Saturday, January 19, 2013

Nervously, I will try again !

It's encouraging to see more "posts' and even some with photos !  I won't attempt that, after my miserable failure a couple of days ago, but I will try just an ordinary post" !

It's very hot here again and we are all feeling slightly limp ! Christchurch had a mild after-shock on Wednesday, not many people felt it, it was noteworthy because it was the 11,000 th. since the big quake of Feb.2011...  It had been quiet of late, and we were beginning to think they were over.  Last night we had a 4.7, we all felt that one.

We are expecting a visit from DD#1 this wek. We haven't seen her since August 2011, so we are quite excited.   Thanks to Skype,emails and the phone, we keep in touch well ...it certainly doesn't seem that long since she was here.  DH and I are seriously thinking of moving off the property this year and DD#2 says that her sister is coming to "put her name on everything " !!  We'll see !  She's coming down from H.K. so will enjoy the fresh air of N.Z. I doubt that there's much here that she will want. She has a well furnished home in Scotland and Hong Kong . Anyway, we expect to be taking most of it with us ...!

As a first step towards moving off, we had the property valued last week. We still haven't heard back.  We have someone who wants to buy. I guess they will have a valuation done too, and then we will start talking. It's going to be hard to move but we feel it's probably the right time. We are quite isolated here (which we have enjoyed) but, as we get older, it would seem sensible to move closer in.  Our closest township is 18 K away, we would like an acre or so, on the outskirts, we are not quite ready for close neighbours !!

Off to a BBQ now. A 60th bday for a friend.  It's nice to have such young friends ! We sometimes forget that we are both over 70...

Have a good week.
Marion.

Burrrr! and credit fraud

Kathi-we saw the sun this morning.  It was quite lovely between 9 and 10 AM.  We took our bikes, and met out friends and at 11:00 arrived in the Amelia Island, Fla. area.  The sun went away, and it got more windy as the day went on.  The other husband & I conked out after 5 miles and went back and got the cars.  My DH and his wife went about 15 miles, over a pretty good size bridge, in the wind.  We all went into the little town on Fernandina Beach and had lunch and window shopped.  Now at 4PM it is foggy.  I've never seen fog in the afternoon!
After about 7:00 PM last night returned home from the shop hop.  Lots of fun.  The other girl drove (same one who went 15 miles on her bike today).  Needless to say she has more energy than I do.
The shops were all different.  Daytona one cute, a cut out of Elenor Burns out front where we had our pictures taken.  Got the kit for the shop hop squares.  The second and third shops were nice too.  The 4th was VERY small.  It was inside a barn at a horse farm.  Met up with GF from Mt. Dora, and had coffee, and then headed home.  When I got the mail and ate some leftovers found out that whoever tried to open accounts with my Mom's identity actually did open one account.   They charged $450.00 worth of children's clothing at a store outside of Ft. Lauderdale.  Called the store's fraud #, reported it, and she suggested I call the police to make a report.  So at 8:30PM a police officer came and took the report.  By then the pollen had driven my eyes crazy all day, and I went to bed at 9:00PM.  The shop hop stuff is still in the shopping bag.
Too worn out now to care, and want to flop on the couch.  Hopefully Monday will not bring any more fraud, and the credit reporting firms will have all flagged the Social Security #.
Never thought I'd have to report fraud for my 95 year old Mom.
More next week.  Have a wonderful Sunday, where every you are, sun, snow, rain or fog.
Sara in Fla.

We aren't quite sure...

...but the prevailing opinion around here is that the strange orb in the sky might...just might...be the sun!  It's been so long since we've seen it, that nobody is completely certain.

I took this just a few minutes ago standing on our front porch.  Not venturing out any further than this, though.

Apparently the powers that be have relented and allowed downloads from my photo program.  Still had to get the gibberish out of the way by hitting "compose", but it's a step in the right direction.

Kathi

Friday, January 18, 2013

Interesting photograph Morro Bay California

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/01/16/2359073/alice-cahill-photography-bird.html

My friend, Susan, from Morro Bay & Cayucos, California sent this into me this morning.  I wondered if quilters would enjoy seeing it.  We are so aware of texture and line and colour that I feel some will relate to its beauty.  I posted this and the size of the font picked up from the link word size...too small.  I've learned what 'T' is on the tool bar.  It's Font Size.  Something new all the time.  I may become an expert at posting...though I somehow doubt it.

RoseyP

 in Ontario, Canada
 
 

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Going on a quilt shop tomorrow!

Hopefully the rain that is outside right now will pass soon.  With all the talk of weather, we are dropping like a rock here.  75 yesterday, 72 and sunny this morning, now about 58 and windy with rain.  The "Canadian Clipper" is what the weather people are calling it.  Snow in Mississippi, VA, NC. etc.  We expect about 4 hrs. of rain.  We need the rain to wash the pollen out.  Next week more seasonal.
So, I found a GF to go traveling about with me tomorrow.  We leave at 8:30AM to Daytona and then on to Deland, Orange City, and Eustice, and then back.  I was hoping to spend 1 night with GF in Mt. Dora, but her 35yr. old son has 2 more days with her then is going back to Las Vegas where he is currently living, preforming music and writing.  I think he signed a 1 yr. contract with someone.  She is very tallented in music and singing, and he went into it professionally.  She will meet up with us in Eustice (very small town) for a cup of tea or coke, and we will return home.  The local place where I signed up has a charm bracelet with a "sun" charm on it.  You collect all 6 six charms, and 1 free quilt square.  The 6 blocks can be made into a small wall hanging, or used with something else.  I'm assuming the shop hop is a way to generate business in otherwise slow January.
I got form letters stating my Mom was turned down for credit.  Guess someone was trying to open an account with her SS#.  Reported it to one credit reporting agency.  I think someone got into the files at the nursing home.
More when I get back about the stores.  'Yall stay warm!
Sara in Fla.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Snow is fun....if you're a dog

