Nice Day

Nice and warm yesterday and so far this morning, although the front is just one county away from us at the moment.
Had a nice relaxing day yesterday. Moved hay up for the donkeys, and moved some brush to the revene. Bob busted a power steering line on the tractor, so will have to take that off and have another made.
Still having issues with the remote on the tv, but the customer service dept said to go back to the store and have them order me one that matches the tv, not a general use one that only works the on and off and sound. So Ellen will go to back to Best Buy for me and order another.
Robbie and his family are coming for dinner this afternoon, so have to get a pie cooked this morning and finish up the last present to give for Christmas.
We are going to have to cut wood soon as the 1/2 cord we had is down to about 1/4 cord. Was going to do that yesterday, but Bob was having a bad day,.
I went out on a call with 4 other members of the dept last night; two kids, 10 and 14 hit head on on dirt bikes. Both with head trama, as one was not wearing a helmet, and the other helmet was ruined. Both with Broken Femers on the left, and broken shoulders and/or arms and wrist on the left. They were on top of a dam so that made for interesting rescue and landing the two choppers. Put traction splints on and secured the arms, but all went well and the kids were real troopers with the pain.

Wonderful wonderful Christmas

Mom was doing very well today. Took her two new pair of pants and two new sweaters. She was back in her orginal room with her first room mate. She had gotten a red sweat suit off the angel tree at the care center and a new doll.
Went to Ellen and Kenney's last night for Christmas Dinner and again today for Christmas day dinner and cards and just enjoying.
The kids and their families got together and had their pictures taken together and gave it to Bob and I for Christmas. It is really wonderful. We will be putting it up in the bedroom tomorrow.
First time we have had pictures like this - such a wonderful surprise.
Stan has been having fun on his visit with us too. He wont be going home until after New Years so we will try to go to the casino next week sometime and take Debbie too.
Doc and Pat are supposed to come this Sunday to have Christmas with us and with Mom. Have a good visit.

Christmas is just a couple of days away

We are making progress. Almost all the gifts are done, should finish up today. Bob is going to get started smoking and cooking the 8 turkeys and 2 hams for the family gift boxes we will give out tonight. I have 4 more cakes to make to put in the boxes also. Then put in the boxes that are already wrapped and put on the ribbon to close.
Weather is warming up today to 37 and no wind thank goodness.
Stanley gets here tomorrow and Wednesday will finish up the Christmas shopping for the Grandkids. Mostly gift certificates for the older ones so they can buy what they want.

17 degrees and winds at 25mph

Brrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!
High today at 37 with winds at 10 and we have another 1/2 cord of wood to deliver. Took one to Grapevine and before we got home Ellen had sold another 1/2 cord. So we had to go cut wood and split wood to deliver this morning after it gets hopefully a little warmer.
Santa at the fire house was really great. Even brought home some of the cookies we took for the kids. Had a bowl of soup and a cookie and watched a foot ball disaster on tv. Went to bed before it was over.
Bob had a good day yesterday but this morning is starting out with low back pain, so gave him some meds and put horse liniment on his back as we do have to deliver this other wood this morning.
Get home today and start baking 10 cakes for the Christmas Boxes we are giving out tomorrow evening at the Fire Dept.

Two nice days before the next Cold Front

Cut wood yesterday with Danny and Phyllis and visited with them for a while. Repairman fixed the heater in Ellen's house next door to the tune of $363. Erin called us asked us to put a sign up at the Cottontop to sell her old Fridge and Office Desk.
The control on the new tv went out so have to take it back to Best Buy tomorrow and get another one. They didnt want to come out to the house to get it as I have a 4 year in home service policy to do any repairs. At first he said to bring the tv and remote in but when I told him it was a 60', he sure was back tracking.
We worked on Christmas presents on and off all day and will do that again today and tomorrow.
Tomorrow night Santa comes to the Fire Department between 7 and 8pm, will have to be there at 5:30 to get everything set up for Santa's visit. Bob or Chip will take the Fire Engin to meet Santa and bring him in to the Department. We will take pictures and give out cookies for Santa's visit. Then Sunday I have to cook 10 cakes for the food boxes to put together and Bob has to smoke 10 turkeys Monday for the boxes, for the department members to deliver to families this Christmas. The boxes will have a turkey, box of dressing and a mashed potatoes, a can of soup and veggies and cranbery, and a bag of dried onion. Then a cake will be added. We will wrap each box and put a bow on it and a card. That way they will have a full meal for Christmas Eve or Day or before if necessary.
Have to work at the Cottontop this evening then not again until the Friday after New Years.
Bob had two bad days and then a fair day yesterday. Starting out good today though. Hope that keeps up.
Stanley is due in next Wednesday for a weeks visit. Sure will be glad to see him.

