First Week of February, 2010

Well, January will be leaving us today. I say ;-) -- so long, sucker. Hope I don't see you again this year and I mean it too.

These pictures were from February last year. You see Jan and Feb are good friends. They have been side by side for 1000s of years. So Feb heard what I was saying about Jan and there you go. Those two teamed up on me last year and this is what I got. Well, Jan has been reading Sister's Blog about how she HATES Jan and Feb is taking up her cause. She is sending a blizzard up to Kansas City and NW Arkansas. There are two ladies who live near KC who are writing bad things about Jan too. Donna and Winnie Jo have been bad mouthing Jan so Feb is really riled up. No telling how much snow Donna and Win will get. Some are saying over a foot in only a few hours. Notice Sister Helen does not bad mouth Jan. She slurps about the nice weather and warm, wonderful temps outside and we should not be surprised that Feb is not knocking on her door with a slurpie to dump on her head.

Well, here goes Feb! I love Jan she is the nicest month. I live for her pleasant surprises like the one she gave me this weekend. Next, to Jan I love her Sister Feb. She always brings chocolate candy and love kisses to me in the middle of the month!

Aside-0-ok, maybe Jan and Feb will send the snow cone to Patsy, Fleta, Donna and Winnie Jo! All I want is a chocolate heart and some sunshine, Feb. I learned my lesson last year. You can see I still have the pictures to prove it.

Go Jan -- Go Feb :-) Go north! Go north!

Green Again

Soon the world will be green again. I am always hopeful in the spring!

What Will February Bring?

I am thinking of planting those seed potatoes I bought. Granny planted hers on February 14. The picture below was taken in February. What will come next month--well, I don't have a clue but today I will have a little bit of spring. Weatherman says it the gauge will climb to almost 70.

Talked to Clayton last night...before getting him on the phone....I could hear him saying "Momma, you will come and get me won't you?" I knew he was speaking of his daycare. I hope to be able to drive to Pelsor and get him some this summer--meet up with Momma there--and be his day........care.....for a few days. This is a prayer in my heart. Erin says "don't ask" for selfish stuff as the Lord is busy, but pooey on her! I am praying every night that Clayton will call this summer and say, "Pop, come and get me!" Pop will be out the door in a jiffy!

Another Cousin Loves Chickens

Winnie sent this and I think it proves another cousin loves chickens.

Junior Golden Suns Volleyball Team

Lucky number 7 is my favorite!

Cake Idea for Helen

My friend's Mom is making this cake for her grandson's birthday. Those are two vanilla cakes, a chocolate cake and icing. I guess that yellow is icing. The french fries are cut up cake! Clayton would like this cake for his birthday, Erin.

Erin Gets Good Stuff

Greg's Aunt made this for him. Greg's Mom gave it to Erin for Clayton.

Red-Tail Hawk

Our friend at Harrison sent this picture. They are working their pup with this old squirrel tail. Well, this hawk saw it as a squirrel an swooped down in the yard to get it. Hawks set high in the trees here and watch Galla Meadow when they see a rabbit or squirrel they swoop down and snatch it up. It is illegal to shoot a Red-Tail Hawk.

Red Birds

Here is a male and female Red Bird at my sunflower feeder. It got almost 50 degrees this afternoon, but the next week's highs are all lower than today.

Gold Fish

This Gold Fish out grew his bowl. We went to pick up our pups Larry got as Tie was the sire to this guys pups. Jo, his wife, had a Gold Fish in her bowl in the house and it grew so big that she put it ouside in the little tank. It has grown this big in a fish pond. Wonder what would happen in a pond?

Topping Fleta's Deer Picture

Fleta keeps showing pictures of the deer in the field. This photo was taken near Nuclear One. They set off the terrorist alarms with all there commotion.

Frost on Crow Mountain

We got out at 1:10 today. Right after I got home the snow quit. I hope this is the last storm this winter.

Have I Posted this Photo?

I love this photo of Laura...it says it all...something like, "yes, I can, by george!"

Back to the Grind!

Erin went back to work today. Clayton goes to school tomorrow. Greta is almost back to her old self. Erin said everyone was glad to see her. One of her clients came out to meet her with the biggest smile. MLK day has been drizzly and foggy here.

Seat Freeze?

I am glad Greta is doing better. When I called I talked to Clayton and told him I missed him. He said he did not miss me. I pretended to cry and he said what are doing and he was not sorry for not missing me.

Pop always tells Siggie that this dog and that one got married when we have pups. She understands each litter has a mother and father. Yesterday, she said "Pop, next time two of your dogs get married, I want to come." Siggie asked Laura why girls wore bras and Laura tried to give her an answer about modesty, etc. Siggie said, "I don't think so...I think girls want their boobs to stick out!"

Greta is Healing

I hope Greta will be back to normal soon. Erin was really, really worried. You see she knows more so that makes it worse. How silly, you may think, but if you don't know some things you are ignorant of them and will not even realize.

I have drank coffee since I was a young girl. I drank instant coffee at School of the Ozarks. I would get the water from the hot tap. The water there was heated with a boiler and was really hot. The coffee was very soothing to a young girl away from home and family with very little of anything, especially money. So as my life continued, I have always associated coffee with good things. Momma let us put cream in our coffee. I know by age of 9 or 10 I drank coffee each morning. She perked it and then turned the fire off and left it there. By the time we drank it for breakfast it was not piping hot. I think this is way I always want to add an ice cube to my hot coffee so it will be more like when I was a young girl at home. I quit putting cream in my coffee when I was in my 30s because of the extra calories. I just drank it black. Most mornings I have drank a small pot for the 40 years Larry and I have been married. Sometimes we even drank another pot in the afternoon. Well, another pleasure passes from my lips. Coffee is making me dreadfully sick. Throwing up sick. I am going to try to live without coffee in the morning. It is going to be hard, but Larry says he quit cigarettes surely I can quit coffee.

