Christmas Laughs

I found this video last year and it made me smile. It might not be for everyone but I am sharing it because it made me chuckle. Enjoy!

Cat Snow Angels

Most of you who know me know that I walk my cats. For those of you who don't, yes, I walk my cats on a leash and they love it. They beg for it at the door just like a dog would (only they sound like a cat who is crying out in pain) And they even beg for it at a certain time of day. So knowing that they beg for it you can probably imagine that the change in seasons doesn't stop them one bit from wanting it. Therefore, unless it is below 20 degrees I take them out for a little while.

Recently we had our first snow of the season. You could seen the intrigue in their faces watching it come down. I bundled up and snapped on their harnesses and headed out. Though they don't last long being out in the snow, their brief period of time is pure enjoyment. Once they are out in it they jump and run and pounce. That is the best part, they crouch down as if the snow is their prey and then with each pounce makes more snow jump around and they just keep going after it. The track they leave behind is what my husband and I call Cat Snow Angels. I wish that I could video the whole thing but its hard to do with a cat on each hand pouncing in different directions.

So next time you are out in the snow just think like my cats do and see that snow as nothing but pure entertainment!

The Busy Holiday Season

In just a few hours it will be December. Can't quite believe it, but I have to say I think I am glad this year is coming to a close. I am of course thankful for the way things have turned out, but boy I am looking ahead hoping next year will be medical problem free!

Thanksgiving was very relaxing at my house. Husband had to work and with me just getting back to work it didn't make sense to make the six hour drive to So IL. So we decided to cook our own little turkey dinner and invite friends over. They brought the desert (and spirits :-) and we did the rest. My husband took care of the turkey and did a mighty fine job. Believe it or not I cooked the side dishes and they turned out pretty good! Maybe there is a cook in me yet.....We had good times well into the night and I thought it was a really great substitute for my regular family gathering.

On Black Friday I typically vow not to even attempt to go near a shopping center. This is mostly because I worked that day for almost 8 years and I vividly remember the craziness and how much I wanted out of there. But this year I decided I would just go a bit later and also head AWAY from Chicago where there are less people. This turned out to be a very good idea. I had a pleasant few hours shopping and got a large portion of my Christmas shopping completed.

Now it is on to finishing those Christmas cards, wrapping the presents and seeing how many presents I can fit in a suitcase to take home at Christmas because I am taking the train. I think there is a good chance I will be shipping some ahead of time :-)

I still have many fun activities to look forward to before the big holiday including a visit from my sister this coming weekend. It should be great fun as we are heading to downtown Chicago for some Holiday sightseeing and activities. I am just so happy I feel well enough to do it all. Ironically, the only issue I am having is sitting at work. I have to get up quite a bit more than I expected. Luckily it all works out for me, considering what I do for a living. I just figured out what accommodations I need for myself just like I do for the individuals I help at work. It's good to be Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor :-)

Never Say Never

I have been thinking about the Never Say Never saying often lately and have determined these are words to live by. I know that we tend to say never frequently as teenagers because everything you think or feel is soooo emphatic...... you feel like you will NEVER wear that outfit, you will NEVER be like your parents, you will NEVER go out with (insert appropriate boys name here). I am sure I said many of these myself. As I aged I hope that I became more aware of my "nevers" but even in my 20's I was planning everything you can imagine because I just knew it would NEVER turn out any other way. Two very prominent nevers have cropped up in my mind recently mostly because I used to feel very strongly about them. For many years I said I would NEVER live in Chicago......huh......well that didn't work it now did it! Then I also said I would NEVER have back surgery......again, not quite how it turned out. So I think what I have most learned, as I am reflecting on all my nevers, is that from now on the saying should be: Never say Never.....no I mean it really, Never-ever say Never! :-)

Boo!!!!!

Halloween

Most who know me are aware that Halloween is my favorite holiday. I just have such fond childhood memories of it I can't let go. I can't enjoy it this year quite the way I would like to with parties and dressing up, but I thought in honor of my favorite holiday it would be fitting to post a favorite cartoon. This Mickey Mouse cartoon was made in 1929 and even 80 years later I bet any kid who watches it will have a laugh. So grab some Halloween candy and prepare to be spooked - Disney style ;-)

