Merry Christmas

My husband sent the following out to his loved ones for Christmas. It warmed my heart and I wanted to share it with everyone. I love you Gary.
Merry Christmas to all and a safe New Year.

As 2007 comes to a close, to my wife of 34 years and mother of the year,
I love you more and more. Thank you for all that you do in my life and
in the lives of our family.
To my three wonderful young adults, Jason,
you and Andrea are showing the world your best and I am very proud of
you! Jonathan, you and Lauren are beginning a rich and exciting life
as husband and wife in 2008 and I am very happy for you really happy
and proud to welcome Lauren into our family. Jessica,you showed the
world you've got the right stuff at Graduation from SIU,  and now
you are already making  your contribution to helping people heal
in the medical community. I'm thankful that Brandon and his parents
are both doing well and that Brandon has looked after you and given
you happiness.
It may not be original but I just wanted you to know I am thinking of you this
holiday season.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday! (go to the link below)
Just place your cursor over hit and then when it comes up hit play---enjoy.


http://www.thecompassgroup.biz/merryxmas.swf

Winter

Well our winter has finally arrived. Not that we haven't had cold ass weather just no snow. We have had temps in the teens which usually waits until February and lots and lots of ice which we don't usually get. This weekend that all changed. We got around 8 inches of snow Saturday. Then we got a blizzard of blowing snow the next day. The snow is so fine that when the wind was sustained at 30 mph it created a snow storm all over again. Gary and I went junk shopping until about 3 when I happened to look outside and thought o crap better get home. The clouds were bulging and hanging low about to give birth to a huge storm. Darkness engulfed us quickly. The atmosphere turned to pea soup. The wind began to pick up and huge gigantic flakes began to fall. Awww what I love most up here.

The blanket of snow that nature rolls us in brings light. Sound strange? When it is freezing rain/sleet or rain the clouds surround us in a dank gray. Depressing. But when the snow comes it lights up even the night. Like having a full moon all the time. Our daylight hours here in winter are very limited. The light comes up around 8:30 and sets by 4:30. Notice I said light comes up not the sun. We don't average but about maybe 7 days in December of even seeing the sun and then it is measured by hrs of certain days. We may get 2 hrs one day, 4 hrs another, but however much we get the snow absorbs the light and glows at night. That is the beauty I see in it compared to the gray days of winter I have spent elsewhere in this country. I love the snow for the beauty it shares with me at night.

Speaking of loving the snow, yep Happy and Poochie up to their I want to go out and play in the snow again, and again, and again, and again...My day is spent let dog out, let dog in. Alot of the snow blew off my deck, but Happy didn't let that stop her from trying to bury herself under it. Gary must like the snow blower because he went right out yesterday morning and used it to dig the car out and driveway. Lot better than a snow shovel.

Speaking of shoveling, Jason had to shovel his car out in Arnold, MO. Ha they got 5 inches. Andrea sent me a pic of her back deck overlooking the woods out back I want to include in this blog--very pretty. Also I am going to include pics of Jessicas new family members. She is extremely lonely living in Atlanta so she got what she wanted for Xmas--not one dog but two minature dashunds. They sound like a herd of small elephants running across the floor. They have these tiny little long bodies with huge flat feet and when you look directly at them you see hounddog. Gary and I are going to St Louis to visit with Jason and Andrea and Jessica is taking the weekend to come pick up her dog presents.

Well won't be long before Jon gets married again. February 29, 2008---their sense of humor suits each other well. She is a wonderful person and will make a great partner for Jon. They are going on a cruise for their honeymoon (hope they take enough pepto for that "cruise virus" that hits in the winter), and then they are going to spend some time at Disney World after the cruise. The place they have secured for the wedding is absolutely beautiful. It is a botanical garden with a chapel in it. Just look at Jon's pics and you will see it. Atlanta is still having 75 degree weather at the moment.

