What We Did During The Storm....Ummmm......WOW!

     They say that 33 of the United States were dealing with some kind of effects from the big storm that tracked it's way across the country. I wonder what everybody else was doing with themselves while they were trapped inside their homes! Hubby and I had two completely different agendas!
     I took some naps, did some tweeting on Twitter, had a L-O-N-G conversation with one of my sisters {one meeting of the minds...ACCOMPLISHED!! :-)}, and crocheted my little fingers to the bones, making a pair of "Thank You" flower bedroom slippers for my girlfriend!

     She likes the brown yarn. :-)

         I like the brown too. And while I love putting flowers on everything, I also like these slippers simply like this, with no embellishments. I mean no buttons, designs, or flowers. I KNOW! Who said that?!! LOL But they're not for ME! They're for my girlfriend, and she likes the ones I made for my shop....the ones with the flower on the front. So I went to work on putting a flower on these "babies".

       And when the flower was on...I added a button!

     I hope she likes them!

     Now, my hubby had his own agenda. Part of it included going back and forth outside to shovel...so that he didn't end up with huge frozen snowball Popsicles on our cars! Because there was so much SNOW!!....

     .....and ICE!

        But he also ended up with another task...One of the cars, the Old Ghetto Mobile, wouldn't crank. It wouldn't even click over! He spent part of the day, after the snow finally stopped falling, checking wires, calling my dad, the mechanic, to find out what to do...Then trying to jump the battery in it. Nothing worked. It was DEAD!! So then it was just a matter of trying to figure out where to park it to get it out of the way!! He knew he'd be going to work today...and that snow plows would be coming!
      We talked about whether we should have it towed to the car repair shop to get it fixed because it DOES have some good qualities! It has front-wheel drive, which you need in New England winters! And it's been really reliable...more so than Green Bomb...our other BIG car.
      But it also has a few drawbacks. Like it's got brown primer all over it,...brown on the blue paint!...And the heater takes forever to start working! It usually just gets warm as you're getting to wherever you were going...There's a hole in the trunk...Some of it's silver molding along the outside is missing...You can only roll down 2 of the windows...even during the summer. And that's a problem because the air conditioner, while it knows how to play Boleros Sonata, only emits fumes, no cold air ever comes out of it!! LOL So, I think I'll be Old Ghetto Mobile-less by the end of today. :-(
     Now, you'd think that with all of that on his plate, it would be enough to do in a snowstorm! But...in hubby's case...you'd be wrong!! He also decided that, since the car wouldn't cooperate, he'd see if he could get the stove to! He decided he wanted to cook some cube steak...which is not the easiest to cook in the first place! And he wanted to bake some cakes!!...WOW! REALLY??!!!
     His cooking bug, and a snowstorm, were good reasons for me to close myself in the bedroom with my crocheting...and a quiet and calm heart. :-)) And I almost forgot he was in the house, until he would come in and present the fruits of his labor...with a big grin on his face. This was the cube steak!...I'm telling you 'This was the cube steak' because I don't know if you'd be able to figure that out by yourself!! ^_^

     I can't believe he let me take pictures of them, fully aware that I would write this blog post about it! He felt that he wouldn't be the only one that was proud of him!! {Being delusional runs in our family! ^_^}
     And then there was a cheesecake that came out with a little bit of an overdone crust, but otherwise looked and tasted great!...There's no fun in showing you his perfect work. ^_^ I want to show you the carrot cake he made in my bundt pan!!

      Yeah! It's a "little" burnt to a crisp overdone on the top. Apparently my 'Cooking 101 class' didn't include letting him know that when you bake something in the oven the oven should be on "BAKE", not "BROIL"!...YIKES!!
    When he disappeared to frost it and bring me a piece...I worried. But when he was gone for an hour and a half...I REALLY worried! I hollered: "Hey! Where's my cake?!" {Wives do stuff like this...We go headlong into the fire...for love!!...or suicidal support! LOL} He brought it like this!

      He said he had to cut off the burnt part....

      ...and patch up some parts, because it fell apart when he was taking it out of the pan.

