Spring! I think maybe!

There are signs, oh yes there are!

• Signs of Green?!! Grass.
• Robins.
• Red-wing Blackbirds.
• Crocus.
• Motorcycles. (Though that may just be the high price of gas.)
• Potholes. (Remind me to tell you my sad April Fools pothole story.)
• Home Shows.
• And the best and most promising: six day forecast of temperatures reaching highs in the 50's and 60's! YES!

maybe a little real spring???

peekingthru copy
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

it's trying! Temps in the 50's and 60's next week.

Two of my brothers

me + 1 - Me + My Brother Gary
Originally uploaded by wash52121

Yep, they are as strange as I am.

One Eye Calendar

One Eye Calendar
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

for your amusement

More Fake Spring

pinkbucket
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

pushing spring

pushingspring
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

If we can't get it here via Mother Nature, we'll just force the issue!

Unconscious Mutterings

The mutterings have been found. I got the link from Roscoe.

I say ... and you think ... ?

Stuffed :: Animal, Turkey, me when I eat too much
Gills :: Fish
Distance :: Miles
Panties :: Cotton . . . oh how prosaic
Checkered :: flag
Fill in :: the blank
Taunting :: Picking on
Diner :: Omelets, good breakfast, Mel's
Pizza :: Dominos, Bacon-cheddar-cheeseburger
Best friend :: Soul Mate

Unconscious Mutterings

Can't seem to get to them today. Checked with Roscoe, and he couldn't either. Anyone else try?

This is the Sound

of one bracket cracking. Splat! Tennessee, I'm so sad!!!

New Chocolate Treat

This year my favorite store, October Moon, carried Voges chocolate bunnies. Chocolate? Exotic? From my favorite store? All it took was putting it in the e-letter and I was there. I selected one for us to share on Easter. (At $12 each I couldn't afford six of them. Besides, they ARE solid chocolate.) I chose the Red Fire bunny, which is, and I quote:

This dark chocolate bunny charms at first bite with its flop-ears and petite pouf tail. A custom blend of dark chocolate charms your palate when juxtaposed to just the right amount of warming spice—Mexican ancho & chipotle chili peppers and Ceylon cinnamon.

It was a wonderful, unique experience. Next time I think I'll try the lemon zest and peppercorn one.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Happy Easter to those who celebrate it!

That is all.

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Money :: Can't buy me love
Unhappy :: Sad
Joking :: Joshing
Chipmunk :: Chip 'N Dale
Date :: 3/23/08
Slideshow :: Flickr!
Chicago :: Illinois, Lake Michigan
Lifetime :: Achievement
Skid row :: Bums
Edward :: the King

Spring for a Day

ispyafly
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

First day of spring was sunny and nice and we sat out on the porch and I read and the cats chased flies.

Second day of spring, we did get our snowstorm. Drove home (15 miles) on ice. Yikes!

This is why we love Michigan so much.

Do You

Stand up or sit down to put your pants/slacks on?

Notes from PT

Today was a milestone day. I started Physical Therapy. I've had a touch of "arthur-itis" for years. I've been able to stave it off with the OTC stuff and with warming stuff, but this last bout in my knee didn't want to mind very well, so I took it to the doctor. He suggested four weeks of PT, and you know, that sounded good. (Plus he gave me some arthur medicine which has helped.) So today I went for my evaluation.

A couple things I want to keep in mind:

Chairs: Make sure hips are slightly higher than knees. Makes sense, when you think about it.

Make sure hip, knee, and second toe stay in alignment. This one I have to think about.

Hurrah for MSU winning their game this afternoon, I got to see most of it. And I just saw Duke survive a very close one!

Go Green!

Happy Spring!

I asked for today off about three weeks ago, thinking I would do a little yard work, do a little Easter preparation. Well, I can do the Easter preparation just fine, but snow is in the forecast for tomorrow (perhaps 6 inches????

Dangerous Place

Seems like it would be too cold up here for Michigan to be the 10th most dangerous State. I'm going to blame it on Detroit and Flint.

