Hi Sasha! good to see you posting again.  The messages in the Animal Shelter folder on S&F, were few and far between, and finally stopped altogether.  I don't think there was enough interest here, to reopen it again. 
Those of us who have cats, talk about them here in Norm's B&T. That would be Mary Ann, Gloria de, angelface and me.  Do you still have your cat shelter?  Let us know how you're doing, and how many cats you now have?

Don't forget Joan and her Furby! 

MaryAnn
Now are you going to buy separate Strollers for the Twins.?  Not the Twin one.  Neely had one of those and they are cute.

Thank you Sandy for helping to mobilize the troops and thanks to "the troops," for getting us back again!

However we got back, I'm thankful.  What a time to lose contact!

Mary Ann

Hi everyone.  We have had a couple of hours of heavy rain early this morning and a good chance for more today and tomorrow. We got to almost 70 degrees yesterday and 65 is predicted for the high today.  A little while ago I picked up an online order of groceries from Walmart and also got a half-dozen items at Aldi's.  On the way back I stopped at Advance Auto and had my battery checked.  It needed replacement so now have a new battery in my PT Cruiser.   Those are the big activities of the day.  Yesterday morning my former coffee group of men friends called me from McDonald's via a video call and I had the opportunity to speak briefly to each of them as we shared season's greetings.

JeanneP, my car started but I have wondered the last few times whether it would or not.  As I indicated above I did replace the battery this morning and told Pat that was my Christmas present for this year.  I hope you got your car started. 

Mary Ann, the Return to Bethlehem is set up outside in one of the parking lots.  If you arrived at the time it opened you could drive through it.  Those that walked started in the Church sanctuary with some explanation of what the folks would see  and then were taken out in groups for the walk through the village.  Glad Tom is able to get his car in the garage and sure he appreciates not having to scrap off snow or ice each morning.

Patricia, your church has interesting Christmas traditions and services.  I didn't see any license plate on that Picnic table and wondered about him driving it on the street.  I guess it would be a fun thing for a parade or to be sure you had a picnic table in a park. 

I am glad to see our S&F's discussions are back up and running. 
Callie, I probably post too much personal information but why would anyone care about my health situation if they didn't know me and I do consider what I post. 

Tis 14 degrees and still all white out there. 
Glad to see the board backu p also.  Miss it when it goes haywire.

Larry, while our Going to Jerusalem was in the church (and took up the entire lower level), the setup was similar to what you described.  We were taken by groups from the Sanctuary to the entrance and all of the performers were in costume.  We can't have it this year because of lack of time, but it would be nice if our new Transitional Minister would consider something like that in the future. 

Joan, it is only 23 here right now and I think we expect to get a little higher, but not much. 

Tom took my important Christmas cards (family checks) to the PO yesterday so I expect they're on their way now.  We received an invitation to a baby shower on Dec 23 in Holland for the couple from California.  I reserve the right to change my mind, but I probably will not attend as I am having a skin cancer taken off the face the day before and I have a feeling I will not feel like playing games, nor traveling 40 miles) the next day.  Seeing I don't see that couple often, I would like to feel well enough to go.  We shall see!

Now, I'll see about writing and printing messages to my out-of-town relatives.

Grand Haven looks cold!

Mary Ann

Hi everyone on a cloudy morning but to have mixed clouds and sun this afternoon.  We are suppose to get up to 59 degrees around 3 pm.  It appears there is little chance of more rain.  The only activity on the schedule for today is our weekly dinner at church.  The menu tonight is grilled hamburgers and hot dogs with all the trimmings and dessert.  This will be our last dinner at the church until January 4th.  Yesterday I did pick up the groceries Pat had ordered online from Walmart and also made the quick stop at Aldi's mainly for fresh vegetables.

Joan, I hope it soon warms up a bit out your way but looking at the weather forecasts it seems one storm is following another from the West to the East and they include very cold temperatures.  So far we have only had one or two nights where it has gotten a little below 32 degrees. 

