VSR~Monday, April 16th.

[Donna-Z5]

Good Monday morning. I hope no one has any digging out to do today. What a strange weekend for many of us. The freezing pebbles or crystals should be no more according to the weather channel but still have lots of rain to come. Thursday is supposed to be our best day and of course I have a dental app. 

My hands and crooked fingers are pleased to say that I have all the income taxes done. We have until the 30th. but I don't like to make anyone wait until the last day. I did 26 this year counting our 2. Yay pocket money coming up lol. It was tough but got them done.
Charlene, I remember you asking something about me doing the taxes but not sure right now what it was. The only year I missed was when I had surgery at the end of January. 

Well that's how I spent most of my day, kept the wax machine on except for when we lost power several times and I would take a break, slip my hands in the hot wax then good to go for a while.

Wishing everyone a pleasant Monday, stay dry.....

[mnwildflowers]

Good morning. Light snow is still falling. We only ended up with 3" I'd say, but its 3 more than anyone wanted. Dh talked briefly to his mom yesterday in Minneapolis and they got a lot. She said it was taller than her dog (hes little, but still). I've heard amounts of 14" down there. I hope the roads to Duluth are good since they had a lot of snow yesterday too and dh has to travel for work today. He'll head to Duluth then from there to Milwaukee. Thats a long drive, 7.5 hours. The 10 day forecast looks seasonal, so fingers crossed. By the end its saying highs in the 50s. Please, please, please!

Work today so hopefully my back will hold out. Yesterday was another long day of pain. I'm already on the heating pad today. I have to get the girls up in a minute. Dd2 wants me to double french braid her hair for school today. It takes a while and she has very thick long hair. I did it for her softball tryouts last night and her friends all wanted her to wear it to school like that. She has a duck tail so its always hard to make that hair cooperate when you are braiding it.

Donna-Thats a lot of taxes. I bet you'll dream of numbers for a while!

Guess I better get moving. Wishing all a great day.

[grandmazn8]

Good morning. Donna, that is a lot of tax returns. Does the wax machine help? I have one, but haven't used it in years. I cleaned it out a few years ago and bought another block of wax, but thinking I probably need 2, I haven't put it in yet. Since my fingers are beginning to get all gnarly perhaps I should try it again when they are bad. Do you use the gloves with it? I haven't seen them in stores, but would rather use them than risk getting the wax dirty.

Melissa, I feel for you with that back. I used my shiatsu massage cushion quite a few times this weekend.

We had some pretty wicked storms yesterday, but fortunately no damage at my house, unless there is another dead tree down in the wooded area. Lexington, which is about 30-40 miles north of me, near Columbia, had 2 tornadoes.

Work today and a meeting tonight.

[Tasty]

Good morning Donna and all who visit later.

Thank goodness the worst appears to be behind us.  Altho we are not really that far from you Donna, we seemed to fare much better this weekend.  Going by the Ontario hydro map there were very few power outages in this area and none that affected us.  However, I'm not putting the candles away yet, nor emptying the big jugs of water.  Today we are in for lots of rain  but the temp should be in the mid 40s so the ice should disappear.  A bit of snow overnight into tomorrow and then, just maybe, things will improve.

Glad you have the taxes all done - now maybe your hands can get a rest!  And  you  can plan what flowers you want 😊

We watched the Grand Slam of curling yesterday.  The US women's team of Jamie Sinclair beat the Canadians in the final.  Turns out Jamie used to live in the same itlle town just outside of Ottawa as we did.  Curled at the local curling club and went to university in Ottawa.  She moved to St Paul's and that's where her team is from nowadays 😊

Hope your back holds out Melissa?  It's for sure the kids at school won't understand the limitations that puts on you!

That's to close for comfort for tornadoes Leslie.  Much as I hate freezing rain, it has to be preferable to tornadoes.  Glad you glad no damage 🙂

Have a marvellous Monday.

[plantdoctor]

Good morning everyone.  It is 21º here this morning.  The snow finally stopped yesterday early evening.  This morning instead of birds singing, I am hearing the buzz of snow blowers.  Last night DS came over and put air in the tires of my truck and we took it for a ride.  I have an appointment today to get the tires fixed.  Something about the aluminum rims keep making the rear tires go flat ad there is something he can do to fix that.  I will soon need it for hauling yard debris to the dump.