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Paranormal :: Ghostbusters
Alarm :: Fire
Operative :: Agent
Changing :: Seasons . . . come on, Spring!
Framed :: Photograph
Beer :: Green!
Referral :: Lead
Unmasked :: Sharpen. Good thing to use in PS.
Movie star :: Kevin Costner
Handbook :: Girl Scout

Brackets Time!

I do mine at Yahoo!!

Yikes! Not much better at countries!

47

Harder than it Seems

30

Spotted at Skittles.

Just so you Know

DSC_0145
Originally uploaded by jsorbieus

found this in jsorbieus photo stream

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Homicide :: Detective, Murder
Divisive :: Fraction
Flash :: of light
Steaming :: boiling
Crunch :: snow
Look out! :: below!!!
Anticipating :: tax refund
Slim :: chances
Navel :: orange
Help :: SOS

So HE said that!

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.

~~Henry David Thoreau

I love fonts

and here's another marker to myself to remind me where to go.

from March 2003 The Other Side

Want to try a Scruples question? Your 18-year-old finally introduces you to the person he/she has been dating for several months. The person is 36 years old. Do you express opposition?

practicing

Trust

Bingo!

I wish I had seen this about four months ago.

Believe It Gardening

From a 2003 Mandarin post. . .

Confessions of a Seed Freak
Notice the price. Ten cents. We do everything the free, cheap, and easy way. This year, with limited mobility, we found new ways to garden.

A conversation at work...

But you can't garden.
Ah, yes we can. We use seeds. With bargain-priced grass seed and plenty of flower seeds our garden is glowing in color today (we will step outside in a minute to get a picture).

How do you garden? You can't walk.
Easy. Empty the seed onto the ground and push the seeds down with my cane or a stick.

You can't plant seeds all year.
We did.

Step outside and take a picture.
It's fun to break the rules. We already have a yard full of flowers.

Our Garden
If we had followed the seed packet instructions we wouldn't even be planting the seeds yet. Today is Friday and we sprinkle seeds just about every Friday and some days in between. Today we are planting the 10 cent packet.

Sulcated

This word came up in the daily word quiz over in things to do. I haven't a clue as to what it means?

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Chemical :: Fire
Poker :: 5-card Stud?
Federal :: Marshall
Mattress :: Bed
Who am I? :: a woman, an aunt, a photographer, a reader, a snowperson maker, a Christian, an MSU fan,
Investigation :: Crime
In good hands :: All-State? Is that the ad?
8:30 :: work or rest depending on am or pm
Creditors:: Don't want too many of those
Resource :: Natural

My 3 Nieces

My 3 daughters...
Originally uploaded by wash52121

My brother Boo's girls have all been in orchestra at various times through their high school careers. The two older ones dropped orchestra, due to conflicts with their schedules. The orchestra director asked them to return for the Festival performance, a competition where judges rate the orchestras. The Festival was last night. The girls agreed, so we were able to see all three girls perform together. A first and a last.

March 1st

Lamb or Lion?

Happy February 29!!

Happy February 29th!

After All These Years

I graduated from Michigan State University in 1973. After all these years, I get my name in the campus paper.

Moleskinerie

Be inspired.

Frozen

Frozen
Originally uploaded by smiles7

The Golden Gate Bridge has nothing on Michigan's Mackinac Bridge, and Smiles7 captures its winter beauty here. She has an awesome photostream of the real upNorth winter. Check it out!

So the Deer went South

from the south
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

I had been worried because I hadn't seen any deer this winter. No signs of them either, in the field or in the far backyard. At one point I was wondering if the abundance of turkeys in the area was forcing them out. Silly city girl.

The neighbor down the road, who also watched out for the farm, is in Florida for a couple months. I talked to him last week. He said his son had been back in to his place (which is set back of a woods) the other day, and there were 21 DEER beds running back there. They had been eating some corn that had been left standing, and some myrtle. Yesterday I walked down there myself, and couldn't believe all the deer sign. Plus, as I got to thinking, the fields around the farm were chisel plowed and limed this year. Didn't leave much flor the critters to graze on.

Whew.

Remembering Lynn

ice_2
Originally uploaded by Lynn R

Friends on the internet are no different than friends in 3-D. We laugh with them, we cry for them, and we've lost some good friends. Lynn Rockwell passed away last February. She was one of my oldest blogging buddies, and she was Always a Dreamer, right up until her passing. She loved her grandson, her daughters, and her photography. She is missed.