       Hey! When he put the cream cheese frosting on it you couldn't even tell! And it tasted good too!
     So, all in all, our snow day wasn't so bad. I finished my slippers, he finished his cakes. I still have my calm, and he still has his eyebrows!...SCORE!! ^_^ But I think it's definitely time for the cooking poem again!


Cooking

Flipping, Frying,
Flambeing, Filleting,
Burning, Browning,
Paring, Pureeing.

Boiling, Baking,
Mixing, Making,
Simmering, Scaling,
Sifting, Shaking.

Cooking, Crackling,
Cutting, Coring,
Sprinkling, Spattering,
Patting, Pouring,

Broiling, Battering,
Steeping, Steaming,
Timing, Tossing,
Cubing, Creaming,

Slicing, Scrambling,
Turning, Toasting,
Melting, Measuring,
Rinsing, Roasting.

Dipping, Dicing,
Skimming, Sauteing,
Poaching, Peeling,
Mincing, Microwaving.

Gathering, Grilling
Basting, Barbecuing,
Hacking, Heating,
Scoring, Skewering.

Standing, Stirring,
Rough, Tough,
Kitchen, Ditching,
Had Enough! 

This Is Not Good Weather For Bears!...Especially Not Wuglyees Bears!!

        I'm with you Kitty! I'm Undecided too.....not only about whether this "stuff" is worth going out in, but even more so, as to whether I want to even acknowledge that it's out there! I cannot believe that it's SNOWING AGAIN!!!!....*sigh* (Thanks to all whose photos and drawings I was allowed to use today. Links and credit to these Etsy shops and photos, which are for sale, are at the bottom of this post)
      We got 7 inches of it yesterday, by way of it snowing all day I might add. And then overnight another 3 inches...that made 10 inches!...And now, already...at 7 a.m. in the morning...it's SNOWING AGAIN!!!...*sigh again!*...They're saying we could get another accumulation of 5 to 8 inches of heavy snow and a 1/4 inch of ice on top of it before we're done!!!
     I know bears are suppose to be good in this weather...

       ...but this Wuglyees bear has HAD IT!!! Grrrr!
     My normally upbeat and positive spirit has taken an emotional beating the last few days....a "BEAT DOWN" for those who know the slang vernacular! LOL My rhythm is off! My elevator is not going all the way to the top! I am off my rocker!...and whatever other symbolism you wanna use!! LOL Oh yes! I'm still positive...but what I'm positive about is shifting!!! ^_^
     If it was just the weather maybe I'd be able to 'roll with the punches', but it seems that everything is coming at me at once! I duck....I bob...I weave! I laugh at the attacks.....Ha!...ha!...Ha! And then.....I get hit in the head, at close range, by yet another emotional snowball...and then a REAL snowball!! ^_^ 
      Oh well, it's fun to write about anyway. In fact I find the writing very comforting. It makes it seem not quite so bad! See! Positivity rears it's ugly head again!!
     But considering what some people are dealing with, weather-wise, we're really NOT having it that bad! Did you hear about the Hurricane(Cyclone) that's hitting Queensland Australia, Yasi,  right now?!!! The biggest one they've had in a century. A category 5!!!

       There's been evacuations for them again! WOW! Rain and floods and now a Cyclone??!! What must they be thinking these days?!...To all those who are hunkered down, waiting for it to hit, who may be scared and feeling like they're all alone, I'm sending good thoughts. :-/

       And to all those in the worse parts of the country here in the U.S., who are experiencing blustery winds, heavy amounts of snow, cold, and ice....you are in my thoughts today too!

      I have some other things on my mind as well, that will, no doubt, keep trying to creep in today. I mean, just because I'm a woman in a snowstorm...

      ...that doesn't mean that the rest of my life is gonna stop and just enjoy the scenery!! LOL I'll let you in on what's going on soon. I may need another "Say What You Need To Say" Day!!!
     Okay, a big "WOOT! WOOT!" and THANK YOU to all of you who've been encouraging me through my "ISSUE" with my family; You are part of the reason that there's still a positive spirit lurking somewhere here! :-) 
    And a big hug and kiss to my hubby, who is outside right now shoveling snow off of our car, helping out the neighbors, and making me smile big time! YES!! He's home!! YIPPEE!!! ^_^
        And a poem!

