February 1, 2010

• I can't believe I haven't written anything since last Thursday!

      

                              

                        (Various stages of our iron cat yard decoration being covered in snow!)              

   

  So much has happened.

  We've experienced another winter storm. 

  Our little city lies in a bit of a valley (I know!  Oklahoma looks flat as a pancake!!!) and we accumulated quite a bit of precipitation before it was finished.

                    

  It started out as freezing rain.  Not such a good thing to have if you have power lines and telephone lines.  Our neighborhood is relatively new and there are no wires from poles.  Everything, including the cable TV, is buried underground.

                                 

  After many people began to experience power outages, the freezing rain changed over to sleet.  Better for the power lines, but it still makes the roads slick and hazardous.  Front porches and driveways become hazardous, too.

  When we went to bed, 150,000 were without electricity.  Rotten if you have well water!

                                                  

  When we woke up, 170,000+ were without electricity. 

  We were fine.

                                         

  Rissy made brownies one day and, a couple of days later, she made gingerbread for us.  Yum!  It's so nice to have help in the kitchen!  My girls are really good about helping to prepare and clean up.

  We had to laugh at Little Bit.  He tried to walk along the planter in the backyard and, when he stepped on the edge, he was completely covered under the snow!  Sushi loved it.  I don't know why.  She hates the rain!  They'd both have towels and girls waiting for them each time, after they did their business outside.  The snow stuck and hung from their fur in little balls.

                                                      

  Jesse attempted to salt our walkways, but it was pretty much useless.

  We were prepared with food, water, and batteries (AND, two generators) and the only thing we found we had forgotten to buy was sour cream.  So, we had Hidden Valley Ranch dressing on our baked potatoes one night - not the worst thing in the world that could happen . . . considering!

                                      

  AND . . . it WAS a beautiful snowfall.

  I have a surgery appointment scheduled  for next week on Tuesday.  It's a procedure to help me with my esophagus problems.  I haven't been able to eat, since I had radiation therapy,  without feeling like my food is stuck halfway down.  I usually quit eating - it's just too tedious.  I also have problems with giant hiccups - worse then what a normal person has to deal with.  I guess I'm looking forward to it being done, since they tell me I will have immediate relief.  The doctor's nurse said I it may only last a few years, but I am hoping this will be a one time procedure.

          

  We started back (barely) with homeschool this afternoon.  Last week was a boring review week for the girls.  It was used to make a point with them.  They weren't listening and school was taking an unbelievably long time because I had to keep repeating myself over and over.  Last week, we went back to pre-school work.  Their homework was the same - VERRRY boring.  Today I asked them to name something new they learned last week.  Of course, there had been nothing new.  I explained I had wasted their time for the past week, AND I had given them homework assignments that were a waste of time.   They weren't happy, but I think they understand what it is like to have time wasted - which was the point of the lesson I was trying to teach.  It's better to do things right the first time than to do the same thing 5 or 10 times.

                

  Jesse woke up Saturday morning with a horrible pain in the joint of his big toe.  He couldn't remember injuring it, but it was swollen and excruciatingly painful.  He broke down and drove up to a nearby AM/PM clinic to have it checked.  He was diagnosed with gout and told there wasn't much they could do except give him prescription strength Aleve and another pain pill.  They weren't even sure what caused it - maybe a new blood pressure pill he started a week ago.  He was told to stay down and elevate his foot and to use an ice pack.  It's somewhat better today - but not as much as he wishes it could be!

             

                                                                        (Icicles hanging from our patio roof.)

  I've kept busy scanning eBay for gift ideas for Rissy's birthday.  Haven't bought much, but I did a lot of "window shopping!!!"

  Jesse has used the time here at home to study for a test he needs to take to get a license to spread fertilizer and weed killer chemicals - a way to make a bit more money.  It's a whole new world (the world of chemicals and proportions) and he is agonizing over 3 different books.  I've tried to help him study, but it makes no sense to me!

            

  We haven't left the house since last Wednesday, yet we've survived our second winter storm very well!  We had some unexpected things freeze in the garage (like our dishwasher detergent) and a few surprises like that.  Things could have been much worse and we're just so immensely grateful for God providing for our home and grateful for the utilities and food we had to share.  No one called to stay with us, but we were definitely ready.

   

  Be Blessed  ! 

   

  • 5:26 pm
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