More links:
Mirror Project
Mirror Project - Coffee
Saying Good-Bye.
PhotoFocus.
Deviant Art.

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Protocol :: Standards
Girlfriends :: Buddies
Shoulders :: White
Coming home :: A movie with Jane Fonda and Jon Voight
Let it in :: the sunshine
Honor :: Achievement
Tyler :: Tippecanoe &
Thriller :: Michael Jackson
Angela:: Cartwright
The winner is :: Academy Awards

Winter Movies: Vantage Point

Sarah: I know he wasn't happy. That doesn't tell you much. I'd no idea how bad it was. I think he purposely wanted to cut off from all of us because he was so unhappy with where he was at.
Nick: Hm.
Karen: Is that true, Chloe? Did you feel that?
Chloe: I don't know. We had some good times. I haven't met that many happy people in my life, how do they act?
Nick: Mm hm.

Actually, the quote is from The Big Chill. Not leaping that far: William Hurt plays the president in Vantage Point, a story told several times from several points of view. Reviews were dismissive but I liked it, I really liked it. Of course, with Hurt as President, Dennis Quaid as Secret Service, how would I not like it? These are actors I've watched for over twenty-five years now.

Rating: 3/4

Winter Movies: Definitely, Maybe

Saw Definitely, Maybe, last night. It was definitely, well maybe, a good movie. It was a treatise on love, guised in the tale a father wove for his daughter of the three women he had been in love with as a younger man. Maya, the daughter, played by the perfect Amy Breslin, had to guess which one was her mother. Along the way, the father realizes that true love is about liking someone.

Score: 2/4

Winter Movies: Mad Money

Mad Money . . . a perfect heist committed by women. Interesting set of women carrying it off: Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, and Mrs. Cruise. I saw this with my friend Deb. She leaned over and whispered, "why, Katie Holmes can act!"

It was a cute movie, good to see with a friend, probably will adapt well to a television near you.

Rating: 2/4

winter horses

winter horses
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Probably in another couple of months I'll be whining that "i miss snow". Yeah, right.

Sort of right . . .

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Swiped from Kim. Thanks!

yesterday

yesterday cropped
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Saturday was a bright cold day here in mid-Michigan, with rain predicted for Sunday. Aha, I thought to myself, I should visit Amish country in the winter, before the roads became mired in mud. Amazingly, the roads were much better than they were in Lansing, where I used to live. They were evenly plowed and well packed, without being icy.

There is a little Amish gift shop on one of the back roads. I stopped there and browsed for awhile. I ended up with a book and a bonnet for Marlene, my mother's childhood doll that lives with me now.

One of the books I perused as I shopped (okay, it's a very ingrained habit of mine) was about some of the Amish ways. One of the questions was about telephone usage. It turns out that while the Amish won't have phones in their homes, they will often band together to have one in the area, in a little phone shack that they all share.

Apparently, Amish dictates aren't decided by an "ask first" mentality. When phones first came in in the '20s, they were used by the Amish. However, according to lore, a woman heard other women gossiping about her on a party line, and brought the matter to the bishop. The bishops meet to decide where the line on modern conveniences should be drawn. They decided at that time that the phone was a detriment to family life, and that it threatened their way of meeting "face-to-face" and visiting with family. Hence, the ban for phones within homes.

Cell phones are now an issue. Howard Rheingold, gives us an interesting look into the structures and reasoning of this religious sect in this article.

Winter Movies: Ever Been a Maid-of-Honor?

The heroine of 27 Dresses has been just that, 27 times! I was maid three and bridesmaid once, and have never been married, so if I thought back I could relate a bit. The movie was definitely a chick flick. Katherine Heigl fielded the role of a perennial bridal attendant fairly believably, which surprised me. James Marsden is a little cutie, and I enjoyed him much more as a reporter than I did as the goofy prince in Enchanged. Let's see, a rating? 2/4

How many times were you an attendant at a wedding? Did you enjoy it?

