What a Beginning of 2011

Last week we had a storm in TX. School were closed for four days. Actually everything was closed. I never left the house. Ice, snow, slippery roads all included. So we had a couple of nice days. It was nippy but sunny and no snow. Yesterday we had a storm warning for today. Yep, we got it! Ice. Jamie went to work. She slid on the highway and hit a guardrail. The pictures tell all.

It Is Soooo Hot Here!

The temperatures have been in the 100s for a couple of weeks now. We should be getting a cooling trend Monday and Tuesday...98°! That's what they said this weekend was going to be but now they moved it forward. Oh, those weathermen. I'm sure they went to the same school as the politicans. And this week another parent 'forgot' that their 2 year old was in the car and left her there for 3 hours!!! The temperature in the car was over 115! No punishment for the parent. Hmmm, they called it an accident. Accidents shouldn't happen like that!!!!
We're in the house when it's hot except when Dallas goes in her pool. Then I sit out there with her with a misting hose on me. But, I'll take heat over cold any day!!

Where Does the Time Go?

It's been a long time since I got on the blog! Time goes so fast. I had knee surgery and had to go to therapy every day. Jamie has been working a lot of hours so I was busy with Dallas. Let me tell you, she keeps me busy.

We had another snow storm here last night. We went out to eat at 6:00 and when it was time to go to bed, it had started to snow. This morning we got up and there was 7 inches on the ground! Fortunately, the ground doesn't freeze so the snow doesn't stick. It's already almost completely gone!

Dallas in in pre-school now. She just completed her first week, three days a week. It's made a difference with her already. She needed to go somewhere instead of staying home. Tomorrow they have swimming. It's a great pre-school.

Jamie is working at Dillards now. She like it but she gets tired out from so many hours.

I have a lot of flowers coming out but, with the snow, they may not be any good. I'll find out tomorrow. It's supposed to be in the 60s tomorrow and 75° Tuesday!

Wow! Time Goes Fast

I can't believe that I haven't written in two weeks. Why?
Knee?
Weather?
Olympics?

First: My knee
After the surgery, I did pretty good, except for falling twice. It was strange how my knee would just 'give out'. I had the surgery on Saturday, Sunday I walked with a walker and by Monday I was doing great. A little pain but not the horrible pains I had in my leg and foot every day. I went to the library and the post office Monday. I was doing really good... until this last Thursday. I don't know if our weather caused me to start having pains in my leg when I walk but it started Thursday. I went to the dr for my followup Friday. I told him that it hurt when I walked but even then it didn't hurt as much as it does now. I have to start therapy twice a week for four weeks. Today is Sunday and I'm back with the walker. I walked yesterday and today but it hurt really bad.

Second: The Weather
Maybe the weather is what caused my leg to hurt. I went out in the snow Thursday night with Dallas. Yes, I said 'SNOW'. We got 12 inches of snow in northern Texas! It is the most snow Texas has ever had. In fact, the snow we got in one day was more than Texas had in the last 30 years...all put together! We went on a tour of snowmen like people go on at Christmas to see the Christmas lights. I think 8 out of every ten houses had snowmen in the front yards. Dallas built a cute snowman. She said that she had to build it 'all by herself'. No help.

Third: The winter Olympics started in Canada this weekend. The first day, even before the opening ceremonies, a 21 year old man from Georgia (not the state but the country) was in his last practice run for the luge and he hit the wall, went over and was killed. So sad! We're watching the Olympics. Of course, I love Apollo Ono, the speed skater! He's so cute.

So, hopefully I'll be on here more often. Facebook takes a lot of my time now too. And I'm playing a game on the computer too. Addicted.

Baby, It's Cold Outside! My knee Knows!

What a winter we're having. It's soooo cold out. Tomorrow it's going to be in the single digits!!! I can't imagine it being that cold here in Texas! The good thought is that it won't last and in a couple of months I'll be planting, weeding and watering again! I'm going to hang onto that thought.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with the doctor about my knee. It just hurts all the time. The last time I was in the office, I was told that the only cure for my knee would be a knee replacement. I swore for the last 10 years that I would never have knee surgery. But, the pain is so bad that my foot even hurts and my whole leg. My knee has even buckled a couple of times so I'm going to give in. I sure hope it helps me!

Christmas Is Almost Here

I can't believe the year is almost over! It sure went fast. We had our Christmas with Denny, Sue and Jordan last night because they're going to Michigan on Christmas Day. I hope that they have good weather. The weather has been pretty bad up north the last few weeks. They got a lot of snow! It was pretty cold here too. The last few days have been nice.

The Weather

I wrote on Facebook how nice it was here for the last two days. Yesterday we took Stella out on two walks. We could have worn our sandals, it was so warm. I opened all of the windows in the house. The sun shone and it was in the 70s!
That's all changed today! It's so cold out that I don't want to go out unless it's absolutely necessary. And they said that there's a cold front coming through.

Temperature

It's been in the 100's all week but today we had clouds and rain and it's 90° today! Sure is a beautiful day. My flowers are singing! And the birds! And my windchimes!

