this morning, its ’s funny, just had to share….

Charlie and Jackie

 

These two are smooth.  They’ve been dancing together for thirty years...

Putting a little joy in this cold winter day...

My friend, Trish, took the  picture of this little Titmouse sitting on a tree branch by her front window today.  Doesn’t it just make you smile, looking at that sweet little face.  And yes, she’s feeding him...

The Vermont Country Store

I talk about this site so often, but it’s such a nostalgia rush, going there takes me back to a simpler time.

I was browsing their online catalog yesterday, talk about a blast from the past, I didn’t even know you could buy this stuff anymore.  

Here’s their link if you want to see more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Country Roads

 

Humor me, let me pretend it’s  a warm spring day, driving through the country, the top down, with a bag of Cheetos, an icy soda and Maggie in my lap.  Could it really get any better????

 

 

And a little John Denver to help get me there…. 

 

The Captain and Tennille are getting a divorce!!!

 

Awwwwww, say it ain’t so, they’ve been married for thirty-nine years.  Guess love didn’t keep them together after all...

 

One picture is worth a thousand words...

I was going through pictures, found this one of Maggie from last fall when we were in Gatlinburg.  She  . is .  just . so  . darned  . cute!

A new kitchen treasure this morning...

If you’re a regular reader, you know that there is nothing that hubby loves more than a tag sale or an auction, both of which I’m not a fan, but the man does bring me home good stuff.  

Last night, despite the fact that it was colder than a well digger’s butt in Heavensille, he went to the auction and came home with this vintage orange-red topped dispenser.  It must have been made for sugar, because when you flip the top, it has a little round hole you pour out of.  It was new, still had the yellowed product information sheet inside, and I would guess it’s circa 1950’s.

It’s now sitting on my bar next to my rooster napkin holder that he bought for 50 cents.  I whitewashed it, sanded it, and voila, it’s a goodie.  And the cost of last night’s find - $2.00.  I was a happy camper when he came carrying this inside. 

The salt and pepper shakers are from Decor Steals, not a deal, but still inexpensive, I think I paid $20, but it was one of those things I had to have because there is nothing better than any kind of mason jar in my opinion.  Oh, I do love kitchen  gadgets, and this was a really good one.  It’s all gassed up and ready to go after I washed it and filled it with Swerve Sweetner.  It’s a good thing...

Remember how much fun it was going out in the snow when you were a kid?

 

Lindsay bundled Abby up and Ry took her out to play in the snow this afternoon.  Daddy was so cold, but Abby insisted she wasn’t cold at all.  Oh, I remember those days, giggling, happy little boys coming inside smelling like fresh air, all smiles with little red cheeks ready for an afternoon snack.  Sure takes me back...

Guess what, it snowed AGAIN

 

I’m trying really hard to make lemonade out of a lemon day here.  Really hard...

Amazing what a good blow dry does for a girl...

 

 

It was bath day yesterday at our house and Mags was looking pretty scruffy.  She’s a little trooper though, so patient when I comb the snarls out.  She’s all clean, getting ready to dry her in this picture, and she’s looking a little rough at this point.

 

 

She’s dry now, that topknot is pretty wild.

 

 

And just look at her now, sweet little dog.  Yeah, I know, she’s gorgeous.  Isn’t it awesome what a good hair day does for a little girl dog...

 

 

 

I seriously HATE winter...

Okay, so by last night I had worked myself into a tizzy.  LC was happily enconsed in the den watching hour after hour of the Barrett Jackon car auction, only surfacing long enough to tell me some ridiculously crazy price that was being paid for some stupid car that I had no interest in.

Meanwhile, I was bored to distraction, I was tired of the computer, it was grey, gloomy and damp outside, I finally settled down to watch Orange is the New Black on Netflix, was just getting interested when it stopped and I got an error message on my television that it wasn’t available at the moment.  Probably because so many other people were bored that they overloaded Netflix looking for something to do as well.

So then I went on Facebook, p*ssing and moaning about how much I hate winter, and warning the Snowbirds to shut their mouths about being in a warmer climate, got lots of sympathetic responses, too.  I think everybody has had it with this gawdawful winter.  I  look outside and the snow is pelting down, I can’t face cooking one more lowcarb meal, so I go into the den, sit down and pout!

HUBBY TO THE RESCUE.  He said, “I’ll just record the auction, let’s just go out to dinner, and forget low carb tonight.”  Well I was onboard with that and we were out of the house in a New Yawk minute headed to Deerhead, our favorite haunt.  Apparently everybody else in Heavensville was escaping their houses, too because the place was packed and we managed to snag the last table.

