snow

I took this picture tonite with the snow still coming down.. they say we can get another 3" by tomorrow. We have about 8" now.
John and Mandy had a time spinning out the driveway tonite to go to work. How grateful I am that I don't have to go out in this .. I canceled my dental appointment for this afternoon when the snow got heavy.
We have one of the best neighbors anyone could have- Nick. He just comes with his truck with the plow on the front and plows out the driveway. We need not ask.. he just does it, and never takes a penny for it. I've given them cheesecake and cream puffs in the past to try to repay for the kindness, but it is never enough.. we can't repay this act of generosity.

SURPRISE VISITOR

I feel like celebrating! Today is the last day of February and we have survived it all again. Tomorrow starts March and the beginnings of spring.. oh, how I LOVE spring! It's my favorite season of the year.. The winter passes away and new life becomes apparent. It's a glorious time of year.
It's 7 degrees tonite but by the weekend, temperatures will be on the rise. HOORAY!!!!

Thursday was a super good day in the office. I did spend longer than I wanted and was really tired /exhausted when I got home. I'd been up since 1am and finally layed down at 7:30pm.. and remembered nothing more till now.
I thank you for praying. All 10 of my patients did very well yesterday without any untoward events.. and everyone got 1 jag with the needle! Woohoo!
After I went to bed, more good news came in. Wendell's sister Joy, for whom we requested your prayers, had a good report. Well, a good report considering what we were anticipating. She is going to have disk surgery on her back in the near future. She should be in pretty good shape after.
I had an email from Jill who reports NO cancer cells in Dave's liver biopsy.. this is very good news.. it's now confirmed.
Mac had surgery this past week and the report is also positive..
Sandi reports her boss is doing well after his surgery this week also.
These reports are so uplifting. Thank the Lord for his continued mercy, and keep praying!

IT'S OFFICE DAY AGAIN

Tomorrow is the last day of February which is the ultimate worst winter month we have. Let's hope in the next few weeks things will improve and the dirty white will be replaced with the fresh green of SPRING! Oh..how I love spring!!!!

Today is office day and as per usual, I ask you all to pray for my patients for no unexpected reactions and for myself for the skills I need to be 'on target' every time.


Remember Mac as he recovers from surgery, and Sandi's boss too.
Dave, Nicki, and Barb for their various medical problems.
For Don, Shirley, and those who care for these friends/family
For Sandi, Wendell who has been feeling under the weather..
Thank the Lord for his mercy toward us.. for providing our needs daily.

And please pray for a more than wonderful turnout for the benefit barbecue for Barb. She is in need of a special van to transport her since she is now at home. These vans are very expensive.

For world and national leaders.. for hearts open to hear the gospel message of Christ.

Politics

Jane has a new blog.. take a look at HERE I STAND. A Christian view of politics starts off..

Waiting for spring here.. It's still snowing.. there's a good 5" out there. So happy to be retired. Have I mentioned that lately? The snow seems awfully deep outside, but it's cozy and warm and comfortable here at home. I'm so much more relaxed.
The longing for a change in seasons has begun.. for spring in particular so I can be outside whenever my heart desires. It is a beautiful day here.. just cold- 18 degrees and going to be 9 tonite. Brrrrrrr....
I should go outside and clean off my car, but it'll all be back in the morning anyway. It's a hard task for me to do, so I'll just do it once in the morning.
Last night I put a couple of inches on Isaac's patriotic afghan while I relaxed on my bed while watching 2 movies.. this could become a bad habit. I watched The Bourne Conspiracy and The Bourne Supremacy.
Wendell isn't feeling tip top.. he started last night by not feeling well. He's spent more time than usual in bed today.
Gotta get some ideas for supper..

According to Jane...

In many ways my sister has always been a mentor to me. She is so efficient with words and can write an essay that holds interest to the younger and older sets alike.
Recently we had discussed the upcoming elections and Jane has expressed the views we share with an eloquence I couldn't even try to match. She has given me permission to share our views here.

OBAMA in the White House?

First of all, let’s pose the question: Would a Muslim in the White house be a bad thing, and if so, how bad would it be, and why would it be bad?

To some extent the answer to this will be subjective or construed as such and that is unavoidable, but allowable. This is still a country where we are allowed to have opinions.

We are currently at war with Islamic Terrorists. Not all Muslims are terrorists, but why would a Muslim want to be President of the USA? Could a Muslim in power be construed as a victory by the terrorists? Could a Muslim in power do damage to this country? Would a Muslim have sympathies that would prevent him from acting wholly in the interest of American citizens? These questions need to be answered before one raises the more personal questions abut Obama. Muslims do believe that you cannot forsake Islam. Those who defect are marked for death by more radical elements. There have been several Muslims on Glen Beck who have testified to this in their personal lives.Would Muslims put more pressure on Obama than on a non Muslim? If you think that a Muslim in the White House would or could pose difficulties, then it is time to look at Obama and what he believes or says he believes.

