Our First Blizzard

We were told this blizzard was not a bad one and, even to those of us who are inexperienced, we would agree.  The wind and snow started around 10:30 Tuesday night and it blew and snowed all day Wednesday. 

I tried to get out of the house to snap some photos but the wind was so strong and cold it kept blowing me backwards.  I was able to stand in the garage and capture a few shots of the blowing snow.

You can see how strong the wind was by looking at the flag-straight out.

Yes, the sun was shining most of the time, which was a bit strange.

Our driveway was completely blocked.  Good thing we did not have to leave the house.

Right around dusk the storm had blown its last and the snow plows hit the streets.  Our landlord sent his crew out to clear our driveway.  They push all the snow to one side and build a huge pile.

The pile is rather deep but at least we did not have to shovel to get out.

Thursday morning I headed out to capture some shots before the sun came out and everything started melting.  This shows the snow is about 8 inches deep.  I was so glad that I had on my high boots. 

My first step off the walkway.

This snow drift was created in our front yard by the wind.

I could not open the front door Wednesday and this is why.

Ice clung to the house...

and icicles to the eaves.  The only reason our icicles were not bigger is because this house is very well insulated.

Next I will share some photos from around town.  Hope you enjoyed visiting our first blizzard.

Sunday Phunnies

Martha's Way ... and Mine
Martha's way #1:
Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
The Real Women's Way:
Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake. Anyway, you're probably eating it while lying on the couch with your feet up.
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Martha's way #2:
To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
The Real Women's Way:
Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix and keep it in the pantry for up to a year.
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Martha's way #3:
When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.
The Real Women's Way:
Go to the bakery. They'll even decorate it for you.
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Martha's way #4:
If you accidentally over salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt in an instant.
The Real Women's Way:
If you over salt a dish while you are cooking, that's too darn bad. Please recite with me The Real Women's motto: I made it and you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes!
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Martha's way #5:
Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
The Real Women's Way:
The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust so I just don't do it.
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Martha's way #6:
Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
The Real Women's Way:
Take a lime, mix it with tequila, etc., chill and drink. You might still have the headache, but who cares?

A Drastic Change

I have been a housewife for over 5 years, choosing to not work outside of the home.  I have kept my small online business going (creating pioneer outfits for little girls) but for the most part my time has been my own. 

A couple weeks ago my husband's boss offered me a job.  They anticipate getting much busier this year and expect to divide my hubby's job and I would get the extra work.  We discussed the idea of me working and decided to try it, so I accepted the job.  The really good part is they did not want me to start for a few weeks, when the extra work begins.

Well, I have enjoyed my last couple weeks but my free time is about to end.  I am to start working full time on March 5th.  I approach this date with excitement and trepidation.  Excitement for the opportunity to re-enter the workforce.  Trepidation because it has been so long since I had to be at a job for 8 hours a day, I expect I will be very tired for the first few days.  My other fear is that I will not be able to do the job.  My brain has not had to do this type of detailed work in a very long time and I sure hope it is up for the task.

So as I begin this new chapter in my life, I will do it in prayer for wisdom!

Snow is On The Way

This has been a very mild winter according to all the locals in Superior, WI.

Beginning tomorrow we are expecting snow for most of next week, according to the forecasters.  We have heard expected totals of anywhere from 3-12 inches from the local forecasters.  A week of snow will be unusual for us, the most we normally see is a day.

I am looking forward to staying home most of the week and enjoying the warm house and the relaxing sight of the falling snow.  I really love having the time to relax and enjoy the beauty of God's creation.

We did wake up to snow a few days ago and everything was so beautiful.

By the time the sun came out the snow had diminished to a few flurries but the ground was well covered.  These photos were taken from our back patio.

These are from the front of the house.

Rain or shine, snow or whatever, the city services continue to run and the trash can had to go out.  Glad I have a sweet husband to take the can to the curb for me.

Notice his coat is not closed.  The temperature was in the low 20's but as long as you are not in it for a very long time, you do not feel it.  This is so unusual to cold weather in the south where the humidity is so high, anything below 32 feels like it reaches your bones.  Much nicer up here.

Hope to get more photos if the forecast proves true.  Have a warm week.

Sunday Phunnies

Husband Tech Support

Dear Tech Support:

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed that the new program began making unexpected changes to the accounting software, severely limiting access to wardrobe, flower and jewelry applications that operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0. No mention of this phenomenon was included in the product brochure.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalls many other valuable programs such as Dinner/Dancing 7.5, CruiseShip 2.3, and OperaNight 6.1 and installs new, undesirable programs such as PokerNight 1.3, SaturdayFootball 5.0, Golf 2.4 and ClutterEverywhere 4.5.

As well, Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and invariably crashes the system.

