A Bitterly Cold Thursday

Today's high temperature was: 14 degrees

Bright Sunshine

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This alert was in my e-mail:

Weather Alert for Livingston County, MI
! Wind Chill Watch !
Issued at: 3:29 am EST on January 23, 2014, expires at: 12:00 PM EST on January
24, 2014

...Wind chill watch in effect from this evening through Friday
morning...
The National Weather Service in Detroit/Pontiac has issued a wind
chill watch...which is in effect from this evening through Friday
morning.
Hazardous weather...
 * wind chill values will fall to -25 to -30 tonight through
  Friday morning.
==================================
I looked up the Old Farmer's Almanac and it said, for this area, this week was "mild and rainy".  Really?  It also said we are to have a hot, drier then usual summer.
===============
Last evening, Pearl called me and our conversation went kind of like this:

"You get your pipes thawed?"

"Yep.  The kid got under there and got me all fixed up.  He looked around and said my heat tape and insulation is just fine.  Some varmint dug a hole between the skirting and the ground and it let in cold air that froze up a small section of pipe where it comes up from the ground."

"Well...good.  You better fix that hole this spring."

"I sure will."

"Do you need anything?  Are you all right."

"Yep. I'm great.  I even got my garbage can hauled out to the street."

"Why did you do that?"

"Ah--tomorrow is Thursday.  We have garbage pick-up on Thursday morning."

" They won't be coming tomorrow---we had a holiday this week..they will be coming on Friday."

"We didn't have a holiday--like Christmas or Easter or Fourth of July...it was like a Federal holiday where we didn't get mail and some banks were closed."

"I don't care...it was a holiday.  You better get out there and haul your garbage can back up to the porch."

"Naw--everyone else has their cans out--except you guys...I think I'll leave it there, just in case."

"You're all weird!"  and she hung up.
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This morning, Merle went for a walk and on his way by, he brought up my (empty) garbage can and mail.

"What are you doing out on such a frigid day?" I asked.

"Needed to get some air."

"Did you get your garbage can out this morning?"

"Nope.  I wanted to, but Pearl said they weren't coming today.  So now...I got a full garbage can and a week to wait."

"Oh.  Sorry."

"She is one stubborn woman...once she gets her mind set on somethin'.  You just can't talk any sense into her."

"Eh Yup," I said.

78 years old.  Been married nearly 60 years and still arguing over who is right!  Kind of glad I live alone!
=========================

So--this is what I did today.  I did poke my nose outside once, to throw the bag of dirty cat litter out into the garbage can.


My smaller humidifier broke, so I got this bigger one. Holds 4 quarts--I filled it up and got it going.
Trying for at least 30% humidity in here.

 Then I got on FB and played these games:  Words With Friends, Papa Pear Saga and Candy Crush

Then I had a small roast beef sandwich for lunch and these for desert.  I have to have my fruit and...you can't tell me that covered in DARK chocolate, isn't good for me.  Just think of all the antioxidants!!!

Then I watched my soap and at 2:00, I put this together.

 The note on the back explains the history of the picture

It was suppose to go here, over the back door, but...the frame is about an inch too wide and would hang over the frame of the door. I just don't know--where should it go?

in place of this cross stitch of the Outer Banks?

or over the star?

I can't decide.  No one may want it when I die, but I know, no one will have the guts to throw it away, LOL

 So then, I sat down in my chair and did this,

While I watched this:

Little Laura (Melissa Gilbert) now lives just 3 miles away

in Howell, Mi.

and I watched The Walton's:

Then I made this for supper:

and watched this:

and of course, this:

and Big Bang Theory:

and pretty soon, I will do this.....

leaving cabinet doors open and water on a trickle

and soon after that, I will join this guy:

and sleep for nine hours.

 and...we shall see what tomorrow brings.

I hear--1-2 inches of snow and 2-4 on Sunday......and the beat goes on!

I Am Coming Into a Transit Time Period

Today's high temperature was: 7

Partly Sunny

Snowing tonight.  Going to be -15 degrees

================================

Minus 13 degrees when I woke up this morning to frozen water pipes!!  I have a heat tape on my exterior pipes--never have had a problem.  I did not open cabinet doors to let the warm air in.  I did not turn faucets on to let water trickle.  All the things I used to do in cold weather in my farmhouse--I have never done here, because--I THOUGHT THE HEAT TAPE WAS SUFFICIENT!!!  Apparently not!