No one seems to know much about Obama personally. I first saw him give a speech at a Democratic convention and thought he was very charismatic and would likely have a long career in politics. Many commentators expressed similar thoughts.

He has talked a little about his background. His father was Muslim, but left the family when Obama was very young. He attended a Muslim school for a while and then a Catholic school. His mother believes in every religion which indicates that she was not a Christian [Christians believe that there is only one way to salvation and that is through Jesus Christ.] Obama claims to be a Christian. Claiming to be something and actually being it are not necessarily compatible. I, for instance, could claim to be 5 foot 10 inches and weigh 105 pounds, but that does not mean that I fit that picture. Some people think they are Christians because they live in America or because they have gone through all the motions of the Christian life. We can’t always know for sure whether a person in the church is saved and we have to be careful about judging in those cases. However, the book of James makes a great point. What people believe is borne out by what they do. The fruit on a tree is the best indicator of what sort of tree it is. It is important because we are cautioned by scripture to be wise and observant so that we are not easily deceived and led astray..

There are some things that ought to concern us about Obama. He gives credit for his conversion to Christianity to his minister. His minister has appeared on various talking head type shows and to me he seemed more interested in politics [very Marxist] rather than the proclamation of the Gospel. He also struck me as being radically racist. There have been many reports that he gave an award to Louis Farrakhan. These things make me wonder what sort of Christianity Obama has embraced.

The most troubling thing about Obama is that he is being hailed as a Messiah. People have been on TV claiming that he is their savior. A prominent actress said that she would do anything Obama asked of her. “I would pick up paper cups to make his way clear.” People faint when he speaks. How long will it be before he performs a miracle? [I actually heard someone ask that today.] What should a Christian do presented with such adoration?

“Messiah,” and “Savior,” are precious names to a believer. When the Apostle Paul was in such a situation he was quick to deny that he was a god. Obama, on the other hand, seems to be basking in the glory. That should be a big red flag to believers.

Obama has a wonderful way with words. His favorite words are “change,” and “hope.” He never really defines what he means by those words. He cleverly leaves it up to the individual to fill in the void. I keep wondering what he will change and what he hopes for. We are still a free people. Will he change that? I suppose he hopes he will win the election. He says he will bring the troops home. I guess what you believe about the threat of Islamic terror will come into play here. (I am sure Jeff would have plenty to say on this one. )

I have noticed that he is very skillful at working the crowd into a frenzy. He delays coming out until the crowd screams for him. He has the little political chant phrases down pat. “Yes, we can,” makes me smile. That one is right out of the Bob the Builder cartoon.

I have not attempted to answer the questions. I will leave that to you. I think there is still so little that we know about this man and the little that we do know just raises more red flags.

It's snowing here.. we are to get up to 4 more inches.. and it's beautiful outside.. It's just getting dark, and the trees are outlined by the snow that lays on it's boughs... It brought to mind:

STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING

BY Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

     My little horse must think it queer     

To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
                                  To ask if there is some mistake.     

The only other sounds the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
                              And miles to go before I sleep,      

And miles to go before I sleep.

Here is an interesting site to peruse.. you put in your politician's name, and it gives you a pretty good picture of them and how they voted on issues..
I was looking at Mr Obama.

EYE OPENERS..

Jonah Goldberg interview on Glenn Beck..

Glenn Beck website

BLOGGING

I slept poorly last night and ended up taking a nap this morning. It was the fault of a movie rental place... Wendell got a month of movies as a retirement gift, but had to choose.. so we had to fill the queue. Wendell had his 1st 3 movies chosen almost immediately.. and then the task began to choose more.... and more.. He quit after 15.. and HE went to bed with the suggestion that I choose some more to make sure there were enough. I took him seriously and started looking at all the genres that were offered, and inspected each one.. There are thousands of movies, and the thing you have to do is find the ones that are worth watching.. So I was up into the wee hours of this morning trying to fill up a queue with a personal goal of 50 movies. Not that we'll watch 50..not much chance of that.. but it means we won't run out no matter what.
I love comedies, documentaries, and family movies.. along with some drama and some thrillers.. and the musicals.. yaaaa gotta have some musicals... Oh,brother.
The first 3 movies are due to arrive tomorrow.. Tuesday.

