Watching "Dog with a Blog"

On my pillow.....

Happy New Year!

Yes. I'm late. We've been preoccupied, as often happens here in the country. It is kind of a good news/bad news situation, but hopefully all has been taken care of.

I wish I had a picture to show you how we spent New Year's Day. But alas. Again, we were preoccupied, despite the fact that Cuddle Buns remarked to Rudy at one point: "This is so going on your blog."

I was hoping to sleep in on New Year's Day. I made it all the way to 8pm when the ADT alarm started sounding at the same time the phone started ringing. (Cuddle Buns, deep into his new car racing video game, was in the living room and heard none of this.) The nice lady on the ADT end of the phone informed me that carbon monoxide had been detected in our home and that we needed to vacate.

OK.

I grabbed my phone, iPad, knitting, and finally convinced Cuddle Buns that this was not a drill and that he needed to grab Rudy. (I promise, if Cuddle Buns had not been there, Rudy would have been grabbed first.)

By the time we got to Cuddle Bun's shed (workshop, Man Cave, Pub…it has had many names) the phone was ringing again. The emergency dispatch was calling to make sure we were out of the house and to inform us paramedics were on the way. She then asked how they would find us and seemed a little worried when I told her we were in the shed. I assured her it was heated. (Our January 1st was cold and rainy.)

We were  checked. My blood pressure was actually better than Cuddle Bun's, though I was informed by one of the EMTs that it wasn't a competition.

Dispatch called again. We were to call the fire chief. Seems they don't have equipment to come  check for carbon monoxide. We were told to open the windows and call someone to check our heater.

Did I mention it was cold and rainy. And January First, when no one ANYWHERE was available to check a heater?

We moved our sleeping arrangements into the quest bedroom, which is more insulated and easier to heat via a space heater. I've assured everyone that we were fine. And we were. The house is snug, even though it was cold out. But not the coldest, which came soon enough!

So, Friday the Second we got the heater checked out. Yep. The Culprit. Spewer of bad things to breathe.

The Culprit

Now, given that many things in this house were rigged by previous homeowners, I can't help but wonder how much of the propane conversion was done correctly, or the exhaust, or the installation BUT the thing had to go.

So, after trying to tap dance with the holder of our home owner warranty (won't do that again), we had this new beauty installed on Wednesday.

Just in time for the polar blast that dropped temps that night into the teens. Last night, too.

So. I'm so thankful we had an alarm to warn us. And thankful for space heaters, and our guys who came to check out The Culprit. And HEAT. 

This should be standard equipment in the Midwest

So I just got back from a quick trip to Iowa. My wondrous Aunt Gerry passed away. We spent so much time at her house growing up. She and my Uncle "Dick Clark" Bob had been married 62 years this coming Saturday. I called them Mr. and Mrs. Dick Clark because they never changed, never aged. She will be so missed, but I know she is giggling with Jesus and I'll see her again! 

It is winter in the Midwest. It wasn't bad. Hovered around freezing while I was there. No snow. The biggest pain is wearing a coat. And taking it off in the car. And putting it back on to go into a store. And taking it off because it's hot in there. And putting it back on yadayadayada. As I was leaving my favorite state, I stopped to get gas at a very busy little station. Wish I could remember the name of it or where it was. The restrooms were amazing. (Very important.) Each stall was it's own little washroom with sink, etc. When I turned to sit, I discovered the seat was plugged in to the wall. With instructions.

                

                    

I didn't try either. I was still warm from the trip into the heat. But really. The heater part should be standard throughout all snowy, cold regions.

Don't know about the other. 

The latest in Fall Fashion Footwear

No. It was not a sprain.

Yes. It is a stress fracture.

And yes, those are my cute gnome pajamas.

And no, I'm not getting out of them today.

LuLu's Maiden Voyage

This is LuLu. I've been waiting for her some time. Cuddle Buns brought her from Waco on his way home from Houston.

I got ready, Mike drove me down,  and I took her out.

Beautiful Proctor Lake.

