Who is having more fun?

Family Fun at the pool

Cousins enjoying the pool during a raging Blizzard outside!!

SAT NIGHT: MINI-BLIZZARD!!!!!!

Well....a few words about our Friday. Left the stick and brick around 8:15 to head for the Farmington Hospital.....and the 1st Lady's annual mammogram. Never takes long and soon we were experiencing heavy traffic on US 67 north....to STL. We made a couple of quick stops in the South County shopping area....and then going north on I-270......it took us 45 minutes to go only five miles!!!!!!!! TERRIBLE!!!! But.....it was the Friday of Christmas "weekend" and that is to be expected. We made another stop in the valley at Chesterfield Commons shopping area....and then went on to Monroe City after a brief stop in Troy for a bit of lunch.

The rest of the day was spent at the home of the 1st Lady's mother........a good visit with her. The 1st Lady's brother and wife arrived around 4pm from Dayton, Ohio, and so we enjoyed visiting with them. Her sister and her son then arrived from Kansas.......the clan continues to gather!!

TODAY: SATURDAY............after breakfast the 1st Lady's Ohio brother's daughter and husband and little son arrived .....they also live in Ohio. A bit later, we left for the hotel in Hannibal.....and before long Dr. Jeni/Darrel and girls arrived, then our daughter-in-law and Rachel arrived.....and not long after that, Jeremy arrived from New Orleans. By that time there were more from Kansas, St. Joseph, MO, and others from eastern Missouri had checked in to the hotel..

The late afternoon and all evening was spent in the pool/spa/hot tub here at the Quality Inn and Suites. The pool was very busy with excited cousins all....no older than fourth grade.....and the rest of us had a few drinks, grazed and nibbled all evening from the table laden with homemade goodies, and played cards, and other board games, as well as Mexican Train Game.

Some of the clan gravitated to the bar to watch the Mizzou-Illinois bb game....and others watched/listened to the Dallas Cowboys game. By 8:30.....the weather had turned into a dreadful 30-35 mph winds with terrific blowing snow, freezing rain....and the makings of a bad weather night. Not certain if those just driving in for dinner tomorrow will be able to make it.......????

10PM...and the pool area was to close.....and it was time to get all of the young ones into bed. And so.....I am writing this as the family goes from room to room......enjoying the reunion and still TALKING, LAUGHING.....etc., etc. A really great family evening......a good idea for any family that is tooooo large to gather at a family home for the Holidays!!!!........and so.....of course,

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!

JUST waiting for Christmas....and Santa to bring the gifts!!!

Christmas is almost here........

Well........this has been one short day.....of doing virtually nothing!!!! Yep.......we seem to be ready for the BIG DAY ....Christmas. And so.........we just relaxed.....read, played some lappie games, and did a few other things. I did go out in the misty, cloudy day and put in the new rod that goes into the opening of the hot water heater in the RV. Can't remember the exact name.....but anyway, I put it in....just one more step in the preps of TheHowserHouse for the trip south.

I did put my cooking talents to work this morning and made another batch of those wonderful loaded oatmeal cookies and iced them. Ummmmmm........soooooo damn good!!!!

The 1st Lady got a few things ready to leave in the morning for Hannibal.....where we will meet all of her siblings/spouses, children, grandchildren, and others in the family. For the past few years we have all met the weekend before Christmas at a hotel in Hannibal....close to the family home in Monroe City. As in the past, we will be at the Quality Inn and Suites......a great swimming/spa area which is wonderful for everyone, including the young ones. We just sort of take over the pool room.......by Saturday evening there will probably upwards of 40 of us there.....with everyone bringing snacks, games, and of course, swimming attire. On Sunday, we will have dinner catered for us at the hotel........40+ by that time, a gift exchange, and games for all!! A fun and great weekend for her family!!!!

We will return down here Sunday evening...........don't want to miss "The Amazing Race"!! Of course, the TIVO will be here to record it for us if we don't make it back in time.

And so........tomorrow we will be in Monroe City and I will not access to cyberspace/internet, so no words of wisdom and ramblin' thoughts from me until Saturday. But never fear.........

