Snow Dog

Every blog written by someone living on the east coast today will include snow ... here's mine featuring Kilmer the wimpy snow dog and Willie.

Yesterday morning, before the snow got so high, Kilmer ventured out without fear and enthusiastically ran to the fence and summoned his backyard buddy Pepper.

This morning, after the snow finally stopped at 20" deep, Kilmer again ventured out, but this time very reluctantly. He stuck his head deep into the snow, went about 5 feet, then turned around and came back in.

Worried about Kilmer's bladder and my floor, I enlisted Willie's help. He dug a path to the grass for the wimpy dog and worked hard to coax him out along the shoveled route.Despite Willie's valiant attempts, the dog refused to go beyond the path.

I suppose, if the snow came up to my belly, I'd stay out of it too!

And so, school is cancelled. The snow is beautiful. The cookies are yummy. The fire is warm. God gave all of us a day to remember the importance and love of family time.

And yet, Gary just declared with great enthusiasm that the sun was supposed to be out tomorrow.

I suppose enough is enough.

Back to reality.

God Bless Us, Everyone

Kayti is calling me Tiny Tim. Makes me laugh every single time she says it. Somehow I injured my ankle by just walking up the stairs on Friday night. Yes, I felt an awful "twang," but made my way upstairs and into bed anyway. About 12 steps into Saturday morning, the "twang" came back and by Monday my ankle really hurt, walking was difficult and the swelling had started.

My new favorite doctor, Dr. Wilson, sentenced me to two weeks of boot or crutches, no driving and threats of a full-blown cast if I didn't "listen to the pain" and put my foot up immediately whenever it started hurting. Apparently I damaged a tendon. Not the big Achilles one, but some other one and tearing or breaking this particular tendon leads to surgery and a year's worth of recuperating. Hence, the boot and the crutches and about 15-20 minutes of moving around every 2 hours or so.

Got the bills paid. Got the graphics work almost all done. Got the iPhoto book created. Working on the Christmas cards and a few other graphics projects. Watched Julie & Julia (love it!) and countless tacky but addicting Fa-la-la-la-Lifetime Christmas movies!

My parents got the lights on the tree and drove me all over town yesterday, helping me get some errands done. Gary's doing the dishes and Kayti's carrying things all over the house for me. (I didn't cook with two good ankles, so a little swelling hasn't changed that!) And, while the little devil on my shoulder says: "Poo, Drat, and Cuss," the sweet little angel on the other shoulder says: "Thanks for the rest."

God Bless Us, Everyone!

Thanksgiving 2009: Love and Laughter!

Thanksgiving 2009 for the Mears family

was all the holiday is meant to be.

The entire Mears family, all 18 of us, gathered together in one place.

That hasn't happened for a long time. Here's "Grandma Betty" with all of her grandchildren ... a.k.a. Grandma's Heaven on Earth!

To help me prepare beautiful tables for the Thanksgiving meal, my mom leant me her prized "Pumpkin Turkey Kit" to use as a centerpiece. However, Betty volunteered to bring the centerpieces, so alas, there was no need for the Pumpkin Turkey. I didn't have a pumpkin anyway, so all was good. Willie felt bad for the lonely Pumpkin Turkey and made due

with ... bananas!

As the day's festivities came to a close, sweet little Jamie left us with one last laugh ...

On to Christmas!