How Can You Be So Positive

"How can you be so positive
with everything so bad?
When folks are so unkind
and all those doctors make you mad?"

"It's easy!" I assure them.
'Cuz one thing makes it okay.
I wake up every morning,
and I'm breathing every day!

When I can't move a muscle
and can barely lift my head,
I think of all the folks I've known
who now are gone, yes, dead!

No matter what my problem is,
and if I stand or lay,
I'm thankful that my mind still works
and I'm breathing every day!

So how am I so positive,
When things sometimes seem bleak?
It's easy, 'cuz my breathing
keeps on going every week!

Oh yes, I have a choice!
I can be miserable and whine;
Be mean to folks around me,
Be demanding and unkind.

But who would make that choice,
when there's a better way to be?
I mean, who's breathing every day
and writing poems?...ME!

(The header photo of the cat in the doorway print is entitled Undecided by KonvaliiaDesigns; Polar Bear Night(ACEO Original) by pleetart; Hurricane, 5x7 Original Oil by CarmensArt; HURRICANE JUNKIE: 11"x14" Photography Print, Matt Finish by tombland; A Blustery Day-8x10 Art Print by donnageissler; Woman in a Snowstorm-Print by kirayustak)

'Go Ahead....Make My Month, February!!!'

                  {Mariann Rea's FREE February 2011 Desktop Calendar is up again. YAY!!! Just follow THIS LINK to get yours!}
 
        Yes! It's February!!! Somehow we made it through January! But unfortunately, at least 20 states here in the U.S. are starting off February with a bang too! There's a massive winter storm warning in effect. Across the map there's a 2100 mile stretch that'll get at least a foot of snow, and a 1500 mile stretch that'll get massive amounts of ice. (An inch or more thick of it!!) They're expecting wide-spread power outages because of it.
     What about us here in Holyoke, you ask?!...UGH! We were suppose to be getting snow at around 7 a.m. this morning. But I just saw the weather. It's started already! It's only 5:00 a.m. WOW! And it's going to snow all day!...And then, at some time this evening, we're going to get a little break...THEN the sleet and ice storm begins!!...So fun!!...NOT!!!
      We still have icicles hanging from the roof from the last month's winter drudgery!

      And we've got tons of snow still too!!

      Be safe everybody!! Take your time driving. Stock up on essentials: water, food, batteries. And if you can, get the other snow off of your roof before this new batch comes. (There's been a lot of roof cave-ins around here from the heavy snow.)
      This morning when hubby went to crank up the car, he got......NOTHING! Looks like the ignition decided it didn't wanna hang around for yet another snow storm!! "I'm with you, Mr. Ignition!!" LOL ... Thankfully that was just his work car. We have a second vehicle. But the work car is the one with the snow tires and the front-wheel drive!!....And he works out of state! So, I'll be worried about him on his way home today...hopefully it'll be early because of the weather though....MOVING ON!! 
      February does have some good news for somebody! Today is my latest Giveaway drawing for the 2 crocheted necklaces! (Just follow the link and scroll down in order to see close ups of the 2 necklaces)

       As usual, the box was shaken up.....and shaken up some more......and shaken up again!

       Then my ashy-handed husband...(It's starting to be a lotion-less joke at this point!! LOL)...put his hand into the box and pulled a name...

       ...Oh! Sorry about that! Let me flip it over...

       ...The winner is Nicole of Nicole's Homemade Treats! Congratulations Nicole!!!...Just email me your address when you get back from your cruise and I'll get it right in the mail to you....that is, if I can get to the post office through all of the ice and snow by then! LOL No worries. You'll get it...eventually! ^_^
      So, since that Giveaway is over, the new one begins! This Giveaway will be drawn on February 15, 2011. Wanna know what the gift is this time?!

       It's another afghan/blanket. A fan design. I followed a pretty pattern to do this one. And I did it with leftover yarns that I had around. So, just like my other Wuglyees remnant items, it has character...if not uniformity! LOL
     It measures approx. 60x80 inches (152.4x203.2 cm).It's a big lap blanket!

