Puzzle is taking shape.

This is a picture Don took tonight to show you the progress I've made on the puzzle. I've got to get it finished this week because we leave here on Saturday morning. It's been my stress reliever for the last week. I've sure missed my puzzle partners, though! I guess it's a good time to remember to thank God for the puzzle partners I've had for so many puzzles before this one; doing this one alone makes me really appreciate them!

We went to the library today a printed off the tax forms for the business; they have to be in by March 15th, so I was pleased to get that bear off my back! I got a dispute with the credit card resolved today, so that's two stressful things I got to mark off my 'list.' Now if I can just get my site moved, I'll be happy and relax.

It was cooler today, but still comfortable to be outside. We saw some bluebirds outside our window, too. I got a few pictures, but they aren't so good. I really don't have the camera for taking good shots of birds. We sure do love watching them, though. The bluebird has been one of my favorites since I had to do a report on them in the 4th grade, so it's special to see lots of them when we are here. Every now and then we'll see one when we go to the reserve at home, but we never see them around the house. We thank God for the bird treats we get everywhere we go!

Great 70 degrees!

It wasn't sunny, but it was warm today. I loved it. This picture was made on the 15th; see, there was still snow on the ground. We didn't take pictures today. Other than church, we stayed inside, Don watching the Oscar stuff and me working the best I could on the computer. I walked over to the fitness room tonight to make some copies and it was wonderful outside! It felt like a night on the beach in Hawaii! Of course I was using my imagination! I'm thankful that I know how that feels, though! I thank God for the times we got to spend in Hawaii and here. It's two of our favorite places to be besides home. Home is sweet, though. We look forward to being there, soon, too.

Ding a ling.

This picture was taken in Tricia's yard last May when, to my surprise, I learned that I could still hula hoop! I can ONLY keep the thing up and going; I can't make it sing and dance like Grace can! It was the best picture I have to indicate how I feel like a ding a ling, today! We had a charge on our credit card that I disputed. I just couldn't imagine what it was, but I finally figured it out today. It was a little complicated, but nothing I shouldn't have been able to figure out a lot easier than I did. It was a legitimate charge and I am so willing to pay it. Now, I have to print out an affidavit, sign it and have it notarized and then fax it off somewhere. What a mess! I can do all that Monday, I guess.

I really thank God that folks let me run loose. I guess I'm harmless, but poor Don has to put up with my inability to deal with numbers and details. So, I thank God for him. I guess I'll keep an eye out for the men with butterfly nets and if they come and get me I'll be relieved. Reckon they'll let me hula hoop for fun and exercise?

I wish!

I wish it were warm enough to hike like we were when Don took this picture on the 16th of this month, but it's not warm enough to hike out there, now. I guess we could, but it's misty and cloudy and feels really cold. So, we 'hiked' on the treadmills today. Then I worked all afternoon and evening on my web site, so it's just as well that the weather is gloomy. I'm moving my site (not this blog, but my web site for the My Baby Charms) to another place, so it's back to work for me. I'm grateful that I CAN do the work, but it's technical, so it feels like it's choking me! I thank God I don't have to do any more than this one!

Tomorrow they'll come and do the stay-over clean for us while we go walk on the treadmills. So, we get everything we can out of their way tonight and in the morning. This next week will be our last week here. Then we'll go to a couple of other places before we go home. This has been a great place for us to spend most of the winter, so we're glad we could get it week after week. It was an experiment to see if we could manage it like this and it worked great for us. We'll enjoy different things about the next places, though. There is always plenty to enjoy if we just take notice.

Vana White routine.

This is a picture Don took today of me holding the rock that Jim Miller left with us. He collected several to take home, but culled this one from his stash and left it with us. I'm pointing to the chipped off spot which showed him promise. He loves to chip away at rocks and turn them into even more interesting things. It's nice that he left us a souvenir!

Today was a rainy day. We've had cloudy days, but this is the first rainy day we've had. If it had been cold we would have gotten a ton of snow, so we gave thanks that it wasn't cold. We've had enough snow for the year. We're so ready for spring. I'm watching for buds to open, but I guess it's early.

