A new week...

Where is the time going?  I didn't get on the computer at all this weekend, so of course, I am now behind with you all yet again.  That's ok, I will have plenty of time after this post to start catching up. The sheetrock people are here. Will be all week. It is SO noisy. I can't even hear myself think.  
Actually, the noisiest part will be over either today or tomorrow. The rest of the week will be the mudding & taping. ( I was just told this!)

Before they showed up it was very peaceful. Especially with what we woke up to this morning....

Snow!

It actually stuck this time.

The birds were all scrambling for food!

Here's a couple of videos. You can tell how good it was coming down. You can also hear the peaceful sounds of my windchimes & of the birds singing in the background...

At one point, it was really coming down good. I called hubby at work. He said it wasn't doing anything there. (he is about 13 miles away). When it finally stopped here, I saw this in his direction...

Sure enough, he called me a few minutes later to tell me it had moved in there now!

Here are some more pictures that were on my  camera...

daughter & I love working puzzles. This was taken last week.
We had bought a small one to work on.

here is the finished product! pretty cool, huh!
She glued it together & has it in her room.

basement progress...
it doesn't look like much, but the wiring took a lot of time.

This is the corner of the kitchen / bar area. The plumbing is now in for the refrigerator (ice maker) and the sink.
Also electrical outlets.

Electric...as you can see in the picture below all of the drilling to run wires through.

Same shot of the kitchen, only with the insulation in.

gameroom insulated.

Friday, the sheetrock was delivered...

It was cool watching this huge mechanical arm unload it & bring it down.
(yes, I AM easily amused!)

OK...now for some cuteness....

yep, that's my beautiful daughter. She was on her way out & looked so cute that mama had to snap a shot of her.

well, ok...a couple of shots!

I took these last night. My BIG cat, Red always crams himself into this cuddler (which actually belongs to Pepper, one of my other cats)
It usually takes him quite a while & looks like quite the struggle for him to get situated inside. But once he does....




he looks SO cozy!

and last, yet another bird picture....

Now, I have a couple of new recipes to share with you...
This one was so good, but I gained 2 pounds from eating it (and mashed potatoes & corn on the cob & biscuits! lol)

I found this in an old cookbook of mine...check out the name! lol..

Sally Struthers' Mother's Smothered Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 cans mushroom soup
1 small sour cream
1 can fried onions ( I used a large can)

Place the chicken breasts in a casserole dish. 
Season with salt & pepper & garlic powder.
Spoon the soup over the chicken breasts.
Spoon the sour cream on top of the soup.
Sprinkle the fried onions over the top of the casserole.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

It is SO easy & SO good!

Here's another easy one...

Rosemary Pork Chops

3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 (1/2-inch thick) bone-in rib pork chops (1 1/2 pounds)

Preheat the broiler.  Mince & mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then stir together with rosemary, oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Rub mixture all over chops.
Broil chops on a broiler pan about 4 inches from heat, turning once, until just cooked through, about 8 minutes total. 
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I served this with some orzo and asparagus.

a few final thoughts....

Desperate Housewives was awesome last night!

I missed OU. (it was their bye week)

Tony Romo is back & so are the Cowboys! They beat the Redskins last night 14-10!!!! Woo Hoo!!!

I am going to hate our driveway this winter...even the workers were sliding today& having a hard time getting up it & they have 4 wheel drive.

I need to submit this & move on to other things!

Currently The Bell Jar By Sylvia Plath see related

this & that...

I have a basement full of men working.
It is noisy.
Things are moving along quite well though.  The framing is done, the hvac work has been done. The plumbing is done. (for now) The electrical work is being finished up today. The insulation was started & completed today already! The sheetrock is suppose to be delivered today. We're on a roll! 

Our heater is out. Thought maybe the electrician did something by accident yesterday. We didn't notice it until we got out of bed this morning. Thank goodness for our fireplace.  It wasn't the electrician, so we now have a repairman out here. It doesn't look good though, he is stumped.

I am very impressed with the healthcare here in Wisconsin.
It puts Oklahoma's to shame.
Yesterday I went to  a "get to know my new doctor & establish a relationship" appointment.  Marshfield Clinic rocks !  My new doctor is awesome. She is also sending me to a podiatrist to hopefully get some help on my ever ailing foot. 

It is funny how 39 degrees can feel warm!
Yesterday I actually noticed the increase in the temperature from 35 to 39 & it felt SO good.

