I've been promising myself I would blog for the past two weeks and can't seem to get at it. Couple of thoughts. I think I'm turning into our mother. I have finally taken to making a list of what is in the freezer and taping to the side of the fridge. We all remember that, don't we? My fingers on my right hand and my wrist are beginning to swell with arthritis. I go on Medicare April 1. Cocktail hour is around 3-3:30 and by 4 or so I am doing the prep work for dinner. And lastly, I have made the same recipe for pancakes MANY times, but still have to read the recipe!!

On another note, Evan was accepted to Oakland University in Rochester, MI. He missed the cut off for the winter semester so will start in the Spring. He's quite excited about this direction. He seems to think he can get a masters in mental health? in about two years. He quit his job in Lansing just before Christmas. The drive was becoming hazardous. He is now looking for something closer to home.

Nathan is going to give diving another try and has put out resumes and Bisso Marine told him to call first week in Feb. His plan is to drive to LA with one of his buddies from dive school and start looking for jobs again.

Kathy, we bought a new little convection oven that is in the laundry oven so I am using, nearly every day, the wooden tongs you gave me from Pampered Chef to retrieve the toast/bagel and bring it into the house. Great little tool.

Bob and I cleaned all the ceilings this past week with water and bleach to get the mold off. It wasn't bad, but spotty and Bob had to be up on the very tall ladder. That led to doing all the fans and many other areas we just can't reach. Took us most of two days. Then we had the carpets steam cleaned. They have not been cleaned since we have been here!! Really dirty!!

O.k. that's all for now.

Work is going well. I am only working on the weekends. Fun.

luv,

Betsy

P.S. these tomatoes are my first picking this season. The organic gardener here in Coral Bay gave me these heirloom seeds. They are delicious!!

First snow in Ohio

Hi All,

Well, the new year has arrived and all is well here. We went to some friend's house for Christmas dinner with a few other people we had not met before - turkey, yum. New year's eve and day were like any other day. I worked until 2:30 both days. "Season" is in full swing and we are quite busy at the shop and Bob Moseley - house below us - has his place nearly fully rented until May. We are managing it for him, so it keeps us busy and we like meeting all the new people. Oh, I met Robin Mead (morning show HLN) at Jolly Dog on New Year's Day. what a doll!!! Surprised she only bought a tee shirt!!

Today I'm going to apply for Medicare. Better get crackin'. Very soon now, there will be no money. Just read that over a million boomers are applying for medicare every day!! That's hard to believe.

We have about 10 tomato plants that are 6-7 feet high and pushing thru the sun shade, but I see many tomatoes. So looks like we will have a good crop.

Marilynn, did Rick get the medicare thing done?

Love to all,

betsy

Back to the simple style

First good snow of the season now. I shot a short video and here it is, just click on the photo below and the short video will play. The ground is all white now, about an hour after I shot this video.

From Drop Box

Ohio Baldwin Christmas Slide Show

Here's a link to a slide show of our Christmas

Joan Owen Christmas Card

We got a Christmas card from Joan Owen and thought you might get a kick out of the info she shared with us:

"Hi - It was great to see you again Herb and renew old memories.  It was also great to meet and talk with out Kathy.

Would you be interested in a subscription for the American Welsh newspaper Ninnau?  Of course it is all in the English language - very few of us specak Welsh in America now.

Let me know and I'll get one for you."

and she wrote inside the card ... "Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd dda"

We/you, if you're interested may be able to subscribe to Ninnau online or buy an issue or two via your Kindle?

Have a Merry Christmas, (it's Thursday afternoon and I am done for the week now) Going to have "brunch" with Stu and Sara tomorrow (Friday) and then Christmas Eve here with David and family after candlelight church service to open some gifts and have chilled shrimp / crackers & cheese / wine

Christmas morning church service then back home and David and family coming again to have a traditional Christmas ham dinner with all the trimmings.

Trying back to the "Dynamic" blog style

Just looking for something new and not so boring, so I went ahead and changed back to the "dynamic" view.  To write a new post, you should see a small "pencil" graphic in the upper right hand corner.  Click on the pencil and this will open your post composition box.

You can also click on the tabs (upper left) and change dynamically the view of the posts.  I kind of like "magazine" view myself.

Was up to 60 degrees today but rainy, now the rain has stopped and down to 34 later tonight, so I've fired up the wood stove.

Continuing to cut up, split, and stack firewood couple times/week.

Kathy's job at Rite-Aid is going well, she enjoys it and between her 16 hours/week and her school retirement, the cash income is just about the same as when she was working full time at the school.

OK, going to go watch the national news now.  Nitey-Nite for now.  Hope you don't have any problems posting with the new design.

Sad Day for Stu & Sara

Here's what Stu wrote in an email earlier today:

"I once read something to the effect that the difference in life span between dog and man is one of the cruelest inequities in life. I am more painfully aware of it today than ever. I lost my little girl, my best friend yesterday. We put Kyla to sleep. Sara and Mom and I were with her in the end. She celebrated her 13th birthday last month and had a wonderful life with us. She was deeply loved and will be deeply missed. Kyla and I lived a lifetime together, and unfortunately for me, it was her lifetime and not mine."

Little Rosie Tea Cup

Kathy found this in a junk shop in town last week.  Does this look familiar?  We're thinking it's the same (or similar) to the pattern Mom had on display on one of her end tables?

First Snow in Mount Gilead

Here's our first snow of the season, November 30, 2011 looking out the front door to the driveway and beyond (see our new flagpole out there?)