At home they've sprayed our yard for weeds, so that's a sure sign of spring. Besides that the weeds that are already in the yard are a sign. It won't be long until we're home and I'll be enjoying our daffodils and irises! I love those signs of spring. God is so good to give us great clues to the great seasons he gives us!

See how his diet is working!

I had to punch two more holes in Don's belt last night. He's really doing so well on his diet. Jim Miller took this picture of us Saturday night. Check out those shirt buttons; no stress whatsoever!

Tonight is Survivor, which has become a comedy show with the crazy 'former FBI agent' in his pink underwear. What a hoot. I've got to get all set to get my bath before supper, so I won't miss a minute of the show.

It's in the 50's here, so it's not so cold, but cold enough that we walk on the treadmills. Some other folks are here this week, who also use the treadmills, so we may be walking outside the rest of the week. It's hard to schedule around them, so we end up waiting; I'd rather walk outside! I've ordered some walking poles, but they aren't supposed to get here until the 28th; I wish I had them now. I'm excited about having the walking poles; I've toyed with the idea of them for over a year. Research tells me that they'll be really good for me. I thank God that I can walk with or without poles and with or without a treadmill. Mobility is a real blessing that I treasure.

Puzzling.

So, this is the new puzzle. I'm wading through it, and I have to admit I love doing puzzles, even if I have to do them by myself. I've got all the edges completed and I'm working on the middle, which is harder. It's a challenge and I love it; I'm hoping that this is good for my brain. I've read that jigsaw puzzles are good for brain development and I sure need all the help I can get! All I know is that it feels good when I get it worked.

It's been cooler here the last couple of days, but it's sunshiny and beautiful. God is giving us such a broad spectrum of seasons, so we're enjoying this, too.

Happy times; happy memories.

I put this picture on Facebook and some of the clowns thought Jim was wearing a huge ear ring in his left ear. That's the twisty thing on the blinds behind him. This was Saturday night and a great visit with Jim Miller, my long time friend from years we spent in Japan. He lives near Seattle, now, so we don't see him much.

The extra bedroom is empty, now, so I've started a jigsaw puzzle. Ruthie and Phil, I need your help! This is a fun puzzle, but it's always more fun with a team!

It's raining today, so we walked at the fitness center. The bluebirds are eating outside our room, though, so that's fun! I can never get a good picture of them, though! They just want me to see them, not get a picture! I'm enjoying seeing them, then. God is such an artist for us; we really love the bluebirds!

Old Friends!

We went to the Cracker Barrel for breakfast this morning and Jim said, "Look, there's our chair!" I persuaded him to let Don take our picture with it; even though he avoids cameras, he agreed. Sorry, but, I sat in front of the "Old" on the "Old Friends" sign. Jim and I have been friends since we were in the 7th grade in Japan, so that makes us old friends. He lives in Seattle, so we don't see him much. It was wonderful to have him here with us for a while. His flight left Springfield at 1:20, so we didn't have a lot of time. It was good time, though, and I thank God for 'old friends' and time with them!

Technical challenges today!

So, this is a picture Don took one day this week when we were hiking around out at the lake. I just posted it, but for some reason I don't know if the picture was there. I think nothing was there. My computer seems to have a mind of it's own today.

I've been struggling with ATT to get my mail for hours. I finally have my email, but there is no telling what the tech nerd did to my account! I shudder to think what may go wrong next.

We are waiting for Jim Miller to get here. He lives in a suburb of Seattle, but his company has a branch in Springfield, so he has been here working this week. It's going to be fun to see him. I went to school with him in Japan, so he's a friend for a long, long time. I thank God for long time friends and the opportunity to visit with them! We haven't seen Jim in at least 5 years, so we're excited to get to see him! He's going to spend the night with us and we'll be celebrating another old friend's good news regarding a cancer whooping!

Climbing around on the rocks; we love it!

This was a couple of days ago when we went walking out by the lake. We were looking for a shortcut and got into climbing around on the rocks. We love that kind of challenge. Luckily we came home with only scratches from the thorns that attacked us. We get outside and start climbing around like we're still kids; somewhere in the thick of it we remember we're a couple of old people acting CRAZY! It's fun, though! My friend, Sara Walker calls it savoring life; yes, I think that's what we are doing.