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

WELL.....finally a day outside for my chores!

OK......for some ungodly reason, I woke up three times during the night. UGH.....shades of a week ago when I was still suffering from the problems of crossing 8 time zones in a only 15 hours of flying. Anyway.......I can handle it......it just makes my sagging hulk sag a bit more by this time of the evening......HAHA!!

After plenty of time this morning for my wonderful large cup of hot steaming French Roast coffee......I changed into my work clothes and exited the stick and brick. After only three tugs on the started cable.......surprisingly the lawn mower fired right up and with a bit of chugging at first, I was off and going back and forth across the very soft, and sometimes muddy, lawn.........chomping and mulching those nasty little leaves that have known for a couple of months that soon........SOON their time would come and they would become tiny little pieces of their former selves!!!! And, they did!! It took me about three hours.......the mulching took a bit long than usual as they were still wet from the freezing rain and snow of the past few days. BUT......the job IS DONE!!!

Then.......out came the 8 foot ladder and "Up on the Rooftop" I went......'tis the season, isn't it??? But this was not quite the gift giving trip to the roof that we all remember and still wish for......this was a little bit messy. With over 500 linear feet of gutters around the hip roof of our home......I crawled around and got really good and dirty as I pulled out the leaves, the gunk, and some ice from the rain gutters. I have been behind on both of these fall chores......my camel riding and tomb crawls have kept me getting this done......but, it waited for me! And.....after about another hour....this chore was completed! And....then I carefully came down off of the roof....and not with a clatter!

The remainder of the afternoon was spent puttering around TheHowserHouse on wheels.......checking out the 2 Trojan golf cart batteries that I had installed a couple of years ago. This fall I noticed that they seemed to have used some water....the first time I had to add some distilled water, but today....they were fine. I opened up the slides.....and then turned on the furnace to check to see if it is still running properly........HOPEFULLY, I won't need it down on the border of Mexico and Texas during the next three months.

Speaking of that trip.......if there is anyone reading this blog and is either already in the Rio Grande Valley, or will be arriving after the Holidays........please get in touch with me and come by and visit!! I will be in the new north section of Llano Grande RV Resort and Country Club for two months.....and then will be wandering around in southern Texas during the month of March.

This evening......after a great dinner salad and a couple of glasses of dark red medicine.....I have noticed that my sagging hulk is beginning to get a bit stiff.........too much activity "up on the rooftop", I suppose......hahaha. The remedy? Get the hell out of the house and do MORE of this kind of thing..........more work!!!

Tomorrow.......90% chance of rain....and temps in the low 50's. Sooooo, sure glad I got these things done today! And........with these fall tasks finished.......

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!.......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!

Pictures of the New Bar Stools......

WARMTH!!! THAWING!! Work in the yard tomorrow???..........

Yep.....it was in the upper 40's with a southerly wind blowing today.....and most of the ice and snow melted and it felt really, really great outside!! Tomorrow.....my hopes are to open up TheHowserHouse on wheels......and then attempt to mow the leaves, albeit they will still be wet, but perhaps......just perhaps I can get a bit of very late autumn yard work completed before we head to Texas.

First things first: A comment was made from someone who receives their internet service from SE Missouri State University concerning the Frommer blog which I copied and put on here last night.......and that comment simply reflected a one-way outlook on this problem of raising the fees to get a visa to visit the USA. Yes.....there are those who can afford to pay an extra $31 dollars: businessmen from Asia and Europe especially.......however, if you are coming to the USA from anyplace in the world to visit relatives living here, to spend a vacation in Florida or anywhere in the states.....AND, you are traveling with a family then that $31 CAN make a difference in a decision to visit our country or not............ Many people who come over to visit relatives have saved and saved to make this kind of trip.......not everyone IS capable of paying the extra high costs of a USA visa.