But........I keep hoping the feeling will pass and I can have a good cup of coffee again. It is not the caffeine but the acid in the coffee that I can not tolerate.

Spring Outfit

I know Greta wants spring to get here soon. Today I got her a new outfit to wear when it gets warm.

Greta's Home

Erin said they are home. Greta has an antibiotic and an inhaler. She was glad to see her brother.

Erin said her face lit up when she saw Clayton.

Greta's Improving

Nurse Jones sent an update on Greta:

Doc said Xray wasn't too bad. Just a few streaks of pneumonia. She is eating and sleeping better. Slept for 8 hours last night (and so did momma.). Home tomorrow maybe.

Greta

This is Greta with her Great Grandmother, Janie. Erin said the medicine in the iv was for pneumonia. Greta will probably have to stay in the hospital several more days.

Greta is Resting!

Greta Update

Erin said last night that she was having breathing treatment every 4 hours and antibiotic by iv. Have not heard this morning. I had to go to work. No more snow day.

Erin said the RSV test was negative. Also, no pnuemonia.

Greta

Greta is in Harrison Hospital

Greta was sick when they came down January 8. Erin and Greg took her to the Dr. today and he put her in the hospital. She is really croupy. Dr. said her lungs are clear. Remember her!

Update: Laura said Erin called her and they have put Greta on an antibiotic iv and she is getting a respiratory treatment every 4 hours. Erin sent a photo of her by phone to Laura...Greta was smiling!

Cousin Merle

Merle Haggard is our cousin. Lots of Arkansas folks did as Merle sings in this song!

Birds and Chickens

Birds seem really happy that I filled the feeder!
My chickens stayed in their warm house. I threw them some corn and pellets!

Snow Geese and Snow

I decided to get out in the snow as my red birds were out of sunflower seeds.
Then I walked down toward Galla Lake which is about dry.
I think these are snow geese. They did not like me in the domain.
They all flew and scattered.
You can barely see them coming together down by the earth dam of the Lake.
In only a minute they were organized and returned toward me to fly on.
Then it was just me and the silent Lake once more.

Clayton and Pop

Clayton warmed up to us a little more this visit. He was sick and I hope he feels better today.

40 Years Later

The first two pictures are for Helen. She says I take bad pictures....well, I think these first two look just like me.

Happy Anniversery to Me

40 years today!

You Know

I feel good when I have something interesting to read. If you have not read the Foxfire books, you should try them. I got number 12 today at the library and am reading about Ary Carpenter from North Carolina. She could be kin to us by marriage. The old timers are the most interesting to read about! I don't like to reread books, but now that I am so forgetful, sometimes I reread some books I have really liked. I forgot most of them and can enjoy them a second time. There is a silver lining in most things....even forgetting. You see if it were bad you can just forget it. If it's something good maybe you can enjoy it again.

Larry went squirrel hunting yesterday and last night I fried the squirrels he cleaned. He had them with eggs, biscuits, and gravy. The girls were over and played outside. When they came in, they all grabbed a biscuit. Larry offered them squirrel. Astrid and Siggie took a leg. Ingrid turned her nose up and made some white gravy, biscuits sandwiches. She opened her biscuit and filled it with white gravy. She fixed several and wrapped them in a paper towel to take home. Laura commented on Larry's dog blog that she found a squirrel foot in Siggie's pocket.

Life is good here in the Meadow.

Riddle for You

Why does the number 6 have horrible fear of the number 7?

See comments for answer.

Wisteria

I remember the Wisteria by the corner of the porch...back behind the swing. Sisters, can you remember when we had that swing on the front porch.

I have been studying our DNA and want Clayton to know he is from the same haplo as King Tut and King David. What company we kept in our past. I am also writing a book about the Garretsons (Larry's Y DNA) and am on page 30. It will take years because now that I am back to work...I am too tired to work on it. Larry's Haplo and Claytons are identical. Mom's haplo goes back to some famous folks too! mtDNA for Mom is T2--same as Jesse James! Here are some more.

Kings & Queens of Denmark
Elizabeth (1524-1586) => T2 (mtDNA)
Anne (1574-1619) => T2 (mtDNA)
* Christian III => T2 (mtDNA)
* Frederick II
* Christian IV => T2 (mtDNA)
* Frederick III
* Christian V
* Frederick IV
* Christian VI
* Frederick V
* Christian VII
* Frederick VI
* Christian VIII
* Frederick VII
* Christian IX (1818-1906)
* Frederick VIII (1843-1912) => T2 (mtDNA)
* Christian X (1870-1947)
* Frederick IX (1899-1972)
Kings of Norway
Olav V (1903-1991) => T2 (mtDNA) ; R1b (Y-DNA)
Kings & Queens of Sweden
Gustav II Adolf (1594-1632) => T2 (mtDNA)
Charles X Gustav (1622-1660) => T2 (mtDNA)

If Fleta Was A Chicken

this is what she would look like after 63 years--Happy Birthday!