Movies: Bucket List

Okay, so I'm a glutton for punishment. When I was in the throes of thinking I had two weeks to live, I went to The Bucket List. However, it was a fine, life-affirming movie. I like old Jack Nicholson (wasn't much of a fan when he was younger, but he does old so vibrantly), and Morgan Freeman is always just right for me.

So: what is in your Bucket List? What would you like to accomplish before you pass on?

My Poor Spartans

Michigan State University has always dominated in basketball. This year is an exception. The latest in our trials was a loss at Indiana University, which knocked us out of the race for Big 10 champs completely. *sigh*

Go Green!

snow creatures

snow creatures
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

they're growing in my backyard!!!

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Passport :: See the world
Small world :: It's a very
Radio :: Olden times
Marine :: Corps
Wall :: Garden
Wanna be :: Tribe
Pigtails :: Ponytail
Hyphen :: break in a word
9.99 :: Why don't you just say ten dollars?
Unrated :: utoh

Videophilia?

There is a trend to spend less time in nature in this country. Is it because of higher gas prices, or because we're spending more time on the internet and playing video games?

I'm back!

Phone line problems kept me off-line for a couple of days. Apparently a snowplow caught a phone box and kaput!

Also. Bryn is back!

Reasons I Love/Hate the Groundhog

Serena had tagged me last week to post 5 reasons why I love/hate the Groundhog. Groundhogs' Day is one of those American customs that don't translate very well to other cultures. Three years ago I had done a post on groundhogs, so I'm going to reprise that post now.

Here in the States February 2 is Groundhog Day. According to custom, if a groundhog peeks out of his home on the 2nd and sees his shadow, there will be six more LONG weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, then there will be an early spring. As you can see, it's still pretty cold in my neck of the woods.

I work in Lansing, the Capital City of Michigan, and approximately 1.5 miles from the beautiful State Capitol. Lansing is a great city, but well . . . we're kind of provincial. In the sticks. In the middle of a bunch of cornfields. And that means we have some great wildlife within the city environs.

Now, if you've stopped here from time to time, you may have seen deer pictures. These are taken over on the east side of town. Closer to where I work, in fact right in the vacant lot next door, we have a different kind of wildlife. We have woodchucks, which are in the same family as groundhogs. (Some would say they're the same critter. We can debate that in the comments.)

In the spring, summer and fall we have fun spotting the animals gathering weeds and chasing each other around. (The printer is located in the room that has windows looking out on that field. Really. We're working, not goofing off. Really.) There were three at last count. There are at least two large entrances to their burrows. One is right outside the shop window, the other is farther out in the field. The woodchuck families appeared to go into hibernation sometime before Thanksgiving. In November.

Someone's Up

We had a heavy snow over a week ago, which hasn't melted. I've been keeping an eye on the woodchuck burrow, and imagine my surprise this morning when I looked out and saw what looked like an indentation in the burrow and tracks around it. Could it be? Do the groundhogs, other than Punxsutawney Phil, celebrate this day? I had to explore, of course.

We were very busy this morning as one of our staff was sick and two were at a conference, but things calmed down in the afternoon. At 3:00 p.m. I put on my boots and went out tromping in the snow.

As I neared the burrow I could see the hole that had been opened in the woodchuck home. There were many tracks around it. I became a little anxious. Would a cranky, sleepy woodchuck jump out at me?





I'm a real sissy girl sometimes, and I began to envision a snarling, bug-eyed, rabid groundhog chasing me back to the door. Bud, one of our salesmen, was watching. "Maybe it's a Wolverine," he hollered. Well, that got my back up. As we all know, I'm a true-green Spartan, and I'd never let a little old wolverine intimidate me! I plunged ahead.



My fears were all for naught though. As I approached the hole, I could see a gentle little creature standing near it, with a jaunty cap atop his head. It was our own Lansing Larry, and he decidedly DID NOT SEE his shadow! So winter, begone!

Our Hero

Lansing Larry looked a little worse for wear, and his teeth were chattering from the cold. Because he had done such a fine job of weather forecasting, we brought him inside and let him play under Dee's plant. He brought great joy and happiness to us on this, Groundhogs Day 2005.

faded heart

faded heart
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Remember your sweetie on Valentine's Day!