Recovery

It has been some time since I last posted. Mostly because I didn't have much to write about. For those not in constant contact with me I had a turn for the worse with my back and ultimately needed back surgery. I just had it this past week and thankfully it seems to be going well. I have no more pain down my leg which is great. I am however quite fatigued. Seems like I can stay upright about 30 min before I feel like I really need to lay down. I guess that is to be expected. The funny thing is that when I am laying down I feel so good like I should just be able to get up and do laundry, make a meal, do the dishes etc all my normal stuff. But then then reality rears its ugly once I get up. I also believe that I need to pay close attention to how I feel when I am up because even before the surgery I felt quite good laying down but all the pain and irritation would return upon sitting standing and walking. Now it seems that when I sit I still have some kind of irritation but not like before. I know it is silly to think that after only 4 days I can expect anything better so I am actually quite happy with how it is going. I have to be sure I remember not to bend over or twist or anything else that might exercerbate it. I think the hardest part will be remembering that for 4 weeks! The good thing is my best friend and her mom got me a grabber which has proven to be invauluable for those things you forget you just might need to pick up.

I have to say one amazing thing about this unfortunate circumstance I have found myself in is the unbelievable amount of help I have received. My mother stopped everything to come stay with me for weeks while my husband was gone. My best friend and her mother drove 6 hours and took time off from work to help take care of me, my neighbors have offered help, my good friend took care of my cats for a week, my friends and family have sent cards, and prayers and well wishes over and over again and now my husband has returned and he has tried to do everything he can to make things accessible for me, cook for me, do laundry etc. It really makes you remember to cherish all the people you have in your life. Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't need unforunate circumstances to help us remember that?

Apple Fest Fun

Despite the back problems I was able to make it home for my annual visit to the Apple Festival. My home town has his festival every year and I always enjoy coming to see it. I had a full week of activities to enjoy which actually started with a trip to St. Louis to see a Cardinals game with my cousins, my uncle and my mom. It was great fun. We got really nice seats behind home plate but way up high. It was wonderful because we could see really well and we were in the shade for the entire game. Unfortunately the Cardinals lost the game but it was a fun day at the ball park for all of us. After the game my mom and I headed over to one of the casino's _ Lumiere Place It was fun. I think it is one of the best casino's in St. Louis. I did not win that night but I only lost 10 dollars so that's not too bad. Here are some photos from the game:

The view from our seats:


The crew getting ready to enjoy the game:



After enjoying the cardinals game I headed to Southern Illinois to spend the week at my parents house and enjoy the Fest. It started on Wednesday night and my mom, sister and I made sure to take my great Nephew to the fun fair so he could ride the rides. He was as excited as could be running around to ride as many rides as he could fit in. We all enjoyed typical festival food including funnel cakes, corn dogs and for the little one some cotton candy.

Here is a photo of him enjoying the rides:


Next on the agenda was something right up my alley......an 80's party!!! A friend from high school was turning 40 and decided to make it an 80s theme it worked out perfect that I was in town at just the right time so me and a friend made sure to dress the part and enjoy the fun. Boy we had a great time! I even tried to dance for a while (later on I determined that this was a mistake - may back did not approve). It was really a great time.

Here is a photo of me and Monica looking totally awesome:



Today was the big Apple Festival Parade. Everyone usually comes to my mom's house to park as we are just one block away and we can usually find a seat. Luckily we were able to get a seat but boy just by the seat of our pants. This year people were putting chairs out two and three days before the parade. It was Nuts!! My friends and family all showed up and we had room for all thank goodness. The kids especially enjoy it as there is lots of candy being thrown out. It is almost as good as halloween! Here are some pics of the parade:





It has been a great week filled with fun and I am really glad I was able to do it all even though I am still having the back pain. But I am headed home tomorrow and I think I might be ready for the rest :-)

Still here

I haven't had as much to post about these days with the back problems. I can't get out and do quite as much as usual. I am having some improvement from treatment I am receiving but it hasn't been consistent. I am not yet sure what my outcome will be but hoping for the best.

I did have some fun this past labor weekend as my parents showed up for just two nights. They had been on a trip to Niagara Falls and decided to stop by my house on the way back home. Thankfully I was scheduled for a steroid shot right when they got here which allowed me to actually enjoy going places with them. On Saturday we headed out for a day of food, museum and shopping. We started at a local history museum so my dad could find something interesting in the day. Mostly he just gathered information about the way they do things so he can take ideas back to his hobbies at the historical society. Then we decided to have some lunch at a nearby Irish Pub. Here are some pics:

Mom and dad at the pub:


me at the Pub:


My poor husband had to work and could not join us. We enjoyed the food and then headed out for some shopping. We even dropped my dad off at the movie theater so he wouldn't be bored. Mom and I headed to Geneva IL for some shopping. I introduced her to the Life is Good store we have there and I think she is a fan for life. If you have never heard of Life is Good you have to check it out. They have some the the cutest shirts and other stuff I have seen with all there products focusing on the positive things in life. Also the story of how they got started is really something. Click here to check out Life is Good if you want to know more.

