Calling all Snowbunnies

Good Morning All:

I am now into Day 4 of snow and icebound captivity! I live in Lawrenceville, GA outside of Atlanta and we received about 6 inches of snow on Sunday night and then the ice came in on Monday. My boys have not been out all week so far (I do have pee-pee pads for them). Sammy the dachshund is too little and would be lost and Rowdy and Blue, the shelties are 12 1/2 years old and I can't risk them going down the steep flight of stairs that go to the yard from the deck! So I've cleaned house, x-stitched, crocheted and knitted. Reading another one of the Mitford series books by Jan Karon. I have afternoon and evening fires in the fireplace. It's so exciting. I've not been out since Sunday afternoon! But a good way to save money. The schools have all been closed all week so far and they're saying the thaw really won't start until tomorrow afternoon as we will struggle to get to 30 degrees today, into Sat. They are urging everyone to stay at home and not get out unless absolutely necessary. It is very pretty and since I haven't taken my Christmas decorations down yet I was able to get some great pictures Sunday night! We have not received mail or garbage pickup all week; did get Mon-Wed. newspaper yesterday afternoon. Anyway I'm glad I'm not working and able to thoroughly enjoy it!

On a sad note, my friend Debbie's brother Doug did pass away on Sunday morning. I think I've told y'all about him, but he was diagnosed with esophogeal cancer w mets in Aug. 2009. It had been pretty bad from the get go and he was in pain a good bit of the time and a lot of pain since Nov. as it was well into the bones. He lived in Florida and will be creamated and a memorial service down there on Jan. 29. His wishes were to have his ashes scattered in the Smokies which they plan to do in the Spring sometime. Anyway, he's now at peace and out of pain and cancer free. This is such a devastating disease and it seems like several people have passed away recently from it. One day though it will be put in its place and eradicated. That poem ,"What cancer cannot do is so true!" I do think about it a lot. I'll never get over missing Charlie and have been pretty emotional at times since Christmas but that's okay too. I'm going into NC and taking my best friend with me this time on the 22nd and then Feb. 25 thru March 4, Debbie (the one just mentioned above) has a time share in G'burg and she, my best friend (Debbie is an extremely closed friend, too, but Beki and I have known each other since we were 2 1/2!) so that's why she has the label best friend and it goes both ways! I'm really excited about that trip as I and my sister and my niece and my mother always went up there around my mother's birtday which was 2/27 and then after my mother passed away, we continued to carry the tradition on and my sister, niece and I went. However we have not been able to do that the last several years due to financial circumstances my niece and sister are in. So, this is going to be a real treat and we will be up there on my mother's birthday. Charlie and I went in summer of 2009 before he went back to work and then again in the fall of 2009 which was really special. We just love it up there! Anyway hope everyone is keeping warm and toasty and please keep my friend Debbie and her family in your prayers. It is now just she and her youngest brother David as their parents have both passed on. God bless!

Jan (Basketcase)