Every day I get up and think "I really need to post something on my blog." And I don't do it. Huh, what in the world is my problem? I've got to get serious about this or just shut it down!

It's been a rough month or so since I posted though, so I somewhat have an excuse. Since I last posted I managed to get a paper published in a rush, traveled to Idaho for a funeral, had company back in Kentucky that came FROM Idaho, got the greenhouse covered for the summer and became an Alpaca owner. Whew...... what a month!

My grandmother passed away on February 19th. Although she was 89 years old, it was still a shocker. She actually delivered Avon orders the day she went into the hospital. And begged her girls to deliver some for her after she was admitted. The pneumonia was just too much to overcome. One day she was doing better and even sitting up on the side of the bed, the next day she was gone.

So, it was busy busy busy around here to get the paper completed early so I could take off for Idaho. Unfortunately my husband Dave couldn't go with me, as the paper had to be delivered during the days I was gone. My flight to Idaho was quite hysterical - or at least now it is. At the time it wasn't. I flew out of Cincinnati, headed for Salt Lake City, my first layover. After about 3 hours of sitting there, I finally got boarded for my next flight into Boise. It was a pretty decent flight, we even arrived a little early.

But then the bad started. I had a 4 hour layover there. (Not good connections!). Anyway, about 3 hours into my layover they announced that our plane had mechanical problems and was headed back to Seattle. They didn't know when I would get out of there. I was a measly 6 hours from my final destination, and stuck!

And I wasn't in a very good mood about the whole deal. So the debate started. Do I rent a car and drive? Do I wait it out? Call the husband, which by the way cost us $57.00 for a collect phone call!!! Ridiculous. But anyhow, I tell him to call me back on the pay phone and we decide I should wait a little longer.

So. finally, they announce our flight has taken off from Seattle, it will be in Boise in about an hour or so. Okay. No need for the rental car. I'll be in Lewiston in a few hours. 10 MINUTES before landing the plane AGAIN has mechanical problems - this time with the navigation equipment. Oh, great! So now what? They inform me that if they can't get the plane fixed, they can put me on a plane to Seattle, I can transfer planes and head for Pullman, Washington for a stop and then on to Lewiston. I'll arrive at 3 am in the morning.

Now, mind you, I got up at 3am the morning before to head to Cincinnati. This wasn't the scenario I was looking for. I started to cry. Why, I don't know. And then I got mad at myself for letting all of this get to me. And then they announced that the plane was fixed. Good gracious, thank you Lord. So, we load up on this Turbo Prop plane and I'm looking out the window at the propeller. And this thing is shaking, rattling, making all kind of noise as we take off. Oh great. Didn't they say navigation problems? We are heading to Northern Idaho across the mountains and it's snowing! And this plane is rattlling and shaking so bad that I now understand about all the mechanical problems. It was shaking the pieces and parts of this plane loose! I was so very thankful when I saw the lights of Lewiston and we landed.

After about 23 hours of traveling, etc. to get there, my sister and daughter were quite surprised when I told them "Take me to the motel." I was in no mood to visit with anyone. Not even my daughter, who I hadn't seen in a year. Not all my aunts, uncles, cousins, friends gathered up at my aunt's house. I just wanted to sleep. And I did. Boy I slept like a baby.

And that is just the first part of my story..... I guess I'll have to finish up tomorrow, since the Dave person is home and I'm sure wanting some dinner.

Till next time, be safe and have fun!

What a winter we've had. And it's not even half over is it? The ice storm that hit us last week is still wreaking havoc across the state. I really feel for people without power. We lost it for about 36 hours and it wasn't a whole lot of fun. But it was manageable. Thank goodness Dad has a gas stove so we were able to eat pretty well. We even figured out how to make coffee on a kerosene heater!

It's so unfortunate to hear of all the deaths across the state. And so many from freezing to death! I'm sure a percentage of those deaths were the homeless, but that doesn't make it any better does it? A human being froze to death. In 2009 - it's hard to fathom. But from our experience last week, most elderly people will not ask for help. They think they'll be okay, but tend to make wrong decisions. If you know of neighbors who are without power, please check on them. They may have people checking on them, but then again they may not. And wouldn't it be horrible to find out a neighbor had died.

It's really spitting snow right now. They say we may even get up to 4 inches. Wow. As much as I'm a snow lover and would love to see it, it's just not what we need right now. These poor people struggling to stay warm with no power don't need any more added troubles to deal with. But, if it does snow 4 inches, Dave will be making his run down runway hill...... so keep checking back. I'll post pictures when he makes his 'historic' run down the hill!