I gave up on television a long time ago.. didn't have time for it, but even more, I find that there is nothing edifying on the tube. Another thing that bothers me is that one becomes numb to the violence on tv... Things that others watch without batting an eye, are so offensive to me that even when I do try to watch them, I find myself getting up and feeling 'dirty' and angry. These are family shows , of course.. I'm not a 'goody two shoes', I just haven't let myself get indoctrinated or brainwashed by the 'it's okay' and 'highly rated' nonsense.
I preview kids movies we show the kids or give as gifts..not because we are 'into' kids movies, but because the ratings don't tell you anything. The ratings move as people become more numb to the violence and sexual fantasies.. so that what is particularly violent and abhorrent to me, is just 'every day' viewing for kids.
My advice to parents today is to listen to the chatter on the play-stations and gameboys..not all the language and attitudes are edifying.
The news is just as bad..
I do watch an occasional movie on the VCR or DVD.. I can count the number on one hand for the past year. Recently I've viewed a few more while I crochet in the evening.
I get my news from Newsmax, Drudge, or WND.. and other places of interest.
And.. I listen to talk radio..conservative talk radio.

Well, I'm sure you all wanted to read that.. HEY! are you still awake?!

We were honored to have the grandkids here this afternoon= all 5 of them.. We played board games and I turned a Sesame Street and a Veggie Tales video on to help keep Annabelle entertained. She didn't watch much. David watched a little and played a while with the big kids, but the cardboard box was definitely an attention getter.
I have to admit, it was a delightful afternoon..
Tonite I'll plan for more sleep and maybe even sleep in.. maybe.. big snowstorm is coming our way and may dump 5" of snow on us tomorrow evening.. Glad I'm retired.

It's not that I'm so bad at taking pictures, but perhaps
taking motion pictures with a still digital camera..
I deleted a lot of my pictures today..
great ones of the little
Blair children,
and when I checked, they weren't there.

It went something like this..

"smile" says Gramma
and the children smile.
I click the shutter
and the children immediately run
to see their picture..
except they aren't in it because
they are standing beside/in front of me
waiting to see the picture..
AACCKKKK!
So I caught this precious picture of David as he moved

Relaxing with some rootbeer..mmmmm

Snow...

Today was a super day to be outside in the snow...
if you are a kid, that is.

There was icy snow on the picnic table..
It drew David and the urge was too great..
he took a lick, a bite..
Hmmm.. I remember doing that too..when I was
a child. I remember it was kinda good..

Joyce working on a fort in the front yard. .. With
the weather reports coming in every 15', there
should be another 3-5" of snow by Wednesday
afternoon.. Wet snow that will pack nicely.

Looking out the window

Hmmmm what can we do today?

I strategically placed the little chair so that Annabelle
could look out the window at the bird feeders..
which were really active today
What did she see?

MONOPOLY...

Games were on the agenda for today.. SORRY, PICTIONARY JR, and
MONOPOLY..

Gimme all your aces.. oops! wrong game.. The kids
played a number of games today while their mom
ran some errands..

Wheelin' and Dealin' Daniel..

Paul planning a purchase

Annabelle is most comfortable with her siblings,
but mostly Joyce

2 kids + 1 box =

A FUN AFTERNOON !

Where the box came from, I don't know, but
there it was and it drew Annabelle and David
like a magnet..

Examining the box... hmmm

David was a spaceman in his rocket ship
looking out the window...
Well... it looked that way...

Like a magician, David disappeared inside the box.
Where did he go?

Claiming the box as her own..

FESTIVITIES

Gramma and Annabelle..

12 adults/7 children/2 babies
We made a crowd all by ourselves.
I had the penne pasta primavera with shrimp
Wendy had the same but with chicken and portabella mushrooms
Jane had tilapia and Charlie the salmon..
Essie had a cheeseburger
Wendell had the shrimp dinner
Gayle had spaghetti and meatballs
Eli had strained baby food and diced peaches..wha?
That was just around me.. I couldn't see what others ordered

After dinner pictures..
David, Joyce, Me, Esther
I just realized how tall Joyce has grown..

AHHHH.. RETIRED

Jennifer Vulhop's Mom and Dad thank you
for the beautiful (and delicious) cake

Eli reads the menu..

A corsage ...

Wendell.. pre boutonniere

THE RUNWAY...

The restaurant we chose for our official retirement dinner was the Runway which is only about 5 minutes from home. It's a great place to eat and the food is excellent. The best part is watching the planes come and go.. even with all the snow! There weren't a lot today, but enough that the children ran to the windows to watch them.

Spa treatments.....

Gayle and Cory getting ready for the evening festivities

Joyce
The girls were treated Saturday morning to a personal spa.. Fingernails, Toenails, Foot soaks, make up and special hairdos. WOW!

Joyce has very long and beautiful hair.. This braid was spectacular!

Joyce- through the looking glass..

Gaylie's special 'do'

Another princess in the making...

Joyce's hairdo.. finished

Ready?

CEC

Friday afternoon the gang went to ChuckECheese for pizza and some fun..

ANOTHER SLEEPOVER

A sleepover at Aunt JJ's house Friday night.. I heard they decorated cookies.. and in the morning they had fresh donuts for breakfast compliments of the Zombecks.