Snow Across The Plains

Did someone order snow? Well we got some here!
Between last night and today we have 6 inches of fluffy white snow on the ground.

Beneath that we have a layer of melted off snow and about 2 inches of ice that never got a chance to melt. We had to clear off the front porch twice today just so we could open the door.

Now, it is snowing harder than it has all day. We could be snowed in by morning. Yikes.

So, what else is new?

• I'm hard at work on an e-book. Nearly done!
• I cleaned up all the files on my computer -- took me over a week.
• I organized all my email accounts and folders as well
• I had a lovely visit with my father
• My ankle is broken-- a nasty fall on the ice. Yuck
  
• I've submitted a book of poems for publication

Keep warm. Keep writing. See ya soon.
I promise to visit blogs again as soon as humanly possible.

Welcome to the New Year

I watched a Harpo and Chico Marx Marathon last night to ring in the new year. I'm not one to make resolutions but I did make one this year. It has nothing to do with diet or any of the usual stuff. I need to do things to keep my concentration from getting any worse.
I have started playing word games and puzzles to help with my concentration and short term memory problems.

It took me 65 minutes to get through a Mahjong puzzle the first time. Yikes!!! The second time through it only took 48 minutes. I hope it improves each time. Real arcade has great games. I don't care for the rock 'em sock 'em type, but I do like the word puzzles and mind games. They give away free trials and about every six weeks they give away full games. Try them out.

I'm taking a break from short stories and my novel until all the holidays are over and my family visits are done. Too many breaks make concentration difficult.
My father arrives on the 9th. We had a bit of snow yesterday.... I hope he is ready for cold weather. (he is coming from Hawaii)

Snow Makes My Holidays Feel Right

I say Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. I'm a California Girl transplanted to the Midwest. I simply adore newly fallen snow and it isn't Christmas in my heart without loads of the fluffy white stuff all around. Humbug to others who disagree.
Christmas is going to be very different around my house anyhow. Most people are out hitting all the shops. Around here, I don't have two nickels to rub together. I sent out cards to people who I know are worse off than me. I'm an "Angel". I send greetings and cards out weekly to shut-ins. People who have chronic illnesses (uhhh, kinda like me) I started doing it to cheer myself up. I did it to make people smile.

I serve meals to homeless on holidays. This year, earlier in the year.... I was turned away. YOU HEARD ME RIGHT. TURNED AWAY. WHY, you ask? Well, someone at the shelter was afraid I might FALL DOWN and hurt myself. Okay, I use a cane. I am disabled. Is that any reason to tell a well-meaning volunteer to go away when they come to HELP others?
I was in shock.
I may not have two nickels to rub together, but I have always given to others. ALWAYS.
I believe in GIVING. It is the reason we have Christmas (or whatever else you may celebrate)

I have always donated and or given to:

• warm clothes and blankets to shelters
  
• toys for tots
  
• adopted a family (even it it wasn't much)from the Walmart Angel Tree
• put money in the Salvation Army Kettle

This year is the first year I haven't been able to do these things. I feel awful. It just hasn't been possible. I've barely been able to pay my own heating bills.

So, my one wish this year has been for a white Christmas when my son comes home. I know it is a hassle for some people when they travel. I know. I won't have a stack of presents under my tree. All I want for Christmas is snow, and a few days to hug my son before I have to give him back to Uncle Sam.

Technorati Tags:Christmas, snow, Giving

Missed everyone during power outage.

I'm so happy to be back in the land of the bloggers and the electronic world. I had an amazing week. Monday morning, due to a lot of wind and rain.... a small branch fell on my power lines and knocked out the main line to my house. Amidst squabbles as to whether the landlord or the electric company would be responsible for the bill, we finally got an electrician out to the house and discovered the real cause of the problem.

Three days later we finally got our electricity back. Have you ever sat around for a couple days without electricity twiddling your thumbs? Each passing moment I wanted someone to get out to my house and DO something. Once the problem got solved I plugged my trusty computer back in and found my modem had been fried in the process. GRRRRRR! So, another call to have a tech come to the house. $122.00 later and I have a new modem (which has a crummy 90 day warranty) I cannot believe they can charge that much and only guarantee it for a lousy 3 months. This puppy better last a few years!!!

I have to admit, I rely on the Internet for my freelance career so the money was well spent.

It is time to catch up on my blog reading, my tons of email and so much more. I'm just happy to be back.

Expect few changes around here!

Hold onto your hats folks. I plan to make some changes around here. After the writing conference last week, I decided it was time to present myself in a better light. The good fairy was blessed me when I wished on a star, so I purchased my domain name! (Woo Woo).


I should be switching over to the new host in the next week or so.


I also have A LOT of material to share from the workshops and chats I attended. So watch for a new LOOK! I will have lots of links to share resources etc. I will be changing to a slightly different format that I hope will be easier to browse through. :)

Linking to other writers and blogs

I've been doing my fair share of blog reading. Yep, I'm guilty. I comment on some. I'm not shy about using my identity on the web. After all, I don't expect anyone showing up at my doorstep. I haven't exactly given out my home address. I don't give out my last name and I'm polite. I believe in politeness.

Recently, I've noticed I have a few readers. I'm not even sure Google has me listed yet. (crosses fingers and wishes on every available star) I'm hoping some of you will want to LINK to my site. I've added a new widget. Go down the left side, below the Blogs I read and you will see a box where you can add your site. I will Gladly go to your site and read what you have to say. Most likely I will add you to my links and we will have increased both of our readerships.

By the way, I did have someone send me a note about the colors so I made yet another change. I hope this makes things a bit easier on the eyes. It is weird for me to get used to the links all being on the left now.

Did you know that Barbara Streisand used the F word at her concert last night? Apparently a proffessional heckler really laid it on thick about Bush and she dropped the word at him cuz' she was in the middle of a song and he hit a nerve. Here's the story!

She's on tour and she had an impersonator do a skit. I saw a bit of it on the news a few days ago, it was hilarious. Someone didn't think it was funny and she said, "Shut the (expletive) up!" drawing wild applause. "Shut up if you can't take a joke!" (direct quote from MSN News)

Oh, only Barbara.

What do we do to stop stupid people?

I am just horrified!!!! I had a VERY long day at the doctor's office today... a two hour drive both directions, totally scary news about possible liver damage and other possibilities and then they took 11 vials of blood for tests. Yep, I said 11. So, I come home and sit down to relax like the doctor told me to do. I'm drinking my water and I decide to do a little net surfin'.

Shock and horror. I found Kelly James Enger's site has been taken over by some MORON.

It doesn't actually show any pictures but it has links to offensive words. I didn't click anything because I am not that type of person. I can only imagine what would come up. I wouldn't even venture to go there in my mind. Sicko!!!!

I want to report it to Kelly or someone, I just don't know how or who. Any suggestions?

Bindi Pays Tribute to her Father Steve Irwin

We have all been saddened by the recent death of Steve Irwin the "Croc Hunter"
In the following video his eight year old daughter pays her tribute to her father.