A special friend...

I’ve already introduced you to my two fur-babies (the Beagle and the Shepard)… Now, I’d like to introduce you to another dog that was very special to me.

This is Buffy… or McBuff as affectionately nicknamed by my grandmother. Buffy was a collie and we got him as a puppy when I was just 5 years old… He lived his life between my house and my grandparent’s house. Buffy was such a good dog… obedient, loyal and loving. We kept him until I was probably about 8 or 9 and then he went to live with my grandparents in upstate NY where he thrived… land to run around in… grass to roll around in… he was a very happy camper! Since I spent most of my childhood between my house and my grandparent’s house, I still got to spend so much time with him.

Now, my grandmother also had a few cats during Buffy’s lifetime and say what you will about ‘cats and dogs’, I really believe that they had a friendship. For instance, the cats would go outside and roam around. If they weren’t back within a reasonable amount of “doggie” time, Buffy would whine at the door to go outside… and he would go look for the cat. I can remember one time watching both of them walking up the driveway to the door… the cat in front… Buffy behind the cat, grunting and moaning, as if he was yelling at the cat for making him go look for her! That pattern continued for years…

I also taught Buffy to “smile” (which is a snarl)… but, he did it on cue to the song “A coke and a smile” (remember that commercial?!). It was hysterical and I know that he hated doing it… which I think made it more comical!

Sadly, Buffy crossed over the Rainbow Bridge when I was 17. He hadn’t been doing too well several weeks prior to my 17th birthday. I was spending my birthday and that week at my grandparent’s. I didn’t even know he was having a tough time because you would not have thought that had you seen him that week… full of life and love! My grandparents were even shocked. But, on the day I left after I gave Buffy hugs and kiss, said good-bye, waved to my grandmother and Buffy as we drove down the driveway and turned onto that old country road, Buffy went into the bedroom, curled up on his favorite rug at the foot of my grandparent’s bed and peacefully passed away.

When I got home, my mom told me the news… I believe that he waited for me… because of our bond and 12-year friendship... he waited one last time to run through the grass with me, to get a belly rub, treats, hugs and kisses and… to smile for me.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Valentine's Day... the day of love... and chocolate!!

So, give your sweetheart(s) a kiss, tell them how much you love them and share some chocolate with them... (but just one piece! LOL)

Wishing you a warm and loving day...

Sunday Shopper...

Well, I didn’t let the cold temperatures yesterday keep me inside, as cabin fever is starting to set in, so we braved the cold and my husband and I went shopping (like I ever really need an excuse to go shopping??)

We bundled up to face the biting wind and headed out… First stop was Home Depot to pick up some air filters for the furnace and to “window shop”. (I love Home Depot/any home improvement store almost as much as I love office supply stores and bookstores – Whenever my husband says, “Let’s go to Home Depot”… I’m ready and waiting in the car)

Next, we stopped at the local pet store to pick up some goodies for the doggies because we can’t forget them in our shopping excursion!

Then we went to the new Michaels that opened up in a neighboring town (so now we have two in the area). Because yesterday was their “Grand Opening”, they had some drawings and give-aways in the store.

One of which was a Spin & Win Wheel.

My husband spun and… we won… a Creative Versa-Tool from Walnut Hollow – how cool is that?!!

And, I was also able to pick up a picture frame that was on sale to frame a limited print I’ve had for a year and a half and finally get that up on the wall (Look for separate entry about this picture)

Our next stop was the grocery store and we got a free Sunday paper (I love free things!!).

We stopped at a local taco place for lunch before heading to the bookstore where, of course and as usual, I couldn’t walk out of that place with no less than 3 books!!

Then back home to give the dogs their goodies, frame and hang the picture, eat dinner and crash for the rest of the day… and warm up!

And, you’ll be happy to know (at least I was) that my purse was very well-behaved… no attaching itself to store display hooks or a stranger’s shopping cart!

Way too cold outside...

Right now, it's a balmy -5* (up one degree from -6* earlier), but feels like -33*!!!!! *yikes*

I can't take this cold anymore... I love winter, but these sub-zero temperatures suck... I can't even look out the window, that's how cold I feel!!

I think I'm going to hibernate in bed until spring!

The mis-adventures of my purse...

