Happy Birthday Steve

Today is Steve's 52nd Birthday.

The years have been very good to him, and he's having the time of his life being a grandfather. Our girls are very close to him, and he often said over the years, "who needs boys when my girls can do anything a boy can do." He has always been good at showing them how to do things, they prefer helping him tear down and repair a motor than cooking or doing anything in the house with me.

Now with a son in law, he's very happy to include him in teaching him things he will need to know for the future, so Steve has 3 helpers now, but grow up ones. Little Kiley will be among his helpers this summer I am sure, and he will just love that.

Today we will spend the day together with the family, making him King for the day and celebrating with him with a special dinner, cake and ice cream. I don't believe anyone is ever too old for a birthday party.

Good reads

Another good morning,  we have about 2 inches of snow out there.  Weather says we are like 8 inches shy of normal snow fall for area.  Another space shuttle was launched,  so weather should be messed up some more for next couple of weeks.  JMO

After shopping yesterday,  getting everything put away,  sat down a while with my new book,  by C. Anderson.  Just couldn't get into it.  When Kiley got up from nap,  we worked on waving bye bye.  She waved to Leslie one time,  but wouldn't do it again for nothing.  So we will work on it again today when she gets here and off and on all day,  she picks up so fast on things,  she will have it down pat in a few days, I am sure. 

Steve got home late,  he said company boss paid visit to their shop this afternoon late,  talked individually to each employee.  He is getting a raise,  wasn't told how much,  but was told he is doing good work and an asset to company.  Good to know some boss' still commend employees for good work.  Look forward to going to work each day when appreciated. 

Supper was a late thing,  only reason being,  we weren't quite hungry til later.  Went to bed with another book,  and it's sure to be a page turner,  for Fern Michaels writing and sisterhood series promises to be good read.  I read where she is going to start a new series,  and keep this one going.  The new series will be called "Godmothers".  Wonder what sort of mischief those characters will get into,  if they are anything like the vigilante's,  those books will join my collection.

I think I have enough books to start a library.  Maybe I should check into investing in stock market for future royalities from my purchases.  lol  I now will make it my priority of hunting for a copy of the newest book,  since it is out and I have missed it somehow.  Looking forward to visiting Books a Million,  and Barnes and Noble for my quest.  I can spend hours in the book store,  Steve usually leaves me there and comes back for me when he finds something he thinks can drag me away.  Glad they are in shopping center Malls where he can take off and not make me hurry for my choices.  lol 

Weekend's over.

Today,  Steve and I spent the afternoon outside.  It really wasn't cold,  but it was only in the low 30's.  Sun shined making our drive way a mucky mess.  First off Steve worked on powersteering pump on the 50-M.  Hope it's fixed.  If not,  he said he'd have to put it back to manual and I don't look forward to having to drive it without PS.  I'm spoilt.  I spent the morning vacuuming and Shark steam mopping.  We tracked in yesterday after cutting wood and kids stayed with puppies running around the house, for pizza and TV after they helped us.  So house needed "de-hairing". 

While he worked on tractor,  I started unloading wood from his truck which we loaded non split wood into yesterday.  I split the small stuff I could handle,  leaving the big stuff for him.  While cutting yesterday,  we split for the load on trailer,  and got stuck 2 times in the process.  When we got it done,  we cleaned up mess,  and sat down to a roaring fire in the fireplace. 

Super bowl time come,  I headed into family room to watch it while purusing around on computer.  Got bored and felt the muscles fatigue from outside work,  so after halftimes (JMO) flop of entertainment,  I headed to lay down with my book to listen to rest of the game.  I fell asleep and missed the best half of the game from what the news said at 10.  And I only had like 4 pages left in my book,  didn't get to finish it then,  but am headed back to bed to finish it now.  New book to start by Catherine Anderson when this one is done.  Leslie just home from Super bowl party with her friends and found my cat in her room on her bed sound asleep.  I thought she was in living room on the loveseat with fireplace going.  I should have looked for her.  LOL  Oh well,  she had some alone time,  guess she needed it.  Now she's off to bed with me.

A New Toy

Ok,  Steve and I went out last night and picked up this new little toy for me to play with. 
I didn't try it out last night when we got home,  I just unpackaged it and left it on the kitchen table. 
At 5:30am,  I was up with it plugged in heating,  and was mopping my floors with it. 
I am impressed,  as yesterday I mopped all my floors while cleaning house and not much was tracked in,  in the way of dirt or wet foot prints,  and the white pad I used this morning was dirty after I got done.  I do plan to use this daily til all build up is off the floors,  for I have used Lysol/Mr Clean products on them when I mop,  and the commericals say it will clean build-up. 
When I first used it,  the steam smell,  smelt like ironing day thru the house.  I didn't care for that smell.  And the instructions say use only tap water or distilled,  no chemicals or scented oils,  stuff like that.  But it didn't say not to use vinegar.  I put just a tablespoon in my water when I got ready to use it yet again on my floors.  Yes,  I did them again.  The smell is clean,  and no more ironing day reminders of growing up with a day dedicated to that task. 

