InstaFriday #3

According to Tori atHome Away From Home:

"So I've decided to do something new on Fridays; INSTAFriday. I'm gonna use Friday to share some of the pics from my Instagram from that week for all those who don't follow me and actually care. *WINK*"

We lost power overnight on Monday. It's unusual for us to be without power for over an hour, but it stayed off from 10:30- 7:30. Not so bad considering there are still people without it.

The following pictures showed up on Instagram as a video. These are from the day after the first wave of the storm.

 The pine tree in our back yard that hasn't snapped...yet. 

I don't think I've ever seen icicles on a tree before:

Laika enjoyed the warm house.

I love watching the cardinals in the snow. (I wish I could get a decent picture!)

No school all week long.

Ash Wednesday. The best line I heard that day: Get your ash in Church!

I saw these tracks in the snow leading up to our front door. Do you have a guess as to from what kind of animal they came? Raccoon?  Rabbit?

It's been a nice week for me with finishing up Parenthood, watching the snow, and spending time with CH & YS. Time to get geared up for this coming week. Only 3 more weeks until Spring Break!

Thankful Thursday

I'm linking up with Knit by God's Hand for some things to be thankful for.

This week, I’m thankful for…

...friends who can find things to be thankful for...even in times of extreme sadness.

...a warm house...and power.

...the linemen who brave the sleet, snow, ice, and extremely cold temperatures to make sure we can be comfortable.

...a husband who will go out in the cold and de-ice my car.

...a daddy who will allow me to just sit with him...and sometimes nap in the chair while he watches the news.

...puppy dogs who help keep us warm when the power stays off all night.

...cardinals. By coming to the bird feeder, they continue to give me comfort.

...beautiful scenery. This scene was taken during my walk down to see Daddy (when I couldn't get in my car because it was iced over.)

Icy Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. When did you last have to interact, either by phone or in person, with someone in a government run agency? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the experience? (10 being fabulous and 1 being pass the Tylenol)

Yesterday morning. I had to call the electric dept. for the Small Town. I had called a couple of times and used the automated voice mail...left my name, address, and phone number. This time, I stayed on the line and actually talked to someone. I would give it a "10". We had been without power from 10:30 pm to 6:00 am (when I called). He told me that there were workers in the area trying to locate the problem. I know they have a tough job, especially when the weather is bad, and I really appreciate all of them.  Our power was on around 7:30!

2. The current governor of Wisconsin is considering a run for President next time around. Walker attended Marquette University, but never graduated. In terms of any candidate running for the office of President (not asking here if you agree or disagree with Scott Walker's politics) would the lack of a college degree influence your vote or no? Would that be a factor in your support of any candidate running for public office, even a role less weighty than President?
Wow. A governor that didn't graduate from college? That in itself is a bit surprising. I would have to listen to the candidate and make a decision after researching and listening to what he/she has to say.

3. When did you last visit a place or site named for George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, and what was that place or site?
I can't remember the last time. I probably have visited a place and just didn't realize it was named after one of them.

4. February 16th was President's Day in the US, but did you know it was also National Almond Day? I didn't think so : ) Do you like almonds? If so, what's a food/dish/recipe you enjoy that contains almonds? 

I love almonds. In just about anything. 

5.The television program Saturday Night Live celebrated it's 40th anniversary this past weekend. Were/are you a fan of the show? If so what has been your favorite (or one of your favorite) skits, sayings, or characters that came out of the program?
I never could stay up long enough to watch it...even when I was young. Chevy Chase, Dan Akroyd, Dana Carvey, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy...I could go on & on! "Land Shark" "Jane, you ignorant slut", "You look marvelous", "We need more cowbell", I could just go on & on!

6. Anything purple within ten feet of you? What is it?
I really had to look around for this one! My Nalgene water bottle is sitting next to the sink...and it's purple.

7. Back in December I asked you to submit a question for a future HP as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I grabbed this one from those entries, submitted by Zoanna who blogs over at Penchant for Pens. Thanks Zoanna!

She asks, "How often do you make your bed, and how do you like to make it-pull the covers all the way up over the pillows, tuck the covers in around the pillows, or place all the pillows on top of the covers?" 
I typically make the bed when CH & I are at the house all day alone. Our rule is: last one out of the bed has to make it. Which means, a lot of time it doesn't get made. I don't like not having the bed made...it makes me feel like the whole house needs cleaning. Pulling the covers all the way and putting all of the pillows on the covers (which CH HATES!) means the bed is made.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of the Small Town, we had a little ice storm on Monday. There are a couple of pine trees that technically aren't in our yard that have started to bend. Monday night, one of them snapped. The other day, I wondered if  it would hit the house behind us, or their shed went it goes down. Well, when it snapped, it just missed the house AND the shed. The other pine is hovering directly over a power line that runs to our next door neighbor's house. 