Donna...we have frozen precipitation in the forecast for Wed and next Saturday.  I do hope that is the last of it.  That is a lot of taxes to do and I'm sure you are happy they are all done.  Now to spend the money....lol.  You've reminded me that I need to get my hot wax machine out.

Melissa...glad you didn't get much snow as you already had enough.  The weather last night talked about the storm dropping huge amounts of snow from Duluth to Green Bay, so I'm guessing DH may have a long trip today.  I do hope he stays safe.  That sounds like a lot of work braiding DD's hair.  Good luck with your back today.  I thought of you last night as I watched Minnesota Bound and they were talking about Jay Cooke state park by Duluth.  I think I remember you sharing pictures from there once.  Last night they were sharing all of the spring wild flowers that grow there.  It was interesting.

Leslie...Glad the tornadoes weren't in your town.  While watching all of the devastation from the fires and the tornadoes, I decided to not complain too much about the snow storms.  At least they don't destroy homes.  I do not wear gloves with my hot wax machine since the paraffin really softens my dry hands.

Tasty...  Glad you did not lose power and hope you don't.  I bet you enjoyed watching a girl with home town ties on the winning curling team even if it wasn't the team you were cheering for. 

Have a good day everyone.  Charlene

[nybirder]

Good morning. The freezing rain wasn't all that bad here in the valley but I guess they got quite a bit more to the north of us. I hate it too, but agree that it is preferable to tornadoes! Even shoveling snow is higher on my list. The problem today is the wind! I woke up at 2:30 to hear it roaring so I turned on the police scanner. Trees and wires down in quite a few places. At least it's above freezing. No loss of power here but there are people a few blocks from me waiting for a repair since last evening.

The wind continued to get worse and it is still roaring out there. My WeatherBug app on the phone showed a gust of 56 at the high school weather station near me just an hour ago. I looked out the back window to see if the tree was still standing in my neighbor's yard--it was. However, there were these narrow white slats in my yard and next door that I couldn't identify. It became obvious when I looked on the front porch. The wind is coming straight in from the east which is totally backward for us. It grabbed the plastic sunshades blinds that were rolled up and tied under the porch overhang and shredded them. They're spread in three yards! Once the gusts die down, I have some cleanup to do for my neighbors. My neighbors porch furniture is now on his lawn. I have had those blinds up for several years now with no problems so that wind must have been fierce last night.

This is the morning that the retired teachers have their monthly breakfast meeting. I already texted my friend and told her that I wouldn't be there. It's a 9 mile drive--don't want to be out on the road in this wind with trees and wires still coming down. At least the ice is melting. We, too, are looking at a long-term forecast of 50's by the weekend but snow flurries before then. What a miserable April.

Hope your day improves if you've been dealing with nasty weather.

Birdy

[plantdoctor]

Birdy...I think deciding to stay home was a wise choice.  The storm we had over the weekend also had very strong/cold winds from the east even though the storm was coming from the west.  The winds eventually changed to come from the NE, which made my kitchen so cold.  Our feel like temps were below zero and since my kitchen has a crawl space under it, I could really feel the cold in there.  Maybe all of your blinds will blow away before you get a chance to pick them up.  I see lots of debris in my yard that has blown in from somewhere, but will have to wait for some snow to melt to pick it up as it is frozen down.  Hope you keep power.  Charlene

[marylc]

Good Monday morning everyone, that is a pretty butterfly,a windy 36* up to 47* today here. most of you are having bad weather,stay warm and safe.the Bunny was here this morning eating under the feeder, have to put a piece of carrot out later.other day had a big woodpecker eating the suet, second time he has been. the little ones come regularly. the grass must be 12" tall, so the mowing people should come this week. enjoy whatever you are all doing, Mary in Kentucky 10.09am

[grandmazn8]

Apr 16, 2018 7:24:26 GMT -5 plantdoctor said:

Last night DS came over and put air in the tires of my truck and we took it for a ride.  I have an appointment today to get the tires fixed.  Something about the aluminum rims keep making the rear tires go flat ad there is something he can do to fix that.  I will soon need it for hauling yard debris to the dump.