Mary Ann, while our church has a very large Fellowship Hall, it wouldn't accommodate the Return to Bethlehem setup.  Sure glad that person caught you before you fell going down the steps.  We haven't sent off any Christmas gifts yet so need to get busy.  There will be only one package to mail and that is to Pat's sister.  We will be sending money for our great grandchildren and their father.  Our granddaughter asked for her Christmas early so that was taken care of several weeks ago. 

Mornin Larry and all.  Cold this morning and not sure  what the temp is.  Is just cold.
Monday while my cleaning lady was cleaning my shower, the hose fell out of its hole and  a friend came by last night to see if he could fix it.  Not to be.  Has to be replaced.  So am without a shower.  Washed my hair in the kitchen sink and took a cat bath which is about all I can do til I get my shower fixed.  Will head on down to Mgr. in a bit and tell her she needs to get it fixed pronto.  I do not like not having my shower. She does not get in til around 9:30  and is gone by 2:30/  Wish I had those hours when  I was working.

Good morning from a still dark Interior. We normally have a sort of dusky daylight between ten Am and three Pm these winter days and everyone is eagerly awaiting the twenty-first's  winter solstice. On the summer solstice, we celebrate four or five days of twenty four hours of daylight, But we also from that date begin to lose six or seven daytime minutes each day.

When we celebrate the winter solstice on the 21st., with glee and fireworks, we celebrate regaining six or seven minutes of daylight each day, and the knowledge of less darkness, more rising, warmer temperatures. It has been said that folks in the Arctic are more interested and invested in the solstice celebrations. New year celebrations have no meaning here other than for business reasons. I think people closer to the earth's poles are more invested in natural occurrences rather than verbal, perhaps even biologically.

Also on the 22nd., I get my apartment cleaned and may then start to put stuff back. 

I have my new glasses, red frames again and trifocals. I didn't go for the perspective lenses and going from bifocals to trifocals will be interesting. I still do not wear them for the majority of my reading which also means not on the computer. My left eye focuses differently and sees fonts a couple of sizes smaller and one or two lines down from the right eye. So I generally close my left eye when reading. I typically wear glasses other than on the computer and not when I'm doing close work.

Farrah has decided she likes her red mesh travel bag for lounging and sleeping, probably because it is set higher than the couch and she can look through the mesh, and down on me. Cats feel safer and enjoy having high places available. She rarely has moments of fear, but she is always more alert to her surroundings than other cats I've known. Any company no longer bothers her, but she doesn't like to be approached. If she's interested, she will do any approaching. 

She has spoiled the laser light. Instead of watching for the red light and chasing it, she watches it in my hand and will sometimes try to grab the light if I move it close to a paw. It would have been more interesting to each of us if she still chased that pesky red dot! She is getting more self-assured, more verbal and more athletic and dare I say, more authoritarian. 

Patricia, I too got new glasses recently and they have maroon rims.  I have had Progressive lenses for years and I like them.  I do not have the distortion in my eyes that you have.  When I had cataract surgery, I had it so I am nearer sighted in my right eye and further sighted in my left.  I think if anyone tried to use my glasses, they'd be ill.  I am having trouble with my computer glasses and I think I can see better at the computer with my regular glasses.  I'll look into it after the first of the year as I have too much going these days.

Today is the day Tom, Dot, Terry and family, and I usually get together, but Terry just got home from Florida and Dot has a book club meeting, so Tom and I decided to not eat out today.  Maybe next week - or next year?

Patricia, some of what you mentioned about Farrah fits Kendrick.  He has a tower and likes to sit there, also sleep there.  Sometimes when I approach him, he jumps off the tower, then lies on the floor, far enough away that I can't reach him.  Kendrick disappears when a stranger comes in.  He is used to Annie coming in now, although she isn't here often. 

Annie and her friend, maybe his kids, are heading for Orlando this evening.  Annie said they did not know when they'd be back, but both kids are in school so I think they'll be back before January 1. 

Mary Ann

Mary Ann, your Grand Haven really looks cold but no ice yet.  Bet it won't be long with your temperatures.

Jean, right now the water is considerably warmer than the air and that means the ice won't form until they are nearer the same temps and below freezing.  What we get is a lot of lake effect snow. 

