Ashleigh Burroughs is getting better each day and has returned to blogging. Injured in the Tucson shooting, she has good days and bad. Her blog The Burrow is always entertaining and upbeat. She goes about her days giving and sharing, really a pretty good recipe for a happy life. Last week she shared what happened the night before that fateful Saturday when her world turned upside down. She had been so engrossed in a book that she had skipped dinner. By the time she was hungry, it was 9pm and she opted to go to IHOP for a quick stack of pancakes. As she pulled into the parking lot, her radar told her to be cautious, after all she does live in Tucson. Her encounter with a young man that night... go HERE to read her story. It gives me hope that this generation is listening and ecourages me that parents are still talking to their kids, guiding them to adulthood. It's not just parents, Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles too can join in and mold that child into a responsible adult that gives back to society instead of taking away. It's not old fashioned or passe to use manners and have morals in your life. It's actually a pretty good way to assure that your life will be happy.

I have to interrupt today's blog to let you know we are being buried in snow in NW Arkansas this morning. Right now we have 20" on the ground at our house and the weatherman is saying we are getting 2" per hour with predictions of 24" or more before it's all over this afternoon. Then the real problems begin with temperatures dropping to single digits and blowing snow causing drifts 4-6 foot.

I have to get outside asap to fill all the bird feeders. The squirrels have already been knocking at the back door wondering what the heck is going on!

The good news is we bought a 4 wheel drive vehicle yesterday. The bad news is state police say that even 4 wheel drive is useless...you can't even see the roads!

It's really pretty, but I can't say that out loud right now. Jerry just spent the last 2 1/2 hours shoveling to try and get to work. As soon as he would shovel off a strip, it would fill back in. We have a steep driveway, duh! and it's hard even with a couple inches.

I plan on making some potato soup and maybe a pan of cornbread for lunch. We've had enough snows that I've about ran through all my hearty "stick to your ribs" meals already! Beans and cornbread, stew, chicken and dumplings, meatloaf and mashed potatoes. You get the idea!

  I know we aren't the only ones who have got hit hard this winter. I know that some places are a lot worse than here on Granny Mountain. But this is something for us, record breaking snow and cold so I just have to whine a little!

I can only dream about sitting out under the big oak trees on the stone patio with the lights all twinkly. As bad as it is, we have upper 50's predicted for the weekend. If we can just hang on...

Perks

It's come to my attention that I am indeed a lucky woman. I know that already but it's always good to compare with friends to substantiate the fact. There's nothing like hearing someone else's troubles to make you realize that your life really isn't that bad after all. I can honestly say I wouldn't trade my life with anyone, today. If you had asked me that a few years ago I would have told you that the kids were for sale and if Jerry didn't start helping me more around the house I was going to ask for a divorce ! Hormones were the culprit between what I felt like was Heaven or Hell. It could all be in the same day. I was ruled by hormones, held captive to the ups and downs of the moody blues. Hormones are really a wonderful thing, they make us have the tender hearts that cause us to well up when they play an old song or watch a Hallmark commercial. They are also the reason we scream like banshees when dinner gets burned or the toilet seat gets left up...for the millionth time. That's really all we are is one big pile of hormones up until the day they are gone. For me it was one day in February 2005. I went to sleep at 52 and woke up a new woman. No longer did I cry about commercials, fly into a rage when the butter dish wasn't "smooth" or come unwrapped when plans didn't go as planned! So for those of you fretting about the clothes in the closet that don't fit anymore, or if  you're having the "worst day of your lives"... hang on. There is a rainbow when you get to middle age. It's not all bad getting older, there are perks. You can be the hair color you've always wanted, you can wear stripes with florals, and when you forget an appointment you just make another...no one says a thing !