Winter is Brutal

One of my blogger friends says she has "Seasonal Affective Disorder" and I can surely understand why. She's in Michigan, and my brother is in Minnesota so they are right in the path of every Arctic Blast that comes down into the USA. What is it they say to order a drink of whiskey?? Give me 2 fingers Sam. Well that's all the snow we had this winter and this week it's supposed to be 57 to 59 and sunny until next Sunday. Of course this is all subject to change if the Jet Stream changes directions but so far it's looking good.

I found an item on Pinterest for growing potatoes in a garbage bag if you don't have a lot of spaces for a garden. Thought I might give them a try!! It may be the only way I can manage to garden with my long hose of oxygen. I call it my short leash. I can get to the back porch but that's as far as I go unless I'm brave and take off the hose. I can usually last about an hour if I'm not walking or exerting myself.

I've been fixing up some old pictures I found and I turned some of them into Sepia's because they look so nice in a couple of kits I picked up from Studio Manu Scrapgraphics. When she has a bundle sale it's great. Anyway, some are from my wedding back in 1962 and I'm not married to him since 1976. I am pretty pleased with the "skinny me" that's in the pictures so I made them to pass on to the grandchildren. My list of favorite designers is starting to grow.

We have turned the every Thursday night potluck into a once a month potluck and those having a birthday during the month get to choose the menu.  In March it's "breakfast for dinner" and we always have a big group shot to show how we are all aging or the babies are growing up!

Here's the pages from Feb. Not all today but some.

This was Kaddie's 100th day of school so she dressed up.

Feb. pot luck was Chinese and this is Charlie & Kelin as they cook the bag of pot stickers I found at the Cash n Carry.  Yummy

Charlies two dogs. Chazz & Chazz Junior.

My daughters, Dani, Denise & Charlie when I got them Kimonos in Japan. It was a very interesting 3 years living in Japan. First year in a typical Japanese house with Tatami floors, & Shoji doors to separate the rooms. I left Mamasan with 6 large rolls of Shoji paper to repair the walls my littlest one had destroyed.

My Wedding in 1962 and for the life of me I can't remember the name of my shipmate who gave me away. We were all in the Navy then and the Navy Padre did the ceremony. 

Skinny me and the new husband.

A group shot of the Thursday nite potluck.

Another wedding picture.

My father, Harry Shirley in the group that went in for WWII from Warren, PA. Dad's DD214 reads time in Germany in 1945. He was a 'cannoneer' in a tank so he got to ride across Germany and his platoon was part of the Brigade that liberated Dok Chou (sp) Prison camp.  Something he never talked about and I never knew about till I sent for his records a few years ago.

That's about it for today.

Nasty Groundhog

Yesterday was groundhog day and by all reports on the East Coast it's going to be 6 more weeks of winter. I'm not sure if there are any climate predicting groundhogs on the West Coast but I'm hoping for an early spring and a late arriving summer. Then follow by a lengthy Fall and short Winter. I think that would be ideal. Too bad I'm not in charge of the weather.

Went in for a CT scan. Not the best of answers. Emphysema with some Bronchiolectasis (whatever that is). Interstitial Lung disease of uncertain etiology (I had to look that one up). It means they don't know what the cause of the honeycombing in the lungs. Guess I'll wait for the Pulomonolgist that I see on Thursday this week. Maybe she will have a better explanation of the pictures. I have a cd with all the pictures on it. All I can see are white spots hear and there in the lungs. Oh well, as long as I can still breathe it can't be too bad. At least I'm over the Bronchitis that started early in January and went all month long. But I did hear myself wheezing last evening so I got out the inhalers.

Thursday night is the monthly Pot Luck-birthday celebration and the Birthday Girl asked for Chinese so I went down to my favorite Cash n carry and got a large bag of pot stickers and the makings for the dipping sauce. Got a really good sized bottle of Hoisin sauce and medium quart of soy sauce. I'll probably make the sauce today and let the flavors blend together better.

Hear's some scrapbook pages that I made for the "Tiny Human" that comes to stay with me for 5 nights a week. My grand daughter works the graveyard shift at one of our hotels. It's the shift that pays more and being a single Mom she needs all the hours @ better pay that she can get. She got her daughter (our Tiny Human) an adorable hairy Chihuahua puppy. This little girl is adorable with her eyebrows that stick up and the beard that is starting. Charlie says she's homely so I'll let you decide. Personally I adore her but I love all puppies.

These are the permanent residents in our house. Chazz and Chazz Junior.

This little lady is named "Serenity" from some movie that the kids have seen. Doesn't make any sense to me but I don't go to movies much anymore.

It was Ann's birthday and the annual January Luau. Pictured is Ann with her grand daughter Amyah.

My youngest brother George with his dog "Bing". Lives in St Bonifacius, Minnesota. Lots of snow.

A picture of me on our Patio when we lived on Midway Island. The Northernmost island in the Hawaiian chain.

My oldest brother Harry (Bud), may he rest in peace.

My two oldest grandchildren. David & Bridgit (now 30 & 31).

Newly discovered picture of my father Harry Shirley during World War II. He was stationed in Germany in time for the liberation of Dok Chau prison camp. Dad got to ride across Germany in a tank as the cannoneer (got to shoot the big guns). Thank you for your service Dad. You'd be proud of Bud & me. We went Navy! 

Pretty long post. Now I'm going to check out my newest acquisition from my favorite designers. One is Happy Moments in Box by Kyra of Russian Dutch Heart Designs. and another one is Dog Lover by Raspberry Roads Designs. And I also have been picking up a new kit from Miriams Scraps and some thing from Arlene at Baby Bear Designs. These 4 lovely ladies have filled up my files so now I can create Pages. See you all later.