After a day of shopping movies and museums we headed out for some yummy Italian dinner. I was so glad I could do all this because lately standing, walking and even sitting can be challenging. Lets hope I keep on feeling improvement!

Some improvement, but not out of the woods yet....

Just had to make a quick report on the back situation. I did have a second opinion and they suggested that maybe I try at least one epidural steriod injection to see what that would do for me. However, they also said that based on my case they might not recommend the typical three injection round since I have apparently had this for sometime now. I did get that treatment and I am having some relief but I still can't walk far. It is just so frustrating. You truly can't imagine what you take for granted until you can't do it. I am not someone who typically just sits/lays around and in the past two weeks I have had to do a lot of it. It makes you a little nuts. I stare at all the things in the house that need to be done and can't stay upright long enough to do them. The good news is I can actually sit much longer now so I am finally going back to work. I am going to see how long I can make it with this last treatment and if it doesn't help I might still have to consider surgery. That is still such a schocking thought to me. I could never have imagined I would need that. Granted I have had back problems for many years but I always thought I would just have to keep up with basic treatment for it and be okay. I guess you never know. I know it could be much worse because the surgery I might need is minor compared to some but it is still scary to even think about it.

I will keep you posted as to what happens!

Oh how life can change in the blink of an eye

Some unexpected changes have cropped up in my life recently. I hurt my back earlier in the week. I have hurt my back many times in my life and usually recover in a few days, no biggie. This was different. I have never felt so much pain before, ever. I had to go the ER as I could not walk, sit or stand. It didnt matter if I put weight on my body or not it hurt to the point of tears. The ER was not much help but shipped me out with pain meds and strict orders to follow up with my primary. As if I wouldnt be following up? Anyway, I did follow up with my primary who stated that I need to see an ortho doctor right away. I was able to get in quite quickly(amazing what phone calls from doctors can do to get you in) and they promptly had me go for an MRI. Let me step back in my story for one moment. Back in Feb I also had unusual back problems - numbness in my leg and foot. I had an MRI then and tried to follow up with an ortho doc but due to lenghty wait times for an appt and scheduling problems by the time I could see someone, I had no symptoms. I figured, whats the point? and I did not follow up further. Additionally I was having stomach issues that seemed much more pressing at the time. Back to the current story. The doctor I met with on Tues reviewed my Prior MRI and shocked me by saying "just by looking at this you were a candidate for surgery at that time" What??? I was surprised. He stated that I have a herniated disc and he suspects it is much worse now. So today I met with him to go over the results of the new MRI and as expected my case is worse. He noted all options but there are no guarantees. In fact the option with the best possible outcome is in fact surgery. Now I just have to decide. It was has been a tough year for me medically to say the least. I will seek a second opinion and make a decision as to what I will do. Honestly it seems that the options are limited mostly to surgery as currently i can't walk or stand barely at all and sitting usually hurts after just 15-30 min. Can't live or work like that.....not at my job anyway as I sit all day.

So, I say again, how how life can change in the blink of an eye......

a Trip to the Wisonsin Dells

Hubby and I made a quick, unplanned trip to the Wisonsin Dells. We fingured out he had a couple days off in a row and I felt like I could use a vacation so it seemed like the perfect time. We only went for one night but we fit in lots of fun.

As we arrived in the Dells we ate lunch at the MooseJaw Microbrewery. It was a fun place. Maybe not the best food I have had but we didn't actually have their specialty so I wouldn't rule it out. Then we headed to our hotel. We chose to stay at the hotel with the largest amount of waterparks in the entire dells area - The Wilderness Territory Let me tell you this place is amazing. It is not cheap but it has 6 total waterpark area so when you pay for your room you get them all. It is DEFINITELY kid oriented but for me that is never a problem because I am just barely an adult in heart and soul :-)So we headed straight to the waterparks when we got there. We spend some time relaxing then I left hubby to rest while I went to check out every single waterpark. I was able to try out everything I could handle (I can't ride some of the pitch black water rides) and we both had a great time. After a full day and evening of swimming we cleaned up and headed out for dinner. We ate at Sarento's Restaurant. Hubby ordered the better meal than me so we mostly ate his - ha! - he had an eggplant dish with a combo of goat cheese and marinara sauce over pasta. Man was it good. To end the night we decided to fit in some gambling at their local Casino - Ho Chunk. There are a couple of slot games that I really enjoy and one of them was good to me. We stayed there for a while and I only lost 5 bucks, not bad!!