Now that is OPTIMISM!  :D

[wilderness]

Good morning.  Reported in from "Frozen".  When I look out the window it looks like scenes from the movie.  Our low overnight was 26.  Since Thursday night until 7 this morning we have received the equivalent of 1.88" of rain and it is suppose to rain all day today.  We are also expecting some pretty good winds.  The heat in my greenhouse has been running steady since 8:30 Friday night.  I don't want to see my electric bill this month.

I am totally iced in can't get in or out of my driveway.  We have a Lions meeting tonight which I don't intend to make.  However, the president and I will make a decision at noon whether to cancel the meeting or not.  I am surprised that my phone hasn't been ringing off the hook.

Yesterday I did get the 4# of potatoes made into French Fries and in the freezer, planted 5 new trays of seed and did some watering.  I am almost out of soil in the house so can't do much more planting unless I decide to skate to the shop.

Melissa, glad you didn't get the snow they predicted.  Save travels to your DH today.  Hope you bak doesn't give you much grief today.

Donna, nice message as usual this morning.  Glad you have the taxes done and some pocket money for plants.

Leslie, good news that you didn't get real severe weather yesterday.

Birdy, think it is a wise choice to stay put today.

Mary, I would just like to see brown grass right now.

Charlene, those aluminum rims are notorious for leaking if they aren't cleaned properly when the tires are put on them.

Have a great day.

Bet

[luvmyb_b]

Good morning. The rain has stopped - finally. Today is supposed to be just plain cold and windy. We probably won't get more than a dusting of snow, but it is still a possibility. I feel dreadful for those whose weather has been worse than ours, which has been bad enough. 

I have spent the past hour and a half dealing with DM "stuff". Just as I was getting ready to post here, DSis#5 called asking me to call DM and distract her so she didn't call the police about stolen tax papers that she couldn't find. DSis was on her way out the door and wasn't sure if she dissuaded the phone call or not. When I called DM, she said nothing about stolen tax papers, just that she was still working on her taxes but hoped her car worked when she went to mail them because she was sure someone was in her car last night ... which is parked in her locked attached garage. She heard music playing that could have only come from her car. The car is locked, which would require a special tool to enter it. "Anyone with that special tool would know how to disable a car or otherwise tamper with it." Ugh ...  :'(   DSis has tried to tell her that she probably doesn't even have to file, making none of her upset worth it. It was interesting talking to DSis because she said that DM often takes "important papers" with her when they go grocery shopping because of people possibly breaking in while she is gone. DSis suggested she check her purse to see if the papers were there. I don't know if or where she found them, but she never said a word about them being stolen to me. My best guess is that she saw a story about a local income tax preparer who had clients whose identity had been stolen and the thief had already filed their papers before they could. It would follow a pattern I've noticed of her seeing stories on TV, and then worrying herself into a frenzy about that happening to her. I never knew she had a cell phone until today. DSis#5 bought her one for her birthday. It is at least the 5th one she's had because she either couldn't figure out how to use the phones, or never paid on the prepaid ones. She called us on it this morning, but we didn't answer since we screen our calls. Neither DH or myself recognized the number so we let the voice mail pick it up. I hadn't had a chance to play the messages back before I called her. When I questioned her about it, she said she wouldn't give me the number over the phone because people listen in on her calls. ***Sigh*** I had forgotten about that. I told her I'd just get it from the Caller ID.

So my morning is starting off beautifully. LOL! It should get better, though, since I am meeting my Ancestry cousin in a little while. Given what is going on in her life and mine, instead of having a bite to eat at Panera, we may need a bottle and a hotel room. (rofl)  Oh boy, are we going to vent today! 

Have a good day ... a magnificent or marvelous Monday if you can pull it off! 

[Donna-Z5]

Good afternoon everyone. Well we didn't get blown away, our house is still where it belongs. 60% chance of rain this afternoon into the night.

Melissa, so sorry to hear that your back is still causing a lot of pain for you. Prayers that you make it through your work day. Yuck regarding your weather. That's a long drive for DH for work. I know things have changed for him, how often will he have to do this? Yuppers, years ago it didn't seem like a lot of taxes but it is getting more difficult so I may have to cut back. It's a rip off what people have to pay now days so it's a win for them and a win for me. :)

Leslie, I put 2 blocks of wax in my machine. Gosh I couldn't tell you how old it is. I make sure my hands are clean and free of any oils then put one hand in at a time. I have big thick gloves that my hands go in after to keep them warm longer. My feet just fit in one at a time. I just have to be careful they don't touch the edges or bottom. I put them in the hand gloves after, Rick laughs about that one. Get yours out and get using it. :) Happy to hear that there was no damage from the storms.