Be safe everyone and have a wonderful day wherever you may be.

Well, the start of another glorious week is here. Assuming that your week begins on Sunday that is. You may consider your week starting on Monday, who knows? I never did quite understand which day it really was. I know that being self-employed, working from a home office - it really doesn't matter what day of the week it is. Every day is a work day, so I really don't take days off. I work at least part of every day of the week, whether it be checking emails or designing business cards. You just never know what I might be working on.

It's deadline weekend for the paper, so I'm actually using some of my very valuable time to write in my blog! But, hey, I can't help but tell you about our new 'acquisition'. Dave came home from town yesterday with a puppy. Yes, a puppy. This is Dave I'm talking about. The one that gives me grief all the time for having the "Abby dog." You see, he always 'blames' me for getting her. It was Dave that called and told me about this ADOBABLE little yellow lab puppy. Of course, he had to throw that ADORABLE in there. So, we ended up with an Abby dog. But, it WAS his fault.

So I have to tell you about this little ball of fur he brought home. She is ADORABLE. There is that word again. I guess I'm a sucker. Yes, that's it. ha ha ha. I just love puppies, that's my problem. And I love kittens. Heck I even like baby chickens, and that's saying alot because I'm not a fan of grown ones! I guess my love of animals is taking the place for my love of kids, which I have none of at home.

My relatives always said when I was younger that I'd be the one with a whole herd of kids. And I would have been. Except for one thing. A total hysterectomy at the age of 23. I had serious problems after the birth of my daughter and in her first two years I had three surgeries trying to halt things down. But, it didn't work. And I was destined to be momma to only one. I always just told myself I'd adopt when I was 30, but finances didn't allow that. So no more for me. I waited about 24 years to become a grandma instead. And although that didn't go quite as planned (she lives 2252 miles from me), I am a pretty proud grandma. I just wish she lived closer. But we don't go there anymore.

Which brings me back to animals. I'm a fool about them. And our house is getting pretty darned crowded. Two rescued cats and two rescued dogs later. In a manufactured home. Imagine that. I'm just plain crazy. Oh wait, it's not me.......

It's Dave - he brought three of the four home with him!!!!

Have a great day everyone, be safe and enjoy every day God has granted you on this earth.

I have had to drag myself away from the television. I've been somewhat glued to it this morning watching Mr. Barack Obama officially become the President of the United States. I'm happy. There, I've said it. Out loud. Well, kind of....

You see, I have liked Obama since I first saw him years ago. I don't know why. I just did. I've never been too involved in politics, heck I've never much paid attention. I always voted, but never figured my vote counted. I did it because it's a right and I'm all for standing up for our rights. I live on a Republican farm, and I listen to everything that is said about poliltics. But I don't always agree. I've kept my opinion about Obama (somewhat) to myself. Until now I guess.

I'm just ready for change I guess. And it seems that a heck of a lot of people are happy about it, did you see those crowds. It was amazing to see how many people were in that mall area. I'm sure there were even more people we didn't see on TV, but we saw enough. Lots of them. Can you imagine the traffic getting out of DC right now? Man! I used to live there, it's hectic at best. Today it's absolute terror, I'm sure.

But, yet again, I say what a day in America. Let's just hope that things start to change in America. And not change for the worse, we need change for the better. I always think back to "It Takes A Village to Raise A Child." Well, it's going to take a nation to keep us free. We need to do whatever it takes to make sure we keep our business local, and not send our jobs overseas. We need to look into alternative energy. Wind energy needs to be a number one priority.

Well, enough of all that..... I've said it. I'm a happy camper today. Like a lot of people I know. And trust me, I know enough people that aren't that happy today either. I hope they will give our new President a chance. See what happens in 3, 4, 5 months and then we can re-visit this conversation. Because, heck, I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong. I just don't think I am this time.

Have a fabulous evening and enjoy what's left of this amazing day. Hug your loved ones and be thankful for all you have. Believe me, there are other people in the world that would give their left arm for what we have here in the good old United States of America. Le's not take it for granted.

Seems like I'm always talking about the weather. Yes, I'm a weather junkie, I love it. I guess I get that from Dad and all he has taught me over the years. On one of our visits over the years, Dad told me to just look up at the stars at night when I was missing him, that he gazed at the stars every night and that somehow connected us for many years. After my folks got divorced Dad kind of went off on his own and did his own thing. I kept in touch with him and tried to see him when I could, but it was not too often, especially once he left the West Coast. So, I looked up at the stars quite a bit in my 20's and early 30's!!