I thank God for the energy to be crazy and for allowing me to forget my age. I also thank Him for a partner who is as crazy as me because we have a lot of fun acting like we're the age of our grandkids!

72 in Branson today!

Check out this picture Don got today with the Great Blue Heron behind me! See the clump of logs that look like they're right on top of my head? Look at the clump to the left of them and there is the Great Blue Heron perched right on top. That's the marina behind me and some more condos. We took a great long walk back there and this down to the edge of the water. It was very hilly, but so fun! We also got to see a female bluebird, but she wasn't patient enough for me to get the camera ready. Man! I'm loving this weather! It was windy, but we're used to wind. God provides so much to see and enjoy!

This blog is supposed to be about life after breast cancer, so I have to admit there are cavities where there used to be breasts. It's not so attractive, but it's sure not the worst thing in the world! I'm so glad to be alive and I'm just as pleased to have cavities as I was to have breasts; the breasts served their purposes, so I thank God for giving me life and the opportunities to enjoy it!

Snow is nearly all gone.

We hiked at the lake, again, today. Don took this picture of me beside a pile of snow in the parking lot. Other than these piles it's about all gone, even in the woods. It was plenty warm to walk and get some sun. We loved being outside for two days in a row!

I've been introduced to a young lady who has cancer and is on her second treatment of chemo. She has a great CaringBridge site, and I am so enjoying her posts. She puts things into words so well! Today she was talking about how after a cancer diagnosis we begin to see things we used to take for granted. Like we see the blue sky, but then we SEE it and it seems even more blue. If you want to join me in praying for Sara Walker and join me in being encouraged by her, check her out at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sarawalker

Maybe that's why I so love the hiking. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to see these woods; to see these birds; to see this snow and to MOVE my body. I really thank God for every single thing we have and for giving me the opportunity to really SEE it! I even love the treadmill!

Woo hoo! Spring is coming; I just know it! Winter was awesome, but I am so ready for spring!

Amazed to find lots of snow, still.

This picture Don took today when we went out to the lake to walk. It was wonderful; in the 60's but still lots of snow. You can see it behind me.

I thank God for the opportunity to be outside and get lots of fresh air. We were walking close to the lake, so it was quite a hike up to the restroom, where we took this picture. I am so grateful to be able to get this exercise. It's great to be outside and breath fresh air. We even saw a pair of downy woodpeckers and a bluebird. I didn't get any pictures of them, but I thank God for the treat of seeing them.

Warm, but still ice on the lake!

I was peeking out, but it was so bright, looking into the sun with the snow reflecting it! It's wild; the snow is nearly all gone and it's way warm (up in the 60's) and there is still ice on the lake! I guess it froze really deep!

Today has been a relaxing day. I'm enjoying another Barbara Delinsky book. It's nice to have the time to read.

We also went over and walked on the treadmill. There was an older gentleman on one of the treadmills when we got there so I had to wait for him to finish. He was walking a mile at 2 miles per hour. It felt like it was taking him forever! But, I know it was really good for him to be doing that, so I was glad for him to make use of the treadmill. I thank God that we can walk and that they have the treadmills here for our use. We are so abundantly blessed!

Hard to believe, even when I'm here!

This is a picture Don took Wednesday when the snow was falling. Above the trees you see behind us is the ridge where the lookout is where we took pictures last week looking down on the condos and the river. In this picture you can't even see the ridge! That's how heavy the snow was. It's hard for me to believe that there was this much snow here. It's mostly gone after today, but there is an amazing amount still standing that is in the shade of the buildings or in the woods, the ground still has a lot of white. It's just awesome what God can do and this is really a minor thing. I thank Him so much for all He does to make our lives so wonderful. I'm so working on patience because I always want problems fixed right now, but I know that God knows the perfect timing.

From Canada?

Don doesn't like to walk in long pants on the treadmill, so he wears his shorts over to the fitness center. It's funny how many folks have asked us if we're from Canada because he's wearing shorts at this time of year! You can see in this picture how the snow was layered. They had shoveled the snow off the sidewalk, and the other snow was still on the ground when this last snow came. So it was pretty deep on the ground where it hadn't been shoveled. So much of it melted today, but we can still look out and see a lot. It was beautiful then, but it's kind of messy, now, especially in the piles where they pushed it aside off the roads, etc. It's been interesting to experience, but we're thanking God for the warmth that is melting it! We're looking forward to some 60 degree weather later this week!