        I made it with soft 4-ply and doubled sport-weight yarns.It's mostly different shades of blue and purple. But there's an occasional splash of other colors too!

       The rules are the same as always. You have to be a follower of this blog, and you have to comment below! Comment as much as you like, but only one comment per day will be counted as an extra entry in the Giveaway. It's open to everybody, worldwide. YES! I'll send it to you! 
      I'd love it if you talked up the Giveaway, but it's not a necessity for entering. There's No strings attached....Well, there are some strings attached, but they're already a part of the afghan! LOL
     {For those of you who have been following my family saga the last few days, I just wanted to let you know that I've started the communications with at least one sibling. It's tough trying to be clear and honest, but not hurt their feelings like mine were hurt! But I'm attempting to do that. I'll keep you up on how it's going.}
    And last, I also spent some time crocheting yesterday! I made one of the cute little flower slippers for my girlfriend! Looks like I'm going to have PLENTY of time today to finish the other one!!....UGH!.....SNOW!!

Snow TRAPPED!

TRAPPED! Another snow storm!
Will this "STUFF" never end?!
We've be walloped, punched, and socked,
and now?! Another one on the chin!

'Adding insult to the injury',
there will be an inch of ice!
I guess winter thought we needed
just a little 'SCARY' spice!

Do I sound bitter? Sick of it?
About to lose my snowed-in mind?!
Well, that would be correct!
That is, that bit that I can find!

TRAPPED! Sick of snow,
and it's icicles everywhere!
Good thing I have crochet!
It will replace my pulled out hair!

My Weekend In Review

     As a lot of you know, this was a really rough weekend emotionally for me. Thanks to a lot of support though, just like this little bird, I was in good hands! :-] I was supported in all the ways a girl can be supported. And you all were a very big part of it! So, a "BIG GIRL"" Woot! Woot! to all of you!! ^_^ And in case some of you don't know what happened, you can read the weekend's blog posts...or...here is a quick synopsis, in picture form:
      YAY! For the Australian Open ending a wonderful 2 weeks!

      But "Booooo!" Neither of these 2 guys made it to the finals!

      And Nadal had some sort of injury that's going to have me worrying about him for a while! *sigh*
      Had some family members rain on my good mood...

     ...Actually, it was more of a sting!

       It had my head spinning for a while.

        And it didn't bring out the best in me...In fact, I was pretty mad!!

       Killer Kitty made a showing! LOL

      I had to go into recovery mode...Had to listen to some music...

        .....Had to lean on hubby for support...

       .....and for foot and back rubs.....and a good...

       "Love you honey!!" :-)

       And just when I thought I had a game plan and was on the road to getting things resolved so I could move on...Another personal connection from my past tapped on my good mood.

       *Deep Breath*

        But you know what?! I'm going to ride this wave too and see where it goes. Hey! I can always cut the cord if I want, right?!....But I'm going to think good thoughts, and hope that there's going to be some good coming out of this too!

     If not....and the original situation doesn't get resolved either...I've always got crochet!!!

      I'm making a pair of slippers for my girlfriend...brown. It's not something I have to do. Just something I want to do. I'm all about doing just that today!....The beginning of this week...

       What are you going to bring Monday?!....I don't mind telling you that, at this point, I'M SCARED!!!! LOL.....My emotions have run the gambit this weekend. I need a mental vacation, don't you think?! ^_^

Emotions

Frustration, excitement,
Great anger, Pure joy!
Deep sadness, elation,
intent to annoy.

Loving, disgusted,
triumphant, afraid.
Affection considered,
uneasiness weighed.

Cheerful, proud,
optimistic, despair.
Euphoric, in anguish,
gloom hanging there.

Emotions experienced,
the good and the bad.
Without feeling, sincerely,
what life have you had?!

You need hope and peace,
kindness and love.
An unemotional life is
Not much to speak of.

For the above photos I'd like to give credit and thanks to: Under the weather print by arian; Holyoke Merry-G-Round by Peter Palombella; Killer Kitty and the Rainbow photo by Silja Erg; The Concert by buildyourownart; Got Patience? Onesie by funkymonkeythreads; Monday, Monday Owl by danacarol