Turned furnace up to 78 degrees, opened all cabinets by water pipes, turned on water taps. Called a plumber. Shoveled a big bucket of snow and brought into the house to melt so I could have something to flush.
================================
While I waited for the plumber--I did this:

Buddy climbed up into the rocker, Maggie climbed up with me

and I x-stitched and watched TV,

while they napped.

Working on the little brown bunny

Watching the birds outside

Got the bunny done

I love the basket weave on the cradle

Pipes did not thaw out so I knew, the problem was under the trailer.  Plumber finally arrived at 3:00, a nice young man, crawled under that crawl space like he knew what he was going.  Checked and the heat tape is fine.  However, because of the heaving and shifting of the cement pad this place sits on, it had opened up a small crack in the skirting and that is right where the pipe froze--about 6 inches of pipe.  He got out a propane heater and stuck it in there and we waited to see what would happen.  Nothing!

30 minutes later, I had water!!  Where the pipe comes up from the ground, has a ceramic bowl around it.  Apparently, snow had gotten into it, melted and then froze.  Usually the crock is dry, but because of the  teeny, tiny space between the skirting and the cement (from the trailer shifting), the snow got in there.  Next spring I will be sure dig out that area, put in much more soil and rocks and a 2x4 to keep it solid!!!

I asked him how it happened, why it happened and what could I do to keep it from happening again--this is how I have learned ALL my household maintenance thingies--so now--I know one more, :-) He also shoveled a lot of snow up around the skirting for extra insulation.

Plumbers around here charge $200 an hour, but this guy does a lot of jobs in this park, so it cost me $160--$80 an hour.  GEEZ!!! still a lot!   AND keep the faucets trickling a bit on these horrible, frigid nights to keep the water flowing--so the H2O molecules can't stick together and freeze.

It actually was a nice experience, as I have had with all repair and service people in this area.  They come from smallish towns and schools.  He is one of 14 children, has a twin brother, and is marrying his high school sweetheart in March.  "We found a nice little house, just around the corner up here.  We never would have known it was for sale, but one day, it was as if God sent us on a ride, because we never have gone on that road before, and we saw it. (big grin)  We want four children and I am going to be a great Dad."...and I'll bet he will.
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OMG!!!  I am going to win the Publisher's Clearing House contest!!!  One Million a year for life!

How do I know this?  I filled out one of those free on-line horoscope thingies and this morning I received an e-mail from the astrologer who did my report and she said" I am shocked at the transit period you are coming into.  Within the next three months,  you will receive a huge financial windfall!!!

Read on for your full report!"  and of course, I could have my whole report for.......money, of course,  She wants money.  Apparently she did not read the section where I said I needed financial help?

Just my luck, my "windfall" would be the big Maple tree, onto my house, smashing it to smithereens--which then, I could claim house insurance--I have good house insurance!

I will wait and if I win PCH, I will send her money for my full report, LOL.
========================================
Well--what will tomorrow bring?

There is a Madness To My Method

Today's high temperature was: 13

Sunny

We have the frigid temperatures again, but the huge snowstorm, passed up by to the south.

I'm sorry, readers to the east--you are going to get dumped on.  :-(

==============================

This morning when I woke up, I opened one eye and peaked at my TODAY IS, flip chart and this is what I saw.

I stared at that day.  What happened?  Did I sleep through a whole day?  Was I losing my mind?  Now--let me ponder on all this.

I know yesterday was Monday--there was no mail and I went to the Chiropractor.

I asked the kids what was going on, but they were more interested in getting their breakfast.

So--I took a wild chance that perhaps I had flipped over two days last night, and didn't notice.  I think I need a flip chart to remind me to check when I flip the TODAY IS chart over, to make sure I have done it right.  Oh well--I take the chance that today is Tuesday, change it and go out to feed the cats.

Geez--there is no method to my madness, just the reverse.

After I had the cats happily slurping up their tablespoon of morning wet cat food, I went into the bathroom.

============================

I have always been a blonde.  I was born a blonde, which turned into a white haired tow-head, which later turned into blonde, which, at about 15, started going mousy.

My Daddy hated the mousy and told my Mother, "Dorathy, put some lemon juice on her hair, or a rinse, or something."  So my Mother bought a "special" shampoo that kept my hair nice and blonde.  

I have colored my hair for....let's see...almost 60 years!!! EGAD!  My driver's license says my hair color is blond.  Every form I fill out says my hair is blond.  My once profile on the dating site said I was a blue-eyed blond and showed a picture(s) to prove it.

See my picture at the top of this page?  Even last summer, I was blonde or blond--whatever.

About six months ago, I decided there was enough grey color coming in that if I quit coloring it, I would have quite beautiful, snow white hair--like my sister has, like my Mother's father had.

