the magic of children - mosaic monday

This is my entry for "Mosaic Monday" - go by Mary's place and check out all the other fun mosaics.

Journal Notes:
We're having "Arizona Days" in reverse here in Idaho! What I mean by that is, we're having to STAY INSIDE because it's so darn cold outside! They're expecting -20 degrees here tonight - not to mention wind chill factor which drives the temps down even more. The dogs have NO DESIRE to go outside - I caught Bella peeing on our entrance mat just because it's too cold to go out! They will probably call school in the morning - it has to drop to -20 before they'll let kids stay home.

Whit called this morning and said she had 'cabin-fever' and was coming for a visit! Schuyler has been working at the ski resort cooking and has been working 12-15 hour days. There is just NO WORK to be found in their valley. They are happy for his job and Whit and been getting some hair jobs here and there but she came down with the flu about 5 days ago and she still isn't feeling that great!

Whit decided to cook for us tonight - listen to this: Wild Salmon and couscous/lentil salad (to die for) - it was gourmet all the way - I was in savory-heaven. My ONLY regret - not getting a photo.

AND thanks-be-to-Whit, our TREE IS UP! (I told you I was needing some prodding!) Bodin had a ball with the lights as you can see in the mosaic - this will be the first Christmas he'll have some real fun as you can see in his eyes. Whit and Bodi will be going home in the morning as Schuyler thought it would be too cold to travel tonight. When they get home, they're going to go and cut down a tree - Bodin will love every bit of it!

Wish us 'luck' tonight - any guesses HOW COLD it will actually get?

have a great sunday

Hope you have a wonderful sunday in whatever you're doing OR where ever you live on this planet . . .
(note: all of the following photos were taken the same evening)



This photo was looking east as the sun was setting . . .





This photo was taken only moments after the first photo - this one is looking west - interesting, ha! . . .

christmas tree

I had to entitle this blog post "CHRISTMAS TREE" sooooooo I'd set up our tree!!!

baby it's c.o.l.d. outside and other such nonsense!

Yep, it's c.o.l.d. - at sunrise it was -2 degrees (can't imagine what it was during the midnight hours) - now, it's a whopping 2 above! Outlying areas were -15 below - and we've just started December. California and Reno, here I come!

Usually when it's that cold outside the OVEN DOOR automatically swings open and I hear Nestle chocolate chip cookies calling my name from cookie heaven (they haven't been created yet - get it!!!) and I start baking cause it's too cold outside to do anything else (blablabla). My mind is SCREAMING, 'NO, NO, DON'T DO IT!' So, since I got on the scale the other day and discovered I had gained 6 lbs in the last month (chalk it up, partially to Thanksgiving & no exercise during the H1N1 episode) I, instead, pulled out the WW scale and my food journals and I'm once again tracking what passes my juicy red lips (okay, that's a bit much) - but, as you can see, it's hot cereal/sprinkled with cinnamon, berries and protein. As soon as I do that (tell myself it's diet time) - that's all I think about - F.O.O.D! Normally, I hardly think about it and sometimes only eat it once or twice a day - why is that?

Trying to get myself JAZZED about Christmas shopping - haven't got much done. My true feelings? I want to run away to a nearby state and hibernate until Christmas is all over and then come out and hit the sales!!!!! Is that normal?

whatever wednesday

Got a call from Whit - she was going to cut and color my hair today. She decided to come into town early so we met at 12 p.m. over at the salon. I am now a brunette with much shorter hair! Nice for a change. It's nice to have her close and taking good care of her Ma. Later in the day, I did some babysitting while Kandee headed to the salon for her makeover - she too, is now a brunette!!!!!

*****berta's quick-find-list*****

http://thesavvyphotographer.blogspot.com/

colorless but NOT lifeless

It was really cold outside today and totally void of any color except grayish-blue skies. I heard a rumbling on the roof that I'd never heard before - sounded like a million squirrels jumping on the rooftop! I looked out the window to see much commotion all around the yard. Looking closer I found thousands of birds outside - everywhere, trees, roof, bushes - everywhere! Click each picture for a closer look - these little buggers are pretty cute - they were getting ready for the coming snow that fell shortly after this photo was taken.

The birds were blanketing the trees - not a bird here and there - the tree, especially the evergreen tree filled with pinecones, was covered in birds. If you click on the picture you can see them sitting on the branches - you have to look close, they blend in very well. You don't see that everyday! I had to move very quietly as not to disturb this mighty group. As I look at these pictures I have to wonder how it makes this evergreen feel to have such a 'housefull'? If I were the tree, I would be honored to have such company - being a tree would be a lonely life most of the time - haha - okay, I can hear you thinking - I've lost it, right!