What's On the Old Mind This Week

Mama Kat's Losin' It - the prompt I choose this week is:

Write a list of ten things on your mind this week.

1.) Ice storm recovery and cleanup. I have so many trees and shrubs to saw up and move, it will take me forever!

2.) Trying to get caught up at work this week - I missed 7 days due to the ice storm. Seven days is a lot to make up for.

3.) Finishing up the invitation list for my oldest daughter's wedding in June. I'm dreading having to put up with my ex-husband and his family on this special occassion, but it is something I cannot avoid!

4.) Completing my writing assignments for my writing workshop and my writing group this week (the first meets on Thursday, the latter on Friday). I love writing, but the prompts for this month's assignments are giving me trouble - hence the reason I'm working on this prompt today.

5.) I'm thinking of making a proposal to my editor at Mercer' Magazine about another monthly column. There is already an author doing a "Fabulous Fifties" column - I'd like to do one on the "Super Seventies." I have several draft columns already completed.

6.) Wishing, hoping and praying that my youngest daughter makes it past the next section of the interview process for the Governor's School for the Arts program. If she gets in, she will be gone for 3 weeks this summer. She is so excited - I just hope this turns out in her favor.

7.) I've been trying to figure out the reason I haven't been in a reading mood for the past few weeks. You would think during the ice storm I would have caught up on some reading, but no. I spent all my time during the ice storm knitting. I completed one shawl and started on another, but this is not getting my book reviews done. I just feel so behind.

8.) Worrying about my niece - she's 20 years old going on 40. Since the death of her mother (my sister) 4 years ago, my niece has been out of control. She has now moved out of my parent's house. I'm afraid she's going to end up sending my parents to an early grave, but what are we supposed to do? She's a legal adult.

9.) Wondering when Kendall Hart Slater will be back up to her old tricks (Okay - I admit it, I'm an All My Children junkie). Being in a coma for 3 months is not going to stop her - she is a Kane woman after all.

10.) Yippee - Medium is back on Monday nights after a long hiatus! I've missed seeing dead people.

F&%#&%G ICE STORM !!!

The ice storm of 2009 hadn't effected me until tonight. Now half of the HUGE tree in my front yard is laying across my car!!!!

I was on the computer and my daughter was watching TV, when we heard what sounded like an explosion in the front yard. Racing to the door I didn't know what to expect. When I opened the door, all I could see was tree limbs across my driveway - right where my car is parked!

It looks like the tree trunk split in half, so only half a tree is on my car - but that's waaaaaay too much tree to be on my poor little car. It's too dark to see what kind of damage has been done, so I'll have to wait until daylight. Hopefully, if I'm not too upset, I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow.

We have been in our home for almost 16 years - we planted this tree the day we took possession of the house. My daughter tells everyone it is her tree because she was a baby when we planted it. I have birthday pictures of Christine and this tree from every year.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go have a good cry ...

Slip Sliding Away

Slip sliding away, slip sliding away - you know the nearer your destination the more you're slip sliding away ...

Most of us in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky awoke this morning to Ice Storm 2009. Here in Harrodsburg, we only got about 1 inch of snow, but the snow is now covered with a half inch of ice!

My car is iced over, all my trees are iced over - not to mention all the stubble in my wildflower garden. It makes for some beautiful pictures, but not so beautiful driving conditions. Daughter is home from school and I'm home from work. Unfortunately, the hubby had to stay overnight in Lexington to be ready to do team coverage of the storm damage.

This morning I refused to take our doggie for a walk, so I put on his longest lead and stood on the back porch so he could go out in the yard do his business. Even though he weighs almost 50 pounds, he was walking on TOP of the ice! Yes, that's how thick the ice is on the ground - my doggie didn't even break through to the snow. And yes, now there is a yellow stain on the snow/ice and a lovely package I'll have to shovel up later.

Hope everyone is safe and warm and still has electricity. Later ...