Spring has Sprung? Let's Hope So!

Look at these beautiful Bassets! That's Elmo on the left, Duchess on the right. They are out on the deck on their pillows, enjoying the sun and mild temperatures today. The snow has all but vanished (except in the piles on the streets, where the snow plough ran), and lots of spring flowers are pushing through the ground. How they survived all that cold weather, I'll never know! I've heard that the forecast for this weekend isn't the greatest (rain and wind on the way), but surely we won't slip back into Winter again...surely?

I'm starting to get the hang of Blog publishing, particularly on my http://ChoicesCoach.blogspot.com. I pick a topic for each day, select my resources and supporting materials, and create the content to publish. I've used the links, and I'm adding a few features that I can upload. I've learned all about using AdSense from Google, and have added a number of elements as suggested. As I get more comfortable with the process, I'm sure I'll learn more and grow the site.

I've also made my goal of one hour (or more!) on my novel each day. While I can't always make that happen first thing, I can usually work it out in the late afternoon (like today). Most of my work has been on research and character development. Silly me, I thought that you just sat down and wrote until the novel was finished...voila! Who knew that you first have to dig a deep hole to plant the tree that will grow into your story?

Thomas told me he liked all the photos I've been including on this site, so I wanted to add another bird picture. This one is of three male cardinals at the copper feeder in the back yard. Can't see all three? Trust me, there's another one in the thicket! Actually I counted at least 6 male cards at one time, flitting around the thicket and the feeders. A month from now, they won't be that close to one another without having a fight for the females! Ah, Spring...:)

Could Spring be on the Way?

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful here in O'Fallon! The skies were blue, the birds were singing, and the snow was almost all melted away...oh yes, and it reached the mid-50's! Who could ask for anything more? I took this picture from our deck of a male cardinal in the thicket in our back yard. He and his mates were busy at the feeders all afternoon.

It's hard to believe that this time last week, we had 5 inches of snow on the ground...and it hit 5 degrees at 5:00 a.m. The snow was beautiful, but we are all ready for Spring!

I started back working on my novel yesterday, with a renewed sense of purpose. I've determined that the key to reaching my writing goal is DISCIPLINE...at least, that's what I read. I'm happy to be moving forward, even though it feels so scary to not know what I'm doing...a bit like stepping into the darkness. I know that as I am successful at figuring out the process, I'll feel much more confident...and want to work that much harder to reach my goal.

I've also determined that I need to begin a Business Blog, too. I've been working on my email signatures, and I realize that a new blog can help me. I'll mix that into my writing to keep me fresh...and to help relieve the pressure of staring at the page without writing anything of substance!

Snow Redux

Say hello to my snow helper...what should I call him? As you can see, he's wearing his Mitsubishi-Fuso cap and drinking a Diet Pepsi...much like Thomas would be doing if he were here to help shovel the snow that fell with a fury this morning...and is still coming down this afternoon.

It took me a couple of hours to clear the driveway, sidewalk, and to create some paths on the deck and in the back yard for the dogs to be able to get outside. Then, I came inside so I could check out Realtor.com for houses in Florida!

After I get warmed up, I think I'll get in the kitchen and make Mom and me some home-made chicken noodle soup. It's so simple, and so much better than the red can. I made some banana pudding for us last night, and Thomas brought us a bakery bread loaf that should be just the thing. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

Way to go, Peyton!

It wasn't pretty, but it was a happy ending. Of course, I'm speaking of the Super Bowl. We were pulling for Peyton and the Colts all the way...and they came through as the Champs. As we have always thought he was robbed of the Heisman, it certainly was great to see him standing there with the MVP trophy in hand. Sweet! Of course, it would have been sweeter if he played for the Rams, but you can't have everything, can you?

This weekend, during the Super Bowl and all the pre-game programs, I knitted and crocheted 9 "squares" (they're really 7 x 9, more or less) for the Warm Up America project. Hopefully I'll get them blocked and mailed off this week.

It's bitter-cold here...going down to 5 degrees at 5:00 this morning. We're having a heat wave right now at 16 (!), and it's snowing big puffy flakes which are, of course, sticking. Thomas says he's driving to Chicago (where they registered -10 degrees!) this evening after his doctor's appointment, but I hope he changes his mind. Weather doesn't seem to bother him in the least, while it worries me the most...that, and the other drivers on the road who shouldn't be there.

New Month...New Snow

We woke up this morning to frigid temperatures and a new layer of snow...brrrrr! As February is "Feed the Birds" month, according to P. Allen Smith, I thought this would be the perfect picture to post on the first day of the second month of the year. I took this picture, looking out the bay window in our bedroom at the platform feeder that Santa brought Thomas for Christmas. He had stocked it with both sunflower and safflower seeds yesterday, and it has had many visitors since then: cardinals, titmice, juncos, sparrows, and finches. We truly love having our morning coffee and watching the birds enjoy their breakfast, just a few feet away from us.

K2, P2...The Red Scarf is Through!

Hooray! The red scarf is finished and mailed...with just one day to spare! I hope that it will bring a smile to its new owner, who will hopefully know that love went into each row of stitches. I'm also putting "Red Scarf" on my calendar for next year in early January, so I'll be able to get it to the Orphan Foundation of America (www.orphan.org) way before the January 31st deadline.

Yesterday was a good day to work on my "other project," Hannah's Big Girl Blanket. Mom had a stress-test scheduled for late morning at Barnes Jewish St. Peters Hospital, and fortunately I went prepared to stay awhile. When she finally reappeared in the lobby of the Cardiology Center, she looked exhausted and said she felt as if she'd run a marathon. [As she can't do the treadmill test, they pump her full of a medication via IV that simulates heavy exercise.]

We got the good news in the late afternoon that all was negative on the test, which means "OK" in med-speak. Hooray! That meant she was "on" for bridge today at O'Fallon Senior Center. Play on!

The Red Scarf Project: Knit 2, Purl 2

When creating my blog, I added some RSS feeds for subjects that I find interesting: Motley Fool's Financial Headlines, NPR's Morning Edition (I wanted to do "Car Talk," but they didn't have one), the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, and knitting. I'm sure these will change over the next few months and days.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to knit (many thanks to my cousin Betty Jean for teaching me how all those years ago) and crochet, and always have several projects going at any given time...when I get tired of one, I'll pick up another. Recently, I've been working on a "replacement" baby blanket for Hannah by special request from her Mom, who says that the blankie I made when Hannah was born a few years ago is in need of being retired. It's a joy to work on, as it is a shell pattern with three pretty colors (white, baby pink, and bubble gum pink)...and it makes my heart sing to think a little girl needs another blankie from me!

Anyway, I followed a link on the Knitting feed the other day and discovered The Red Scarf Project ( http://www.orphan.org/red_scarf_project.xhtml ). I read about this wonderful mission of The Orphan Foundation of America ( http://www.orphan.org/ ), and dashed to my yarn stash to locate some soft, red yarn...enough to knit a scarf to donate. I had a whole skein of Rubine Red, left over from a sweater I made for Mom for Christmas, so grabbed some size 13 needles, cast on 36 stitches, and began: Knit 2, Purl 2. So far, it's about 35 inches long by 6 inches wide (although it's soft and stretchy).

This makes a nice scarf, especially if you make it a little longer than you think it ought to be...it's all the style, especially in London, where they double'em up before they loop'em through. I don't know whether I'll add fringe or not...I'll decide that when I've finished knitting it up. The only catch is I have to knit fast: they only accept donations of knitted scarves through the end of January...6 days to go! So I'd better quit blogging and start knitting!