The next day we started with Breakfast at a local restaurant - The Cheese Factory Restaurant. Okay, I can't believe I can say this but I had one of the best Breakfast meals I have had in years there. It was called Pegs Eggs. It had onions, red peppers, capers and goat cheese all sauteed together with fried eggs on top and served on a toasted croisant. I don't know what they did it it but it was sooooo good. We noticed while we were there that even Rachel Ray had been there and will be doing a show about them having one of the top five best grilled cheese sandiwiches in the nation! So if you in the Dells, I would eat there, you will be glad you did. After breakfast we headed out for a fun game of Mini-golf at the Pirates Cove Mini Golf course. It is really nice as it sits on a high cliff and there are waterfalls everywhere so you can enjoy beautiful sites and water while playing. We also hadn't played in years and had some good laughs. Next we headed to the downtown area of the Dells to check out the shops and take the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk is a nice relaxign view of the dells so if you aren't tired of walking then I recommend it. To end our day we headed to the Outlet Mall for some light shopping.

I think it is fair to say we were able to fit in ALOT of activities for only a two day trip and it was great! Here is a slideshow of our personal photos. Enjoy!

Camping

This weekend I got to enjoy one of my favorite pastimes for the first time in.....I can't even remember when! I went camping! Very few people I know these days really enjoy camping in a tent anymore so it is really hard to find someone to go with you. My husband has never done it and won't even try. But a friend of mine at work has been wanting to camp with someone as well and when her church group rented out a campsite she asked me to come. I jumped at the chance! When I was a child/teenager I spent every summer at my local girl scout camp. I had the best time and some of my fondest memories are from all those summers at camp. My friend always enjoyed camping too so off we went.

I planned most of the meals and we made sure to make some of them "cook on the fire" meals. We only stayed one night( both of us had to work late on Friday :-( ) but we made the most of it. We arrived in the morning to set up our tents. We did decide to make our lunch easy so we could enjoy the day and just had sandwiches. After lunch, we headed to the swimming area and enjoyed a nice swim. It was great! The remainder of the afternoon we chatted with others. Then it was time to get started on dinner because I made ground beef and veggies on the fire. Just like I learned in girl scouts, we cooked it on the coals and it turned out great! They had a kind of potluck dinner so we brought that and most everyone who tried it said they liked it. To end the night we of course had S'mores and good conversation.

This morning we woke up and I got right to making the fire because we were having biscuits cooked over the fire. You just wrap them on a stick and when they are done slide them off on put some butter inside - yum! We also had scrambled eggs and good camp coffee. I really enjoyed it! After breakfast everyone pretty much packed up to head home but it was a nice time.

Now if I can just find more people I know who like camping maybe I can do it more often!!

Sometimes generic is just not the same

I am back home and back to all the responsibilities that come with it. I have been running around getting things done all weekend. In my haste, I unfortunately cut my finger. Not bad, no need to be alarmed. However I realized something as I was putting on my bandage.....I didn't buy Bandaid brand and so far I have gone through numerous bandaids. I don't remember that happening when I buy Bandaid brand. Please know that I am not employed by Bandaid but I have to say there are some things that just can't be "generic" when you buy them. Right? I think I have things I can think of that I have to get the original or its just not the same. Here is a short list for entertainment:

Coke: Not to say I NEVER buy generic soda but boy can I tell the difference so really I prefer plain ole Coke

Quaker Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars: Again, I have bought Generic lots of times but I almost always wish I hadn't after I eat one. These days I stick to the brand name and spend more time enjoying my granoloa bar.

Tide: I used other brands of Detergent for years and then decided to try tide. Its really all I use now. I think part of it might be the way it smells!!

Aquafresh: This one is big to me. My teeth must be pretty sensitive because I think most other toothpastes are to strong and feel like they burn to much. I never feel that way with Aquafresh so its the only toothpaste in my cart.

I am sure there are a few more but that's all I can think of tonight. I really wish generic stuff was always the same because I am not fond of spending the extra money but hey somtimes you just gotta get what you like!!!

