Yes, we are those dumb people who go outside when a storm is blowing in to see if it’s bringing a tornado with it! The pic is from earlier this week, we saw a few swirling clouds, but thankfully no funnels, just a lot of wind and rain. Notice Mr. bookbabie has his wine with him, he read somewhere that offering up a glass Cabernet Sauvigon to the weather Gods will protect you 🙂
Last week a posted a photo from a past January trip to Cancun, this week a photo of why I wish I was in Cancun again right now. As lovely as winter can be here in Michigan, it was -9 when I got up today and when it’s that cold you just don’t want to leave the house. I did step out to take my SkyWatch photo though, now I think I’m going to go drink a pot of hot coffee and defrost my toes by the fire!
Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. ~Edith Sitwell
It was only forty degrees this morning, my coffee tasted so good today! Take a peek at other Wordless Wednesday entrants here:)
I believe humans get a lot done, not because we’re smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee. ~Flash Rosenberg
We went to my sister’s for Father’s Day on Sunday. They all spent a rather hellish week at a children’s hospital with my niece’s one-year-old daughter who became very ill with Type 1 Diabetes that came on suddenly after a virus. We had no idea this could happen, it was very scary and quite a shock. After my son and daughter-in-law lost their unborn baby girl, my family could still count my parent’s great-grandchild blessings when they thought of our healthy, happy little Aryielle. Ha, said the Universe, not so fast! While googling Aryielle’s illness I came across a surprising fact, apparently the same rogue gene region that can trigger gluten intolerance can also cause Type 1 Diabetes. Something my family needs to keep in mind (I have one of the Celiac genes).
After we got home another storm blew in and this one brought along some marble-sized hail. Click on the pic above to see a larger version. It was pretty wild. Mr. bookbabie went out and scooped up a bowl of it (I have no idea why) so I took an iStock-like photo of it for him! What is going on with the weather? Is your weather as crazy as our is?
We had some nasty storms blow across our state last night. You always know it’s bad when you see that “shelf” of dark clouds moving in. It was a fast moving front and after it blew through I went out and took some pictures. One of my clematis vines lost most of its petals in the wind and heavy downpour, but I thought it was still quite lovely and worthy of being photographed.
Faith is not a delicate flower which would wither away under the slightest stormy weather. ~Gandhi
How did we spend our Easter weekend? Why shoveling the driveway of course. That’s my backyard, not last month, this morning! We had family over Friday night for an early holiday dinner and that’s what they had to contend with getting here, 8 inches of snow and rush hour traffic. We are nothing else if not stubborn here in Michigan and they came anyway. When my sister-in-law from Louisville was getting her son Evan’s winter coat out for the trip he complained, “No, it’s spring!” And she answered, “Not in Michigan!” Little did they know what was really in store for them. Joann was just considering the cold, she left their boots at home and the kids ended up trudging through the snow in their tennis shoes last night.
It was good to see everyone, although my mom wasn’t up to coming and that bummed us out. Like most moms she is the Queen Bee of our family and we missed her terribly last night. I would take all the bad weather Michigan can dish out and never complain again if I could just have my mom healthy again. Joann’s sister Jackie is also very sick and has been in our thoughts and prayers lately. So come to think of it, who cares about the stupid weather. From now on each time I start to whine about the weather I’m going to stop myself, dig up something to add to my “blessing list”, and say a prayer for family members who are dealing with serious illness right now.
Health is the thing that makes you feel that now is the best time of the year.
~Franklin Pierce Adams
So today is the first day of spring and I couldn’t be happier. Really, I’m happy, whoo hoo it’s spring! The problem is (you knew that was coming didn’t you?) no one told the weather here in Michigan. We still have some snow on the ground, the temperature was 25 when I got up this morning, and we have a Winter Storm Warning for tomorrow. What the #%*? Now I try not to let the weather effect my mood, I’ve lived in Michigan all my life, I should be accustomed to snow and cold and cloudy days. But the older I get the less tolerant I’m becoming of the local weatherman and his gloomy forecasts. When I was younger I used to snicker at all the “snowbirds”, the older folks who took off for warmer climates the minute the first snowflake fluttered to the ground. But I get it now. Time is flying by and spending five months bundled up against the cold, shoveling snow, feeling like you’re taking your life in your hands getting to the end of an icy driveway just to retrieve your morning paper is getting old, oh heck, I guess I must be getting old! My question is, how much does the weather influence your mood?
Click here to take a quiz and see what kind of flower you are, I’m a Snapdragon (funny, I thought I’d be a Lily) .
Last week my doc told me that I have carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. It wasn’t a big surprise because I’ve had symptoms for a long time; numbness, tingling, and pain in my hands when I get cold along with fingers that are always so naturally chilly I can dip them quickly into boiling water and nab a hot noodle to check it for doneness. I have to strap on two lovely wrist splints every night now (very sexy) and I’ll visit my massage therapist and see if she can open up the carpal tunnel and relieve some of the nerve compression. I’ve been doing more writing and photography in the past few months, and even though I try to use good posture and support my wrists, I think that the added time at the computer has made things worse.
And here’s where the moanin’ part comes in. My body has disappointed me plenty over the years and I’m more than a little annoyed that it’s up to its old tricks again. I’ve dealt with chronic illness on and off since I was in my twenties and I’ve had to rearrange my dreams and goals many times to accommodate and care for the whims of this rather needy little body that I was born into. Living with chronic health problems has forced me to lead a more balanced life (which is a good thing), it has taken me on a journey that has taught me the value of self-acceptance, hope, and resilience (also good), but enough is enough already! So take note body, this is war, I absolutely positively refuse to give up any more territory to illness!
Oh, and that photo up yonder was taken just this morning, the sun actually came out today! The wind chill is 10 below zero but that’s okay, we are sooo sun starved here in Michigan this winter we’ll take it any way we can get it:)
My own prescription for health is less paperwork and more running barefoot through the grass. ~Leslie Grimutter
bookbabie 