On the other hand, those of us who travel overseas to travel throughout the world may, and probably will, be faced with much higher costs for obtaining visas from countries we will be visiting. Not only will the visa costs be higher, but our poor old American dollar is soooooo damn low in comparison with other currencies that it is VERY costly to travel overseas......not like it used to be before the past six years descended upon us. AND.......another problem is that if you are traveling to several...SEVERAL...other countries, then you will be faced with quite a bit more costs in obtaining a visa for EACH of the countries you plan to travel in. On our trip this past month, we not only had to purchase a visa for each of us when we entered Egypt at the Cairo International airport, we then had to purchase visas upon arriving at the Omman International in Jordan.....and THEN.....we had to purchase visas again when we returned to Egypt!!!

The citizens and ordinary people of Egypt and Jordan that we talked with, had tea with, sat in coffee shops and talked with, stood in lines at various sites with, and even when we were invited into the home of the Nubian Tribal Chief.........all of them continuously mentioned the fact that they felt they were NOT welcome in America....that they were not wanted there!!! Is that what we want people in other countries to feel???? This is a 100% complete reversal of our attitudes towards the rest of the world's travelers who always came and enjoyed our country.......leaving their hard earned cash in our own country............and, I am still upset over all of this!!!!!

OK.....I will get off of my soapbox ......for a while.......

Today here was a very relaxed and laid-back day. I was up and going early to take my truck in to Duncan's 4x4 Garage in Doe Run. An hour and half after arriving, the truck was pronounced that it is doing very well and in great shape for the trip south........and that included an oil transfusion, along with a new fuel filter, etc., etc.

The rest of the day was spent around the inside of the house......the yard is still mud and very, very soft.....perhaps too soft for me to mow tomorrow??? Soooo, I did get out the old "sucking machine" for the carpets....and did my weekly task of getting things cleaned up just a bit!!

This evening the 1st Lady went into Farmington to meet her friends for the final monthly dinner she will be able to attend until we return the 1st of April. Me????? I just puttered around......spent some time online(might you have guessed that?).....and watched some tellie.

And soooo, it was a good day.........and......as always.....

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

Unbelievable!!!! What next????????? Feel my anger?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is copied from Arthur Frommer's online daily travel blog:

http://www.frommers.com/blog/

At a time when foreign tourism to the U.S. is heavily down, the State Department has just raised the incoming visa fee to $131

From those super-capable folks who gave us back-logged passports, here's an incomprehensible increase in the fee for incoming visas. While other branches of the U.S. government are frantically attempting to attract more foreign tourists to the United States, the Department of State has just raised the fee for a U.S. visa to $131 from its former level of $100. A couple traveling to New York from, let's say, India or Panama, will now have to pay $262 just for visas enabling them to come here. And multitudes of foreign tourists may just decide to go to Australia or Argentina rather than the U.S.

As you may recall from my earlier posts, tourism to the United States is down by about 20% from the levels it enjoyed prior to September 11. (By contrast, most other western nations are reporting greatly increased tourism.) The loss to our economy from such lesser tourist numbers amounts to tens of billions of dollars each year, with billions of dollars in lost taxes, and hundreds of thousands of lost jobs.

Yet on December 13, the State Department announced that it will increase the application fee for non-immigrant visas by more than 30%, from $100 to $131, to "pay for increased processing costs." Because of State's desire for, say, ten million dollars more in visa fees, the United States economy may lose tens of billions of dollars. Obviously, no one is coordinating these decisions with those of other branches of government or pursuing a consistent policy to encourage incoming tourism.

Note that the State Department's action has nothing to do with security issues. Terrorists will have no problem paying another $31 dollars for their visas. But hundreds of thousands of potential visitors facing a burdensome charge, may decide not to come here.

And since many other foreign nations charge an exactly equal, tit-for-tat fee to our citizens wanting visas to visit their countries, our travelers will now need to pay an additional $31 to visit such countries as Brazil, Turkey, or Russia. Countries that formerly extracted a fee of $100 from an American tourist, will now charge $131.

It's another example of an unfocused Executive Branch, with no one tending the store.

Write and read comments about this post.

# posted by Arthur Frommer : 3:07 PM Links to this post

A varied day with varied temperatures!!

