She Shoveled Snow

Spent the morning shoveling snow off the sidewalks and driveway. Did a great job and paused to admire my work when I finished. I came in to dry off, warm up, and eat lunch before going back out to do my neighbor's walk. By the time I got back out there the sun had come up for the first time this year and melted the snow in the neighborhood. Mother nature took credit for all my hard work so I turned around and came back in for more hot chocolate.

She Sheared Sheep...

Tyler took turns trapping and taming the next target taken.
Sue sheared sheep Saturday with scissors, not shavers, stripping skin.

Nanc never knew gnarly-necked Nigerian dwarfs need naps.
Glen got good at getting the grazing and gorging of the group!
Me? I wore gloves to be immune from wool allergies and bad tongue twisters! Sheep shearing is over for another year for Nanc and Sue. I’m no good at it, but I had a great time helping again this year. I’m still sore, so let’s not do that again for another year!

Hoops Update

My burnt orange sweatshirt was retired to the back of the closet again and my Kansas sweatshirts will be worn this week! And, I can relax because I know my brother and his family will have the proper attire to wear as well, thanks to the supply of KU t-shirts they got for Christmas from one of the best aunts in the world. I’m learning to post pics on my blog, so I’ll share their funny pic. No matter which shirt you are wearing or what hand signals you are performing, there is no doubt about it - Kentucky must be destroyed!

Well Dressed Aliens

A pair of socks goes into the washer, yet only one comes out of the dryer. I look, I look again, then I stick my arm all the way in and wipe my hand all the way around the drum in case static cling forced it to glue itself to the sides. When my search doesn’t come up with it I do the same manipulations with the washer. Nope. Gone. I go back to the dryer and take out the lint screen, like it chartered a bus during the cool down cycle to visit its cousins, also on the lint screen. It’s not about losing a sock, it’s about losing my mind. I’m saving the orphans just in case the ones that ran off show up. I feel bad for the lonely, mismatched socks. I picture their mates ran off for more exciting sock partners. They shimmy out of the dryer when I’ve got my back turned and the door open, and then slip under the dryer until the coast is clear making a run for it. Even now, the socks in my sock drawer are plotting their escape. If you see an alien wearing mismatched socks, please send them back to me. Their mates are waiting.

What to Wear

The day I dreaded has arrived. KU lost its first basketball game last night and it didn’t go unnoticed by the nephews. They both sent text messages that made me laugh, but as you know, I’m no good at trash talk so my replies were pretty lame. What do you say to, “Sooo um, KANSAS?!?” Our loss knocked us out of #1 and put Texas there. OSU is close behind too. It’s going to be a long, nail-biter season with those three teams playing so well. But I’m a good sport and vow to wear the sweatshirt of whatever team is on top every week. Today I wore my Texas sweatshirt. My OSU sweatshirt is clean and ready in the closet too. Just don’t tell anyone that I’ll always have on my KU jacket over my sweatshirt!

Chilly New Year

It’s a cold Friday. We had three feet of snow and ice from the last blizzard and got a foot more two days ago. Plus temps below zero. Is there a difference between minus one and minus sixteen degrees? Feels the same to me. Three pair-of-socks again today. Schools have been cancelled for days and churches already have announced closings for day after tomorrow. The city has been working round the clock to clear the streets, but the ice melt they use doesn’t work in sub zero temps, and they are running out of sand. They did manage to clear one lane of the highway each direction, but have to shut it down every couple of hours and clear the pile ups that happen from blowing snow and snow drifts. We won’t be above zero again until Monday. We won’t be above freezing for days longer. I’m in good shape (I can live on popcorn and hot chocolate for months) but it’s days like this I consider moving to warmer climates.