Today is Kakizome

Kakizome means "first writing" of the year. This is my first writing and this is my traditional writing tool. Have long ago quit using the pen... so much so that it's hard for me to even try writing that way.

These five are only a few of the turkeys visiting my backyard last year... actually December 30 last year! There were more than a dozen in this flock.

Wild life love my place! In the past year this little acre has harbored birds small and large, groundhogs, chipmunks, a few deer (including a mom and fawn together), many skunks early in the year, bunny rabbits and even a few feral cats. Remember the kittens under the back deck?

Last year was a really positive transition for me... a year of learning and adjustment... and NO, i did NOT 'grow up' yet! I don't really want to and you can't make me!

The year 2009 included:

• A new baby - great grandson Logan James, son of James & Amanda, grandson of Pam & Mike. He arrived June 16, 2009 and is perfect in every way.
• I liberated myself a bit from the cable company by getting rid of my landline telephone. My home phone for over 50 years now goes wherever i go. I use MagicJack but only because it's really really cheap and i can use it for those hopelessly long waits with service calls.
• More liberation when i purchased my own TiVo box at a really really good bargain, got rid of the cable company's box and receiving only Basic Plus television service which more than meets my needs. The TiVo works with my computers and wireless system, making it very flexible! I haven't even used all it's features yet because i don't really need them yet... maybe later.
• Learned Charter now has a cheaper high speed internet service - hi-speed lite!!! It works for me!
• Linda and i visited the girls in San Diego. Loved it! If i didn't like my current home so much i would choose San Diego as home.
• Learned i don't need a human roommate... at least for now. Moving my sister in with me didn't work out. It seems we have very little in common. Before she moved out i was feeling used and abused (mentally, not physically... but it hurts just as much.)
• Visits with my mom enhance life. About every two weeks we go grocery shopping and either lunch or dinner afterward. Her hair stylist for over 30 years is great! She now cuts my hair regularly.
• Frank has become a beautiful idealized memory. He sometimes watches over me in my dreams... and awakening reminds me that i can remember those good times but must live now.
• I joined an online People Meeting service... not once but twice (two different ones). What a farce! I'm convinced they have fulltime employees acting as shills to make us think they are for real.
• My house continues to grow into my dream home. It is a warm, comfortable environment for me and my remaining feline roommates, EllieMae, AmyLouMae, and Miss Kitty.

Life is good. Life always moves forward. I will enjoy it to the fullest with family and friends and... if i really get lucky, maybe a special friend to share some of the travel and good times i am still young and vibrant enough to enjoy.

Today is COLD!!!

...very cold. Brrrrrr!!! 18 degrees fahrenheit. It's not windy but the sun is not shining. Political idiots are meeting in Copenhagen discussing - guess what - global WARMING!!! Yeah right!

The woman heading up the meeting just quit today. The U.S. President Whatsizname, oh yeah Osama Obama something like that... is going there nearer to the end ot the thing. I guess so he can make a grand entrance and look down his big nose at everybody there while he apologizes for Americans (that would be us) just because we are Americans. That seems to be what he does best... when he's not sounding like he's still campaigning and blaming all the troubles of the world on the last administration.

I wrapped a few gifts... thought about what other few gifts i still want to buy. Maybe i'll do that tomorrow.

Meanwhile, my hands are cold as i use the keyboard on my laptop. Hmmm! there is some heat emanating from it.

I don't like winter. I don't like being by myself all the time. Maybe i should get a job???

Finally Got Out!!!

Liberated! Yeay!!!

Emilio phoned me this morning and offered to come over and get me out. While we were talking i went out to check the weather. Stuff was melting at a pretty good rate. The snowdrift by my garage had melted down to maybe only a foot, more or less. I could see it was less steep next to the road where the snowplow had piled it up. I told him i was pretty sure i could get out and he wouldn't have to drive all the way over here to clear snow for me; i'd let him know if i needed help.

Then i noticed Jack had been over sometime between dark and dawn. My recycle bin was on the deck, filled once again with the plastics and glass that got dumped last week. He had brought the garbage can from my back yard where the wind had blown it.

Life was looking better again.

Once dressed to shop, i backed my car from the garage, turned around, and drove straight up to the center of the road... Success!!! Remembering what the husband used to do in similar circumstances. i just drove back and forth from the garage to the center of the road... flattening out all that wet sloppy white stuff! Then i went shopping.

Found THE tv stand i wanted for my second living room space... on sale! Not only that but i got another 15% discount using my credit card!!! Life is good! Bought gas... another pleasant surprise. It was cheaper when i came out of the store than it was when i went in... also using the same card i got 5 cents a gallon off!!! Then i remembered i didn't get a new plastic shovel for my decks... to replace the broken one.