Mary Ann

MaryAnn, Kendrick, and Farrah do share some similarities. Pet Pride has recently acquired a new kitten and it's story is common yet makes me so angry. A man found an ill mother cat in the woods with a dead kitten and nearby was this tuxedo kitten with injuries similar to being attacked by a hawk.

He turned the two surviving into Pet Pride, and they are hand feeding the kitten. The man told them he thinks the mother cat belonged to his neighbors who are outside for the holidays. They, the former owners,  probably either thought the cat was gone or that it could survive in the bush.

Thanks for you's and others comments at the Christmas site. It will be an ongoing effort until the season ends.

Patricia, the entries in the Holiday folder are very nice.  I don't do PSP and I'm not going to learn; I don't want any more talents! 

I'm glad the man turned the cats into Pet Pride rather than just letting them lie there and freeze to death.

Mary Ann

Patricia - Stories like that are so infuriating! I see way too many such stories in the paper or on the TV news, about animal abuse . . . dogs, cats or horses.  It saddens me so much, that I usually get up and leave the room, if there is advance warning that such a story is coming up.  I'm glad the mother cat and kitten are getting good care.  I just hope someone eventually adopts them. 

I don't think we expect there to be a rush on people doing PSP. It was just to let you know that some will continue to post their graphics, similar to the regular PSP folder. It is sad that the birthday greetings were stopped. I always enjoyed looking on my birthday.

Marilyne, we have very lax animal cruelty laws up here and they are slanted toward dogs as they are big business here.

Snow storm passing over is supposed to last for the next two hours.   I have been up here for almost 18 years now and have never seen it snow this much before.

Did go out in the 9 deg freezing weather  this morning. Warning us to stay indoors tomorrow. Will be 6 below freezing tonight. and not above 10 deg tomorrow. Ice is not helping. I had to go over into the Mall area and unbelievable how the traffic was. Doubt I go back over in that area until after New Years
Today  I took my new glasses back. Just could not use them as Progressive.  I Tried but  gave me a head ache and bothered eyes.  Dr. today told me not to go with Progressive, Just to stay with reading glasses as I was in before.  He said after the Cataract surgery few years ago. That is all I need. My far sight is good but need for reading close. I just thought I would like to see if I could keep glasses on instead of On and Off all the time.  Now will have to wait 4 days to get them.

Even here I can feel the cold! Terrible freezing wind too.

Hi everyone on a bright and sunny Thursday morning.  I am having a laid back morning as my schedule is light for today.  I don't have to pick up my friend for coffee this morning as members of his family are taking him out for lunch as his Christmas present.  I will go to coffee in a little bit and afterward stop at Office Depot for some printer ink.  I must get it today to take advantage of the $10 off coupon we got with the purchase of Pat's chair a few days ago.  If Pat can get her shoe on this afternoon we may go out to eat for our main meal of the day.  If not it may be chili for dinner tonight.  We had a nice time with Scott last evening.  After the dinner at church the santuary was open for a special service and Scott wanted to see the interior of our sanctuary so we stopped in briefly and he was most impressed with the interior of the church.  This was a big step as he hasn't wanted anything to do with the church for many years since he lost his baby son over 20 years ago.  Hopefully one of these days he will return to church but that has to be his decision. 

Joan, I wouldn't think it would take long for the maintenance man to change out the shower hose for you.  Those are nice working hours but sure the pay is reduced accordingly.  Your weather patterns must be changing with getting more snow.

Patricia, I remember those winter days from our days living in Anchorage.  One of the interesting things I found living in Anchorage was residents didn't usually let cold or snowy weather stop them from a full social life.  Interesting about your eyes and what they see differently with each eye. Cats seem to figure things out pretty quickly by observing.  Glad you got your new glasses.  I tried the trifocals for awhile and then went to the progressives, which I have worn for many years. 

Mary Ann, also glad you have your new glasses.  When Pat had her cataracts taken care of the doctor made a mistake and put in a far sighted lens.  She had always been near sighted and was not a happy camper but had gotten along without any infection or anything and so didn't have him repeat the procedure and when the other eye was done she also had the far sighted lens put in.  Of course, she has adjusted to it.  I hope Annie and her friend have a good and safe trip to Florida.  That is a long drive.

