Jan 5th, New Year, new hope

Jan 5th. It's a new year and we have hope that things will get better for us and our family.

This past year, my weight shot up to a bit over 300 pounds. I started this year off at 297, I know that is a lot of weight, but it's less than that 300 I was at this past summer. I still have to re learn how to eat less and to eat more healthy. At least I think we have most all the candy out of the house now. Yes, we ate it. I just can't convince myself that I'm not suppose to eat Chocolate.

I really am trying to get up and move more. The dogs seem to prefer Jerry to walk them, but I do try to take them out at least twice each day, while he's still off work.

Jerry made a few phone calls yesterday, one call back, but was disappointing in that the message was they had no plans on hiring any one for the next 3 to 4 months.

This cold that is gripping the nation is of great concern. It will drive fresh food prices up, keep people from jobs and has already proven to be deadly. It's not that, here in Missouri, we are not use to it being this cold. We are not use to it being this cold this early into winter. I do wonder just what the end of Janurary / first of Feburary is going to be like since that is the usual coldest time of the year. I will gladly give all this snow and cold back to my brother in Alaska. I really should ask him to close the door and keep all this cold up there, where it belongs.

I have a new cell phone. Same number just a new phone. Jerry discovered that if we didn't get them today, we would have to pay out some cash for new phones. So, get of the internet, close down what I was doing (not much, really.. just looking for crafts to post in my newsletter I now put out) put the dogs in kennels, bring in the outside dogs to keep them from following us to the road, put on coats, turn the van around, go up the icy driveway... around a few "S" curves, that were a bit nerve wrecking to me... especally when his tool box started rolling around a bit, and get to town. I did find what I wanted, another flip phone. Beth swears by her sliding top phone, but I don't do "that" much texting like she does. I need mine to cover the keys when I'm not using it. Got just what I needed. Came back home. let the dogs out. Jerry parked the van up the driveway, then had to walk back to it because he left the chargers in the van, while I made up a skillet of chili for dinner, tonight. chili and Crackers. I didn't do the all day to cook chili that My Mom use to make. I can't find her recipe for it. I do need to go back to storage and look again for my box of recipes that I know I have out there. How do you mis place a large box of index cards?

Jerry did get a lock on the storage door. Hopefully we will not be opened again. It's getting very desperate when some one is breaking in to storage units that face the front office. They must know just where the security camera is facing.

We have frozen water pipes. We have cold water to the sinks and tub, hot water to the bathroom sink only. I can hope that, while the tempatures raise enough for it to snow, that the hot water will return as well.

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Outside my window... The sun was out all day, but it was still very bitter cold. We have a forcast of at least 3 more incehs of snow and up to 6 inches with it blowing and drifting again. We are under a sever weather advisory because the lows and the wind could make the wind chill - 20 to -30 tomorrow night. Deadly for any one caught out in it for more than just a few minutes


I am thinking... I'm not going any where, unless we lose power . If we lose power we also lose heat and I have no idea where we would go.


From the kitchen...chilie and Crackers were for dinner tonight. Easy to make when you pick up a prepackaged seasoning pack then pick up the list of ingredinents on the back of the thing. Jerry coudln't find the beans it called for , so picked up some chili beans and it had just the right amount of kick to it.

I am wearing... Light grey sweat pants, and a purple tshirt and a red hunters shirt (a shirt from our 1790's stuff, almost a dress, even on me)

Around the house... We watched a couple of video's tonight. I think next time, I better go with Jerry and find better fvideos. He did ok but these were really lame.

A few plans for the rest of the week... I really should start on a dress I have the material and pattern for or make up my tied blanket that Beth got me the fleece for.

Life, and the day after Thanksgiving

Hello, Life is good. luck not so much. My laptop is not working at all, right now. It get's to the Dell logo, then just keeps looping back to it. With Jerry not working, we have no money to have it looked at. This is way beyond our ability to fix, this time. When I left Beth's home in Spring of 08, I left behind a desktop computer because it was having issues with aol... I've got it back, but none of my old files are still on it.. I guess it just sat for too long for any of them to be safe. No pictures, no recipes, nadda. But at least I can still get on- line with it, using our Spring wireless access. Now today, on the tv, I see Sprint has a newer access and it will be a year at least, before I can get one of them.. it says it's a 4 g. I'm good with the one I have, for now.

We had a great day yesterday. The turkey was falling off the bones, cut in the pan, serve yourself. I never made the banana bread like I had wanted, but we had so much that there is no room in the fridge for it anyway. I deboned the turkey and seperated the dark meat from the light. We have enough meat for at least a week's worth of sandwiches. The dressing turned out ok.. I doubt any one ate any of it, but me. Beth is the on who wanted it. The cranberry sauce turned out good. I used about 2/3rd of a cup of sugar compaired to the cup of sugar the back of the package called for and it's still sweet enough. MaKeya made up the deviled eggs, she did a great job of it, Espceally when you consider she doesn't eat them at all. I baked a sweet potato, I think I'm the only one who had any of it, as well. I know Josh ate some of the brownies and I think all three of the younger people had the no bakes I had made up the day befor. We had the usual cut vegetables, cottage cheese and olives at the table. We also had some finish baking rolls that went fast. I made gravey, but I think the dogs all got to enjoy it. MaKeya also made up the mashed potatoes with the recipe Beth knew so it was a joint effort. All in all it was a great day and no arguing from anyone.

July 16th

Jerry is still home. He'll be home the rest of this week. No paycheck next week so I'll have to really stretch the grocies for two weeks. I can hope that he'll be able to handle a full day of work on Monday.

I'm sure he would have gotten rained out today. We are on our third rain storm, now. I had just taken the dogs out in tome to get in before the first one started. At least it will smell much nicer outside the door now. We will have cooler temps for a few days. High's in the mid 80's will be nice. I may even open the windows and let the whole place air out. I try to do that in mid winter as well. Find one nice(er) day or two, and open up for a breeze, to blow through the house. I may even be able to grill outside for a few days as well. If I can, I will grill some stuff ahead so that all I have to do, is reheat for dinner.

Dinner tonight will be salad, and if it works out, grilled chicken over ligunii with Alfredo sauce.
I'll most likely use the Forman grill for the chicken, unless it stops raining by then. The alfredo sauce is in a jar. Salad is easy. I have a couple of small bags of salad still in the fridge. I can get one meal out of one bag. I add a 1/2 tomato to each salad, 1/2 a green pepper and 1/2 a cucumber. I like to add celery to mine, but not to Jerry's since he's not fond of celery. Sometimes I'll add some cheese to the salad as well.