Tasty, our power was off and on like a yo-yo and not for long periods of time. We got a lot of precipitation in many forms but most has melted now. After I finish here my hands will certainly have a rest. We just need to run a couple errands so hopefully we can get those done before it rains. What a small world we live in, Jamie lived so close to you, you just never know who's right around your corner :)

Charlene, like you wanted more snow. Hopefully it will all end for you by the weekend. I think someone forgot to turn the switch to Spring. Hopefully whatever is done with your tires will end your problem and you can fill that truck as much as you want. It's a lot of work for you. Yes indeed, get out that machine and use it. :) Big decision now, how do I spend my money???? LOL

Birdy, sorry you are getting the horrid winds, they can cause so much damage. Hopefully things will calm down for you. You probably made a wise decision staying home today where you are safe and warm.

Marylc, wow you have grass that tall!!!!!! Hopefully your help will get it cut for you this week. Ours hasn't had a chance to do anything yet. Enjoy your day.

Bette, so sorry you are held hostage by the ice. You are getting a lot done inside but knowing you can't get out is not a good feeling. I wish for you higher temps that will melt that mess away. I hope you are sitting down when your hydro bill arrives but you have to keep your babies warm.

Karen, my heart goes out to you and your sisters. We went through similar things with my dad. While he was home he carried a lot of money in his pocket so no one would steal it. Sometimes he put it elsewhere and it was all out war because someone stole his money. Once he was in the NH mom found money in places you would never think. It's not easy but keep your chin up. Hopefully the rest of your day goes well.

Take care everyone and enjoy the rest of your day. :)

[plantdoctor]

It sounds like many of us are having a bad start to our week.  I put my oatmeal in the microwave as usual this morning.  About ½ way through it being done, I heard a loud boom noise.  For some odd reason the oatmeal had exploded and blew the cover off.  The entire microwave was spattered with oatmeal and not a drop left in the bowl.  What a mess.  After I got it cleaned up, I opted for a banana....lol.

On a happier note...the weather guessers have cancelled the snow for Saturday, but at the same time issued a winter weather advisory for Tuesday evening through Wednesday night.  Oh goody.  He also announced that we've gotten almost record amounts of snow in April...wed should break the record.  Our temps are 30 degrees colder than average for the month.  Ughhhh.

Mary...it is so hard to believe that you have grass that tall already.  At least this never ending winter is cutting into mowing season.

Leslie....lol...I try to stay optimistic.  When and IF Spring ever arrives, I'd better be ready to go full spped getting things done, so I'm trying to have everything ready to roll.  with 2 flat tires my truck wasn't about to roll...

Bette....."Let it go"....if you've watched the movie you know what I'm singing...   I'd cancel that meeting for sure.  No sense being out in ice like that.

Karen...oh no about your DMom.  It must be awful to have that feeling that someone is in your home and stealing your things.  Here they don't steal my stuff, they just hide it from me....lol. Enjoy your lunch with your cousin.

Donna...thanks to your post earlier, I have my wax machine plugged in.  I laugh about you being able to put your feet in it.  These boxes I have at the end of my legs would never fit in there...maybe my toes....lol.  Charlene

[nybirder]

Charlene--when I got my first microwave back in the 70's, I decided to make the poached egg per the directions in their cookbook. I followed it to the letter, including pricking the yolk. Well, that sucker blew up! Not only that, I never really found the egg white. It was almost like it had vaporized in there. I decided it was safer to poach it on the stove from then on. I've cleaned up my share of oatmeal, too.

I got a call from one of my retired friends who was at the breakfast this morning. She wondered where I was. Good grief--she drove in 20 miles to that meeting when I was hesitant to do 9. Those farm girls are a hardy lot. She's the one who makes maple syrup. They're giving up this week. It's too cold for the sap to run properly even now and working in the woods was absolutely miserable this weekend what with the freezing rain and gusting winds.

The wind is still howling and the clouds are moving really fast. I tried going outside to pick up a few of the slats that had blown around and finally found my newspaper in its plastic cover blown into a hiding place near the porch. It started raining hard and with all that, I decided it was time to go in the house and stay there! So I did!

Ah, spring! Ain't it grand?!

Birdy