CH called the "city" and got someone out here a few years ago to look at them, but they didn't want to take them down. Now that 1 of them has snapped, I wonder if they will decide to go ahead and take it.

Frozen Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. It's  been said that one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. Do you think that's true? Do you find that an easy exercise most mornings? What's something positive you told yourself today? If you missed that boat, what's something positive you could tell yourself tomorrow?
I would like to think that it could change the whole day, but I'm a little skeptical about that.  I guess it's all about "attitude is everything". 

2. There will be karaoke at the next party you attend...are you in? Or will you be faking a sore throat?
That would depend on how much I've had to drink.  *wink*

3. January 29th is National Puzzle Day...what's something you've found puzzling recently?
The weather.

4.  Jigsaw, crossword, acrostic, logic, sudoku, word search...what's your favorite kind of puzzle, and when did you last work one?
I love word searches.  I have no idea when the last one I did was.

5. Recently a writer by the name of Amy Glass ruffled feathers with a post she wrote saying she looks down on young women with husbands and kids and she's not sorry. Among other things, she says women will be equal with men when we stop saying house work and real work are equally important. You can read the whole piece by clicking here.

What say you? Do you think men and women are equal in the 21st century? Why or why not?
I don't think men and women will ever be equal, and they shouldn't be.  We're not the same.  We're made differently, and I believe for a good reason.  That being said, I do think women should have equal pay!

6. What's a product you've noticed in the grocery store that you'd like to try, but haven't yet?

I forgot to answer this when I wrote the post last night, so I'll do it now:  I have no idea.

7. The author, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) was born this week in 1832 (January 27th).  Which character from his celebrated novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, would you most like to meet, and why? Here's a linkto a character list if you need help on this one. 
I don't think I've ever seen it, so I don't know the characters.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
We had quite the excitement yesterday at school.  When we went to bed Monday night, there was no mention of snow.  Tuesday morning, we had a 60% chance of it.  And we got it.  From my window at school, I could see it coming.  

Dismissal was set at 10:00, but there was a little problem:  the school is on a fairly steep, long hill, and the buses couldn't make it.  Even after salt was supposedly put on the road, it was a "no go".  Parents were parking at the bottom of the hill and walking up to get their kids; that is, those who couldn't make it up the hill in their vehicle.  I ended up leaving school at 12:25.  There were still a few kids left at school.

My usual 20 minute drive took me 45 minutes, which really isn't that bad.  My little car did great on the road:  I didn't slide once.  YS' classes were canceled, so he got home not long after I did.  Things were a huge mess down this way.  You may have seen this picture on the national news:

(for credit, click on the picture)
This was a bus from a school system just north of us, but it could have been us.  With temps expected  to be 11 this morning, there's no school...apparently anywhere in the area:

We have yet to be at school a full week since before Christmas.  Next week may be the full week!

Snow Covered Frags

~  Another day off from school.  Not because of this:

But because of this:

We got out of school early yesterday in a torrential rain.  I took the first picture when I got home.  Luckily, the pipe draining the water from the gutter & away from the house did its job, so the basement was dry.

~  Every time I saw this I had to laugh:

I think YS got just a little aggravated with me.  We live in the "city", and I work for the county schools.  It's very rare when the city schools are called off.  BTW, he doesn't have to go to school today.  The rain switched to snow literally in a minute.  Very strange, indeed.
Even the university in the "big city" where MS attends is on a delay this morning.  The South doesn't do snow & ice, y'all!

~  Over 8000 lost power in the county just north of us.  The snow is really heavy:

~  Laika had her first romp in the snow...ever.  I waited to take her out until after CH got home so he could see her first snow romp.

And then she got a little more comfortable with it:

Please excuse the word that CH said near the end (right before I said, "Baby, please".).  I guess he didn't realize I had the camera on!

~  So, today will be a day of couch-sitting, blanket-wrapped, tea-sipping, reading a book kind of day.  Oh, and I have to watch last night's "Scandal".  I chose to watch "Suits" last night.  Tough decision!

~  Have a good weekend!

Snow Miser

Y'all know the saying that if snow stays on the ground for 3 days, we're going to get it again, right?  Or is that just a "southern thing"?

