We still have a few icicles.. it's gonna be 15 degrees tonite and the threat of storm is not imminent. For that I am grateful. Finally we shall be able to get to church in the morning. The inch or so of snow on the car from last night either blew itself off or melted. Personally, I don't care how, but am glad it did.
Prince Caspian a la Disney.. hmmmm I like the PBS version better, but it wasn't bad. I think it's the Lucy character that bothers me. The PBS Lucy was much more believable.

Gotta get to bed.. morning comes early

Retirement anniversary

HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSARY TO ME

1 YEAR TODAY OF RETIREMENT

FROM THE HOSPITAL

Thinking spring

Trees are still coated in ice.. Wendell cleaned the car off this morning. He said there was about 2" of new snow since yesterday. It's snowing yet again and the car is looking whiter by the moment.
It's about 19 degrees at the moment and will likely be in single digits tonite.
This afternoon roads weren't very good. We had to go out, and when we returned, our road was drifting badly.. not to mention our driveway. Our neighbor ( to whom we owe so much) stopped by and plowed us out again.. the driveway was looking pretty bad. John says he has a new best friend..

Wendell and I went to see the endocrinologist today. It was a super good visit. He agreed that weight loss was needed badly and suggested thinking seriously about gastric bypass surgery. The Nephrologist had suggested this as well. Insulin is changed to much higher dosage and directions for combating complications of diabetes are in line. More testing next week will be done to determine whether he has Cushing's syndrome or not. That's an adrenal problem.

It's been a frustrating few days here. I have been missing my crochet hooks and yarn for several months and have nearly turned the house upside down searching for them. I feel the need to crochet and without any hooks or yarn.. well, I'm not going to get far.
Last night Mandy wanted me to make a BC order.. while I was looking for the order book, I stumbled over the crochet hooks and yarn. I had just purchased a new set of hooks and 3 skeins of yarn about 3 hours before. Now, THAT is annoying and frustrating, though the rest of the family just shake their heads and laugh.
On the way to the doctor today, I asked Wendell if he remembered to bring his blood sugar list for the doctor.. "Uh.. no.. I forgot". Now, the purpose of the visit was to get his diabetes under control. I won't say more about that. I had second thoughts about it and decided I'd better ask if he remembered his insulin since we were going out for breakfast..."Uh.. yes.. I have it". OKAY. Moving right along here.. we got to the restaurant and he pulled out his syringe and looked across the table at me .. "Uh.. I forgot the needle." No comments here.
The doctor did a blood sugar 2 hours later and was horrified at the 276 reading. We had to explain the situation with the insulin pen and no needle to inject it. AAACCKKK!!!!

I sure hope this weekend is better than last. The only good thing I can think of is that days are getting longer.. and it's becoming more and more apparent. It is so hard to deal with days that are night time dark at 4pm. I wouldn't do well in Alaska, no , not at all.

I hear there is another big storm coming in the next couple days.. though it's not definitely described yet. From what I've been hearing, it's to be worse than any so far and if not a blizzard, the next thing to it. Yippee. The one warning I did get tonite says there is a band of snow passing through our area which should dump another 1" on us. Yes, I just looked and yes, we are in the midst of it. Nuts.

So.. I'm going to crochet a while and watch Prince Caspian. Have a nice evening all and
THINK SPRING !!!!!!!

Oh.. brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!! I went out today to clean off the car.. it had 4" of new snow on it.. I know, I measured it. That wasn't the worst of it.. it also had over a half inch of ice clinging to it like there was no tomorrow.
It took me an hour and a half, but it's done. All clean.
Now, we have to face treacherous roads.. I'm going in for my paycheck today and have been warned by 2 people to be really really really careful..
Don't worry, I will.

What, me worry?

"So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes.
Matthew 6:25 NLT

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
Psalm 55:22 NLT

The mistrust of anxiety
Words of encouragement from the Master are always welcome.
The stresses of life come upon us and a brother or sister in Christ reminds us that He is in control.
He is sovereign, He knows when the sparrow falls, He numbers the hairs on our heads, He clothes the lilies of the field.
He says not to worry about our life, and we welcome the suggestion as an encouraging pat on the back.
But how often do we view this verse as a commandment from on high?
It may not carry the force of "Thou shalt not," and it may not have the emphasis of a "Go into all the world," but it is written as an imperative nonetheless.
"Do not," Jesus says, and Paul echoes this injunction in Philippians: "Be anxious for nothing" (4:6).
These are our liberating orders.
We are told not to do something we hate doing anyway.
Dare we suggest by our worry that some catastrophe may slip by without His notice?
No, "tragedies" befell Joseph, Moses, David, Jesus, Paul, and others, and God ordained them all for good.
All of these surely could have worried, examining their circumstances while going through them.
But looking back, we see God's perfect plan unfolding.
Therefore Jesus urges, even commands: Do not worry.