Party Success

So the 50th anniversary party was a success. There was good food, LOTS of family, an amazing video and a night that ended with fireworkds. Can't get much better than that! We even got the Cakes from Larry's House of Cakes - yum ! They were able to put a picture of my mom and dad right on the cake, check it out: Pretty cool!




Since there was so much family there me and my cousins take the opportunity to get our picture taken because we all have names beginning with K. Our parents got together and decided to do that, can you believe it? Anyway, We had a regular photo...:




But then there had to be a silly photo too, right?

As you can tell it was nothing but fun. It was a great celebration and it is always fun to get together with my family. I guess I am one of those rare individuals who really enjoys my family - immediate and extended. Sure they drive me crazy on occasion but for the most part it is all good!

Now the fun continues as I am still visiting with my parents and planning to head to Holiday World with my Niece and Nephew in a few days. I swear I am just as excited as a kid would be! I think it is safe to say I will never REALLY grow up

Party planning

It has been busy busy lately. I have traveled down to So Il to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary. I honestly can't believe they have been together that long. I know it sounds cliche, but I swear I just remember them celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary not that long ago. Oh how time flies. At any rate we are having a pretty big gathering and family from afar of all made their way here. My brother, sister and I have been getting all the required preparations in order. Cake ordered, food purchased and the most time consuming has been going through old pics. that part has actually been kinda fun! We have been examining all the old photos to put together a "through the years" video of them. Boy you don't realize how nice it has been to have digital until you look through hundreds and hundreds of photos from the past. We have finally finished that task and might be ready to relax and just enjoy the party tomorrow. here is one of the nice photos I found of my parents in the not so distant past. This is at my Brothers Wedding in 1993:



We did actually get to enjoy ourselves a little bit amidst all the party planning and head over to giant city lodge for a hike and some yummy fried chicken. Here is a shot of me and my niece and nephew at the top of Fat Man's squeeze (no one actually made it through :-):

Now we are off for more family fun before the BIG party tomorrow. More to come soon!!

MJ

Sad times these last few days. I think it is only appropriate to spend the day listening to a phenomenal artists contribution. If you would like to join me check out:

Michael Jackson Radio

The Exercise Sickness

Doesn't this sound like a contradiction? Apparently not for me. This phenomenon has been happening to me for some time now. You see I have never been an ongoing exerciser. However, I do seem to come ang go with it over time. So a few months pass with no exercise and then I can't take it anymore and I need to start up again. The problem is EVERY time I re-start the program I get sick. I get this super fatigue, lung congestion, coughing sick thing. It is SOOOO frustrating when you are trying to do the right thing and this just stops you in your tracks. I thought maybe I was crazy, maybe when I got this it was just conincidence. But then I googled it and sure enough I found other people who have had the same thing happen. I AM NOT CRAZY! That made me happy. So the question of course is what to do to fix it?...... From what I read you need to take vitamins when just starting out (which I never do) Get more rest than before (which has not been happening) and eat super healthy(uhhh, well that hasn't been quite what it should either) Soooo I am hoping that maybe by tomorrow I will feel like myself again and I can try all the the things suggested and keep this from happening again.

Of course the simplest way to keep it from happening might be to just keep exercising for the rest of my life.....what a concept!

Sun finally comes

When the weekend began around 5:30 or so on Friday, it didn't look so good to me. Rain in the forecast, waaaay to much work to have done before Monday comes and no specific plans. But.....thankfully things did turn around. I didn't do to much on Friday, just surfed the net and watched whatever movies were on TV. Saturday it was coldish and rainy and really I had no interest in doing much at all. I figured with it being so yucky out I would take the time get a few work items done. I am glad I got it over with because around 2:00pm the sun finally came out and then the weather was great! The perfect temp. Hubby and I decided to BBQ and eat our dinner outside. We had grilled shrimp and vegetables and I also made my new favorite salad - Feta cheese, walnut, cranberry lettuce salad with a balsamic vinagrette dressing - yum! I even made an old girl scout favorite desert - Banana Boats! This is really just a Banana with the peel left on you cut down the center of the banana long ways then stuff it with marshmellows and chocolate chips. Then you wrap it in foil and put it on the grill (or fire coals work too!) Once the banana is all charred looking it is ready! It is really yummy!


