Thursday, December 22, 2022 Cloudy Cold Breezy Wintery 45 Degrees 3:49 p.m.

We are under a wind Chill warning and a Freeze warning. Winter has officially arrived in East Tennessee. The man from the department of transportation asked all to stay off the highways, stay home as traveling will be hazardous. There are and will be men and trucks out sanding the roads but having to fight traffic will make it twice as difficult to accomplish. We are to have rain this evening that will change into snow in the early morning hours, then quit. The temperature will be about 7 degrees at dawn and will warm up to 16 degrees for the high. This type of weather will last through Christmas.

Meanwhile, I have been busy working at getting gifts wrapped, laundry, etc. The house looks pretty well cleaned up with the exception of the living room where we have one of the big tables up and are wrapping gifts and doing cards. When we accomplish all of that the table will go down and I will get the room cleaned up and looking cozy. Then we can sit in front of the fire and enjoy.

Tuesday Pamela came over. We went and did a bit of shopping, had lunch, then came back here and played games. When her dad got off work he brought pizza and joined us. Then Tina got home and joined us. It was a busy and fun day. Just so you know, the Walgreens in Asheville, NC has far more Christmas stuff on sale then the one here.

I will tell more about the Biltmore next week. Right now there is to much going one and needing to get done.

Story of the day: “DEAR SANTA CLAUSE: Dear Santa Clause, it’s me again, reminding you I’m here. I’m making my list easier and shorter this year than last year. I’d like a stack of comic books, a dozen apple pies; A box of chocolate brownies, and an elephant that flies, a porpoise for the bathtub and a dragon for my room; a robot that dose homework and can also use a broom. And I’d like a hippopotamus, a trumpet and a drum. I could use a half a dollar and a million sticks of gum. Just leave them underneath our tree or near our fire place. Oh! you probably won’t bring them but i”m writing ……just in case.”

Quote of the day: “Remember, every cloud has a silver lining….and sometimes a bolt of lightening.” My calendar

Have a great rest of your Thursday. Make it a thrifty, terrific, tantilizing and fun day.

Blessings

Monday, December 19, 2022 Cloudy Cold Dry Calm 43 Degrees 4:27 p.m.

Baby. It’s Cold Outside. This is our high for the day. It was 22 when I got up this morning. There was defiantly frost on the pumpkin, and on the roofs, cars, and everything else left outdoors. We are to have freezing temperatures all week. I guess winter is here for good now. Maybe snow for Christmas.

The Biltmore was fabulous! It is the home of the Vanderbilt’s. They have been restoring it for several years now and they still have a lot to do. Each room is being restored to its original state. This includes furniture, woodwork, walls, windows and window coverings, floors and carpets or rather rugs. So pretty, so antique, so interesting. The scrolling and carvings on the furniture as well as the door frames and mantles, is exquisite. My thought is how do they dust all that. I am sure it takes one maid per room a day to get it and keep it in prestige condition. The library, which is very large, holds well over a thousand books. Each one is leather bound. The books range from history, geography, astrology, novels, medical, biblical, cooking, gardening, farming and much more. There is a beautiful large fireplace, now gas burning but was wood burning back in the day. On the walls there are paintings done by famous artists. Here and there are vases filled with flower arrangements from their nursery, or perhaps a lamp or picture in a frame, etc. Nothing was cluttered or over done. Everything was very tasteful and simply beautiful. The chairs and couches, end tables and coffee tables were placed so as to be useful to whomever was sitting, reading or just visiting. Some of the chairs had hinges connecting the side arms to the chair. If one wanted or needed a table to rest his book on, he simply undid that hinge and the arm would go into a v shape so that the book could be held in a reading position and pages easily turned. A great many of the books were very large and I assume quite heavy so this would be a way to comfortably read.

Story of the day: ” IT’S CHRISTMAS” It’s Christmas! Merry Christmas! Yes, it’s merry, merry Christmas, it’s a time for hanging stockings, it’s a time for riding sleighs, it’s a time for jolly greetings, snow, and holly, overeating, Oh, I love you merry Christmas, you’re the best of holidays!”

More on the Biltmore tomorrow. The rest of the weekend was Christmas shopping, wrapping , craft making, eating and a tad bit of sleeping. A very good 4 days. Shopping is done, cards are nearly done, house is a mess, wrapping is in full swing and it’s Christmas time, Merry, Merry Christmas!

Quote of the day:Some people grow up and spread cheer….Others grow up and spread. My Calendar

Have a great rest of your Monday. Maker it a special, rewarding, safe, cheerful and fun day.

Blessings

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 RAINING cloudy lakes forming 49 degrees 5:11 P.M.

It is a very wet day and this is to continue until at least morning. I sure hope it quits before we leave for the Biltmore. I can just see all the wet and maybe muddy shoes strolling through that beautiful mansion. they probably wouldn’t let us in.

Diner tonight is leftovers. That is simple, both in preparing and the clean up. Since I have a Doctor’s. appoint first thing in the morning, then will come home and get ready to leave. Sierra will have peace and quiet for a couple of days. At least a day and a half. She will have water and dry food so will be fine. Our neighbor will come in and check on her and feed her the canned food.

Story of the day: “SINGING CHRISTMAS CAROLS” On Christmas Eve we bundle up and go out caroling, our neighbors shut their windows when they hear my family sing. My voice is very beautiful, I sing just like a bird, but everybody drowns me out so I am barely heard. Dad sings like a buffalo and Mother like a moose, my sister sounds like breaking glass, and my brother like a goose. Though our singing sounds so sour it sends shivers down my spine, when we’re caroling together there’s no family sweet as mine.”

This will probably be the last Blog of the week, depending on what time we get home on Friday. Have a great rest of your day and week. Make it a Cheerful, productive, positive, adventurous and fun day and week.

Blessings

Tuesday, December 13, 2022 Sunny Clear Cold Calm 46 Degrees 1:32 p.m.

I am told that meteorology wise, it is already winter. The desk calendar says that there is still 7 days until winter starts so we are still in fall—–, but it sure feels like winter. The rain returns tomorrow evening. I am so excited.

Not a lot going on here at the moment. It has been a quiet day in this neighborhood. I believe the stores are pretty busy as there are more sales going on. I believe many are out shopping before the interest rate goes up again tomorrow. I think they should try another tacit as increasing the interest rate doesn’t seem to be accomplishing their purpose. But, then, I’m not a math person, nor an accountant.

I am getting excited about our up coming visit to the Biltmore. The more I hear about it the more I am eager to visit there and see all that they have to offer. I understand the Christmas decorations are spectacular. Plus seeing the virtual Leonardo de Vinci – 500 hundred years of genius should be very interesting. Tina is most excited about that. I believe he had more achievements besides being an artist.

I saw on my BLINK that we have two rabbits that hop by our door in the wee hours of the morning. I can tell as they hop and there are 4 bright eyes. That is all I see, but it is cool. Usually all I see is a cat. I have seen the rabbits twice now. Charles, down at the end, has seen deer several times. So fun.

Story of the day: ” MY CHRISTMAS PUP”

Its Christmas and I’m very happy ’cause I got a little puppy. it’s a floppy. little puppy of my very, very own , oh, he’s hopping and he’ s skipping and he’s flopping and he’s flipping and he’ sitting and he’s nipping on a little rubber bone. Oh, his tummy’s sort of tubby and his tail is sort of stubby and his head is sort of moppy, oh I love my little pup, yes, I love my little puppy, little tubby floppy puppy, (even though he made a puddle and I had to wipe it up).”

Have a great rest of your Tuesday. Make it a super fantastic, wonderful and fun day.

Blessings