You have been reminded!

out to get the paper

out to get the paper
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Even going out to get the paper (that red box in the distance) can be an adventure in 40-mile-an-hour winds at 0 degrees. Ah well, I survived!

And how are you this fine Monday morning?

Sunday Report

Just saw the sun for a few minutes. That's the one good thing about bitterly cold (8F) temperatures: often the sun shows up.

Has anyone thought that Paris Hilton looks like Martha Stewart?

For anyone who plays free cell, my friend Deb is having trouble with game 617.

That's all for now!

Unconscious Mutterings

Week 262

I say ... and you think ... ?

Score :: Touchdown!
Luxurious :: Swanky
Party :: Animal
Limited edition :: Collector's Item
Security :: Social
Betty :: Apple
Under construction :: All of us
Pest :: Control, D-Con
Director :: Movie
Express :: Lane, Yourself

Oh yeah?

What obsolete skill are you?

You are 'regularly metric verse'. This can take many forms, including heroic couplets, blank verse, and other iambic pentameters, for example. It has not been used much since the nineteenth century; modern poets tend to prefer rhyme without meter, or even poetry with neither rhyme nor meter.You appreciate the beautiful things in life--the joy of music, the color of leaves falling, the rhythm of a heartbeat. You see life itself as a series of little poems. The result (or is it the cause?) is that you are pensive and often melancholy. You enjoy the company of other people, but they find you unexcitable and depressing. Your problem is that regularly metric verse has been obsolete for a long time.
Take this quiz!








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I'm In the Mood

discover what candy you are @ quiz me

Captions Game

Scott at Edge Curve is still hosting his captions game.

Do you Suffer from . . .

Disposaphobia?

shuffleboard anyone

shuffleboard anyone
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Been busy this morning, building me a shuffleboard partner. Problem is, I just looked out the window, and I think his head fell off. *sigh*

snowblown

snowblown
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Mighty snowy in these parts lately.

This was taken Wednesday evening, and we had had about 8 and a half inches of snow. A field is across from me, so there is nothing to block the wind. Everything got a good coating of white.

For Valentine's Day

Your Candy Heart Says "Hug Me"

A total sweetheart, you always have a lot of love to give out. Your heart is open to where ever love takes you! Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a surprise romantic evening that you've planned out Your flirting style: lots of listening and talking What turns you off: fighting and conflict Why you're hot: you're fearless about falling in love

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Back Warmer

Snuzzles, my black cat, has taken to sitting behind me on my office chair. It's a win win situation. He's warm, my back is warm, and he's NOT ON THE KEYBOARD, which seems to be his other favorite place in the office.

Which team?

Pats or Giants?

Unconscious Mutterings!

I say ... and you think ... ?

What women want :: Love and Respect
Epidemic :: Flu
Taxes :: Death and . . . the 2 sure things
Hello :: Greet
Confidential :: For your eyes only
Lights :: Camera, Action
Summation :: Drawing together
Hard feelings :: Resentment
Electric :: Charged
Fresh start :: Possibilites

What is it?

see, there's this door knob made of metal....

see, there's this door knob made of metal....
Originally uploaded by wash52121

How did my day start? Well, you could click through to Boo's flickr pic to see how an unnamed person fared this morning.

ESFP . . . changes are afoot

ESFP - "Entertainer". Radiates attractive warmth and optimism. Smooth, witty, charming, clever. Fun to be with. Very generous. 8.5% of the total population.

Free Jung Word Choice Test (similar to MBTI)
personality tests by similarminds.com

Pointed to a set of tests that contained this by Lori.

This bears studying. In previous tests, whether long or short versions, I ended up INFP. Has the big move to the farm made THAT much difference?

Arctic Front

Now you all know how much I love Michigan, but our weather is goofier than all get out today. Most of the day was in the 40's. That's amazingly warm for January (and thawed my dear brother's THREE skating rinks). However, in the last half hour an Arctic Front has moved in, and the temperature is plummeting to the mid-teens. Heck, Boo may have a NEW ice rink tomorrow without all the work!

Place to visit

An interesting collage website here.

I meant to add more to this as I had the day off, but then I got busy!

Finally, one I agree with

I am p Everyone loves pi _

what number are you?

this quiz by orsa

Okay, Quit Laughing!!!