Today it is rainy & foggy & currently 40 degrees. Suppose to get to 45 though. Tomorrow & Saturday there is snow back in the forecast.

I hate that it gets dark so early now. I get sleepy even earlier than I use to, & that was pretty darned early!

Hubby has been to South Dakota & back. He got a call Sunday night about a problem there, so he left early Monday morning. Drove out there, worked his magic & got back home yesterday.  I would hate doing his job. He is good at it though & I am very proud of him.
For those of you who have been asking what he does...he is in the oil/gas business...pipeline construction.  He has done it all of his life...before & after the Marine Corp.  Our family has made a lot of sacrifices by being separated a lot. He has missed out on a lot of family milestones.  But we are together now and reaping the rewards.

Daughter had her 3 month review yesterday & it was good. She got herself a raise. Now if she can get her hours back, she will be even happier.

I lost my whole post...having to start over again. *note to self...SAVE more often..you know better...grrrrr

I got my flu shot yesterday. Now if I can get daughter to get one as she really needs to since she works with the public.  Hubby is too stubborn...he doesn't believe that he needs one.

The heater is now fixed...3 of the 5 burners were not working...they were rusty & corroded. It is only 2 1/2 years old, but I guess that the previous owner never had it serviced? Oh well, it is back up & running. Yay!!

hubby will be home for lunch in a minute...let me put a few goodies up here & then I am out of here...

Today's purpose

What is your purpose for this day? What have you chosen to do with the minutes and hours of this day, a day that is already flowing into your life?

When you give each day a specific purpose, at the end of each day you'll have a specific accomplishment. In addition to having a day that you can look back upon, you'll also have real, lasting value that you can carry forward.

Today is full of countless possibilities. Giving the day a purpose will enable you to fulfill the exact possibilities that align with that purpose.

This day is rich in energy. With a clear purpose, you can harness that powerful energy and channel it into something that will make a difference for your world.

There are dreams that you long to achieve. Today is your opportunity to move solidly toward them.

Give today a purpose -- a rich, wonderful, meaningful purpose. And live life at its best.

-- Ralph Marston

I got this from my mom & loved it! Had to share with you guys...

IMPORTANT HEALTH ADVICE FOR WOMEN.

Do you have feelings of inadequacy?

Do you suffer from shyness?

Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Chardonnay.

Chardonnay is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about
yourself and your actions. Chardonnay can help ease you out of your shyness and  let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything.

You will notice the benefits of Chardonnay almost immediately and with a
regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living.

Chardonnay may not be right for everyone. Women w ho are pregnant or nursing should not use Chardonnay. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, erotic
lustfulness, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of
virginity, delusions of grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration,  dry
mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke and play all-night rounds of Strip Poker, Truth Or Dare, and Naked Twister!

WARNINGS: -

* The consumption of Chardonnay may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may cause you to think you can sing.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting .

* The consumption of Chardonnay may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.

Please feel free to share this important information with as many women as you feel may benefit!

Now Just Imagine What You Could Achieve With a Good Cabernet!!!

That's all for now....

 ~ Zany hugs to you all...

Chilly Sunday

It is 27 degrees and tiny snowflakes are falling  this morning.
The wind chill is 15.  But I am warm with the fireplace & the heater on!
Friday was absolutely gorgeous with big, fluffy snowflakes! It snowed all day long.  It all melted as it hit the ground though. We did wake up to a dusting yesterday morning though.  It IS a different kind of cold here, so those of you who told me that, I now understand what you mean.
Hubby took me to the Farm & Fleet store yesterday (our new weekly shopping event. lol) and bought me a pair of boots. They aren't cute girly boots though! They are good for up to -50 degrees & for keeping your feet dry in the snow & rain. They will only be worn around the homestead. lol...they are very clunky. I will have to buy a "cute" pair to wear out in public!
The basement construction is coming along.  The framing is all done. Today we have the hvac work getting done. They are also going to be putting in heat in our garage.  So many of the garages here have heat. Hubby said it is important to have.   This is all so new to me!
Tomorrow the electricians will be here & then the plumbers will be after that. 
The sheetrock man has already came out to get his measurements & will be ready to go after these people are all done.
The cabinet & trim people also have already been here to see what needs to be ordered.
It is looking like it may be possible that all can be done by 12/1! It is going quickly.  The pooltable is scheduled to be delivered on 12/11.

