Counting The Days

The cold days of winter have been ticking away, faster than in previous years (thankfully!) if that's possible. We've been busy doing all sorts of things, nothing monumental, just enjoying life and taking care of business.

The gloomy days of January and February have been spent celebrating the birthdays of wonderful friends...

and family ...

Painting our bedroom ...

and redecorating with new curtains and bedspread (long overdue!)...

Making soup and chili for Sunday night dinners with friends ...

Watching movies with those same wonderful friends, complete with candy and popcorn ...

Spending time with the sweetest little girl ....

and reading some old favorites again (British mysteries!).

Which, incidentally, I found on eBay for cheap. I guess you really can find just about anything on eBay! I never would have believed that I could find this series of books - every single one!

Moving Target

At 9 months old, she's a ...

fast-crawling,

standing up,

happy-go-lucky,

rattle-waving,

finger-chewing,

non-stop,

teething and drooling

wonderful little girl!

Thinking Happy Thoughts ...

Because this sweet smiling baby girl is coming to spend the night.

9 months old and so much fun!

I wonder if she likes watching the Olympics??

{photo courtesy of her mommy}

Mom Always Said ....

"If you can't say something nice, then just don't say anything at all."

And of course Mom is right - so I'll let these pictures speak for themselves.

Because I'm not thinking anything nice right about now.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

On a chilly Sunday afternoon

we decided to take the dogs for a walk in our favorite section of the park.

At first I wasn't so excited - you know, I just love being out in the cold. In the winter, and especially in the snow.

Nonetheless, we bundled up and loaded the dogs into the van.

Pixie was quite literally jumping for joy as we started down the trail.

Crazy loveable girl dog!

The three amigos were oblivious to the cold.

Tango spent much of the time with her head buried in the snow, digging for imaginary prey, always coming up empty-handed (empty-mouthed?).

Tyson was in his own little world, scampering in and out of the underbrush.

Pixie was in constant motion (big surprise) but always running back to "check in' with us to make sure we were keeping up with her. Oh, did she have fun!

The hubster sauntered along at a steady pace, (no gloves! no hat!) enjoying the walk.

I was always a few paces behind, camera in hand, deciding that a cold wintery day isn't so awful after all. It was, in fact, quite beautiful and invigorating and ... well, nice.

Not So Bad, Could Have Been Worse

Went to bed last night not sure what the morning light would bring.

A winter disaster or just another close call?

We were told that we could expect 6 - 8 inches of snow on the north side of Cincinnati.

Nothing like the storm the east coast is experiencing - but still, the weather forecasters were so sure we were going to be in the throes of a snowy nightmare.

Actual result? About 4 inches of snow in our neck of the woods.

Not so bad at all - could have been worse!

Just enough snow to create a winter wonderland, trees and bushes laden with a wet snow and streets covered and slippery. But, not so bad - not as bad as it could have been.

The hubster was up early as usual taking care of the dogs and putzing around on the computer. He cleaned off his car and drove over to my mom's to clear off her car as well. By the time he got home I was up and attem knowing we had to leave for our annual appointment with our tax lady, Diana. She had called about 7:45 a.m. to see if we were going to make it. "Oh sure," says I, "My husband loves to drive in the snow!"

I dusted off my favorite snow boots and off we went, finding few other cars on the roads.

Stopped at UDF so hubster could get a Pepsi .. I waited in the car.

Taxes turned out .. not so bad also .. could have been worse!

We're trying (well, the hubster is trying) to finish up painting the bathroom today - I'm painting the closet and the shelves, he's done all the rest of the work. Looks great, gone is the sunny yellow, replaced with a mellow tan color named "Family Legacy. (Who thinks up the names of the paint colors, anyway? I want that job.)

Boring stuff ... but sometimes boring is good, the way I see it. Spending a snowy day doing home enhancement projects really isn't so bad ...

Here We Go Again

“The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for most of the Tri-State from Friday morning to Saturday afternoon. A pair of approaching storm systems heading toward the area will bring rain, snow or both. The storms, one bringing cold air from the west, the other bringing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, are poised to collide over the region on Friday.

The problem now is determining which one will arrive first, because that will decide how much rain and how much snow the area will see. Forecast models have been rapidly changing in the last 24 hours.”

Don't you just love how dramatic they are with their description? This is why people in Cincinnati get whipped up into a frenzy when snow is predicted. They make it sound so dire ... though I cannot tell a lie, I will make it a point to stock up on Mountain Dew and get a fresh gallon of milk this evening. Gotta be prepared, you know.

I'll let you know how those "forecast models" play out when the storm systems collide over Cincinnati in the next 24 - 48 hours. My guess is that it won't be a big deal at all.

Snowy Afternoon

On a cold January afternoon, we can't enjoy ourselves in the same way we do during the summer. No relaxing in the sun...

No grilling out burgers ...

No working in the gardens ... none of that.

So we find other things to do.

Like pulling out the tools

to repair

a favorite old maple dresser.

Like throwing a frozen tennis ball for Tango, who just doesn't care

that it's way below freezing outside this afternoon.

Like filling the bird feeders for our friends.

(Really should have worn my boots for the above.)

Like going out for a fun dinner at Century Inn with the Mixed Nuts

to celebrate the January birthdays of 5 friends.

Better go and wrap these presents!

Not So Bad

The promised "winter storm" fizzled a bit, though we do have about 4 inches of snow so far today. It's tapering off so I think the worst is over (which really isn't bad at all, honestly).

We carpooled to work today with the husbster dropping me off in Kenwood on his way over the river to Erlanger. He's nice that way. He knows how much I dislike driving in the snow. (It's kind of like riding a horse that knows when you're afraid of it ... my van just knows that I'm a nervous driver in the snow.)

View from my 5th floor office at work today...

The snow plow guys were so excited about the snow today!

They had the plows all warmed up just waiting for some accumulation.

Me and my camera ...

So we get home from work without much of a delay (half of Cincinnati stayed home today in fear of the mega winter storm that had been forecasted). Hubster announces that he's going outside to clear the sidewalks and shovel the driveway, and clean off the van. He's considerate that way.

As I'm sitting here in the office at home, above the driveway, I'm checking my e-mail and I hear some noise outside. Not a shovel scraping the sidewalk. Not ice being scraped off my van windows. I hear a power tool. What could that be, I think to myself? We don't have a snow blower.

I walk over to the window, pull up the blinds and peer outside into the ever-darkening evening. My hubster, who so loves his power tools, had his favorite Stihl leaf blower fired up, blowing snow off the driveway and my van. No, I'm not kidding. If you know him, this doesn't surprise you at all.

He's just efficient like that, you know?

As he came into the warm house his glasses fogged up, the dog greeted him with a big lick on the chin, and I smiled to myself ... yep, that's my husband! He's the best!