How evil are you?

Kind of an Outdated Quiz

You are a very conservative and introverted person. You live in your own world and you're not very easy to approach. Which Blogging Tool Are You?

Rally of Writers

Note to self: the annual Rally of Writers is April 5.

Cold

Playing at the rentable studio in Lansing.

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Booze :: Alcohol
Counter :: Customer
Action :: Movie, Figure
Trial :: by fire
Wheelchair :: Motorized transport
1-800 :: Call Lee (a lawyer in the area. must work)
Chop :: Sticks, pork
Relatives :: Family
Bed sheets :: Flannel this time of year
Funnel :: Cake (but I've never had it)

World Class Karaoke?

I heard a radio advertisement for a downtown restaurant. Does World Class Karaoke sound right to you????

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

President :: of the United States
Stare :: glare
Embrace :: hug
Movie :: theater
Everything :: Goes
Profile :: s in Courage
Satire :: Comedy
Erratic :: that could be applied to me
Costume :: Jewelry
Secretary :: of State

Spelling Test

here.

I did miss one.

Are you Sleeping?

via Gail, an interesting reaction test.

Looking at the Computer Desk Hutch

On the left side of the hutch, there are three shelves, covered by a glass door. There are books on the bottom shelf. The first thirteen titles are:

You Can Make a Collage
The New Graphic Design School
Poetry for Dummies
Webmastering for Dummies
Networking for Dummies
Marketing Strategies for Writers
Codes and Secret Writing
A Patriot's Handbook (compiled by Caroline Kennedy)
Glacier's Grandest
How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci
Camping (my dad's book)
The Arrow Book of States (35 cents, one of the first books I bought)
Universal Principles of Design

I guess I should read them sometime, eh?

Stress Reliever

A trip over to Lake Michigan Saturday sure relieved some stress.

Ben Lomond B&W 1

Ben Lomond B&W 1
Originally uploaded by karen6977

Want to go to the mountains? Check out Karen's photo stream, featuring the mountains of Utah. Can you imagine having this in your backyard?

Unconscious Mutterings!

I say ... and you think ... ?

Dream big :: or dream small. but have a dream
Competition :: can get the juices going
Torn :: between two lovers
Modeling :: Clay
Coaster :: Roller
Slut :: Why isn't there a male word that means the equivalent?
Spread :: Bed
Amanda :: Mandy
Romance :: Novel
Paradise :: What we call the farm where I live

A Blurb on Michigan from a Campaign Article

Pre-primary polls show a close race among the three in a state that McCain, as well as Romney, can ill-afford to lose.

"The number one issue in Michigan is jobs," says Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican from the area around Lansing, who has not endorsed any of the candidates for his party's nomination. "The number two issue in Michigan is jobs. And the number three issue in Michigan is jobs."

Not a surprise.

Michigan's unemployment rate, at 7.4 percent in November, is the highest in the country by a full percentage point, and about 50 percent higher than the national average.

Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show the state shed more than 76,000 jobs in the 12 months ending in November, a period in which the national economy added 1.5 million jobs.

In a further sign of economic distress, Michigan lost population in each of the last two years, according to Census Bureau estimates, as the auto industry was struck with a series of blows.

Who 's Your Inner Sexy Cartoon Chick ?

Wilma Flintstone
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those January blues

Hi there. I suppose you notice I haven't been blogging much this week. I've always tried to keep the blog a cheerful place, and this week just hasn't been the cheeriest.

I've dreaded the 56th birthday thing. My dad died of a massive heart attack 16 days after his 56th birthday. He had a January birthday also. Our initials are the same, and I've always identified with Dad a lot. I'm shaped like his side of the family. His 56th birthday was on a Thursday, so is mine. You kinda get the drift. Dark thoughts. Sad thoughts. A bit of a depression running. However, it is a depression that can be worked through, and should start to abate in about a week, getting much better by February's approach. Also, a few sunny days wouldn't hurt.

So, the month started sad, and has taken a turn for the worse, as lay-offs and cut-backs hit with a vengeance at work this week. Five on lay-off, cutbacks in hours for another four. Sheesh. If you've heard that Michigan's economy is in the toilet . . . you've heard correctly. We were doing find until October, when the combination of the shutdown of the State for a weekend and a GM strike just seemed to tear the heart out of things.

