Monday, February 2nd. I can’t believe I’m writing that date already. One whole month of 2026 is already gone. 

The temperature outside has risen to a balmy 32 degrees. I think it’s pretty bad when I celebrate getting up to freezing. But, this is the first day in eleven that we have gotten up that high. Heck, it might even go above freezing today. Wouldn’t that be something. 

I was supposed to preach at two churches yesterday, my former parish. Well, I did the 900 service at St. Paul’s but couldn’t do the 10:30 at St. Lucas because their parking lot still was clear enough to use. But a few of the St. Lucas folks did come up to St. Paul’s. It was really great to see everyone again. They are all good people and I feel like I’ve gone home for a visit when I go back for a service. Ms. Kate was going to go with me but I asked to not go because I was afraid that the parking lot might be too slippery for her to walk on and I didn’t want her to fall. In the past she has had two falls on that sidewalk and driveway and rally hurt herself during one of those falls. So, she agreed with me and stayed home. 

Today we have an appointment with a lawyer. We want to talk about whether we should put our money and estate in a trust for our kids to prophecy them from tax burdens later or just continue with our will. The girls all think we should put it in a trust but I really don’t know anything about a trust. But it is good to ask the questions because we aren’t getting any younger. I’ve known a lot of people that haven’t lived as long as I have. 

My kids and grandkids in North Carolina just got a heavy dose of winter. So they are dealing with between 4 and 10 inches of snow, depending where they live in that state. Guaranteed that they will have some messed up roads for a while. NC doesn’t have the snow clearing equipment like northern states have. I told my daughter that the closest thing they have to a snow plow is the sun. She and Gary are supposed to leave on a cruise to the Bahamas on Wednesday. I understand that the Bahamas are having  very cool weather too and there is no way I’d want to be on a ship during this kind of weather. A friend on mine is on a cruise and sent a Facebook post that said they were having 12 foot swells and it was difficult to walk on deck. No thank you very much!!!!!

That’s it for today. I pray you have a great week. Stay in touch with God on a daily basis. Peace. 

 I almost forgot to stop and write today. It’s been another day where we did things out of order. Ms. Kate normally has her hair appointment on Friday at 10:00 am. But she had it today because her hair dresser has a funeral tomorrow.  So, the snow storm has messed up all normal event s for the week and now today we had Friday’s events which will screw me up tomorrow. LOL

We didn’t do anything else today. I thought about maybe trying to go to breakfast but decided against. The roads are pretty good and where we went the roads had been cleared of snow. I hope it just keeps on getting better because I have to go up to Ft. Branch on Sunday. I’m preaching at both of my former churches on Sunday. I really looking forward to that and I don’t want the weather to come along and cause it to be cancelled. It will be wonderful to see the folks again, assuming they can get out of their driveways etc. It is supposed to be super cold this weekend so maybe it won’t actually snow again. This has been the winter that was predicted. I think next week is Groundhog Day. If that garment sees his shadow, it ‘s time to go hunting. 

That’s enough for today. Have a great night. Peace. 

 I am so very relieved. My driveway and sidewalk are cleared of snow. I was awake  most of the night wondering how I was going to get all of that snow off of it and finally this morning I put on my winter clotehes and walked over to the neighbor’s house and asked if their son’s might be interested in making some money by cleaning off my driveway. They could not have been nicer. I told them what I would be wiling to pay  and they didn’t want me to pay anything and said they would be right over and even apologized for not knowing I might need some help. Long story short, the dad and his two boys did come right over and it took them about an hour and a half and now it is clear and getting dry in the sunshine. I insisted on paying them what I said I would and the two boys were very thankful; (probably a new video game is coming.) I have several odd jobs in mind for young Lincoln, the oldest of the two boys. 

It is so great to have neighbors with kids that are willing to help. I have lived in this neighborhood 25 years and this is the first time I have seen any kids willing to help. They are all too busy being run to this or that activity or they are in the house playing video games etc. So, these neighbors are new and they dad and mom both said that we can call on them any time we might need some help. 

It’s very hard for me to ask anyone for help. I think I get that from my dad who always said “Do your own work. Don’t expect anyone else to do it for you.”  We were to be the one who helps other people, and that is just the way I am. 

I’m told that the roads in the subdivision are still terrible but that the main roads are okay. Luckily we don’t have to be anywhere till at least Thursday. 

So, with that worry off of my mind, guess who is going to take a much needed nap this afternoon?? THIS GUY!!!!! 

Have a blessed day. Stay safe and stay warm. 

 A few days ago I was grousing because it was 14 degrees outside. I apologize Mr 14, would you please come back? It was 3 degrees outside there this morning. That is unacceptable. —-And on top of that we have a foot of snow on the ground. This is the second largest snow storm this area has had this century. In 2004 we had 22 inches. Having said that, —- we were very fortunate, There are a couple of million people without power today because they got a lot of ice and wind which is a dangerous combination.

This is the Backyard Buffet and as you can see, the feeders have been cleaned out and with a foot of snow out there they will just have to wait a while. If I am going to spend time pushing snow, it will be out front so we can get out of the driveway. 

