January is done with (not that February is any better, with snow and frigid cold NW winds). I’ve really been in the dumps, and while I’ve been making a lot of beads, it’s been perfunctory. I’ve been trying to get beads done for the AGLF Random Bags of Glass, but at $5 a bag, I’m not going to make $15 beads. And that has left me uninspired. Uninspired, and in the dumps.

I’m watching Al Roker reporting the weather from Chicago. They’re getting the weather we had over the past couple of days, and then it’s heading east. Everyone, except maybe southern California, has got to be so tired of this winter.

And what is with people? A woman in Minneapolis tried mailing a puppy?!? And on the news this morning a woman sent a video to Dr. Phil showing how she punished her 7 yr. old by making him drink hot sauce, and by giving him a cold shower. Dang! What’s wrong with washing the mouth out with soap? At least that way you get clean teeth (voice of experience there). :)

Flowers, flowers, where’s all of my flowers? I want flowers!!!! These are two of the bulbs I bought online last fall.


My nephews were up Sunday. They got the chains put on the snowthrower, but it was so cold today, I just called and had the driveway plowed out. They also got my doggy door put in, but again, it’s so cold, I have to keep it closed.

Suka is a typical teeny bopper, lots of energy in between his naps, and a pest. He picks on Squeak, and the cats, and here he is bugging Chester,

And here’s the Stupid Pet Photo, Pip relaxing on her favorite spot, the back of the recliner,

 That little box on her collar is the neatest invention for anyone with a yappy dog. It seems to work best with smaller dogs, the bigs ones tend to just ignore it. It has an audio sensor, and when the dog barks, it sprays out citronella. When she’s got that on, she doesn’t get into those frenzied barking streaks.

Oh, gad, the windchills just west of us are already down to -30°.

I HATE WINTER!!!!!

ETA: I’ve been hoarding my Dark Aurae because it was an odd lot from Double Helix, and while they said they would probably have more when they did another run of Aurae, that was months ago. I’m down to 11 rods. Whahhhhhh!!!! I LOVE this glass, and this is why,

ETA: My sister came up last week and we did some more digging into our genealogy, and traced our Dad’s line back to our great-great-grandfather, who was born in Germany in 1806. He and his wife and kids immigrated to the US in 1858, and he died 2 years later of the fever. Our great-great-grandfather on our Mom’s side was born in 1821, and immigrated with his wife and 4 kids in 1867, and died 4 years later. Life was hard on the men back then.

This is my Mom’s grandparents, Wilhelm and Wilhelmina,

Here’s a family photo, my Mom is front center, mid 1920s

My Mom,

And after her Dad died of a heart attack at age 51, she and her brother did the farming.