So I've been trying to fun things to blog about, but it has been a tough battle. Maybe now that I've blogged this I can get past the block and the depression. Thanks for listening!

Christmas Tree Preference

We'll be planting trees in April. I have a question: if you have a real Christmas tree, what is your favorite type? Thanks in advance!

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Mist :: Fog
Eating :: Wayyyy tooo much!
Beacon :: Lighthouse
Speaker :: of the house
Episodes :: Television shows
Conference :: Speaker
Sneak attack :: Pearl Harbor
Medic :: Viet Nam
Web :: Spider
2008 :: The best is yet to be

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

My Christmas party that I host for family and friends was last Saturday. It was a buffet and then an afternoon of "Cut Throat Bingo". I had ten family members and six friends. One of the friends I hadn't seen in thirty years.

Anyway, because I live in a 99-year-old house . . . oh wait, this year we turn 100! . . . I try to incorporate as many old-fashioned things into my parties as I can. As part of the buffet, I had sweet and sour meatballs from this old family recipe:

2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. parsley
1 tsp galic salt
2 eggs
1/4 c. dry onion
1 c. corn flakes
1/4 c. catsup
2 lbs hamburg
salt & pepper to taste

Form meat into walnut sized balls and place into greased pan, after mixing all ingredients together.

SAUCE:
1 lb jellied cranberry sauce
1 12 oz bottle chili sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Pour over meatballs and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 10 people.

Yummy!

January Thaw coming

Heat wave coming. This will all be gone by Monday

Charlie Wilson's War

Saw it last night. I went into it unprepared. I was looking for a movie that was short. I know, I know, bad reason to pick a movie, but the roads are still icy and I wanted to be home at a reasonable hour. I knew the movie starred Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, but that wasn't a real draw. I mean, they're Hollywood darlings, and sometimes that can be kind of boring. (sheesh, i didn't realize I had a bit of rebellious streak in picking favorite actors and actresses.) Anyway, the movie has won five Golden Globe nominations, for picture, Hanks, Roberts, Philip Seymour wazziz name (and dang, is he good), and script (Aaron Sorkin, based on a biography of Charlie Wilson).

The movie's Golden Globe nomination comes in the Comedy/Musical category. That is a misnomer. The movie is funny, but is probably the most thought-provoking movie I've seen in recent years. If you get a chance, go see it!

It was a Lovely Birthday!

Happy Birthday Shirl
Originally uploaded by jsarcadia

Thank you all for your best wishes. For various reasons, this birthday had me down, but with friends like you, we made it through! On to an interesting year!

Meteor Shower Alert

Hmmm. Meteor shower tonight. I've never heard of it, the Quantradids. It's cold and clear here, so I may run out if I wake up in the middle of the night. Furnace is working all right, so I have to have SOME excuse to wander around at night!

Brrr!

Oh the weather outside is . . . cold! -5 degrees Fahrenheit last night. My furnace conked out, due to ice on the outside trap, so I had to make the midnight run to clear it. It was beautiful out! The stars were twinkling, and the trees had started to gather hoarfrost, one diamond at a time. But boy. It is cold!

Happy New Year!

oh yes. Wishing you the best, most interesting, most filled with joy year yet!

2007 in Review

January: I was still blogging at Other Side. Great-Nephew Caleb was born.

Price went up over the year. . .

Your Life Is Worth...

$427,000

How Much Is Your Life Worth?

February: Lynn Rockwell passed away. Lynn was one of my oldest blogging buddies. She had struggled with cancer, and always kept a positive attitude. She is greatly missed.

March: Moved to this blog, the New Era. Aunt N. had major surgery, but I am happy to report she is still with us. She has memory problems, but she usually still recognizes me. Spring did finally come that month. March Madness saw several of us with brackets on Yahoo. Up for it again this year?

April: April found the country stunned by the senselessness of the Virginia Tech Massacre. Easter was in April. This year, Easter is about as early as it can be (first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox).

May: brought peas in the garden and skunks in the back yard. I hosted my first of four shuffleboard parties.

will be working on this post throughout the day . . .