Quote of the Day

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Mark Twain

Honor Society

Our grand daughter Tara has been studying for her LPN license and doing quite well.  Today she was admitted to membership in the National Technical Honor Society.  This privilege is offered to students who are in the top 10% academically and exhibit traits such and honesty, leadership, and citizenship.

Tara with her fellow Honor Society members.

 

 

Tara and Gracen

 

 

Jarrett, Gracen, and Tara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quote of the Day

"Men's minds are raised to the level of the women with whom they associate."

Alexandre Dumas Père

travelers north

A flock of Red-Winged Blackbirds stopped by our feeders on

their way north. A Red-Bellied Woodpecker looks on from the post.

Quote of the Day

Philosophy and science have not always been friendly toward the idea of God. The reason being that they are dedicated to the task of accounting for things and are impatient with anything that refuses to give an account of itself. The philosopher and the scientist will admit that there is much that they do not know, but that is quite another thing from admitting that there is something which they can never know, which indeed they have no technique for discovering. To admit that there is one who lies beyond us, who exists outside of all our categories, who will not be dismissed with a name, who will not appear before the bar of our reason, nor submit to our curious inquiries: This requires a great deal of humility, more than most of us possess, so we save face by thinking God down to our level, or at least down to where we can manage Him.

A.W. Tozer - Knowledge of the Holy

Garden Time

Last week it seemed the cold would never end.  This week the temperatures are rising and we are venturing out.. Gracen had not been outside to play since Christmas; such was the weather. Now she has become a wild child to make up for the months of confinement.  We had our garden tilled today and it won't be long until we will be planting food.

 

 

 

Princess Birthday

Gracen had a birthday party in her honor today with a princess theme.

 

 

 

Mom and Dad help with the opening of presents

 

 

 

Gracen and Jenna, er I mean Ariel and Snow White play on the

merry go round

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horses in the Snow

The horses don't seem to mind the snow as long as they can paw

through it and get to grass.

 

 

 

 

 

The TV weathermen continue to promise fair weather only to contradict themselves a day later with news of an oncoming winter storm.  Snow is forecast for tonight and tomorrow with an additional accumulation of up to 3 inches.  The 50 degree days we long for are continually being postponed.

 

 

 

 

Another Cake

This is Dorothy's latest cake:

 

 

I punched the round discs for the notes out of fondant.

I had to make much more than I needed because some

gremlin kept stealing them and eating them as fast as

I could make them. I think that gremlin is hiding in

the corner somewhere.

 

 

Weather Update:

 

 

Current temperature: 12

 

High today: 18

 

Low tonight: 5

 

 

Snow flurries continue. It may go above freezing by Saturday. Cabin fever intense. Catching up on reading.

 

Quote of the Day

"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."
Albert Einstein

Halfway to Spring

Tuesday will be the approximate halfway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. After the first week of February there usually starts a warming trend. I hope that holds true this year because I am weary of the cold temperatures, the slick roads, the high utility bills, and worrying about the family members that risk their safety to get to work or school. We've seen nothing like this in the 34 years we've lived here, not even the great ice storm of 2009.

Today we're experiencing the first of three snow storms that

are forecast to blow through this week.

 

 

 

 

When Mr. Groundhog sees his shadow on Feb 2 it means there will be

six more weeks of winter.  Around these parts he definitely did not see his shadow

so that means winter will only last another 42 days