CALLING GROUND-CONTROL

The hill doesn't look steep here, but it is! If the zoom on my camera was any good, you could see evidence of my crash-landing site at the bottom!!

Monday morning:

Last night I screwed up. I knew it was dangerously iced out there, and most people can’t even drive up my hill, but …there was my toboggan, there was the lovely, crisp, starry winter sky, and there was Grump encouraging me to come and play outdoors. I did. The result was an exhilarating scoot…ummm…a very RAPID scoot – a scoot only professional bobsled drivers should be attempting. The end was far from graceful. At least this time Grump was smart enough to step aside and let me crash-land by myself, so I’m the only one limping. I’m also sporting a huge bruise on my upper arm, the little finger on my right hand feels mashed and, although it is hidden by my hair, there is a good sized lump on my head. Fortunately the toboggan is okay. Losing my weight, it airily leapt the snow bank and kept on going. Traitor!

I won’t be doing that again anytime soon. The kids are right. My neighbors are not close enough to hear me yell if I get hurt, and none of the dogs are Lassie, or even the Littlest Hobo, who would run to get help. My absence would be noticed the next day only. I’m always dressed warmly, but I’m not into testing how the thermal clothing stands up to a full night lying in the snow. Lesson learned.

Tuesday morning:

I finally got a note from Kilroy. He’s at home, but has just started going downstairs where his computer is situated. I know he’ll be busy right now too, because he does income tax for several friends – looks like I’ll have to get by without reading his blog for awhile yet, sigh.

It’s a beautiful, sunny day here, but very cold. When I hear the fans running in my living room and garage, I run to carry up armloads of wood for the fireplace. There’s this picture in my head of $$$ floating right out the window. Unless I keep the fires going, this place costs a fortune to heat in frisky weather. My son was to come and put in insulation where needed, but he is so busy with his two jobs and three boys (which is WHY he needs two jobs, LOL). I’m considering taking a home renovation course – there would be lots of things I could do myself if I get the know-how. Besides, it would be interesting. Now, the eternal quest…to find the time!

I’ve been talking to Cricket (this for my Blog-it friends) and she gave me permission to post her site. Here it is: , and I have no idea if I transferred it the right way. She writes fantastic poetry, and my, but that lady is a born comedian. I was so happy when she contacted me on ‘Chat’ and was trying to respond to her when…. cyber disaster!! Actually, it was a hardware problem; my remote thingy for my keyboard and mouse died. Bang! Just like that! There are no batteries for the setup I had, and as I watched my screen, where Cricket was asking me if she’d lost me, there was total frustration that I could not answer her to explain what had happened!! Panic! Another indication of how attached we have become to this most popular method of communicating. It was late, the stores were closed, and that was it. But wait! I had my Blackkberry! It can’t take calls out here in the bush, but text messages get through. I sent the message to Cricket via text, and made plans to go shopping for new equipment the next morning. This was done (obviously), and I’m reconnected. Relief! Geez – how did we ever manage before Bill Gate’s invention, anyway?

I’m working from home today, so will get to it. The fire is crackling, Grump is snoozing by my feet, and I’m comfy and warm in my flannel p.j.’s. Ah – but life is good, and I’m SMILING. Sending it out to you all, folks; hoping it makes you SMILE too!!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.