After consuming an entire sausage pizza, it was a small one, but still…  I was in a carb enduced coma, and felt so much better.  We were having such a good time that we decided to go to the movie.  Not much was on that interested us, I wasn’t into action, adventure or black comedies, but Last Vegas was playing at the second run theater, it was old guys, so we decided to give it a go.

Oh my, I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been stuck in this house so much, or if the movie was really that good, but we, along with the rest of the audience were absolutely howling with laughter.  Robert  Deniro, pretty boy Michael Douglas (who his friends called Hazelnut due to his fake tan and dyed hair) Kevin Kline and Morgan Freeman, who still has it, his scene on the dance floor in his red suit was so good!    And the love interest, Mary Steenburgen, who looked amazing, and who i’m convinced had hair extensions, oh, she was so good in this movie, too, it was perfectly cast!

Rotten Tomatoes didn’t particularly like the film, but looking at the pictures of the 20-30 something reviewers, I don’t take much stock in what they said.  I thought it was funny and entertaining, everything a movie should be.  And the best part, my  mood is much improved.  Maybe I just need to eat pizza and watch movies every day until spring.  Here’s the trailer, this movie was such a good time...

 

Masculine Moments...

 

Men are soooo stupid!  My friend Barb sent me this, it’s so funny, you will love it...

Snowbirds

I’ve never been one of those people who wants to go away for the winter.  I’m a homebody, I just like my little nest, but after this gawdawful winter, I’m rethinking it.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to go to Florida for January and February and then I can post about how warm it is when everybody else is freezing their butts off.  Ya think?

I’ll let you know more next January...

Uppiesbeads59 Husband Tag

 

 

Crazy Miss Tammy, my favorite YouTube personality interviewed her husband yesterday.  It will give you smiles this morning, and we all need that on a cold, snowy January day.  Just wish she would show his face, but it isn’t going to happen.  *sigh*

Enjoy!  ~ Jan

A Russian Mother Takes Magical Pictures of her Kids and Animals

 

 

 

These are some of the most stunning photographs I’ve ever seen, but this is just a sample.   Take a few minutes, click on this link and just enjoy the magic this woman creates with her camera.

One of the best links I’ve ever shared...

Kitten Plays Computer on The Tonight Show

 

How can you not think this is just hilarious...

Hoover the Kitty Gives Baby a Bath...

 

 

I think this is adorable, but then I’m an animal lover.  If you don’t like cats, you will be going ewwwwww, but this is such a sweet little kitty, just doing what comes naturally to cats, washing somebody that he apparently loves.

Diane Keaton Golden Globe Appearance vs. Photoshopped L'Oreal Commercial

 

These pictures have exploded on the internet this week.  All the hubba hubba is over the L’Oreal commercial that ran immediately following Diane Keaton’s live onstage appearance.  Twitter was on fire with people talking about how she looks in real life versus the air brushed version of herself in the L’Oreal commercial.

I’ve said many times, there is nothing wrong with aging and looking your age, but I feel so sorry for older women in the public eye who have to constantly struggle to look artificially younger.  Sure she looks amazing and more like 40 than her true age of 68 in the commercials, but it isn’t real life..  And shame on these companies for women not being “good enough” as they are to sell their products.  Do we really buy products thinking that we will magically turn back the hands of time and look young again?  We’re not that stupid, we’re savvy women, we know that we can’t stop the powerful force that is Mother Nature.

Just my two cents worth this morning,  Let us grow old as gracefully as we can, don’t continue to exploit us with this unnatural photoshopping nonsense.  It certainly doesn’t want me to rush out to buy what companies that photoshop their ads are trying to sell us..

Renovating an Old House in Upstate New York

 

Before

 

After

Isn’t this amazing?  This was on Country Living’s site today, click here to access the slide show of the interior.  What an amazing transformation...

The Grands on their way to school this morning...

 

 

 

Pretty adorable, huh...

Updates

The new projection clock I blogged about last week arrived, and it’s a hit!

I was worried that the display would be too bright, as some of the commenters complained about that, but it’s not, it’s perfect.  Want to spend $29 for a super gadget?  Here’s the link, go for it!

 

I also made a low carb lasagna that I posted on Jan CAN Cook Low Carb, and it’s one of the best low carb dishes I’ve ever made.  Here’s the link, totally yummy!