That seems to be it for now. And NO to those who might think I am facing mecca now just because I am studing the Koran like I studied the Old and New Testament last year. Either way, all these religions make women look like they are no more than horse shit so the reading takes away any worth I feel because I am a woman. I guess JD was right--women are about as usefull has titts on a bore hog. That sentiment wraps up the womans plight in any of these religions. Oh well. Maybe someone ought to write a womans version of these religions. Out for now---talk later

Turkey Day Pics

Thought I would just put them on blog but there are a bunch so just go to Jon's site and enjoy the many many pics. When you get there just choose the album called Thanksgiving and choose the first pic then hit the right arrow button to see each one in order. Jon and Lauren took some cool ones.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jcshroyer

Thanksgiving 2007

We spent Thanksgiving this year at Jason's house in St. Louis. I want everyone to know what a fantastic cook my daughter-in-law Andrea is. We ate and we ate and we ate. She makes pralines that rival Savannah Sweets, just ask Erik. We had a butter cake, pecan pie, pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie (all homemade) cookies (which were Atticus choice), ice cream, turkey, dressing, twice cooked potatoes, broccoli casserole, sweet potato/marshmallow, corn casserole, fresh made cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, homemade biscuits, spiral honey ham, homemade potato soup geez I don't know if I remembered all there was. Right at the last minutes Andrea got a bad burn so Erik and Laura took charge and finished the heating of the vegetable dishes. Boy was it some good eating. Yum makes me hungry thinking of it.

All my kids were there with their significant other. Jon and Lauren flew in Thanksgiving day so we held the big meal off till Friday so everyone could be together. Jessica and Brandon showed up around noon Friday, had dinner with us and played guitar hero game on Jason's PS3 in the downstairs media room. Brandon of course beat everyone at it, although Jon was right up there with him. Jason sang, and Jessica, Andrea, Erik and Jon took turns playing the drums part. Very entertaining and very loud.

Jason and Andrea worked so verrrrrry hard on getting their house ready. They had a 62 inch hd tv downstairs so we could play games or watch movies. Laura, Erik and Atticus slept downstairs on a hide a bed and a twin size bed. I think Erik liked watching movies after everyone went to bed. Jason and Andrea installed new flooring upstairs. They put in a hardwood floor which turned out beautiful.

The last day we were there everyone kinda went off in different directions to see things in St Louis. Gary, Jason, Lauren, and Jon went to the downtown area to see the Arch and museum. They also went to the Hard Rock Cafe and just sight seeing in general. Erik, Laura, and Atticus went to a mastadon museum which was only 4 miles from Jason's house and then they went to the Arch. We thought they were going to the Cahokia Indian Mounds--which are really cool--but I think they didn't want to do the walking involved. Jessica and Brandon returned the night before to Carbondale where he lives right now while he finishes his degree. Andrea and I went house hunting---house hunting you ask? Yep our favorite thing to do together.

I wanted to see how the market is looking right now. Gary got a call from Midcoast asking him to come interview. They need a director in FAA certification. He interviewed the day before Thanksgiving and filled out the paperwork this week. Means twice the money and he won't have to work for GE---which is more like a cult than a business. So we will wait and see what happens in the next few weeks. I could live around St. Louis. The dogs could be outside more. I told Gary we ought to keep the house here to have a summer retreat. May just rent it out who knows. This is a university town so probably won't have problems renting from August to May.

Started snowing yesterday and still doing it off and on. This weekend they are calling for our first winter storm---oh joy---break out the snow blower. Have to go buy some groceries because they said it may be blizzard conditions. Wind has been howling off the great lakes at about 40-60 mph since Monday. Half way home last Sunday it began to rain, then freezing rain, then snow on us. I just shut my eyes and Gary kept driving. Doesn't bother him. I am going to include something Gary sent me from work in this blog and it is so true of people who live in Michigan.

Well take care and I will post pics of Thanksgiving and our supposed blizzard in another blog. Also I am posting a website that I hope you enjoy looking at as much as I did. Gary sent it to me from work because he knows how much I love trains. Maybe that love comes from when I was young and lived in Toltec and Jim had a train. Anyway here it is:

life_on_a_train.pps




As Winter approaches..................Are you aware that Jeff Foxworthy is now

picking on Michigan? Read on.

1. If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 18
inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by,
you might live in Michigan

2. If you're proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights each
year because Pellston is the coldest spot in the nation, you might live in
Michigan .