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.
CHARLES SPURGEON

adapted from At His Feet by Chris Tiegreen, Tyndale House Publishers (2003), p 40

I've updated Wendell's Family blog

I have added a number of pictures to Jemit's IMM-BEST Connection

I've posted another picture to the IMM HISTORY 101 blog.. an old school photo with Uncle Harry, Aunt Toots and Aunt Elizabeth.

Today is my little brother's birthday...
Happy Birthday Charlie!!!!

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost (1923)

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 sound's 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.

Remembering..

With a ball of White string I can do many things

Tie a bow on a gift for you
Fly a kite free

Tie a star to a tree
Strap a sling, make a ring, for a trick or two

Twist twirl and wind things
Tie up and bind things
But there are some things that string can never do...

Sting can't bind a broken heart when it's been torn apart

Mend a friendship that's almost through

Can't pull hate out
Tie up fear
Wrap a doubt
String is useless when it comes to me and you...

Find 16 books of the Bible

I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible (merely by fluke), it kept people looking so hard for the facts, and for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the names of the books were not capitalised. But now the truth finally struck home to various numbers of readers. To others, it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments to you. Yes, there will be some really difficult ones to spot. Others may require judges to help them. I will quickly admit, it usually takes a minister to find one of them. There will be loud lamentations when it is found. A little lady says she brews a cup of tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now, for there are really sixteen names of the Bible hidden in this paragraph. One preacher found fifteen books in twenty minutes, but it took him three weeks to find the sixteenth one.

Today I am thankful that I don't have to be out on the ice and the newly arrived snow. I don't know how much snow we got but it doesn't look like a lot. My car is coated again.. but it's raining right now and everything has a frozen glaze.. I'll go out later to defrost the car, but the weather service says we can get 2-4 more inches of snow today. The warning lasts till 7pm tonite. As I said, I'm thankful I don't HAVE to be anywhere today.

Good morning. It's office day. I'm not sure just how many patients I have, but judging from the fact that I'm not due till 10am, there are just a handful today. Pray for us if you would.. we rely on this weekly. I rely on it all the time.
There is a very well written short dissertation on HERE I STAND regarding racial issues.. it would be worth your while to take a look and perhaps leave a comment there for her.
Please remember Wendell also.. he's still having the headache/sinus problem and will likely have to see the doctor if this doesn't settle on it's own. Friday he will see the endocrinologist.. Pray he can help with diabetes control. His blood sugars are lower, but he still needs to exercise at the pool. It's been a problem getting there with weather, bad roads, and not feeling well generally.

Where is spring??!!

One more time !! The weather service says we are going to get hit again.. I personally hope their dart board is broken and they are wrong. Tuesday evening the snow will start and by Wednesday evening we could have up to 6".. let's hope not.

Feeling a little sad here. I got up sore, but okay.. unfortunately, Wendell was up all night with a severe headache and with his sinuses inflamed, decided to just sit in the recliner with his oxygen on. Oxygen is good for headaches.
I was really looking forward to church this morning, but for some reason, we are being held back for this long season. It's frustrating by times.

Jane said she had a temperature of minus 1 this morning.. We had 2 degrees. It's cold!
I need something quiet to do today. I believe I'll scan some more of the pictures in the bag next to me. It's time consuming, but I like the results. Look for more posts on WHO IS THAT?.

I've added some pictures to WHO IS THAT blog.. click on it on the right hand column.

Esther is on TV

Esther's class was the Classroom of the Day on Channel 34 News. Take a look!
She's in the dark pink sweater, dark hair, and has a yellow head band with a picture of a woman on it.

Today is my Dad's birthday. He would have been 94. I love this picture with him sitting at the table at the big house in Logan's Ferry.

CHANGE HAS COME

Thanks, Helen, for this little insight....


MAJOR Leading Headlines On This Date 4 Years Ago:

"Republicans spending $42 million on inauguration while troops Die in unarmored Humvees"

"Bush extravagance exceeds any reason during tough economic times"

"Fat cats get their $42 million Inauguration Party - Ordinary Americans get the shaft"

Major Leading Headlines Today:

"Historic Obama Inauguration will cost only $120 million"

"Obama Spends $120 million on inauguration; America Needs A Big Party"

" 'Everyman Obama' shows America how to celebrate"

"Citibank executives contribute $8 million to Obama Inauguration

"Change" has come.

