Aftermath

Yesterday's storm was definitely one for the books. Heavy snow and high winds caused chaos across the state. It started here around 9 am and continued until around 4:30 pm.
Over 200 accidents occured across the state - the worst one was right at the front door of my little town. 12 deisel trucks, and over 20 cars were mashed and mangled together, closing the freeway for hours, and sending all that traffic up my street until late in the evening.
*** You may have to click on this link [# 1/28/08 - Extreme weather causes problems across Utah] on the extreme left to watch the video - it does run a commercial first, sorry...

Here in my back yard, the canopy that cover(ed) hubby's hot tub is now belly up against the shed. We had a swimming pool ladder standing next to the gazebo - and it is now on the roof of the shed! I would have liked to seen that, I can't figure out how that happened!


I was used to this type of storm where I grew up at the mouth of AF canyon, but I have never seen one like this here. It was one of those days I was very thankful to have nowhere I had to go.

Aauuggghhhh!!!!!

White out!!!
It's a blizzard out there, and I am not amused!
I was supposed to go meet hubby and go to SLC to a Jazz game tonight, but there is no way I am leaving this house with the snow coming at me in horizontal waves!
Chicken you say?
Lilly livered house hider?
You bet. That's me.
I'll be under the bed if you need me.

In other news, I just finished the book "Tending Roses." Such a heartwarming story - I really loved it, but it also stirred up a lot of emotions for me. The story relates to an aging grandmother, which reminded me a lot of what we went through with my mom. I wish her final days could have been more like this instead of the family turmoil we had.

I suppose by now, that the whole world has heard about the passing of Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley. We are so sad. He was more like a loving grandfather than the leader of a worldwide organization. I loved his sense of humor and his humility.
I will miss seeing his face and hearing his voice.

The best of both worlds

...is what I'm hoping for.
Hubby and I had a long talk the other night, about things I'm having a really hard time coping with. I told him how useless I feel not being able to go back to work because of current health issues, (and how afraid I am to try.) So, he went and found me some work I can do at home! It's going to be a little random - sometimes lots of work, sometimes not so much, and it's a tedious and boring job (as are many of them over there)...but it pays fairly well. I will have deadlines, but can work on my own schedule.
Not exactly my dream job, but for now it's a solution for something I've been needing.
Sometimes prayers are answered before they're even prayed.

This guy's been here!

My sister forwarded this to me the other day, and I had to laugh out loud - Jeff Foxworthy knows a lot about rednecks, but how did he get to know us Utahn's so well?
(Ha ha - yup, I know all these people!)

Enjoy!

FORGET REDNECKS; THIS IS WHAT JEFF FOXWORTHY HAD TO SAY ABOUT UTAHNS!

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September to May, you live in Utah .

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in Utah .

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in Utah

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Utah .

If 'vacation' means going anywhere south of Salt Lake City for the weekend, you live in Utah .

If you measure distance in hours, you live in Utah .

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Utah .

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day, you live in Utah .

If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both unlocked, you live in Utah .

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Utah .

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in Utah .

If the speed limit o! n the highway is 75 mph -- you're going 80, and everyone is still passing you, you live in Utah .

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in Utah .

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Utah .

If you find 10 degrees 'a little chilly' you live in Utah .

If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your friends, you live in Utah .

Bling Bling

- A winter diversion...
I've had a hard time sleeping lately, and things have been slow on all my favorite online "hang outs", so I went on a "treasure hunt" for some others last night....just want to share some of the "eye candy" I found...

I've always been fascinated by the Art Nouveau style, it is so romantic and elegant - with an ornate simplicity (if that term even makes sense!)
So, I Googled "art nouveau" (then clicked on "search images") and found these amazing ones: (I've added links to the websites where I found them so as not to get in trouble for hi-jacking images!)

Is this ring not just the coolest?

...and I love this necklace!

...and this one... Wow!

And wouldn't you love to live in this place - like the set of a silent movie...

One of those stained glass panels that this era was so famous for;

A common subject of Art Nouveau artwork is the fairy - so that sparked another search...and I found this amazing piece of artwork titled "Oak Fairy"

Then I came across something that reminded me of another artist I've been interested in (Carl Larsson), so I searched him next - LOVE this painting of his...

...which led me to stumble across some beautiful dolls by Annette Himstedt that were inspired by his artwork...(There are so many gorgeous dolls out there in haute couture and perfect hairstyles, but the ones that look unkempt and frazzled are the ones who always win my heart...kindred spirits?)

Now you know why I never get any sleep - one thing leads to another, and I just go round and round...and round and round.... Ha ha!
(See #1 of Granny's top 10)
There were so many more gorgeous images I would love to share, but I can't possibly list them all - this post would be way too long (and it would take me all night to upload them!)...so if you get bored one night and feel so inclined, check them out (the jewelry is my favorite!)
Now you know why I stumble around all day with bags under my eyes the size of steamship luggage...it's all in pursuit of artistic inspiration.....yup - that's my story.

Book Club Revisited...

My book club has started up again after the holiday break. It was nice to get out and talk to other "grown ups"! I've been holed-up in the house too much lately. We're going to be reading "Tending Roses" by Lisa Wingate this month.
Yay! Something to look forward to!

On Making Resolutions.....

I really don't like making them - I'm not good at them.
But that doesn't mean that I'm going to quit hoping & trying to improve myself.
If I were so inclined, my wishes for this year would be to not only stay well, but to maybe even gain some ground healthwise - what a blessing that would be! ....And not to waste my energy chasing frivolous goals with my hobby, but to only do things that will be meaningful to friends & family with it. Creating stronger relationships is a constant goal.
I was just reading another favorite blogger's post, and this is what she had to say about the new year

"i'm blessed because i'm ending the year with every member of my family still here. and i'm also ending it with the same ol' Husband i started the year with.

a new year is always looked at as a new beginning. a chance to start again and to make resolutions. but the cool thing is, every day we are allowed to live is a chance for a new beginning.

that is the coolest thing of all. no need to wait until December 31st to make changes. changes can begin right now. no waiting till midnight. no waiting period."

...kind of gives you a new perspective - where it would be nice if we could be magically transformed into a perfect creature with the coming of the new year, for us change is more like a drip in a cave, ever so slowly shaping us into interesting formations!...for me, right now, I'm going to be glad for the things that haven't changed.

Celebrating with the Oldies...

New Year's Eve at my house was the anti-celbration of the year.
I was just not in the mood! I sent myself to my room and popped what I thought was the new Pirate movie in the player, and didn't realize until it was almost over that it was # 2 instead (the one that I really didn't like)...it took me that long to figure out because I slept through most of it!
When I woke up, I went downstairs to watch # 3 with hubby. I guess we had it a bit loud, because we missed all the midnight fireworks on the street outside - didn't even notice that we missed the new year!
...Then, I had planned to make up the black eyed peas today, but scratched that because I know nobody here would eat them but me - so why waste the energy? (and the food!)
...Somewhere back in the past, my teenage toes would curl! Never thought I would be this boring...
Happy New Year anyway...