On Sunday I was out the door by 9:00am and off to a local forest preserve for a good walk. I think I made it almost 3 miles. I am trying to even run a little, but I have a ways to go before I can handle much of that yet. One thing I have to say about the Chicago suburbs is they have a TON of forest preserves. It is like little nature oasis's stuck amoung all the traffic and hustle and bustle nearby. I went to the one of the Dupage County Forest Preserves but each county has many of their own. After the walk I even went to the Gym to use the weights. I definitely got my workout in today! Since I did so much and the day was so nice out, I figured laying by the pool sounded good. Hubby joined me for this. He swam for a while and then we soaked up the sun. Our gym is so nice it felt like we were on vacation for a minute. Lastly, I made it into the hot-tub before a shower and we were off to Kohls. Both of us really needed a new pillow and Kohls had them on sale so we found just the right ones at the right price.

Now I have been enjoying just relaxing in front of the TV and just finished watching the season opener of Trueblood! Its not for everyone but boy I like vampire shows so I can't miss it.

I am hoping the coming week will provide some more sunny days because there are a few more forest preserves I would like to check out. Fingers crossed!

Fun with the girls

I had lots activity this past weekend. First my sister drove up to visit me and finally see our house. She arrived late on Thursday so we couldn't do much that night. On Friday I was able to cut out of work early so we could head to Ikea. Since she doesn't have one anywhere near her this is always a top priority to fit in on her list of things to do. She has to check to see if they have something new she just can't find near her. Then we headed over to to the Mall and checked out the Semi-Annual Sale at Bath and Body Works. I swear we were in that store forever! We found all kinds of things we loved but tried to only get the stuff we really wanted. I was quite exicted to find Molton Brown Lotion 75% off! Molton Brown is a very high end bath products line that I was lucky enough to sample when I went on a trip to England with my family. We stayed in a castle and they provided Molton Brown Products. The shower gel alone is 28 dollars so needless to say I never buy it. BUT, since it was on clearance I couldn't pass it up. Now when I put on that lotion I can remember back to my wonderful trip to England!!

On Saturday, I had lots to do around the house because I was having a girls party. This one had a theme - a Swap Party. I read about this in a magazine so I had to try it. The idea is that everyone brings a few items (or lots) that they are tired of or maybe never even really liked. Then we lay it all out and SHOP each others items. The only rule is that you bring items only in good condition. My friends showed up with lots of stuff and it was a great time! We all agreed that one person's trash was sure another person's treasure and each person ended up with some nice "new" things. It was a really fun idea and a great thing to do when money is tight!

Today my sister didn't have lots of time before she needed to head back but we made sure to fit some shopping in at the cute shops of Geneva IL and a nice lunch out.

It was a great girls weekend!!

Cats at the Crack of Dawn

I have been up for an hour now already. All thanks to my lovely cat Duncan. You see he has a ritual of coming to me in the mornings for "love time" He usually needs about 10-15 min and then he is satisfied. Normally, he comes to me as I am waking up. But this morning he WOKE me up as the sun was just rising. I tried to push him away to let him know I needed another hour or so but he wasn't having it. He just kept coming back. I really do think it is cute but man I wish I could have slept more. Since my cat so graciously woke me out of my deep sleep it was apparent that coffee was in order. That brings me to another topic......Starbucks.

This one needs a new paragraph for sure. I am nearly 99% sure I am addicted to starbucks, specifically their cafe mochas. I went out at 6:15 this morning and got my starbucks and the first drink is just soooo good. This may sound a little crazy to go out that early and get it when I can just drink coffee at home. I agree that it is but this is nothing. This past winter when we were having such terrible amounts of snow, I woke up one morning and couldn't get the starbucks out of my head. The snow plows had barely made their rounds and I kept thinking just forget it and drink regular coffee. Couldn't do it. I hopped in my car (after some significant snow shoveling of the driveway) and drove like a snail to the starbucks (thankfully it isn't more than 2 miles away) I was very happy to find that they were in fact open and was even more happy when I took my first sip. My neighbor was out shoveling his walk when I returned. He saw what I had in my hand and just shook his head and laughed. Well, I least I gave someone a laugh!

Thinking about blogging again

I have had a blog on and off for the past 4-5 years or so. It all started thanks to my sister!! Truely my main purpose is to keep my friends and family updated on my life since the all live somewhere else. Occasionally I add a little something about my opinions, thoughts on life and such, but not to often. I am definitely someone with an opinion, but for some reason the idea of having it here without the intonation and feeling you can bring by saying something I am just never sure how it will come out.

I guess I really am a little silly because the second reason I want to keep a blog is to figure out if I can change the appearance every so often. I just enjoy doing that! So we will see how this goes and If I keep it up......