Happy New Year

Mario and his squirrel buddy last winter right after a huge snow storm! The squirrel is trying to climb the screen door.

Happy New Year Dear Readers,

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.   We sure did, and I'm sure the pounds have gone up on the scale even tho I'm afraid to get on the scale!  ha ha - There are somethings you just don't want to know.

New Year's Eve is now upon us.   Typically we would be going to a movie this afternoon, but the frigid air is moving in to Wisconsin, and neither Don nor I feel like leaving our nice warm house!   Now if that isn't a sign of old age, then I don't know what is.  We are getting to be old fuddy duds!   

We skipped out on the Christmas Day movie also because we were both so wiped out from a day and a half of Christmas.  We stayed, sprawled out in our recliners all of Christmas Day, once our daughter and son-in-law left to go to his parents around 10:00 in the morning.   This year I'm really seeing shades of my own parents when they were this age!   I vowed to myself then that it would never happen to me.   Famous last words............................!  I think I can blame the PD for this, unfortunately!

That's all she wrote for this time.   We want to wish each and every one of you a very Happy New year - one full of good health, happiness, and enough funds to provide you for all your needs.

Love to all,

Mary

Merry Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas From Our House To Your House 2012

As I write this, I'm watching my most favorite musical ever - The Sound Of Music.  (I think I just dated myself ha ha - oh well!)  I've only seen this movie about 100 times, can sing it backwards and forwards, and never, never tire of it.   Now my Christmas season is officially "kicked off."   I love most musicals, but for some reason this one really makes me happy!

We're all ready for Christmas here - just last minute things to do tomorrow before daughter and son-in-law arrive.  We will have our family Christmas tomorrow night, and give them breakfast Christmas morning.  Around 11:00 they will leave for son-in-laws parents.  We have always been invited too and love going, but have had to give it up now because the steps are getting difficult.     Don and I will probably spend the afternoon Christmas Day at the theater watching the movie Les Mizz.   We've seen the Broadway production two times, but want to see the movie now just to compare!   Loved the Broadway production.

Oh, we did survive our first Blizzard of the season.  Well, the media called it a blizzard.  I don't think our city actually experienced one.  I never did see any whiteout conditions in our block and the snow was so heavy with moisture that it did not drift here.  I was so thankful for the man who will take care of our snow removal this winter.  He came after about 5 inches had fallen to simply try to stay ahead of it.  His theory is 6 inches is easier to clean up than the 12 that were predicted.   Then he returned the next morning after the storm had blown itself out to do final cleanup.   What a blessing he will be to us this winter!

Hope you all have a blessed Christmas or Holiday Season - whichever you celebrate.   

Thanks for reading my blog and being our blogging friend.

Mary and Don

  

Long Overdo Rant - Personal Family Story

Clip Art from Microsoft Office

Dear Friends,

Today is my RANT DAY - something I have never done before on my blog  I usually tend to not get involved with controversial issues because I don't exactly want lots of negative comments.  But after yesterday's shooting at an elementary school, I have to say something.

My heart goes out to the parents of the students involved.  This was another senseless act that could probably have been prevented.   I'm not Einstein and my brain  isn't always all there, but we need to wake up in this country.   I know this is a very complex issue and one that is not going to be solved anytime soon.  But we need to start somewhere.  

When are we ever going to stand up to the gun control issue.  I value the freedoms we have in the US, but when it comes to guns, why do we need so much freedom.   Yes I know our Constitution says we have the right to bear arms.  But I don't remember where it ever said we had the right to kill people!  And apparently the public can't be very responsible to having those same guns so readily available.  Just yesterday a twitter friend from another country made the comment "The US's gun laws are too lenient!"  My sentiments exactly!

I live in the "hunting state of Wisconsin" and am apt to have everyone I know down on my neck.   I have nothing against hunters using their guns to hunt (although I find this idea repulsive myself because I love the same animals they hunt).   But I don't like those same guns sitting around at home in a closet or gun case that can easily be broken into.  If you are a hunter, I certainly hope you have whatever guns you have safely locked up somewhere were children or young adults cannot get to them.   You never know when someone will get into those guns (yes, even the best behaved kids experiment with them).  

Case in point:  My husband (Don) comes from a family of 3 boys (all 2 years apart in age with Don being the oldest) and a girl about 10 years younger than Don.   All three boys grew up with guns, learned all the safety rules, took hunter's safety courses, and went hunting quite often to kill rabbit and squirrel (they always ate what they caught).   One afternoon, Don and one of his  brothers were fooling around in a basement room with the guns.  Don had pointed the gun out the window just to check the site.   He put his finger around the trigger, just for fun, and accidentally pulled it.  It blew out the basement window and made a hole in the curtain.   The sad part is that his youngest brother had just seconds before walked by the same window.  Had Don shot that rifle seconds earlier, he would have shot his brother.  A very close call indeed and a move he regrets to this day..

My point is - why were those guns so readily available in the house.  Why were they never locked up! Don was in high school at that time and certainly knew better, but he still took a risk!  Now you put those same guns into the hands of someone who might have some mental problems and it's an accident waiting to happen,.. It was an accident waiting to happen in Don's house.  I don't know the situations behind the shooting yesterday, but obviously the guns were not that hard to get.   My guess would be they were available right there in his home.

I have also heard in the media that this young man had been diagnosed with Asbergers Syndrome .  Now this should have certainly been a red flag.   Why was he allowed around guns.   I don't know and we'll probably never know.

Wake up people - this same thing could happen anywhere, anytime and to any of you.  Schools can only go so far with protecting our children.   It's up to parents to get guns out of your homes so that no student has easy access to a gun.   We have seen this same thing happen too many times over the past few years.  The problem isn't going to go away by itself.

If writing this saves one child by a parent removing guns from their house, then I will consider it a personal victory.   If you know of someone with gun around the house, speak up and express your concern.   We have to start somewhere!

Mary