Snowy January

Ok, after complaining about the gray skies and dreary weather, we have a beautiful change--SNOW!  I don't mind the cold so much when it's snowing.

We have two large nandina bushes on either side of our front porch.  In the winter, the berries are so bright red against the evergreen leaves that people stop by to ask us what the bushes are called.  With snow on top, they look like Christmas.

The deck and patio were finished so late in September that we really haven't had a chance to enjoy it yet.  We need to buy some new outdoor furniture......but not right away.  We'll just keep thinking about it.

Tooth Fairy Alert

Gaby has lost her first tooth.  I do hope she's properly compensated for her loss.

How cold is it really?

We're actually having a heat wave.  The current temperature is 37 degrees Fahrenheit.  Hold on a minute while I go to Google to translate that into Celsius............. Ok, it's 2.777777.  That sounds much colder to me than 37.

A few weeks ago, I got a cool new 4G (3G?) phone, a 'Droid.  Here it is:

I'm still figuring out how to do stuff--like calling the people I mean to call instead of some random ones--but the weather app is really fun.  I can set the weather for hundreds of places and see the current temp and conditions instantly. (Why do I need to do that? No reason. It's just fun.  And so far, I can't do much else with it!)

So how cold is it around the world? I'm so glad you asked!

How about balmy North Palm Beach?  69 F or 20.5 C  Not bad for January

Ashburn, VA?  34 F or 1.1 Brrrr

Fairhope, Alabama? 42 F and partly sunny. 5.5 C

Belfast? 54F with showers (of course).  12.2C  and they complain about how cold Ireland is!

Aberdeen, Scotland? 48F and cloudy 8.8C  Not so bad there on the North Sea.

Brisbane, Australia? Nice. 70 F or 21.1C

Braunschweig, Germany? 48F.  Same as Aberdeen.

London?  52F and cloudy. 11.1

Paris? 46F and cloudy. 7.7

Ok, all you Europeans, I don't want to hear any more complaints about how cold it is there in the winter. 

Oh, wait:

St. Petersburg, Russia? 5F with snow. -15C

Make that no complaints except for you Russians.

(Is this not the most boring post I've ever done?  If not, I challenge you to come up with another more boring.  That's what winter does to you....at least to me.)

Ask me: What's a warrantee?

Just saw this tempurpedic commercial on TV.  At about 37 seconds, the announcer announces that the mattresses come with a 20-year "warrantee."  (I don't even know how to spell that non-word.)  Why would they use such a made-up word when there are perfectly good ones already.  Warranty (accent on first syllable)?  Guarantee (accent on first or last syllable)?  I know the English teacher nerd is asserting itself, but really?

Day after New Year's Day 2011

Sitting here absentmindedly watching Trouble bathing himself in a patch of sunlight on the sun porch, all I can think of is how badly those windows need washing.  Will I stir myself to go do it?  Maybe on the inside, but it's too darn cold outside.

Seems like a good day for reflection.  I like reflection much better than resolutions. What shall I reflect on?  I think I'll choose this very moment.  I'm content to know that those I love most are healthy and reasonably happy.  My house is warm and (relatively) clean.  Bob is walking on the treadmill downstairs with a streaming movie blasting from the Roku.  Daisy is curled up in Bob's big leather chair.  Although I can't see him, I'm quite sure that Howdy is sprawled on the living room sofa.  The two cats have finished their bathing in the sun and wandered off for naps somewhere else.

Corey, Candy, and Gaby are on the first leg of their trip back to Alabama after their 10+ days in Kentucky seeing lots of family and old friends.  Mark and Mel are probably lounging in their house watching football games.  (Are there bowl games today?)  Susannah and John are driving around Wales visiting all the castles they can find, celebrating their 10th anniversary.

We lost good people in 2010 and I miss them. Lovely, sweet cousin Jan.  Aunt Ruth, Uncle Wilburn, and Uncle Willis--only one of my parents' siblings is left.  But they had long and (mostly) happy lives.

And in looking ahead to 2011, I must say I'm very glad we don't have the ability to see the future, but hope does spring eternal.  So, here's hoping for peace, good health, and happiness to all of us....and to all of you.