Marilyne, I have seen several articles recently about people having multiple pets in their homes and not taking care of them including not cleaning up after them.  I can't image living in such an enviroment.

JeanneP, glad your are getting your glasses situation straighten out.  I have worn glasses for so many years I can't fathom what life would be without them.  In a another year or so I will probably have a cataract removed from at least one of my eyes.  Maybe I won't need to wear glasses all the time after that.

Bubble, hope your home is nice and warm and that you can stay inside. 

Yesterday we began with minus thirty and this morning we are at minus four. The Interior has a completely different weather pattern that summer or winter, we are never on the same page. We have a dry rather than a wet cold so we do not get blizzards or lake effect snow. In fact, we get little snow at all. Snow and cold depends on moisture, humidity and we usually don't have any. We have had 3.6" since the first snow in November.

I can really sympathize with how cold it is and is becoming in the states as I have lived and froze through it in Kentucky and Tennessee and in Texas. It gets down into you and you can't seem to warm up. I think this is supposed to be shortlived from what the weather reports are saying.

Larry, they had to order the whole unit and hopefully will be delivered today.  In the meantime I have remembered how to take a sponge bath.  LOL 
As for the snow, it must have snowed all night.  That had to be the largest storm I have seen yet here.  It covered quite a bit of WA State.
Hugs all around and stay warm everyone. 

At 8 am our temperature was -1 degree but has now progressed to +13 degrees.  We are to get all the way up to +16 degrees.  Heat wave!  But the sun is shining!!!

I have all of my Christmas cards addressed, stamped, signed, some with messages, others with none.  I have two to go to Germany that Tom will drop off at the Postal Station near us and the others are for the US and will go out tomorrow.  Now I have to see what I want to order for Tom and his family.  James has Prime with Amazon and Tom will give James the info to order everything.  The bad part is the goods will go to Holland and ours will have to get to Grand Rapids.

We did not go out to our family lunch yesterday and I doubt we'll do it today.  Too much going on. 

I am going to see if I can find a picture of James and Alicia on their wedding day and print it.  I may have written this before, but James and the grandson of a Tock cousin could be twins.  Even James had to smile when he saw the other man's picture and I believe they're near in age; James is 27.  Both have facial hair but the hair on top of their heads is so similar too.  They're third cousins to each other.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann, you are way colder than us.  They are saying 11 degrees tonight.  No more snow in the forecast right now <thank goodness>.

Joan, I think we will be at 9 tonight, then a bit higher in the morning.  Much of our snow is lake effect because the water in Lake Michigan is warmer than the air.  When/if Lake Michigan freezes, our snow, if any, would be "real" snow.  In years past, the lake has frozen and created some spectacular ice scenes but we have not had those for years.  People could walk onto the ice and in some of the holes created.

I saw where Lake Huron has some large balls formed by the water, ice and wind.  We've had them on our side of the state, but so far the water hasn't been cold enough. 

Tom just called up about lunch - instead of going out into the frigid weather (take a look at Grand Haven's waves) he is going to heat up some soup.  Ummm good!  I'm not helpless; I could heat up my own soup, but he likes to cook, even if it means heating something up, so I let him.  I have a can of tomato soup that I'll fix some day by chopping up some onion, add paprika, salt, pepper, milk and dried basil and have Tomato Bisque soup - and I like it.  But not today.

Mary Ann

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2016/12/hundreds_of_ice_balls_form_on.html#incart_river_index

This is a link to the ice balls on Lake Huron.  The article says they are near Mackinac Island.

Mary Ann

Not suppose to get above  11 deg today but the sun is out. I am going to try and go out for awhile.  but not for long.  They say will go down to 7 deg below zero tonight.

Now after I had my cataract surgery about 5 years now I think. I could get by without reading glasses for about a year. After that I had to use again to read well.  At our age very few can get perfect sight back after cataract surgery for ever. My glasses not very strong and can see distance fine.