WOW.......it was 15 degrees this morning when I first got online around 7:15am!!!!! Around 7:45 I went out to start the truck and let it warm up before taking it to the Ford dealer for the recall sensor to be installed. WHAT a great truck!!!!! I cycled the glow lights twice and it turned over on the very first attempt.....and very quickly at that!!! This made me look back....and I don't believe I have had to plug it in for a couple of years now..........it just doesn't seem to need it.

After getting the part installed.....30 minutes.......I stopped by the local Supercenter of Wally World and picked up a few necessary items.....and of course, running into former students who wanted to hear ALL about the trip to Egypt and Jordan. Returning home there were some little inside-the-house chores and a quick little bite of low cal lunch......and then the 1st Lady decided she wanted to get her glasses adjusted.....she has been having difficulties with seeing on the left and right sides ever since she got them. Sooooo, off to Cape we went.....arriving there about 2pm. After getting her glasses checked, she will be getting a different lens for some different frames.....hopefully that will work for her!!

Then for the next few hours, it was Christmas shopping.......UGH!!!! You know........I really, REALLY do dislike shopping for Christmas gifts! Am I a Scrooge......or what? For some reason, the older I become the less joy and fun and excitement there is in shopping at this time of the year. Christmas has never been a BIG time for me since my children grew up.........and even though there are three granddaughters, it is just not quite the same. I suppose it is because the excitement of waiting for the BIG day to see what will be under the tree is not there 24/7 since the granddaughters don't live with us and we don't get to experience their daily excitement!

And.......the 1st Lady and I used to get each other gifts to surprise the other one, but now.....well, we simply get something we need that we usually can both use. Hmmmm.......perhaps that is the problem???? Perhaps a surprise is needed.....................???!!!

Returning home, after a less than satisfying supper at Steak and Shake........I am now writing and having a cup of my every evening hot tea(along with a couple of those wonderful cookies I made yesterday). Somehow......having a cup of hot tea in the evenings always relaxes me and I have the reached the point where I really look forward to having that tea!!! While in Egypt and Jordan......I ALWAYS had a cup of tea in the evenings.......tea is their #1 drink in both countries.

Got to thinking that I am WAY behind on the continuation of the Chapters of my Life!! Well.....I will just have to go back and see where I stopped.......and begin writing from that point. I am also writing an article for Goldie for his blog.........an article on travel, which for some unknown reason seems to be taking me much longer than I anticipated it would take!!!! Not certain as to why.......perhaps because it is going into someone else's blog.....and I find myself resuming my previous ways of being a perfectionist (just like when I was a band director). Oh well........

Tomorrow......I take the truck to my area diesel mechanic in Doe Run......to get it all checked out, filters changed, fluids changed, etc., etc. for the trip to southern Texas at the end of next week. It will be more dollars than I want to spend, however,.......they do one heck of a great job in their shop/garage.....and I trust them with doing anything that is needed!!!

And so.....another day.........cold temps which moderated into the low 40's.....and a day of variety from house chores to Christmas shopping.......and all of these parts of the day accentuate the thoughts that............

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

A bit of snow.....and a LOT of cold out there!!

The morning dawned cold.....really cold with a layer of ice and then covered by about an inch or two of snow. I needed to run to the local grocery to get some fresh pastries for the 1st Lady's birthday today......I left a bit after 7am while she was still asleep.......and OMG, it took me forever to get the doors open(freezing rain had them frozen shut).....and then the ice and snow off of the windshield. I found the passenger door was the best bet.....and managed to get it opened after a bit of some windshield de-icer was sprayed on it. Finally.....after some more thawing on the windshield by the car heater.....I made it to the store and back.

I kept things very quiet.....Jeremy was still in bed........and let her sleep until the phone rang a bit after 9AM ......a birthday greeting for her from her sister. And then the phone continued to ring and ring and ring with call after call from relatives and friends wishing her a Happy Birthday!!

The morning was spent helping Jeremy get his things together for his trip down to New Orleans this afternoon.....about a ten hour drive. After he headed south, I got busy and baked some cookies......a recipe from Paula Dean's show........"Loaded Oatmeal Cookies". They are sooooooo damn good...and I bake them each year at this time........rich, nutty, and with a great icing on them. YUMMMMMMMM......

