The Night Before The Night Before

The Night Before Christmas, originally uploaded by Loisb.

Santa and his Elves are still very busy getting ready for Christmas but let's not forget the reindeer. This one is busy filling his tummy in order to be ready for the long flight.

A Christmas Pine

A Christmas Pine, originally uploaded by Loisb.

The tree is decorated, the lights are on, the sky is clear and cold. Just time for waiting now - and maybe a little last minute shopping.

Tis the season after all!

Dressing Up for the Holidays

Dressing Up for the Holidays, originally uploaded by Loisb.

Considering the recent snow on the east coast, a little warmth should be given this Christmas.

One Tired Santa

One Tired Santa, originally uploaded by Loisb.

Santa's days are getting long and he is tired but he will be ready for Christmas Eve. He still has a cheery greeting for everyone.

Christmas Window

Christmas Window, originally uploaded by Loisb.

Tis the Season and its downright cold out. Time to bundle up.

And for those folks who are wishing for snow - stop it. Snow belongs in the mountains not down here.

Health care reform is desperately needed. Sarah Palin is stirring up hate and discontent with half lies and lies. Check out the facts before you spread her words.

Beehive

 

A Homebody

Guess I am settling into retirement. My wandering lately is to the store and that not very often. Mowing the lawn is the exercise of choice. Summer is almost here, we had a few days of it this week. Maybe the grass will turn brown soon so that I can find another form of exercise.

Still haven't told many people of my retirement. I am enjoying the peace and quiet and non rushing about. I do have to do laundry more often now that I am in civilian clothes almost every day. I will admit to some days where I didn't even bother to get dressed. Seems I was more exhausted from my work schedule than I realized.

I did go play with my grandson the other day. We had a delightful time. He has discovered posing for the camera and that grandma has a digital camera. So the action is 'pose' then run over to grandma 'can I see'. Hard to believe he is going to be four soon.



The birthday season is upon my family. We have lots of happenings in June. I will probably be wandering again - at least as far as my eldest son's house.

And Away We Go

Time has really flown by. Retirement came and is being enjoyed. A trip to Hawaii resulted in a wonderful time and many photos. Now to see what else life has to offer.

Spring sprung while I was away as well. I almost missed my lilacs blooming. The grass keeps growing and the cherry tree is reaching the sky. Time to have fun.

Redoubt Does It's Thing

After watching the Redoubt cam along with following the Alaska Volcano Observatory, Redoubt is busy throwing stuff into the air. The latest just a few minutes ago. And I was watching the webcorder at the time. So interesting and so nice that lives are not really in danger for this one.

All of the other eruptions were during times I was either asleep or at work.



Photo by Dennis Anderson.

The other big news of the day, unreported by the world - I am retiring after next week. Five more clean uniforms, one more inventory, one more meeting, one more conference call.

Tonight is Earth Hour. Lights out around the world from 830pm to 930pm local time. I shall do my part. I will be in bed fast asleep long before then though I would like to take some photos. They are even going to turn out the Space Needle.

Redoubt seems to have gone back to resting for the moment and I believe I shall do the same. Lights out.

Time Flies When You are Having Fun!

And time has certainly been flying by lately. And nothing much to show for it.

My living room has now received another coat of paint. The rest remains vacant. Remember the saying about the shoemakers child having no shoes - well the construction workers Mom has no floor. Everything is still piled up waiting.

We all thought that with the poor economy the middle son's work would slow down. They do remodels generally and not new construction. Seems like folks are fixing up still. Since they can't/don't want to sell their homes with values the way they are they are remodeling. Thus I wait.

I am having company in July, hopefully I will have a living room by then.

A large group of my online friends has joined Facebook. I finally gave in and joined up. I really wasn't ready for that learning curve but have at least gotten a couple of old photos posted to the group of old friends.

My brother and I continue visiting Old Faithful via the webcam. We have even seen wolves now besides the bison that seem to graze near the geyser on a semi-regular basis. One of the most interesting things is watching the people. They arrive early, some scrape the snow off the benches and sit, others just stand, waiting for Old Faithful to do its thing. We have watched them wait for over twenty minutes sometimes. Then after the first gush most of them leave. Those folks miss some of the best displays. Must be hurrying to the next spot so they can tell everyone back home all they saw. Some folks are really fun, the ones that find the cam and turn to wave at the folks back home. The skiers seem to use OF as a rest stop. And enjoy the view apparently.

I am starting to learn the names of the other geysers visible via that cam but OF remains a favorite. At least until Redoubt gets around to actually doing more than just blowing off steam.



Look close and you can see the wolf.

The Project

It didn't start out as a really big event. I asked the middle son to get rid of the living room furniture. It was very early attic and as the term goes 'previously used'. By at least 4 other folks. Time for a change. I no longer need to be child and dog proof.

So he brings his truck over, dismantles the furniture, hauls it out and away. Then he says, Mom, I have some wood flooring left over from another job, would you like to have a new floor. Well of course i would. I have always planned to get rid of the old wall to wall once the kids were grown and I guess since the youngest is now 28 and they are all (finally) on their own, they are grown. So the next step is to rip out the wall to wall. He says - Mom there is wood floor under here. I always thought there was due to the age of my house - built slightly before dirt was invented. Alas, we discovered that sometime in the '50's concrete had been used to level the floor when they laid one of the various wall to wall's down. So we shall use his left over flooring. A load comes in to even out the temp so he can lay it. Another interesting event. The wood is not all the same color. Not to worry. We will make a pattern. 'We' being an editorial statement.

Mom, he says, the walls should be painted before I lay the floor. Okay. Same color please. I think he has been color blind all these years. The walls are now a light tan. Winter White they are not. Looks like the ceiling needs paint too Mom. Okay. But a lighter color please, it will make the ceiling look higher. And it does. Count one for Mom.

So now here I am. Walls and ceiling painted, no furniture, and no flooring. No curtains on the windows of course since 'we' had to paint. Lot's of plastic though and that blue tape they use now to mask the trim. The son had to go back to working his real job.

And all I wanted was the old furniture hauled away.

I'm Tired of Being Cold

I was being sorry for myself today. It's been gray, cold and raining for days now. No wandering around, only trips back and forth to work, then I read some of Freestyle Volunteer's blog about tent city. At least I am in a house with a roof over my head and dry. And my basement only has a little water in it, not enough to mop out even really.

Tent city used to be in our church parking lot. Now it's down the street in another church's parking lot. I am not sure why the last move. Lots of discussion online about them moving in but nothing about why they moved out, just that they moved. I was so proud of my church for having them but now I wonder just what happened.

I work on Sundays so its hard to keep up with Church news. I used to maintain the church website and got to read everything that I uploaded and thus felt like I was contributing and also keeping up with things. But a decision was made to get a paid website and hire someone to create it. Such is the way things go. I guess that the folks who hire me to create their websites probably have someone in house that could do it for them too - think the Bible says something about that.

Before I wander too far here I guess I shall get some work done on one website that is in need of updating and remind myself not to whine. I have much to be grateful for. The rain will pass, my house is dry, and the world around me is okay. Soon it will be spring.