Spring is near!

Ah, the day is beautiful! The sun is out, blue skies, no wind and 50 degrees! I have all my windows open to air this house out! The cats are going crazy trying to get out, but I won't let them for until Elliott is feeling better! He will run to a neighbors house and eat the food.
I was in the kitchen grating carrots for some carrot muffins and the power went out and I heard a boom!! Well SWELL! Now what? I knew it wasn't my house because the power went out first then I heard the boom. Come to find out, a transformer blew over by the high school (1 block away). It came back on an hour later. Gads, I feel like we live in the sticks any more! That's ok, I am just fine without powerr for awhile.
I see the pussy willows are out and starting to go to pollen AAAAHHHHCHOOOO!
Thr rose bushes are starting to get little buds for leaves, so time to prune them. (tomorrow maybe).
Well time for a nappie poo.

Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

God is good

I went to work Monday for two hours then said I needed to go home and take care of my water heater. I went home and got my car and went to Oak Harbor and checked out the prices and models at Sears then at an appliance store. Sears was $20.00 more than the appliance store which was $249.00. The appliance store told me I had to have my heater removed and then call for a person to install it that might cost $500.00 or more!
I went home and felt very overwhelmed with frustration and stress. I called my pastor friend Tom and asked him for prayer. He told me to call a few other places then he and a friend would come over the next day and see what they could do. I gave my frustrations to God then called those places and found out that right next door to my trailer court is the water heater just my size and for $219.00!! To top things off, it was the ONLY water heater they had!! Whew.
Ok, then Tom came by to help me drain the heater. As he was doing that my brother called to ask what happened at my house last night, and of I was ok! I laughed and told him. He came over with his truck and removed my water heater and got the new one and they installed it and by 4:30pm I had hot water and was taking a nap!! PRAISE GOD!

Last night I noticed my cat Elliott was going to the litter box too many times and talking out loud and throwing litter EVERYWHERE!! uh-oh.
I took him to the Vet today and they took a urine sample and said he had blood in his urine and calcium deposits. They gave me some antibiotics to give to him and told me he has to be on a special diet. Swell! They sold me the food, $26.00 for a case of canned food and $21.00 for a 10# bag of dry food. Of course I have to give Punkin the same food so he won't cheat and eat hers! And being the disaster prepared person I am, I have ALOT of cat food to give to my sister now! PHFFFT!
I asked the Vet if it was ok to give him treats. NOPE!! OH GOSH, how am I going to get by with that? I won't be able to get to bed without giving them their treats!! I can't give Punkin hers and not let Elliott have his! Maybe I can sneak some of the dry food in a plastic bag and sprinkle it with catnip!
I'll try it!

I gave them the first can of food today and they both loved it!! HOORAY!! One hurdle over with.

I'll let you know tomorrow how the bedtime treats go!

Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

UPDATE: I gave them the catnip laced dry food at bedtime, and Elliott looked at it and sniffed it then looked at me with his ears back, and jumped down and went to play with his catnip toy. Punkin on the other hand gobbled all the food up and licked the sheets! Yep...she's my kitty alright!

Boy, am I lucky!!

I was going to bed early tonight because I have not been feeling well (allergies) and I went to the memorial today for my friend Dee. I am bushed. I took a hot shower and washed my hair then I talked with a few friends on the phone and was heading to bed. I decided at the last minute to get on my computer and look up a few things and I heard a snap sizzle type sound, then a bzzzzzzing. I shrugged my shoulders and thought it was just the hot water heater element getting ready to go out. (they do that alot here with our hard water). I heard it again and thought I will have to call Sears tomorrow and order a hot water heater. I then smelled something funny and went to the closet where the hot water heater is stored (stupid place)and pulled off the panel and flames were shooting up the side of the heater!! YIKES I thought, OH CRAP I said, Call 911!! So I ran into the kitchen to get the phone (There was a phone in the room I was in). I called 911 but I didn't push the talk button DOH! My mind then said go get the fire extinguisher, Phyllis....you were a firefighter for 15 years you dodo!! OH, Yeah!! So I put the fire out, then turned off the breaker switch to the heater then pushed the talk button on my phone and called 911. Smoke was filled in my room, and the dispatcher came on and calmly asked me all sorts of questions, and I was answering them, and I finally yelled GET THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HERE NOW!!
She said ok and I hung up. They got here within 5 minutes. The cops and fire department all know me so they came a running!

