WINTER IN FULL FORCE

Snow on the deck. We got about 5 inches of snow. Laif came home Thursday afternoon and didn't quite make it up the hill and had to put on chains. Donna stood on the snowy deck to take this picture of him chaining up.

Richard came over Wednesday afternoon and stayed until Thursday. Here he is fixing dinner for Donna and me. Donna was sick with Sinus and I don't know what all else. She was really sick. I had Bronchitis. I didn't get near as sick as she did. We both ended up going to the doctor Monday. It was nice to have Richard fix us dinner. We had a nice visit. I worried when he went back Thursday as it was still snowing but he made it OK. He is a good driver.

Picture of snow in the back yard. Today has been sunny all day but very cold. The high only got 28 degrees here. One more night of real cold air and then it is supposed to change.

Donna and Laif went shopping and I gave them a small list of things I needed. Safeway has fresh strawberries. Laif and I both love strawberries. He got some and I got some. Maybe eating strawberries will make me think of Spring.

NEW THINGS FOR DOWNSTAIRS

My new Cat Palm (Chamaedorea Cataractarum). Home Depot had a special sale for $10 each. I will see how it goes. They are more work and need a lot of watering but I will have to be careful that it doesn't get root rot. A lady was buying two of them and said hers only last about 6 months. She also was buying a Snake plant and had not had one before so I was able to tell her how to take care of it. They are practically maintenance free as I mentioned before. I have never had a Cat Palm before so I will see how it goes. They prefer medium light and do not like full sun. I have my Snake plant on one side of the sliding glass door and my Cat Palm on the other side.

My Snake plant is doing extremely well downstairs.

This is a picture of my new mini-blind in my bedroom and a valance I made for it. Donna measured and cut it with her fancy little cutting tool and I sewed the whole thing myself. In order to have the valance in one piece, I had to make a French seam. I did that on my cafe curtain also. Donna was working on her quilt and I was working on my valance so both of our sewing machines were humming away.

I had originally gone to Costco to buy a light-weight Hoover windtunnel upright vacuum. The vacuum here in the house is too hard for me to drag around. I use all my energy dragging it around and don't have enough energy left to vacuum. Costco didn't have the one I wanted so we went to Home Depot. They did have the one I wanted but on the way out of the store I saw these beautiful Cat Palms. So I just had to buy one and also a rolling plant stand to put it on. I have a rolling stand for my Snake Plant too. Donna was trying to figure out how we were going to get it home. Donna put it on the floor in back of the car and I sat and kept watch on it so it did not tip over. It took up half of the back seat area. It is as tall as my Snake plant but much bushier.

My vacuum works great. I wanted it because there are no bags to worry about and you never have to replace the filter. The filter is washable. Also it has a setting for wood floors.

We went to the Church building for a Valentine dinner which is a fund raiser for Girls camp. Donna and Laif took off for Portland right after the dinner so Eloise and her husband took me home. Eloise and I have to work in the library Sunday by ourselves. This morning Eloise called to see how I was doing. She seemed concerned about me being alone. I assured her I was fine. I get along fine by myself. Always have my cell phone and try to be careful what I do.

One other thing Donna said I have to tell you is that I now can go up and down curbs without holding onto anything. I have been working on going up a curb without hanging on and finally got that down. I have not been able to get down off a curb without hanging on even if it is just someone's finger. I know Debbie is very aware of how I am on curbs. So, anyway, Donna has been trying to work with me but I just couldn't put my foot down by myself. I know you are all probably laughing by now. I would get to a curb and I would absolutely freeze. Anyway a couple of weeks ago Donna and Laif were both at church trying to tell me I could do it but I stood there and looked at the curb which seemed to grow taller everytime I looked at it and I said "I can't" so they helped me down. When I got home I realized how silly this whole thing is and how embarrasing. Donna put me in training. Everywhere we went, I had to go up and down curbs. I panicked a few times and did the finger hold but she made me get up and do it again. I know it was all in my head. I finally have been able to conquer my fear somewhat. I think the fear will always be there but Donna is very proud of the progress I have made. I have gone up and down off the curbs a couple of dozen times at least. I just walk up to the curb and put my foot down, if I don't just do it without thinking about it I will freeze. I am still in too good of health to handicap myself with that silly fear.

CAFE CURTAINS

I know I haven't written anything for awhile. I have been busy crocheting on an Afghan and reading my Kindle. I didn't think I would like the Kindle that much but it is so great. Now Donna reads books off my kindle on her phone and her netbook. I have read ahead two books for the bookclub and now I am reading "Wuthering Heights". I have only seen the movie and never read the book. It has so much more material in it and carries on into the next generation.

As you can see from the top picture, I finally have my Cafe curtains up on the downstairs window by my table. I just got the instructions off the Internet. Donna did the measuring and cutting and I did the sewing. We just got them hung up last night.

I cleaned and polished up the hutch. You might not be able to tell too well by the picture but on the lower shelf I have a three piece ceramic canister set. On either side of the canisters, are some mugs with a Sunflower design. On the center shelf I put some plates with the Sunflower design. The plates and mugs are from an eight piece place setting that I got from Penneys. The set has 8 salad plates, 8 dinner plates, 8 soup bowls and 8 mugs. I got them at half price. The set was only $40. We were looking at Wal-Mart and comparable sets were $40. for a 4 piece set. The canisters were on close out for $20. Originally $80. I ordered the dishes and the canister set at the same time because Penneys was doing free shipping.

The top shelf has an old clock of Donna's. It is a nice clock and probably still runs but Donna can't find the key. Also I kept the two cute touch-on lamps Donna had. Also a couple of figurines of Donna's and the little gold clock that was my mother's and a little fur seal that Richard got me years ago from Alaska.