Very strange way of doing things, but it worked (apparently). I'm not very poetic about winter right now, but I do have to agree about the wood stove. That's my favorite part about winter at the cabin. The sun is peeping through the frozen fog right now. All of the trees were covered with an inch or more of sparklies this morning. Even the icicles had frozen fog on them. I thought of taking a picture, but decided to wait inside rather than heading out that early. Now the breeze had shaken the branches and pfffttt! No more sparklies. Maybe tomorrow. Kathi

Coping with cold

OK Rosey.  They've changed things around again.  Now when I click on the icon to add a picture to the post, there isn't any option for "browse".  I can't access my photo program to download a photo. How did you do it? 

Now it looks as if every photo I have ever posted here is in an online web file.  I know I haven't authorized anything like that.  Thought one had to subscribe to those. This is the first time I've ever had a problem with posting photos. Here we go again.....

Anyhow, we do have block heaters in the engines of all of our vehicles.  Those plug into the electricity when the weather gets waaay cold.  We also keep my car in the (unheated) garage at night.  That way I don't have any ice scraping to do in the morning.

I do have to say, though, the older I get, the less I like winter around here.  The dogs, on the other hand, love it.  That's what I was trying to post a picture of.

We have been bitterly cold here for the past month.  The daytime temperatures have been in the low 20s, with nighttime temps down into the single digits.  The snow that fell on Christmas day is still on the ground, which is very unusual for us.  Normal is for it to be here for a few days and then go away.

For anyone who is interested, here's a link to the webcam in the town where we have our cabin.  If you look right above the camera shot, you will find a link to two pages of "Guest Photo Gallery".  Some wonderful pictures of the area around Stanley Idaho.  www.sawtoothcamera.com.


Kathi

Sara, I guess this image wouldn't turn you on, right?  How do we cope with cold weather...much better, for me, than hot.  I love the stinging cold on my cheeks, I love watching the snowflakes filter through the spotlight on the house when the show is falling.  Millions of tiny snowflakes falling from the sky and if you stick out your tongue, you can catch some of them.  I love waking up to tiny branches etched in ice and snow, like somone magically draped the whole of the landscape in sparkly white and silver cloth.  I love having the wood stove on in winter.  Sleeping by a wood stove is like no other...the warmth, the comfort, it seems to lull you into sleep before you know it.  This photo was taken before the pool was closed last fall.  We had an unexpected snowfall.  Normally, the pool is covered with an ugly silver cloth.  I could not cope with the cloistering heat that I've experienced in Florida from May to November.  I don't know how you folks do it but from Nov. to the beginning of May Florida is a wonderful place to be and to visit.
Rosey...maybe others will share why they enjoy winter...but there are only a few of us living with it here on the board...Kathi?  If Jean experiences snow, it's a mistake.  Sent by the East.

Supper cold weather?

How does one function in -15 or -30 weather?  Do you plug your car batteries into something so they will start in the morning?  Put them in a heated garage?  How does a body go off to work in the morning?  Or does everything just grind to a halt until the cold wave warms up to something like 5?
I am trying to figure out how to do our shop hop here and keep DH and GF happy at the same time.   We drove up to Amelia Island yesterday with our visitors, and found that the county is installing miles of new bike trails.  DH wants to go back on Sat. to try them out.
Will keep you posted on what happens next.
Sara in Fla. (where it is supposed to rain tomorrow and get down to 40)

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

winter storm advisory here

UGH... we were absolutely spoiled by the 62°F highs here, last week.  Winter has returned.  We had freezing rain yesterday and more today with ice storm warnings not far from here.  I wish mother nature would give us back our unseasonably warm weather.

Sarah in FL - it is hard for me to fathom that y'all have pollen already.

Anna in Spain - It is so nice to see you here posting.   I hope you'll be able to sign on more often, now that you got it figured out.  Although some of our ladies can sign on some days, and other days blogger.com is balky and doesn't play nice with us.

No cabin fever yet

"Rosey, Please post and tell Sarah that we are dealing with -30*s here in Canada!!!!!"

Sara, CeliaP has caught up with your postings from the Eastern Seaboard of Canada and get a load of their temperatures there.  I posted for her.  Cabin fever has not yet set in up here.

RoseyP


The down side of warm weather

Is the Pollen!  It is too early for things to be blooming, and have pollen everywhere, making my eyes itch.  It is 78 here, we are taking some friends out and about for the afternoon.  They are both in town for checks at the Mayo Clinic here.  He has one more test in the morning, then they go back to middle Fla.  I think we are driving to Amelia Island, then Fernandia, and maybe St. Simons, GA. 
So what is everyone else doing?
My DD is back home after spending 2 nights (with boys) at a friend's house, because she was having anxiety and didn't want to be home during the blizzard they were having.  I think is was -17 last night there.  Who can live in that type of weather?  Guess that is where the term "cabin feavor" comes from.
Sara in Fla.