Darn it - its Cold

20 degrees and 20 mph winds and its cold - darn cold
Donkeys are around the roll of hay and the cats are in hiding
Little Dogs didnt want to stay out very long and the big dogs did their doo and back inside
We have a fire in the fire place and have our hot drinks
See they have taken the ice out of the forcast from Noaa and thankful for that.
Hard to get to fire dept calls in the ice.
Think I will do some baking - Banana Spice Bread as I made Rum ball yesterday. Slept reaaallllly good last night :)
Sure enjoyed Jim's Church's Christmas Play and Jim as a Cowboy
Split another 1/2 cord of wood yesterday so we have plenty of wood for the 20 degree weather.

Weather is getting ready to turn Winter

Busy yesterday with going into town for Kenny's Birthday dinner and working on the Christmas presents, and addressing Christmas Letters. Sent out Christmas ecards to several and will continue to send out both as I either have email addys or physical addys.
A friend is bringing over a larger log splitter than we have to split the large logs we still need to split and Ellen is putting up a wood for sale sign for us in her yard. Sure would be nice to get a good few bucks for wood this week.
We have a Christmas play to go to tonight at Jim's church, that is supposed to be a comedy about Jim as a cowboy and giving for Christmas.
Will make some more Christmas Presents today so may just make the all by the 25th. Still have to plan the deliveries of the Christmas Dinners from the fire department and get the turkeys smoked by the date and help make deserts for the boxes also.
Bob had a really bad day yesterday. Still worked on presents but had to take a lot of breaks. Hopefully he will feel better today. This is about the 4th time he has had bad days since the treatment started. Hurts a lot, and general flu like symptoms. PMS is a struggle also as he says he could sure be grouchy. :) Hmmm sounds familiar!!!

Life is Good

We used the log splitter yesterday and it works great. Took 1/2 truck load of wood to Ellen yesterday and the splitter and finished splitting the logs she had left from last year. Wish we could get some sales on the wood.
Nothing on the agenda today until I have to be at the cafe to work for my Friday nite shift.
Off to fix breakfast.

Another Cold Morning

26 degrees this morning with a lite wind. Brrrrr, but means a fire in the fire place.
Still didnt get the new log splitter put together. Had to go on a medical call about 3 and didnt get back before dark. So today after Bob gets back from the coffee shop, we will put out hay for the donkeys and put the log splitter together and split wood. Have to take the splitter to Ellen and Kenny's and split the stuff they have that is too big for their fire place.
Have to take the big fire attack truck to the shop for new brakes also today sometime.
Got the fire house cleaned up from the party yesterday and trash to the dump station too so that is off the list of things to do for today.
Supposed to be in the 60's today and as it didnt get out of the 40's yesterday, we should get a lot done outside today.

Brrrrrrrr!!!!

It has gotten down to 22 degrees here and the wind at 15 mph.
Trinity Care called yesterday afternoon to tell me that they had trouble with mom. Seems they did their evening bed check to be sure everyone was tucked in, and Mom wasnt in bed, which in itself is not unusual as she doesnt sleep at night very well. They started looking for her and she was in bed with another lady, by the name of Dora Lee, which is the same name as her Sister that died 6 years ago. The Charge Nurse said they worked with Mom for 2 1/2 hours trying to get her to go back to her room and bed and she refused to get out of Dora's bed. So they finally moved the room mate for Dora to another room and move Mom's bed into Dora's room before they could get her out of Dora's bed. So they got permission from the other families to move their Mothers around so they could put Mom with Dora. They called me to ask my permission to move her into Dora's room and I told them that her sister was named Dora Lee and thats why she wanted to be with her, and of course they didnt know that and it made since the way she was acting. So she is moved to another room and will go see that she is settled today.
Had our Department Christmas Party last night and had a great time. All but 4 members and their families came for the party, one was in church, 2 on duty with the police department and one doesnt celebrate Christmas.
Today is going to be a rest day for the most part. Ellen hunted yesterday but didnt see anything, and will be back out tomorrow to hunt again and I think Bob is going to hunt also, and if not I will go out with her. She is also trying to get Leeman to come out with her and see if they cant get something.
Have to move more hay in for the donkeys today and go get some more. the cold weather makes them eat a lot more. Double feed to day also

Bob has a cold

Well I have given him a hot toddy, he said that helped :) and Vicks on the chest, with a heating pad, and alergy pills and Musinex DM, so hopefully with him staying in all day yesterday and today we will get a handle on it. Cant have him sick. Harmone shot seems to be working as he says he is sore in the prostate.
Really havent been that busy around here, waiting for Home Depot to get in touch about the log splitter they cant sell me on line, because they only take one type of payment per each purchase, so I can use both my gift cards and Check Card. Atlanta Customer Service says they will make the arrangements to get it done, and they said yesterday it would be approved and arrangements made and would get back to me, but needless to say, they didnt call me back. So will see what this morning brings.
Social Security is trying to reduce my monthly payments. In January they awarded me an amount to begin in April. On November 7 they said they had under paid me and would make it up in December check. Yesterday I got a letter telling me that they had over paid me and wanted $1008 back in 30 days. So I filled out a Waver asking for a review of my account by an independent source, and enclosed a letter with copies of the other letters stating that obviously they didnt know what was going on, and to please give me the reason for the reduction. So will see what happens next.