Enough of that. It's cold outside. Not quite as cold as it was at 8am this morning when we were out feeding critters. It was definitely cold then, as it was -5 on our back deck. But if you dress for it, it's not really that cold. (That's what I tell Dave anyway). And never let your head or hands get cold. If you do you are sunk! But, if you make sure you have appropriate clothing for cold weather you can stay quite toasty. There are times that we've been snow skiing in the West and gotten so warm that you ski without a coat. Hard to imagine, but it's true.

Speaking of skiing, Dave and I are heading out for a couple of days of skiing after the February paper prints. We have found a place in North Carolina that we intend to try out. We've not skied in the East yet, but I'll let you all know how it goes.

Guess I'd better quit rambling and get some work done. Before I know it, Dave will be home and we'll be back outside feeding those critters! Have a great Friday and stay safe (and warm!).

Yes, we have snow. If you want to call it that. It actually looks more like little ice pellets - and that might just be a bit tricky to drive on. Be careful if you are out and about today. Be just as careful about all this cold arctic air coming. It's already below zero wind chill up in the Minnesota area, so we'll be getting it later today.

I had a pretty busy day yesterday. Which is good. Busy is always good, isn't it? I started off my day (after coffee, chores, etc.) at a meeting with Teresa Dawes and the Estill County Community Education Advisory Council, which I'm a member of. We heard of some excited news there! The Estill County Public Library is going to sponsor a new program in our area called Tutor.com. The only requirement: get a library card. Well, everyone needs a library card! So it's a no-brainer. The homework help website will be available to students of all ages from 3 pm to 10 pm each evening. This will be great news for parents who just don't understand some of their children's homework assignments. I know I would have loved this when Jen was in school. I'll have more news about all of this in our February paper.

After my morning meeting, then a stop at Silo Mill for some expert knitting help from the Barb person and a trip to the bank, it was back to the farm for some computer work. I'm working on a few design jobs in between newspaper publications. Well, anyhoo..... I thought I'd put the dishes away out of the dishwasher before hitting the computer. I tend to get carried away in the office and before you know it ... hours have went by. Terrible, huh?

Anyway, back to the dishes. I have a set of four glass bowls that were given to me as a wedding present 27 or so years ago when I married Jen's dad. I've kind of prided myself on still having these salad bowls after so many years, a couple of marriages and moving from 'here' to 'there' several times. You'd think I would have broken one at some time over the years! But no, still had all four.

But no more. Not a one left. You wonder how I managed to break all four just putting dishes away? Well, I didn't break them. Actually, I was putting one up in the cupboard and it exploded right in my face. There must have been 1,000 pieces of glass throughout the kitchen. There was even glass in Abby's water dish on the other side of the room! Those of you that really know me, know I hate blood. My absolute first thought was how bad am I gonna be cut. I mean, this thing exploded right at face level as I was looking right at it.

Well, thankfully - no blood. Not even a cut. Nothing. Nothing except 1,000 pieces of broken glass. And guess what, Dave broke my broom the other day and has yet to replace it with a new one from town. So here I am, 1,000 pieces of broken glass and no broom. Out comes the vacuum attachment, thankfully it got most of it sucked up through the wand. That helped get it off the floor. Thankfully.

I spent the next two hours cleaning out every dish in my cupboards because they were literally covered in shattered glass. It wasn't pretty. And it was taking up my precious time in the office. About the time I got all that taken care of and headed into the office, Dave returned home and it informed me it was about chore time. My day in the office hadn't hardly begun and it was time for evening chores and guess what ... another meeting!

So I did the most reasonable thing I could think of..... Dave did the chores. I headed to town for my meeting. I had a lovely visit with the folks down at Citizens Guaranty Bank for the Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours event. I was able to chat with Barb about some knitting (what else?), have a few finger food snacks with my fellow business operators and didn't have to trudge through the barn. I do believe I got the better end of that stick.

Well, I guess I'd best get to work. The day is half over, how did that happen?

Hello one and all. I'm not doing very well on posting every day, am I? Well, you all aren't doing your job either - post something back so I know that someone actually reads this!

We have cold weather and maybe even snow coming this week! Can you see me doing a happy dance? It's only half-hearted though, I'm happy about the snow, not all that thrilled with arctic air. It looks as if we're gonna get a bit chilly in the coming days. It figures ... the folks in the big house are in Florida for the week. Perfect timing on their part, ha ha. Actually we're very happy that they are taking a few days off to enjoy life. Everyone needs to do that once in a while, especially in today' world.

Back to the weather.... I keep reading on the WeatherCenter blog that it's gonna get cold. I don't believe what some are saying about all this snow, but wilder things have happened I'm sure. We are supposed to be getting that cold weather that Alaska has been experiencing the past couple of weeks. Can you imagine the high for the day never getting above 35 below zero? And that lasting for two weeks? Brrrrr.