We had planned to have dinner and then see a movie, but we decided that we would only see a movie late this afternoon.....and WOW!!!!! What a movie it was!!! INTENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hadn't thought I might like it, but I was sooooooooo wrong!! We went to see "I Am Legend" with Will Smith......and Will certainly did a great job in my opinion. I really did enjoy this movie.........give it a try, but be prepared for some not-so-pleasant scenes which only assist the movie with the story line.

And so......the evening has been spent watching the final episode of "Survivor". Well......as they just announced the winner..........he certainly was not my favorite of the group. But......I suppose in listening to him right now.......he did play the game well. And he got the $$$$$$$$$.

Tomorrow.......some recall work on the truck at the Ford dealer here in town. And then we plan as of now to have dinner in Farmington tomorrow evening!!

THIRTEEN days until we leave for warmer weather!!!! But......even here in Misery.....

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

AHHHH.......again: Miserable Misery!!!!!!

14 days until we leave for the Rio Grande Valley in Texas: Llano Grande Lake Park RV Resort and Country Club!!!!!!

And, I am really counting those days with the miserable weather we here in southeast Missouri experienced today: freezing rain, sleet, and finally snow this evening. Granted, the weather people have downgraded the amount of accumulating snow we might receive......but nevertheless, it is something I no longer enjoy!!!!!!

Well.......I never did get back to my blog last night after having the afternoon and evening with Michael, our oldest son. By the time we returned home, I was pretty much wiped out......a very busy day it was, including preparing some food and goodies to take for all of us to enjoy together.

Sooooo, this morning the main thought was the weather that was occurring outside our many windows. I ran to the post office AND the local florist........and the florist was the important priority as tomorrow is the 1st Lady's birthday!!!! I picked out a permanent Christmas, very contemporary arrangement in red(of course!) with a black, square vase. A really nice looking arrangement that can be used year after year at the Holiday season. And.....when it was delivered today, she was very excited with the way it looked!!!!! Hmmmmm.......guess I did the right thing!!!!??? (Tomorrow we will go to dinner and a movie)

Did I tell you that when we arrived home LATE on Thursday night from the airport that the ceiling in our linen closet in the guest room bathroom had collapsed???? Think I did, but anyway.......we spent a couple of hours in getting the linens moved out of there, the insulation which was the loose type had to be cleaned up....(a face mask needed).....and then the closet itself had to be cleaned. Then.....I called a friend who is a home builder.....and had him come over(Brian Hanner of Hann-Co Construction (sp. may be incorrect)). He thinks he knows where on the roof it is leaking and will get it repaired during the next two weeks....before we leave for Texas. Of course, the interior must be redone.........and that is a GREAT and WONDERFUL reason to remodel this particular bathroom!!! OMG......OMG.....OMG......did you just hear me say "REMODEL"???????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have I lost my mind????????????????? Are we to endure this god-awful thing again???????????????? HELP............Send the white-coats for me quickly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe I am even thinking such a horrible and unspeakable CURSE WORD....."REMODEL"!!!!!

QUICK.....I will exit this topic!

But, we did clean up the mess and have put some temporary plastic in the top of the closet to seal it off until that terrible WORD returns in the spring when we get back from the southland.

This afternoon........it just went away. Since it is the birthday weekend.......and since Jeremy is still here......albeit he is on the phone 99% of the time talking with people in Washington DC and New Orleans........we decided to just have a family dinner rather than go to the party that we were supposed to attend: her Christmas party with her sorority. Is that selfish??? No....I think now.....as family DOES need to come FIRST!!!

So, I fixed dinner: "Warsaw Hamburgers" (eat your heart out, Goldie/Mel as they were served at the same time as your Saturday evening services).....and the 1st Lady made a great veggie salad. A bit of dark red medicine complimented the meal......and now, here I am rambling as usual!!!

I apolize for no pictures tonight. I, too, am getting sooooo used to having a few pic sto post that I feel strange not having any at all tonight. Perhaps if we have any snow at all, I can get a few for all of you in warmer climates to "drool over"(heehee....SURE you will).