Needless to say, I don't think I will get much sleep tonight with all the adrenaline pumping through my body. I sure thank the Lord for making me go back to get on my computer before going to bed, otherwise my house would be gone by now!
Thank you Lord, Thank you!!
WHEW!

However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

M&M meme image

What kind M&M are you?
I found this at Leslie's who found it at Aunt Murry's Place.
It was fun. In fact it kinda looks like me.

Peek-A-Boo!!

Elliott just loves it when I am changing the sheets and making the bed!
All I have to do is shake the sheets and he comes running! I throw the sheet up and he dives under it and fights it!
I get the giggles and eventually leave the room until he settles down so I can go back and finish making the bed!
Ah yes, and these are snuggly soft warm flannel sheets, too!
This has been a mentally tough week for me. Three friends died. I am going to a burial Friday and a memorial on Sunday.
Cats make me smile so here's a smile for you!

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

More snow pics

Punkin was out in the snow today just long enough for this picture, then she ran back in to warm her tootsies!
Elliott was sitting in the backyard staring at the catnip barrell....I see why now. This orange cat does not belong there!! He came looking for a good time!! Hmmm, I better take him to catnip's anonymous!
This is my house yesterday morning as the sun came up.
This is the trees next to where I work. It looks so Wintry, doesn't it?
God, I love this place where I call home!!
Everyone have a safe weekend!!

Aspire to inspire before you expire.

I am one LUCKY gal!

Last night it was very windy again, in fact probably the windiest yet here. I got home and started cooking my dinner before the power went out. I turned the burner on high and put the meat in the pan and pop! The power went out. I had my friend with me and it was funny how I never really batted an eye, I went to the cupboard and got the campstove out, put it on the stove (after it cooled) and finished dinner. I cleaned up and left the grill out for coffee in the morning.
I went to bed at 8pm because I was to go out at 2:00am to check the roads so the buses can get out there.
I woke up at midnight and the power was still out so I turned over and the power came on. I was going to stay in bed but decided to get up and check email, news, etc. I was sitting at the kitchen table and smelled something hot. I looked around and saw the campstove with propane bottle smoking!! MY GOSH, I forgot to turn off the burner I was cooking on and put the stove on top of the burner when the power went off!! I jumped up and turned off the burner then carefully pulled the hot smoking campstove with propane bottle off the burner.
WHEW!! Am I one lucky gal!! I could've lost my house. If I didn't wake up when I did or if the power came on before I woke up I'd be a goner for sure!!
That wasn't a coincident, it was a coinciGOD!! Thank you Lord for waking me up!!
And I was a firefighter for 15 years, and I am the Safety officer for work!
We all make DUMB mistakes once in awhile, but I'm the first to admit, that was DUMB!!

I went to work and checked the roads, there were numerous, too many to count that were down over the roads, but I do believe they were cut up and sold for firewood before they hit the ground! Alot of guys have pickup trucks with chainsaws in the back. I got back to the office and went home around 8:00am and slept for 4 hours. I woke up at 1pm and noticed it was snowing hard. Then the phone rang and I was up and running again checking out the roads. We got about 4 inches in and hour. It was beautiful and dangerous! It took me a half hour to go a mile because there were so many cars in the ditches. I guess it hit hard and fast! The storm has stopped and now it is COLD!! We are getting an Arctic blast coming down from Canada (thank you Leslie and Kat).

Go wish my sister a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Tomorrow is her birthday and she loves snow, so she got her wish.