Imagine my surprise, when quite suddenly one morning and quite shockingly I might add, I realized that all these years, I have had dark hair under my scalp--those dark hair follicle's wanting to come out and see the world...and so they have.  In actuality, I have been a brunette!!!!!  I do not have the beautiful snow white hair of my Mother's side of the family, I have the dark, really dark hair with grey overtones of my Father's side of the family--none of them ever went totally snow white.

My Chiropractor massage lady said yesterday, "You look different.  You look good, but there is something different."  She couldn't figure it out and I didn't help her because, to tell the truth, every time I see myself in a mirror, I am quite shocked.  

BUT--in my pursuit to find my "authentic" self, (LOL),it's me and I'm not going to change it---at least not right now.

I am quite amused at all of this!

So--let's see.  What else is there-----

I noticed something else this morning--at precisely 9:00 a.m., the sun comes through my computer room windows and does this:

If I were one of those widows searching for SIGNS,

I would think this was one.

BUT--it's not!  It is the sun's movement and when

we Spring Ahead, it will occur at 8:00 a.m.

I don't know if you remember, but last fall, on clearance, I ordered one of those triple-decker planters.

I thought how much fun it would be to plant it with Succulents.

Then I saw this on a website!!

WOW.

However, pondering on this--if I bought all the Succulents AND the cute little houses, that dang thing would cost me a couple hundred dollars!!!  I may have to review my idea?

============================

 Went out--filled feeder with this added to the seed---

He came back..... 

after a few nibbles--he flew off onto the ground--I could see him chewing on snow 

kids tell me, "squirrel runned away"

...and one last thought--

...but, who's counting, right?

Releif

Today's high temperature was: 23 degrees at noon

10 degrees now.  Minus degrees tomorrow.

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I wish Alberta would keep her Clippers up there in Canada, where they belong.

I wish Santa would keep his Polar air, up at the North Pole, where it belongs.

We are heading into another week of minus and single digit temperatures.

Not that it will effect me all that much.  I have no where to go and nothing to do so......I will stay warm and cozy in my wee residence.

Got up this morning and was going to take a shower--no hot water.  All sorts of worse case scenarios went through my head as I cleaned out the bedroom closet to get to the hot water heater waaaaaay in the back.  Heating element burned out?  Nope--I have a gas heater--they don't have an element.  They have a pan with the gas burner under it.  Down draft of air blew out the pilot light?  Probably--has happened before, but not in the last 3 years.  

I called Pearl's husband Merle and he came down to together, we figured it out.  Got the pilot light lit, turned the dial to "ON" and...whoosh, on came the gas and the day was saved.

Merle went home and I noticed that the toilet was running--like it needed the flush handle jiggled.  I jiggled.  It kept running.  So............I took off the tank cover and jiggled and fiddled and found out the problem.  The water leveler, on the float, had been turned so that the float never went back into his "hole" to let the tank fill up.  Turned it back and all was well.  Saved the day again.

Finally has enough hot water to take a shower.

Watched my soap, and traveled to the Chiropractor.

My headache was once again galloping all over the top of my head, my neck hurt so bad I could hardly turn it, the pain behind my shoulder blade (scapula) was back and my arm was numb.

I got the massage--it hurt so bad, but this girl knows what she's doing.  Then I saw the doc.  He gently held my head and moved my neck back and forth a bit--then he used his magic Woody Woodpecker tool up and down my spine, on my shoulder joints and my neck.  Then I moved to another room and another tech came in and ran the Thumper all up and down my spine, neck, and down my back, legs and feet.

I was so limp I didn't know if I'd be able to walk back to the car.  The cost?  $10.00--that was for the massage--the rest of the Chiropractic visit is paid for my Medicare.  I go back next week.  I will have to go once a week for, probably, four weeks, then every other week, until I can get back to the monthly maintenance.  I never should have quit going in November--6 weeks is just too long--the reason being?  I have slipped twice on the ice and contorted my spine and neck keeping my balance, PLUS, the old arthritic joints were really hurting.  Feel very sore tonight and probably will a bit tomorrow, but by Wednesday, if it is as it was before, I will be pain free.  At least the headache is gone!!!

Now--I have parked my car and don't think I will have to venture out until Thursday, when I once again, run out of Diet Pepsi and milk.  I have been without CAKE for three days and I may have to get some soon!  I was going to stop today on the way home, but something told me I was too tired, so instead of going through Brighton to get home, I came home the back way and when I got up to the west side of town, the corner where I turn right to come home, there was a very long line of traffic going into town.  I looked in my rear view mirrors and I could see fire trucks and ambulances, so, apparently there had been an accident.  I'm glad I listened to the God Whisper that told me to go the other way.