Rudy wasn't quite sure what to do. I invited him aboard, but he decided not to come.

I puttered around for a bit, trying to get a feel for her.

I discovered what I already knew….I'm terribly out of shape. But I had fun!!

I also got a little trolly so I can walk her down from the house. It just arrived.

Tomorrow I solo.

A Pickle

We had awesome rain last night. Over an inch. 

We also had awesome winds.

So awesome the pontoon was moved from under the carport a bit.

An attempt to hitch it up and pull it out…made it worse.

Plan B.

Success!

We have a new occupant here at Burke's Corner

Just Dance

Ok…terrible video quality…but Just Listen.

I love kid giggles.

Going Home Today (by Zoey)

I'm going to miss Dublin. I will miss camp. I am going to come back next summer for camp. I will be so excited to see my class again. I can't wait to see what we are going to do for projects. I can't wait to show Daddy the projects I already did.

Thanks Ms Carole and Mr Homer for letting me pet Boo.

day2 of art camp.

today i hope we do tie die t-shirts at art camp cuz  it look's fun. cuz yesterday we were painted on canvases and we glazed a fish.

barkleyblog written by Zoey

me and barley are at my Grammas and barley is playing with his brother rudy. and this after noon i'm
going to craft camp. and he loves playing with a fox toy. he is a chouch and char potato he sits in both of them. and barley is the best dog ever.

Happy Fourth!

Pinterest rocks.

Let the games begin

Vintage suitcase circa 1980.

Can't we just play in bed?

Rudy likes lounging in the morning. We often have to get him up with the promise of squirrels on the fence. Some mornings nothing really works.

Wait for it...

This came to me when I needed a good laugh. Turn the volume up.

Still cracks me up. 

I know I said I'd fill you in…..

But….now that winter is finally over here, what in this is at all interesting:

??

It was April in Iowa. They had 8 inches of snow the day after I left. Let's call it over and move on.

Because spring is finally here!

Things are blooming!

We even have bluebonnets again in the orchard.

The bugs are out. (No grasshoppers yet THANK YOU VERY MUCH!)

And we're sleeping with the windows open.

I love spring in the country. Sneezing and all.

OK, OK!

Both of my readers have asked for an update. I'm telling you, country life is QUIET life. Not much happening around here. HOWEVER, there have been developments. I'll start with the latest and then save the earlier events for later posts….maybe.

The Pileco Crew came today to install the sign that Mike was given when he retired.

I expected it to take the better part of the day.

I don't know why.

The concrete was poured well before lunch.

And the sign hung shortly thereafter.

We're official.

The crew.

Come visit! You can't miss us now!

I love planes

They take you places. Logistically, the whole business is amazing. Scientifically as well. I mean, I haven't fallen out of the sky once!

Cuddle Buns doesn't like to fly. Doesn't like waiting at airports.  What's not to like about airports?

On my way home from across the pond I chatted at length with a very nice young man who was on his way home from Sochi. How cool is that? He had been at the Winter Olympics with the news corp. I never found out who he worked for, but I did find out he lived in Lincoln, Nebraska, so of course we talked of the MidWest. He said it was warmer in Russia. He reassured me that most of what I read on Facebook about the accommodations in Sochi were false. (WHAT? The Internet lied???) He said security was amazing.

Then on the last leg of my trip from Dulles to DFW, I sat next to a Grampa who had been with his daughter and two young grandkids for a couple of weeks while his SIL was deployed. We talked grandkids. Best topic in the world.

And yes….there were two screaming kids on that flight, but I felt so sorry for that young couple. I mean, those kids couldn't have been more than 10 months apart. I remember flying with babies and toddlers.

And if not for airports and airplanes I would have missed:

The Forest of Dean

And The Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Westminster Abbey

And teaching Care Bear how to crochet. And reading The Phantom Tollbooth to the boys. And seeing "The Lego Movie" with Care and Hayden (something I wouldn't have done, most likely, without them, and I would have missed out!).

My most disappointing thing?? (And it pains me.)