New Shoes

Laura found that Brooks has a used shoe link at their site. The shoes are really just returns. They’re half off. I’ve wanted solid black shoes with black around the sole. She ordered them for me and they arrived yesterday.  These are Brooks glycerine.  They don’t show every smudge.  When I walk here,I have to wear Muck boots but these will be for exercise class and walking the Lake trail.  

Yesterday was the first day since last Thursday that I could walk here. Shady places had snow, but most of my path was clear.  The road by Laura’s house was a muddy mess. January is half over.  Winter is passing but not without leaving memories.
 

Nightshift

Sigrid worked her first 6 to midnight shift at the College library. She is glad she’s learned to crochet.  She’s making a bag of some type out of these hearts and she finished two last night.  She must know every bone in the body by next week so she studied that.  She works Sunday afternoon and some In between her classes Monday plus this one late night shift. 

I walked up and down the lane in front of my house yesterday. I can’t walk my trail through the pasture. There’s just too much snow still. It’s slowly melting.  Sunday it’s really cold again starting 3 days of deep freeze again. Older I get the harder this cold is.  How do the folks up north survive?
 

Greta’s Gobs Win

 Greta’s team beat Alma last evening.  She had a good game.  7 pts, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals!

Laura took me to my workout class and to the Drug store to get my blood pressure med refilled. Today she went to school.  She said there was still lots of snow.  Her school is a few blocks from the Arkansas River.  

I’ll drive to my class today.  We have another cold blast coming and this snow won’t leave. 

This shows the playground at Laura’s school.  Still snow everywhere.

Pond Frozen

Pop’s pond glistens with a layer of ice.

Laura made some homemade bread.  She finds things to do. Her school is out again today. Rural roads are still snow and ice covered.

Laura stitched Sig an ear warmer to go with her scarf. Sig starts her classes today and works at the library too.  Her classes are all lab sciences and will be in the same building I think.  I hope she can handle them with ease.

 

Ada’s Snowman

Greta helped Ada create her first snowman. I can imagine who did all the work.  

These are snow creatures created by folks in Arkansas this week.  I’m amazed. They are works of art.

 Laura and I made it to the Lake to walk. I only walked a mile.  I wore my taller boots Clayton gifted me when he grew out of them.  Guess that made it harder. I carried a stick too. Helen, said you’ll probably fall down. I didn’t fall but I was pooped. Guess the boots were heavier than tennis shoes.  She said we’ll go again today.  

Surviving

I drove my mule to the chicken pen to create a track.  It sure helped walking there. I shoveled some of the snow away from their feeder.  Our snow was about a foot. I’ve kept the bird feeders full.

Ada was so excited to see the snow. She gave the snow ice cream a 10! She tried sledding down the hill.

Sig finished her scarf. I think it looks very nice. She has a new job at the College Library. Her classses start next week.

 We’re all surviving the snow storm.  I’d rather it just last a day, but most of the snow is still here. 

Slowing down

Wow, Snow was over my high top boots, but I gave the birds and my chickens a bite to eat! My tape said 10 inches of snow! Still falling!  It seems to be slowing down.

After I got my chicken pen open and threw food on the floor of their coop, I thought I’d never get the pen locked back.  I had trouble walking as it’s almost a foot of snow.  Sun will shine tomorrow weatherman says.

 

Let it Snow

It snowed yesterday afternoon and then all night. Not sure how many inches but I’d guess 5 to 7.  Thankful to still have electricity and no frozen pipes. It’ll get above freezing today so we’ll have some melting. Supposed to reach 40 tomorrow.  Soon this will be history.  I’ll have to take a shovel and clean a place outside the chicken house about 9 AM. I’ll take them water as it’ll be frozen. 

Astrid worked yesterday but made it home safely.  She and Logan are off today.  

 

Markdown

Ada’s markdowned doggy ensemble from Wally World fit just right.  I like the children’s clothes from there. They are reasonable in price and in style.

Snow storm starts today. Laura and Eric have school cancelled today and tomorrow.

Fleta has decided this will be her last year at Tyson’s. She said before next winter she’s retiring.  At 77, she deserves a rest.  

