Let it Snow!

This past week our friends on the East Coast have been hammered with snow and very cold weather. Here on the West Coast we have been teased with the threat of snow! Jeff says every year if it is going to snow then just let it dump! I think I am beginning to agree with him. If I have to deal with the icey roads and worry about driving to work then it might as well just dump!
In 2008 we had a huge snowfall and I remember it staying around for so long I was tired of seeing everything being white! Enjoy the pictures and maybe we will get some snow this year!

Our house December 2008.

View of garage and driveway and neighbors house.

View of back yard and patio.

I say LET IT SNOW!

21st Century vs. Pioneer

Have you ever wondered how we got all the gadgets, electronics, appliances and anything else that needs a manual to operate. In our house we now have 5 adults (two grown children, one child's spouse and us) I took a look around the other day and I found that we have 3 laptop computers, one desk top computer, 5 cellular phones (4 havng data capability),4 televisions with Direct TV, Dvr's, Dvd and blueray players, 2 Wii's, X-Box, 2 land phones, 2 refrigerators, 2 freezers, 2 washing machines, 2 dryers, 2 ovens, 1 microwave, 1 dishwasher and a whole buch of kitchen appliances I haven't even learned how to use yet! But let me tell you I like that rice cooker!
At any given moment all or most are in use! I have witnessed at one time all of us in one room and 2 are using their laptops, 1 is on their blackberry and the rest of us are either watching television or running upstairs to check their facebook page! I wonder how we got to this point.....and would we ever be able to go back to the pioneer days?

Deciding that we wanted to watch a movie downstairs but needed the blueray player.....unhook and move downstairs! We know how to do this...right?
I know how to do this!

Moved downstairs....plugging it back in!

Evidence of way too many gadgets!

Evidence of multitasking...movie and wireless internet.

I ask how did we get to this point and how do we get back!

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had A Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a Very Happy New Year! I know at least I am! To say the last few months of 2010 have been eventful would be a huge understatement! I should have been blogging all the way along because if I tried to make up the time now I would be here for at least a month! So....I will just tell you that we are all well and very busy! Enjoy a few pictures from Christmas!
The saga of the Christmas Tree begins!
We named this Christmas Tree the tree from hell....2010 never to be forgotten and the stories oh the stories! From a trunk too big for any tree stand made in the USA, to not being decorated for a very long time, to the lights then not staying on....I have to say come Christmas morning it was a very beautiful tree!
Every year we always try and take the dogs pictures in front of the tree....but since now we have 9 in the family it seemed like a very daunting task! So we attempeted to take Kirby (being th oldest and Amelia's last living puppy) I should mention Kirby hates to have his picute taken, must be from all the years of show photos!
Darcie just trying to get the bow on!

Trying to get him to Sit/Stay

Sizzle not seeing what the big deal is all about to pose in front of the tree! See Kirby this is how it is done!

50 takes later and still not a good picture....Sizzle has given up!

Finally Success!

And Sizzle one take and she is off to her next camera shoot!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Confused Sizzle

Sizzle is very confused she has been with me in the office doing the filing and such and she can't find her couch! Poor Sizzle :(
Did I hear someone say Couch!

Nope...not yet!

The Couch

Well, we did it! The couch is on its way out! I returned home from Sizzle's obedience class and Jeff was there waiting for me. The TV was sitting at the top of the stairs and it looked like some kind of bomb had gone off in the office. He left me no time to even have second thoughts! I tried to plead with him that maybe we should just put the couch against the wall until I found a new one......but he was having none of it. It was going and it was going today! I am glad he was so insistent because I might have changed my mind. The office doesn't seem the same with it gone but change is good.....right?

Here it is.....loaded in the little truck waiting for its ride to the Goodwill. At least I have lots of pictures to remember it by:)

The Couch Once Again

For those of you who have followed my blog you all know to well about the "couch" We have had this loveseat forever! It was always Amelia's favorite and she shared on occasion with some of her favorites. Well it seems we are going to have to do some rearranging of some of our rooms in our house to make room for long awaited family to move home! Which we are so very excited for.....but back to the couch. I think it is time it goes to the Goodwill:( We have to get a new couch with a hide-a-bed and so there is no extra room. Along with the couch will go the old TV (that doesn't work) but is also as old as the couch! That will make room so the kids can have their TV in that room which I think they will like. Even though I have to part with the "couch" I am pretty excited for how the room will look when it is redecorated! I may even paint it if I don't run out of time....I have 3 weeks! What do you think? I still have the baby nursery to paint!
This is Hayley and Sizzle on the couch this morning!

Hayley wishing she had the couch to herself!

Hayley very happy after Sizzle got in trouble for chewing on underwear! :)

Getting ready for Winter

As the days grow shorter, darker and colder everyone and everything is preparing for Winter. Jeff loves Bluejays! We spend a fortune on food for them! They can eat a 10 pound bag of whole peanuts in just a couple of days! Of course the Squirrels and Crows help out but it is amazing how many peanuts those blue birds can put away!
We usually feed them on the other side of the yard so that they don't annoy the little birds!