Mice stories

I was visiting Heather and she was talking about her cat bringing her a mouse.
That brought memories of a few incidents of mine.
I was taking a shower (don't ya just love the shower stories) and I felt weird. I looked over at the shower curtain and right there on TOP of the shower rod was a tiny mouse watching me!! Of course I squeeled and the mouse disappeared quickly!!

Another time I was in bed asleep and woke up listening to my cat chasing something in the bedroom. I ignored it and went back to sleep. I was laying on my stomach with my head resting on my arms. I felt a tug at the comforter and ignored it. I then felt a tug and a tickle by my ribs. I reached down to scratch and at that time I woke up realizing I had a mouse in bed with me!!! Well I levitated as did the mouse, and my nightgown! I think we were all suspended in space for a nano second, then I squeeled and ran away naked without touching the floor!(nightgown still suspended in air) I think the mouse was a step ahead of me running in fear, and my cat was snuggling down into the warm part of the bed.

Once I was getting dressed for work and was putting on my winter shoes from the back of the closet. I was pushing my foot into the shoe and there was a resistance, so I kept pushing thinking geeze, I've even gained weight in my feet! Well after shoving and pushing, I grabbed the shoe and reached in and found a bloated dead mouse in there!!
EEEEYYYYUUUUU! Yep those shoes went out to the trash along with my tomcat!! (not really, I kept the cat but heaven knows why).

My sister has a few stories of her own.

I haven't had as many incidents since I closed off the cat door.

Any other stories out there?

I was always taught to respect my elders,
But it keeps getting harder to find one.

My sister called me a Bitch!

I went to bed early last night (7PM). I fell at work and wrenched my back so went to the Chiropractor and took 2 nighty nighty night pain pills and went to bed. About 11:30 I woke up to the wind hitting my bedroom window. It hit hard, so I got up and looked out the window just in time to see the night sky light up in a bright blue and my lights blinked. Uh-oh. I got up and the wind was getting even stronger coming out of the west. I was on my computer talking with Mary Lou and my lights blinked again so I turned off the computer. The news said that tomorrow we will get the stronger storm. Geeze, enough already!
Mary Lou called me this morning and I told her I never lost my power, and that is when she said "BITCH"! She lost her power last night when I saw the sky turn bright blue.
We are supposed to get really cold next week and possible snow. This is for sure one of the weirdest weather years ever!
Hope everyone is safe and warm.

"You can say any foolish thing to a dog,
and the dog will give you a look that says,
'My God, you're right!
I never would've thought of that!'"
~ Dave Barry

A New Year....Same ole weather!

Good grief, yesterday we had alot of wind. In fact for two days we had alot of wind! The power went out at work for almost three hours, so we all sat around yakking and my boss ordered pizzas, then the power came on. Isn't it strange that we think of food during a crisis, and it cheers people up? I am going to make another trip to Walmart to get a few more battery lamps for back-up. I just listened to the weather report and they mentioned a few snowflakes. WHAAA???? This is unheard of here! I am not complaining one bit, I love the stuff, but it certainly is an unusual Winter here. (must be them terrorist folks)!

I came home tonight and the power started to fade. It didn't go completely off, but it faded then came back on, so I turned the 'puter off just in case.
I had my Bible study class here anyway. We meet every Wednesday night at 7pm. We are studying the letters from Paul. Right now we are on 1 Corinthians. It is amazing what I am learning. I've never studied the Bible before. The messages are great even if a person doesn't believe in Jesus as their saviour. (Which I do). It teaches us to be kind, to treat your body good, and I LOVE the message about marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:28 "If you have a wife, do not end the marriage, but if you do not have a wife, do not get married. But if you do get married, it is not a sin. However, I am trying to spare you the extra problems that come in marriage".

HAHAHAHA after a friend (A pastor) has been harping on me to get out there and date and find a man to marry!

Ah, tomorrow is Thursday already! I just love these short weeks.

"Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?
I'm halfway through my fish burger and I realize,
Oh my God.... I could be eating a slow learner."
~ Lynda Montgomery