I'm sure some just can't imagine how you live in that environment. You get used to it. Trust me, I've lived in some very cold places in my life. Northern Maine was about as cold as I can remember; although dad has told me stories about Michigan also. I was talking to someone this morning who just didn't know if she could survive in that cold. You do. You learn to dress in layers, stay warm, always have a hat and gloves on. The trick I always tried to cover was to not get cold in the first place. I always overdress, therefore I can take layers off if it's just too hot. You can't always add layers if you get cold.

Well, I've gotta get some work done, before heading into Irvine for a Chamber of Commerce function tonite at Citizens Guaranty Bank. Stay warm everyone and have a great Monday.

It's time to get back to the daily grind, at least for me it is. And 'the holiday' still isn't over! Dave is out delivering papers today to what few businesses are open. Seems like everyone has closed up until Monday. Which means he'll get to double deliver this month. Yuck, I hate to even mention that to him. ha ha. But that's another story and I'll stick to this one.

We have completely gotten moved now and are back to our 'birthplace' so to speak. I'm invigorated about the whole move. I have ideas flooding my mind, things I can do again knowing the computer and office are right here again. You see, sometimes I get ideas for things in the middle of the night. Which really sucked when you considered that the computer was 5 miles down the road. Sometimes you just lose the whole train of thought when you can't sit down and work on it. So, I'm excited to be back at home, and I hope you start to see big changes, both with our website and our paper.

Have a wonderful Friday everyone, and be safe!

Well, it's now 2009. Hmmm. What a year 2008 was! But I'm so glad for a new year. A new beginning. I'm not into making resolutions, I've done that in the past and it has never worked. I kept telling myself that my resolution was going to be to post to this blog every day. But why disappoint myself, if I do miss a day it's not the end of the world.

The start of 2009 in Central Kentucky brought us very cold weather. Dave is out feeding animals and tending to the chores right now and its' 21°. A bit cold to be outside for an hour, but that's the farm life. At least it's our farm life. I'm sure Dave will be more than ready to head inside and warm up. It sure is beautiful outside though, not a cloud in the sky. Which means, not a snowflake in sight either.

I'd sure like to see a few inches of snow on the ground. It snowed yesterday in our area, I think we might have had 25 or 30 flakes hit the ground. But nothing ever stays. It just snows and then disappears. I keep hearing about a 'dusting' they had around here years ago. I want to see one! My fellow bloggers in the weather world (http://kyweathercenter.com/) talk about it, but I want to actually go through a dusting.

Well, I'd better get around here and get something accomplished today. We moved our newspaper office back to the farm yesterday, yippee! We have come full circle I guess. We started this paper right here in our home on the farm in June of 2006. After about a year, we decided we'd try out an office space down in Irvine. That went pretty well, but we thought maybe we'd get a little closer to home and decided to rent out a portion of the hardware store in Hargett. We stayed a year and had a few visitors that would drop in. But not really enough to justify putting out rent money, etc. And with the economy the way it is, we had to make a few cuts somewhere. That was just the reasonable solution. After all, we want to keep our little paper free - and we'll do whatever we can to keep it free. It's hard to find anything free in our world today and we thank all of our advertisers, subscribers and supporters for allowing us to hand it out every month to 10,000 readers absolutely free of charge.

We look forward to a great 2009 and hope you do to....... I'm out of here, gotta get this unpacking done! Have a great New Year's Day - and stay safe.

Another windy day in Central Kentucky. As I put the January edition of the paper together today, I'm listening to the wind hit the end of our home. Thank goodness I'm not out there, it's wicked - and warm! My computer tells me that it's 63° out at 11:30 a.m. And we're supposed to almost reach 70 today. Too bad, the wind is so bad that it blows you around when you're out there.

We've been dealing with battling weather systems for the past month, it's just been crazy. The warm front pushes in, or I should say BLOWS in - mostly in 50 or 60 mph gusts. Then the cold air comes from Chicago way and we get 8° weather for a few days. Up, down, up down. Who knows where it will stop. The only thing I do know - we've got no snow yet, and we won't get it all winter. Of course you know I am saying that so it WILL happen....

Dave and I had an awesome Christmas day, spending it with family in Eastern Kentucky. We really enjoyed ourselves, spending time with lots of cousins, aunts and uncles. Well, I guess only one uncle - the infamous Uncle Bob. What a character he is, always has made me laugh and I'm sure he always will.

Have an awesome day everyone. And hold on to your hats!