Sizzle, Sizzle, Sizzle

We have a whole new approach with Sizzle and the cat Sydney! We didn't do a very good job with Matt and Hayley as they are cat obsessed! I think I interfered too much in introducing them because I was not quite sure of their intentions....resulting in now they are just crazed about poor Sydney! So when Sizzle came along I decided just let them work it out themselves. Which I think has worked out for the best. Sydney stands her ground with Sizzle, hissing and batting at her if she gets too close. But yet she seems to be more comfortable around her resulting in Sizzle not being so obsessed! Below are some pictures of Sydney and Sizzle (getting along?)

Just getting to know you! One thing you have to know is that Sydney will not even let Matt or Hayley get this close to her.

Still just testing the limits!

I like you....I think I like you too! I think Sydney only likes red dogs!

But of course pushed the limits a little too far and got in a bit of trouble! Pouting Sizzle.....didn't last very long and she was off to see what other trouble she could get into!

Fall Blooms

I got home from work the other day and there was still enough daylight to take pictures of the last flowers blooming before the big storm came in this weekend! I hope you enjoy them. I was really surprised how much was still blooming under the Fall jungle that my flower beds have become.

This is a new Hydrangea from this year and what the blooms look like today!

This is what it looked like this Summer!

Dahlias they are always hardy and beautiful!

Chinese Maple changing to Fall colors!

I even found a Glad still blooming! I had to hold it up it was a little sad looking but the bloom what a beautiful surprise!

A delicate Hollyhock....I am glad I got this picture when I did because the storm has arrived and I am sure nothing is going to look like this after today :(

It's Halloween Time

I always say that summer is my favorite time of the year!.....but I love Fall. The days get shorter, the mornings are cold and there is a smell in the air that is like no other. The days can be clear blue sky and warm but with the hint that it is soon going to be cold and wet! The leaves are all turning colors and beginning to fall to the ground....soon it will be Winter. But first there is Halloween, pumpkins, ghosts and of course candy! I remember the nights of "trick or treating" it always seemed to be the coldest, wetest day of October.....but we had fun just the same. I am looking forward to the Holidays and hope my wishes come true!
Pumpkins from the Garden!

Jack-o-Lantern

Sizzle in her Halloween collar she got while visiting St.Louis. She had a great trip (and of course I forgot my camera) and she doesn't get car sick anymore! Hurray!

Looks Only Skin Deep

Corn......it is a strange vegetable. It grows on cobs but most often you find it in the grocery store off the cob, in a can or a frozen bag. We grew corn last year and it was fabulous I wish we had grown more. This year our corn got off to a poor start. The weather was cold and wet....just not good growing weather for corn. Well it finally got more than a foot tall and kept growing. It did get ears but they didn't look like they were ever going to be very big. A couple of weeks ago Jeff even picked one and shucked it and it looked terrible. He gave it to the "girls"....they wouldn't even eat it. Yesterday I went out to the Garden and thought I should pick that corn because it was going to rain and it would be ruined for sure. It looked beautiful!
Determined Corn!

Success an ear of Corn!

I picked all the corn yesterday. I had to schuck it all because there were little bugs all over the leaves, grossed me out! I think it was because they were so wet. But inside I found these beatiful ears of corn. I was so excited and could not wait for Jeff to get home from his trip to Las Vegas and have dinner. I cooked it my usual way, sat down and was ready to enjoy our home grown corn! I took a bite and there was absolutely no taste.......I asked Jeff what his tasted like and he said nothing......So I guess the saying "Looks are only Skin Deep" even pertains to Corn!

Fushias a Summer Flower

For those who think Fushias are only a Summer Flower. Mine think this cool rainy weather is the best! They have so many blooms!
I wished it was Summer all over again!

I am going to try and winter these but does anyone have suggestions on when I should cut them back and bring them inside. They are so beautiful I hate to do anything with them right now.

Nail Day

Every Saturday is Nail day here at Helsdonia......which means that every dog that is here on a Saturday has to have their toenails ground. Now I have to say they are all pretty good about it but it is not without its challenges. First you do Matt and Hayley who know there is no way they are getting out of this so they just volunteer to be first......might as well just get it over! Maria hides in her crate and comes out only when called.....hoping I might forget her! Toni runs wherever she can run and then I have to say "If I have to come and get you...you are in big trouble" She knows it is the inevitable so she gives up and comes. Burke is another story you have to make sure the door is closed to the outside because she will go to the farthest part of the yard and lay down.....now she is so stubborn there is really no convincing her she is going to be in trouble so you have to outsmart her in the beginning. Sizzle......oh Sizzle she has got the best escape she runs out the dog door and then just peeks in the whole time to see if the coast is clear! That just makes me laugh....no wonder she is such a brat!

Fall Vegetables

This year due to the weather and I think some lack of interest due to the weather our vegetable garden was kind of a bust. It got so bad we just turned the chickens loose in there and they pretty much made a mess of it. Some things did survive and some things actually produced. It is time to clean it up for the Winter and start over next year!

Corn! I am not sure how it is going to turn out. Jeff picked a small one the other day for the girls and they wouldn't even eat it! Now they do like theirs cooked with a little butter and salt on it! What was he thinking!

Finally some red tomatoes! Funny shaped but red!

Pumpkins!

I think these are called Sugar Pumpkins....I got the starts from Basket Gal so I will have to ask her what to do with them?

There are other things out there like Zucchini, lemon cucumbers,carrots and maybe some potatoes (not likely) I have rhubarb to pick also. This weekend's chore list is getting longer and longer!