Evil people don't understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand completely.
Proverbs 28:5 NLT

Awareness of justice
Justice means righteousness, lawfulness, and moral rightness, the quality of being true or correct, the moral principle determining just conduct.
So justice has a moral quality.
It contains a concept of what is right and, therefore, must also have a concept of what is wrong.
Only people who understand these concepts of right and wrong can understand and administer justice.
By extension, only those who follow the Lord can understand justice.
Why? Because they subscribe to the foundational laws of the one who created them.
Thus, as this proverb points out, evil people don't understand justice. Because they refuse to subscribe to justice's moral underpinnings given by God in his Word, they are left to discover their own truths.
As a result, many conclude that there is no truth.
Others conclude that everyone can have different truths.
Both perspectives are hopelessly doomed.
And as a building without a foundation will crumble, so justice can never be served without the foundation of right and wrong as given by God in his Word.
WISE WAYS What are you using for your foundation? Where do you get your concept of truth, of right and wrong?

Today, Lord, teach me the foundational truths about life that are given in your Word.

adapted from The One Year Book of Proverbs by Neil S. Wilson, Tyndale House Publishers (2002), entry for February 28

Children are innocent and love justice, while most adults are wicked and prefer mercy.
G K CHESTERTON

Good morning.. Today I'll be going to the office, but a little later than usual. I'm up and trying to get awake.. coffee is on.
Yesterday I had a most unusual experience. I have decided to apply for SS benefits early. I read where you can do that online, so I tried last week and the site kept denying me access and finally locked me out for 24 hours. The thing was that all they asked for was my name and SS#. Now, there isn't much one can make a mistake on there, but they denied me access anyway. So yesterday I made a visit to the local SS office. The people there were very helpful and made the corrections to my history that never should have been there in the first place. The problem was that when I changed to my married name, the person entering the data neglected to note my place of birth and thus the computer recognized me as an alien or Non citizen. I was shocked, but glad the error was fixable.
The clerk told me that I was indeed eligible this year and in May, the first of my benefits would be deposited if I made application any time now.
We have been blessed with enough financially to meet our needs each month. It's been very tight sometimes, but we have managed to keep our bills paid and afloat monthly. The extra benefit will provide some 'breathing room' for us.

It's 18 degrees today and actually it should get to about 33 today with no precipitation expected for the moment. It's to be cloudy.. glad the deep freeze is lifting a little. Now we'll deal with melting snow and the ice left behind.

It's 7am.. time to hit the shower.. have a blessed day.

Interesting day

It's just 6 degrees and we are having a 'snow shower'.. how delightful. Wendell and I are trying to get ourselves back on schedule with the YMCA and we have a long list of things we have to accomplish tomorrow too. It's gonna be a busy one.
Thursday I have to see 3 patients and don't start till 10am.. wow! I won't know what to do with myself that late!
I saw 7 out of a scheduled 8 today.. one was a 'no show'.. don't know why and didn't have time to call her again today for a reminder.. Most of my patients don't forget their appointments and look forward to them anxiously.. it's that good.

We have a new President today. I'm standing back and watching what is to come. I pray he does well, but that his socialist programs don't. There is always hope that he will change..eh?
I hope he can do as well as President Bush in keeping terrorism in this nation at bay. President Obama needs our prayers. In fact if we don't pray for him, he'll not know the right things to do when he's faced with them.. Add him to the very top of your prayer list.

I'm off to bed now.. big day tomorrow.. just trying to keep up here.

No family gathering is complete without a bit of singing..

Even Annabelle likes to sing

P2 and Annabelle

David was showing me Daniel's cake tank.. he
seemed knowledgeable

P3

Anon to licking the beaters, the boy just wanted to lick the spatula
and then the board one cake had been set upon

No, it's not Jane's birthday, but she was there to celebrate

Aha! Birthday boy Charlie here for the festivities

It was Amy's birthday too though we won't tell you how old she
really is..

Daniel is 8

Daniel's cake has 8 candles this year

Daniel and P3 deciding which piece they want

ANNABELLE'S BIRTHDAY CAKE

Annabelle was 2 on January 4th.. She chose a Sponge Bob cake with toys

2 sweet and precious candles on this cake

Snowy Sabbath

One of a lot of birds looking for food.. this one on a rambling rose bush,
but the rose hips are gone.

The new 'squirrel proof bird feeders..

I know my car is out there somewhere

Lots of snow on the mountain laurel

Looking out over the yard and garden

The picnic table.. a little over a foot of snow there

The coffee is delicious. I've been up since 2:30am watching the snow come down.. We got hit big time with another 4 inches.. pictures to follow in a while after I get my nerve up to go out and actually take the pictures..hehehehe
There has to be a foot of snow on the picnic table..ugh.
My car is so covered, I can't tell if it's really out there or that there is a huge snowball in it's place.. AAAACCKKK!!
Wendell said he knew we wouldn't make it to church today when he went to bed last night. I was groaning about my wrists/hands shooting pain up my arms and then my aching back. I mopped the kitchen floor and had to move a monitor yesterday. No wonder it hurts!
I just don't think I can go out even today to clean off the car. Maybe one of the guys will volunteer? Hmmmm I can run the engine, but moving snow is so hard for me.. especially on top of my car roof. I'm short.
In the mean time, my family is trying to get to church and then here later. I'm putting the chicken in the crockpot for tonite. Pray they are safe as they travel.