3. If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March, you
might live in Michigan.

4. If you instinctively walk like a penguin for five months out of the
year, you might live in Michigan.

5. If someone in a store offers you assistance, and they don't work there,
you might live in Michigan.

6. If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his
forehead, (or at the top of his ankles) you might live in Michigan.

7. If you have worn shorts and a coat at the same time, you might live in
Michigan.

8. If your town has an equal number of bars and churches, you might live
in Michigan.

9. If you have had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who
dialed a wrong number, you might live in Michigan.


Part 2 - You know you're a true MICHIGANDER when . . .

1. "Vacation" means going up north on I-75, 127, or 31

2. You measure distance in hours.

3. You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.
4. You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
5. You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard,
without flinching.
6. You see people wearing camouflage at social events (including
weddings).
7. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both
unlocked.
8. You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to
use them.
9. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
10. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with
snow.
11. You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road
construction.
12. You can identify a southern or eastern accent.
13. Your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your
blue spruce.
14. You were unaware that there is a legal drinking age.
15. Down South to you means Ohio.
16. A brat is something you eat.
17. Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new pole barn.
18. You go out to a fish fry every Friday.
19. Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.
20. You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.
21. You find 0 degrees "a little chilly."
22. You drink pop and bake with soda.
23. Your doctor tells you to drink Vernors and you know it's not medicine.
24. You can actually drink Vernors without coughing.
25. You know what a Yooper is.
26. You think owning a Honda is Un-American.
27. You know that UP is a place, not a direction.
28. You know it's possible to live in a thumb.
29. You understand that when visiting Detroit, the best thing to wear is a
Kevlar vest.
30. You actually understand these jokes, and you forward them to all your
Michigan friends.

Jon and Lauren

Looking pretty happy!!! Jon and his soon to be wife, Lauren. Awwwww

BRRRRR

Started out this morning at 10 am it was sunny, no clouds, high 50's but by 12 it became dark, cloudy and winds up to 60 mph and now the temps are in the 30's. I had to take Gary to the doctor and I sat outside in the car watching the clouds roll in and the wind begin to blow. Next comes the snow, by nightfall. Jessica sent us a picture today of her day in Orlando in surgery .

Crazy Squirrel

Jason and Andrea sent this to me. Reminds me of Crazy Squirrel when I am out in my garden.

About Halloween, Squirrels and Other Things

Halloween!! OMG they kept coming and coming and coming. We had two big pots full of candy--100 bucks worth of candy and by 7:15 it was gooooone! We turned the lights out and sat in the dark afraid to answer the door. To make it even worse, it began to pour down rain at 6! The little beasts kept banging on the door or ringing the door bell over and over before I could get down the stairs. Some of them were really cute and some of them well they shouldn't have been at the door. We had two pregnant teens and no it wasn't part of their costumes--Gary asked.

Crazy Squirrel thought he had died and gone to heaven. When I was out back cleaning out my flower beds getting ready for spring Crazy Squirrel was in the tree watching me and chattering and I was fussing and talking back to him. I had a large bag of bird food so when I got through I poured it out around my bee and of course he was on it by the time I shut the back door. The next day, a young squirrel was out there with him. This is probably Crazy Squirrels last winter because they don't live long, but now I have a new squirrel to deal with.
Well they say winter is here starting Monday afternoon. Just north of us is expecting 6 to 10 inches and we will get a dusting--anything under 3 inches. It has been a beautiful day here today around 60 so it will be a big change coming tomorrow. Front coming down from Canada across Lake Michigan.

Well take care. Jessica is in Orlando this week being part of her first surgeries. She is really spooled up for this. They made her lead over the other people so she calls the shots of who goes where, and who goes to which surgeries. She has to be part of 8 surgeries by Wednesday morning. The first one is brain surgery and she can't wait. Jason and Andrea are working hard on their house putting up a fence, putting hard wood flooring in on the top floor and getting ready to host Thanksgiving. Jon and Lauren are fighting a bad cold right now, but they are getting better. Both working hard and having a great Halloween party. Check out their blog and pics from my blog. We hope the best for WT. He has just recently had surgery and we hope he is doing better. Take care WT.

Why I Love Fall

Today is Saturday and we spent our day riding around looking at Fall. Most of these pics were taken at a park about 5 blocks from the house.