The thing about snow....

The thing about snow is that I like it when it is snowing. It is beautiful, the silence is unlike any other I know of. But, once the snow stops and you have to live with it, I get tired of it very quickly. This winter we have had more snow and ice storms than any winter in my recent memory.
There are plusses, I don't have kids to stay home on snow days. I have a manager, who is more likely to close the office than any other I have had in the past. Most of all I love having a fire in the fireplace and being able to look out the window at the cold.
Still, I am enough of a Kansan to prefer the golden browns of the winter prairie to the gray sluch of melted and frozen again snow and ice.

Just doing a little housekeeping here

I didn't realize until I started making changes that I was bored with my original blog template. I am not the sort of person who moves furniture around, so I really hadn't considered changing. But I rewrote some things and changed photos and here I am. I like it. It is more colorful, but still green.

If it would only last!

I am watching Wyatt this morning. What I really wanted to do was kick back and hang out. However, our two year old grandson apparently has inherited his grandfather's neat genes. He hauled out the vacuum cleaner and wanted to vacuum. He has been at this job for about fifteen minutes. Of course I recognized the photo opportunities for a scrapbook page immediately. All I have to do is move the vacuum for him occasionally when he runs up against something. I know this will end about the time I really want help vacuuming. But right now, Wyatt is so pleased to be helping me. And I actually get to kick back and hang out.

My Bucket List

I saw this on someone elses blog. I don't remember who, I have been out visiting. This is a list of thing I want to do before I kick the bucket.

1. I want to go to Australia
2. I want to go on a mission trip
3. I want to see my grandchild (grandchildren) grow to adults.
4. I want to tour Europe with my husband

I have to think about this more, it is harder than I thought.

Tranquility

Really, there isn't too much tranquility in my life on a day to day basis. Work has pressures and daily family life is way more hectic that I knew a household without children would ever be. But to be honest, there is more time to sit back and watch television, or hang out with the Dawgs on the internet. The trick must be to realize those moments as time to be cherished and relished when they happen.

Uncertainty

Our director informed us today that one of our sources of funding cut our grant in half from last year. No one can really tell which way the effects will fall. Being the paranoid person that I am, the first thing that comes to mind is that I might lose my job. Personally, that would be OK. Financially, it would be difficult. Then I might be pushed to part time. Less of a problem, but the hours I worked would have to be my choice. Either way, the organization is going to have issues losing me or any of the other staff. I can lose any sleep over it. Paranoia just is borrowing trouble.

The Hardest Thing I did this week....

There aren't any photos for this post. I am taking part of a posting challenge and the title is the challenge.
The hardest thing I have done this week was this morning. A young woman came in with a cute little boy. She and her husband were in default on their home loan. I did the basic counseling and discussed what would have to be done if they were to save their home. I then referred them to the national Help Hotline, who review the information and flatly told her, they could not afford the house and needed to sell. She was crying, I was miserable. Then we had to spend time discussing the process of selling and what to expect.
It always feels good when we save someones home, but nothing ever compensates for the misery of the people who can't stay in their home.

The snow has all melted away and the weather is in the 40's and 50's. Wyatt now is outside driving his ATV. He has started to figure out how to turn the steering. Before this he would drive in one direction until he hit something that made him stop. He is smiling and laughing, then all serious and concentrating. I love spoiling my grandchild.

The St. Augustine Light House

We haven't seen many light houses in our travels. So the chance to visit the St. Augustine Light House was a real opportunity. However, it was not to be. Our whole day in St. Augustine had been bright and sunny. Then it clouded up about the time we got there. A rain storm opened up and no one was able to go up, so I settled for taking pictures.

Wyatt's Christmas

We gave Wyatt a battery powered four wheeler for Christmas. I had put it under the tree under other gifts. When Wyatt saw it, he pushed all the other packages aside and didn't pay attention to anything else until the battery wore down. Unfortunately, the snow has not melted yet so he hasn't been able to drive it outside yet. We will probably have to drive it to the park when he finally does get it outside.

Savannah

Andrew and Ray in Savannah. We took a tour and then walked all over the old town of Savannah. There were several stairways like this going down to the river, they were very steep but were the fastest way down to the river front;

Stan and Cathy

Here we are with two of our oldest friends Stan and Cathy. We spent the night in Little Rock on our way to Georgia. We went out to dinner and had one of those fantastic evenings where you get together with friends you haven't seen in a long time and it is just like you had been together last week. We really treasure our friends.

Happy New Year

We got back from Georgia last night about 1:00. It was a great week, but I have quite a few things to put up on the blog. Ray took this picture of me sitting by the tree in the Pirate's House restaurant in Savannah. We at lunch here the day we visited Savannah which is a fantastic town.