Under no circumstances will it run HouseCleaning 2.6. I've tried running Nagging 5.3, to fix Husband 1.0, but this all-purpose utility is of limited effectiveness. Can you help, please!!!!

Signed, Jane
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear Jane:

This is a very common problem women complain about, but it is mostly due to a primary misconception. Many people upgrade from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 with no idea that Boyfriend 5.0 is merely an ENTERTAINMENT package. However, Husband 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and was designed by its creator to run as few applications as possible.

Further, you cannot purge Husband 1.0 and return to Boyfriend 5.0, because Husband 1.0 is not designed to do this. Hidden operating files within your system would cause Boyfriend 5.0 to emulate Husband 1.0, so nothing is gained. It is impossible to uninstall, delete, or purge the program files from the system, once installed. Any new program files can only be installed once per year, as Husband 1.0 has severely limited memory.

Error messages are common and a normal part of Husband 1.0.

In desperation to play some of their "old time" favorite applications, or to get new applications to work, some women have tried to install Boyfriend 6.0, or Husband 2.0. However, these women end up with more problems than encountered with Husband 1.0.

Look in your manual under "Warnings: Divorce/Child Support." You will notice that this program runs very poorly, and comes bundled with HeartBreak 1.3. I recommend you keep Husband 1.0, and just learn the quirks of this strange and illogical system.

Having Husband 1.0 installed myself, I might also suggest you read the entire section regarding General Partnership Faults.

My Contribution to the Political Fanfare

ON UNEMPLOYMENT
 COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America.
 ABBOTT: Good Subject. Terrible Times. It's 9%.
 COSTELLO: That many people are out of work?
 ABBOTT: No, that's 16%.
 COSTELLO: You just said 9%.
 ABBOTT: 9% Unemployed.
 COSTELLO: Right 9% out of work.
 ABBOTT: No, that's 16%.
 COSTELLO: Okay, so it's 16% unemployed.
 ABBOTT: No, that's 9%...
 COSTELLO: WAIT A MINUTE. Is it 9% or 16%?
 ABBOTT: 9% are unemployed. 16% are out of work.
 COSTELLO: IF you are out of work you are unemployed.
 ABBOTT: No, you can't count the "Out of Work" as the unemployed. You have to look for work to be unemployed.
 COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!!
 ABBOTT: No, you miss my point.
 COSTELLO: What point?
 ABBOTT: Someone who doesn't look for work, can't be counted with those who look for work. It wouldn't be fair.
 COSTELLO: To who?
 ABBOTT: The unemployed.
 COSTELLO: But they are ALL out of work.
 ABBOTT: No, the unemployed are actively looking for work... Those who are out of
 work stopped looking. They gave up. And, if you give up, you are no longer in
 the ranks of the unemployed.
 COSTELLO: So if you're off the unemployment rolls, that would count as less unemployment?
 ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!
 COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because you don't look for work?
 ABBOTT: Absolutely it goes down. That's how you get to 9%. Otherwise, it would be 16%.
 You don't want to read about 16% unemployment do ya?
 COSTELLO: That would be frightening.
 ABBOTT: Absolutely.
 COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means they're two ways to bring down the unemployment number?
 ABBOTT: Two ways is correct.
 COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?
 ABBOTT: Correct.
 COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?
 ABBOTT: Bingo.
 COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to just stop looking for work.
 ABBOTT: Now you're thinking like an economist.
 COSTELLO: I don't even know what the heck I just said!

And now you know why the unemployment figures are improving!

Sunday Phunnies

Technology for Country Folk

Log On - Making a wood stove hot

Log Off - Too much wood on fire

Monitor - Keep'n an eye on the wood stove

Down Load - Gitten the farwood off'n the truck

Mega Hertz - When yer not keerfull gitten the farwood

Floppy Disc - Whatcha git from tryin to tote too much farwood

Ram - That thar thang what splits the farwood

Hard Drive - Gitten home in the winter time

Windows - Whut to shut when its cold outside

Screen - Whut to shut when its black fly season

Byte - Whut dem dang flys do

Chip - Munchies fer the TV

Micro Chip - Whut's in the bottom of the munchie bag

Modem - Whatcha do to the hay fields

Dot Matrix - Ole Dan Matrix's wife

Lap Top - Whar the kitty sleeps

Keyboard - Whar you hang the dang truck keys

Software - Dem dang plastic forks and knifes

Mouse - What eats the grain in the barn

Mouse Pad - That's hippie talk fer where the mouse lives

Main Frame - Holds up the barn roof

Port - Fancy flatlander wine

Enter - Notherner talk fer "C'Mon in y'all"

Click - Whut you hear when you cock yer gun

Double Click - When you cock the double barrel

Reboot - Whut you have to do right before bedtime, when you have to go to the outhouse