I don't walk in long pants, either, but I wear my log pants over my shorts and then just take off the long pants when we get there. Brrrr; I'd freeze if I walked over there in my shorts!

Winter wonderland.

This picture Don took yesterday. It's beginning to melt today. We got to go to the post office and get the mail, as well as run some other errands. It was good to get out of here for a while! The winter wonderland has been fun, but we're really ready for spring!

I've just finished a book, An Accidental Woman by Barbara Delinsky. Barbara Delinsky is a breast cancer survivor, so I'm very keen on her books. In this book she was talking about anger and said, "a passing emotion, a misunderstanding, a failure to communicate . . . it had no lasting place in a long, full life, a life spent with someone you love." That struck me as pretty profound! I love reading fiction because it allows me to learn without having to experience it all first hand. Vicarious is good for me; saves me lots of money and time, not to mention pain! So, I thank God for inspiring people to share and for giving me the ability and time to read and enjoy. I like that definition of anger, a passing emotion, a misunderstanding, a failure to communicate. Then remember the song, Angry Words. It feels good to be happy, and I thank God for that, too!

The snow is lingering with the cold.

Lots of snow is still lingering. The lake is mostly frozen. This is a picture Don took on our way back from the fitness center. Notice how high the snow is on my shoes! See our path from walking over the bridge. The building on the right is the one where our unit is. Brrrrr. It's cold out there, but they're predicting the 50's and 60's for next week. We look forward to that!

God is love! Valentines Day is next Monday, so we appreciate the people we love, but God loves us every day. We are so blessed! We love each other every day, too; I hope we don't wait for Valentines Day to tell those we love!

More big snow!

We don't get reports for weather in Branson; we only get reports for Springfield, which is an hour away from here. So, I measured and got 4 inches one place and 6 another. The wind is blowing, so it's hard to tell, but there is a lot. Plus it's on top of what we had before. It's beautiful! This is a picture Don took when we walked over to walk on the treadmills today. We really feel blessed to be here where we are warm and have plenty of food and could watch the snow falling today. It was cold to be out in it, but it was also fun and we didn't have too far to walk. I think this is this winter's last yahoo and spring will be coming soon. That's my dream, anyway.

I would sure love to be in Hawaii, watching the whales in warm weather, but this has been a treat, too. I thank God for variety in our lives and the health opportunity to enjoy all that He has abundantly given us.

Happy Birthday, Brian!

This picture is from last week, but it looks like the snow is coming, again! It's cold enough that I wore the red coat in favor of my vest today. Everything that is left from last week is frozen, so it's a slippery base for whatever hits tonight. So far we only have cold.

Today is our son-in-law, Brian's, birthday. Brian, I hope it's been a good one for you!

Thank all of you for reading this. I don't have the vocabulary to tell you how much I appreciate good people in my life! We lost a good friend today; Burl Roddy will be missed by many of us. If you are reading this, I hope you know how much you mean to me. It makes a difference in life when you know people care. I thank God for Burl's life and for you in my life.

Squirrel in a dilema.

This little squirrel got my attention yesterday when he was so frantically digging in this one spot. It was like he KNEW he had buried a nut down there and he was not giving up on his conviction. He'd run away and then he'd scurry right back to this spot. Finally, sure enough, he did come up with a nut! I thought of myself as I frantically hunt for things! So it gave me courage when he was persistent, and, indeed, did find what he was hunting. I will keep right on plugging when I'm hunting something I've buried. I do that so much!

Right now we're wondering what the weather will bring this week/ They are predicting snow. We're ready for it if it comes, but then we're ready for spring right after that! God knows what we need, so I trust Him and believe He will provide. The squirrel in me believes there is spring right around here, somewhere, so I'm going to keep looking for it!

Snow from the lookout.

We were able to take the road by the lookout to church this morning, so we stopped and got this shot of the snow that is left. It's more than half gone. Too bad we couldn't get up there for a picture when it was clinging to the trees; it was so gorgeous! The condos where we are staying are the ones that look like they're right on top of my head in this picture. We went grocery shopping after church to be sure we have plenty of food for this week in case we get snow, again.

