[Maggie]

GOOD LATE MORNING MAGNOLIAS

It is burrrrr cold here in the heartland. Snowing and we are really supposed to get hammered tomorrow. Winter is here it seems. The part I really don’t like is the ice. I don’t want to fall. I am so thankful that Will does the shopping. He is out there now, as I type, getting the rest of the stuff I need to make the chili and a gift for a new born. The White Elephant Gift Exchange and Chili Feed is on this coming Saturday evening and then there is a baby shower combined with a pot luck at church Sunday. There is a “high falutin’” kind of baby shop in town that we love to get the baby gifts at. He will pick up a pack of diapers at Wall•Mart. A fun weekend is coming up for sure. I haven’t yet decided what to take for pot luck. I think I will make cornbread muffins for the party though. Easier for folks to pick up a muffin than a cut square I do believe. We have been looking for a used truck and 5th wheel. Yep we are getting ready for the day of retirement. We can travel in the north country in the nice months then spend the winter in Texas parked on our friends ranch where he has a pad poured and hook ups just for us. He also has a room built for us adjacent to his house that we can put some furniture in and our TV if we choose. It is a nice sized room with a bath and shower also in it. Any way we have places to go and folks to see. Life is good.

DONNA FAYE What fun to have Jack dressed up as Santa for the kids. I think that is super and do pray that he is feeling fine by then. We are going to have this carpet cleaned before our New Years party for sure. It is funny that your post did land twice and at different times 2 minutes apart. Weird. Sounds like you have all your ducks in a row there.

SUSAN Oh dear, I do hope you are not coming down with something. I can imagine what that quilt show was like with all the different kinds of the same theme. I like things of that sort.

JEAN Burrr you do have it cold there. I think you are colder than we are here but it is certainly cold enough here. We are snowing more this year than we did last year. News said the whole country will get lots more winter than we have in a few years. They don’t sand the roads in town here and there have been some slip sliding. So glad we have a Jeep. Folks should slow down when it gets like this but there are always the few that forget that you can’t drive on ice like you can normally drive.

Well Magnolias I am going to get some work done now that I have had my first cup of coffee this day. Have a lovely afternoon and do remember to smile.

[QuilterInVA]

Good afternoon, ladies! 50 degrees but the sun is shining!

I am very hoarse today, but not sick. I must have whatever Jack has, Faye.

Faye, I'm going to get my sock yarn out tonight and start a pair. I haven't knitted since I made Stan socks but you have inspired me to make myself a pair. I'm going to do it on doublepoints, not the magic loop, and I have some very pretty pink sock yarn.

Jean, we are at the top of the southern states. Our average winter temperature is in the high 40s-low 50s. We haven't had snow for several years, but the average is 3 inches for the entire winter. The first year we live here, we never put on a winter coat. Now that I've gotten used to the temperatures, I bundle up like all the other southerners. I had hat, gloves, scarf and winter jacket on this morning. Richmond is 50 miles from us and they get snow regularly in the winter and of course we can go over to the western part of the state for winter activities like skiing because the mountains are there. I don't long for snow, that is for sure!

Hi, Maggie! You should see the driving around here is there are 2 snowflakes. Unbelievable. We only have sand on the interstate when it snows or there is ice. No snow removable equipment to speak of so that is all they can do. We do get ice storms which are beautiful to look at but deadly on the highway. I with I had a personal shopper like you do.

Well, lunch time is over so I have to go back to work!

[gma22]

Good morning to you all! I certainly hope Maggie and Jean are not buried in snow as they are predicting. You two keep you and yours safe!

Jean Darn! We are going to try the link again and I checked it this time. It is about "urban knitters." http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/12/04...iref=allsearch
If the picture doesn't show up, click on the blank area and it came up for me. Hope you aren't buried under mounds of snow, but that is what they are predicting. We are getting the rain variety of what you are getting it seems. Are you sure your friends didn't go see "Blind Side?" That is a new movie with Sanda Bullock which is based on a true story. I didn't connect it with what you said before but saw the trailer this morning and remembered you mentioning a movie with the word blind in it. It is a true story about a black teenage football player who becomes homeless with no family and this white family takes him in and makes him part of their family. A really good "feel good" holiday film.

Susan: Oooh, pink socks. I bought some gorgeous baby blue colored yarn to make my older sister a pair of socks for her birthday, which is the day after Christmas. I bought her a new handbag so will put them in the handbag. The yarn I have that you said you have too is coming out very nicely. I am knitting the foot of the first sock for Thomas so am coming along on it.