The problem with the fuse box & cables was remedied by this:

A built in entertainment center. The top 2 sides will have a cabinet door on them. So one will be for components or whatever we want to put in it & the other will match but will cover up the boxes, yet be accessible when needed. There will be shelves built into the other areas & our tv will go there at the top.

To give the pool room a "separate" room look, they are building an arched entry ...kind of hard to tell from this shot, but that is what the frame work on the ceiling is for. It is attached to the end of the entertainment center where the fusebox is & then there is another matching pillar /built in shelf area on the other side of the den  that attaches to the other side of the arch.

The bath has the closet for the hot water heater & is now framed in to separate it from the storage closet that also houses the other mechanical pieces.
We are taking that pedestal sink out & replacing it with a small vanity/sink...something that will have more storage & usable space to it.

This shows the double closet that will be in the extra room & then behind it is the wrap around storage closet.

Thursday evening you could see the front that was coming in. The one that would bring the snow on Friday.
The clouds were awesome.

These were taken on Friday when it was snowing.

And then yesterday morning at what had accumulated overnight....

The 2 videos are especially for the little girl in my mom....she loves to see the snow fall...so here you go mama mia!...

I was disappointed not to be able to see the OU game yesterday...but loved the final score!
We did get to watch the OSU game though. 
Today we are looking forward to a big game for here...Minnesota/Green Bay.

I hope you all have a relaxing Sunday.
 

Wacky Weather...

It is currently 62 degrees outside!  We slept with the ceiling fan on & the window opened last night! Who would have thought?  Especially in Wisconsin in November!  But take a look at this forecast for the week....how quickly things can change...unseasonably warm now & snow possibly coming in on Friday & Saturday!

Today Partly cloudy. Highs 70 to 75. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Tonight Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Lows around 50. South winds around 15 mph. Wednesday Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs 60 to 65. South winds 15 to 20 mph. Wednesday Night Showers likely and isolated thunderstorms in the evening...then showers and isolated thunderstorms after midnight. Lows around 55. Southeast winds 15 to 20 mph. Thursday Showers and isolated thunderstorms in the morning... Then a chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs around 60. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Thursday Night Colder. Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain. Lows around 40. Friday Cooler. Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain and snow. Highs 40 to 45. Friday Night Mostly cloudy. A chance of rain showers and snow showers in the evening...then a chance of snow showers after midnight. Lows around 30. Chance of precipitation 50 percent. Saturday Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow showers. Highs around 40. Saturday Night Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow showers. Lows 25 to 30. Sunday through Monday Partly cloudy. Highs 35 to 40. Lows around 25     I will be so glad for this election to be over with...but also a little bit scared. We are going as a family to vote this afternoon.  Daughter is very excited as this is her first Presidential election to get to vote in.   Leadership The most effective form of leadership is born out of the sincere desire and proven ability to make a positive contribution. Those who lead best are those for whom leadership itself is not the primary aim. True leadership is not embodied in a position or title. True leadership arises from an exemplary life of making positive, valuable contributions that inspire others to do the same. The most successful leaders have no interest in telling others what to do. Successful leaders are those who promote and support conditions in which each person can act with effectiveness and experience fulfillment in his or her own special way. Great leaders are not those who claim to have all the answers or to solve every problem. Great leaders lead by example rather than by proclamation. To be a leader, be a shining example. Do precisely that which you would lead others to do, and do it spectacularly. Leadership at its best enlarges upon the sincere and productive efforts of the leader. Make those efforts the best they can be, and they'll result in true, effective leadership. -- Ralph Marston   BE RICH IN ANY CLIMATE   The secret to being rich lies in remembering that friendships are priceless, time is invaluable, health is wealth, and love is a treasure. Create a nest egg of beautiful memories that you can dip into from time to time to ease any sorrows. Have the kind of remembrances that raise you up with their worth and keep you there with their wonder. Always have a supply of hopes on hand to help you plan your tomorrows. Remember that when you invest in your dreams, it is impossible to overpay. Give away smiles, and watch them come back to you a hundred times over. Stuff your pockets with kindness and optimism; there is nothing more precious in the world. I'm sharing this advice with you today because you are a treasured piece in the puzzle of my life.   Plunging Into The Deep Life Can Be Scary Life can take us on a roller coaster ride full of highs and lows and twists and turns. Even for those of us who enjoy unexpected thrills, it’s frightening to suddenly find ourselves heading for a deep plunge. Yet, it happens to all of us. At these moments, it is important to remember that you are not alone in your experiences. No matter how brave, strong, or levelheaded we are, sometimes, we all get scared. Our fears may revolve around our physical safety, particularly if we are not feeling well, living under difficult circumstances, or doing work that exposes us to hazardous conditions. Or, we may be experiencing financial woes that are causing us to be fearful about making ends meet. We may also fear the loss of a loved one who is sick, or we may be scared of never finding someone special to spend our life with. We may be scared to start at a new school, begin a different job, move to a new town, or meet new people. Whatever our fears are, they are valid, and we do not need to feel ashamed or embarrassed that we are, at times, afraid. It may be comforting to know that everyone gets scared, and it is perfectly OK. Sometimes just acknowledging our fears is enough to make us feel better. And while it sometimes takes a lot more to ease our mind, we can console ourselves with the knowledge that life can be scary at times. Giving ourselves permission to be scared lets us move through our fears so we can let it go. It also makes it alright to share our fears with others. Sharing our apprehensions with other people can make our fears less overwhelming because we are not letting them grow inside of us as pent up emotions. Sharing our fears also can lighten our burden because we are not carrying our worries all by ourselves. Remember that you are not alone.   A new wine for seniors.... California vintners in the Napa Valley area, which primarily produce Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio wines, have developed a new hybrid grape that acts as an Anti-diuretic. It is expected to reduce the number of trips older people have to make to the bathroom during the night.   The new wine will be marketed as   PINO  MORE     That's all I have for today.  Except for this....