This is a tree in the front yard, taken this morning.  No school again today!  YS and FES are now out for Christmas Break; I've only been to work 1 day this week.  That means that I've missed 4 meetings that will have to be rescheduled for after the break.  Unless I call the parents today and get them to come to the school tomorrow, which would mean I would have to go to my Tues/Thurs school for 2 meetings, then rush to my other school for my 9:30 walk-in student.  With it being the last day before break, it's going to be C-R-A-Z-Y.  Made even more so because we've only had school 1 day this week. 
When I let the dogs out, I made sure I was careful walking off of the back porch.  Then, there was the crunch of the grass.  Ice was covering the grass.  Our back yard is a gently slope, and I did slide a couple of times but was able to catch myself before I fell.

 Maybe if Ally wasn't such a brat and would go out, do her business, then come back in, I wouldn't have had an issue.  But, she is, and she doesn't, so I have to follow her out.  While I was out, I heard a branch fall on my next door neighbor's house.  Let's keep our fingers crossed that our power stays on!  There were 7900 people (last I heard) in the big city without power.  I don't think anybody realized it was going to be this bad! 
OS said it was 6 degrees yesterday at the university.  6 DEGREES. He was going to come in Friday since today was suppose to be the last day of finals, but, the school closed on Monday due to snow so they moved the Monday finals to Friday.  My cousin-in-law (who lives in that area) said that they got 1 1/2 inches of snow, with a nice coating of ice on top.  People are stranded all over the roads.
My car this morning:

Yesterday we had our December Speech Meeting at one of the coordinator's house.  Here's the view from her subdivision:

And a view when I was driving home (it would've been so much prettier if those power lines weren't in the way!):

If it's cold where you are, hope you have power and are able to stay in the warmth with a cup of hot cocoa!  Bundle up! 

Tuesdays Unwrapped

This post is going to be purely selfish.  This is the time of year when the temperature gauge is getting close to the century mark, and the humidity is close to matching the temperature.  It's hot down here, y'all.  And humid.  Unless you're in a pool, you're in the house.  With the air conditioner.  And the ceiling fans going.

I'm so very thankful for air conditioning.  You see, when I was growing up in this same small town, we didn't have air conditioning.  We had window & table  fans.  Did I mention it was hot?  Yep, during the summer most of my days growing up were spent at the pool.  On the weekends when daddy wasn't working, we headed up to the mountains to splash in the mountain stream.  It was so cold it would take your breath away.

After Husband & I got married, I kept the apartment cool.  I told him that as long as we had a penny in the bank, I was going to be comfortable.  (Yes, that's the princess in me coming out!)  So, not only am I thankful for air conditioning, I'm also thankful that we have a penny in the bank, and electricity to make the air conditioning work.

What small thing are you thankful for today?  Emily at chatting at the sky  is doing her weekly link-up.

Terrific Tuesday

First things first:  How 'bout those Lady Vols?

If I hear the commentators mention one more time that they were knocked out of the NCAA tournament in the first round last year, I will scream.  Let it go, already!

I saw the sweetest story on the news last night:  Servicemen who are overseas are reading to their kids via dvds.  It gives them a sense of normalcy and gives them a sense of being in their children's lives when they can't physically be there.  Then...oh no...I really didn't just see this:  the little girl (who is 2 years old) with a pacifier in her mouth talks with the paci in her mouth. Given my profession, I watch in horror.  "Take the paci away" I yell to the tv. (If you've read previous  posts, you know that I am a tv yeller.)  Then I just start shaking my head.  I'm not some heartless woman; I understand that her daddy is far away, but please take it away.  When she's awake, anyway.  (See, I'm not totally heartless!)  See for yourself:

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The little girl is absolutely adorable, but she won't be so cute when she gets older and has speech problems.  Or has a mouthful of orthodontic appliances.  Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now!

MS comes home from soccer practice last night, and is mad because it's cold outside.  (Not screaming and yelling mad, just irritated mad) I tried to tell him that it does this every year, but he's not buying it.  Like it's all my fault it's going to be cold for a couple of days.  Can anybody relate?

The school that I'm going to today always does the good stuff and has the excitement on the days I'm not there.  One of my friends is hooking me up today, though.  She saved me a piece of her Chocolate Chip Pie that she made for Monday.  Luckily she was stingy about who she shared it with!  Here's what it looks like:

Yuuummmm!  I won't have any ice cream to go with it, but I can't wait!  Isn't it great to have friends like that?