My husband and I went to do a little food shopping earlier today and we stopped at two different stores…

First store: This store was PACKED today and my husband and I were standing up near the registers waiting to get in line. We’re standing in front of an end-cap of batteries. I start to move forward so we can get in line and my husband notices one of my drawstrings on my purse is caught around one of the display hooks for the batteries. He yells for me to stop, so he can unhook me and his timing was impeccable because had I moved even just a smidgen more forward, that entire display probably would have toppled down!!

Second store: The last aisle in this store is a wider aisle and the clearance items are in the middle of that aisle. So, I’m looking at some of the clearance items and my husband is on the opposite side of the clearance items facing me. A man pushing his cart starts to pass by me (my back would be to him, my purse over my right shoulder).


Somehow the draw-strings on my purse get caught on his cart (underneath the area where you push the cart). My husband is in mid-sentence, when all of a sudden, I start moving away from him. I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, but then I noticed the draw-strings of my purse caught on this man’s grocery cart.

My husband and I are calmly saying "Excuse me" "Sir" "Sir" to this older man... as he is now starting to drag me down the aisle with him! Thank goodness he heard us and stopped...and I was freed!! The man continues down the aisle and my husband and I just crack up with laughter thinking about what had just happened... in two different stores! (I think the shoppers thought we were nuts!) How embarrassing!

Oh, did I mention my mishap with the hand lotion last week at Walgreens? I was looking at one of the new Vaseline Intensive Care lotions and wanted to smell the scent. So, I flipped open the top and gave the bottle a very gentle squeeze (you know, to release the scent)… The next thing I know...lotion squirts straight up and into my hair... (My husband is pretending not to know me at this point)... Oh yes, I’m fun to shop with!!

On the bookshelf...

I LOVE to read... and have always loved to read. These are just some of the books on my bookshelf... Most have been read, and others are patiently waiting to be read! While crime dramas and legal thrillers are usually in my "Top 10", I also like a wide variety of other types of books... from fiction to autobiographies to everything in between.

I could get lost for hours in a bookstore (and have)...it's one of my favorite places. And, of course, I can never leave a bookstore empty-handed. I always manage to find a book or two (or three or four) that catch my eye and just scream out: "Read me!!"

Some of my favorite authors are: John Grisham, Nancy Kopp, Steve Martini and Judy Blume... but there are so many great books out there written by great authors, I couldn't even begin to name them all!!

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My Winter reading list:

I am currently reading:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Innocent Man and The Appeal, both by John Grisham, are next on deck...

Those three books should take me through Winter and then I'll have more added to my reading lists for Spring and Summer... (Did I mention I love bookstores!) :)

12 inches and counting....

This was taken around 8:00 a.m. from my front window:



These next two were taken before we even started shoveling:





This was our 4th trip outside shoveling during the day... Doesn't even look like we shoveled the last 3 times we had been out there... that's how much snow just kept falling!!



The next three pictures are after shoveling (for the 4th time)... We did have to go out and shovel a 5th time, but that was mainly to clear some drifts and blowing snow... No heavy shoveling that time!!







Even though I'm cold, tired, achy and I don't want to see my shovel again for a very long time, my hubby and I enjoyed the snow/outside... but he doesn't want to see his shovel again for a very long time either!!

It's snowing again...

Isn't it pretty?! I took this picture from my garage about an hour ago... We are expecting upwards of 12 INCHES of snow tonight, overnight and into tomorrow morning...some local reports are even predicting 16+ inches, possibly 20 INCHES of snow by the time this storm moves out of here. My husband and I just shoveled about an inch or so from the driveway and walkway/front steps... why, I don't know... There will be so much more to shovel tomorrow... Why, why why didn't we buy that snowblower!! I hope by next winter we will have a snowblower... and, of course, once we do buy it... it won't snow and we'll never use it and we'll wonder why we ever bought it in the first place!!

Oh, and this snow is basically right on the heels of our came-from-out-of-no-where-5 inches-of-snow that fell on Sunday night...

I love snow... but I'm just so tired of shoveling!!!! The local weathermen have said that so far this winter season, we have had over 42 inches of snow fall... not all at once, of course. That's 42 inches of snow, so far, that I've shoveled... (I think I'm going to stay in bed until Spring!)

I'll post some more snow pictures (and snow total updates) tomorrow...

Groundhog Day Musings...

So, the Groundhog saw its shadow... that means 6 more weeks of this:

(December '07 ice storm)

And this:

(January '08 snowfalls)

And this:

(January '08 snowfalls)

Before we get to this:

(My Spring '07 garden)