There was a snow plow truck that went down our street yesterday afternoon but I haven’t seen any cars go by at all. My next door neighbor to the north cleared his driveway yesterday afternoon. He has young boys and I saw one of them out there shoveling. I may put my boots on and go see if his son wants to make some money by shoveling my driveway. I don’t have their phone number so I’ll have to walk over. That sounds like a Brrrrrrrr idea. I know I always rely on my JD to move the snow around here b it first of all, the bade isn’t on the JD and even if it was, it wouldn’t be much help moving this stuff. I’d just end up in a bigger fix with a lawnmower stuck in the snow in the middle of my driveway. 

That’s enough for today. Since we’re snowed in, it’s a good day to get the laundry done.

Have a wonderful day, Stay safe, stay warm, and give God thanks for a beautiful world. Peace. 

 Good morning! I am just running through and dropping a note. The anticipated snow storm has arrived and it is really coming down and the wind is whipping. If is goes as predicted, this is just phase one and should amount to two or three inches. Then tonight the “real storm” hits us and will continue through much of the day tomorrow. I’m hearing all kinds of wild predictions. The latest said maybe 21 inches. I don’t believe that at all. I still think we’ll get a foot which is bad enough. But my weather guy did hit the “start time “ right on target. 

Y’all stay safe out there. 

 Like 1.8 million other people, I’m sitting here waiting for the snowmageddon to start but that won’t happen until sometime tomorrow morning. Then it will run through Sunday. The estimates are all over the place as you probably know. The latest I heard about ten minutes ago is that we could get as much as 15 inches at our house. But, sitting here worrying about it would be the most useless thing I could do at this point. What’s going to happen, is going to happen. I just pray that people can and will be safe.  I know that travel in and out of this subdivision is going to be impossible for at least through Wednesday. My only hope is that the forecasters are correct about the “type” of snow we are supposed to get. They are saying that we should get the “light and fluffy” kind that will be easier to move around. That would be most excellent because even though I’ll have to get out and shovel it out of the driveway, it will be much easier to just move little bit at a time. I’m hoping that we won’t get a lot of wind with it after the snow stops. I don’t want it to blow back over the driveway. But —- I think we are ready for all of this to unfold. I took Ms. Kate for her hair appointment. Would not want to have a snow storm with unkempt hair you know. From there we went to Walmart to fill the car with gas and to pick up the “call in” order we placed last night.  On the way home we jaunted out to one of our favorite restaurants for a brunch. (It wasn’t that great today. I ordered off of the Mexican menu and didn’t particularly like my selection. I will go back to my “Merican” steak and eggs thank you!) We came home, put way the groceries, and then I prepped the driveway with snow/ice melt and I brought the truck up to the house to get it off the street. Who knows, a snow removal truck might get lost and accidentally come through our area. It happened once before. 

I looks as though most of my family is going to get hit with this storm. Julie is just across the state and will get hit about an hour after us. They are looking at 15 “ too. Josh and family, Lisa and family, Amanda and family are all in the “ice zone”. Steph and Christ are in Oklahoma and will send it all to us first. Heather and all in California will just get a bunch of rain. Som no one is safe. 

That’s enough for today. I don’t expect any of our local churches will be having services this weekend. So, if you can’t get out for a service, take the time to stop and give God thanks in the privacy and quiet of your home. Sending you blessings until next time. Peace. 

 January 20th and another raw cold day, but so far no snow to shovel. 

How was your Martin Luther King Jr holiday? Did you think about his accomplishments. Did you attend any programs in honor of him? Did you reflect on what he did for the nation? Neither did I. Nor do I do any of that for George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, or anybody else’s birthday holidays. They are just excuses to have a holiday. And —- being retired, it’s not even a “day off” because I already have the day off. 

What the day did bring was a really great college football National Championship game between Indiana University and University of Miami. Had not IU been playing — I never would have watched the game. But, I had to support the home team. So, I have watched the Rose Bowl, the Peach Bowl, and now the National Championship game, all of which IU played brilliantly. That will probably be the last sports I watch this year unless I happen to be bored and decode to watch the Super Bowl. I guess that will depend on who’s playing; —— or has that already been decided?? I don’t watch other “playoff” level sports either like the baseball World Series. Just not interested in watching grown men playing children’s games and getting paid outrageous money to do so. Grow up —- get a real job. 

I got a call the first thing this morning from my dental technician saying she had an opening at 11:30 if I wanted to come in and get the left side of my deep cleaning done. So, that’s what I did. I’m sitting here with the left side of my face being numb. After the appointment I went to Dairy Queen and picked up a chocolate milk shake for my brunch. No chewing involved and the only danger is having milk shake running down the left side of my face and me not knowing it. LOL I’m really glad to have that done. I have to go back for a filling on the 3rd of February. 

I guess I’ll sign off/ Walgreens just called and I need to go pick up some meds for Ms. Kate. Have a blessed afternoon. Peace.