Michigan Weather

Oh, it's nice not to be in Michigan right now. They have -°. In December they only had 3% sunshine. I love the sunshine and we have plenty in TX. Today a friend of mine that lives on a lake in MI sent me this cute poem about Michigan weather. I thought I'd put it on my blog for anyone to see that used to live in Michigan and now lives in warmer places...or for those still living in Michigan. All I can do is quote Bob Barker "Come on down!"

It's winter here in Michigan
And the gentle breezes blow,
Seventy miles an hour,
At twenty five below.

Oh, how I love ole Michigan
When the snow's up to your butt.
You take a breath of winter
And your nose freezes shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around.
I could never leave my Michigan
Cause I'm frozen to the ground.
      

Tornados, rainclouds and storms

We had more storm warnings last night (17th). The clouds were beautiful. One thing about Texas is that whether the sky is cloudless and blue or cloudy and gray, it's beautiful. I think Texas has the prettiest sky and I do believe that Texas has the biggest sky. Well, isn't everything bigger in Texas, even the sky? The funny difference that I find in Texas storm warnings and watches from Michigan warnings and watches is that in Michigan, if there is a storm coming, the watches and warnings are flashed across the TV screen. Here, in Texas, the shows are all pre-empted, even if the storm is miles away. We had only weather reports from 6:00 pm until after 10:00 pm. I'm sure glad that Lost is still being repeated or I would have missed the show! We had a good rain but the hail was all southwest of us. They had hail from the size of a pea to the size of a golfball, to a baseball and even a softball. The hail was like a rolling snowball that got bigger and bigger.
Today the sun was shining brightly and you wouldn't know we had a storm last night. I love Texas!

Clouds and tornados

The clouds were beautiful April 17, just before the tornado warning sounded. One thing about Texas that is different than Michigan is the weather updates. In Michigan, we were used to having the watches and warnings flash across your TV screen. Not so in TX. Our local stations pre-empted all the shows from 6:00 pm until after 10:00 pm. Some of it was interesting but a lot was repeated. There was a lot of hail that varied from pea size hail to baseball sized hail, to softball sized hail. The hail was like a rolling snowball, it kept getting bigger and bigger! Fortunately we didn't get damage in Allen like we did with last weeks storms. Some of the cities southwest of us were hit and a lot of windshields were busted. I was getting ready to find a car wash to hide in so my car wouldn't end up looking like a blue golfball. I didn't have to, thank God.
Texas has beautiful skies, whether the sky is open and blue or whether we have storms. Did you know that Texas has the biggest sky? Well, anyway, that's what I think. Everything is bigger in Texas, including the sky. I love Texas.

I can't believe it but it's back!

Last night the weather predicted was rain and possibly snow tonight. Around noon today, it started to rain, turned to sleet and hail and then to snow. The snowflakes were the biggest I've ever seen, around the size of a quarter. Now I know everything is bigger in Texas but I didn't know that anything that falls from the sky is bigger here too! Everything was covered with snow and now it's melting again. But there may be more coming tonight! I can't keep up! Funny thing is that LB and Steve had no snow by them. Neither did Sue and Denny. Denny lives around 10 miles from us and Steve and Laurie live around 20 miles away. The highways were terrible! Oh well, I put my jammies on again and settled in the house. Funny but when it's icky weather, I love to put my jammies on and sit around with a hot cup of tea. Lately, it's a cup of Chai tea. Mmmmm. We'll see what tomorrow brings. I hope to get out tomorrow so I hope it's nice out. I want to put mulch around my flowers in the front yard since some of them are budding now.

It's gone!!!!

The snow lasted until afternoon. By late afternoon we shed our jackets. Snow in Texas is good for one day for the kids to be able to play in it. As for me, I'm glad it only lasted the one day. As I was cleaning off 5 inches of snow off from my car with a broom and scraper, I kept saying to myself..."reminds me of why I left Michigan". Sorry to all of you Michiganders. I know you've had a bad winter.

Snow, snow and too much snow

Well, it hit us last night. Snow! Dallas had fun in the snow and wanted to stay out there. O'Ley went out in it but hid in Dally's tent. They had to close down 75 at McDermitt. And Laurie only got a little on her roof. How unfair is that? The sun is out and it will be in the 60s today. All of the snow will be gone by this afternoon. One day is ok to get it because it'll be gone. Unlike when I was in MI where the snow stayed and stayed and got dirty from the cars.
I took pictures in the dark when it snowed and this morning after the snow stopped. At least Dallas had fun. She had socks on for mittens.

Texas has been invaded by MI

We had a terrible cold day today after big winds and rain last night. We're supposed to have snow during the night tonite but it's already snowing ice. I can tell you that I don't like it! I came home today from the center, put on my jammies, made myself a nice hot cup of chai tea and I'm not leaving the house! I won't even go to the mailbox to get the mail! Just think. If I lived in MI, I'd be so depressed, cold, hibernated, crabby and would have all of my blinds shut. Thank God this will only last a day or two!

Texas rain storms

Last summer we left the house and the sun was shining. We went a few blocks away so Jamie could tan at the tanning place. Dallas and I waited in the car for her. All of a sudden the clouds started to form. Denny called me and told me to get home because it looked like a storm. Dallas and I waited and we took pictures. It rained but not too long and not to hard. It's funny how it can pour at Denny's house and we'll have sunshine. We'll have hail and he'll have sunshine and we're only a few miles apart. Here's what the storm looked like.