It was interesting because there were lots of people shopping and there were several bare shelves. It reminded me that we are blessed to have plenty of food all the time. Even when we think we don't have anything to eat, it's because we're using the terms loosely. We may not have the mix we prefer, but we always have lots of food. I thank God for our food supply and our ability to eat and enjoy it. I thank Him for my ability to wash all the veggies. Just 3 years ago I had just had surgery in Houston, and even then I could cook and eat. It's wonderful to be healthy and able to travel; there IS life after breast cancer and I'm so grateful to vouch for that!

It's melting; kind of miss it.

This picture was one day last week before we got the last 3 inches. This morning it was so beautiful out there, but the sun took over and much of it is gone, already. I guess that's a good thing. Don thinks we can make it to church and the grocery store tomorrow. It's been a little sad to see it all melt so fast today. Well, it didn't all melt, but a lot is gone. It's good that we can get out, so I'm sure it's a good thing. I thank God that we managed to get around without falling and that we had a warm place to stay and plenty of food.

There seems to be more winter storms in store for this week, so I pray that folks can be safe across the country this week. Spring is around the corner! God bless!

More snow!

This picture is one Don took of me when I went back to the fitness center to recover the necklace I left this morning when we were there. He was inside and took the picture from our screened in patio. We had about 4 inches before the additional inch that has fallen today. We're in a winter storm watch, now, for tonight. Such interesting weather! We thank God for it and for our health and safety. It's sure wonderful to have a warm place to be! It's especially wonderful to be healthy. Our God is so good to us!

Still cold and snowy.

We did venture over to Hollister to check our mail today. We normally would go by this lookout, but we didn't go that way today because we figured the roads wouldn't be as clear as going through Branson. The view would have been great with all the snow. We may go that way when we go to Hollister to church Sunday. If we do, I'll be sure to take the camera and get a shot of the snow from there. The snow is really beautiful, but it's not getting any chance to melt. In this picture you can see the resort where we are staying. They are the white buildings with green roofs that are just about level with my forehead and to the left of me as you look at the picture.

All this snow is reminding me of when we lived in Japan when I was in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. It started to snow in November and it stayed until April. This snow is not going anywhere! It usually snows in Oklahoma and then it's gone by the next day, but it's staying there, too. This is pretty wild. It will warm up soon, though. I thank God for new things to enjoy and for safety while we fumble around in it.

Ventured over to the fitness center.

Tonight's picture is one Don took today on our way back from the fitness center. He took one on the way over there, but the camera refused to work and we got nothing. This is taken with me standing on the bridge over this little lake that is mostly frozen (except for where the fountain kept the water in motion). Behind me, on the far left edge, you can see the little path we had to use for walking. The building behind me is the one we've stayed in for the last 3 weeks and will be here for 3 weeks longer. We are in the first floor unit on the inside of the right side of the building.

I am so thanking God for letting us stay up right as we took that little hike. We were both afraid of falling; I'm sure we are paranoid about falls and their complications. It felt good to get our walking done on the treadmills! We also thank God that we've been fortunate to keep power through this storm; we are sure hooked on power!

Snow and phone challenges!

Tonight's picture is one Don took when we went to the lookout on his birthday. We got snow today. This morning when we got up at 6 it was raining. By the time we ate breakfast we had a couple of inches. It was beautiful to watch. Sometimes it came down in huge flakes, then it would blow like a blizzard. I think we ended up with around 4 inches. We didn't go out to measure, but we feel like we dodged a bullet. Tulsa is just about 3 hours west of us and they got a record 14 inches! It was coming this way, but went mostly north of us. Springfield got a real dumping and the interstate between Tulsa and Springfield was closed. We had plenty of food and not reason to get out, so we stayed in where it was warm and safe.

I've had problems with both the magicJack and my cell phone. I didn't get anywhere with customer service with either of them, although I've been on the phone, mostly on hold since 5 except for the 30 minutes I took out to eat supper. I hate tech challenges, but Trish reminds me that it was worse when we didn't have these technical blessings. She's right. I just need patience! God is so good to us, so I'll quit complaining and give thanks for the opportunities we have to stay in touch with people we love. I'm also grateful that all our family and friends have survived this tough storm!