Bama Nation is all over!

A friend, Leslie, posted this on facebook just for me! This picture was taken in Rochester, NY showing I'm not the only Crimson Tide fan up North!

This is winter?

Amazing. The calendar says it is January 9, 2012. Yet so far this year, Rochester has had less than two inches of snow! The stores are well stocked with snow shovels and snow blowers but they are gathering dust!

We have had very cold weather, just no snow. The ski areas can make snow as long as the temperature cooperates, and it has.

By this time in most years, Rochester has had at least a couple of major storms. This year may go down in the record books as the mildest winter on record if things don't change. Oh, but this is Rochester and you know what they say, "If you don't like the weather in Rochester, stick around. It will change."

A new year

2011 had a lot of pot holes (make that sink holes) in the road of life for me, but it ended on a high note. I am in a job that I like and those I work for value me.

I am optimistic for 2012, both for myself and for our country.

Life is what you make it. Even when life throws rotten eggs your way, you can find things to be thankful for. For me, it was friends, my health, my home, Molly, my loveable black Lab, and my tenacity in walking through storms.

Our annual cousins reunion is coming up in April. That is something I look forward to all year. I enjoy the drive down and back, watching Spring come alive, since often, on that trip, I leave Rochester with snow and ice on the ground! Seeing dogwood trees blooming in woods along the way is a promise that warm weather will always follow the harsh New York winter. Stopping along the way and hearing that distinct Southern accent among the locals takes me back to my childhood when life was much slower paced than it is now. And laughing when someone eyes my license plate and says, “You a Yankee, huh?” Then there was the time I stopped at a rest area in Alabama and was asked by an elderly gentleman, "What's a Yankee woman doin' way down he-uh all by huhself?"

With Spring and Summer come bike rides, canoe camping trips, local paddling, and cooking outside on my grill. Actually, with the mild winter we are having so far, I just may get in a few grilled steaks between now and Spring!

Life is good!

Happy New Year!

Here's wishing all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year in 2012! In February of 2012, I will mark three years of blogging. I had no idea three years ago how far I would get with blogging. I was filled with anxiety and questions. . . how can I find enough to write about to keep this thing going? It never crossed my mind how many friends - far and near - that I would make through blogging.

Occasionally friends will say things like, "I've thought about doing that, but. . ." I tell them to JUST DO IT!!!

It has been a great experience. Following other people's blogs has opened up a whole new world to me. Every blog is unique and I've found so many that bring joy to my life.

THANK YOU, BLOG FRIENDS!!!

Merry Christmas!

To all of my blog friends, may you and your family have a very Merry Christmas.

Santa arrives on a firetruck

I heard strange sounds coming down my street. Kind of like a retarded alarm! Looking out the window, I saw flashing lights. Santa arrived on a firetruck decked out in Christmas lights. Kids came out of the woodwork to get candy from him!



And here is Molly wishing she could get out for a closer look at all the excitement!

Recipe heaven!

Everyone knows I am a cookbook/recipe junkie. I offer no excuses, it's just who I am. There is probably no one on the face of the earth with more cookbooks and recipe binders than I have.

For months (well, okay years) my recipe collection had gotten out of hand. I am forever finding recipes on the internet, in magazines, or word of mouth from friends. I'll come home, stuff them here or there in a recipe binder or drawer or my Daytimer, even inside my car.

Yesterday I went to Office Max and bought a 2 inch binder to replace several of my smaller ones. I also bought index dividers and sheet protectors. I get a discount at Office Max because the University of Rochester uses them as a vendor so employees get University pricing on purchases. I've made a major dent in getting the recipes organized and easier to find. Then I ran out of sheet protectors so I need to make another trip for more.

To answer the question many of you are thinking. . . YES, I do use these recipes!!! Can't say that I've used every single one, but many of them. One of the ways that I deal with the harsh New York winters is to try new recipes. I am thrilled when I find a recipe that is a winner.

How about you? What are your passions?

Its only purpose is to bring a smile

I ordered a Christmas present from a blogger friend who has an Etsy shop. Find her store here

I wish I could show you what I ordered. It is unique, one-of-a-kind and beautiful. Unfortunately, it was bought for someone who reads my blog so, for now, I have to keep it confidential!

After opening the box it was mailed in and oohing and aahing over it, even letting my curious Lab, Molly, sniff it, I gathered up the packing materials to toss in the trash. One wad of paper seemed awfully heavy to be just paper.

Surprise! I unraveled the paper and there was this cute turtle. “Oh!” I caught myself saying out loud! I wasn’t expecting this! “Okay,” I said to Molly, who was standing at my side with her tail wagging excitedly, “I suppose I have to let you inspect this one too.”

I later e-mailed the sender telling her how thrilled I was with my purchase and the excitement of finding the turtle.

“Its only purpose in life is to bring a smile,” she replied. I think I’ll take it to work and put in a prominent place on my desk. It is sure to capture the attention of anyone who walks into my office! And when things get crazy at work, as so often happens, I’ll just look at my turtle and smile.

Where's the snow?

So far this year, 1/3 of an inch of snow has fallen in Rochester. At this time last year, we had accumulated two feet!

Not that I am complaining! Sure, a fresh fallen snow is beautiful. . . when you are at home looking out the window! It's clearing the driveway at 6:00 am so that I can go to work and driving in it that is no fun. The first snowfall of the year brings a multitude of wrecks on the roads. People just seem to forget how to drive in the snow, ice, and slush.

I am sure it won't be long before I'll be posting a picture here of our first big snowfall!!!

Morning Sky

Here are two pictures, taken just minutes ago, about 7:15 am, of the eastern sky. Pretty, huh?



And here is the same view two hours later.