Anxiously Awaiting Flower Season

Margaret and Barry, I thought I would send a picture just in case you forgot what my car looks like!

The Years Fly By So Fast

Time flies when you are having fun! Where did the years go? It seems like just yesterday when we were young.
The weather was much warmer in Madison when we got married, in the fifties. What happened to global warming?
This was a gift from Barry and his family,the fruit was absolutely delicious. What a surprise! Thank you for remembering our anniversary of 46 years!

The Joys of Having a Boiler

Today I learned how to flush the boiler! Our home has three systems or loops that use water for heating. Two are for steam heat and one is for hot water heat. This is a complicated procedure and Tony has written four pages of instructions that are explicit.

It took an hour but was quite easy, just time consuming. This has to be done four times a year and you need to add chemical to the boiler to keep it functioning well. Whatever we did, did not work for the boiler keeps flooding and the steam heat does not seem to be working correctly this evening. Thank goodness we have a heat wave, it is all of 23 degrees so we will survive. We ran out of chemical and the hot water lines still seem to have air in them so Tony is putzing with them to get the air out of the lines. I hope he is successful, it is nice to have heat in Wisconsin in the winter. We really need some additional research and a new tank for the water system, this dual system still needs tweaking.

Dinner and Movie Date

Last night we went on a date. We went out for dinner at 1951 Club and then to a movie. An awesome movie,"It's Complicated." We had fun and we were home by 9:00. There were many parts of the movie that hit home.

Tony is busy making beds today and I am relaxing away the day. I did get some chores finished and a tad of grocery and shopping done but now I am cruising. That's probably just what I need after a long week with conferences. we have the second set this coming week and I will be pleased when Friday rolls around again.

Almond Bark

This is so easy to make and just a tad in a cup makes a great gift. Melt the white choclate in the microwave by weight. Watch carefully, it burns from the inside. Break the chocolate chunk in two pieces as you melt it, usually about halfway through the process. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper, stir in sliced almonds, about one cup,pour on wax paper to cool and break into pieces when cooled. You can sprinkle red or green sugar on the bark while warm for a more festive gift.

Christmas Memories

Unfortunately, we took the camera with us to Doug and Melissa's home but neglected to take pictures. This is a shot from last year but we still look the same and the gingerbread house was a hit again this year. We had a wonderful visit and the dinner was awesome, thanks again for inviting us Doug and Melissa. Our visit with Bob and Diane was memorable and we need to get together more often. Thank goodness we have two weddings this coming year! The kids were unable to make it home but we were excited to Skype the opening of the gifts with CJ, such fun, thanks for including us, he was so excited!!! I have included pictures of the coffee cups, so you can see what they look like. We absolutely love them and get to look at the boys every morning as we sip our favorite brew. The home made carmels, licorice, and divinity were melt in your mouth as usual. Thanks again for the memories.

Twas the Week Before Christmas

Winter has arrived! I could not believe it would be an overnight sensation. One day the yard was brown and ugly and the next day we had 14.6 inches of snow. I guess that old phrase really is true,"What a Difference a Day Makes!"
We had a snow day that I had assured my students would not happen! "The storm is arriving too early, it will be all plowed out prior to the beginning of school." I was delighted to be incorrect! For the first time that I can remember, school was cancelled the night before. The following day after, we had a late start. I could get used to this!

It did take is 2.5 hours to dig out. We helped the neighbors also but it was difficult even with a snowblower. The yard is beautiful, now I just need to get into the spirit of the season.