Now--I am exhausted and going to bed.  

I have such an exciting life!!!!!

Just In Case You Were Wondering..........

Some Days..........

Today's high temperature was: 30 degrees

Partly Sunny

==============================

I don't understand how I can feel so great one day and then the next, feel so dizzy and woozy.  Some days--I just can hardly get around.  This is one of those days.

I have had a vicious headache for three days.  I haven't had a headache in years, so I knew this one was probably a pre-condition for a stroke.  Or, perhaps I had a brain aneurysm?  It might also be a brain tumor,as my balance has been off lately.  I suppose it could be from the arthritis in my neck?  I have been having a lot of neck pain lately.  BUT--you know me and my fears/worries/phobias/neuroses!  I have to believe the worst about everything, so if it DOES happen, I am prepared!!

I could not get to sleep last night because of the pain so at midnight, I went to my bathroom drug cabinet and pulled out the bottle of Tylenol #3 (with Codeine).  I wanted to take a Percocet, but decided that was too strong and might make me woozy today.

I slept well.  Woke up fairly early and my head was so foggy. it seemed hard to see and my balance was off and the headache was back.  Yup--with the balance problem, it was probably a stroke.

At least I knew what day it was, thanks to my flip card, hanging on my
bedroom closet door knob.

So, Buddy and I climbed into my chair

and watched TV and cross stitched and watched the show

going on outside the window.

The headache would not go away, but I was feeling a bit steadier on my feet--obviously a hangover from the pain pill I took last night.  I got out of my chair at noon, ate some Tuna-Mac salad and, thinking of how my neck was hurting and it might be the arthritis, I took a Naproxen.

Two hours later, after my soap, the headache was gone, my neck didn't hurt anymore and I was ready to tackle this!!

This job should take 10-15 minutes.  Unhook the chain that

goes to the flapper, from the flush lever.

HOWEVER--as it always is,  the old lever had a small

"O" ring that was attached to the lever.  The chain,

instead of having a simple hook onto the lever, 

had instead a lock hook, onto the "O" ring on the lever!

.  I had to use the needle nose

pliers to pinch together the chain hook and get if off the "O" ring.

Got it off, however the chain fell down into the icy

water of the tank.

Got the lever out with no problem and since

the new lever had no "O" ring to attach the chain,

I had to pry it off with the pliers, from the old one

to use on the new one,  and...

of course it broke!

Let's worry about that later.

The new lever went through the whole on the side of the

tank easily, HOWEVER, as it always is, the lever

was sticking up toward the tank top.

I took it out and put it in the other way and now...

the lever was sticking out over the edge of the tank,

with the handle facing backwards.

This is a Universal flush lever--to fit side or front

flush handle spot, but something definitely is amiss.

I cut the new level for the correct length and then...

laid it beside the old one and could see the problem.

Different angle and no matter which way I put it

into the hole, it would not work.

Okay--not to worry because the only damn thing

I needed to fix the old lever, is the plastic nut

that holds the lever tight against the inside of

the tank--and the new lever has one such nut.

Threw the new lever into the wastebasket.

Slide the old lever back into place,

put the new plastic nut on it and turned it--

ah yes--reverse threaded--GEEZ.

Got it tightened on--now to hook it back up.

Okay--the little metal "O" ring that the chain clips into is broken.

So..what can we use?

Undaunted--I got some of my copper wire and cut off a small bit.

Man that water in the tank is cold!!!

Pushed the wire through the hole in the lever and attached the clip from the chain--

wired it up and--VOILA

So I cobbled the job, and it took me twice as long, but guess what--it flushes just perfectly and in the whole scheme of things--that is all that is necessary!!

Put all my tools away and wobbled back to my chair.  The headache was back and making me nauseous--just like a Migraine would.  

I'm very, very glad I have an appointment at the Chiropractor's on Monday because, that will help my back, neck, shoulder and all will be well--I just know it will.  AND no more "Mind Monsters" (as Bella calls them) about strokes, aneurysm or brain tumor to worry about!!!

....and if this nausea keeps up, at least I have a flushing toilet to curl-up around!

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I almost forgot--today is my oldest child and only son's birthday.  Mark Templeton Miller

January 17, 1958

7:28 p.m.

8# 15 oz.

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Balisha--I already had the frame and was thinking about what I could cross stitch to put in it. 

 9 x 26 inches