Maggie: Have fun with your parties. We are looking forward to going to Arkansas Christmas Eve. My bil has 7 brothers and sisters so there will be some party. A lot of them I haven't seen in 10 years at least so lots of catch up, which is always fun. I will just drag my knittin with me! lol

I am so sad. I know it was pretty much inevitable, but still makes me feel bad. I noticed Fortune having more and more trouble finding treats we drop, refusing to get on the bed if it is dark, etc. I looked in his eyes and he has spots on both, which means cataracts. Yorkies see, to really be suseptible to them. My little guy just turned 10 so he is getting old, but it makes me feel sorry for the little guy. He is back to his old self now so that is great. We are just going to have to either take him with us when we travel or arrange trips and such when Kelly and Tom can keep him so we don't have him going through this everytime. When we were in Indiana we went into the petshop for Jackson and they had a little female yorkie who was just so cute. I would love to have another yorkie, but facing Fortune passing when he does, will be awful for me so I don't want to go through it again.


You all have a wonderful day and stay indoors if this blizzard is hitting where you live! Faye

[Jean]

Good Morning, Flowers! I'm watching the snow blow; it's the fine light stuff that will drift big time once it accumulates. Schools around us were cancelled or having late starts, but not us of course. It is supposed to get worse as the day goes on so they will probably dismiss early right in the middle of the worst part; that's their usual mo. I'm doubting that we will be going to Maddy's program tonight since they are all ready saying to stay off the roads now; "just because you have 4 wheel drive don't think that will save you today," said the reporter at 6:30 this morning. I hope they reschedule it so we can still go. I have plenty to do around here -- mainly double check my gifts and see what I have left to get. I should wrap as I go.

Maggie -- It sounds like you have a weekend of fun (and food) coming up! I had to chuckle when you said you were looking for a truck and 5th wheel. Do you really think you will ever permanently settle someplace?

Susan -- Pink socks sound like "spring!" It's nice to able to make something for yourself. When it hits 50 degrees in the spring, that is usually a "no jacket" kind of day here. I suppose it has to do with the sun being closer to us, but 50 degrees in the fall always feels colder.

"Gma" -- It probably was Blind Side! I'm sure I googled Blind Spot and will do that again just to check. You could get a puppy now and perhaps keep Fortune "young" for awhile longer. I know how hard it is to lose a pet, but I can't imagine not having one either. I know dogs are more work than cats; I just can't imagine not having one since we've had a cat for the last 40 years. Our vet has said, each time with 4 different cats, that they lived a good life with a family that loved them.

I need to get busy and accomplish something this morning! Have a terrific Tuesday regardless of the weather in your corner of the world.

Jean -- from Iowa!

[Maggie]

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It has snowed seven inches so far an it isn't about to quit. Will made a run to the store and had the pleasure of getting a couple of cars unsuck while he was gone. The flakes are big and fluffy now. The wind is't blowing but we are spposed to be in blizzad condtion tonight and tomorrow. We had nothing like this last year. Schools are closed and half the businesses are. This is going to be short for I have much to do. HOWDY to all you Magnolias. Type at y'all later and you better believe it when I say I am staying inside.
e

[QuilterInVA]

Good afternoon, ladies! Its 45 degrees right now and we have flash flood warnings until tomorrow. More rain is on the way.

Faye, Cupid is nearly 11 and I am already worrying about him dying. I don't know what I'll do. I hate to get another pet because if I die they are so spoiled no one else will want them, but I've had a cat all my life, even when I had a dog when I was a kid. Can Fortune's cataracts be removed? The Christmas party will be loads of fun!

Jean, just the thought of snow around here gets the schools closed, even before it starts. We haven't had snow in the last 4 years but the kids have used up all the snow days and had to make up days at the end of the year.

Maggie, getting an itchy foot already? It's nice you have a place to be based if you want. You and Jean must be in the same storm I've been hearing about. Stay inside and be safe.

Tonight is quilt guild and covered dish dinner. My 2 friends and I are going to eat out and not eat there. I am finicky about eating food that has been 2 hours or more without refrigeration and we'll have the regular meeting stuff before eating and that will be nearly 8. I also don't like eating much so late since I go to bed early. One more party on Friday and that is the Xmas for this week - weigh in on Saturday so will strive to keep it in control.

Have a good day.