 Hello friends & family. I hope you all had a good weekend.

It was so weird not having any trick-or-treaters out here.

Another first for me was hearing about set hours for trick-or-treaters.
Here it is from 5:00-7:00. Back in Oklahoma, there were no set hours.
How about where you live? Are there any designated hours for Halloween?

We ate pizza & watched "The Strangers" for our Halloween fun.
Daughter & I had already seen it at the theater. 
It was the first time for hubby to see it & he hated it! lol...
he doesn't do horror movies though.

Saturday was a work day for us.
Hubby spent the day starting to do some clean up on the property.
This will be an ongoing project. He worked his buns off & didn't even put a dent in it.
I told him just a  little bit at a time & he will eventually see the results. 
While he was working outside, I cleaned house.
I absolutely love this central vac system! I have never had one before. 
After I cleaned, I went outside & did some cleanup around the yard by the house.

Saturday night we watched the unbelievable OU/Nebraska game. 
That was quite the game!

Yesterday, we all needed just a lazy day.  Watched some football, played a couple of games & just sat & enjoyed the day.

Pictures from the last few days:

some neat pictures I captured at the bonfire...

Friday nights sunset from our deck...

a big flock of geese flying over...

Friday night snuggles with daughter & BIG Red!

Wildlife sightings...

With all of these windows on our house, we are constantly having birds fly into them. 
Yesterday we heard a loud crash & hubby found this poor guy knocked silly on the front porch.

He wrapped him in a towel & we left him alone for a while & he finally came to his senses & flew off.

My "he" man...

I don't know how many trips he made to the log pile & to the brush pile...

hubby found this milkweed pod...

pretty neat!

The moon last night...

So many of you made the comment that "I" don't waste any time on getting things done when I told you that the basement was already being finished out.  Actually, that is hubby....when he gets a notion he runs full throttle with it! lol... I am the type that will usually overplan & think things out & hem & haw...sometimes to a fault.  The Taurus in him, he just jumps right into things. Also sometimes to a fault. So I guess we both balance each other out!
Also, we were very lucky as his boss also has many other businesses...one of them being a building company. So the guy that heads this company up, hubby is friends with & thus....we are getting some good prices & quicker than normal results. 

Now mainly for me to document the progress I am going to put pictures of the basement now....

The bath fixtures were already in when we bought the house, so that was very helpful.
However, there are a lot of pipes, ducts, mechanical fixtures, etc. that are having to be covered.
The hot water tank in the corner will have a closet around it. The back side of the tub will be a linen closet.



the heater & the well pump? I think...lol...will be inside a large storeroom closet.



This will be the room that the pool table will go in

at the front of this picture will be the den & at the b