Jeremy leaves tomorrow to run back down to New Orleans....about 10 hours of driving.....for the next five days.....and he will return back up here on Friday night to be here until New Year's.....AFTER we have departed for Texas.

And sooooo, even with the state of Misery being miserable tonight........

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!!.......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

An early arrival........to save seats for the family!

Hmmm.......could she be a star on stage......someday?

On Stage singing with choreography........and no picture editing yet!

AFTER the Christmas Program!!!

A LATE post for Thurs.....an EARLY post for Friday

UGH!!!! We didn't arrive in the driveway until almost 1AM this morning!!!!! Our son, Jeremy, had called yesterday morning...late...and told us he would arrive in STL at 5pm. Well..........we had already made plans to return to Washington, MO, for Meghan's postponed Christmas program......at 6:30pm

So, when Jeremy called again, I told him that when he arrived at 5pm to go get a sandwich and a beer and then we would be there around 8pm to pick him up. He was cool with that....and so we left Monroe City for STL.......actually Chesterfield Commons for some shopping. We had a quick late lunch at Panera Bread.......EXCELLENT Chicken Fontega Panini!!!!.....and then drove out to Washington. We arrived in time to get second row seats for the family.........the place then filled up quickly. ALL family members ALWAYS come to see the little 2nd and 3rd Graders perform!!!!!

Oh......Jeremy had called while we were having our 4pm lunch.....and said his flight from Washington DC had been late departing and so he missed his flight from Atlanta to STL!!!!!!! He called again after standing in line to get a ticket to STL......and said he would not arrive until 10pm!!! GREAT......so, we went out to Dr. Jeni's after the program for awhile........and then drove back into STL to pick him up.

I believe I didn't mention above that the Christmas program was just outstanding. Not that I was a partial to anyone person.....hahaha!!! But....it was really great........and I personally thing that Meghan was the star of the stage!!! She LOVES to perform, sings well, and loves to dance and be in front of an audience. Can't imagine where that comes from.....hmmmmmm........

SHIT!!!!!!! The STL airport has to be the most disorganized place for an airport that there is in this country!!!!!!! There is no way you can pick up a person without driving around the airport roads at least 4-5 times before you can find a place to park for only five minutes for a curbside pickup!!!!! We did this.....and then we did it again.....and again....and again....and I believe it was finally the 6th time around before we got the nose of the car into a small space.......just like being back in Cairo!!!!!

We finally arrived home as I said........VERY late!!!

This morning we are preparing to go have an afternoon dinner with Michael.....and so this will be short. More later.........

Life is GREAT!!!!!!......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!

Wednesday.........Almost busted my sagging ass.....

404 days to go.......

Just a brief post......it is early afternoon here in the ice and freezing temps of northeast Missouri. There was another round of freezing rain up here last night......and I just about busted my fat and sagging ass this morning when I stepped out to thaw out the car.....which was covered with ice. I didn't realize that the grass would NOT crunch......the rain had frozen on top of yesterday's ice which was crunchy yesterday afternoon when we arrived. I took one step......and went sliding across the front yard, somehow managing to stay on my feet, albeit.........I'm certain it made for some great laughter by anyone watching me attempt to stay up with my arms flaying in the air, but body making contortions to stay afoot.......hahaha!!!! And now.....I am getting sore from all of those unused muscles getting a work out on that ice trying to save my ass.......literally!!!!

Sitting here in Hannibal in the lobby of the Quality Inn and Suites where free wifi is readily available........YEA!!!!!!!!! This is where we will be in ten days for our Christmas weekend with the 1st Lady's family.......an annual gathering of the 40+ members here at the hotel for an evening of talk, swimming, a few glasses of vino(dark red medicine in my case), and a catered dinner on Sunday with an exchange of gifts! Looking forward to it, as always!!!

Sooooo, now news......other than my ass is unharmed as it never quite touched the ice....hahaha. Sure would like to have been the neighbors looking out there window at this sagging hulk of an old man............a hell of a different climate than two weeks ago when we were in the desert of Egypt!!!!! But.....only two weeks until we arrive in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas for the winter months........and, as always....either here or there or anywhere......