Now if only I could figure out how to rotate my house so I could use it on the walls,  and ceilings.  It's very easy to use,  and not so hard on the back like scrubbing with mop or on hands and knees. 
I think the money invested in this is going to be well spent.  JMO

Winter coming around again, baby plays at night.

Looks like snow is on the way for our area,  and much of the USA.  Our area has been slightly under what's normal,  or old time winters used to be like.  As a kid I can remember snow coming as soon as Thanksgiving and staying on into Feb.  Some years it would melt then snow some more,  melt,  keeping pattern for a "real" winter.  2 years ago,  we had a very warm winter,  temps in 50's thru 70's for the month of January.  I can remember opening the windows for it was so nice here.  Then about 13 years ago,  everytime the weather forecasters would predict a dusting to an inch,  the sky opened up and dropped anywhere from 6-10" inches at a time.  We laughed all winter,  when they said "flurries"  we got out the shovels.  This made for the next winter of forecasting them making jokes from the winter before.  The last years though,  they have been pretty well right on the mark with forecasts. 

So far,  they are calling for 1"-3" here.  That should be a very nice snow. 

Kiley spent the night last night with us.  Her mom is sick w/flu.  She got her bath and was in bed by 9pm.  At 1,  she was up,  she then played til 3am.  I tried to get her back to sleep,  but no,  she wasn't going back just yet.  After she layed in my bed and played with Grandpa's beard and my face and hair,  I put her into her bed.  She sleeps in basinett on my side of the room,  she layed and talked to herself, played with her toes and feet,  sung a little to me,  while I layed there with lamp on reading my book.  Then she wiggled around some,  and went to sleep.  At about 3:30am,  I put my book down and turned off the light.  The alarm at 6:15am this morning woke us up,  she went back to sleep right away,  I kicked Steve to wake him,  I went back to sleep myself,  but phone call from Melanie at 7:10am this morning got me up.  Now, here it is 9am and she is still asleep.  So I have enjoyed waking with my morning coffee and some quiet time alone.  I am sure it won't be long and she will be up and around for the day. 

Little Log Table

 This is completed little table I made using just small limb and chunk of a limb that I thought looked neat.  The top is just a piece of scrap lumber which I rounded the corners of and Leslie painted the IH logo on it.  She thought it needed to be in theme with our collection of other memorabilia.  Tomorrow the table can go outside on my back porch by my chair. 

While Leslie painted this today,  I made bread pudding with some old bread sitting in the bread box.  Can't see throwing it away because it got stale.  It's been some time since I made a batch of bread pudding and it sure hit the spot tonight. 

Also today,  I got  the shelf supports all sanded and ready to mount on shelf.  When Steve got home from work,  we went to Farm & Home to pick up the hardware for hanging the shelf on wall. 

While shopping,  they had out the spring garden seeds and I bought my seeds for planting my garden.  I will start up my tomato and pepper seeds in my kitchen windows,  after I check the signs for planting what plants.  They didn't have any onion sets or seed potatoes yet.  And I didn't see any baby chicks yet.  They are totally remodeling the store here in our town,  so things are a bit untidy right now.  But we didn't mind at all. 

Have errands to run tomorrow to pick up paper work so we can get our collection of tax papers to accountant to work on.  Have to pay the house/farm insurance while I am out.  I hope Leslie is able to go with me,  for I have Kiley too.  She loves to go,  but is hard for me to handle alone,  in and out of truck. 

After errands are done,  my plans are to finish putting the shelf together and varnish and stain it so hopefully Steve can hang it for me on Friday evening while Dave is off to help him mount it.  I still have to make the tabs to hold the quilt on the rod and I need to pick up the dowel rod tomorrow while I am out.  I also have to shop for present for Steve for his birthday.  I will need help with it too when I get it home,  so looks like Leslie is volunteering for the help committee and she doesn't know it yet.  lol

Monday 2/1

Today Kiley and I jammed at her lunch time.  I put in CD of Beachboys and she had her little feet kicking.  She knows good music already. 

This morning first thing I ran the vac thru the house,  mud got tracked in over the weekend,  and before I noticed it,  everyone had already been all thru the house,  so I just let it go. 

After Kiley had lunch,  we went to bank,  got the errands run and when we got back she was rubbing her little eyes.  I put her in my bed and she slept for an hour.  Then she played on living room floor.  I took some pictures of her sitting there eating her toys.  She and Aunt Leslie watched some TV while I went out to shed to dig out the board for my shelf. 

Dave just picked Kiley up,  his early day off,  so now I am headed out to work on my shelf to hang Steve's parents Anniverary Quilt on.  My saws await me.....