Come Monday, our temps will be in the 40’s in the day.  Looking forward to it.
 

Calendar

Laura gets me a new calendar each year.  My new one is here.  January has pictures of Logan.  His birthday’s the 20.  February is couples. March is Sigrid and on through my year.  I’ll get a year calendar at Hobby Lobby later when they are marked down.  I try to find one with birds.

I’m feeding the birds each day and tending my chickens.  It was 22 last night and won’t get much above freezing today.  Tomorrow a snow storm is coming. Arizona sounds like a nice place to live today.
 

Biking

 I have been using my bike for exercise.  I’m glad to have it as it’s too cold to walk outside.  Thursday it’s supposed to snow.  I’m riding twice to 3 times each day.  Riding is boring to me but I’m enduring the time.  I am attending my silver sneakers class Monday through Wednesday.  

PBS has their new finding your roots on tv starting this week.  I like that show.  I have nothing to read and am just enduring each cold day.  At least, I don’t have to go to work in the freezing temps like fleta.

Sigrid is trying to make a scarf now.  She’s making even stitches.  She made the Dean’s list and starts her new job at the College Library this week.  Next week, she starts new classes.  All sciences with labs and all intense.  Laura will be back taking her school leadership classes too. She’s  almost finished too.

Winter is a Big Monday

School is open today.  I hope Ada feels better.  She has a lingering cough.  

We are in the deep freeze. It is 24 degrees this morning.  I have the water dripping. Fleta is at work.  It’s 19 there.  She is thinking of retiring.  She turned 77 January 4.  The two grands she helps graduate in May and will be able to pay their own way hopefully.  She gave each a vehicle.  She deserves a rest.

Laura made Astrid a tree skirt from the rest of the old quilt.  It matches the stockings.  She used a table cloth for the under side.  

Laura fixed her lunch for the week.  She will put in cool whip bowls and grab one each morning.  She gave me enough for my lunch today.

I’m planning to ride my bike and not walk outside. It’s just too cold.  I’ll go to my workout at 10. 

Stay warm if you can.
 

Ada Afternoon

Yesterday, Erin and Greta attended the ATU basketball tourney.  Ada’s stayed the afternoon with me.  I pampered her. She has a cough and is not quite up to par.  We watched Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse on tv.  I served her an array of snacks. We walked across the Meadow to visit Auntie Laura.  Too soon, headlights came down my drive and carried her away.  All afternoon she said “ I love you, Gigi”.  Her shirt says the secret— Ada is love!

 

Late Walk

 I walked to my mailbox late one evening this week.  The sky was so spectacular. I could see but dark was settling around me.  In the winter I stay inside too much.  It clogs my brain.

Erin is coming this afternoon.  She and Greta are going to an ATU basketball game. It’s a high school tournament. Ada and I will play together while they’re away. Laura picked her up a little outfit at Walmart in the markdown.  

Devotion

After I retired and now that was 13 years ago come May, I read a devotion each day.  My friend Jonell sent this one to me last year.  I don’t really like the author but the devotional was good.  Each day it held a reminder to be thankful.  Laura read the one below in 2024.  Perhaps it was also a gift from a friend.  We swapped and now I’m reading hers and she can be reminded each day to be thankful.  I going to have my eye out for one for 2026.  I like to be prepared and I plan to be here. 

 

Cold Coming

By Monday, it is to be much colder.  It was really windy here New Year’s Eve as the front passed.  I’ll be glad when the cold passes too.  

For Christmas Astrid made me a little solar light from one of the old fixtures in the Galla house.  She changed the lights but saved the light covers.  We moved to that house in 1989.  The little light carries memories.
 

In Her Genes

Sigrid is on a break from College.  She’s trying crocheting. Her first attempt at a bigger project is moving along.  She sorted through left over yarn for colors.  She designed her project on her iPad. Now, she off and hooking.  She has several blocks finished.

I’m thrilled she’s trying this pastime.  I find it a pleasant distraction from whatever is going on in my life.  A creative hobby is a good thing to master.