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

Post for Tuesday......(on Wed)

405 days to go..... WHAT a NASTY day!!!!!!! DAMN!!!!! By the time I got up at 7:30 this morning (and I slept all night long….whooray!) the trees were bare of the ice and the driveway at Dr. Jeni’s was void of any ice. The temp was about 36 degrees and it had melted almost every trace of the pesky ice….

We hung around visiting until almost 11 as I spent some time on Dr. Jeni’s new personal computer, installing some new programs and getting it set up the way she wanted it. Then the 1st Lady and I left to make the 2 hour drive up to Monroe City. We hadn’t driven but just a little north of Hermann when the fog, the incredible accumulations of ice on the trees and fields almost caused a “whiteout” for us. This lasted for at least 60 miles as it didn’t really get any better until we were almost at M.C. In fact, it was soooo foggy that we missed the turn-off to McDonald’s at the I-70 and Hwy 19 junction!!!! Just couldn’t see it……whew!!

The afternoon went swiftly as we just sat around and discussed our trip last month to Egypt and Jordan. The 1st Lady’s mother can’t see the pictures on this little lappie because of her blindness…….such a pity as she seemed soooo curious about some of the places we had visited and enjoyed.

Weather predictions for here for tomorrow are mixed…….with rain, sleet, ice, and snow. Hmmmm, there tv stations up here are certainly not known for their weather accuracy…..so we will just wait it out and see.

Her satellite tv has so very little to offer……..she has the smallest package, I’m certain. She sits and listens to it…..and SOMETIMES she can make out the picture if she looks at it out of the corner of her eye at a 90 degree angle!

I hope to get over to Hannibal tomorrow afternoon (Wed)……..weather is certainly a factor in running over there…..about 15 minutes from here. Soooooo……….Life here is at a slow pace…..plan to do a bit of reading……but, HEY…….it doesn’t make any difference if I sit and relax……

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!……And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!

FORGOT to mention in last night's post

We are going to NE Missouri and the 1st Lady's mother has no access to internet.......UGH!!! So, will probably not be able to post tonight......but will make a trip into Hannibal tomorrow to the Quality Inn lobby, the 1st Lady willing.....heehee.

Meghan and Ava decorate the Christmas Tree

ICY in Misery!!!!!! UGH!!!!

406 days left to go........


Waking up this morning to THUNDER, RAIN, and then freezing rain which accumulated on the trees, bushes, walkways, and roads...........and just as Meghan was about ready to walk out the door to be taken to school, I saw online that the Washington, MO schools were closed!!! Sooooo, it was a holiday for her........

The morning went quickly.......watching the weather and doing a few things around Dr. Jeni and Darrel's home......and then it was time for the 1st Lady to go to her dental appointment with Dr. Jeni. With the roads in questionable shape, I took her into town for her appointment. It was time for lunch......so I stepped into the small cafe next door and had a sandwich and a piece of pie. GOOD pie......but a mediocre hamburger.

Three hours later, the 1st Lady had new implants screwed into her mouth, her other teeth cleaned, and all dental work completed. Back to the estate in the woods.....and I watched a bit of tellie as the 1st Lady began to get a late dinner ready.

When Dr. Jeni returned, dinner was almost ready......and then following the meal, the girls decorated their Christmas tree......dropping a few ornaments along the way.

It was a miserable weather day.........typical for Misery in December....and the rest of the winter months for that matter. Only a bit less than three weeks before we head the Rio Grande Valley for the winter months........or what will be left of winter.

Tomorrow, we will head north.....UGH, did I really say north??????...........and spend a couple of days with the 1st Lady's mother....up close to Hannibal. Back home later this week.....and then we are plunged into the Holiday schedule of family, friends, and toooooooooo much food at the various parties and dinners. But...........................

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

Did they forget to bring our food????

Ava LOVES her milk!!!

When will the food arrive??????

Darrel and Dr. Jeni on the deck of their home