Here we go again

THE NATL WEATHER SVC IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW.WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON.
THE NATL WEATHER SVC SAYS SNOW CAN ACCUMULATE AS MUCH AS 4 INCHES BY SUNRISE THIS MORNING.WITH ANOTHER INCH OR TWO TO BE ADDED DURING THE LATE MORNING & AFTERNOON HRS.
IN ADDITION.GUSTY SW WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WILL CAUSE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW.ALSO REDUCING VISIBILITIES & KEEPING PAVEMENTS SNOW COVERED.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES.
BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS & LIMITED VISIBILITIES.
& USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
REPORT YOUR SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATL WEATHER SVC BY CALLING TOLL FREE.1-877-633-6772.

It's been several days since I posted last. I didn't mean to do that, but my days have been a little tougher than usual. I haven't been feeling up to par, and with the cold, even moreso.
We had some little squall of snow today.. enough to cover my car once again. We seem to be heading for a tropical heatwave- we went from 13 to 15 degrees in the last hour. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the projected low is to be 14 tonite. It should get up to just under freezing tomorrow. yippee.
My hands are giving me a great deal of discomfort too. Arthritis. yippee again. I've been washing the dishes by hand this week to get them warmed up and apply moist heat directly to them.. my hands as well as dishes. (Smile)
Tomorrow we plan to be in church. We PLAN that, but who knows if we'll actually be able to accomplish it? Pray for us. Tomorrow late afternoon we hope to get the local family assembled to have a nice family dinner and cake for the January birthdays. We have 4 of them. Charlie, Amy, Daniel and Annabelle. We'll be having crock pot chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, and cake & ice cream of course.
I better check the candle situation. I think I have some.. not sure.
Stay warm.. and if you do go out, remember to cover well and dress warmly. There were some areas around here that got a wind chill of minus 30 last night. No wonder I was cold.. but we only had minus 20.

It's 2 degrees. That's chilly, eh? Well, other parts of these grand United States are experiencing even worse.. Bill told me they had 39" snow before Christmas. That's just a little too much for my frail old body. I am quick to whine over 5".
Well, before the day is over, we should get all the way up to 15 or 16 degrees.. but the sun is shining and that's a plus.
I think the global warming people all are hibernating. No one has seen or heard from them since winter began last month.. maybe we should send out a search party and check all the caves and tunnels?
What I really think is that if any one of them got on their pedestal and tried to preach their lies, they'd be booed off stage as the frozen fruits and vegetables were thrown , followed by hysterical laughter. I don't think they could handle that. I keep thinking about that Nobel Prize given to Mr Gore for his thesis on global warming.. The brains of the judges must have been frozen..
I don't know.. I thought these people were supposed to be smart.
They underestimate the rest of us peons.

One thing I know for sure.. God is on his throne and He alone controls the weather and all things.

This is hard to face.. we are headed for a deepfreeze tonite with single digit temperatures and this will continue for the next week.. add to that more snow.. alas, spring is still out of reach.

May as well get it over.. it's 25 degrees, snowing again..

I have had office today and have just arrived home. I got online to check the weather report actually. I had only one patient to see today, 7 tomorrow, though one has now canceled. She doesn't like snow and ice either.. I can agree with that!

I slept poorly again last night.. gonna take a nap right now.

WHO IS THAT?

I have added one more blog.. I just didn't know what to do with the odd pictures.. mostly group shots.. so I'm blogging them. Feel free to add comments please. I'm not sure of all the data at the moment..
WHO IS THAT? is the name of the blog.. check it out on the right hand column near the bottom.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103521/
Vote now.. should the words "In God We Trust" be removed from our US currency? This is an NBC poll.. take advantage of it.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Get out the hot chocolate and the popcorn... it's gonna be a loooonnnnngggg weekend!
I just looked out again.. couldn't help myself. The flakes of snow coming down in buckets are so incredibly beautiful! Since I last posted, I'd add 2 more inches to that total.. about 7-8" now.
I wonder if this snow would make a snowman? hmmmm.. has to have just the right moisture to make a snowball. Anyone see the global warming people? I'd like to toss a snowball in their direction.
I live in western PA.. we get snow and ice and cold in the winter. It's winter. So I guess I'll try to get over it.