Went to Menard's... mostly because i had a $10 credit coupon from last summer when i bought the lawnmower and i was hoping it was still good. Turns out it was! Bought the perfect 'deck shovel' for $5.95 and a giant container of disinfectant wipes for the kitchen.... and only had to spend a bit more than $2.00 and my coupon!!!

I felt so good about my day that i cleared th entire back deck with that new shovel!!! Yup! Life is good again!

This is a B****ing Session...

I'm tired of being boxed in. My driveway is impassable. Today is warm enough that the snow is all soft and HEAVY... but not icy. I can't clean it off my decks because the plastic shovel is broken. NO Natalie, it's not your fault; it was already partly broken when you used it Friday. I suppose i could go into the garage & get the metal show shovel but that would scratch up and damage the decks.

There is still a big snowdrift about 6 feet from my garage door so if i tried to back out i'm sure i'd get stuck! The snow is heavy and i know no other woman my age who would even attempt shoveling snow. It's even too heavy to hire sombody to come and clean it up now. Maybe more will melt before the day is over.

I brought my newspaper in this morning; and the mail that has collected for a few days. Used my cane so i wouldn't fall and ruin my knees or break any bones or whatever, so of course there was a temporary traffic jam on an otherwise slow day for traffic.

I'm glad i had my Christmas spirit early because now it's all gone. At least i have decorations around the house so it LOOKS cheerful. When i went to the holiday bazaar at Leaman's i bought things for Dave, Linda, Emilio, and Mike. Oh i forgot... bought something for Patti too but she hates me so maybe i'll just keep that. When i shopped in Frankenmuth i bought something for Logan. Maybe i'm all done shopping. I'm not in the mood even if i could get out of the driveway!

I'm tired of living alone.

I'm tired of living out in the country where nobody lives. At least in the right city i could walk where i want to go. Of course i'd have to use my cane in this kind of weather. Incongruous, eh?

Maybe i just want to move to Arizona or maybe New Mexico... maybe one of the Carolinas??? Hmmm. I think i'll start looking. I shouldn't have any problem selling my house. It looks damn good!

Beanpole no more...

...but rather a well-stuffed scarecrow!

I couldn't resist. When Sharba and i visited the Dow Gardens last Tuesday, i asked her to take my pic among the scarecrows. We were there for a photo shoot... a perfect pair! We ended up spending about 4 hours wandering about.

We originally planned to hunt for the sculptures that will be auctioned off - well - today actually! Got 'caught up' in exploring the Children's Garden, where we found the scarecrows among other things, in search for Snake Creek, which i was unaware of until this week's visit. That, too, was a fantastic photo-op.

Did i mention the Rose Garden? Oh yes! I never get enough of the Dow Gardens.

Wednesday, after we had lunch with Windy, Shar dropped me off and left for home. Jacquie called me with an invite to watch a sheep shearing event! Hey! It was SO cool. I have loads of pix and will share them in another post.

Later, loves...

strange feeling...

...when you wake up in the morning, begin it like always. Turn on the TV, turn on the computer, make your morning two cups of coffee...... whoops! No TV!!! Charter Cable has a blue screen... 'You are not subscribed to this channel... blahblahblah..... if you are subscribed check your cable to see if it's unplugged......'

Hmmm! Computer is online (that's good.) Mmmmm! Coffee's done (that's good.) Uh-oh! the town siren is blowing... and blowing..... and more....... for at least 5 minutes; maybe longer. Was there a prison escape? ...a fire? .....an accident? Who knows? THERE IS NO TV!!! I hear NO fire engine or other types of sirens..... just that continual siren sound. Nobody knows what it means... Can't reach neighbor's phone (she has Charter phone & when TV is off, so is the phone! she has a new cell phone so i don't know the number yet.) Well anyway, the doors are locked.

Phoned my trusty son-in-law. He drove my daughter to work; says it's freezing rain... don't take any unnecessary chances. Thank you, SIL!!! The siren is probably something to do with an accident somewhere nearby, or a cable down somewhere..... or???

Oh yeah... i remember! i DO have a radio. Turn it on... news? It's not the same. i NEED my Fox News fix!!! TV still doesn't work. Will i be okay? Will let you know.....

Thank God the internet is working!!!

It's a New Day!!!

Hello... this is the NEW me..... the BORN AGAIN me!!! Been there; done that... loved and shared and lost and grieved. I will never forget but now i'm ready for that shiny brand new day! Wish me luck.