Monday, December 27, 2010

More Snow, Birthday Fun, and the Further Adventures of Beaker and Rocky

Snow on Bare Branches
At the end of the snowfall, we had accumulated 14.2 inches - third highest amount in recorded history for the Hampton Roads area of Virginia!
As my birthday plans were changed by the record snowfall, Jason baked "Birthday Cookies" for me. Kim layered a couple and added a candle. I was seranaded by "Happy Birthday To You" and got to make the traditional Birthday Wish! 
And for all you Rocky and Beaker fans, I thought I'd pass on some of their antics during the package wrapping before Christmas:
Beaker makes the crucial fold in the wrapping while Rocky adds words of encouragement.
Not ones to miss a good opportunity for fun, the boys gathered the scraps of wrapping paper and made a mess!
And Miss Cleo, dignified in her Zen-like elegance, can't be bothered with the boy's mischief. She simply enjoys nature's bounty!





Sunday, December 26, 2010

A White Birthday!

My Front Yard
Today is my 64th Birthday! and I woke up to what became the biggest snowfall I've seen here in southern Virginia. It was a great day which went a little different than planned, but Jason and Kim were both at home so that made it just the best birthday I could have hoped for. I don't think we quite expected all this snow, but by golly, it is beautiful.
My Street

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Kitty Fun - Oh Christmas Tree!!

Rocky supervises the lights testing.


Last year Rocky and Cleo were still kittens so we opted to forego a Christmas tree with lights and ornaments. I did, however, decorate with trees. I placed real little trees of all kinds throughout the house. This year, Kim and Beaker are visiting and we've decided to give it a try.
Beaker checks to see if the tree is straight.
Please be assured that these kitties were well supervised through the decorating process and not one of them has attempted to climb the tree...yet.
Rocky admires their handywork.
Beaker adjusts a string of lights to even the coverage.


Pretty Miss Cleo just relaxes in her puffy bed while the boys do all the work.




Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Whose woods these are I think I know...


We are fortunate to have woods on our property and they looked quite magical with yesterday's snow.

The snowfall was quite unexpected. We thought we may see "flurries" but it just kept coming!

Nature is full of wonderful gifts!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Wonderful Story

A story of two horses


Here is a thoughtful story that was forwarded to us that we wanted to share...



Just up the road from my home is a field,with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down,but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing.



If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.



Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.



Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see. Good friends are like this .......... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there. Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours. "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle"

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

More photos from Kim

The Iphone magic continues! Kim and a friend enjoyed a Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey game last night at the new Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. She was fortunate enough to go down by the ice and snap this picture of the team Captain and league leading scorer - and all around great guy: Sidney Crosby. This was with one of the cameras on her new Iphone 4.
With the camera on the other side of her Iphone, she took this delightful portrait. Oh, and, that was after she got home. Beaker did not attend the game.The resolution isn't as high with that camera, but produces a fine photo nonetheless!
I'm happy to report that the Pens won that game last night putting them in the number one spot in the NHL. Kim and I are super fans of the team and we regularly text back and forth during the games. Love that new technology.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Snow for Beaker

Back home in "The Burgh" Beaker is fascinated with their snowfall this morning. I marvel at Kim's photographic and composition skills as I know how high that window is.....and she sent me the photo from her Iphone! She reports Pittsburgh may get 5 to 8 inches. Brrrrrrrrrrr!